New this week: Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Lopez and Puppy Bowl
Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.
MOVIES
— Valentine's Day means romantic comedies, and romantic comedies — often enough — mean Jennifer Lopez. The rom-com mainstay of “Maid in Manhattan" and “The Wedding Planner” returns to the genre in “Marry Me,” which opens Friday in theaters and on Peacock. In it, she plays a J-Lo-like pop star who learns her fiancé has been cheating on her just before their wedding is to be televised. Heartbroken and distraught, she pulls a random fan (Owen Wilson) out of the audience who happens to be holding a “Marry Me” sign. The movie, which Lopez produced and performs songs in, will surely strike some as reflecting the star's own closely followed, always-in-the-spotlight romantic life. It's also her first lead role in a movie since 2019's acclaimed “Hustlers.”
— Amazon Studios, too, has its own prominent rom-com offering, starring Charlie Day and Jenny Slate. In “I Want You Back,” they play a pair of dumped 30-somethings stewing over their breakups. The two friends conspire to ruin their ex's new relationships to win them back. The film, which debuts Friday on Amazon Prime Video, is directed by Jason Orley, who helmed the charming 2019 Pete Davidson film “Big Time Adolescence.” Davidson also makes an appearance in “I Want You Back.”
— AP Film Writer Jake Coyle
MUSIC
— Mary J. Blige may have just said goodbye to viewers in the season finale of her Starz series “Power Book II: Ghost” but she's not going away: Blige pops up in a big way this week with a new album out Friday, Feb. 11, and a spot in the Super Bowl halftime show. The 13-track album, called “Good Morning...