Out this week
COMING SOON
Albums
Don’t Click Play by Ava Max: Third album by the American singer; follows her sophomore release Diamonds & Dancefloors (2023); includes the singles ‘Lost Your Faith’, ‘Lovin Myself’, and ‘Wet, Hot American Dream’.
STAR
Dua Lipa
* Born on 22 August 1995 in London, England to Kosovo Albanian parents.
* Is the eldest child; has a sister, Rina, and a brother, Gjin.
* Started singing at a young age.
* Was musically inspired by her father who was in a Kosovan rock band.
* Signed a modelling contract before switching her focus towards music.
* Released her eponymous debut album in 2017 which includes the songs ‘Be the One’, ‘IDGAF’, and the chart-topping ‘New Rules’.
* Has since released two more albums: Future Nostalgia (2020) and Radical Optimism (2024).
* Has also appeared in the movies Barbie (2023) and Argylle (2024).
* Is engaged to actor Callum Turner.
Movies
* Eden (starring Jude Law, Vanessa Kirby, Daniel Brühl, Sydney Sweeney, Ana de Armas) – survival thriller, based on a true story; a group of outsiders settle on a remote island with harsh climate and deadly wildlife but realize that their greatest threat is each other.
* Eenie Meanie (starring Samara Weaving, Karl Glusman, Steve Zahn, Andy García) – heist thriller; a former getaway driver (Weaving) must return for another heist in order to save her ex-boyfriend.
* Honey Don’t! (starring Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans, Charlie Day) – dark comedy; a small-town private detective (Qualley) investigates a woman’s death tied to a cult.
* Afterburn (starring Dave Bautista, Samuel L. Jackson, Olga Kurylenko, Kristofer Hivju) -sci-fi action, based on the Red 5 Comics series; a decade after a solar flare destroyed the Earth’s technology, an ex-soldier (Bautista) tries to find pre-flare objects for powerful clients.
SPOTLIGHT
The Bad Guys 2
Cast: Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Zazie Beetz, Alex Borstein, Richard Ayoade, Lilly Singh, Danielle Brooks, Natasha Lyonne, and Maria Bakalova
Director: Pierre Perifel
Tagline: Back in badness.
* Animated adventure; the now-reformed Bad Guys are pulled out of retirement and have to join forces with an all-female criminal squad to perform one last heist.
* Sequel to The Bad Guys (2022).
* Has grossed US$94 million on a $80 million budget.
* Has received positive reviews, with critics finding the film fun but predictable and not as good as the original.
* Score composed by Daniel Pemberton.
* Is likely to be followed by a sequel as a third film in the series is being planned.