The Brainerd Dispatch - Today's Entertainment Magazine
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Brainerd Dispatch • August 15 - 21, 2021 •19 By Raye Smith TV Media WHAT'S NEW ON HULU "Nine Perfect Strangers" - Season 1 Get acquainted with the Season 1 premiere of "Nine Perfect Strang - ers," airing on Hulu on Wednesday, Aug. 18. This drama miniseries, based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Lianne Moriarty, is being released across eight epi - sodes, the first three of which ar- rive Aug. 18. The remaining five episodes will be released weekly on Wednesdays. The story follows nine strangers as they gather for a 10- day health and wellness retreat at Tranquillum House, hoping to heal and find peace. However, not ev - erything is as it seems, and secrets about each other and their retreat host, Masha (Nicole Kidman, "Big Little Lies"), come to light. Filmed on location in Australia, the series comes from director Jonathan Levine ("50/50," 2011) and writers John-Henry Butterworth ("Ford v Ferrari," 2019), David E. Kelley ("Big Sky") and Samantha Strauss ("The End"). Tiffany Boone ("The Chi"), Bobby Cannavale ("Ant-Man," 2016), Luke Evans ("Beauty and the Beast," 2017), Melvin Gregg ("The Way Back," 2020), Regina Hall ("Girls Trip," 2017), Les Hill ("Wonderland"), Manny Jacinto ("The Good Place"), Asher Keddie ("X-Men Origins: Wolverine," 2009), Melissa Mc - Carthy ("Bridesmaids," 2011), Michael Shannon ("The Shape of Water," 2017), Grace Van Patten ("Maniac") and Samara Weaving ("SMILF") also star. WHAT'S NEW ON NETFLIX "Sweet Girl" (2021) Settle in for a summer thriller with "Sweet Girl," the new film coming to Netflix this Friday, Aug. 20. Jason Momoa ("Aquaman," 2018) stars as Cooper, a devastated father out for revenge after the tragic death of his wife. With a vow to seek justice for his wife, Cooper works to take down those responsible for her death while protecting the only family he has left: his daughter, Rachel (Isabella Merced, "Trans- formers: The Last Knight," 2017). Written by Philip Eisner ("Mutant Chronicles," 2008), Gregg Hurwitz ("V") and Will Staples ("Tom Clancy's Without Remorse," 2021), the film is directed by Brian Andrew Mendoza ("Frontier"). Manuel Garcia-Rulfo ("The Magnificent Seven," 2016), Raza Jaffrey ("Lost in Space"), Lex Scott Davis ("Su- perFly," 2018), Adria Arjona ("True Detective"), Justin Bartha ("Na- tional Treasure," 2004) and Amy Brenneman ("Goliath") also star. WHAT'S NEW ON PRIME "Annette" (2021) Prime brings a brand-new musi- cal film to its streaming lineup when "Annette" premieres on the platform on Friday, Aug. 20. The film stars Adam Driver ("Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens," 2015) and Marion Cotillard ("In- ception," 2020) as a stand-up co- median and a world-famous sopra- no. The pair are married and living a lavish life, all of which changes when their daughter is born with a unique gift. Directed by Leos Carax ("Holy Motors," 2012) in his Eng- lish-language debut, the musical features a screenplay by Ron and Russell Mael ("Fright Night," 1985) of the band Sparks, with music and lyrics written by their band. Simon Helberg ("The Big Bang Theory"), Rila Fukushima ("Arrow"), Natalie Mendoza ("The Descent," 2005) and Rebecca Dyson-Smith ("Blood Red Sky," 2021) also star. WHAT'S NEW ON APPLE TV+ "Truth Be Told" - Season 2 Don't miss the Season 2 premiere of "Truth be Told," coming to Apple TV+ this Friday, Aug. 20. This thriller series' first season followed true crime podcaster Poppy Parnell (Octavia Spencer, "Hidden Figures," 2016) as she tried to solve the mystery surrounding the death of a family's patriarch. Now, moving into Season 2, the show is bringing all of the spine-chilling mystery back again for eight more episodes. From creator and writer Nichelle D. Tramble ("The Good Wife"), the series also stars Rico E. Anderson ("S.W.A.T."), Lizzy Caplan ("Mean Girls," 2004), Michael Beach ("Aquaman," 2018), Mekhi Phifer ("Dawn of the Dead," 2004) and Tracie Thoms ("Rent," 2005), and it's likely the new season with bring with it a host of new faces as well. WHAT'S NEW ON DISNEY+ "Diary of a Future President" - Season 2 Get back into "Diary of a Future President" when it returns to Disney+ for a second season on Wednesday, Aug. 18. Starring Tess Romero ("Anya," 2019) as Elena Canaro-Reed, this family-friendly sitcom chronicles the life of the ambitious Cuban-American pre- teen as she grows and learns on her journey to becoming the future president of the United States of America. Narrated through Elena's diary and following her interactions with friends and family, the series sees Elena and her loved ones through all kinds of ups, downs and antics. From creator Ilana Pena ("Crazy Ex-Girlfriend"), the series also stars Gina Rodriguez ("Jane the Virgin"), Selenis Leyva ("Spider- Man: Homecoming," 2017), Charlie Bushnell ("Wetworks," 2020), Sa- nai Victoria ("Vampirina"), Nathan Arenas ("Blue Miracle," 2021), Michael Weaver ("Super Troopers," 2001) and Carmina Garay ("Bio- hackers"). WHAT'S NEW ON HBO MAX "Sweet Life: Los Angeles" - Season 1 Get ready for an all-new reality series when "Sweet Life: Los Ange- les," comes to HBO Max on Thurs- day, Aug. 19. This new series, pro- duced by Issa Rae ("Insecure"), fol- lows a group of Black young adults living in South Los Angeles as they come of age, navigate relation- ships and reach for their dreams. A group of longtime friends, they go through it all together, helping each other pursue their personal and professional goals. The cast stars PR professional Amanda Scott, health- care professional and budding en- trepreneur Briana Jones, artist and fashion designer Cheryl Des Vignes, entertainment marketing specialist Jerrold Smith II, streetwear brand CEO Jordan Bentley, entrepreneur P'Jae Compton and Tylynn Burns, the director of operations for an event series agency. Don't miss this new series, as the young profes- sionals build their careers and grow in their personal lives, from the glamour and chaos of sunny Los Angeles. WHAT'S NEW ON DISCOVERY+ "Alien Invasion: Hudson Val- ley" -Season 1 Are we really alone? Explore the possibility of an alien invasion with the all-new Shock Docs documen- tary series "Alien Invasion: Hudson Valley" when it airs on discovery+ Sunday, Aug. 15. With a slew of unearthly and unexplained events happening in Hudson Valley, New York, this series goes on an in-depth exploration of these events, trying to give the residents at the "alien epicenter" some answers to their many questions. Investigator Ben Hansen ("Fact or Faked: Paranor- mal Files") looks into the possibility that aliens are terrorizing these citi- zens and that they may not come in peace. WHAT'S NEW ON PARAMOUNT+ "PAW Patrol: The Movie" (2021) Get ready for this one, kids (and parents), because "PAW Patrol: The Movie" is coming to Para- mount+ on Friday, Aug. 20. Ev- eryone's favorite heroic pups are back to save the day, this time in a fun, action-packed feature-length film. When their biggest nemesis, Humdinger (voiced by Ron Pardo, "Hairspray," 2007), becomes the mayor of nearby Adventure City and starts wreaking havoc, the pups and friend Ryder (Will Brisbin, "Forbidden Playground," 2016) hit the road to save the citizens. Decked out with all new gadgets and gear, PAW Patrol gets ready to face this new challenge head-on. From director and writer Carl Brunker ("Escape From Planet Earth," 2012) with co-writers Bob Barlen ("Son of Bigfoot," 2017) and Billy Frolick ("Madagascar," 2005), the film features an all-star voice cast including Iain Armitage ("Young Sheldon"), Marsai Mar- tin ("Little," 2019), Yara Shahidi ("Black-ish"), Kim Kardashian ("Keeping up With the Kardashi- ans"), Randall Park ("WandaVi- sion"), Dax Shepard ("Parent- hood"), Jimmy Kimmel ("Jimmy Kimmel Live!"), Tyler Perry ("Diary of a Mad Black Woman," 2005) and Saara Chaudry ("The Mysteri- ous Benedict Society"). Nicole Kidman as seen in "Nine Perfect Strangers" Isabela Merced and Jason Momoa as seen in "Sweet Girl" Gina Rodriguez and Tess Romero in "Diary of a Future President"