Marlon Wayans starring in the Jordan Peele-produced football thriller "Him" and the iHeartRadio Z100's Jingle Ball 2025 featuring Conan Gray, Ed Sheeran, Jelly Roll and Olivia Dean are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.
Also among the streaming offerings worth your time this week, as selected by The Associated Press' entertainment journalists: A second season of "Fallout" arrives on Prime Video, Season 5 of "Emily in Paris" drops on Netflix and Peter Criss — Kiss' original drummer — will release a brand new, self-titled album.
MOVIES
Marlon Wayans stars in "Him."
'Him'
The Jordan Peele-produced "Him" (Dec. 19 on Peacock) takes the hard knocks of the gridiron to bloody extremes. It stars Tyriq Withers as an up-and-coming quarterback whose mentorship with the veteran champ (Marlon Wayans) grows increasingly dark and surreal. In my review, I wrote that "Him" has a decent point to make about QB hero worship, "the problem is that has exactly one thing to say, which it does again and again."
Riz Ahmed stars in “Relay.”
'Relay'
In David Mackenzie's "Relay," Riz Ahmed plays a fixer who runs a covert service that brokers deals between corrupt companies and potential threats. To preserve anonymity, he uses a "relay" telephone service, usually for deaf or speech-impaired people, to disguise identities. This nifty thriller is now streaming on Netflix after a late-summer theatrical release. Co-starring Lily James and Sam Worthington.
"Chungking Express," directed by Wong Kar-wai
Directed by Wong Kar-wai
For a particularly seductive December, you can spend your holidays with Wong Kar-wai. The Criterion Channel is hosting many of the Hong Kong filmmaker's finest films, including "Chungking Express," "Fallen Angels" and "In the Mood for Love," as well as his first TV series, "Blossoms Shanghai." A hit in China, the 30-part series is set amid the 1990s opening of the Chinese economy and the relaunch of the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Streaming now; new episodes debut every Monday.
— Jake Coyle
MUSIC
Jessie Murph performs Dec. 5 during the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball concert at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.
iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2025
Alex Warren. BigXthaPlug. Conan Gray.Ed Sheeran.Jelly Roll. Jessie Murph. The Kid LAROI. Laufey. Mgk. Monsta X. Myles Smith. Nelly. Olivia Dean. Ravyn Lenae. Reneé Rapp. Shinedown. Zara Larsson. What do all these popular artists have in common? They're performing at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour! On Dec. 17, ABC will air the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2025 holiday special — made up of a few tour stops — which will be available to stream on Hulu the next day. It's all the fun of a star-studded pop concert from the comfort of your couch.
Peter Criss self-titled album
Peter Criss
In 2023, glam rockers Kiss said its goodbyes for one final performance at New York City's famed Madison Square Garden. But that doesn't mean their musical story ended there. On Dec. 19, Peter Criss — Kiss' original drummer and founding member who left and rejoined the group on a number of occasions — will release a brand new, self-titled album.
— Maria Sherman
SHOWS
Ella Purnell stars in "Fallout."
'Fallout'
A second season of "Fallout" arrives on Prime Video on Dec. 17. Based on a hugely popular video game, it's a postapocalyptic series set two centuries after a nuclear war destroyed modern civilization. In Season 2, Justin Theroux, Macaulay Culkin, and Kumail Nanjiani join the cast which includes Ella Purnell and Walton Goggins.
Lily Collins stars in "Emily in Paris."
'Emily in Paris'
Emily, of "Emily in Paris," is still living la dolce vita in Rome when Season 5 drops Dec. 18. The Darren Starr-created show follows the adventures of an American expat played by Lily Collins.
"Born to Be Wild"
'Born to be Wild'
A new documentary series called "Born to be Wild" follows six endangered baby animals that were orphaned or born as part of conservation programs. Narrated by Hugh Bonneville, it streams on Apple TV beginning Dec. 19.
— Alicia Rancilio
VIDEO GAMES
Assassin's Creed Shadows
Catch up on the year's favorites
The video game business has wrapped up its big-release schedule for the holidays, so now is a good time to catch up on titles you may have missed — or started and didn't have time to finish. It has been a solid year for role-playing games, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and The Outer Worlds 2 leading The Associated Press' top 10 list. If you're in the mood for a trip to Japan, Assassin's Creed Shadows and Ghost of Yōtei both offer sprawling open-world journeys with RPG elements.
— Lou Kesten
