James Cameron's latest"Avatar"movie is in theaters, so there's only question: Will it make a lot of money or a LOT of money?
This third adventure, "Avatar: Fire and Ash," catches up with Na'vi heroes Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) as they try to keep their family safe from villains, human and otherwise, on the majestic alien planet Pandora. That's a big deal in movie theaters, but if you're looking to binge some shows at home, two high-profile series are back on streaming: Netflix dramedy"Emily in Paris"and wild Amazon sci-fi show "Fallout."
Now on to the good stuff.
Return to Pandora with James Cameron's new 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' adventure
The "Avatar" movies are a strange beast: They arrive every so often, make bank and pick up an Oscar or two, and then the franchise just seems to go off into pop-culture limbo again. But the new adventure, "Fire and Ash," shows diminishing returns in terms of storytelling. Sure, the visuals and special effects are as snazzy as ever as ever, and the fresh, fiery villain Varang (played by Oona Chaplin) is a movie-stealing gem. It's also a slog at three-plus hours and repeats story beats from past films. (Peep my★★½ review.)
My bud Patrick Ryan caught up with the man himself, James Cameron, to seewhat's happening this go-roundin the "Avatar" universe, from a blossoming romance to key characters dealing with grief. "I wanted to emphasize the love, hope, empathy and family bonds that emerged, and pushed some of the action and battles into the background," the director says. Patrick also chatted up Miley Cyrus about her soundtrack song "Dream As One" andhow it was inspired by losing her home in a fire.
If you're not feeling like being around crowds this weekend and want to catch a movie, there area number of good flicksnew on streaming services including Oscar frontrunner "One Battle After Another" and football horror film "Him."
Stream Season 5 of Netflix's 'Emily in Paris' with Lily Collins
While my tastes lean more toward "It: Welcome to Derry" and "Stranger Things," fandom for Netflix's fashionista dramedy "Emily in Paris" is present in my household because my wife digs it. I'm sure she'll be excited about the new locale in Season 5, as Lily Collins' title marketing executive makes Rome her home. (I guess it's too late to rename the show at this point.) It also marked a change in Collins' own life: The actress told my colleague Erin Jensen about how this season wasthe first with her baby girl Tove, born last January. Being a mom has "opened my heart in so many new ways," Collins says.
And for those who couldn't help themselves and binged the new season already, Erin's got some spoiler posts, too: Collins dishes on one"emotional" exitwhile costar Ashley Park spills ona shocking love affair.
See Walton Goggins as the Ghoul in 'Fallout' Season 2
Walton Goggins is a national treasure, y'all. And while a bunch of folks love his Emmy-nominated turn in "The White Lotus," I'm more partial to his role as the enigmatic Ghoul (and his pre-apocalyptic alter ego) in Amazon's great video-game adaptation "Fallout." My colleague Bryan Alexander talked with Goggins aboutbeing an unlikely sex symboland how he watches movies while getting the Ghoul makeup applied. "One morning I watched 'Kramer vs. Kramer,' and I started crying," Goggins says. "I was like 'Oh, no. I can't do this. It's really going to mess with the prosthetic.' So, I can't do sad."
The first season is super-fun and terrifically horrific, and I'm psyched to hear that the new episodes bring more of the same. In her★★★½ review, our TV critic Kelly Lawler writes that "Fallout" brings back "all the panache, humor, gore and verve" to Season 2. "Not a trace of the sophomore slump to be found in the Wasteland."
Even more goodness to check out!
Hollywood lost a legend with the tragic death of Oscar-winning filmmaker Rob Reiner this week. Celebrate his life and career by revisiting the best lines from his greatest hits and his iconic streak of movies in the 1980s and '90s.
There was way too much time spent on Sydney Sweeney's jeans this year. After watching "The Housemaid," all you'll be talking about is the delightfully manic Amanda Seyfried.
SpongeBob is back on the big screen! Here's a parent's guide to his new movie "Search for SquarePants."
For his dramedy "Is This Thing On?" Will Arnett hit the comedy club circuit, which "terrified" him.
Kate Winslet's directorial debut, the Netflix holiday tearjerker "Goodbye June," is inspired by the death of her mom.
Marvel fans are eating again! There's a new "Avengers: Doomsday" trailer in theaters, and we've got the first exclusive clip from the upcoming Disney+ series "Wonder Man."
Got thoughts, questions, ideas, concerns, compliments or maybe even some recs for me? Email btruitt@usatoday.com and follow me on the socials: I'm @briantruitt onBluesky,InstagramandThreads.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:What to watch this weekend – 'Avatar 3,' 'Emily in Paris'