Check out the best new books, films and series to start the new year with in our media round up.
Kaleidoscope | Netflix 1st January
Spanning 25 years, Kaleidoscope (previously titled Jigsaw) is an all-new anthology series following
a crew of masterful thieves and their attempt to crack a seemingly unbreakable vault for the biggest payday in history. Guarded by the world’s most powerful corporate security team, and with law enforcement on the case, every episode reveals a piece of an elaborate puzzle of corruption, greed, vengeance, scheming, loyalties, and
betrayals. How did the crew of thieves plan it? Who gets away with it? Who can be trusted?
Loosely inspired by the real-life story where seventy billion dollars in bonds went missing in downtown Manhattan during Hurricane Sandy, Kaleidoscope consists of eight episodes spanning from 24 years before the heist to six months after.
Code Name Blue Wren | Harper Collins 3rd January
In Code Name Blue Wren, investigative journalist Jim Popkin weaves the true tale of two sisters who chose two very different paths. Lucy, an FBI agent, and Ana an undercover spy for Cuba. With exclusive access to a “secret” CIA behavioural profile of Ana, family memoirs, and Ana’s incriminating letters from prison, Popkin reveals the making of a traitor — a woman labelled: “one of the most damaging spies in U.S. history” by America’s top counter-intelligence official.
After more than two decades in federal prison, Ana Montes will be freed in January 2023, just as this look into her crimes hits the shelves. Code Name Blue Wren is a thrilling detective tale, an insider’s look at the clandestine world of espionage, and an intimate exploration of the dark side of betrayal.
The Last of Us | Sky Atlantic | 16th January
Based on the critically acclaimed video game of the same name, The Last of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14 year old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heart-breaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival. The star-studded cast includes ex-Game of Thrones co-stars Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, with Nick Offerman, Ashley Johnson, and Troy Baker also starring.
Shotgun Wedding | Prime Video 27th January
In Shotgun Wedding, Darcy (Jennifer Lopez) and Tom (Josh Duhamel) gather their lovable but opinionated families for the ultimate destination wedding just as the couple begin to get cold feet. And if that wasn’t enough of a threat to the celebration, suddenly everyone’s lives are in danger when the entire party is taken hostage. “’Till death do us part” takes on a whole new meaning in this hilarious, adrenaline-fueled adventure as Darcy and Tom must save their loved ones (and maybe their relationship) – if they don’t kill each other first.