Kesha enjoying her freedom on her first new album since she left her old label and Ryan Coogler’s guts-spilling vampire film “Sinners,” are some of the new television, films, 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: Charlize Theron in “The Old Guard 2” on Netflix, National Geographic’s 25-hour “SharkFest” and John Cena playing a U.S. president opposite Idris Elba as the UK’s prime minister in the comedy “Heads of State.”
New movies to stream from June 30-July 6
– Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” arguably the movie of the year up to this point, begins streaming Friday on Max. With $363.8 million in worldwide ticket sales, Coogler’s supernatural thriller is one of the most successful original films of the last two decades. It stars Michael B. Jordan as a pair of twins who return to their hometown to open a juke joint in 1930s Mississippi. Vampires, and other dark forces, intrude on their plans. In her review, AP’s Jocelyn Noveck wrote: “How Coogler pulls everything off at once — and makes it cohere, mostly — is a sight to see.”
– The wait has been long for “The Old Guard 2” (Netflix, Wednesday), a sequel to Gina Prince-Bythewood’s 2020 streaming hit starring Charlize Theron as a member of a team of centuries-old mercenaries. In “The Old Guard 2,” shot all the way back in 2022, Victoria Mahoney takes over as director, while Theron returns as Andy, a warrior who has now lost her immortality.
– In “Heads of State” (Prime Video, Wednesday), John Cena plays the president of the United States and Idris Elba plays the prime minister of the United Kingdom. What could go wrong? In Ilya Naishuller’s comedy, the two are hunted by the same adversary. Elba’s politician, a former commando, is better prepared than Cena’s president, a former action movie star.
– A Zambian family funeral unearths a dark past and an anguished reckoning in Rungano Nyoni’s beguiling “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” (Max, Friday). Nyoni’s follow-up to the equally compelling “I Am Not a Witch,” AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr wrote in her review, “cements the exciting arrival of a true filmmaker.”
— AP Film Writer Jake Coyle
New music to stream from June 30-July 6
— Kesha is a free agent. On Independence Day, she’ll self-release “.” (pronounced “Period”), her first new full-length album since her departure from RCA and the Dr. Luke-founded Kemosabe Records in 2023. That year, the pop star and the producer settled nearly a decade of suits and countersuits over her accusation that he drugged and raped her and his claim that she made it up and defamed him. Across the 11-track release, Kesha is clearly enjoying some newfound freedoms: “.” is a stuffed with throwback, ebullient pop, like the sultry “JOYRIDE.,” the country-and-western-themed “YIPPEE-KI-YAY.,” and the bighearted power ballad “DELUSIONAL.”
— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman
New series to stream from June 30-July 6
— After a successful season 2, the cast of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” gather for their first reunion episode on Hulu. #MomTok has a lot to hash out including infidelity rumors and accusations of clout-chasing. Nick Viall, a podcaster and former star of ABC’s “The Bachelor,” hosts the special streaming Tuesday.
— Netflix has a documentary previewing its upcoming Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano fight at Madison Square Garden. “Countdown: Taylor Vs. Serrano,” debuts Thursday and is narrated by Uma Thurman. It will show Taylor and Serrano as they train and prepare for their third match.
— A number of fin-tastic programs about sharks stream in July. Netflix offers a new reality competition show called “All the Sharks” debuting on Friday. Four teams of shark experts compete to locate and photograph the most number of sharks. The winners get $50,000 for their favorite marine charity.
— National Geographic has compiled more than 25 hours of television for its annual SharkFest which begins streaming Sunday, July 6, on Disney+ and Hulu. In the docuseries, “Investigation Shark Attack,” scientists attempt to pinpoint what causes a shark to attack. “Super Shark Highway” follows researchers as they track sharks along migration routes in the waters off Australia. The goal is to find ways for sharks and humans to coexist in the busy ocean.
— Alicia Rancilio
New video games to play from June 30-July 6
— Giant robots! Maybe you like the kind that can stomp across a city, crushing office buildings under their huge metal feet. Or you prefer the ones who can fly above the chaos, unleashing missiles at each other. Perhaps you’d rather have your mech just hang back and perform maintenance on the ones taking the most damage. Whatever your choice, Mecha Break, from China’s Amazing Seasun Games, hopes to have you covered. It’s a multiplayer slugfest with 3 vs. 3, 6 vs. 6 and human vs. AI scenarios. You can start building your dream bot Wednesday on Xbox X/S and PC.
— Lou Kesten
