What’s New in Pop Culture: December 2-8, 2024
Releases this week in TV, Music, Movies & Games
New This Week: Skeleton Crew brings Amblin vibes to Star Wars; Amy Adams returns in Nightbitch; Marvel plays in the big leagues with Rivals.
TELEVISION
Monday 12/2: Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (Disney+; Fantasy, Family)
Jude Law stars in this new series set in the Star Wars Universe, meant to channel the feel of 1980s Amblin films. A group of kids making a startling discovery on their seemingly boring home planet, sending them on a wild adventure through the galaxy.
Wednesday 12/4: Pop Culture Jeopardy! (Prime Video; Quiz Show)
Colin Jost hosts this team-based Jeopardy! spinoff in which geeks show off their knowledge in music, TV, movies, games and more. I will watch every second of this. My team tried out and heard nothing back. Not jealous at all! NOT AT ALL! *froths at mouth*
Thursday 12/5: Creature Commandos (Max; Animated, Action)
One of the first projects from James Gunn’s DC Universe picks up after the first season of HBO’s Peacemaker series, and features this D-List DC Comics team of monsters — Frankenstein, G.I. Robot, Weasel, etc. — who serve as a black-ops squad for Amanda Waller.
Friday 12/6: A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter (Netflix; Musical Comedy)
One of 2024’s breakout pop girlies, Carpenter gets her first holiday special, adapting music from her 2023 holiday album Fruitcake, performing with guests like Shania Twain and Chappell Roan, and putting on comedy sketches with Santa and more.
Friday 12/6: The Sticky (Prime Video; Comedy, Drama)
If you enjoyed Fargo or Ozark, this might be for you. Margo Martindale stars as a Canadian maple-syrup farmer who — pushed to her limit — takes part in a heist targeting the country’s million-dollar syrup industry. Also featuring Jamie Lee Curtis.
MUSIC
Friday 12/6: Lauren Mayberry Vicious Creature (Alt Pop)
Friday 12/6: Rose Rosie (K-Pop)
Friday 12/6: Ryan Adams Blackhole (Indie Rock)
Friday 12/6: Twice Strategy (K-Pop)
MOVIES
Friday 12/6: The Return (Wide; Drama)
In this take on Homer’s Odyssey, Ralph Fiennes plays a haggard, broken Odysseus returning to his kingdom of Ithaca after the Trojan War, and Juliette Binoche as his wife Penelope, fighting off suitors who believe the king to be dead.
Friday 12/6: Nightbitch (Limited; Drama, Dark Comedy)
Oscar nominee Amy Adams stars in this film adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s surrealist novel, playing a stay-at-home mother who is convinced she can transform into a literal dog at night.
Friday 12/6: The Order (Limited; Drama, Political Thriller)
Jude Law stars in this film, inspired by real events, playing an FBI in 1980s Idaho who realizes he is fighting a wave of organized crime led by white supremacists plotting a violent coup against the U.S. government.
Friday 12/6: Get Away (Limited; Horror Comedy)
Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) wrote and stars in this new film — along with UK comedian Aisling Bea — as a British couple on vacation in a remote Swedish village who discover that a serial killer is hunting them down.
Friday 12/6: Mary (Netflix; Drama, Epic)
This biblical epic tells the story of Mary as she seeks to give birth to Jesus while on the run from King Herrod (played by Anthony Hopkins).
GAMES
Tuesday 12/3: Anton Blast (PC, Switch; Platformer, Adventure)
This game, successfully funded on Kickstarter, has you playing demolitions expert Dynamite Anton, whose stash of liquor has been stolen by Satan; he has to blow holes through the underworld to get it back.
Thursday 12/5: Infinity Nikki (Android, iOS, PC, PS5; Dress-Up, Adventure)
The fifth installment in the previously mobile-only dress-up game is making a big push for the Genshin Impact market, and appearing for the first time on a console. Dress your character up in a variety of ridiculous outfits as you explore an open world and take on quests.
Thursday 12/5: FANTASIAN Neo Dimension (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox S|X; RPG)
Initially released as FANTASIAN exclusively on Apple Aracade back in 2021, this is the home console port of the original RPG by Final Fantasy icons Hironobu Sakaguchi and Nobuo Uematsu, now with English and Japanese voice acting as well the ability to choose difficulty settings.
Friday 12/6: Marvel Rivals (PC, PS5, Xbox S|X; PVP Shooter)
This heavily hyped PVP shooter — think Overwatch — allows you to play one of nearly 30 Marvel characters as you scrap across the Marvel Multiverse. There’s a great mix of expected characters (Captain America, Thor, Hulk) and lesser-known ones (Squirrel Girl, Psylocke, Jeff the Land Shark).