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New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”
No need to search for “Fantastic Beasts,” you’ll be able to find them on Digital HD this Tuesday, March 7, then on Blu-ray and DVD March 28. Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling wrote the script for this first of five planned movies in the series. Bonus features on the discs include the feature “Before Harry Potter: A New Era of Magic Begins!,” featurettes on the fantastic beasts and characters, and 11 deleted scenes. Warner Bros. will also release all eight Harry Potter movies on Ultra HD Blu-ray later this year.
“Westworld: The Complete First Season”
As faithful members of the cult of “Westworld,” we urge one and all to catch up on HBO’s sci-fi Western when it’s available on digital starting Monday, March 6. There are several special features with the release, including “Welcome to Westworld,” “Crafting the Narrative,” “An Invitation to the Set,” “Reality of A.I.: Westworld,” “Welcome to Westworld: About the Series,” and “The Big Moment” featurettes breaking down the biggest events of each episode. You’ll want to watch, and rewatch, before Season 2 shows up.
“Assassin’s Creed”
Michael Fassbender’s action adventure debuts on Digital HD this Friday, March 10 before the Blu-ray/DVD drop on March 21. Special features include a five-part documentary; a discussion with Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, and director Justin Kurzel about bringing the video game to the screen; featurettes on the stunts and historical re-creation; and deleted scenes.
“Passengers”
Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence bring their natural charisma to this sci-fi movie, which debuts on Digital March 7 before its arrival on 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray, and DVD March 14. The movie picked up two Oscar nominations for Original Score and Production Design, and the digital and disc releases include three featurettes, plus “Outtakes from the Set.” The Blu-ray and digital feature additional exclusive material, including deleted scenes and the featurette “Space on Screen: The Visual Effects of Passengers,” a deep dive on the effects used in the zero gravity pool scene. The Blu-ray and DVD also offers a first look at the Passengers Awakening Virtual Reality Experience.
Here’s an exclusive behind-the-scenes clip on the making of the space ship:“Live by Night”
Ben Affleck’s Prohibition era passion project arrives on Digital HD March 7 before the Blu-ray and DVD arrive on March 21. The Blu-ray includes several behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and commentary from director Affleck. The Ben Affleck Collection will also be available digitally on March 7 and on Blu-ray on March 21, including “Live By Night” along with 2010’s “The Town”; 2012’s “Argo”; and 2016’s “The Accountant.”
“Burlesque: Heart of the Glitter Tribe”
This documentary going behind-the-scenes of today’s new wave of burlesque, featuring candid conversations with 12 performers, is available on VOD and iTunes March 7.
“Hand of God” Season 2 (Amazon)
Ron Perlman plays corrupt judge Pernell Harris, who suffers a breakdown and believes God is speaking directly to him, in this Amazon original series. The second (and final) season starts Friday, March 10.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
“Moana”
Get ready to catch a wave with Moana when the Disney movie is released on Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand on Tuesday, March 7. The Blu-ray includes hours of bonus footage, including a Maui Mini-Movie, “Gone Fishing”; a short film called “Inner Workings”; an in-depth look at how the Pacific Island people and cultures inspired the film; behind-the-scenes features with the stars and musical team; a deep-dive into the Easter Eggs hidden by the Disney animators; a deleted song; deleted scenes; Alessia Cara’s music video for “How Far I’ll Go”; a multi-language reel of the song; and more. The DVD just includes the theatrical short film “Inner Workings,” audio commentary, and the music video for “How Far I’ll Go.”
“Jackie”
Natalie Portman was Oscar nominated for her role as First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in the days after the assassination of President JFK. The historical drama arrives March 7 on Blu-ray and DVD. Bonus features include the featurette “From Jackie to Camelot,” and audio commentary by director Pablo Larraín and star Natalie Portman.
“The Americans” Season 4
Season 5 starts on FX the same exact day that Season 4 comes out on DVD. So just commit to the process: Take March 7 off from work and make it Binge The Americans Day. It sounds patriotic, so maybe your boss will be OK with it.
“Burning Sands” (Netflix Original Film)This Netflix original movie takes viewers through the world of fraternity pledging through the eyes of one conflicted pledgee (Trevor Jackson). The film co-stars Alfre Woodard, Steve Harris, Tosin Cole, DeRon Horton, and “Moonlight” star Trevante Rhodes. It launches on Netflix this Friday, March 10.
“Love” Season 2In the second season of this Netflix comedy, Mickey (Gillian Jacobs) and Gus (Paul Rust) face commitment and all that comes with it as they attempt to bring order to their chaotic lives. Stream it starting March 10.
“Buddy Thunderstruck” Season 1 (Netflix Original)This stop-motion kids series follows Buddy Thunderstruck, the coolest semi-truck racing dog who lives down in race-obsessed Greasepit, a place full of larger-than-life characters and nitro-burning, gear-slamming, tire-squealing, fish-tailing good times. Check out the first season of the action comedy starting March 10.
TV Worth Watching
“The Vampire Diaries” (Friday on The CW at 8 p.m.)
This is it. “The Vampire Diaries” ends its eight-season run on Friday, March 10. First, a one-hour retrospective, “The Vampire Diaries: Forever Yours,” airs from 8 to 9 p.m. Keep the tears flowing into the one-hour finale, “I Was Feeling Epic,” featuring the return of Nina Dobrev’s Elena.
“The Americans” Season 5 (Tuesday on FX at 10 p.m.)
Season 4 comes out on DVD Tuesday (see above) and that night marks the premiere of Season 5. Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys never really get enough credit for this amazing drama series — which also has some of the best writing on television — and it’s almost over. The 13 episodes of Season 5 will be followed by a 10-episode final Season 6 in 2018.
“American Crime” Season 3 (Sunday on ABC at 10 p.m.)
The third season of ABC’s thoughtful, challenging drama heads to Alamance County, N.C., and explores issues of forced labor, sex trafficking, immigration, socioeconomic divides, individual rights and how we are all a part of an economy that often prospers on economic oppression. Sandra Oh and Cherry Jones join Regina King, Felicity Huffman, and company to tell another compelling story.
“Survivor” Season 34 (Wednesday on CBS at 8 p.m.)
“Survivor: Game Changers” brings back 20 all-stars for a second, third, or even fourth chance at $1 million and the coveted title of Sole Survivor. The fun begins March 8 as “The Stakes Have Been Raised.” Here’s more on the castaways and their big plans.
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At a loss for what to watch this week? From new TV, we’ve got you covered.
Nominated for eight Academy Awards — including Best Picture, which it won …
Koala Buster Moon (voiced by Matthew McConaughey) puts on a singing competition to save his theater in this charming animated musical family film, available on Digital HD March 3, then March 21 on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand. The release features more than 60 minutes of bonus content, including three new mini movies with the all-star voice cast — Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Seth MacFarlane, John C. Reilly, and Tori Kelly. A sequel is already in the works, and scheduled for release in theaters on December 25, 2020.
The diva drama goes to 11 in Ryan Murphy’s new series, following the legendary rivalry between actresses Joan Crawford (Jessica Lange) and Bette Davis (Susan Sarandon) as they prepare to make “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?”
At a loss for what to watch this week? From new TV, we’ve got you covered.

Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Alexander Skarsgard, Laura Dern, Adam Scott, and Zoe Kravitz star in this dramedy miniseries from creator David E. Kelley, based on the must-read book by Liane Moriarty. HBO has an exceptional track record, and this one should follow suit. The first episode, “Somebody’s Dead,” premieres Sunday, February 19. Check out the intriguing new promo:
It’s finally time for “The Good Wife” spinoff to get in the ring. The 10-episode first season premieres Sunday on CBS before moving to the network’s digital site, CBS All Access. The series follows returning Wifers Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart and Cush Jumbo as Lucca Quinn, with Rose Leslie joining the mix as Diane’s goddaughter Maia. “The Good Fight” begins with a large financial scam destroying the reputation of young lawyer Maia and wiping out her mentor Diane’s savings. The two then join Lucca at one of Chicago’s top law firms. Catch Episode 1, “Inauguration,” on Feb. 19.
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Director Mel Gibson and star Andrew Garfield are nominated for Academy Awards for this earnest World War II drama, which is itself up for Best Picture. Garfield plays real-life conscientious objector medic Desmond Doss, who saved 75 men at Okinawa — the bloodiest battle of WWII — without firing or even carrying a gun. The drama is available on Digital HD on February 7 and on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand February 21. The DVD will include deleted scenes and a Veterans Day greeting with Mel Gibson. The 4K, Blu-ray, and Digital have both of those features, plus “The Soul of War: Making Hacksaw Ridge” documentary.
In this deep psychological sci-fi series, based on the “X-Men” character Legion, Dan Stevens (“Downton Abbey,” “Beauty and the Beast”) plays David Haller, the mutant son of Charles Xavier, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia at a young age. The first episode, “Chapter 1,” was written and directed by FX’s “Fargo” master Noah Hawley. Here’s the vague synopsis: “David considers whether the voices he hears might be real.” The show is getting strong reviews so far, so give it a shot and stick with it through the mental mysteries.
At a loss for what to watch this week? From new TV, we’ve got you covered.
Hailee Steinfeld was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for playing wise, witty, and awkward lost soul Nadine, teen queen of this instant classic high school comedy. Woody Harrelson, Kyra Sedgwick, Haley Lu Richardson, and Blake Jenner co-star in the movie, which arrives first on Digital HD Jan. 31, then Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand Feb. 14. All versions of the release come with bonus content, including a gag reel and deleted scenes.
What would you do with $17 million in cash? Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, and Jason Sudeikis star in this comedy inspired by the — somehow — true story of the 1997 Loomis Fargo Heist, which was then the second largest cash robbery in U.S. history. The movie arrives on Blu-ray and DVD Jan. 31, including a bonus behind-the-scenes featurette called “The Imperfect Crime.”
Jack Bauer is out, but Eric Carter is in for this 12-episode spinoff of the classic “24,” using the same trademark real-time narration. Corey Hawkins plays ex-Army Ranger war hero Carter, with “Lord of the Rings” alum Miranda Otto as former Counter Terrorism Unit leader Rebecca Ingram. Fox is premiering the series directly after Super Bowl LI — a very cushy timeslot — but after that it moves to its regular time of Mondays at 8 p.m. Here’s the trailer:

At a loss for what to watch this week? From new TV, we’ve got you covered.

Tom Cruise returns to the role of Jack Reacher in this action-packed sequel co-starring Cobie Smulders as an Army major framed for treason who needs Reacher’s help to take down a powerful organization involved in a massive government conspiracy. The movie is out on Digital HD January 17, and Jan. 31 on DVD, Blu-ray, and On Demand. The Blu-ray will include more than 80 minutes of behind-the-scenes bonus content.
The great Jason Momoa — formerly Khal Drogo, soon to be Aquaman — leads this series set in 18th century North America. He plays Declan Harp, a part-Irish, part-Native American outlaw campaigning to breach the fur trade. “Frontier” Season 1 already debuted on Discovery Channel Canada but it arrives on Netflix January 20th. Season 2 is already in the works.
Grab some tissues and watch Idina Menzel and Nia Long as they remake the 1988 weepie. This could be a complete trainwreck, but with Idina and Nia as the leads, we’ll give it the benefit of the doubt for now. Idina singing 
At a loss for what to watch this week? From new TV, we’ve got you covered.
The beleaguered Baudelaire orphans are back in Netflix’s adaptation of the bestselling book series. Jim Carrey played Count Olaf in the 2004 film, but now Neil Patrick Harris is the scenery-chewing evil guardian who’ll stop at nothing to get the three orphans’s inheritance. The eight-episode first season — co-starring Patrick Warburton, Joan Cusack, Catherine O’Hara, and Alfre Woodard; with Malina Weissman, Louis Hynes, and Presley Smith as Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire — arrives Friday, January 13.
Amazon’s new crime series follows a con man (Giovanni Ribisi), who gets out of prison and finds himself hunted by the gangster he once robbed. He hides from his past by assuming the identity of his cellmate, Pete, “reuniting” with Pete’s estranged family. Bryan Cranston, Marin Ireland, Margo Martindale, and Malcolm-Jamal Warner co-star in the drama, which arrives on Amazon January 13.
Jude Law plays controversial (and — gasp! — American) Pope Pius XIII in Paolo Sorrentino’s 10-episode limited series. Law’s Pope Pius, born Lenny Belardo, is the newly elected pontiff and former Archbishop of New York. Diane Keaton plays the American nun who raised the younger Belardo in an orphanage and is appointed his new personal secretary. James Cromwell and Scott Shepherd co-star in the series, which has already been given a second season.
Netflix put “The Crown” on Queen Elizabeth II, but PBS has the epic saga of Queen Victoria. Jenna Coleman and Rufus Sewell star in the ITV series, which is heading across the pond with a two-hour premiere on January 15. Here’s the first episode synopsis: “The story of Queen Victoria, who ascended to the throne at age 18 in 1837, begins with the young Victoria struggling to assert control amidst plots to manipulate her. Her friendship with the prime minister, meanwhile, leads to a crisis in Parliament.” ITV premiered this back in August in the U.K., and it has already been renewed for a second season, followed by a Christmas special, both to air in 2017. So PBS will probably get them around this time in 2018.
At a loss for what to watch this week? From new TV, we’ve got you covered.
In this thriller, based on the bestselling novel by Paula Hawkins, Emily Blunt plays a woman devastated by her divorce who spends her daily commute fantasizing about a “perfect” couple she sees from the train, only to get caught up in a mystery connected to the pair. Haley Bennett, Rebecca Ferguson, Justin Theroux, Luke Evans, Edgar Ramirez, Laura Prepon, and Allison Janney co-star. The movie arrives on Digital HD January 3, and Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand on January 17. The Blu-ray and DVD include deleted and extended scenes, feature commentary with director Tate Taylor, and a couple of bonus featurettes.
The 74th annual Golden Globe Awards, hosted by Jimmy Fallon, air live January 8. Expect boozy speeches and good news for “La La Land,” among others.
“Saved from a plane crash and given supernatural powers, teen Tarzan joins forces with brave city girl Jane to protect his jungle home from threats” in this modern-day — and animated — reimagining of the classic story. The eight-episode season comes to Netflix January 6.
At a loss for what to watch this week? From new TV, we’ve got you covered.
Andrea Arnold’s largely improvised portrait of American millennial vagabonds — who party their way across the country — won the 2016 Cannes Jury Prize and the hearts of most critics. Sasha Lane stars in a breakout role, alongside Shia LaBeouf and Riley Keough, and you can watch their film on Blu-ray and DVD this Tuesday, December 27. The Blu-ray includes a bonus featurette with Sasha Lane and Riley Keough talking about the filmmaking process. Check out this exclusive clip of the actresses discussing the challenges of working without a script:
Here’s a list of movies available for streaming on Netflix starting Sunday, January 1, including five Superman titles just begging for a New Year’s Day binge marathon:
The season finale to this thrilling Acorn TV drama will be available for streaming Dec. 26 on