By Canadian Press

New this week: ‘CODA,’ Chance the Rapper film and ‘Heels’

Aug 6, 2021 | 8:58 AM

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

— One of the year’s most winning and crowd-pleasing films, “CODA” will arrive in theaters and on Apple TV+ Friday after causing a sensation at a virtual Sundance Film Festival in January. Sian Heder’s movie, which set a new Sundance record in a $25 million acquisition, is about the hearing daughter (Emilia Jones) of a deaf fishing family in Gloucester, Massachusetts. She lives with her parents — played by Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur — and her brother, played by Daniel Durant, often interpreting for them, but has dreams of singing — an aspiration far removed from their hardscrabble lives. The set-up may sound cliché but little in “CODA” isn’t shot through with authenticity and heart. “CODA” is both a landmark film in representation for the deaf community and an infectious, spirited coming-of-age tale.

— Of all the films that were interrupted when COVID-19 arrived in early 2020, none was impacted quite like Peter Nicks’ “Homeroom,” a vivid vérité documentary about a year in the life of Oakland High School students. The film, which debuts Friday on Hulu, invests in the daily life of the school’s teenagers, an especially diverse group of kids who are grappling with both their personal futures and difficult public present. One group, responding to national tragedies, is dedicated to having local police officers removed from campus. Everything stops when the pandemic arrives, and Nicks is forced to rely briefly on the students’ own self-documentation at home. But even when graduation turns virtual, “Homeroom” captures a young generation responding to the pandemic with only fortified passion for the causes they believe in.

— John David Washington, already part of two of the more defining films of the pandemic (Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” and “Malcolm & Marie”) is back again in “Beckett,” a manhunt thriller set in Greece. Ferdinando Cito Filomarino directs the film, about a Ohio tourist (Washington) who’s vacationing with his girlfriend (Alicia Vikander) when a car accident on mountain road at night lands him in the middle of a political conspiracy. It debuts Friday on Netflix.

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—AP Film Writer Jake Coyle

MUSIC

— Rumor has it that Lizzo is back. The Grammy-winner announced her new single “Rumors” will be out Aug. 13. It’s the first new music from the Detroit-raised singer and rapper in years since she broke out with her third album “Cuz I Love You” in 2019, which brought hits like “Truth Hurts” and “Juice.” Although little is known about the new single or whether an album is forthcoming, Lizzo will have a chance to play “Rumors” in front of thousands of fans as she is scheduled to play several upcoming festivals including Bonnaroo, Global Citizen Live and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

— If you’re eagerly awaiting the upcoming film adaptation of the Tony Award-winning “Dear Evan Hansen,” you can find some comfort in new music from the play and film’s star Ben Platt. The actor and Grammy-winning musician releases his new album “Reverie” on Aug. 13 with two singles already out. Fans of his work in film and theater will probably find plenty to like in his own pop songs.

— Chance the Rapper is bringing his concert to the movie theater with his concert film “Magnificent Coloring World,” which premieres Aug. 13 in select AMC theaters. The concert was filmed in his hometown of Chicago in 2017, shortly after winning three Grammys through his 2016 independent project “Coloring Book.” The rapper said he always wanted the show to be experienced on the big screen with surround sound.

— AP Entertainment Writer Kristin M. Hall

TELEVISION

— “What If…?” is an embarrassment of MCU riches. The animated series features a bevy of heroes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in reimagined events. The stars reprising their roles as part of the voice cast include — in part — Andy Serkis, Angela Bassett, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, Benicio Del Toro, Djimon Hounsou, Evangeline Lilly, Natalie Portman, Paul Rudd, Taika Waititi, Tilda Swinton. A melancholy note: The late Chadwick Boseman is heard once more as his “Black Panther” character. The Disney+ series, the first animated one from Marvel Studios, debuts Wednesday,

— Say a fond bye-bye to NBC’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” which begins its eighth and last season Thursday. The series deserves praise, just for starters, for making a network switch in style and giving Andre Braugher a chance to show his comedic chops. Then there’s the rest of the adroit ensemble cast, including Andy Samberg, Melissa Fumero, Terry Crews and Stephanie Beatriz. It won’t be just last-laughs at the precinct, with the squad tested by a difficult year in the concluding 10 episodes airing in back-to-back pairs at 8 and 8:30 p.m. EDT Thursday through Sept. 16.

— Small-town pro wrestlers in Georgia and those who love them are the heart of Starz’s new drama series “Heels,” debuting 9 p.m. EDT Sunday, Aug. 15. The Spade brothers, Jack (Stephen Amell) and Ace (Alexander Ludwig) are fighting for the soul of their late father’s wrestling enterprise, while their partners Staci Spade (Alison Luff) and Crystal Tyler (Kelli Berglund) increasingly carry a share of the challenge, emotional and otherwise. Mary McCormack plays Jack’s business partner and, as Starz describes her, the “brains behind the local wrestling organization.”

— AP Television Writer Lynn Elber

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Catch up on AP’s entertainment coverage here: https://apnews.com/apf-entertainment.

The Associated Press