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Clockwise from top: Mufasa: The Lion King, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, The Raid, and Jury #2.
Photo illustration: Vulture. Photos: Disney, Claire Folger/Warner Bros./Everett Collection, James Dettiger/PEACOCK, Paramount
Congratulations to the children (and animals). This weekend is for you. This week’s two biggest releases concern The Lion and the Hedgehog, both of which have overlapping casts, and both of which are “live-action” animated sequels. Meanwhile, if you’re in New York City or Los Angeles, you can watch The Brutalist on 70mm. Who said life was fair? Here are the rest of our picks for this weekend.
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If you missed Lin-Manuel Miranda after watching Moana 2, you can now hear about him in Mufasa, director Barry Jenkins’ “live-action” prequel to The Lion King. It’s a bit of a stretch to recall, but 2019’s The Lion King made a lot of money at the box office, so of course there’s another movie, but this one takes place when Simba and Nala were in the animal kingdom, and when Mufasa and Scar were in the animal kingdom. It’s set when I was still young.
This franchise is really going well. Keanu Reeves also stars as the new villain Shadow the Hedgehog. Good luck to the rest of the hedgehogs. Because we all watch John Wick. So we know that Reeves’ villain won’t go down without a long fight.
The eight-episode romantic comedy stars Academy Award nominee Stephanie Hsu as Ruby, a woman who discovers that all of her former lovers have died in strange and mysterious ways. Is she cursed? This format is like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World in reverse. — Roxana Hadadi
What happens if… ends? Thanks to the multiverse, the MCU animated series has played a big part in putting the universe’s many superheroes into some fantastical scenarios, including Chadwick Boseman’s final performance as T’Challa. Ta. Each episode asks a key question: “What if?” For MCU heroes, it’s like throwing T’Challa into space to become the new Star-Lord. For a while, it seemed like the MCU could move forward with this concept, but this third season will be the last.
Finally, Warner Bros., which paid a fortune for the streaming rights to “Friends,” can now leverage its expensive acquisition even further by turning the “Friends” lore into a game show. Tip for contestants: If you’re confused about the answer, just yell “Piv-ot” or start singing “Smelly Cat.” — Jen Cheney
Thirty-five years ago this month, “The Simpsons” premiered on television for the first time on its own, separate from its appearance on “The Tracey Ullman Show.” That first episode was a Christmas special. That’s why the animation provider that has provided us with endless memes for years is releasing another two-episode Christmas special this year. — J.C.
Hulu is going all out to get into the comedy world, even announcing a comedy brand called Hularious (we tried it). One of the specials currently showing is “Ilana Glazer: Human Magic.” The Broad City actress and comedian’s second special, recorded during her latest tour, was directed by Jeff Tomsic and talks about high school, motherhood, and other super awkward moments in her life. I am.
Streaming platforms know that you’ll be spending a lot of time with your family. Rose Matafeo’s special is perfect if you want to watch it with your sister or younger millennial cousins. Once you’re done, you can immediately binge-watch her show “Starstruck” in its entirety. — Kathryn VanArendonck
For some reason, Warner Bros. buried this Clint Eastwood legal thriller. The film was released in limited theaters last October to little fanfare. This is a shame, since critics generally agree that the film is good. Justin, played by Nicholas Hoult, is a juror in a murder case where a man is accused of killing his girlfriend. However, Justin knows this man is innocent, but revealing the truth will cost him. —Tory Wright
One of the most talked about movies of award season is available for streaming. Mikey Madison’s acclaimed performance as the main character, a sex worker who crosses paths with a rich Russian boy (Mark Eidelstein), is finally seen. But this is a Sean Baker movie, so the highs of fantasy are accompanied by the lows of reality.
➼ More surprises! Barbie has arrived on Netflix. Gilmore Girls is on Hulu (complete with holiday episode collection). And Barry Keoghan’s drama “Bird” is being broadcast on movie.
Want to know more? Read on for our top picks for the weekend of December 13th.
