What to Stream This Week: Conan O’Brien Travels, ‘Migration’ Soars, and Taylor Swift Will Reign

Zack Snyder’s “Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver” coming to Netflix and Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” album are some of the new television shows, movies, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also among the worthwhile streaming offerings selected by Associated Press entertainment journalists: A family of ducks is persuaded to fly south for the winter in the animated film “Migration” and Conan O’Brien as the weight of jokes are currently on display on his new travel show “Conan O’Brien Must Go” for Max.

— The wary father (Kumail Nanjiani) of a family of ducks is persuaded to fly south for the winter in “Migration” (steamy Friday, April 19 on Peacock), the latest animation from Illumination, creators of “ Despicable Me” and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” Written by “White Lotus” creator Mike White, “Migration” is another, albeit more kid-friendly, examination of the ins and outs of an exotic vacation. In my review, I wrote that “Migration” “is vividly animated with warm, cartoony tones that would make Daffy Duck proud. But it never spreads its wings.” With Elizabeth Banks, Danny DeVito, Carol Kane, Awkwafina and Keegan-Michael Key.

– People tend to either love or hate the films of Zack Snyder, the creator of powerful CGI extravaganzas like “Man of Steel,” “Justice League” and “Army of the Dead.” If you’re the former, the arrival of “Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver” (Friday, April 19 on Netflix) is a date you’ve circled since the December premiere of the first installment. Sofia Boutella and Djimon Hounsou lead the cast of Snyder’s space opera “Star War.”

– If some films are loaded and overloaded, how about those that pass as a brief encounter? A new series airing on the Criterion Channel asks: How much can happen in one night? The series brings together some of the best films that take place entirely from dusk until dawn. The nights may pass with conversation (“My Dinner With Andre”) or bloodshed (“Night of the Living Dead”), but in all of them the sun eventually arrives to break the nocturnal spell. Among the highlights are “Mikey and Nicky”, by Elaine May, “After Hours”, by Martin Scorsese, “Night on Earth”, by Jim Jarmusch, and “Cléo from 5 to 7”, by Agnes Varda.

— AP Film Writer Jake Coyle

— It’s Taylor Swift’s world, and we just keep living in it. On Friday, April 19, the savior of contemporary pop music and the U.S. economy will release her highly anticipated 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” Swift announced the surprise release in February at the 2024 Grammys, after receiving the best pop vocal album trophy for her tenth LP, “Midnights.” No songs from “TTPD have been released”, so little is known about it – which only serves to increase expectations. Here’s what we know: The day after the Grammys, Swift shared the track list, teasing 16 songs and two features: “Fortnight,” featuring Post Malone — fresh off a guest appearance on “Act ll: Cowboy Carter” by Beyoncé – and “Florida!!!” featuring Florence + the Machine. Other song titles chosen include: “Down Bad”, “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)”, “loml” and “Clara Bow”. The physical release will include four variants, each featuring a different bonus track: “The Manuscript”, “The Bolter”, “The Albatross” and “The Black Dog”. At a show in Melbourne, Australia, Swift described the album as “a lifeline,” adding, “I’ve never had an album where I needed songwriting more than I did on ‘Tortured Poets.’”

– Three decades into their career, and Pearl Jam’s 12th studio album, “Dark Matter”, arrives on the same day as Swift’s – but don’t consider it competition; they’re keeping it in the family. Both acts are signed to Republic Records. Produced by Andrew Watt, “Dark Matter” is Pearl Jam’s first new record since 2020’s “Gigaton” — a hard rock collection of songs from 1990s Seattle scene saints that AP’s Andrew Dalton described as “athletic in style.” his speed, aggression and tenacity looking like he would leave men his age sore afterwards. Listen responsibly.

—AP Music Writer Maria Sherman

– Fresh off her Oscar nomination, Lily Gladstone stars in a new limited series for Hulu called “Under the Bridge” with Riley Keough. Based on a true crime novel by Rebecca Godfrey, “Under the Bridge” tells the story of the murder of Canadian teenager Reena Virk in the late 1990s. Gladstone plays a police officer investigating the case and Keough plays Godfrey, who is immersed in Virk’s world. to detail not only what happened, but the social and cultural implications surrounding his death. “Under the Bridge” premieres Wednesday on Hulu and is already drawing Emmy buzz for Gladstone and Keough.

– Conan O’Brien loves being the butt of jokes and this is evident in his new travel show “Conan O’Brien Must Go” for Max. Cameras follow the comedian on his visits to countries such as Ireland, Thailand, Argentina and Norway. When the series was announced last May, Max released the following quote from O’Brien: “My fans around the world never asked me to visit them, so I did.” “Conan O’Brien Must Go” premieres Thursday on Max.

– “Bridgerton” star Nicola Coughlan leaves the Regency era and enters the present starring in the British comedy “Big Mood” for Tubi. Coughlan plays Maggie, a young playwright with bipolar disorder who decided to stop taking her medication to explore her creativity. Maggie depends on her loyal best friend Eddie (Lydia West) to help her through her daily struggles, but their friendship is tested as Maggie’s mental health deteriorates. “Big Mood” premieres Friday, April 19 on Tubi.

— The popular children’s fantasy book series “The Spiderwick Chronicles” has been adapted for TV. The story follows teenage twins Simon and Jared and their older sister Mallory after they move to an old family estate called Spiderwick, which is also inhabited by magical creatures. The show also stars Christian Slater, Joy Bryant and Jack Dylan Grazer. “The Spiderwick Chronicles” premieres on the Roku Channel on Friday, April 19.

– National Geographic’s popular “Secrets Of” franchise has a new chapter called “Secrets of the Octopus.” Premiering on Sunday, April 21, the three-part series details the surprising characteristics of octopuses. These marine animals may seem funny, but they have a level of intelligence where they solve problems, plot and even communicate with other species. Narrated by Paul Rudd and produced by James Cameron, the documentary series is inspired by Sy Montgomery’s book and research.

– Alicia Rancilio

– The second thing you’ll notice about Harold Halibut – after the silly title – is its distinctive graphics. German independent studio Slow Bros. built an entire game around handmade models, and the result looks like stop-motion animation. The setting is a city-sized spaceship, the Fedora, that fled Earth 250 years earlier but unfortunately landed at the bottom of an alien ocean. Harold himself is the young, clumsy assistant to the ship’s chief scientist, who is trying to figure out how to get it back into space. Will Harold help with this relaunch – or will he be drawn into the mystery of this strange planet? Dive in Tuesday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC.

-Lou Kesten

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