- The Moment: the new mockumentary film directed by Aidan Zamiri, who co-wrote it with Bertie Brandes from an original idea by Charli XCX. The film stars Charli XCX, Rosanna Arquette, Kate Berlant, Jamie Demetriou, Hailey Benton Gates, Isaac Powell, and Alexander Skarsgård. Several people are playing a fictionalized version of themselves including Kylie Jenner, Rachel Sennott, Mel Ottenberg, and Julia Fox. The film is a mockumentary revolving around Charli XCX gearing up to lead her first headlining tour. The Moment had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival last week, and will be released in theatres in the US and Canada on January 30. It will have its international premiere at the Panorama section of the Berlin International Film Festival next month.
- Wonder Man: a new miniseries from Marvel, created by Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest, with Guest also serving as showrunner. It is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name and it is intended to be the 17th television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The series follows Simon Williams, who is trying to earn the lead role in a remake film of Wonder Man along with Trevor Slattery. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars as Simon Williams / Wonder Man, alongside Ben Kingsley as Slattery, a role he is reprising from previous Marvel projects. Also starring in the series are X Mayo, Zlatko Burić, Arian Moayed, Shola Adewusi, Demetrius Grosse, Béchir Sylvain, Kameron J. Meadows, Olivia Thirlby, Byron Bowers, Joe Pantoliano, and Josh Gad. Wonder Man will be released in its entirety, consisting of eight episodes, on Disney+ on January 27.
- Send Help: a new horror-thriller film directed by Sam Raimi and written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift. The film stars Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien in the lead roles as an employee and her boss, respectively. We follow Linda Liddle (McAdams), who is mistreated by her sexist boss Bradley Preston (O’Brien) whose father wanted him to promote her upon handing the company to him. He advises her to prove herself on the trip to Bangkok for a company merger. The situation changes when a plane crash during a storm strands them on a deserted island in a desperate fight for survival as tensions rise between them. Send Help will be released in theatres around the world this week.
- Bridgerton season 4 part 1: the first few episodes of season 4 of Bridgerton are coming this week. This alternative history regency romance series is created by Chris Van Dusen, and based on the book series of the same name by Julia Quinn. It follows the close-knit siblings of the noble and influential Bridgerton family as they navigate the highly competitive social season, where young marriageable nobility and gentry are introduced into society. The series is set during the early 19th century in an alternative London Regency era, in which George III established racial equality and granted aristocratic titles to people of color due to the African heritage of his wife, Queen Charlotte. Season 4 shifts the spotlight to Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson). He has remained a bachelor while his siblings found love. At his mother Lady Violet’s masquerade ball, he experiences an unforgettable encounter with a mysterious Lady in Silver, who he later discovers is Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), a resourceful maid. The story draws inspiration from Quinn’s novel An Offer From a Gentleman. Interwoven with the central Benedict–Sophie romance are ongoing family dynamics, including developments with other Bridgertons and members of London society. The first four episodes of season 4 of Bridgerton are releasing on Netflix on January 29, while the second part, consisting of the other four episodes, will be released on February 26.
- Shelter: a new action thriller film directed by Ric Roman Waugh and written by Ward Parry. It stars Jason Statham, Bodhi Rae Breathnach, Bill Nighy, Naomi Ackie, and Daniel Mays. The film follows a former assassin who is forced to kill his former organisation to protect a girl who had been supplying him. Shelter will be released in several countries on January 30 and in even more countries next week.
- The Wrecking Crew: a new buddy cop action comedy film directed by Ángel Manuel Soto and written by Jonathan Tropper. It stars Jason Momoa, Dave Bautista, Claes Bang, Temuera Morrison, Jacob Batalon, Frankie Adams, Miyavi, Stephen Root, and Morena Baccarin. The film follows two half-brothers, a loose cannon cop and a disciplined Navy SEAL, who must work together to unravel a conspiracy behind their father’s murder in Hawaii. The Wrecking Crew will be released on Prime Video on January 28.
Bonus:
Besides the six new releases of this week, there are two series that are coming back with its third season and that are worth mentioning.
- School Spirits season 3: this supernatural teen drama series, created by Megan Trinrud and Nate Trinrud, is returning this week with season 3. The series, adapted from the forthcoming graphic novel by the Trinruds and Maria Nguyen, stars Peyton List, Kristian Ventura, Milo Manheim, and Spencer MacPherson. Set in the fictional town of Split River, Wisconsin, it follows Maddie, a teen girl stuck in the afterlife investigating her own mysterious disappearance. She goes on a crime-solving journey as she adjusts to high school in the afterlife, but the closer she gets to the truth, the more secrets and lies she discovers. Season 3 picks up after major cliffhangers at the end of Season 2. The season’s official logline teases a “deeper, darker mystery” as the veil between worlds grows thin, bringing twists that challenge what Maddie and the gang thought they knew. Season 3 of School Spirits is premiering on Paramount+ on January 28 with the first three episodes. The rest of the episodes are being released weekly.
- Shrinking season 3: the other series coming back this week with its third season is Shrinking, a comedy-drama series created by Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel, and Brett Goldstein. It stars Segel as a grieving therapist who decides to become drastically more involved in his patients’ lives. Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Christa Miller, Michael Urie, Luke Tennie, Lukita Maxwell, Ted McGinley, and Cobie Smulders also star. Michael J. Fox will appear in a guest role, while Jeff Daniels also joins the cast. Season 3 shifts from the earlier seasons’ focus on grief and forgiveness to a deeper exploration of “moving forward”. The third season of Shrinking is premiering on Apple TV on January 28 with a special one-hour opening episode. The rest of the episodes are being released weekly.
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