Don't miss this week: Jonas Brothers, Muppets, Zelda and a Bennifer double feature
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The Stream
This combination of photos shows promotional art for "The Muppets Mayhem," premiering May 10 on Disney+, left, "Class of 09" premiering May 10 on Hulu and "City on Fire," a series premiering May 12 on Apple TV+ . (Apple TV+/Disney+ via AP) (Disney+/Hulu/Apple TV+ via AP)
New music from the Jonas Brothers, a double feature of Ben Affleck/Jennifer Lopez films and the latest installment in the highly popular Zelda games are among the entertainment titles coming to a device near you this weeke Associated Press' entertainment journalists break down what's arriving on TV, streaming services and music and video game platforms this week.
NEW MOVIES TO STREAM
ā After successfully doing the rounds in theaters, āAirā is finally making its debut on Prime Video on Friday. The film, directed by Ben Affleck and written by Alex Convery, tells the origin story of the Air Jordan sneaker and how Nikeās then-struggling basketball department defied the odds and signed rookie Michael Jordan in an unprecedented deal. Itās the first time Affleck has directed his pal Matt Damon, who plays Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro, and itās the first film from their joint company Artists Equity. They brought in a starry cast, including Viola Davis as Michael Jordanās mother, Deloris, as well as Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker, Chris Messina and Marlon Wayans, and it has been widely praised for its well-told story ā smart, adult and solidly entertaining.
ā Or you can watch Affleckās better half, Jennifer Lopez, in her new movie āThe Mother,ā about an assassin who comes out of hiding to protect a 12-year-old daughter she hasnāt seen for years. Unlike her recent action rom-com āShotgun Wedding,ā this is a more straightforward action thriller. āThe Motherā was directed by Niki Caro (āMulan,ā āWhale Riderā) and co-stars Joseph Fiennes, Lucy Paez, Omari Hardwick, Paul Raci and Gael GarcĆa Bernal. It hits Netflix on Friday. (Read AP's review here.)
ā Jonas Brothers have been super-busy lately ā a stint on Broadway, appearances on āSaturday Night Liveā and āThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallonā and now a new album, called simply āThe Album,ā out Friday. The trio have released the singles āWingsā and āWaffle House,ā an ode to the place they would go to decompress and connect. They may need the waffle house soon: The brothers have a one-night-only show at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 12 where theyāll perform five albums in one night.
ā With āResound NYC,ā Moby reimagines and orchestrates 15 of his old tracks written or recorded in New York from 1994 to 2010, with guest vocalists including Gregory Porter, Margo Timmins and Amythyst Kiah. The songs include āHelpless,ā āIn My Heartā and āāIn This World" and the new āSouth Side" featuring Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs is radically different. Says Moby: āRather than having every song receive the same orchestral treatment, I kind of built a bespoke orchestral approach for each song.ā
ā Move over Kermit and Miss Piggy, the house band for āThe Muppet Show,ā called Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, moves center stage with their own show for Disney+ called āThe Muppets Mayhem.ā It follows the group ā including Animal, Lips, Janice, Zoot, Floyd and, of course, Dr. Teeth ā as they record a long-awaited album. The series is presented mocumentary-style with Lilly Singh as a music executive tasked with keeping the band on track. Itās got vibes of āSpinal Tapā, āDaisy Jones & The Sixā and, of course, āThe Muppets.ā Guest stars include Tommy Chong, Lil Nas X, Tommy Lee and Kesha. All 10 episodes drop Wednesday.
ā The use of artificial intelligence, also known as A.I., has become a hot topic in sectors including the government, education, and even the Hollywood writersā strike, over questions of security, ethics, privacy, and labor. Itās also the focus of a new limited series called āClass of ā09ā coming to FX on Hulu on Wednesday. Brian Tyree Henry and Kate Mara portray FBI agents in the story, which unfolds over three timelines. Throughout the show, questions arise throughout over the use of A.I. in law enforcement and whether it makes us safer or strips people of autonomy.
ā The new crime drama āCity on Fireā for Apple TV+ is inspired by a novel of the same name by Garth Risk Hallberg. The series stars Jemima Kirke, Nico Tortorella and Chase Sui Wonders and is set in 2003 and kicks off with the murder of an NYU student. The investigation reveals a connection to a series of fires in New York, the cityās music scene, and a wealthy family. āCity on Fireā debuts Friday.
ā Alicia Rancilio
NEW VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
ā The last time Nintendo released a Legend of Zelda game ā 2017ās Breath of the Wild ā it pretty much reinvented the franchise and won just about every Game of the Year prize around. So expectations are high for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Our hero, Link, has another grueling journey ahead across the sprawling land of Hyrule, but first he gets to visit a bunch of mysterious islands that have popped up in the skies overhead. Link can also build structures and vehicles, add exotic powers to his weapons, pass through solid objects above him and even reverse time. Even with all the tricky puzzles usually found in a Zelda game, how can he lose? His old enemy Ganondorf will probably have something to say about that, starting Friday on Nintendo Switch.
ā Perhaps youāre one of those gamers who finds Zelda a little too cheerful. Red Hook Studios has just the antidote: Darkest Dungeon II, the sequel to the hopelessly grimdark role-playing adventure that tormented us all in 2016. The twist, again, is that not only do you have to fight monsters, you have to stave off illness, starvation and your own impending psychosis. Red Hook promises an even deeper and darker dungeon ā 500 feet under! ā as well as new enemies and a new gang of desperate fortune hunters willing to risk their sanity. If youāre that type of masochist, you can dig in Monday on PC.