Here鈥檚 a collection curated by The Associated Press鈥� entertainment journalists of what鈥檚 arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.
MOVIES
鈥� Summer movies are finally starting to heat up this week with the much-anticipated debut of Lin-Manuel Miranda鈥檚 The sweaty, vibrant musical about a close-knit Washington Heights neighborhood during a citywide black out is undoubtedly meant for the big screen 鈥� director Jon M. Chu (the man behind 鈥淐razy Rich Asians鈥� and various 鈥淪tep Up鈥� films) made sure of it 鈥� but if you can鈥檛 make it to a theater, it鈥檒l be free on HBO Max starting Thursday for 31 days. And at home, you can rewind and sing along to toe-tappers like "96,000" and no strangers will look at you weirdly.
鈥� Paramount+ is also making a big splash, offering up the new Mark Wahlberg-led and Antoine Fuqua-directed action pic free for subscribers on Friday. Based on the book 鈥淭he Reincarnationist Papers,鈥� Wahlberg plays a man who doesn鈥檛 know he鈥檚 an eternal but is starting to suspect that maybe his schizophrenia diagnosis might not fully explain his visions and skills. And from the trailers, it looks like the action set pieces are trying to give both 鈥淢ission: Impossible鈥� and the 鈥淔ast & Furious鈥� movies a run for their money. Chiwetel Ejiofor co-stars.
鈥� And over on Amazon Prime Video, you can catch Italian director Matteo Garrone鈥檚 gothic spin on Pinocchio starting Friday, which came and went in late December without enough fanfare. Based on Carlo Collodi鈥檚 1883 novel 鈥淭he Adventures of Pinocchio,鈥� this is a much darker affair than the song-filled animated version. While the result may not be suitable for all children, I wrote in that any fan of Guillermo del Toro鈥檚 films or Wolfgang Petersen鈥檚 鈥淭he NeverEnding Story鈥� should give a chance.
鈥� AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr
MUSIC
鈥� Inspired by his time during the beginning of the pandemic with his family in Texas, crafted his new album with Promise of the Real. 鈥淎 Few Stars Apart鈥� was recorded live on eight-track tape over three weeks at Nashville鈥檚 historic RCA Studio A, and the album was produced by Grammy-winner Dave Cobb, who has worked with everyone from Chris Stapleton to Lady Gaga. 鈥淚鈥檓 from what one might say is the ultimate road family 鈥� I鈥檝e been on the road my entire life,鈥� said Lukas Nelson, the son of Willie Nelson. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 remember the last time we had that much time together as a family. We had a lot of really important bonding that happened during that time. And I have to say, as terrible as the pandemic has been in so many ways, for my inner peace, I was able to take a lot of good from this time. I was able to pause and reflect.鈥�
鈥� After finding success with the multi-platinum hit 鈥淟ost Boy,鈥� from her 2017 debut 鈥淪afe Haven,鈥� Ruth B. is back with her sophomore album. The 25-year-old Ethiopian-Canadian singer-songwriter will release the 11-track set called 鈥淢oments In Between鈥� on Friday. It was executive produced by Patrick Wimberly, who has worked Solange, MGMT, Ellie Goulding and Joji. Ruth B. has already released songs from the album including 鈥淪ituation鈥� and 鈥淒ie Fast.鈥�
鈥� AP Music Editor Mesfin Fekadu
TELEVISION
鈥� Tom Hiddleston reprises his film role of in the new Disney+ limited series named for the Marvel character and set after the events of 鈥淎vengers: Endgame.鈥� In the six-parter debuting Wednesday, Loki is forced to help fix the break in time that he caused, with one scene a promise of the lively ride to be expected from the god of mischief: Confronted about his past 鈥� which includes, he鈥檚 reminded, literally stabbing people 鈥渋n the back like 50 times鈥� 鈥� Loki鈥檚 cheeky reply is, 鈥淲ell, I鈥檒l never do it again.鈥� Hiddleston, of course, delivers the line for all it鈥檚 worth.
鈥� It seems like only yesterday that the extended Kardashian-Jenner family invaded TV and oh so many other parts of our culture and commerce with 鈥淜eeping Up With the Kardashians.鈥� But it鈥檚 been 15 years and 20 seasons, and 8 p.m. EDT Thursday. How to wrap up the multi-level saga that included marriages, near-marriages, divorces and the best celebrity tie-in ever, with Kanye West? You don鈥檛. The E! series will be history but the family will be back with a Hulu streaming show.
鈥� You have a dog. You want a dog. You don鈥檛 like really dogs, but you love Christopher Guest鈥檚 comedy 鈥淏est in Show.鈥� For all of you, the 145th annual arrives this week, with the Westminster debut of catchily named breeds the Barbet, Biewer Terrier, Belgian Laekenois and Dogo Argentino. Fox Sports Network 1鈥瞫 prime-time coverage begins at 7 p.m. EDT Saturday, with the Fox broadcast network carrying Sunday night鈥檚 canine competition starting at 7 p.m. EDT.
鈥� AP Television Writer Lynn Elber
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