With 2023 so over, and with the arrival of 2024, there's more than enough to keep entertainment lovers amused.
January is of course the first cab out of the annual ranks - and these are just some of what Newshub's Entertainment team reckon are worth your time during the summer break.
The picks come from Darren Bevan (DB), Daniel Rutledge (DR) and Finn Hogan (FH).
Foo Fighters (Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch from January 20)
Dave Grohl and his merry band of troubadors head to Aotearoa for their first gigs with new drummer Josh Freese. It will mark Foo Fighters' first headline tour here since 2018.
The 'Everlong' rockers had been scheduled to play in New Zealand in December 2022 at Auckland's Western Springs and Wellington's Sky stadium but cancelled after the sudden death of drummer Taylor Hawkins.
Support will come from The Breeders, the iconic band spun off from Pixies by Kim Deal. (DB)
The Beekeeper (in cinemas January 11)
Jason Statham can be a great action man, especially when he's in his angry, sinister mode like Wrath of Man, rather than his dreary 'comedic' mode in lame stuff like Hobbs & Shaw.
This one could be a mix of both as he plays a John Wick type laying waste to a scammer empire who effectively killed a loved one of his. I love a feast of brutal yet righteous bad guy wasting and I hope this delivers the goods, I just hope Statham and filmmaker David Ayer play up to their strengths and dial down their weaknesses, like unfunny humour. (DR)
The Last of Us: Part II Remastered (PlayStation 5, January 19)
While we patiently wait for the second series of the HBO smash to arrive (2025 apparently), there's a chance to relive the emotional trauma of the second game with a newly spruced up version this month.
It's unlikely the game will change any of its major story beats (if you know, you know) and will still leave you traumatised, the big pull of the remastered version is a new roguelike level which will pit you against waves of randomised encounters.
Developers Naughty Dog are keeping quiet on the rumoured third installment of the game, so this should tide over fans until Joel and Ellie are seen again on screen. (DB)
True Detective: Night Country (January 15, Neon)
Remember how incredible that first season of True Detective was back in 2014? If you missed it, check it out ASAP - it's standalone, only eight episodes and absolutely brilliant, dark, clever, gripping TV.
The subsequent seasons? All very forgettable and sometimes frustratingly bad. Yep, this is an anthology series even patchier than Fargo. But this fourth season, set in Alaska with Jodie Foster in the lead, has a lot of promise as a potential return for real greatness. I can't wait to see if it's as good as season one. (DR)
(Disclaimer: True Detective is an HBO show, owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, which also owns Newshub).
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
The Yakuza/Like a Dragon series is big, dumb and unbelievably fun. It’s a game for people who just want to play a big strong good boy who solves all his problems by hitting big strong bad boys really hard.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth continues the story of reformed gangsters Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu and for the first time heads out of Japan and into Hawaii. The series' signature over the top combat is back along with an insane array of side activities: karaoke, darts, a Pokemon knockoff and even a mini game where players manage their own resort island.
Releasing on consoles and PC January 26. (FH)
The Holdovers (January 11)
Paul Giamatti should be a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination for his performance in this brilliant film as a curmudgeonly lecturer forced to become the guardian of a group of kids at a college over the Christmas break.
It may start off like some kind of '70s-styled riff on The Breakfast Club - but bear with it, as this unmissable movie from director Alexander Payne evolves into something much more poignant, human and touching.
It'll easily be one of the best of 2024 - and it comes only 11 days into the year. (DB)
