Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.
MOVIES
— In Enrico Casarosa's enchanting Pixar feature “Luca," two young sea monsters frolic along the Italian Riviera, temporary transforming into 13-year-old boys to pose as human and soak up all the coastline's summertime pleasures — all while hiding their identities. “Luca,” which arrives Friday on Disney+, follows Pixar's “Soul” in heading straight for streaming, and unlike some other Disney animated releases, it will be no extra charge for subscribers. Setting his movie in the 1950s, Casarosa (director of the Pixar short “La Luna”) drew inspiration from classic Italian cinema.
— Timed to Father's Day is the release of “Fatherhood,” debuting Friday on Netflix. Kevin Hart takes on a more dramatic role, playing a man whose wife dies in childbirth, leaving him to raise their daughter alone. The film, based on the 2011 book “Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love,” is also produced by Hart, who has said he was drawn to showing Black fatherhood in a more positive light on screen.
— “River City Drumbeat,” airing Friday on PBS and also available on the network's streaming platforms, follows a drumline in West Louisville that spans youth through high-school graduation. Using a verité approach, directors Marlon Johnson and Anne Flatté tell a rich and vibrant story of African American heritage, of community and of a pulsating tradition passed from one generation to the next.
—AP Film Writer Jake Coyle
MUSIC
— Weeks after winning her first Academy Award and fourth Grammy, singer-songwriter H.E.R. is set to drop the album “Back of My Mind.” On Friday, the R&B superstar will release the project that features the platinum hit “Damage” and the Chris Brown-assisted “Come Through,” which is currently No. 6 on Billboard’s R&B charts.
— Angélique Kidjo’s new album is a collaborative adventure: The 13-track “Mother Nature,” which arrives Friday, features Sting on the title track and hip-hop duo on “Take It or Love It.” Some African artists who appeared on Beyoncé’s “The Lion King: The Gift” album – including Burna Boy, Yemi Alade and Mr Eazi – also appear on Kidjo’s album, along with Salif Keita, Shungudzo, Zeynab, Lionel Loueke, Sampa the Great, Blue Lab Beats and Ghetto Boy.
— Rory Feek is releasing his first album since losing his wife and longtime collaborator, Joey, to cancer in 2016. “Gentle Man” has 14 songs, including guest appearances by heavyweights such as Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, Lee Ann Womack, Ricky Skaggs and Trisha Yearwood. Joey + Rory’s final album “Hymns,” release a month before Joey died, won the duo their first Grammy for best roots gospel album.
— AP Music Editor Mesfin Fekadu
TELEVISION
— Mulling what Carly Shay and her friends are up to, nearly a decade after Nickelodeon’s popular teen sitcom “iCarly” ended its five-year run? A Paramount+ sequel is here to satisfy your curiosity. The new “iCarly” brings Miranda Cosgrove back as the title character, now a 20-something coping with love and life, original cast members Jerry Trainor as Carly’s brother Spencer and Nathan Kress as her pal Freddie are along for the ride, with newcomers Laci Mosley as Carly’s best friend and roommate and Jaidyn Triplett as Freddie’s stepdaughter and a social-media pro. The 13-episode season debuts Thursday on the streaming service.
— After channeling Gloria Steinem for the miniseries “Mrs. America,” Rose Byrne takes on a fictional version of another icon — the fitness entrepreneur. In the 1980s-set dark comedy “Physical,” Byrne plays Sheila, who’s a dutiful partner to her aspiring politician husband but privately grappling with body-image issues. Aerobics and videotape to the rescue! Sheila morphs into an economic powerhouse and the very model of a modern self-help guru. The first three half-hours arrive Friday on Apple TV+, followed each week by a new episode. The cast includes Rory Scovel, Dierdre Friel and Della Saba.
— “Soul of a Nation,” ABC’s news magazine focused on Black life in America, features an interview with former President Barack Obama as part of a special honoring Juneteenth, an observation of the June 19, 1865, end to slavery in most of the United States. Obama spoke to “Good Morning America” host Michael Strahan for the two-hour program, which also includes a report on partnerships between Black, white and Asian Americans formed during the past year of social upheaval, and a look at the origins and meaning of soul food. “Juneteenth: Together We Triumph,” will air at 9:01 p.m. EDT.
— AP Television Writer Lynn Elber
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