The It List: 'Challengers' is worth the wait, 'Thank You, Goodnight' shows the real Bon Jovi, Emily Henry returns with another will-they-or-won't-they tale
Plus, French electronic music duo Justice release their first album in almost a decade.
The It List is Yahoo’s guide to what’s new in pop culture. Each week, we share staff picks for the latest releases that we can’t wait to watch, stream, listen to, read and binge.
What’s new this week: Challengers brings the heat to the big screen, Beach Read author Emily Henry is back with a new must-read novel and Tiger takes you inside the jungle.
What to watch
?? Zendaya aces steamy new role in Challengers
When: Challengers is in theaters on April 26.
What to know: The tennis drama also stars Mike Faist (West Side Story) and Emmy-winning actor Josh O’Connor (The Crown). It’s directed by Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name).
Zendaya plays tennis prodigy Tashi Duncan, who gets caught up in a love triangle with best friends and doubles partners, Art Donaldson (Faist) and Patrick Zweig (O’Connor).
The film follows the trio’s complicated relationship for more than a decade as the men have a falling out over Tashi but come face-to-face on the court in a surprising turn of events.
Have you heard about those sex scenes? Zendaya explained to Yahoo what went into filming the buzzed-about three-way kiss and how choreographing it was “like a dance.”
O’Connor said “trust” among the three of them was important, as was the intimacy coordinator on set. — Taryn Ryder, entertainment reporter
?? Disneynature’s new film gets up close and personal with tigers
When: Tiger starts streaming on April 22 on Disney+.
What to know: The latest feature film from Disneynature follows a young mother tiger Ambar and her playful cubs through an Indian forest.
The tigers, like most wild animals, have to grow up quickly so they can navigate obstacles, including snakes, crocodiles, bears and even members of their own species.
The film was shot over 1,500 days, which means animals were “intimately filmed like never before,” according to the trailer.
It’s narrated by Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who says, “Ambar’s journey is something I think every mom would really relate to.”
Want more? The film’s companion documentary, Tigers on the Rise, explores the conservation effort behind the remarkable recent comeback of wild tiger populations. — Barbara Kempe, Yahoo News copy desk
What to read
?? Funny Story shows it’s OK for best-laid plans to go awry
When: Funny Story is available for purchase on April 23.
What to know: Emily Henry’s fifth adult romance novel follows Daphne, a children’s librarian whose life falls apart when her fiancé, Peter, abruptly decides to leave her for his childhood best friend, Petra.
Unsure where to go after being kicked out of their joint home, Daphne decides to live with Petra’s ex Miles, who was dumped in similar fashion.
The two end up spontaneously deciding to pretend they’re a couple after hearing that their former partners are getting married.
After living together for awhile, the two roommates soon learn they may have more in common than they thought.
In fact, there could be something romantic bubbling under the surface. — Lily Herman, The Yodel newsletter writer
What to listen to
?? Hyperdrama is Justice’s first album in nearly a decade
When: Hyperdrama is out on April 26.
What to know: Justice, the French electronic music duo of Xavier de Rosnay and Gaspard Augé, are releasing their fourth studio album, and first featuring new music since 2016’s Woman.
The new album’s first single, “One Night/All Night,” features features Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker.
Another collaboration on the record is with R&B star Miguel, who contributes vocals on the synth–laden “Saturnine.”
Justice performed some of their new material at Coachella earlier this month, including a mash-up of “One Night/All Night” and “D.A.N.C.E.” from their 2007 debut, Cross.
Fans can stream Justice’s entire Coachella set for free on YouTube. — Dylan Stableford, news reporter
What to binge
?? Thank You, Goodnight is the definitive Bon Jovi doc
When: All four episodes of the docuseries start streaming on April 26 on Hulu.
What to know: The four-part series tells the 40-year journey of the chart-topping New Jersey rock band.
The project, directed by Gotham Chopra, features new interviews as well as archival videos, photos and music.
The frontman’s vocal injury is a through line as he faces forced retirement or surgery.
The band’s journey from the Jerse to global stardom is a fascinating one — delving into business dealings and how some members’ substance abuse almost “killed” the band.
Richie Sambora, who famously left the band midtour in 2013, appears and sets the record straight about his departure.
The final chapter looks at rebuilding the band after Sambora’s departure, adding new members Phil X and John Shanks, and still topping the charts.
Look for cameos from Bruce Springsteen and Dorothea Bongiovi, Jon Bon Jovi’s wife. — Suzy Byrne, entertainment reporter
Read more: Bon Jovi docuseries director says frontman guarded this part of his friendship with Springsteen: 'That's for me and Bruce'
We’ll be back next week with our latest picks. Want more It List? Click here.
Are there other things you’re excited about? Let us know in the comments below
