The Stream
What's new this week in television, films, music and games
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection
Nicole Kidman in "Scarpetta"
"One Piece"
"Sesame Street"
"Zootopia 2"
Michelle Pfeiffer stars in the new series "The Madison."
ENTERTAINMENT
MOVIES
'Zootopia 2'
After collecting $1.85 billion in box office, the Disney animated smash hit "Zootopia 2" comes to Disney+ on March 11. The film, a sequel to 2016's "Zootopia," follows the continuing adventures of rabbit police officer Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and her partner fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman). In their new case, the arrival of a mysterious viper (Key Huy Quan) leads to new revelations about the animal metropolis. In my review, I called it "a more timid and tame movie that leans largely on the (still winning) duo of Hopps and Wilde."
97th Academy Awards
For the first time, the Oscars will be streamed. In addition to the live broadcast on ABC on March 15, the 97th Academy Awards will be streamed on Hulu. The show will be available to all subscribers and won't require a cable subscription. (The Oscars are moving to YouTube, but not until 2029.) That also means this week is your last chance to catch up on the nominees, most of which are streaming. That includes: "Sinners," "One Battle After Another," "Weapons" and "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You" on HBO Max; "Frankenstein," "Train Dreams," "KPop Demon Hunters" and "Blue Moon" on Netflix; "Bugonia," "Hamnet" and "Song Sung Blue" on Peacock; "F1" on Apple TV+; and "The Secret Agent" and "It Was Just an Accident" on Hulu.
— Jake Coyle
MUSIC
Lamb of God
To call them veterans almost feels like too slight a word. Giants of American heavy metal Lamb of God will release their 10th studio album, "Into Oblivion" on March 13. The title is a reflection of how frontman Randy Blythe sees the current state of the aff airs — an appropriate launchpad for 10 tracks of ferocity.
Kim Gordon
On March 13, Kim Gordon — a revolutionary force in the alternative rock band Sonic Youth, the '80s New York no wave scene and the space between art and noise — will release her third solo album, "Play Me." It follows the Grammy-nominated "The Collective," her beat-heavy 2024 album that surprised and delighted audiences with its oddball trap blasts. "Play Me" shares in that spirit. It's full of propulsive production and confrontational songs that possess a keen ability to process and reflect the world. Start with the castigation of convenience culture and passive listening on its title track. Stay for "Subcon," an examination of the world's growing billionaire class and its fascination with space colonialization in a period of economic insecurity.
— Maria Sherman
SERIES
'Sesame Street'
"Sesame Street" dropped four new episodes, now streaming on Netflix. The legacy preschool show found a new home on the streamer ahead of its current 56th season.
'One Piece'
Netflix's live-action adventure series "One Piece" returns for its second season, now streaming. It's based on a massively popular Japanese manga series by Eiichiro Oda. The show follows a young man named Monkey D. Luff y whose dream in life is to be a pirate. In Season One, Luff y recruited his fellow pirates called the Straw Hats. In Season Two, Luff y and his crew set out to find treasure in a dangerous stretch of water called the Grand Line. There are eight episodes in "One Piece: Into the Grand Line."
'The Madison'
Taylor Sheridan's neo-Western family drama "The Madison" debuts on Paramount+ on March 14. At its center is the Clyburn family of New York, led by matriarch Stacy Clyburn (Michelle Pfeiff er) who moves her family to Montana after a tragedy. Kurt Russell, Patrick J. Adams, Matthew Fox and Beau Garrett also have roles. A second season is already filmed.
'Scarpetta'
Nicole Kidman brings crime writer Patricia Cornwell's famed forensic pathologist character Kay Scarpetta to life in the new series "Scarpetta," out March 11 on Prime Video. The story unfolds over two timelines:
Scarpetta as a younger woman, played by Rosy McEwen, and in present day, played by Kidman. Jamie Lee Curtis, Bobby Cannavale, Simon Baker, Ariana DeBose, Jake Cannavale and Hunter Parrish also star.
— Alicia Rancilio
VIDEO GAME
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection
When you want to hunt monsters, there's Monster Hunter. When you want to team up with monsters, there's Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, the new chapter in Capcom's spinoff series. Once you join forces with a beast, you can fly around on it and fight other creatures — though you might want to think twice before tackling the "Calamitous Elder Dragons." The story itself revolves around two warring kingdoms on the verge of apocalypse, and the gameplay is the kind of turn-based combat you'd expect in a classic role-playing adventure. Take flight March 13 on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch 2 or PC.
— Lou Kesten
