A number of new movies and limited television series will debut this week, including the following titles opening in theaters or premiering via video on demand on various streaming platforms:

‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’

  • Genre: Romantic comedy
  • Cast: Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen
  • Director: Bill Holderman
  • Rated: PG-13

The highly anticipated sequel follows our four best friends as they take their book club to Italy for the fun girls’ trip they never had. When things go off the rails and secrets are revealed, their relaxing vacation turns into a once-in-a-lifetime cross-country adventure.

The film is scheduled to be released on May 12 by Focus Features. 

‘Fool's Paradise’

  • Genre: Comedy
  • Cast: Charlie Day, Ken Jeong, Kate Beckinsale, Adrien Brody, Jason Sudeikis, Edie Falco, Jason Bateman, Common, Ray Liotta, and John Malkovic
  • Director: Charlie Day
  • Rated: R

A satirical comedy about a down-on-his-luck publicist (Jeong) who discovers a recently released mental health patient (Day) who looks just like a misbehaving movie star. The publicist subs him into a film, creating a new star. But fame and fortune are not all they are cracked up to be.

The film will be released theatrically on May 12 by Roadside Attractions. 

‘The Mother’

  • Genre: Action and drama
  • Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Joseph Fiennes, Omari Hardwick, and Gael García Bernal
  • Director: Niki Caro
  • Rated: R

A deadly female assassin comes out of hiding to protect the daughter that she gave up years before, while on the run from dangerous men.

The film is scheduled to be released on May 12 by Netflix. 

‘Hypnotic’

  • Genre: Science fiction, action, and thriller
  • Cast: Ben Affleck, Alice Braga, J. D. Pardo, Hala Finley, Dayo Okeniyi, Jeff Fahey, Jackie Earle Haley, and William Fichtner
  • Director: Robert Rodriguez
  • Rated: R

Determined to find his missing daughter, Austin detective Danny Rourke (Affleck) finds himself spiraling down a rabbit hole investigating a series of reality-bending crimes where he will ultimately call into question his most basic assumptions about everything and everyone in his world. Aided by Diana Cruz (Braga), a gifted psychic, Rourke simultaneously pursues and is pursued by a lethal specter — the one man he believes holds the key to finding the missing girl — only to discover more than he ever bargained for.

The film is scheduled to be released on May 12 by Relativity Media and Ketchup Entertainment. 

‘Crater’

  • Genre: Coming-of-age science fiction adventure
  • Cast: Isaiah Russell-Bailey, Mckenna Grace, Billy Barratt, Orson Hong, Thomas Boyce, and Scott Mescudi
  • Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez
  • Rated: PG

“Crater” is the coming-of-age adventure story of Caleb Channing (Isaiah Russell-Bailey), who was raised on a lunar mining colony and is about to be permanently relocated to another faraway, more desirable planet following the death of his father. But before leaving, to fulfill his dad’s last wish, he and his three best friends, Dylan (Billy Barratt), Borney (Orson Hong) and Marcus (Thomas Boyce), and a new arrival from Earth, Addison (Mckenna Grace), hijack a rover for one last adventure on a journey to explore a mysterious crater.

The film is scheduled to be released on Disney+ on May 12. 

‘Knights of the Zodiac’

  • Genre: Fantasy and action
  • Cast: Mackenyu, Famke Janssen, Madison Iseman, Diego Tinoco, Mark Dacascos, Nick Stahl, and Sean Bean
  • Director: Tomasz Bagiński
  • Rated: PG-13

Based on the international anime sensation, “Knights of the Zodiac” brings the Saint Seiya saga to the big screen in live-action for the first time. 

Seiya (Mackenyu), a headstrong street teen, spends his time fighting for cash while he searches for his abducted sister. When one of his fights unwittingly taps into mystical powers he never knew he had, Seiya finds himself thrust into a world of warring saints, ancient magical training and a reincarnated goddess who needs his protection. If he’s to survive, he will need to embrace his destiny and sacrifice everything to take his rightful place among the Knights of the Zodiac.

The film will be released on May 12 by Sony Pictures. 

‘Monica’

  • Genre: Drama
  • Cast: Trace Lysette, Patricia Clarkson, Emily Browning, and Adriana Barraza
  • Director: Andrea Pallaoro
  • Rated: R

“Monica” is an intimate portrait of a woman who returns home after a long absence to confront the wounds of her past. 

Reconnecting with her mother (Patricia Clarkson) and the rest of her family for the first time since leaving as a teenager, Monica (Trace Lysette) embarks on a path of healing and acceptance. The film delves into Monica’s internal world and state of mind, her pain and fears, her needs and desires, to explore the universal themes of abandonment and forgiveness.

The film is scheduled to be released by IFC Films on May 12. 

‘The Starling Girl’

  • Genre: Drama
  • Cast: Eliza Scanlen, Lewis Pullman, Wrenn Schmidt, Austin Abrams, and Jimmi Simpson
  • Director: Laurel Parmet
  • Rated: R

Jem Starling, a 17-year-old, struggles to define her place within her fundamentalist Christian community in rural Kentucky. 

Even her greatest joy of dancing with the church group is tempered by worry that her actions are sinful and she is caught between a burgeoning awareness of her own sexuality and her religious devotion. With the return of Owen, an enigmatic youth pastor, Jem soon finds herself attracted to his worldliness and charm. Slowly, he draws her into a dangerous relationship that could upend their entire community.

The film is scheduled to be released on May 12 by Bleecker Street.

For more movie news, visit www.TBNweekly.com. Lee Clark Zumpe is TBN entertainment editor. He can be reached at 727-397-5563, ext. 341, or by email at lzumpe@TBNweekly.com.