Tunes from Dan & Shay and Vic Mensa plus a genre-blending Hulu series "The Other Black Girl" set inside the world of publishing are some of the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you
Among the offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press' entertainment journalists are a joyous season two of "Welcome to Wrexham," "Barbie" can be bought for $30 and Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon return for season three of "The Morning Show."
NEW MOVIES TO STREAM
— "Barbie" is finally coming to the small screen, giving audiences everywhere the freedom to belt out "I'm Just Ken" along with Ryan Gosling without shame. It'll come at a cost, though, at least for a little while. Greta Gerwig's billion-dollar blockbuster will be available to buy on video-on-demand for a cool $29.99 starting Tuesday. The film took on a life of its own after a wild marketing blitz and "Oppenheimer" proximity, inspiring moviegoers to don their pinkest, most sparkly ensembles for group trips to the theaters. With over $1.3 billion in global ticket sales, it has ascended to become the biggest movie of the year, the biggest in Warner Bros. 100-year-history and the biggest live-action movie directed by a woman. AP's Jocelyn Noveck wrote in her review that, "Barbie" "can simultaneously and smoothly both mock and admire its source material."
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— Unlike "Barbie," Disney and Pixar's latest offering "Elemental" did not set the cultural conversation, or box office, on fire this summer. Lost in the sea of pre-Barbenheimer fizzles, the film imagines a city where anthropomorphized elements (fire, water, earth and air) live separately from and in fear of one another. In a marketplace void of meaningful offerings for young kids however "Elemental" did slide its way to $480 million globally, but if you failed to catch it in theaters, it will be on Disney+ starting on Wednesday. In his review, AP Film Writer Jake Coyle asked where it fits in the Pixar canon. "Probably in the lower half," Coyle wrote. "But 'Elemental' — sincere and clever, with a splash of dazzle — comes closer to rekindling some of the old Pixar magic than some recent entries."
— And for something completely different, and definitely not for kids, Netflix has Pablo Larraín's "El Conde" coming on Friday. The director of "Spencer" and "Jackie" returns to his home country to make a dark satire about Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet as a 250-year-old vampire who'd like to die. With cinematography from the great Ed Lachmann and a smart allegorical take on history repeating itself, "El Conde" is stunning to behold. It also coincides with the 50-year-anniversary of the coup that brought Pinochet to power.
— AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr
NEW MUSIC TO STREAM
— Throughout their career, the Grammy-award winning country pop duo Dan & Shay have been known as reliable, romantic balladeers — experts in soundtracking a first dance or a cinematic moment between two lovers. That streak continues on their fifth studio album, "Bigger Houses," as found in the title track, and "Heartbreak on the Map," and "Always Gonna Be." But they also make room for surprises: like on the ascendant, uptempo single "We Should Get Married." Get you a duo who can do both.
— Six years after Vic Mensa released his debut album, "The Autobiography," the Chicago rapper is back with a sophomore release — the self-titled, self-reflective "Victor." Across 18 tracks, Mensa explores culture, sobriety, Ghana, home and himself, leading to his most zealous work to date. "This album is a story of redemption; trial and triumph, pain and glory," Mensa said in a statement. On the single "Blue Eyes," he takes on Eurocentric standards of beauty; on "Strawberry Louis Vuitton (feat. Thundercat)" he pays homage to the late-great Virgil Abloh.
— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman
NEW SERIES TO STREAM
— When we last saw Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon's characters on "The Morning Show," they were navigating COVID-19 at the height of the pandemic. Aniston's Alex Levy was even broadcasting from her house while inflicted with the virus. For its third season, debuting Wednesday on Apple TV+, there's been a time jump and the network now is courting a sale to a tech giant played by Jon Hamm — whose passion is to join the space race. (Sound familiar?) Once again, "The Morning Show" is not afraid to dive into real topics in our media landscape that have an impact on news coverage, including mergers, budgets, and ethics. Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Greta Lee and Julianna Margulies also return. The series has already been renewed for a fourth season.
— When Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney purchased a small, down on its luck soccer club called Wrexham A.F.C. in Wales, they wanted to document how the team and its blue-collar town rely on and reflect one another — in both good times and bad. The team and town have enjoyed the international attention "Welcome to Wrexham," but the team still struggled in season one. Season two, debuting Tuesday on FX, shows things start to click where ultimately (spoiler alert) Wrexham won their league, taking them to the next tier of competition.
— The new Hulu series "The Other Black Girl" is set inside the world of publishing where Nella, an editorial assistant, is the only Black girl in the office. Nella is relieved and excited to meet her new colleague, Hazel-May, who is also Black and hopes for a comrade as now the two examples of Black representation in their workplace. Hazel-May, however, assimilates just fine, and Nella begins to feel increasingly on the outs with those around her. Hazel tells Nella she's her ally, but her actions don't reflect that. The series — with its genre-blending mix of social satire and creepiness is based on a novel of the same name by Zakiya Dalila Harris, who also is an executive producer and writer on the project. All 10 episodes drop Wednesday.
— A new series coming to The CW may reinforce some people's fears of the ocean makes "Jaws" look downright silly. "The Swarm," debuting Tuesday, is about a predatory life force deep in the water that can control the ocean's ecosystem. All sea life becomes hostile (including muscles and crabs), pathogens end up in drinking water and dangerous weather including tsunamis and hurricanes are provoked. The eight-episode series first aired in Germany and is based on a novel by Frank Schätzing.
— Alicia Rancilio
NEW VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
— In summer 2016, millions of people were exploring the world with their smartphones held high, hoping to spot adorable little monsters in the Pokémon Go augmented reality app. That game's developer, Niantic, is back with Capcom's Monster Hunter Now, and the critters have gotten a lot bigger and meaner — more like Godzilla than Pikachu. They aren't nearly as happy to join your menagerie, and you may need to squad up with some friends to take down the particularly nasty ones. In between battles you can search for minerals, plants and bones that you need to craft better armor and weapons. Just be careful not to swing your phone too violently on your neighbor's lawn. The hunt begins Thursday on iOS and Android phones.
— Lou Kesten
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Photos: Notable Deaths in 2023
Mark Margolis
Mark Margolis, who had a breakout role as a mobster in “Scarface” but became best known decades later for his indelible, fearsome portrayal of a vindictive former drug kingpin in TV's “Breaking Bad," died Aug. 3, 2023. He was 83. Margolis was nominated for an Emmy in 2012 for outstanding guest actor in “Breaking Bad” as Hector “Tio” Salamanca, the murderous elderly don who was unable to speak following a stroke. But this actor did not need dialogue; he communicated via facial expressions and the sometimes menacing use of a barhop bell taped to his wheelchair.
Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck, a guitar virtuoso who pushed the boundaries of blues, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll, influencing generations of shredders along the way and becoming known as the guitar player’s guitar player, died Jan. 10, 2023. He was 78. Beck was among the rock-guitarist pantheon from the late ’60s that included Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. Beck won eight Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice — once with the Yardbirds in 1992 and again as a solo artist in 2009.
Bobby Caldwell
Bobby Caldwell, a soulful R&B singer and songwriter who had a major hit in 1978 with “What You Won't Do for Love” and a voice and musical style adored by generations of his fellow artists, died March 14, 2023. He was 71. The smooth soul jam “What You Won't Do for Love” went to No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 6 on what was then called the Hot Selling Soul Singles chart. It became a long-term standard and career-defining hit for Caldwell, who also wrote the song.
Robbie Knievel
Robbie Knievel, an American stunt performer who set records with daredevil motorcycle jumps following the tire tracks of his thrill-seeking father — including at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 1989 and a Grand Canyon chasm a decade later — died Jan. 13, 2023. He was 60.
Gina Lollobrigida
Italian film legend Gina Lollobrigida, who achieved international stardom during the 1950s and was dubbed “the most beautiful woman in the world” after the title of one of her movies, died Jan. 16, 2023. She was 95. Besides “The World’s Most Beautiful Woman” in 1955, career highlights included Golden Globe-winner “Come September,” with Rock Hudson; “Trapeze;” “Beat the Devil,” a 1953 John Huston film starring Humphrey Bogart and Jennifer Jones; and “Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell.”
Lynette Hardaway ("Diamond")
Lynette Hardaway, an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump and one half of the conservative political commentary duo Diamond and Silk, died Jan. 9, 2023. She was 51. Hardaway (pictured at left), known by the moniker “Diamond,” carved out a unique role as a Black woman who loudly backed Trump and right-wing policies.
Adam Rich
Adam Rich, the child actor with a pageboy mop-top who charmed TV audiences as “America’s little brother” on “Eight is Enough,” died Jan. 7, 2023. He was 54. Rich had a limited acting career after starring at age 8 as Nicholas Bradford, the youngest of eight children, on the ABC hit dramedy that ran from from 1977 to 1981.
Charles White
Charles White, the Southern California tailback who won the Heisman Trophy in 1979, died Jan. 11, 2023. He was 64. A two-time All-American and Los Angeles native, White won a national title in 1978 before claiming the Heisman in the following season, when he captained the Trojans and led the nation in yards rushing.
Tatjana Patitz
Tatjana Patitz, one of an elite group of famed supermodels who graced magazine covers in the 1980s and ’90s and appeared in George Michael's “Freedom! '90” music video, died at age 56.
Russell Banks
Russell Banks, an award-winning fiction writer who rooted such novels as “Affliction” and “The Sweet Hereafter” in the wintry, rural communities of his native Northeast and imagined the dreams and downfalls of everyone from modern blue-collar workers to the radical abolitionist John Brown in “Cloudsplitter," died Jan. 7, 2023. He was 82.
Cardinal George Pell
Cardinal George Pell, a onetime financial adviser to Pope Francis who spent 404 days in solitary confinement in his native Australia on child sex abuse charges before his convictions were overturned, died Jan. 10, 2023. He was 81.
Ken Block
Ken Block, a motorsports icon known for his stunt driving and for co-founding the action sports apparel brand DC Shoes, died Jan. 2, 2023, in a snowmobiling accident near his home in Utah. Block rose to fame as a rally car driver and in 2005 was awarded Rally America's Rookie of the Year honors.
Walter Cunningham
Walter Cunningham, the last surviving astronaut from the first successful crewed space mission in NASA's Apollo program, died Jan. 3, 2023. He was 90. Cunningham was one of three astronauts aboard the 1968 Apollo 7 mission, an 11-day spaceflight that beamed live television broadcasts as they orbited Earth, paving the way for the moon landing less than a year later.
Steve Harwell
Steve Harwell, the longtime frontman of the Grammy-nominated pop rock band Smash Mouth died Sept. 4, 2023. He was 56. Smash Mouth was known for hits including “All Star” and “Then The Morning Comes."
Dick Butkus
Dick Butkus, a middle linebacker for the Chicago Bears whose speed and ferocity set the standards for the position in the modern era, died Oct. 5, 2023. He was 80. Butkus was a first-team All-Pro five times and made the Pro Bowl in eight of his nine seasons before a knee injury forced him to retire at 31. He was the quintessential Monster of the Midway and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility. Trading on his image as the toughest guy in the room, Butkus enjoyed a long second career as a sports broadcaster, an actor in movies and TV series, and a sought-after pitchman for products ranging from antifreeze to beer.
