Releases this week: A Minecraft Movie and Stranger Things star's new album
Mining for big screen success
It's been heavily delayed, but A Minecraft Movie is finally here.The wildly popular video game hits the big screen on Friday and boasts a star-studded cast including Jason Momoa, Jack Black and Jennifer Coolidge.It tells the story of four misfits who are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld – the place where all players start in Minecraft.Minecraft is one of the world's best selling video games, so there's a lot of pressure to deliver for fans of the blocky world (my 11-year-old nephew is legitimately more excited for this than Christmas)."This game has been loved by millions and millions all over the world for years now, and I think this movie is a big deal for a lot of people, because now it's generational," Black said.There's been a long history of game-to-film flops. But others, such as Sonic, were massive hits, so that's what Warner Bros will no doubt be hoping for.
Djo know what I mean?
By Mark Savage, music correspondent
American actor Joe Keery is best known as reformed jock Steve Harrington, one of the main (and most loveable) characters in the sci-fi series Stranger Things.But he's also got a nifty line in throwback indie-pop, which he performs as Djo. The pseudonym was initially an attempt to avoid the accusations he was trading on his fame. He'd even perform in disguise.That changed when he had a breakout hit with End of Beginning – a synth-heavy slice of psychedelia that went viral on TikTok last year, often the soundtrack to videos about what people would do if they won the lottery.
The attention put a rocket under his music career. While his first two albums were DIY affairs, recorded in a couple of days and self-released, his latest, The Crux, was created in New York's fabled Electric Lady studios.Released on Friday, it's packed full of off-kilter lyrics and squiggly synth lines that burrow into your brain. The first two singles, Delete Ya and Basic Being Basic have already been radio hits, and the rest of the album pulls on influences as diverse as Electric Light Orchestra, New Order, Cake, Hall & Oates and Bruce Springsteen (coincidentally, all bands that would work perfectly on the Stranger Things soundtrack).There are a couple of knockouts – including the crunchy garage rock of Gap Toothed Smile, and the choppy New Wave anthem Link – but the point of the album is its diversity. Keery envisioned each song as the story of a separate guest at a hotel where everyone is at a spiritual or emotional crossroads.
The Queens on screen
SIX the Musical tells the story of the many wives of Henry VIII, as they step out of the shadow of their infamous husband and reclaim the narrative.Now, the queens are moving to the screen.A filmed stage production of SIX The Musical Live!, featuring the original West End cast, will be released in cinemas on Sunday.Creators Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss told me what to expect.'It's not simply a live capture of what's on stage, but an immersive, pop-concert experience,' they said.'You get to witness the incredible performances up close – noticing little details and subtleties you might miss in the theatre. But you also get exciting, inventive, explosive visuals that make you feel like part of the party.'
It's the big Switch 2 reveal
By Tom Gerken, tech reporter
This week has been in the diaries of gaming fans around the world for months, as we finally are about to learn what's coming with the Switch 2, the much-anticipated sequel to the Nintendo Switch, aka the third-best selling console in history.So it's no surprise that we're going to get some news on Wednesday – but the question is, what?Almost certainly Nintendo will unveil a price and a launch date. But quite what that will be, who knows – July 2025 feels like a safe bet, but to be fair, would anyone be surprised if it came out in December?Fans are desperate for news on games. The rumour mill swirls with talks of a new Mario, Zelda and Pokémon, but nobody has any proof to back it up. (I'd personally bite your hand off for a new Fire Emblem, but that's just me…)Will we see super flashy new graphics? A high quality screen? A better battery life? There are too many questions to list.Only one thing is really certain – whatever happens, when Nintendo's announcement is over, we'll be left counting down the days to the console's actual release… whenever that may be.
Other highlights this week
Eid Live and Celebrity Eid will be broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer on MondayMarkus Persson, the man behind Minecraft, will be on the Good, Bad Billionaire podcast on MondayLondon Games Festival 2025 starts on WednesdaySouth of Midnight is released for early access on ThursdayElton John and Brandi Carlile release their new album Who Believes In Angels? on FridayBlack Country, New Road's new album Forever Howlong drops on Friday
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