New this week: Will Smith, ‘Pinocchio’ and ‘George & Tammy’
MOVIES
⏩ Will Smith’s comeback campaign is in full swing thanks to the new Antoine Fuqua movie “Emancipation,” which begins streaming on Apple TV+ on Friday, Dec. 9. The film follows the escape of an enslaved man, Peter (Smith), from a Louisiana plantation during the Civil War. In his review, AP Film Writer Jake Coyle writes that the film is “something distinct from many recent big-screen treatments of slavery and also more shallow. Fuqua’s film is often harrowing and gripping but also less nuanced and too narrowly confined in genre conventions than its real-life protagonist deserves.”
⏩ “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” is a dream almost 15 years in the making for the Oscar-winning filmmaker, who first announced his plans to make an adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s story in 2008. After many years of false starts, Netflix helped del Toro realize his vision, with beautifully intricate stop-motion puppets and voice actors like David Bradley (Geppetto) and Ewan McGregor (Sebastian J. Cricket). He’s set the story in Italy between the two world wars during the rise of fascism. “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” hits Netflix on Friday, Dec. 9.
⏩ Or for a holiday-themed romantic comedy (with some earnestly blatant brand tie-ins), head over to Amazon Prime for “Something from Tiffany’s,” in which a jewelry mix-up sends two relationships into a spiral. Directed by Daryl Wein and produced by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, “Something from Tiffany’s” starts streaming Friday, Dec. 9.
MUSIC
⏩ Can’t get to New York but still want to hear chart-toppers? Join the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour at Madison Square Garden concert on Friday, Dec. 9.
⏩ Broadway star Idina Menzel opens up about her career and her life in the documentary
“Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage?” Join her Friday, Dec. 9 on Disney+.
TELEVISION
⏩ In the new TV series “George & Tammy,” Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon play out the passionate but tumultuous relationship between country music stars Tammy Wynette and George Jones. The show premieres Sunday, Dec. 4 simultaneously on Showtime and the Paramount Network, and the remainder of the series will be available exclusively on Showtime.
⏩ The true crime genre is booming but ID/discovery+ explores a case perhaps you haven’t heard of. “The Tetris Murders” is a three-part look at the murder of Vladimir Pokhilko, one of the creators of the video game “Tetris,” died along with his family in their California home in 1998. Originally believed to be a murdersuicide, investigators revisit the case and
find it’s much more complicated than once thought. “The Tetris Murders” debuts Monday on ID and discovery+.
⏩ Spoiler alert: “The Masked Singer” has already unveiled its season eight winner but the hit Fox show has one more episode to air just in time for the holidays. A special singalong edition airs Wednesday on Fox, featuring new performances, bloopers and behind-the-scenes material.
⏩ Season two of the heartwarming “Little America” debuts on Apple TV+. on Friday, Dec. 9. Created by Academy Award winner Siân Heder, actor Kumail Nanjiani, and Emmy-nominee Lee Eisenberg (”The Office,” “WeCrashed,”) the scripted anthology series tells the unique stories of immigrants in the United States who are trying to achieve their dream. New episodes include stories of a Somali chef preparing for the Minnesota State Fair; a Korean medical student whose passion is hat design and a Japanese woman in Ohio trying to form a women’s baseball team.