A follow-up TV comedy of “The Office” called “The Paper” and the buddy live action comedy “Lilo & Stitch” are some of the new television, films, 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: Mark Ruffalo starring in the new cat-and-mouse thriller “Task,” a sequel to the indie legend video game Hollow Knight arrives and David Byrne releases a new album, “Who Is the Sky?”
New movies to stream from Sept. 1-7
— “Friendship,” Andrew DeYoung’s auspicious debut feature, makes its streaming debut Saturday, Sept. 6 on HBO Max, a day after debuting on HBO. The movie tackles modern masculinity and male loneliness with biting satire and humor, taking detours into horror and the surreal. My review said we see Tim Robinson at his awkward best and Paul Rudd at his charismatic best in this quirky look at bromances.
— The live-action “Lilo & Stitch,” which in just 17 days made more domestically than the live-action “The Little Mermaid” did in its entire run, pops up on Disney+ on Wednesday. It’s the tale of a 6-year-old lonely Native girl in Hawaii who befriends an alien outcast. In my review, I was unhappy that the original 2002 animated story had been swamped by weird temporal portals, a Jet Ski chase and an overwrought conclusion. Audiences flocked to the movie, which is the year’s biggest hit with more than $1 billion earned at the box office.
— AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy
New music to stream from Sept. 1-7
— Talking Heads frontman David Byrne is in no way slowing down. On Friday, the 73-year-old idiosyncratic artist will release a new album, “Who Is the Sky?”, a collection of avant-garde pop for fans of his band and beyond. There’s a real joy here.
— There are glam rock icons and then there is Marc Bolan, a pioneer of the ’70s movement with his visionary band T. Rex, a larger-than-life figure now celebrated in a new documentary. “AngelHeaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex” hits streaming on Friday, Sept. 5. Expect rare footage and to be overwhelmed by a strong desire to purchase sequined pants.
— It is that time of year again: The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards are right around the corner. The three-hour show will broadcast live on CBS and available to stream on Paramount+ on Sunday, Sept. 7 at 8 p.m. Eastern and 5 p.m. Pacific, live from the UBS Arena just outside New York City. Lady Gaga leads the nominations, so get ready for some “Mayhem.”
— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman
New series to stream from Sept. 1-7
— “The Office” follow-up called “The Paper” makes its anticipated debut on Peacock this week. On the show, the documentary crew that once filmed the staff of Dunder Mifflin paper company in Scranton, Penn. has now begun following the staff of a small newspaper in Toledo, Ohio. To their surprise, one of the accountants who works on staff is none other than Oscar Martinez, a crossover character from ‘The Office” played by Oscar Nunez. Domhnall Gleeson (“The Patient”) and Sabrina Impacciatore (“White Lotus” season 2) also star. All 10 episodes drop on Monday.
— Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo star in a new series about their “NCIS” characters called, “NCIS: Tony & Ziva,” debuting Monday on Paramount+. The show picks up 10 years after de Pablo left “NCIS” with Tony and Ziva — or Tiva as fans call them — living in France and co-parenting their daughter. When they become the target of a conspiracy, the former agents go on the run. This is the sixth spinoff in the “NCIS” universe and a departure from the procedural format its known for. “Tony & Ziva” is more of a mixed bag with action, drama, romance and comedy.
— Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey star in a new cat-and-mouse thriller for HBO called “Task.” Ruffalo plays an FBI agent in Pennsylvania assigned to lead a task force investigating violent robberies. The show is from the creator of the stellar “Mare of Easttown.” It premieres Thursday and streams on Max.
— Alicia Rancilio
New video games to play from Sept. 1-7
— Hollow Knight, a 2D exploration game that came out in 2017, has become an indie legend over the years, selling millions of copies and landing on plenty of best-games-ever lists. Australian studio Team Cherry announced a sequel in 2019 — and after a long gestation period, Hollow Knight: Silksong has finally arrived. The essence remains the same: Making your way through a lush, vibrant landscape while fighting off the bugs and other nuisances that live there. The protagonist, a princess named Hornet, is more acrobatic than the original hero, but the developer is promising more of the challenging and tightly focused combat fans love. It arrives Thursday on PlayStation 5/4, Xbox X/S/One, Switch and PC.
— The developers at Bandai Namco Studios Singapore are known for their bruising work on fighters like Tekken and Soul Calibur, but their new game takes on a more delicate art: origami. Hirogami stars a master of folding named Hiro who can transform into creatures like a soaring bird, a barrier-smashing armadillo and a high-jumping frog. A soundtrack featuring traditional Japanese instruments creates a mellow vibe as Hiro defends his paper-crafted 3D world from “deadly digital invaders.” Know when to fold ’em starting Wednesday on PlayStation 5 and PC.
— Lou Kesten
