Weekly Entertainment Digest – March 23rd

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Weekly Entertainment Digest - March 23rd

A new Alien movie? And a childhood favorite coming to the screen? I can’t be the only one excited for Harold and the Purple Crayon! So many new announcements this week – check them all out here!

Looking for the latest release information? Check out the release schedule here – and be sure to check out the schedule for Black History Month and Spring Releases for Hulu.

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Screenings

Movie and Series Review

Movie and Entertainment Updates:

Apple TV+ Debuts Trailer for Season 2 of “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock” – premiering globally March 29th

Apple TV+ today revealed the trailer for the highly anticipated new season of “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock.” All 13 episodes of “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock” season two will premiere globally on Friday, March 29, 2024 on Apple TV+, joining season one of “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock,” “Night of the Lights” Holiday Special and the original 1980’s “Fraggle Rock” series, as well as recently added bonus specials, “Down at Fraggle Rock,” “Doozer Music” and “Fraggle Songs,” all of which are now streaming.

Jim Henson’s fun-loving and musical Fraggles – Gobo, Red, Boober, Mokey, Wembley, and Uncle Travelling Matt, appearing alongside new Fraggles and Doozers voiced by special guest stars including Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose, Emmy Award winner Brett Goldstein, Emmy Award winner Catherine O’Hara, Tony and Grammy Award winner, Emmy Award nominee Daveed Diggs, Grammy nominee Adam Lambert and K-pop group aespa – are back with more epic, fun and zany adventures, this time with big changes affecting the Rock. The Fraggles, Doozers, and Gorgs will be forced to confront their past and celebrate their interdependence as they move through challenges together with hope, silliness, and brand-new songs, all while dancing their cares away…down at Fraggle Rock.

“Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock” is executive produced by The Jim Henson Company’s Lisa Henson, Halle Stanford, and John Tartaglia, along with Matt Fusfeld and Alex Cuthbertson. Co-executive producers are Dave Goelz and Karen Prell, and executive music producer is Harvey Mason jr. The new season is produced by Chris Plourde and co-produced by Tim O’Brien. The series is produced in association with New Regency with Arnon Milchan and Yariv Milchan executive producing.

In addition to “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock,” Apple’s partnership with The Jim Henson Company includes “Harriet The Spy,” the first animated adaptation of the iconic children’s novel; “Slumberkins,” the mixed-media puppet/2D animation program from the beloved children’s emotional learning brand empowering children to be caring, confident and resilient; and the popular “Fraggle Rock: Rock On!” shorts. 

PITCH PEOPLE – 25th Anniversary – Metro-Detroit release March 29th

Everyone has seen them. The guy on the late-night TV infomercial showing the latest, must-have slicer-dicer or the woman at a State Fair squeezing several pints of water from the small head of a miracle mop. After 25 years Stanley Jacobs’s energetic inside look at the history of this dynamic world that started in Europe, made its way to the boardwalks of the United States and exploded on late night television has been fully restored. It’s the true story of the world’s second oldest profession, featuring many of the greatest pitch men and women of their time who became famous to millions with the advent of direct response television advertising.

WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS’ “WISH” TO MAKE ITS DISNEY+ DEBUT APRIL 3rd

Disney Wish

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ original musical-comedy “Wish” will stream on Disney+ beginning April 3, welcoming subscribers to the magical kingdom of Rosas, where Asha, a sharp-witted idealist, makes a wish so powerful that it is answered by a cosmic force—a little ball of boundless energy called Star. 

In the Golden Globe®-nominated movie, Asha and Star confront a most formidable foe—the ruler of Rosas, King Magnifico—to save her community and prove that when the will of one courageous human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things can happen. Featuring the voices of Academy Award®-winning actor Ariana DeBose as Asha, Chris Pine as Magnifico, and Alan Tudyk as Asha’s favorite goat, Valentino, the film is helmed by Oscar®-winning director Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn, and produced by Peter Del Vecho and Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster Jones. “Wish” features a screenplay by Jennifer Lee and Allison Moore, original songs by Julia Michaels and Benjamin Rice, and original score by composer Dave Metzger.

I Like Movies – Limited Release starting April 8th

Hyper-ambitious teenage cinephile Lawrence Kweller (Isaiah Lehtinen), circa 2003, dreams of attending film school at NYU. To try to raise the hefty tuition fee, he gets his dream job at the local video store. Wracked with anxiety about his future, Lawrence begins alienating the most important people in his life – his best friend, Matt (Percy Hynes White), and his single mother, Terri (Krista Bridges) – all while developing a complicated friendship with his older female manager, Alana (Romina D’Ugo). As graduation looms ever closer, a series of painful conflicts force Lawrence to realize he’s a pretentious asshole.

SUGA | AGUST D TOUR ‘D-DAY’ THE MOVIE in IMAX® – Tickets Now on Sale – In Theaters April 10th and 13th

For two days only, IMAX will immerse audiences into an all-new cinematic experience – the first worldwide concert tour by South Korean rapper Suga (also known as Agust D), in support of his debut studio album, D-Day. The concert delivers a breathtaking performance perfectly suited to IMAX theatres.

The eagerly awaited film of BTS SUGA’s Encore Concert SUGA│Agust D TOUR ‘D-DAY’ THE MOVIE bursts onto the big screen worldwide!

As the grand finale of the world tour, “SUGA | Agust D TOUR ‘D-DAY’ THE FINAL” marked the culmination of 25 concerts held in 10 cities, which captivated a total audience of 290,000 throughout its run.

Experience the pulsating energy and excitement of “‘D-DAY’ THE FINAL” on screen, everything from the exquisite sounds traversing the boundary between SUGA of 21st century pop icons BTS and solo artist Agust D, electrifying performance, explosive energy, to special duet stages featuring fellow BTS members RM, Jimin, and Jung Kook.

Experience CIVIL WAR in IMAX® April 12th

Experience Civil War in IMAX with exclusive early previews on April 8.

An adrenaline-fueled thrill ride through a near-future fractured America balanced on the razor’s edge.

Experience DEEP SKY in IMAX® | IN THEATRES APRIL 19th

Deep Sky  follows the remarkable story of the scientists and engineers who helped design and launch JWST, NASA’s largest science mission ever, now orbiting the sun a million miles from Earth, helping to unravel the mysteries of our origins and, perhaps, our future.

Conceived for exclusive presentation in IMAX® theatres — Deep Sky is a cinematic journey to the stars and a voyage back in time to the birth of the universe itself. The 40 minute film immerses audiences in the stunning pictures beamed back to earth by NASA’s newest  telescope, capturing their vast beauty at a scale that can only be experienced in the larger-than-life immersive image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience®.

Following NASA’s largest science mission ever, Deep Sky takes us along for a ride on the new Webb Telescope (JWST) as it deploys a million miles from Earth and beams back transformational images to our planet — images that reveal the beginnings of time and space and bring us closer to finding another living world out there among the stars.

MONOLITH on Blu-ray April 23rd

Directed by Matt Vesely (Overheater) and starring Lily Sullivan (Evil Dead RiseI Met a Girl), the acclaimed sci-fi thriller MONOLITH debuts on Blu-ray April 23 from Well Go USA Entertainment. While trying to salvage her career, a disgraced journalist (Sullivan) begins investigating a strange conspiracy theory. But as the trail leads uncomfortably close to home, she is left to grapple with the lies at the heart of her own story. Bonus materials include a Behind-the-Scenes featurette and Writer, Producer and Director Audio Commentary.

Following its international premiere at SXSW, MONOLITH was nominated for the New Visions Award at the Sitges – Catalonian International Film Festival, Best Direction in a Debut Feature Film at the Australian Directors Guild Awards and Best Indie Film at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards.

While trying to salvage her career and rehabilitate her tarnished reputation, a disgraced journalist (Lily Sullivan) begins digging into a strange conspiracy theory via a controversial new investigative podcast. But as the evidence begins leading uncomfortably close to home, she will be forced to grapple with the web of lies at the heart of her own story.

Boy Kills World | NEW Official Poster – In Theaters April 26th

Skarsgård stars as “Boy” who vows revenge after his family is murdered by Hilda Van Der Koy (Janssen), the deranged matriarch of a corrupt post-apocalyptic dynasty that left the boy orphaned, deaf and voiceless. Driven by his inner voice, one which he co-opted from his favorite childhood video game, Boy trains with a mysterious shaman (Ruhian) to become an instrument of death and is set loose on the eve of the annual culling of dissidents. Bedlam ensues as Boy commits bloody martial arts mayhem, inciting a wrath of carnage and blood-letting. As he tries to get his bearings in this delirious realm, Boy soon falls in with a desperate resistance group, all the while bickering with the apparent ghost of his rebellious little sister.

I AM GITMO – Opening in Theaters Beginning April 26th

Following the events of 9/11, a schoolteacher in Afghanistan is arrested under suspicion of terrorism, and brought to Guantanamo Bay where he’s subjected to relentless interrogation and torture in I AM GITMO, a stark, powerful and disturbing drama based on real events. Winner of a Jury Special Award at the 11th Annual Socially Relevant Film Festival and nominated for Best Film and Best Director at Spain’s Marbella Film Festival, it opens theatrically on April 26 as pressure ramps up for Gitmo’s eventual closure. 

Written and directed by Philippe Diaz (The End of Poverty?, Now and Later) and inspired by the declassified legal hearings of earlier detainees, I AM GITMO takes place in 2002 and revolves around Gamel Sadek (a bravura performance by Sammy Sheik; American Sniper, Transformers: Dark of the Moon), an Egyptian man living in Afghanistan with his family, who is sold for a CIA bounty and forcibly brought to Bagram Air Base under suspicion of terrorism. There, he is brutally interrogated and tortured, then flown to Guantanamo prison where his status as an “enemy combatant” does not offer—according to the Bush administration—protection under the Geneva Convention. For the very first time, the treatment that Guantanamo’s Arab Muslim prisoners experienced upon arrest is told from their point-of-view in this unforgettable drama, co-starring Eric Pierpoint (Liar, Liar, Alien Nation).

According to the Center for Constitutional Rights, 780 men and boys, all of them Muslim, have been imprisoned at Guantánamo since January 2002. Of these detainees, 86 percent were sold to the CIA/ US government for a large bounty. The amount offered was up to 14 times the average salary in Afghanistan. Of these 780 prisoners, 30 remain imprisoned today. Of all the men renditioned to Guantanamo, only eight were convicted of any crimes, four of whom had those convictions reversed.

I Am Gitmo scarily brings back, in high resolution, the suffering and the stories I lived through firsthand. It was a hard watch for me. Please watch it to understand what I mean,” says Mohamedou ould Slahi, a former Guantanamo prisoner and author of the international best-selling book, “Guantanamo Diary.”

Sheik, who captured a Best Actor Award at Spain’s Marbella Film Festival for his role as a Guantanamo detainee says, “I’m honored to be a part of telling this very important story. For the first time, the narrative is being told from the point of view of one of the many victims of the “war on terror” and the grave injustices he and many others had to endure without the usual idolization of the western hero that Hollywood has been presenting for years.”

And director Diaz adds, “Like so many, I was utterly appalled to find out that the US government offered a bounty for men delivered to the CIA — never checking on their culpability but instead putting them through torture. I decided to make a film from these men’s perspective and with no white-man-hero to save the day! Many scenes are shot from the prisoner’s point of view. I want the spectators to ask themselves: ‘What would I feel if I was kidnapped from my home and tortured for no reason.”

THE FALL GUY | Watch the New Trailer – In Theaters May 3rd

The Fall Guy

He’s a stuntman, and like everyone in the stunt community, he gets blown up, shot, crashed, thrown through windows and dropped from the highest of heights, all for our entertainment. And now, fresh off an almost career-ending accident, this working-class hero has to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love of his life while still doing his day job. What could possibly go right? 

From real life stunt man and director David Leitch, the blockbuster director of Bullet TrainDeadpool 2Atomic Blonde and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw and the producer of John WickNobody and Violent Night, comes his most personal film yet. A new hilarious, hard-driving, all-star apex-action thriller and love letter to action movies and the hard-working and under-appreciated crew of people who make them: The Fall Guy

Oscar® nominee Ryan Gosling (BarbieLa La LandDrive) stars as Colt Seavers, a battle-scarred stuntman who, having left the business a year earlier to focus on both his physical and mental health, is drafted back into service when the star of a mega-budget studio movie—being directed by his ex, Jody Moreno, played by Golden Globe winner Emily Blunt (OppenheimerA Quiet Place films, Sicario)—goes missing.

While the film’s ruthless producer (Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham; Ted Lasso), maneuvers to keep the disappearance of star Tom Ryder (Golden Globe winner Aaron Taylor-Johnson; Bullet Train) a secret from the studio and the media, Colt performs the film’s most outrageous stunts while trying (with limited success) to charm his way back into Jody’s good graces. But as the mystery around the missing star deepens, Colt will find himself ensnared in a sinister, criminal plot that will push him to the edge of a fall more dangerous than any stunt.

Inspired by the hit 1980s TV series, The Fall Guy also stars Winston Duke (Black Panther franchise) and Academy Award® nominee Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once). 

From a screenplay by Hobbs & Shaw screenwriter Drew Pearce, The Fall Guy is produced by Kelly McCormick (Bullet TrainNobodyAtomic Blonde) and David Leitch for their company 87North, and by Ryan Gosling and by Guymon Casady (Game of ThronesSteve Jobs and executive producer of the upcoming seriesRipley) for Entertainment 360. The film is executive produced by Drew Pearce, Entertainment 360’s Geoff Shaevitz and the creator of the original Fall Guy television series, Glen A. Larson.

LUCASFILM MARKS 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF “STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE” WITH THEATRICAL RE-RELEASE—TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR IN-THEATER SCREENINGS BEGINNING MAY 3

The march to May 4th—Star Wars Day—continues as Lucasfilm celebrates the 25th anniversary of “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” with a theatrical re-release. Screenings start May 3, and tickets are on sale now, everywhere tickets are sold.

As part of the “The Phantom Menace” screenings, fans will be treated to an exclusive look at “Star Wars: The Acolyte.” The upcoming Disney+ series, set approximately 100 years before “The Phantom Menace,” launches exclusively on Disney+ June 4.

Andon May 4, in honor of both the film’s anniversary and the Star Wars fan holiday, fans will have the opportunity to see all nine episodes of the Skywalker Saga in theaters for a premium marathon event. For more information visit: https://www.fandango.com/the-skywalker-saga-may-the-4th-marathon

In other news from the studio, it was announced yesterday that Star Wars Celebration, the ultimate Star Wars fan event, is headed to Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan on April 18-20, 2025. Tickets for the event will go on sale Thursday, May 2, at 7:00 P.M. EDT (US Time)/Friday, May 3, at 8:00 A.M. JST (Japan Time). To celebrate the announcement, Lucasfilm released special key art, which was created in the traditional, Japanese black-ink painting style known as sumi-e.

Star Wars Celebration features three days of major announcements, immersive exhibits, an interactive show floor, screenings, exclusive merchandise, celebrity guests, panels, autograph sessions, fan-inspired activities, costumes, and other surprises celebrating all things Star Wars

For more information, visit https://www.starwarscelebration.com/

THE BLUE ANGELS | New Documentary in IMAX for One Week Only Starting May 17th – Streaming on Prime Video May 23rd

The Blue Angels have been enthralling people, across the country and around the globe, for more than 75 years. Now, Amazon MGM Studios and IMAX bring a brand new documentary – The Blue Angels – that will take audiences soaring with the Navy’s elite Flight Demonstration Squadron as never before. Filmed for IMAX, the immersive footage puts you in the cockpit for a firsthand view of the Blue Angels’ precision flying, while the aerial shots deliver a spectacular showcase of the breathtaking maneuvers that have made them the world’s premier jet team.

The Blue Angels also takes audiences behind the scenes for a revealing, in-depth look at what it takes to become a Blue Angel—from the careful selection process to the challenging training regimen, and on through the demanding eight-month show season.

The film is a fitting tribute to the extraordinary teamwork, passion and pride of the hundreds of outstanding men and women of the Navy and Marine Corps who have had the honor to serve in the Blue Angels squadron…past, present and future.

Experience The Blue Angels in IMAX® for one week only, May 17th – 23rd, and streaming globally on Prime Video beginning May 23rd.

THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1 – May 17th

The Strangers Part 1

After their car breaks down in an eerie small town, a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in THE STRANGERS ― CHAPTER 1, the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.

DISNEY+ DEBUTS FIRST TRAILER & KEY ART FOR “STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE” – Premiering June 4th

Disney+ debuted the first trailer and key art for Lucasfilm’s new, original series “Star Wars: The Acolyte.”  The thrilling, live-action series launches on Tuesday, June 4, with the first two episodes, exclusively on Disney+.  

In “Star Wars: The Acolyte,” an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems….

The series stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss.

Leslye Headland created the series, based on Star Wars by George Lucas, and serves as an executive producer along with Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King and Jason Micallef. Charmaine DeGraté and Kor Adana are the co-executive producers. Rayne Roberts, Damian Anderson, Eileen Shim and Rob Bredow are the producers.

Headland also directed the premiere episodes (Eps. 101 & 102). Directors Kogonada (Eps. 103 & 107), Alex Garcia Lopez (Eps. 104 & 105) and Hanelle Culpepper (Eps. 106 & 108) round out the directing duties on the series.

Award-winning composer Michael Abels, known for his work on “Get Out” and “Us,” scored “Star Wars: The Acolyte.”

HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON – In Theaters August 2nd

Inside of his book, adventurous Harold (Zachary Levi) can make anything come to life simply by drawing it. After he grows up and draws himself off the book’s pages and into the physical world, Harold finds he has a lot to learn about real life—and that his trusty purple crayon may set off more hilarious hijinks than he thought possible. When the power of unlimited imagination falls into the wrong hands, it will take all of Harold and his friends’ creativity to save both the real world and his own. Harold and the Purple Crayon is the first film adaptation of the beloved children’s classic that has captivated young readers for decades. 

Directed by Carlos Saldanha and produced by John Davis, the live-action hybrid family adventure/comedy stars Zachary Levi, Lil Rel Howery, Benjamin Bottani, Jemaine Clement, Tanya Reynolds with Alfred Molina and Zooey Deschanel. The film’s screenplay is written by David Guion & Michael Handelman, based on the book by Crockett Johnson.

“ALIEN: ROMULUS” TEASER TRAILER AND POSTER – In Theaters August 16th

The teaser trailer and poster for a truly terrifying cinematic experience from producer Ridley Scott and director/writer Fede Alvarez, 20th Century Studios’ “Alien: Romulus,” is here! “Alien: Romulus” opens exclusively in theaters nationwide August 16, 2024.  

The sci-fi/horror-thriller takes the phenomenally successful “Alien” franchise back to its roots: While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe. The film stars Cailee Spaeny (“Priscilla”), David Jonsson (“Agatha Christie’s Murder is Easy”), Archie Renaux (“Shadow and Bone”), Isabela Merced (“The Last of Us”), Spike Fearn (“Aftersun”), Aileen Wu. Fede Alvarez (“Evil Dead,” “Don’t Breathe”) directs from a screenplay he wrote with frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues (“Don’t Breathe 2”) based on characters created by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett. “Alien: Romulus” is produced by Ridley Scott (“Napoleon”), who directed the original “Alien” and produced and directed the series’ entries “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant,” Michael Pruss (“Boston Strangler”), and Walter Hill (“Alien”), with Fede Alvarez, Elizabeth Cantillon (“Charlie’s Angels”), Brent O’Connor (“Bullet Train”), and Tom Moran (“Unstoppable”) serving as executive producers. 

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