If you’re a fan of sci-fi and fantasy, you’re in a for a treat this weekend as we get two massively anticipated debuts in Netflix’s sci-fi anime adaptation Cowboy Bebop and Amazon Prime Video’s big-budget adaptation of beloved fantasy book series The Wheel of Time. But that’s not where the big titles stop as we also get Part 2 of Masters of the Universe: Revelation, Halle Berry’s MMA drama Bruised, Kevin Hart and Wesley Snipes’ crime thriller series True Story, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s new musical spectacle Tick, Tick… Boom!, and much, much more!
SERIES
Cowboy Bebop
Netflix – 19 November 2021
3… 2… 1… Let’s jam! One of the most beloved and iconic anime series of all time is getting the live-action treatment courtesy of Netflix. John Cho leads the cast as Spike Spiegel, the kung fu-fighting leader of a group of misfit bounty hunters who fly between the stars looking for jobs while trying to avoid their sordid pasts. Let’s see if this adaptation can live up to the masterpiece original!
The Wheel of Time
Amazon Prime Video – 19 November 2021
Late author Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time is one of the most long-running and best-selling fantasy novel series of all time. Soooooo… no pressure, Amazon Prime Video, in finally adapting this epic story to the screen. The streamer has spared no expense in trying to make this the next big Game of Thrones-level show, including casting Rosamund Pike as lead Moraine, a member of the magical Aes Sedai, who has to gather five young people for a global journey to find which one of them is the reincarnation of “the Dragon”, a being prophesied to either save the world or destroy it.
Hellbound
Netflix – 19 November 2021
Netflix’s stable of Korean productions has been very good business for the streamer, and now the latest offering is here! Hellbound comes from Yeon Sang-ho, the director of masterpiece zombie horror Train to Busan, but there aren’t any undead here. Instead, this supernatural horror series sees unearthly creatures appearing and condemning “sinners” to Hell for their actions in five days, dragging them there on the allotted time.
Harriet the Spy
Apple TV+ – 19 November 2021
The classic children’s story is back with a new adaptation of Harriet the Spy! Booksmart’s Beanie Feldstein stars in this animated series adaptation as the voice of the precocious young Harriet, an aspiring writer who “spies” on everybody and everything around her, leading her into all sorts of adventures and mischief.
Masters of the Universe: Revelation – Part Two
Netflix – 23 November 2021
Part One of Kevin Smith’s Masters of the Universe: Revelation was an irreverent and subversive follow-up to the classic 1980s cartoon. And it was also pretty damn good… except for that annoying cliffhanger ending after just five episodes! Well, now Part Two of the star-studded animated show is back to finish the story of He-Man, Teela, Skeletor, Evil-Lyn, and more.
True Story
Netflix – 24 November 2021
I don’t know how this one passed me by before, but True Story is now definitely on my must-watch list! Kevin Hart and Wesley Snipes star – and play things rather close to reality – in this 7-episode crime thriller miniseries from Narcos showrunner Eric Newman, about a celebrity stand-up comedian and his troublemaker older brother who get caught up in a mess on both sides of the law.
Super Crooks
Netflix – 25 November 2021
Still bummed about Netflix cancelling Jupiter’s Legacy earlier this year? Well, here’s a surprising consolation of sorts. Also based on comic book writer Mark Millar’s work, Super Crooks is an original anime adaptation set in the same world as Jupiter’s Legacy but this time focusing on a group of supervillains. And because things always have to be confusing, this anime will serve as a prequel to the comic book of the same name, while a second live-action Super Crooks series will be developed later which will serve as a sequel to Jupiter’s Legacy.
MOVIES
Tick, Tick… Boom
Netflix – 19 November 2021
Acclaimed playwright/actor Lin-Manuel Miranda makes his feature film directing debut with Tick, Tick… Boom!, an adaptation of the semi-autobiographical musical of the same name by Jonathan Larson. Andrew Garfield stars (and sings) as Larson, a struggling waiter at a diner who for nearly a decade toiled at bringing to life his dream of a rock musical. Which musical? Oh just this tiny little thing you’ve probably never heard of called Rent. Tick, Tick… Boom! is already drawing massive awards buzz, so don’t miss this one.
Free Guy
Google Play Movies/Apple TV+ – 19 November 2021
Ryan Reynolds’ blockbuster video game action comedy hit theatres earlier this year, after a delay of more than a year. If you didn’t get a check out that zany film about an NPC in a Grand Theft Auto-like videogame who discovers his world isn’t real, then you can now rent it on both Google Play Movies and Apple TV+.
Jungle Cruise
Google Play Movies/Apple TV+ – 19 November 2021
Another of 2021’s big budget releases that saw itself delayed, Disney’s Jungle Cruise would eventually debut in cinemas as well as on Disney+ for a premium charge. We don’t have Disney+ here in SA yet, so if you didn’t get to see this rollicking action-adventure flick starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Emily Blunt in cinemas, you can now rent it at home from Google Play Movies or Apple TV+.
Paw Patrol: The Movie
Google Play Movies/Apple TV+ – 19 November 2021
Looking for something to keep the kids busy for a while this weekend? Well, you’re in luck as Paw Patrol: The Movie is now up for rental on Google Play Movies and Apple TV+ following its release in cinemas earlier this year. And yes, for those of expecting requests for non-stop repeat viewings, you can buy the film digitally as well, so no need to run up that rental bill.
Bruised
Netflix – 24 November 2021
If you’ve been following Halle Berry on social media for the last few years, you’ll know that the Oscar-winner has been putting her body through the wringer to get into crazy good shape. And all that blood, sweat, and tears was for Bruised, a drama that sees Berry starring as a former UCF mixed martial arts fighter who fell from the top of the sport to obscurity, seeing her personal life crash and burn as well. When an opportunity for a comeback presents itself though, she has to dig deep to fix her body – as well as her relationships to loved ones – to reclaim her dignity. What makes this film even more interesting is that not only did Berry put in months of work to learn MMA for this passion project role, but she’s also stepping behind the camera for the first time to make her directing debut.
A Boy Called Christmas
Netflix – 24 November 2021
Everybody knows Santa Claus… or do we? A Boy Called Christmas is the upcoming fantasy family adventure adapted from Matt Haig’s book of the same name that tells the reimagined origin story of the jolly red suit-wearing gift-giver, who was once just a boy who had to travel to the snowy white north on a quest to find his father, along the way discovering some magical reindeer!