An album from Janelle Monáe, as well as a TV movie about a Frito-Lay janitor who claims to have invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos are among the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you.
Among the offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists is the streaming debut of “Avatar: The Way of Water.”
NEW MOVIES TO STREAM
• “Avatar: The Way of Water” finally washes onto streaming shores this week. James Cameron’s sci-fi sequel will begin streaming on Disney+ and HBO Max after becoming the third highest-grossing movie of all time in theaters. “The Way of Water” made $2.32 billion at the box office, trailing only the $2.9 billion of the original “Avatar” and the $2.79 billion of “Avengers: Endgame.” In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr called “The Way of Water,” “a truly dazzling cinematic experience that will have you floating on a blockbuster high.”
• Nike, Tetris and Blackberry have all gotten the big-screen treatment this year. Now, it’s Cheetos’ turn. “Flamin’ Hot,” which debuts Friday on Hulu, is about Richard Montañez, a Frito-Lay janitor who claims to have invented the spicier Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Directed by Eva Longoria, the movie is based on Montañez’s memoir, “Flamin’ Hot: The Incredible True Story of One Man’s Rise from Janitor to Top Executive.” Though reports have cast doubt on the veracity of his claims, AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy in his review calls it “a winning tale of perseverance, family love, proud heritage and blue-collar success.”
• As “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” hits theaters, Disney+ is streaming all four previous “Indiana Jones” movies, plus the series “The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones.” Since May 31, subscribers have been able to watch “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” and “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” And, yes, “Raiders” is still No. 1.
— Jake Coyle
NEW MUSIC TO STREAM
• Sensuality will be on tap when Janelle Monáe releases “The Age of Pleasure,” her first album since 2018. “’Cause for your love, I’ll take my time/Just wanna feel your hips on mine,” Monáe sings in the single “Lipstick Lover.” Another offering is “Float” featuring Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, which has been used by the NBA and contains the line “It’s hard to look at my resume and not find a reason to toast.” In her review, the AP’s Cristina Jaleru writes “listening to the album is like being at the world’s most polite orgy.”
NEW SERIES TO STREAM
• Netflix’s “Never Have I Ever” drops its fourth and final season on Thursday. The series stars Maitreyi Ramakrishnan in a coming-of-age story about an Indian American high school teen coping with the sudden death of her father, first loves and lusts, friendship, and self-identity. Even better, it’s narrated by John McEnroe. In season four, Ramakrishnan’s Devi is in her senior year of high school and getting ready to go to college. The show, co-created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher is whip smart (as is Kaling’s trademark), up to date on pop culture, funny and touching.
— Alicia Rancilio
NEW VIDEO GAMES
• Fans of Blizzard Entertainment’s Diablo series have been to hell and back waiting for a new chapter — the last one came out more than a decade ago — but Diablo IV has finally arrived. The conflict between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells is still raging, and some knuckleheads have decided now would be a good time to reawaken the superpowerful demon queen Lilith. Your character — rogue, sorcerer, necromancer, barbarian or druid — has the thankless job of trying to prevent Lilith from wreaking too much havoc in the mortal plane called Sanctuary. Blizzard has turned Sanctuary into a sprawling open world with a beefy solo campaign, plenty of side missions, player vs. player arenas and the promise of many quests to come. The war resumes Tuesday on PC, Xbox X/S/One and PlayStation 5/4, although early access has already opened for deluxe and ultimate edition buyers.
— The Associated Press