BOX SETS AND ON DEMAND
Rise of the Billionaires (Paramount+, from Tue)
All four episodes of this eyeopening new series are set to drop at once, so we can all binge-watch whenever we want. It takes a look at the rise and rise of some of those who made a fortune during the tech boom. But, as we’ll get to see, it’s not just their wealth that grabs the headlines, it’s their influence on global matters - their decisions can have the power to change the way we think, not to mention impact on democracy, design and the stock market. Among those featured are entrepreneur Elon Musk, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin and, last but by no means least, Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg.
Blonde (Netflix, from Wed)
Sixty years after her death in 1962 at the age of just 36, Marilyn Monroe remains world famous, one of the most instantly recognisable people ever to walk the Earth. Now Ana de Armas - who’s best known for starring in Knives Out and the Bond movie No Time to Die - attempts to capture Monroe’s beauty and indefinable star quality in this eagerly awaited biopic. It follows young Norma Jeane Mortenson’s rise to fame, as she overcomes a difficult past to become Marilyn Monroe.
The Old Man (Disney+, from Wed)
The closest we get to a mark of quality in Tinseltown is the presence of Jeff Bridges in a project. Hugely charismatic and always watchable, the veteran Oscar-winner remains as popular as ever. In recent years he has battled cancer, so it’s great to see him back on our screens in a seven-part adaptation of Thomas Perry’s 2017 novel. He plays former CIA operative Dan Chase, who has been living off-grid in upstate New York for 30 years. However, his rural idyll is shattered after he kills the intruder who’s broken into his abode. Forced to go on the run, he hides out in a woman’s home while a former colleague, the FBI’s assistant director for counterintelligence, hunts him down with the intention of silencing Chase for good.
The Greatest Beer Run Ever (Apple TV+, from Fri)
If it wasn’t inspired by a true story, you might think the premise for this action comedy was too far-fetched. It’s based on a book by Joanna Molloy and John ‘Chickie’ Donohue, which details the latter’s exploits during 1967, at the height of the Vietnam conflict. Zac Efron plays him here, depicting him as a 26-yearold US Marine Corps veteran now earning a living as a merchant seaman. While enjoying a few drinks with friends in a New York bar, he’s issued with an intriguing - if dangerous - challenge: to travel deep into Vietnam to bring some much-needed cheer to his friends serving in the country, in the form of messages from home and, of course, lots of booze.
Rainbow (Netflix, from Fri)
The 1939 adaptation of The Wizard of Oz continues to wow viewers, only a fool would consider remaking it. But we’re being treated to an updated take, which hails from Spain. It’s been described not as a musical, but as a film featuring lots of music. It stars Dora Postigo as Dora, a teenager who, after falling out with her father, embarks on a coming-of-age journey with just her beloved dog Toto for company. Expect colourful scenes, plenty of dancing and a great deal of fun.