The It List: Nicole Brown Simpson's life is reexamined in new doc, Darius Rucker's memoir details peaks and valleys of rockstardom, Jeremy Renner returns as 'Mayor of Kingstown'
Plus, "Summer Camp" is officially in session.
Hello, friends! I'm Kelsey, your guide to all things pop culture for Yahoo Entertainment, and this is the It List, our weekly rundown of what's new and notable. This week, my brilliant colleagues recommended a slew of upcoming releases to watch, stream, listen to, read and binge. I’ll walk you through my favorites.
What to watch
📺 Jeremy Renner is back as the Mayor of Kingstown
When: Mayor of Kingstown Season 3 premieres on Paramount+ on June 2
What to know: Renner returns as Mike McLusky. The crime drama follows a Michigan family who serve as mediators between the local prison, law enforcement and gangs.
Season 3 began production a year after the actor and executive producer’s near-fatal snowplow accident.
Renner told editor-reporter Laura Clark in an interview that the show’s cast and crew, who endured two strikes, served as a motivator to return to set.
"What am I going to do, just fail?” he said. “Then everybody’s out of a job."
Why I’ll be binging: I’m catching up on past seasons of the show so that I can feel the full force of Renner’s wildly compelling comeback.
🎥 Summer Camp welcomes you with open arms
When: Summer Camp is in theaters May 31.
What to know: Best friends played by Diane Keaton, Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard attend a summer camp reunion after years apart.
"Any scene with the three of us together was full of laughter and was the most fun," Diane Keaton told People.
Eugene Levy also stars as a love interest.
Why I’ll be watching: It feels like every year there’s a new kooky summer movie about longtime friends loving life (Book Club, 80 for Brady, etc.). I want to have fun with them!
🎥 Ezra brings autism representation to the big screen
When: Ezra is in theaters May 31.
What to know: Bobby Cannavale stars as a divorced dad and comedian who takes his autistic son, Ezra, on a road trip.
Ezra is played by first-time actor William A. Fitzgerald, who is also autistic.
Editor-reporter Laura Clark noted that the script, written by Tony Spiridakis, is inspired by his own experience as the father of a neurodivergent son.
Robert De Niro stars as the boy's grandfather. Rose Byrne, Whoopi Goldberg and director Tony Goldwyn also round out the cast.
Why I’ll be watching: Summer is the perfect time to watch a road trip movie, of course. I’m also thrilled to see autism representation onscreen.
What to read
📚Darius Rucker’s memoir details rock star misadventures, crossing over to country
When: Life’s Too Short is available for purchase May 28.
What to know: Hootie & the Blowfish catapulted to stardom with its 1994 debut Cracked Rear View, giving the frontman stories galore from that era.
The band, pals from college, struggled to replicate their success and excessive partying took a toll, including on Rucker’s marriage.
Entertainment reporter Suzy Byrne told me the memoir is filled with fun frontman stories — like doing naked yoga with a bunch of strangers at Woody Harrelson’s house — and insight into Rucker’s musical influences.
Rucker writes about being “a Black guy trying to break into country music” and thinking “nobody will take me seriously” before scoring a solo Grammy in 2013 for “Wagon Wheel.”
Why I’ll be reading: Rucker has gossip spanning multiple decades and music genres. Who could resist?!
What to binge
📺 Nicole Brown Simpson’s sisters, friends help share her story
When: The Life & Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson, a two-part documentary, premieres June 1 and 2 on Lifetime.
What to know: Nicole Brown Simpson’s sisters tell her story, saying it was lost in the shadow of the “Trial of the Century.”
“Shocking new details” are also promised in the doc, which airs just ahead of the 30th anniversary of her murder on June 12, 1994, and nearly two months after the NFL star’s death.
Entertainment reporter Suzy Byrne said that there are 50 participants in total, including pals Kris Jenner and Faye Resnick, who open up about the mom of two.
Why I’ll be watching: After so many years of taking a back seat in coverage of her own murder, this doc uses home videos to tell Brown Simpson’s story with her “own narrative and voice.”
We’ll be back next week with our latest picks. Want more recommendations? Check out our guides to the best in summer entertainment.
Are there other things you’re excited about? Let us know in the comments below.
