We’re nearly two thirds of the way through 2022. And, even though we’re in the middle of summer (sorry, southern hemisphere dwellers), the world’s biggest streamers have plenty of new movies and TV shows for us to watch over the next four weeks.
Below, we’ll run you through 14 of the most anticipated films and TV series set to land on Netflix, Disney Plus, Prime Video, and more. That trio leads the way in the most notable streaming offerings in August, but you shouldn’t discount productions available on other platforms.
Paramount Plus, Apple TV Plus, Hulu, and HBO Max come bearing gifts, too – marking the first time in a while that the seven biggest streamers have all featured in our monthly round-up. From sports documentaries and fantasy shows, to movie thrillers and superhero fare, these are the biggest films and shows releasing in August 2022.
Lightyear (Disney Plus)
When to stream it: Wednesday, August 3
Lightyear is Pixar’s first-ever meta-style movie. It’s the film that Toy Story’s human protagonist Andy watched as a child, which ignited his love for Buzz Lightyear, leading to Andy’s mom buying him the Buzz Lightyear toy that sets the events of Toy Story in motion. So it’s a spin-off film in the Toy Story franchise, but it also exists as an actual movie in Pixar’s animated universe. Like we said, it’s meta (or complicated, if that’s easier to follow).
But we digress. Lightyear tells the story of Buzz Lightyear (Chris Evans), the soon-to-be legendary Space Ranger. After his error causes his entire crew to become marooned on an alien world, Buzz vows to make amends. He volunteers to be the test subject for a new experimental hyper speed drive that’ll get everyone home but, during one routine test, Buzz is inexplicably sent into the future. There, he must work alongside a ragtag group of rookie Space Rangers to stop a robot uprising – led by Emperor Zurg – and find his way back to his own timeline.
In our review (opens in new tab), we called Lightyear “another shining example of Pixar’s ability to tell captivating and grounded stories, no matter how innovative their setting is”, even though its plot is very predictable. One to throw on for the kids over the school holidays.
All or Nothing: Arsenal (Prime Video)
When to stream it: Thursday, August 4
Following the relative success of its other “All or Nothing” productions, Amazon Studios’ latest sports-based documentary series follows English Premier League side Arsenal as they look to qualify for the Champions League (and lift a trophy or two) by the end of the 2021/22 soccer season.
The eight-part Prime Video series will give fans an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Mikel Arteta’s squad – the youngest in England’s top flight last term – as they attempt to prove age is no barrier to success. Diehard soccer fans will already know whether they’re successful or not, but it’ll be intriguing to see how Arteta, his players, and coaching team react to the many highs and lows that last season brought.
The first three episodes launch on August 4, with episodes four to six arriving a week later, and the final two releasing on August 18.
Prey (Hulu/Disney Plus)
When to stream it: Friday, August 5
Predator sequels have received mixed to poor reviews since the Arnold Schwarzanegger-starring original wowed us way back in 1987. Now, 10 Cloverfield Lane director Dan Trachtenberg hopes to finally break that negative cycle with a brand-new entry in the sci-fi horror franchise.
Set in 1719, Prey stars Amber Midthunder (The Ice Road) as Naru, a fearless and skilled Comanche tribeswoman who dreams of being recognized as a warrior among her kin. When Naru discovers the existence of an unusual creature, she sets out to hunt it and prove her worth. Naru soon finds out, though, that she’s the one being stalked by a highly evolved alien, who possesses advanced weaponry and a bloodlust to kill any worthy adversary it crosses paths with.
Prey launches on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in non-US territories. Be sure to check back with TechRadar soon, too, for our spoiler-free review and exclusive chat with Trachtenberg, Midthunder, and producer Jhane Myers.
The Sandman (Netflix)
When to stream it: Friday, August 5
32 years after Neil Gaiman’s iconic graphic novel series subverted the comic book industry, The Sandman is finally getting a live-action Netflix adaptation befitting the legendary author’s distinguished works.
Its story is a complex one, but here’s the general gist: it tells the tale of Dream (Tom Sturridge), one of the seven Endless and the King of the Dreaming, the realm where humanity’s dreams and nightmares are controlled. When Dream is unwittingly captured during an amateurish occult ritual, however, he’s imprisoned for 100 years – not to mention he’s stripped of the three items from which he draws his powers.
Eventually escaping captivity, Dream returns to his domain, only to find that it’s crumbled and become deserted in his absence. Determined to restore order to his kingdom, Dream sets out to reclaim his vestments, seek vengeance on those who wronged him, and maybe learn to become a bit more human and humble on the way.
The Sandman’s all-star cast includes Game of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie, Doctor Who’s Jenna Coleman, Harry Potter’s David Thewlis, Logan’s Boyd Holbrook, and Killing Eve’s Kirby Howell-Bapstiste among many others. Don’t be surprised if it makes its way onto our best Netflix shows once it’s released, and check back in with TechRadar soon for our spoiler-free review and exclusive chat with Gaiman, showrunner Allan Heinberg, and the series’ cast.
Thirteen Lives (Prime Video)
When to stream it: Friday, August 5
Based on the inspiring true story of the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue, Thirteen Lives launches exclusively on Prime Video in early August (following a limited theatrical release on July 29).
When a junior soccer team and their coach become trapped in the northern Thai cave system by rising waters, more than 10,000 people, including 100 divers, set out to rescue the group across a gruelling and emotional 18-day stretch that captured the hearts and minds of billions around the world.
The Ron Howard-directed flick stars Lord of the Rings alumnus Viggo Mortensen, The Batman’s Colin Farrell, and Star Wars’ Joe Edgerton. Numerous Thai actors also feature heavily and help to capture the authenticity, drama, and suspenseful moments in thrilling detail. Stick this one on your Prime Video movie watch list.
Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-Head (Paramount Plus)
When to stream it: Friday, August 5
The August 5 release train keeps on rolling with the return of Mike Judge’s iconic slacker duo after an 11-year hiatus. That’s right, Beavis and Butt-Head are back; the adult animated TV show – which was MTV’s highest-rated series during its original 1992 to 1997 run – making its grand return on Paramount’s streaming service.
The show follows hot on the heels of Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe, a movie that only launched on Paramount Plus on June 23, but one that received critical acclaim upon release. Clearly, there’s still an audience – albeit one fuelled by nostalgia – for the dumb but lovable duo.
Per The Hollywood Reporter (opens in new tab), Beavis and Butt-Head’s latest revival – it was briefly brought back in 2011 before being cancelled for a second time – will see the pair “enter a ‘whole new Gen Z world’ with meta-themes that are said to be relatable to both new fans, who may be unfamiliar with the original series, and old”.
The show will actually arrive a day earlier (August 4) on Paramount Plus in the US. Other territories will get it on August 5.
Five Days at Memorial (Apple TV Plus)
When to stream it: Friday, August 12
Based on Sheri Fink’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Five Days at Memorial could be the latest in a long line of top-tier prestige Apple TV Plus shows.
The limited series chronicles the events inside a New Orleans hospital in the wake of the hugely destructive 2005 storm known as Hurricane Katrina. With flood waters rising, the hospital’s power failing, and temperatures soaring, exhausted and desperate staff are forced to make numerous difficult decisions that’ll haunt them – and the families of the patients they were supposed to care for – for years to come.
Vera Farmiga, Cornelius Smith Jr, Cherry Jones, Robert Pine, Adepuro Oduye, and Julie Ann Emery are among the show’s stacked cast. Five Days of Memorial’s first three episodes premiere on August 12, with subsequent entries arriving weekly until September 16.
Day Shift (Netflix)
When to stream it: Friday, August 12
Good vampire movies have been few and far between in recent years, but new Netflix movie Day Shift looks like it could finally that drought.
Day Shift stars Jamie Foxx as Bud Jablonski, a blue collar dad who just wants to provide for his daughter. Unbeknownst to his family, though, Bud’s day job as a pool cleaner is a front for his real occupation – hunting and killing vampires.
The action-comedy-horror Netflix flick comes from first-time director J.J Perry, who worked as a stunt coordinator on big films including Star Trek: Into Darkness, Gangster Squad, Iron Man, and Django Unchained; the latter of which Foxx also starred in. Snoop Dogg, Dave Franco, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, and Karla Souza play key supporting roles in the eagerly anticipated movie.
Secret Headquarters (Paramount Plus)
When to stream it: Saturday, August 13
Fresh from his role as Agent Mobius in Marvel TV series Loki, Owen Wilson takes on a whole different role in another superhero project on Paramount Plus.
Walker Scobell (The Adam Project) stars as Charlie Kincaid, a schoolboy who thinks his father (Wilson) leads a double life. While hanging out with his friends after school, Charlie accidentally discovers his dad’s secret hideout, revealing that Charlie’s father is actually the world’s most powerful superhero. Unsurprisingly, a bunch of villains attack the compound, and it’s up to Charlie and company to protect his dad’s superhero wares and save the world in his supposed absence.
Christopher Yost (Star Wars: Rebels, Cowboy Bebop) has penned the script, with directing duo Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (Project Power) helming the project.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Disney Plus)
When to stream it: Wednesday, August 17
The next major Marvel Phase 4 project arrives on Disney Plus in August, and it’s sure to make the competition green with envy.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law stars Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) as Jennifer Walters, a lawyer and cousin to Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner/Hulk. Walters, though, isn’t just any lawyer – she’s also a mean, green, superhero machine, otherwise known as She-Hulk. Oh, and she just so happens to be the new head of a new law division specializing in defending superpowered beings in court. Expect the show to explore the conflict of interests between Walters’ desire to uphold the law the right way and her own ability to dish out punishment to criminals.
She-Hulk’s TV show will also star Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky/Abomination, Jameela Jamil as Titania, and Benedict Wong’s Phase 4 regular (and Sorcerer Supreme) Wong. Expect plenty of cameos and fourth wall breaking antics from this one.
House of the Dragon (HBO Max)
When to stream it: Sunday, August 21
Three years after Game of Thrones’ controversial final season ended, HBO’s next live-action Westeros-set project – based on iconic author George R.R Martin’s fantasy novel series – swoops onto our screens in late August.
Set 200 years before Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon chronicles the beginning of the end of House Targaryen, the dragon-riding family who ruled over Martin’s fictional world for eons. The series will focus on the Targaryen civil war – also known as the Dance of the Dragons – which sees Emma D’Arcy’s Princess Rhaenyra and Matt Smith’s Prince Daemon battle for the Iron Throne as both look to succeed Paddy Considine’s King Viserys I.
House of the Dragon will jump between different time periods as it tells the tale of House Targaryen’s downfall, with events presumably leading into Robert Baratheon usurping King Aerys II, aka the Mad King. Fans of Martin’s books and the Game of Thrones TV adaptation should find plenty to enjoy from this politically fraught, action-packed, and adult-themed drama series.
Me Time (Netflix)
When to stream it: Friday, August 26
Netflix has a habit of making lackluster comedies that somehow tickle the funny bone of its global subscriber base – and Me Time looks like another one to add to the pile.
Still, it’s got some serious star power attached to it. Kevin Hart plays Sonny, a stay-at-home dad who surprisingly finds himself with a week’s worth of “me time” when his workaholic wife takes his kids on vacation. Sonny decides to reconnect with best friend Huck (Mark Wahlberg) for the latter’s 40th birthday – a wild weekend that’s sure to live long in the memory and help Sonny realize just how mundane his life has become.
Just like Senior Year and The Kissing Booth, Me Time looks to be another unamusing Netflix original comedy flick. But, with A-list actors in Hart and Wahlberg in its lead roles, it should do big numbers – among general audiences, that is – when it’s released.
Samaritan (Prime Video)
When to stream it: Friday, August 26
Not to be usurped by Disney Plus and Paramount Plus, Prime Video is getting on the superhero act this month.
Samaritan stars legendary actor Sylvester Stallone as Mr. Smith, a reclusive Granite City resident who works as a refuse collector. However, when Smith steps in to rescue Sam Cleary (Euphoria and The Umbrella Academy’s Javon Walton) from being attacked, his superhuman display makes Sam realize that Smith is none other than Samaritan, Granite City’s former protector. Samaritan was thought to have perished in a battle with arch rival Nemesis 25 years earlier – clearly, though, he faked his own death to live a life of anonymity.
In Samaritan’s absence, criminal activity in Granite City has increased. As the city stands on the brink of chaos, it’s up to Sam to convince Samaritan to rediscover his sense of duty and become its defender once more.
Samaritan doesn’t look like it’ll subvert the superhero genre, but its intriguing blend of Batman/Superman-style powers and themes, coupled with a Rocky Balboa-esque aesthetic, makes us think it could be a sleeper hit for Amazon Studios.
Andor (Disney Plus)
When to stream it: Wednesday, August 31
Two months on from the season finale of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s standalone series, another fan favorite Star Wars character is getting their own spin-off project. This time, it’s Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor, who you’ll remember from the best Star Wars spin-off movie, aka Rogue One.
Set five years before Rogue One, the series primarily follows Luna’s Andor as he transforms from street thief into the rebel spy we see in Rogue One. The show will also recount events surrounding the formation of the Rebel Alliance, with the origins of key characters including Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) and Luthen (Stellan Skarsgard) also set to be explored. Forrest Whittaker’s Saw Gerrera, last seen in Rogue One, will feature in some capacity, too.
Given its street-level and spy-thriller positioning, Andor will be a grittier Star Wars show than Obi-Wan – think along the lines of The Mandalorian, and you’ll get a better idea of what it’ll look and feel like.
Andor will receive a two-episode premiere on launch day, with subsequent entries arriving weekly after that until November 9. The series has already been renewed for a second season, too, which will chronicle the other four years leading up to Rogue One’s story.
For more streaming-based content, check out our Marvel movies in order article. Alternatively, read our guide on all upcoming Star Wars projects, every Netflix movie releasing in 2022, or the best HBO Max shows.
