The long-awaited debut album from Ice Spice and the movie “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” with new and old franchise stars 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: Wayne Brady allows cameras into his life for a new reality series and Kate Upton hosts the new competition series “Dress My Tour,” where fashion and music intersect.
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NEW MOVIES TO STREAM
— It’s been 40 years since the original “Ghostbusters,” and some might argue that it’s time to move on. I ain’t afraid of no ghosts, but I am of needlessly prolonged film franchises. “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” which begins streaming Monday on Netflix, has some things going for it. Namely Kumail Nanjiani, who steals the movie as the reluctant “Fire Master.” But there’s a pleasant-enough kid-friendly-ish vibe to “Frozen Empire,” in which the Spengler family (Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace) returns to New York. OG Ghostbusters Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson and Dan Aykroyd are also still on hand. In my review, I wrote that the movie has “a modest charm as an ’80s-tinged family adventure.”
— “Bob Marley: One Love,” streaming Tuesday on Prime Video, is the latest in a medley of music biopics. The film, which first debuted in theaters in February, stars Kingsley Ben-Adir as the reggae legend. It’s a muddled but sincere and textured approach in capturing one of the most potent musical forces of the 20th century. In my review, I wrote that “the power and complexity of Marley is out of reach for ‘One Love,’ which takes a typical biopic framework.”
— Guy Ritchie tells a true historical tale in “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” (streaming Thursday on Prime Video) albeit with plenty of amped-up, action-movie exaggeration. During World War II, a small band led by an ex-criminal (Henry Cavill) sails to the West African islands to sabotage a fleet of German U-boats. The tale boasts plenty of real-life intrigue, including James Bond author Ian Fleming, himself. In my review, I praised Ritchie’s jauntily entertaining film but lamented that the real-life stealth mission “would have been thrilling enough if it had been told with a little historical accuracy.”
NEW MUSIC TO STREAM
— The long-awaited debut album from everyone’s favorite contemporary Bronx MC, Ice Spice, arrives Friday. On “Y2K!”, Ice Spice amplifies her idiosyncratic, lackadaisical flow with boisterous, often hilarious bars. (That’s immediately evident on the previously released singles, like “Phat Butt” and “Think U The S--- (Fart).” She’s also brought out some heavy hitters for features: Travis Scott, Gunna, and the biggest British rapper of the current moment, Central Cee, make an appearance.
— The Australian electronic duo Empire of the Sun will return on Friday with “Ask That God,” their fourth studio album and first in eight years, since 2016’s “Two Vines.” Fans will remember Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore for their 2008 psychedelic dance-pop smash “Walking on a Dream” — and now, there’s new, similarly colorful and maximalist music to enjoy: Start with the shimmery “Cherry Blossom.”
— Each year, around the world and in the U.S., KCON – a convention that celebrates K-pop, K-drama, K-food, K-beauty, everything under the umbrella of “Hallyu,” a term used to describe the growing global popularity of Korean popular culture — takes place. It began 12 years ago in Irvine, California, and has grown exponentially in the years since. The 2024 Los Angeles KCON returns to the LA Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena, and will take place July 26 through the 28, with a lineup boasting of NCT 127, P1Harmony, BOYNEXTDOOR, Taemin and more. For those who can't make it in person: Each night’s performances will be streamed live on KCON’s official YouTube channel. The concert will also air live on the CW Networks Sunday, July 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT for the first time ever.
— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman
NEW SHOWS TO STREAM
— What would happen if the cast of “Love Island” caught the plague while sequestered in their villa? That’s one way to describe “The Decameron” on Netflix, a black comedy set in Florence, Italy. Loosely based on stories from the 14th century, a collection of misfits end up hiding out and partying through the 1348 pandemic at a countryside villa. The eight-part series, debuting Thursday, stars comedy pros like Tony Hale, Zosia Mamet and Saoirse-Monica Jackson in a romp full of sex, booze, love and mortality.
— Hilary Fox
— Fashion and music intersect in the new competition series “Dress My Tour” for Hulu. Hosted by Kate Upton, 11 contestants are challenged with designing looks for a different recording artist each episode who will judge their creations. The musicians who take part include JoJo Siwa, Toni Braxton and Ty Dolla $ign. The winner gets $100,000. “Dress My Tour” premieres Tuesday.
— We’ve seen Wayne Brady in front of the camera as an actor, comedian and host of “Let’s Make a Deal.” Now, he’s inviting cameras into his life off-screen with a reality series following his unconventional, blended family. Brady, who came out as pansexual last year, co-parents daughter Maīle’ Masako Brady with his ex-wife and business partner, Mandie Taketa. Taketa has moved on with partner Jason Fordham and the two have a young son, Sundance-Isamu. Brady is the godfather of the boy and helping to raise him. “Wayne Brady: The Family Remix” premieres on Freeform on Wednesday and will stream next day on Hulu.
— Matt Groening’s sci-fi animated comedy “Futurama” returns for its 12th season on Hulu on Monday. The streamer revived the show last year and has 10 new episodes ready to roll out. In “Futurama,” Billy West voices Philip J. Fry, a pizza delivery boy who accidentally gets cryogenically frozen on the eve of Y2K in 1999. He defrosts one thousand years later and befriends a robot named Bender (John DiMaggio). The series is a workplace comedy following Fry, Bender and their colleagues at a delivery company called Planet Express.
NEW VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
— Fans of the original Legend of Zelda are sure to find Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure cozily familiar, with a green-clad protagonist fighting monsters and finding treasure across a 2D map. The gimmick here is that every time the intrepid Jemma moves, part of the landscape moves in the same direction. The developers promise a “playful sense of chaos, and a regular stream of small, thoughtful puzzles.” It’s the debut title from an indie studio called Furniture & Mattress, with peppy graphics by the artist who illustrated the cult classic Braid. The journey begins Thursday, July 25, on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PC and Netflix (iOS and Android).