This week’s new entertainment releases include albums from Björk and Broadway's "Into the Woods,” the reunion of Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy in “Hocus Pocus 2” and a Showtime documentary about Sinéad O’Connor
Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.
— Andrew Dominik’s long-delayed, NC-17 rated epic about Norma Jean Baker, or Marilyn Monroe, is finally here. “Blonde,” which will be available on Netflix on Wednesday, looks at the life and mythology of the Hollywood icon, played by Ana de Armas, through an experimental and fictionalized lens, with stunning recreations of classic film moments from “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” and “The Seven Year Itch,” brought to life by Chayse Irvin’s cinematography, Jennifer Johnson’s costumes, and de Armas’s committed performance. But this is no celebration of Hollywood’s “Golden Age” or one of its brightest stars; it’s an often brutal critique of that industry and the surrounding culture and how it failed her time and time again.
— In a new documentary “Nothing Compares,” Irish filmmaker Kathryn Ferguson looks at the life and career of Sinéad O’Connor, from her rise to her de facto exile from the pop establishment and beyond. The film, which begins streaming on demand for Showtime subscribers on Friday before premiering on air on the channel on Oct. 2, uses archival footage, some previously unseen, and a new interview with O’Connor to tell her story.
— AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr
— Rita Wilson is flexing her big-name connections with her new album, “Rita Wilson Now & Forever: Duets,” out Tuesday. It sees Mrs. Tom Hanks collaborating with numerous artists, including Elvis Costello, Keith Urban, Willie Nelson, Smokey Robinson, Leslie Odom Jr., Josh Groban and Jackson Browne. Each tune explores songs from the ‘60s and ‘70s, from the Bee Gees’ “Massachusetts” to Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird.” She sings “Let It Be Me” with Browne, “Slip Slidin’ Away” with Nelson and “Where Is The Love?” with Robinson.
— Can’t make it to Broadway for one of the fall’s loveliest shows? Then just stream the cast album of James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods,” with an all-star cast including Sara Bareilles, Brian d’Arcy James, Patina Miller, Phillipa Soo, Gavin Creel and Joshua Henry. In the musical, several classic Grimm fairy tales are thrown into a blender and then emerge intertwined, unmoored and unfinished. Bareilles’ version of “Moments in the Woods” is utterly sublime. The stream starts Friday.
— AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy
— Kerry Washington ("Scandal") is behind the camera as an executive producer for Hulu's “Reasonable Doubt,” debuting Tuesday. Emayatzy Corinealdi stars as a L.A. defense attorney who chooses results over protocol and has a complicated personal life. Jay-Z's debut album and discography are cited as inspiration for the show and episode titles, with hip-hop, R&B and neo-soul featured on the soundtrack. Michael Ealy and Sean Patrick Thomas co-star in the first scripted drama from Disney's Onyx Collective, which focuses on programming from creators of color and underrepresented voices.
— Marcia Gay Harden and Skylar Astin play a mother-son odd couple in CBS' new dramady “So Help Me Todd,” debuting Thursday. The Oscar-winning Harden's attorney Margaret Wright is organized to a fault; Astin's Todd is the black sheep in a successful family, an effective private eye who lost his license because he balked at following the rules. She decides the best cure for her wayward but talented offspring is to put him to work for her law firm as in-house investigator, and he accepts. Humor, mysteries and family dysfunction are promised to ensue.
— “How I Got Here” combines a roots-discovery trip, family bonding and travelogue, which pretty much means something for everyone. In each episode, a parent returns to their native country — young adult child in tow — to explore the sacrifice and circumstances that led to their decision to seek a new home. Each 10-day trip allows time to sample the local food, scenery and cultural highlights in countries including Chile, Israel, Italy and Zambia. The BYUtv series debuts at 2:30 p.m. EDT Sunday followed that night by episode two in its regular 6 p.m. slot.
— AP Television Writer Lynn Elber