Conan O’brien travels, ‘Migration’ soars and Taylor Swift will reign
Zack Snyder’s “Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver” landing on Netflix and Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” album are some of the new television, movies, 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: A family of ducks is coaxed into flying south for the winter in the animated movie “Migration” and Conan O’brien as the brunt of jokes is on full display in his new travel show “Conan O’brien Must Go” for Max.
NEW MOVIES TO STREAM
■ The cautious father (Kumail Nanjiani) of a family of ducks is coaxed into flying south for the winter in “Migration” (steaming today on Peacock), the latest animation from Illumination, the maker of “Despicable Me” and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” Penned by “White Lotus” creator Mike White, “Migration” is another, albeit more kid-friendly examination of the pros and cons of an exotic vacation. In my review, I wrote that “Migration” “is vividly animated with warm cartoon tones that would do Daffy proud. But it never quite spreads its wings.” With Elizabeth Banks, Danny Devito, Carol Kane, Awkwafina and Keegan-michael Key.
■ People tend to love or hate the films of Zack Snyder, the maker of brawny CGI extravaganzas like “Man of Steel,” “Justice League” and “Army of the Dead.” If you’re the former, the arrival of “Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver” (today on Netflix) is a date you’ve circled since the December debut of the first installment. Sofia Boutella and Djimon Hounsou lead the ensemble cast in Snyder’s “Star War” riff space opera.
■ If some films are laden and overstuffed, how about those that pass like a brief encounter? A new series streaming on the Criterion Channel asks: How much can happen in a night? The series collects some of the best films that transpire entirely from dusk ‘til dawn. Evenings may pass in conversation (“My Dinner With Andre”) or bloodshed (“Night of the Living Dead”), but in all of them, the sun eventually arrives to break a nocturnal spell. Among the highlights: Elaine May’s “Mikey and Nicky,” Martin Scorsese’s “After Hours,” Jim Jarmusch’s “Night on Earth” and Agnes Varda’s “Cléo from 5 to 7.”
NEW MUSIC TO STREAM
■ It is Taylor Swift ‘s world, and we continue to just live in it. Today, the savior of both contemporary pop music and the U.S. economy will release her highly anticipated 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” Swift surprise-announced the release in February at the 2024 Grammys after receiving the trophy for best pop vocal album for her tenth LP, “Midnights.” No songs have been released from “TTPD,” so little is known about it — which only serves to heighten the anticipation. Here’s what we do know: The day after the Grammys, Swift shared the track list, teasing 16 songs and two features: “Fortnight,” featuring Post Malone — who is fresh off a feature on Beyoncé’s “Act ll: Cowboy Carter” — and “Florida!!!” featuring Florence + the Machine. Other choice song titles include: “Down Bad,” “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can),” “loml” and “Clara Bow.” The physical release will include four variants, each featuring a different bonus track: “The Manuscript”, “The Bolter”, “The Albatross”, and “The Black Dog.” At a show in Melbourne, Australia, Swift described the album as “a lifeline,” adding “I’ve never had an album where I needed songwriting more than I needed it on ‘Tortured Poets.’”
■ Three decades into their career, and Pearl Jam’s 12th studio album, “Dark Matter,” arrives the same day as Swift’s — but don’t consider it competition; they’re keeping it in the family. Both acts are signed to Republic Records. Produced by Andrew Watt, “Dark Matter” is Pearl Jam’s first new record since 2020’s “Gigaton,” — a hard-rocking collection of songs from the saints of the 1990s Seattle scene that AP’S Andrew Dalton described as “athletic in its speed, aggression, and tenacity, sounding like it would make men of their age sore in the aftermath.” Listen responsibly.
— Maria Sherman
NEW SHOWS TO STREAM
■ Fresh off her Oscar nomination, Lily Gladstone stars in a new limited series for Hulu called “Under the Bridge” with Riley Keough. Based on a truecrime novel by Rebecca Godfrey, “Under the Bridge” tells the story of the murder of Canadian teen Reena Virk in the late 1990s. Gladstone plays a police officer investigating the case and Keough plays Godfrey, who immersed herself in Virk’s world to detail not only what happened, but the social and cultural implications surrounding her death. “Under the Bridge” streams on Hulu and is already garnering Emmy buzz for both Gladstone and Keough.
■ Conan O’brien loves to be the brunt of a joke and that’s on full display in his new travel show “Conan O’brien Must Go” for Max. Cameras follow the comedian as he visits countries like Ireland, Thailand, Argentina and Norway. When the series was announced last May, Max released the following quote from O’brien, “My fans around the globe never asked me to visit them, so I did.” “Conan O’brien Must Go” streams on Max.
■ “Bridgerton” star Nicola Coughlan leaves the Regency era and steps into the present starring in the British comedy “Big Mood” for Tubi. Coughlan plays Maggie, a young playwright with bipolar disorder who has decided to go off her meds to tap into her creativity. Maggie relies on her loyal best friend Eddie (Lydia West) to get her through her daily struggles, but their friendship is tested as Maggie’s mental health deteriorates. “Big Mood” premieres today on Tubi.
■ The popular fantasy children’s book series “The Spiderwick Chronicles” has been adapted for TV. The story follows teenage twins Simon and Jared and their older sister Mallory after they move to an old, family estate called Spiderwick, which is also inhabited by magical creatures. The show also stars Christian Slater, Joy Bryant and Jack Dylan Grazer. “The Spiderwick Chronicles” premieres on Roku Channel today.
■ National Geographic’s popular “Secrets Of” franchise has a new installment called “Secrets of the Octopus.” Debuting Sunday, April 21, the threepart series details the surprising characteristics of octopuses. These marine animals may look funny, but they have a level of intelligence where they solve problems, scheme and even communicate with other species. Narrated by Paul Rudd and executive produced by James Cameron, the docuseries is inspired by the book and research of Sy Montgomery.
— Alicia Rancilio
NEW VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
■ The second thing you’ll notice about Harold Halibut — after its goofy title — is its distinctive graphics. German indie studio Slow Bros. has built an entire game around hand-crafted models, and the result looks like stop-motion animation. The setting is a city-sized spaceship, the Fedora, that fled Earth 250 years earlier but unfortunately landed at the bottom of an alien ocean. Harold himself is the awkward young assistant to the ship’s chief scientist, who’s trying to figure out how to get it back into space. Will Harold help with that relaunch — or will he find himself drawn into the mystery of this strange planet? Dive in on Playstation 5, Xbox X/S and PC.
— Lou Kesten