As August ushers in the final summer festivities and parents prepare their children for the new school year, movies and TV shows can offer a simple respite from all the activities.
This month’s movie releases include a wide variety from a new M. Night Shyamalan film, to a video game adaptation and a family-friendly movie based on a popular children’s book.
Highly anticipated TV shows include Season 4 of “Emily in Paris” and the second season of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.”
1. ‘Trap’
M. Night Shyamalan, known for his unexpected twists and unique premises in films like “The Sixth Sense” and “Old,” returns with his latest thriller, “Trap.”
The PG-13 movie follows a father who takes his teenage daughter to a pop concert, only to discover that the police are hunting a dangerous serial killer at the event. The trailer reveals a shocking twist: The serial killer is the father himself, who must use every trick to evade capture.
“Myself like everyone else is fascinated by these individuals that live amongst us,” Shyamalan said in an interview with IMDb. “It’s kind of interesting, there’s probably two real life monsters that interest us: One are dinosaurs and one are serial killers.”
Release date: Aug. 2, in theaters
2. ‘Harold and the Purple Crayon’
“Harold and the Purple Crayon,” a beloved children’s book written in 1955 by Crockett Johnson, comes to life in a live-action adaptation. The film follows an adult Harold as he uses his magic crayon to leave his book and navigate the physical world with its new challenges.
“When someone tells a story, they create an entire world,” the trailer’s narrator says, “and usually the characters stay there, but there are legends of characters so real that they step right into this world.”
Release date: Aug. 2, in theaters.
3. ‘Borderlands’
The sci-fi action-adventure comedy “Borderlands” is based on the video game series developed by Gearbox Software. It is directed by Eli Roth, known for horror-thrillers like “Thanksgiving” and “Knock Knock.”
In an interview with IGN, Gearbox founder Randy Pitchford revealed that while the movie will feature characters from the video games, it will not be a direct adaptation. Instead, it will develop new and untold storylines. Pitchford also said that this movie will kick off the Borderlands Cinematic Universe.
The star-studded cast includes well-known characters from the video games, such as Lilith (Cate Blanchett), Roland (Kevin Hart), Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis), Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), Krieg (Florian Munteanu), and Claptrap (Jack Black).
Release date: Aug. 9, in theaters.
4. ‘Emily in Paris’
The popular Netflix series “Emily in Paris” returns for its fourth season, continuing the story of an American woman navigating her marketing job in Paris.
After the cliffhanger of Season 3, fans eagerly await the new drama between Emily’s love interests, Gabriel and Alfie, along with new characters like Marcello, played by Eugenio Franceschini.
According to Tom’s Guide, Marcello could be another potential love interest for Emily.
“Originally from Rome, Marcello is direct, confident, and values simplicity,” his character bio says, per Netflix. “He’s substantive but never flashy — true to the roots of his family’s company.”
“Emily in Paris” Season 4 will be released in two parts, with five episodes each. Part 1 debuts this month, and Part 2 arrives in September.
Release date: Aug. 15, Netflix.
5. ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’
“The Rings of Power” returns for its second season, expanding the Tolkien universe by delving into the origins of the evil Sauron. The series, set during the Second Age, thousands of years before “The Lord of the Rings” books and movies, follows the Dark Lord’s rise.
“Cast out by Galadriel, without army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will,” the synopsis accompanying the trailer says.
Release date: Aug. 29, Amazon Prime Video.