John Wick spin-off Ballerina and Switch 2 launches - what's coming up this week
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This week, it's time for the latest instalment in the John Wick franchise, as Ballerina hits the big screen.
But that's not all the next seven days have in store.
The Nintendo Switch 2 also launches, and TikTok star Addison Rae is releasing her debut studio album.
Read on for what's coming up this week...
The fifth John Wick film is here
It’s been a few years since we last saw John Wick, but fans will be gearing up for Ballerina, the latest film in the franchise, which comes out on Friday.
Set during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, the film follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas), a ballerina-turned-assassin who uncovers secrets from her family's past.
It’s directed by Len Wiseman, who described it in press notes as "kind of the opposite of John Wick's story. Wick is trying to get out of his life as an assassin; Eve is wanting in - she wants to be a killer”.
Keanu Reeves, who plays the title character in the John Wick franchise, is also starring in Ballerina - but the extent of his involvement is still unknown.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, external, he recently said he spent only “eight days” on set of the new film.
“But it was fun to play the role again and I'm excited for people to see the film. It's in the spirit of John Wick and has new characters and opens up some stuff, so hopefully people like it,” he added.
Nintendo Switch 2 launches
By Tom Gerken, technology reporter
Thursday may seem like any other day of the week to some - but it's a date gamers have had marked on their diaries for months.
Hundreds of thousands, perhaps even a million, people will unbox their very own Nintendo Switch 2, the sequel to the third-best selling console in history.
I was one of the lucky few to get my hands on it last month, and it makes quite a first impression. It's like a Switch - but with a bigger and brighter screen, and of course much more power under the hood.
It also has a cool hook - you can use the controller like a computer mouse by twisting it on its side, making PC games such as Civilization VII a more enjoyable experience than struggling with joysticks.
It's not all good news for gamers though as that power comes with a cost - not only is the hardware more expensive than Nintendo fans may be used to, some games are too. A physical copy of Mario Kart World costs a whopping £74.99.
But with pre-orders selling out worldwide, at least for now it's looking like Nintendo might well be onto another winner.
Addison Rae's new album
By Annabel Rackham, culture reporter
Addison Rae is a TikTok creator with nearly 90 million followers, a Netflix movie star and also a singer on the brink of releasing her debut studio album.
Called Addison, it’s out on Friday and the 24-year-old says it has been inspired by the music of Charli XCX and Madonna.
Overseen by Swedish super producer Max Martin's publishing company, Rae has co-written every song, with the album produced between Los Angeles, New York and Sweden.
Five songs from the album have already been released – with last year's summer hit Diet Pepsi by far the biggest success story.
It reached the top 10 in the UK singles chart and served as Rae's breakthrough hit.
Fans can expect "hypnotic, trance-like pop songs, pulsating and lush" on the album with lyrics that make you feel "young, fun and free" according to Rolling Stone writer Brittany Spanos, external.
Other highlights this week
Jane Austen: Rise of a Genius, episode 2, airs on Monday on BBC Two and iPlayer
Inaugural SXSW London Music Festival starts on Monday
The First Gentleman, by Bill Clinton and James Patterson, is out on Monday
Lockerbie: Our Story is available on iPlayer on Monday and on BBC Two and BBC Scotland on Tuesday
Kurt Cobain Unplugged runs at the Royal College of Music Museum from Tuesday
Summer Game Fest kicks off three days of big reveals and trailers on Friday
Pulp are releasing their new album, More, on Friday
The Gold drops on iPlayer and BBC One on Sunday