New this week: Coldplay, 'Succession' and 'Halloween Kills'
This week’s new entertainment releases include a Christmas album from Norah Jones and the return of "Succession,” with the wealthy, dysfunctional Roy family up to more power-grab shenanigans
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Your support makes all the difference.Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.
MOVIES
— Jamie Lee Curtis returns to her best-known role, Laurie Strode, in “Halloween Kills,” in which a mob is inspired to track down Michael Myers to avenge an injured Laurie. David Gordon Green who directed the 2018 “Halloween,” is behind the camera again in this installment that costars Anthony Michael Hall and Judy Greer. If you’re looking for some fresh scares this October, “Halloween Kills” will be available in theaters and streaming on Peacock free for premium subscribers starting Oct. 15.
— Or if October thrills aren’t your thing, the terrific Rita Moreno documentary, “Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It,” comes to Netflix on Oct. 12. The 89-year-old talks candidly about what it was like trying to carve out a career as a Puerto Rican in the 1950s and '60s when she was regularly cast as any ethnic minority that the film needed, including Native American, Polynesian or Egyptian. She also goes into the fact that she didn’t exactly benefit from an Oscar career boost after her historic win for playing Anita in “West Side Story.” Anyone who loves Hollywood and film history would do well to check it out.
— AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr
MUSIC
— Coldplay look to the heavens with their 12-track collection, “Music of the Spheres” dropping Oct 15. The Max Martin-produced album has waves of synth and airy melodies and what every successful album needs to have these days — namely, a collaboration with BTS (the tune “My Universe,” which has already topped the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.) There are little interludes — one is called “Alien Choir” — and more radio-friendly offerings, like “Let Somebody Go” with Selena Gomez. The album ends with the 10-minute-plus “Coloratura,” a multi-suite voyage into the cosmos.
— Norah Jones has an early Christmas present for us: her first ever holiday album. “I Dream of Christmas” will be released Oct. 15 on Blue Note Records, a mixture of standards like “Blue Christmas” and new songs by Jones, like the first slinky single “Christmas Calling (Jolly Jones).” Jones says she was inspired by listening to James Brown’s “Funky Christmas” and Elvis’ “Christmas Album” during lockdown for a sense of comfort. She covers “White Christmas," “Winter Wonderland,” “Christmas Time Is Here” and even The Chipmunk’s “Christmas Don’t Be Late.”
— Guitar legend Carlos Santana is back and he's brought some starry musical friends on “Blessings and Miracles.” Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, Stevie Winwood, G-Eazy, Chris Stapleton and the late Chick Corea lend their musicianship. And, yes, Rob Thomas is back, too. He and Santana, you'll recall, made 1999's multiple Grammy-winning smash “Smooth” and the duo return with the similar-sounding “Move.” Another, more electric cut is “She’s Fire," which has Santana shooting off fabulous guitar riffs in a song that combines Diane Warren with G-Eazy.
— AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy
TELEVISION
— The “Chucky” empire of films, comics and more expands to TV, as malevolent doll wreaks new havoc with teenager Jake (Zackary Arthur) as his wingman. After buying Chucky at a yard sale, Jake sees his peaceful town beset by gory killings — and the high schooler isn’t doing all that well himself. The series, debuting 10 p.m. EDT Tuesday on the USA and Syfy channels, is produced by Don Mancini, who created the film franchise that launched with “Child’s Play” in 1988. Brad Dourif, Chucky’s big-screen voice, does the honors for TV.
— The pandemic knocked “Succession” off its production schedule but not its game. Two years after its sophomore season concluded, the HBO drama returns 9 p.m. EDT Sunday, Oct. 17, with the wealthy, dysfunctional Roy family up to more power-grab shenanigans. As season three opens, media baron and patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox) is in need of staunch allies after son Kendall (Jeremy Strong) abruptly pinned a corporate scandal on him. The stellar cast is joined by newcomers Alexander Skarsgård, Sanaa Lathan, Linda Emond, Jihae, Adrien Brody, Hope Davis and Dasha Nekrasova.
— After Qatar won the right in 2010 to host the 2022 World Cup, the bidding process and the combative FIFA vote faced corruption investigations — with FIFA finding no evidence to pull the emirate’s hosting rights. But “The Men Who Stole the World Cup,” a two-part Discovery+ docuseries debuting Sunday, Oct. 17, claims to tell the “unbelievable” story of how the “greatest show on Earth was sold to the highest bidders.” The series describes an alleged pattern of backroom deals and greed connected to the 32-nation soccer championship held every four years.
— AP Television Writer Lynn Elber
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Catch up on AP’s entertainment coverage here: https://apnews.com/apf-entertainment.