Eddie Murphy reprising his role as Axel Foley in “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” and country music star Zach Bryan releasing a new studio album are some of the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you.
Also among the streaming offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Emma Roberts is accepted into a competitive NASA training program in the movie “Space Cadet,” Discovery Channel’s annual “Shark Week” hopes to bite off a chunk of primetime viewership and the video game Zenless Zone Zero takes place in a urban wasteland with some interesting creatures.
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NEW MOVIES TO STREAM
— After nearly 30 years of fits and starts, the fourth Beverly Hills Cop movie is finally upon us. Eddie Murphy reprises his role as Axel Foley in “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” which debuted on Netflix on Wednesday. Judge Reinhold and John Ashton also return but they get some fresh blood in a detective played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Captain (Kevin Bacon). Taylour Paige also joins the ensemble as Axel’s daughter. The original “Beverly Hills Cop” which launched Murphy to stardom in 1984 is also streaming on Netflix now. ( Read AP's review here.)
— Emma Roberts is “living her best Florida life” when she remembers her lifetime dream of being an astronaut in “Space Cadet.” Unbeknownst to her, a friend (“Hacks” castmate Poppy Liu) embellishes her resume and she’s accepted into a competitive NASA training program. It aspires to be a kind of “Legally Blonde” meets “Private Benjamin” (who wouldn’t dream of such heights) and is available on Prime Video.
— The Criterion Channel continues to offer the best and most thoughtful movie libraries, thoughtfully curated and grouped into fun themes that refresh on the first of each month. Monday brings a neo noir series (“Out of Sight,” “L.A. Confidential,” and two “Bad Lieutenants” among them), one on pop Shakespeare including Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo + Juliet,” with Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio, and Michael Almereyda’s “Hamlet,” with Ethan Hawke, and a selection of Nicolas Roeg films including the Donald Sutherland classic “Don’t Look Now.” The channel will also host the streaming premiere of the animated “Chicken For Linda!”
— AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr
NEW MUSIC TO STREAM
— Country music star Zach Bryan released a new studio album on July 4, “The Great American Bar Scene.” The album will feature “Purple Gas,” a duet with the Canadian up-and-comer Noeline Hofmann, as well as “Pink Skies,” a folksy tearjerker that AP recently named one of the songs of the summer. That song is an exemplar of Bryan’s specific skillset — little more than an acoustic guitar, harmonica, and raspy, specific storytelling that reveals universal truths. “The kids are in town for a funeral,” he sings. “So pack the car and dry your eyes.” He’s an expert at writing a novel in few words, so prepare to take notes.
— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman
NEW SHOWS TO STREAM
— The beloved animated children’s series “Bluey,” about a family of dogs, rolls out super short episodes this summer between one and three-minutes long. The first seven minisodes began airing Wednesday on Disney+. A second batch of minisodes will be released later this year.
— Summer is for sharks. Discovery Channel’s annual “Shark Week” kicks off on Sunday, with John Cena as host. The network has 21 hours of original programming to sink your teeth into, hosted by John Cena. “Shark Week” will also stream on Max.
— Former reality star, Hannah Berner, who was a cast member on Bravo’s “Summer House,” is ready to debut her first comedy special. “We Ride At Dawn” drops Sunday on Netflix. Berner is also the co-host of the popular podcast “Giggly Squad” with former “Summer House” cast member, Paige DeSorbo.
NEW VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
— While TikTok gets most of the headlines, Chinese video games have been finding more of a Western audience over the last few years. At the crest of the wave is Shanghai-based MiHoYo, developers of the fantasy role-playing game Genshin Impact and the sci-fi epic Honkai: Star Rail. The studio’s new adventure, Zenless Zone Zero, takes place in a urban wasteland that’s under attack by creatures from alternate dimensions. Like MiHoYo’s previous hits, ZZZ is free to play — though you’re certainly encouraged to spend cash on collectibles found around the city. You can start trying to find your Zen on PlayStation 5, PC, iOS or Android.
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