From the Darna TV series, Lyric and Beat, Drag Race Philippines, and more, these new movies and shows of August 2022 should be on your watchlist.
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The month of August means differently to many people. For students, it’s back to school season. For Swifties, it’s a whole holiday. But no matter what your plans are for this August, you will always have the month’s new movies and shows to keep you company. And over the course of 31 days is a collection of films and series from a variety of genres that appeal to a wide net of viewers. Whether your in the mood for Darna’s return to TV, Filipino drag queens, or the newest character to join the MCU, you’ll find something to enjoy. Get your screening room ready for the new movies and shows of the month that should be on your radar.
KATIPS
Why waste your time watching movies that distorts history then watching one based on facts and real experience? Among the local films coming to screens this August, Katips should be on your list. An adaptation of the musical Katips: Ang Mga Bagong Katipunero, the film centers on a group of student activists during the Martial Law era. As they fight for freedom and against the tyranny of the Marcos regime, the students also find love along the way.
The movie is directed, written, and starring Vince Tanada with some of the film taking inspiration from his own experiences during Martial Law. Katips is also coming into theaters after a phenomenal run at FAMAS 2022 where it took home 7 of its 17 nominations, including Best Picture, the most of any film. Catch this timely musical in cinemas beginning August 3.
THE SANDMAN
Neil Gaiman’s seminal novel is finally getting the live action treatment and the expectations are high to say the least. The 10-episode series follows the titular character who suddenly disappears, causing chaos in the dreaming and waking world. Now, with his return, he must correct his mistakes before more damage is done. You can see for yourself if The Sandman adaptation lives up to the book when the series drops on Netflix on August 5.
PREY
The Predator’s appearances on film have been mixed at best. For every Predators, we get the not-so good 2018 reboot. This is why were hoping that Prey lives up to the franchise potential. Straying away from military men and big guns, the film brings it back to the roots with a story of a group of Native Americans facing off against one of the very first Predators to land on earth. The back-to-basics approach has us intrigued for what could be a gritty game of survival. You can stream Prey on Hulu this August 5.
CARTER
This South Korean thriller centers on a man who one day wakes up with no memories of his past. The only thing he has is a mysterious voice in his head telling him to do increasingly dangerous task. Now, he must complete his deadly mission if he wants to survive and discover what really happened to him. You can watch Carter on Netflix beginning August 5.
RISE OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
As if August 5 isn’t already a busy day for releases, there is also a new TMNT animated film dropping that same day. Based on the animated series of the same name, the film centers on the turtles receiving a message from a mysterious stranger from the future warning them of the impending invasion of the Krang. Our favorite ninja turtles must now step up to the plate to defend the city and the world from alien domination. The animated flick streams on Netflix on August 5.
BULLET TRAIN
What happens when a group of deadly assassins find themselves on the same bullet train with the same goal? That’s what Bullet Train is all about. Brad Pitt stars as Ladybug, an out-of-luck assassin tasked to retrieve a special package on a speeding bullet train bound from Tokyo to Kyoto. The problem though is that there are also a motley collection of assassins out for the same thing. As you can expect, the action ramps up as fast as the train. A unique cast of characters and direction from David Leitch, who also directed Deadpool 2 and Atomic Blonde, promises to make for a thrill ride of a film. (Fun fact: David Leitch used to be Brad Pitt’s stunt double.) Bullet Train speeds onto cinemas on August 10.
I AM GROOT
This isn’t Groot’s solo series exactly. But it does look to be just as fun. I Am Groot is Marvel’s first ever CG animated series starring the titular hero as he takes his hijinks around the universe. Each episode around five minutes long, which makes it perfect for bite sized entertainment. The show will land on Disney+ on August 10 as a five-part series with a second batch to drop at a later date.
SCHOOL TALES: THE SERIES
Just in time for the start of a new school year is a series about horror stories set in school. This horror anthology series from Thailand will depict eight horror stories to give you the chills, whether or not you go to school. With the month also seeing the release of Nope in local cinemas, August looks to be a strong month for horror. School Tales: The Series streams on Netflix on August 10.
LYRIC AND BEAT
Filipino musicals are a dime a dozen these days, so when one does pop up on our radar, it has our attention. Lyric and Beat centers on a young woman named Lyric (Andrea Brillantes), an outgoing person with dreams of attending the prestigious Philippine National Conservatory of Music. The problem though is that her family can’t afford the tuition. Luckily, she participates in an audition that lands her a scholarship at the school. There, she also meets Beat (Seth Fedelin), a shy singer and fellow student.
The main plot of the show sees the talented students of the conservatory compete in teams in a school competition. The winner will then represent the school in the Nationals. Other members of the star studded cast is Kyle Echarri, Darren Espanto, AC Bonifacio, Angela Ken, Jeremy Glinoga, Sheena Belarmino, and Awra. Rounding it all up is the fact that all songs featured in the series will be from composer extraordinaire Jonathan Manalo. Lyric and Beat streams on iWant TFC this August 10.
DARNA: THE TV SERIES
Finally, after years of delays, the modern day Darna reboot is finally here. The series sees Narda (Jane de Leon) being trained by her mom (Iza Calzado) to protect herself and become the next Darna. But Narda doesn’t feel she’s ready to take on the mantle of Darna yet. When her mom sadly gets killed during an alien attack, Narda reluctantly becomes the next Darna, but refuses the white stone and goes into hiding. Years later, as tragedy strikes anew and dark forces are on the search for the stone, Narda must now become Darna and save the world.
This modern take on Darna sees her as more assured of herself. She’s giving strong independent woman vibes which is very much welcome. As for Valentina (Janella Salvador), it looks like she won’t become the series villain just yet as her snakes powers will come as something that haunts her. The show is ABS-CBN’s biggest effort of the year and it shows. The fact that it will replace Ang Probinsyano’s time slot shows just how major the series is. Darna begins airing on TV and iWant TFC on August 15.
SLEEP WITH ME
Janine Gutierrez and Lovi Poe in their very first GL series together? You have our attention. From noted director Samantha Lee comes Sleep with Me, a series that follows radio DJ in a wheelchair (Gutierrez) who falls in love with a woman who suffers from sleep disorders (Poe). As the two develop their relationship, they will learn to deal with each other’s struggles in life. Catch this award-winning series on iWant TFC when it premiers on August 15.
SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW
She-Hulk is finally making her way to the MCU in her very own series, and it might just be Marvel’s most unique yet. The series follows Jennifer Walter’s training with her cousin Bruce Banner, fourth wall breaks and all, as she learns to control her powers. But superhero work isn’t all that she’ll do as Jennifer is also a high-profile superhero attorney in New York City. As she balances superhero work with her job, which includes representing The Abomination in court, she encounters some familiar faces like Wong and what looks to be Daredevil in his first costumed appearance in the MCU. The show is being described as the MCU’s first ever true rom-com with shades of Fleabag which sounds good to us. The series premiers on Disney+ on August 17.
DRAG RACE PHILIPPINES
The Drag Race world tour has finally made its way to the Philippines with the country’s very own version of the hit reality show. The first of two local drag-related shows coming this year, Drag Race Philippines will see the first ever batch of Pinoy queens compete to become the Philippines’ next drag superstar and showcase Pinoy drag excellence to the world. The show features a mix of seasoned and new queens while Paolo Ballesteros will serve as the series host and judge alongside Jiggly Caliente and Kalad Karen. It will also be the first international spin-off of Drag Race to get an Untucked just in case the excitement and drama wasn’t enough. The series premieres on August 17.
TEKKEN: BLOODLINE
Tekken: Bloodline is an animated series adaptation of the hit fighting game that follows Jin Kazama on his quest for revenge against the Mishimas by joining the King of Iron Fist Tournament. The show looks to mostly adapt the storyline of Tekken 3. Hopefully the only curse we’ll be seeing here is the Kazama family curse and not the one about bad video game adaptations. Tekken: Bloodline punches its way onto Netflix this August 18.
HOUSE OF DRAGONS
The last season of Game of Thrones left a bad taste in nearly everyone’s mouths. So, to say that House of Dragons is make or break for the property is an understatement. One good thing that this new series has going for it is the fact that following a whole new set of characters. House of Dragons is set 200 years before Game of Thrones and follows House Targaryen and the many twists and turns they go through. The action, drama, and violence look to be just as intense as before. Let’s just hope that the storytelling is also up to par. House of Dragons premieres on HBO Max this August 21.
DRAGON BALL SUPER: SUPER HERO
Dragon Ball fans, the final day of August is made just for you. The 21st Dragon Ball film and follow up to the Broly movie follows Piccolo and Gohan as the save the world from the Red Ribbon Army’s androids. The excitement for the film is over 9000 to say the least. Catch this in local cinemas beginning August 31.
NEW SEASONS
Here are the shows that are premiering new seasons this August, Locke & Key season 3 (August 10), DOTA: Dragon’s Blood Book 3 (August 10), Never Have I Ever Season 3 (August 12), The Cuphead Show!: Part 2 (August 19).
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