Returns to “The Pitt,” the Grid and music of Kid Laroi are some of the new television, films and music headed to a device near you.
The first week of January brings a pair of sophomore efforts: Laroi’s album “Before I Forget” and the second season of the Emmy-winning hospital drama “The Pitt.” This week’s streaming offerings, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists, also include the return of “The Night Manager” after nearly a decade.
New movies to stream from Jan. 5-11
— Audiences can reenter the Grid when “Tron: Ares” hits Disney+ on Wednesday. The franchise’s third film stars Jared Leto, Greta Lee and Jodie Turner-Smith and features a return of Jeff Bridges. The 1982 original starred Bridges as a hacker who’s transported into a dangerous digital world and kicked off the cult franchise with then-state-of-the-art computer graphics and special effects. AP critic Mark Kennedy praised Leto and Lee’s performances and said despite being a movie that “bites off too much,” it was worth a watch. A bonus for music fans? The film’s Nine Inch Nails soundtrack with some throwbacks to the original film’s score.
— AP film team
New music to stream from Jan. 5-11
— Grammy-nominated artist the Kid Laroi — a direct inheritor of Justin Bieber’s glossy R&B-informed pop — will release his sophomore album, “Before I Forget,” on Friday. Judging by the previously released singles, listeners can expect slow-burn breakup reflections (“A Perfect World”) and high-hat heavy tracks with lovelorn lyrics (“A Cold Play”). It’s frictionless listening to start the new year.
— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman
New series to stream from Jan. 5-11
— In what counts as a quick turnaround these days in the world of prestige TV, “The Pitt” returns for its second season, and second day in the life of a frenetic Pittsburgh emergency room run by Noah Wyle’s beleaguered and beloved Dr. Robby. The first episode of Season 2 premieres Thursday on HBO Max at 9 p.m. Eastern. Expectations will be a lot higher this time. In the 10 months since Season 1 ended, “The Pitt” won the best drama Emmy along with four others, including best actor for Wyle and supporting actress for Katherine LaNasa, who will be returning despite her character vowing to quit after taking a punch. Ten months have also passed in the world of the show, which will again follow a single ER shift, this time on a July Fourth weekend.
— After a much, much longer absence, “The Night Manager” will return for a second season. It’s been nearly a decade since Tom Hiddleston’s hotel worker-turned-spy stalked a dirty arms dealer on the show based on a novel by John le Carré. It was meant to be a limited series for the BBC and AMC, but its creators are now bringing it back with a new and original story. This time, its airing on Prime Video in the U.S., beginning with a three-episode drop on Sunday.
— AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton