The “Mandalorian & Grogu” and a new album from Ellie Goulding are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.
Also among the streaming offerings worth your time this week, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: “Scary Movie,” the new season of “Chad Powers” and a reality series from influencer Alix Earle.
— “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” failed to make a major impact at the summer box office, but it gets a second shot on streaming Wednesday on Disney+. Jon Favreau’s film follows Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his young apprentice, Grogu, on a high-stakes mission. In his review, AP’s Mark Kennedy called it an “overlong and overviolent chapter, which relies on too many computer effects and exposes the limits of puppetry.”
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— The Wayans return in “Scary Movie” (Thursday on Paramount+), the sixth entry in the long-running horror spoof franchise. The latest one, a hit in theaters in June, marks the Wayans’ return to the franchise after their departure over creative differences following 2001’s “Scary Movie 2.” In his review, Kennedy called it “a pastiche of loosely tied skits that riff off current and past horror movies as well as topical events like ICE raids and the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef.”
— “The Runner,” an action thriller starring Gal Gadot, debuts Wednesday on Prime Video. In the film, directed by Kevin Macdonald, Gadot plays a lawyer traveling on foot through London to kill a client and save her kidnapped son.
— AP Film Writer Jake Coyle
— Think you know Ellie Goulding’s sound? Think again. The English pop performer’s sixth studio album, “I Know Too Much,” releases Friday, and its three lead singles paint a dynamic picture. First is “Black Prada Dress.” It’s anthemic synth-pop, like she is known for, but with a strong heartbreak message. (“I Know Too Much” is her first album since the end of her marriage to art dealer Caspar Jopling.) Then there’s the swaying acoustic ballad “4 Seasons” and the clubby, electronic “Ravers.” It is something for every flavor.
— For most, Natalie Imbruglia is best — and perhaps only — known for her 1997 hit single “Torn.” But she’s been releasing music consistently in the years since. On Friday, the Australian–British singer-songwriter will release her seventh studio album, “Algorithm.” Don’t let the tech-forward title dissuade you from pressing play: The dreamy guitar pop of a track like “Upside Down” is deceptively earworm-y. It’s one for the Carly Rae Jepsen fan.
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— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman
— Guy Ritchie’s“The Gentlemen” returns for Season 2 on Netflix on Thursday. It stars Theo James as Eddie, who inherited his father’s estate only to find he was running an underground cannabis business and had ties to the mob. The episodes pick up a year after the events of Season 1. Hugh Bonneville and Michele Morrone also join the cast.
— Glen Powell’s “Chad Powers” Season 2 also drops Thursday, with all six episodes releasing on Hulu. Powell plays Russ Holliday, a disgraced college football player who wears prosthetics to pass as an athlete named Chad Powers so he can continue to play the sport. In the new season Powers is having a hard time maintaining his cover as more people learn the truth of who he is.
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— Influencer and podcast host Alix Earle has a new reality series called “Earle Meets World,” featuring Earle, her sister and content creator Ashtin, and their blended family. (Earle’s stepmom is Ashley Dupré, known for her connection to the 2008 Eliot Spitzer scandal.) The series premieres Friday on Netflix.
— AP Writer Alicia Rancilio
— Coen, the protagonist of Bandai Namco’s “The Blood of Dawnwalker,” has it tough: He’s a lowly peasant in violent, plague-ridden 14th-century Europe, and the local warlords are vampires. After Coen gets bitten by the boss, he turns into a hybrid human-by-day, bloodsucker-by-night. Can he retain his humanity and save his family, or should he embrace the eternal darkness? This is the debut release from Polish studio Rebel Wolves, which includes some of the designers who worked on the 2015 landmark “The Witcher 3.” If you’ve been craving a role-playing game with plenty of gore, you can sink your teeth in Thursday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC.
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— Capcom’s “Onimusha: Way of the Sword” takes us to a different historical hellhole: a version of feudal-era Japan that has been “twisted by malevolent clouds of Malice.” The hero this time is samurai Miyamoto Musashi, and his job is to slay the demonic Genma that have overrun the land. Fortunately he is equipped with a gauntlet that absorbs the souls of his enemies, restoring his health or giving him supernatural powers. The Onimusha series dates back a few decades, but this is the first new chapter since 2006. Unsheathe your blade Friday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch 2 and PC.
— Lou Kesten
