The debut of “Echoes,” a sequel series to “Orphan Black," and the documentary “Bread & Roses” looking at how Afghan women’s lives were impacted after Kabul fell to the Taliban in 2021 are some of the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you.
Also among the streaming offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Jack Black returns to voice “Kung Fu Panda 4,” R&B-pop artist Kehlani has a new album and Kevin Hart’s interview show “Hart to Heart” is back for a fourth season on Peacock.
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NEW MOVIES TO STREAM
— Jack Black returns to the world of Kung Fu Panda for the fourth installment in the series, coming to Peacock on Friday. In “Kung Fu Panda 4” his character Po has been asked to depart the position of Dragon Warrior and pick a successor. AP critic Mark Kennedy wrote in his review that, “The series’ first new installment in eight years is a reliably funny, sweet and wonderfully realized passing of the torch, with a paw in the past and another into the future — an elegant goodbye and a hello.” The film also features the voices of Awkwafina, Bryan Cranston, Viola Davis, Ke Huy Quan and James Hong.
— If those “Gladiator II” set photos have you craving more Paul Mescal before that film is out in November, you’re in luck: “Aftersun” is coming to Netflix on Friday. His poignant performance as a single father on vacation in Turkey with his 11-year-old daughter scored him an Oscar nomination in 2023 (the award that year went to Brendan Fraser for “The Whale”). The film itself, from writer-director Charlotte Wells, topped the AP’s list of the best films of 2023. Film Writer Jake Coyle wrote that it is, “such a keenly observed accumulation of detail and feeling that you hardly notice the undertow of heartache that will, in the end, absolutely floor you.” Or for something completely different, you can watch Jessica Alba as a Special Forces commando in “Trigger Warning,” also streaming on Friday.
— The documentary “Bread & Roses” looks at how three Afghan women’s lives were impacted after Kabul fell to the Taliban in 2021. Filmmaker and producer Sahra Mani explained that “Closing girls’ schools in Afghanistan is not just a matter of feminist concern; rather, it is a matter of international security… the Taliban recognizes that the children of educated mothers are difficult to indoctrinate and are less susceptible to becoming their future soldiers." Produced by Jennifer Lawrence and Justine Ciarrocchi, and executive produced by Malala Yousafzai, “Bread & Roses” will be available on Apple TV+ on Friday.
NEW MUSIC TO STREAM
— The Grammy-award winning R&B-pop artist Kehlani will soon return with her fourth studio album, “Crash,” a follow-up to 2022’s critically-acclaimed “Blue Water Road.” (That one, AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy described as showcasing her “effortless ability to move from pop, R&B, rap, trance and dance.”) On “Crash,” those eclecticisms have only continued to flourish. On the single “After Hours,” Kehlani brings her smooth vocals to the club atop a dancehall beat; on “Next 2 U,” she weaves big, explosive electronic beats into an energetic love anthem. “They gon’ have to come get me/They gon’ have to see about me/To get next to you,” she sings.
— In 2023, Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma’s “Ella Baila Sola” single surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify last month, becoming the first regional Mexican Top 10 hit on Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100, peaking at No. 4. The song became synonymous with what appeared to be a new, global musical movement: All around the world, regional Mexican music — a catchall term that encompasses mariachi, banda, corridos, norteño, sierreño and other genres — was being embraced. Pluma, in many ways, has become a figurehead for the worldwide phenomenon, and on Friday, he’ll release a new album, the double disc titled “Éxodo.” In interviews, he’s promised to explore many different sounds in and outside of the corridos that made him an international name — as already evidenced on “Peso Completo,” which features reggaetónero Arcángel.
— Disco, for many, is the sound of resilience and joy – which makes it so odd to consider that its history is, many decades from its inception, still overlooked and under-celebrated. On Tuesday, PBS looks to challenge any leftover vintage biases with a three-part documentary series titled “Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution.” It features disco greats the past and present: Labelle’s Nona Hendryx, Sylvester’s Jeanie Tracy, Kim Petras and Jessie Ware among them.
— On Saturday, HBO and MAX will debut a new documentary chronicling the life of Stevie Van Zandt, beloved actor, musician and member of Bruce Springsteen ’s E Street Band, titled “Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple.” It promises to deliver a treasure trove of never-before-seen footage — from “The Sopranos” to early days in Jersey clubs to headlining stadiums and everything in between. And, yes, of course, Springsteen is featured – with other talking heads including Paul McCartney, Bono and Darlene Love.
— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman
NEW SHOWS TO STREAM
— Kevin Hart’s interview show “Hart to Heart” is back for a fourth season on Peacock on Wednesdays. This season, the actor and comedian will sit down for one-on-one chats with Ben Affleck, George Lopez, Cynthia Erivo, Andy Samberg, Judd Apatow and Niecy Nash.
— Hulu is delving into the wild true story of Sherri Papini, the California woman who faked her own kidnapping in 2016. Her claims were so bizarre, it took investigators six years to piece together what happened. All three episodes of “Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini” dropped Thursday.
— “Echoes,” a sequel series to “Orphan Black” debuts Sunday on AMC and BBC America. The show, executive produced by and starring Krysten Ritter, takes place in 2052, nearly 40 years after the events of the original. Ritter plays Lucy, a woman whom we meet after she has had a medical procedure that she can’t remember. Her wife is Kira, the now adult daughter of Sarah Manning. “Orphan Black” fans may remember Manning (played by Tatiana Maslany) was the protagonist of the original show. At the recent premiere, Ritter told The Associated Press that “Echoes” is different than its predecessor saying, “How we’re approaching the clones is my character is played by different actresses at different ages.” Episodes will also stream on AMC+.
— Erin French, the TV personality, chef and owner of the famous Maine restaurant called Lost Kitchen, has a new non-scripted series on Magnolia Network called “Getting Lost with Erin French.” She travels the country in an Airstream with her husband, Michael, looking for recipe ideas. The series debuts on Magnolia Network on Sunday. It streams the same day on Max and Discovery+.
NEW VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
— It’s December 1975, and you’re stuck on an oil rig off the coast of Scotland. To make this Christmas even bluer, you’re all alone — except for some mysterious entity that seems to have wiped out the rest of the crew. That’s the setup for Still Wakes the Deep, the latest mystery from U.K. studio The Chinese Room. The developers are known for off-kilter interactive tales like Dear Esther and Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, and their new adventure aims to combine the creeping dread of those titles with full-bore Lovecraftian horror. Take a deep breath and dive on Xbox X/S, PlayStation 5 or PC.
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This story has been updated to correct the title of Kevin Hart’s show to “Hart to Heart.”
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Catch up on AP’s entertainment coverage here: https://apnews.com/entertainment.