Drake, Doja Cat, ‘Sex Education,’ ‘The Super Models’ and ‘Superpower’

The return of Netflix’s “Sex Education” with Gillian Anderson, Sean Penn’s documentary about Ukrainian chief Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a docuseries that charts the rise of the primary supermodels are among the new tv, films, music and video games headed to a tool close to you

Among the choices value your time as chosen by The Associated Press’ leisure journalists are albums Doja Cat and Drake, and a reboot of Robert Rodriguez’s “Spy Kids” franchise with a movie starring Gina Rodriguez and Zachary Levi.

— In Mexican lucha libra wrestling, exóticos historically are male fighters wearing drag who supply a campy distinction to the machismo of the main-event matches. “Cassandro,” premiering Friday, Sept. 22 on Amazon Prime Video, stars Gael Garcia Bernal as a pioneering exótico named Saúl Armendáriz who rose to grow to be one of many largest stars in Mexican wrestling. In my overview of the movie, directed by Roger Ross Williams, I wrote that Armendáriz’s transformation of the exótico into one thing greater than was prescribed by lucha custom makes for a stirring metaphor for homosexual empowerment.

— Robert Rodriguez’s “Spy Kids” films are pluckily nonetheless going, greater than 20 years after the director — along with his children in tow — first launched the admirably goofy, charmingly childlike espionage fantasy. The household movie franchise, begun with the 2001 authentic, had tapered off by the point the lackluster fourth installment, “Spy Kids: All the Time in the World,” was launched in 2011. But Rodriguez and clan return for a reboot in Netflix’s “Spy Kids: Armageddon,” debuting Friday, Sept. 22. The movie, written by Rodriguez and his 26-year-old son, Racer, stars Gina Rodriguez and Zachary Levi.

— Long gone are the times of the viral retro-hit “Say So” – however who may anticipate the pop experimentalist Doja Cat to remain in a single lane? (Anyone who remembers the viral “Moo! (B—- I’m a Cow)” video that made her an web star would know higher.) On “Scarlet,” Doja Cat bids adieu to her former self and within the hardest rap verses of her profession, calls for listeners’ heed. Like on the lead single, “Attention,” a criticism of normalizing parasocial relationships, or “Demons,” the place she spits, “Are you off a key/I would never let you in my VIP/ We are enemies, we are foes/Who are you? And what are those?” whereas embodying her internal — and outer — incubus.

— Drake is not any stranger to an creative roll-out: the OVO rapper has a desire for shock drops (final yr’s “Honesty, Nevermind” is proof sufficient). But this yr, he gave followers a little bit of a heads up for his highly-anticipated “For all the Dogs” album. At choose dates, on stage at his massively standard “It’s All A Blur” Tour, Drake teased collaborations with Nicki Minaj and Bad Bunny. The latter marks the duo’s first collaboration since 2018’s “MÍA,” the place Drake’s Spanish-language singing was heard ’around the world.

— And now, to look away from pop’s current and into its future! Chappell Roan, the Missouri-raised, LA-based darkish pop balladeer first made headlines for her queer theatrical pop hit “Pink Pony Club,” and later, the Gen-Z situationship anthem, “Casual,” which she labored on with Olivia Rodrigo’s chief collaborator and producer, Dan Nigro. “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” is Roan’s solo debut, an enterprising assortment of express ballads and bangers. Next yr, Roan will open for Rodrigo on the “GUTS” singer’s first-ever area tour. Big issues are on the horizon.

— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman

— Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn has co-directed a documentary about Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the resilience of the Ukrainian individuals. Penn says he started the undertaking — known as “Superpower” — in 2021, with a lighthearted method to the lifetime of Zelenskyy, who was a comic and actor earlier than he entered politics. The tone and focus of the movie shifted when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. “Superpower,” which options interviews with Zelenskyy and households affected by the warfare, debuts Monday on Paramount+.

— Before Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Winnie Harlow ever stepped onto a catwalk, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington outlined the phrase glamour and have become family names. A brand new four-part docu-series known as “The Super Models” traces their rise to success public-consciousness. It debuts Wednesday on Apple TV+.

— The critically-acclaimed “Sex Education,” one in all Netflix’s hottest exhibits, returns for its fourth and last season Thursday. The sequence stars Asa Butterfield as Otis, an ungainly, precocious teen whose mom (performed by Gillian Anderson) is a intercourse therapist. (You can watch how that distinctive scenario affected Otis’ highschool expertise and social standing in earlier episodes.) In season 4, Otis heads off to varsity.

— The mighty Shaolin warrior Liu Kang has created his personal universe, and he’s determined one of the simplest ways to maintain it peaceable is to ask his old associates over to beat one another up. That’s the sometimes crazy setup for Warner Bros. Games’ Mortal Kombat 1 (the follow-up to Mortal Kombat 11 — go determine). Granted, most followers of the franchise aren’t right here for believable plotting. They’re seeking to get reacquainted with their favourite fighters (Sub-Zero! Kitana! Johnny Cage!) and check out some new ones (Homelander from “The Boys”! Peacemaker from “Suicide Squad”! Megan Fox as a vampire!). Or they’re psyched to search out new methods to tear out their opponent’s innards, which MK developer NetherRealm is all the time joyful to ship. The limbs begin flying Tuesday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC.

— The “P” in Neowiz’s Lies of P is Pinocchio — however he’s come a great distance from the lovable little man you recognize from the Disney film. He’s nonetheless a puppet, however he’s all grown up and sort of seems to be like Timothée Chalamet. He may also unscrew his left arm and substitute it with a protect, a grappling hook or a flamethrower. That’ll come in useful as he explores a decadent Gilded Age metropolis that’s full of hostile, corrupted automatons in addition to extra supernatural monsters. It’s an eye-grabbing mixture of steampunk, eldritch horror and the form of demanding fight popularized by video games like Dark Souls and Elden Ring. Don’t anticipate Jiminy Cricket to start out singing when the nightmare begins Tuesday on PlayStation 5/4, Xbox X/S/One and PC.