Here鈥檚 a collection curated by The Associated Press鈥� entertainment journalists of what鈥檚 arriving on TV, streaming services and music and video game platforms this week.
MOVIES
鈥� In 鈥淣ope,鈥� Jordan Peele has once again made a rarity in Hollywood: a wholly original film that was also a box-office hit. In his third film as writer-director, following 鈥淕et Out鈥� and 鈥淯s," . The film, arrives Friday on Peacock after , is about a mysterious alien force that hovers in the clouds above a California ranch. The film reteams Peele with 鈥淕et Out鈥� star Daniel Kaluuya, whose character maintains a family horse wrangling business with his sister (Keke Palmer). AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr said 鈥淣ope鈥� 鈥渙ffers a lot to chew on, which is more than most big summer spectacles can promise.鈥�
鈥� Family films have been few and far between in theaters lately, but they're proliferating on streaming services. One of Netflix's biggest forays into the field yet is a $90-million fantasy adventure by 鈥淗unger Games鈥� director Francis Lawrence. The film, which debuts Friday on Netflix, is about a young girl (Marlow Barkley) who enters the dreamworld of Slumberland, where a rogue named Flip (Jason Momoa) helps her try to find her late father. It's loosely based on Winsor McCay's early 20th century comic stream, 鈥淟ittle Nemo in Slumberland.鈥�
鈥� The holiday movies are also already merrily making their way onto home screens. 鈥淪pirited,鈥� a riff on 鈥淎 Christmas Carol鈥� starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds, debuts Friday on Apple TV+. A lavish song-and-dance musical that transfers Charles Dickens' classic to modern day and reimagines it from the ghosts' perspectives. (Ferrell plays "Present".) Bahr said 鈥淪pirited鈥� 鈥渃omes up short as a musical,鈥� but 鈥渋s still pretty enjoyable.鈥�
鈥�
MUSIC
鈥� Neil Young & Crazy Horse have a new 11-track studio album, 鈥淲orld Record,鈥� produced by Rick Rubin and Young. The first track, is a relaxed love ballad to the planet, with the lyrics 鈥淟ove Earth, such an easy thing to do/Love Earth, 鈥榯ill the water and the air is pure鈥� and a video of a barefoot Young walking in the wilderness. The new album examines the state of Earth, its uncertain future, and even Young鈥檚 relationship with cars (on 鈥淐hevrolet鈥�). Neil Young & Crazy Horse have had a prolific couple of years: In 2019, they issued 鈥淐olorado,鈥� followed by 鈥淏arn鈥� in 2021.
鈥� Scotty McCreery fans have reason to smile: A small truckload of new songs from his 2021 鈥淪ame Truck鈥� album recording sessions. 鈥淪ame Truck: The Deluxe Album鈥� is out Friday. is one of six new tracks featured on the deluxe album. 鈥淲e had more songs I loved ready for the original release of 鈥楽ame Truck鈥� than we could put on that album, so I am pumped that Triple Tigers asked me to do a deluxe edition where I could add six more songs,鈥� said McCreery. 鈥淥n It鈥� reunites McCreery, Jessi Alexander, Jonathan Singleton and Frank Rogers 鈥� the writing team responsible for his 2020 No. 1 hit 鈥淚n Between.鈥�
鈥� Broadway stars and husband and wife Colin Donnell and Patti Murin release their first joint album, 鈥淪omething Stupid,鈥� on Friday. The couple tackle 12 tracks by Bruce Springsteen, Sara Bareilles, Jason Robert Brown, Paul Simon and more. Murin played Princess Anna in Disney鈥檚 鈥淔rozen鈥� on Broadway and has been a recurring character on N小蓝视频鈥檚 鈥淐hicago Med,鈥� a show that has also starred Donnell. His Broadway credits include 鈥淰iolet,鈥� 鈥淎nything Goes鈥� and 鈥淛ersey Boys.鈥�
鈥�
TELEVISION
鈥� Chris Hemsworth, aka 鈥淭hor,鈥� puts himself to the test in National Geographic鈥檚 part of an effort to discover the human body鈥檚 durability and how best to confront aging. Accompanied by friends and presumably nervous family members, Hemsworth undertakes challenges including swimming across an almost-freezing Arctic fjord, climbing a 100-foot rope suspended over a canyon and living with a simulation of what his body might be like at nearly 90 years of age. Created by filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, the six-part series debuts Wednesday on Disney+.
鈥� He was born Steamboat Willie in a 1928 animated short, but like a lot of older stars he rebranded with a catchier name. He鈥檚 finally getting the documentary treatment with debuting Friday on, natch, Disney+. The product of Walt Disney鈥檚 fertile imagination, Mickey became beloved by children and adults and a cash mouse for Disney鈥檚 growing entertainment empire. The chipper Mickey also proved an adaptable icon, as detailed in the film from director Jeff Malmberg and producer Morgan Neville (both of whom worked on the Fred Rogers documentary, 鈥淲on鈥檛 You Be My Neighbor?鈥�).
鈥� Fox Nation's four-part series marking the 150-year history of magnificent Yellowstone National Park has the appropriate host in Kevin Costner, star of the Paramount+ drama 鈥淵ellowstone.鈥� In 鈥� debuting Sunday, Costner follows the path of an 1870s geological expedition in the western region that later became the first U.S. national park; visits Yellowstone during an inhospitable winter with minus-40 degree temperatures, and explores the park's thousands of years of human history.
鈥� AP Television Writer Lynn Elber
VIDEO GAMES
鈥� is one of the fall鈥檚 more intriguing experiments. It鈥檚 a murder mystery set in 16th century Bavaria. Its art is inspired by the illuminated manuscripts and woodcut prints of the era. And there鈥檚 no voice acting 鈥� instead, the dialog is presented in medieval typefaces, with fonts and colors changing according to the status of the speaker. It鈥檚 a tightly focused labor of love from Obsidian Entertainment director Josh Sawyer, best known for sprawling role-playing epics like 鈥淔allout: New Vegas鈥� and 鈥淧illars of Eternity.鈥� This trip back in time launches Tuesday for the Xbox X/S, Xbox One and PC.
鈥� Longtime Pok茅mon players know they can depend on Nintendo to regularly introduce new batches of the combative critters. Meet Sprigatito, a mesmerizing grass cat; Fuecoco, an excitable fire croc; and Quaxly, a duck with a nasty kick. They鈥檙e the starting characters in Nintendo says trainers will be able to freely explore a more expansive open world, a shift away from the linear storylines of previous games. Fans can resume the eternal effort to catch 鈥檈m all on Friday on the Nintendo Switch.
鈥�
___
Catch up on AP鈥檚 entertainment coverage here:
The Associated Press
