What to Watch This Weekend
Covenant is set to revive the Alien franchise and the mysterious Twin Peaks revival hits the little screen.
In theaters...
Alien: Covenant
Ridley Scott once again returns to helm the franchise he began with 1979's Alien. Alien: Covenant, the sequel to 2012’s Prometheus, is the second part of the Alien prequel trilogy. Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride and Carmen Ejogo star in the buzzy Fox film, with Prometheus' Michael Fassbender returning as the android David and Noomi Rapace appearing as Dr. Elizabeth Shaw. Moviegoers who didn't love Prometheus shouldn't be deterred: Scott has "resuscitated the franchise and then some," says THR's critic in his review.
Covenant flies at Thursday box office | A handy primer for the prequel
Everything, Everything
The Warner Bros. and MGM adaptation of the YA novel stars Hunger Games breakout Amandla Stenberg as a teen who has a severe immunodeficiency disease that causes her to be allergic to practically everything, and has therefore spent 17 years hiding in her home. That is, until she falls in love with the boy next door. THR review's bottom line: "Everything a girlie romantic could desire." Nick Robinson and Anika Noni Rose also star in Stella Meghie's romantic drama.
The trailer | Watch an extended clip
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul
"All new cast, same amount of wimpiness": The Fox and Color Force franchise based on Jeff Kinney’s popular book series (the ninth book becomes the fourth film in the successful big-screen franchise) reboots with Jason Drucker as the titular kid, as he opts out of his grandma's 90th birthday party to hit a video game convention. Alicia Silverstone and Tom Everett Scott are also featured in the movie directed by David Bowers, who also directed the last two Wimpy Kid flicks.
The trailer | The full review |Every reboot hitting theaters this summer
Wakefield
Bryan Cranston stars as a man whose emotional and mental breakdown drives him to suddenly leave his Manhattan office and desert his wife (Jennifer Garner) and kids. But he continues to observe and comment on them from a nearby garage attic. Written and directed by Robin Swicord, the IFC drama is based on a drolly captivating 2012 short story by the late literary giant E.L. Doctorow. "Without so many things lining up for us, it would not have been possible for us to do what we did," said Swicord of shooting the movie in only 20 days.
Watch the trailer | Garner on the "compelling" story | THR's review
On TV...
Saturday Night Live (Saturday at 11:30 p.m. on NBC)
The finale of SNL's most-watched season in 24 years comes to a close with host Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and musical guest Katy Perry, fresh off her naming as one of the judges on ABC's upcoming American Idol reboot. The Baywatch star follows in last week's host Melissa McCarthy's footsteps and joins the SNL five-timers club when he takes the reigns. For a clue as to what The Rock — who recently called a 2020 presidential run a "real possibility" — is cooking up for the finale, watch his promo clips.
ICYMI: McCarthy emerged from the bushes to host a presser as Sean Spicer
Billboard Music Awards (Sunday at 8 p.m. on ABC)
Drake and The Chainsmokers lead the nominees for the 2017 Billboard Music Awards, which will be co-hosted by Ludacris (marking his fourth turn at the gig) and Vanessa Hudgens. The unexpected duo of John Legend and Florida Georgia Line are set to perform, along with Halsey, Ed Sheeran, Miley Cyrus and many more. The red carpet show starts at 6 p.m.
Watch 16 memorable BBMA performances from years past
Twin Peaks (Sunday at 9 p.m. on Showtime)
The Twin Peaks revival is debuting 26 years after the series — which ran on ABC from 1990-1991 — was canceled. After developing a rabid cult-following over the years, the much-hyped project reunites David Lynch with Mark Frost and the result is an 18-part movie disguised as a TV series. The defining characteristic is the secrecy, as the team behind the revival are keeping many details under wraps, and even the stars won't be doing press until the final episode airs at the end of summer (a whopping 217 returning and new actors are on board). "The more you know, the more it takes away from that full experience," Lynch told THR. Here's everything to know before watching.
10 questions ahead of the drama's return | THR's review of the original
Mary Kills People (Sunday at 10 p.m. on Lifetime)
The two-hour season finale of the Lifetime and Global Television euthanasia drama has Hannibal star Caroline Dhavernas playing Dr. Mary Harris, a single mother and ER doctor who illegally offers physician-assisted suicide for patients. The ending to the six-part series has Harris, a suspected criminal by police, considering giving up her operations for good. "Dying is not a crime," the star told THR ahead of the show's debut. "It's someone's right, if you have nothing but suffering ahead of you. We make choices for ourselves through our lives, and that's the final one." When looking for more original series after the success of critical hit UnREAL, Lifetime picked up the Canadian drama straight-to-series.
Catch up on episodes | Dhavernas on the show's moral dilemma
Catch up on...
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt ► Binge the first two seasons of Tina Fey's Netflix comedy, as the third season releases in full on Friday. The guest stars are stacked — Laura Dern, Rachel Dratch, Ray Liotta, Andrea Martin, Maya Rudolph and Hamilton's Daveed Diggs — and the premiere sees Jon Hamm, Carol Kane and Fred Armisen alongside stars Ellie Kemper, Jane Krakowski and Tituss Burgess. | Watch Fey tease season three's jokes