Natalie Portman starring in her first TV series for Apple TV, “Lady in the Lake,” and Roland Emmerich’s gladiator series “Those About to Die” are just some of the new television, movies, music and games available on a device near you.
Streaming offerings worth your time, selected by entertainment journalists at The Associated Press, also include: Kerry Washington’s comedy “Unprisoned” is returning for a second season, Daisy Ridley is playing pioneering deep-sea swimmer Trudy Ederle in “Young Woman and the Sea” and Donald Glover has released his final album under his Childish Gambino name.
— If you loved watching Alex Honnold climb El Capitan in “Free Solo,” Netflix has a great gift for you. This time the heights are man-made, but just as frightening. In “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” filmmaker Jeff Zimbalist takes viewers into the dangerous world of roof climbers — the daredevils who climb the world’s tallest buildings. “Skywalkers,” streaming on Netflix starting Friday, stars Angela Nicolaou and Ivan Birkus, who are not only talented roof climbers, but also in their tumultuous relationship. Part heist movie, part dazzling spectacle thanks to incredible Go-Pro footage, part relationship drama, it’s worth a one-click viewing.
— Daisy Ridley stars as deep-sea swimmer Trudy Ederle in “Young Woman and the Sea,” a very well-made and inspiring sports drama reminiscent of the live-action films made by Disney in the early ’90s such as “Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken.” Accessible for the whole family, the film follows Ederle from her childhood to the Olympics and ultimately her quest to become the first woman to swim the English Channel in 1926. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer found it got the best test scores of her career, leading to a somewhat quiet theatrical release. But now it will be available to everyone on Disney on Friday.
— Max also has some good new offerings, “Love Lies Bleeding” on Friday and the streaming premiere of “The Commandant’s Shadow” on Thursday. The first is the second film from filmmaker Rose Glass, directing Kristen Stewart in an extremely compelling performance as a gym manager who falls in love with a bodybuilder drifter. Associated Press film writer Jake Coyle wrote in his review that it “gives Stewart a vibrant noir sandbox where all her talent for passion, desire and anger find their most terrifying expression yet.” The second film is a documentary in which the son of Nazi commandant Rudolf Höss reckons with his family’s past.
— And finally on Prime Video is the sequel “My Spy: The Eternal City,” in which Dave Bautista’s CIA agent JJ accompanies Sophie on a school trip to Italy, where they get caught up in a terrorist plot. Kristen Schaal, Ken Jeong, Anna Faris and Craig Robinson co-star in Pete Segal’s pic that is available starting Thursday.
— Film writer Lindsey Bahr
— In October, Miami rap duo City Girls — consisting of JT and Yung Miami — released their third album, “RAW.” The release, which included both their fiery party records and moments of real vulnerability, was deserved after a few years of true virality, via hit tracks like 2018’s “Act Up.” But it seems all wasn’t great behind the scenes, and the pair are no longer together. But on Friday, JT will release her first mixtape as a solo artist, the 19-track “City Cinderella.” The release’s lead single “OK” features Jeezy — a fiery declaration of being much better than just OK.
— Next week, Childish Gambino will release his sixth studio album, “Bando Stone and the New World,” which is believed to be his final album under Donald Glover’s Childish Gambino name. It also serves as the soundtrack to his upcoming film of the same name. The lead track, “Lithonia,” is anthemic synth-rock, like Glover’s own take on Britpop-punk. It was produced by Glover, Ludwig Goransson, Max Martin and Michael Uzowuru. It’s certainly a surprising turn.
— The six-year-old members of BTS are currently serving South Korea’s mandatory national service. But that doesn’t mean they’re slowing down their musical output. Jimin is preparing to release his second solo album, “Muse.” Using “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band” featuring rapper Loco as evidence, this release is all rosy-cheeked pop songs about love and crushes. Just don’t let so much sweetness cause cavities.
— Rarely does a new artist emerge with such ambition: “I’ll Always Come Finding You,” the debut album from the L.A. rapper and singer BLXST, is a kind of concept record that follows a protagonist named Birdie, who inherits her late father’s chauffeured car service and meets some interesting personalities in the backseat. The 20 tracks — boasting collaborations with everyone from 2 Chainz, Amanda Reifer, Becky G, Anderson .Paak and Feed to Kamasi Washington, Offset and Ty Dolla $ign — BLXST transcends genre with the ease of a seasoned artist.
— Friday also saw the release of Austin artist BLK ODYSSY’s latest song, “1-800 FANTASY.” This diverse release draws from his chosen genres: R&B, hip-hop, funk, neo-soul and jazz — without sacrificing his ear-catching hooks. Start with the breakup banger “Changes.”
— music writer Maria Sherman
— Kerry Washington’s comedy “Unprisoned” returns for a second season on Hulu on Wednesday. She plays Peggy, a single mother raising her teenage son who is thrown into trouble when his father comes to live with her after being released from prison. Peggy works as a therapist but has to work through her own personal issues, including a fear of abandonment. The series was created by writer Terry McMillan, who used her own experience growing up in the foster care system because her father was in prison.
— is a catchphrase where people share random points of time or moments in pop culture they think about often and describe it as their Roman Empire. By those standards, director Roland Emmerich’s Roman Empire is … the Roman Empire. Known for big-budget disaster films like “Independence Day” and “Godzilla,” Emmerich’s first foray into television is a subject he says has long fascinated him, the Roman Empire. “Those About to Die” is a gladiator series set in ancient Rome during the Flavian era. The cast includes Anthony Hopkins, Iwan Rheon, Dimitri Leonidas, Jojo Macari and Tom Hughes. All 10 episodes stream Thursday on Peacock.
— The first half of the sixth and final season of “Cobra Kai” launches on Netflix on Thursday. Set decades after the first “Karate Kid” film, the series follows Ralph Macchio and William Zabka’s characters Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence. It took years, but they’re finally on the same side of the Cobra Kai dojo — as senseis teaching karate to teenagers. They also have a common enemy in the form of John Cleese’s Martin Kove. The show has artfully woven characters from the original films into its stories. Co-creator Jon Hurwitz calls it the Miyagiverse.
— Natalie Portman is starring in her first TV series, “Lady in the Lake,” for Apple TV. The show is based on a book by Laura Lippman. Set in 1960s Baltimore, Portman plays a bored housewife and mother whose obsession with two local murders leads her to leave her family to become an investigative journalist. Moses Ingram also co-stars with “Insecure’s” Ylan Noel. “Lady in the Lake” opens Friday.
— Alicia Rancilio
— It’s been more than a decade since we’ve been able to enjoy college football on video game consoles, and a lot has changed. For starters, real-life amateur players can now make some money. That’s good news for Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, Colorado wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter and Michigan running back Donovan Edwards, who are the cover models for EA Sports College Football 25. The long-awaited reboot gives you the chance to play as a coach, building a team from scratch, or as a player, fighting your way to the Heisman Trophy. Or you can just head back to your old school — there are 134 represented — and enjoy the atmosphere, fight songs and mascots you expect on an autumn Saturday. The season begins Friday on PlayStation 5 and Xbox X/S.
— Capcom’s Kunitsu-gami: Path of the Goddess is an interesting experiment from the company known for blockbusters like Resident Evil. It takes place on a mountain ruled by a mysterious maiden, but it’s under attack from evil forces called the Sithe. During the day, your job is to rescue villagers who have been possessed by demons. After sunset, you and the villagers join forces to save the maiden from being defiled by the Sithe. The result is an interesting mix of the real-time strategy and tower defense genres, with spectacular graphics inspired by Japanese folklore. The battle begins Friday on PlayStation 5/4, Xbox X/S/One and PC.
— Lou Keston
This story has been updated to change the name of Childish Gambino’s album to “Bando Stone and the New World.”
This article is generated from an automated news agency feed without any modifications to the text.
