It’s safe to say that our obsession with TV series isn’t going to subside anytime soon. Lucky for us, August 2024 brings an amazing feast of audiovisual genres to the small screen, and we couldn’t be more excited!
August 2024 is packed with big, long-awaited returns, ranging from Prime Video’s epic fantasy, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; to the always sassy, crowd-favorite Only Murders in the Building, produced by Hulu; to the romantic gem of Netflix’s catalog, Emily in Paris. Similarly, it’s time to say goodbye to the dysfunctional Hargreeves family with the final season of The Umbrella Academy.
We also can’t wait for HBO’s upcoming original series City of God: The Fight Rages On, which serves as a sequel to the iconic Brazilian film City of God (2002).
Whether it’s the journey back to Middle Earth, the Parisian sights or the favela fights, here’s our pick of the most promising new releases for the month of August. We’re more than ready for our next TV binge!
The Umbrella Academy
Netflix | Season 4 | Release date: Thursday, August 08
The Hargreeves family returns to face one last “apocalypse” on Netflix. In August 2022, the streamer announced that the superhero show had been renewed for a fourth and final season.
For those who need a recap, The Umbrella Academy is based on the comic book series of the same name written by Gerard Way and illustrated by Gabriel Bá, and tells the story of about a set of powerful, estranged brothers who reunite after the death of their horrifying father. Premiering in 2019, it has become one of Netflix’s flagship series and has garnered six Emmy Award nominations.
According to the streamer, the fourth and final season begins after the Hargreeves’ battle at the Oblivion Hotel. At this point, the series has left the Hargreeves siblings in a new timeline and without any powers. To make matters worse, their father seems to be in control and ruling as he pleases.
Here’s what the official synopsis says:
“The Hargreeves siblings have scattered after the climactic showdown at the Hotel Oblivion led to a complete reset of their timeline. Stripped of their powers, each is left to fend for themselves and find a new normal—with wildly varying degrees of success. Yet the trappings of their uncanny new world prove too hard to ignore for very long. Their father Reginald, alive and well, has stepped out of the shadows and into the public eye, overseeing a powerful and nefarious business empire. A mysterious association known as The Keepers holds clandestine meetings believing the reality they’re living in is a lie and a great reckoning is coming. As these strange new forces conspire around them, the Umbrella Academy must come together one last time—and risk upsetting the shaky peace they’ve all endured so much to secure—to finally set things right.”
Unlike the previous installments, which had 10 episodes each, the final season of The Umbrella Academy consists of six episodes.
Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman and David Cross have been announced as new cast members for the fourth season, although not much is known about the characters they will play.
Emily in Paris
Netflix | Season 4 | Release date: Thursday, August 15
Bonjour! The fourth season of Emily in Paris is on the horizon. Similar to other Netflix hits like The Crown, You, Stranger Things and Bridgerton, the new season of Emily in Paris will be released in two parts. The first batch of the installment will hit the streaming platform on Thursday, August 15, and the second, on Thursday, September 12.
As we recall, the third season brought us breakups and reconciliations, new love interests, a wedding, and even a pregnancy announcement. When we last saw Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) and her friends, everyone was reeling after Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) and Camille’s (Camille Razat) engagement party completely fell apart.
After an explosive finale, Emily will be back in the city of love for more love entanglements, bad decisions and Parisian sights.
Here’s the official synopsis from Netflix:
“After the dramatic events of Camille and Gabriel’s misbegotten wedding, Emily is reeling: She has strong feelings for two men, but now Gabriel’s expecting a baby with his ex, and Alfie’s worst fears about her and Gabriel have been confirmed. At work, Sylvie is forced to confront a thorny dilemma from her past for the sake of her marriage, and the Agence Grateau team navigates personnel shakeups. Mindy and the band prepare for Eurovision, but when funds run dry, they’re forced to get thrifty. Emily and Gabriel’s chemistry is undeniable as they work together towards a Michelin star, but two big secrets threaten to undo everything they’ve dreamed of.”
So far, Emily in Paris has been celebrated for its warmth, charm and incredible fashion moments. Bonus fact: on April 3, news broke that France’s first lady, Brigitte Macron, will make a cameo in the fourth season.
City of God: The Fight Rages On
HBO/Max | Season premiere | Release date: Sunday, August 25
More than 20 years after the release of the critically acclaimed film City of God (Cidade de Deus), Max has announced that a sequel series entitled City of God: The Fight Rages On will continue the original story.
As you probably already know, the film City of God was released in 2002 to critical acclaim. To this day, it is still considered a masterpiece of Brazilian and international cinema. Directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, it was nominated for four Academy Awards (including Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay), and stood out at other awards such as BAFTA and Critics’ Choice.
Produced by O2 Filmes, City of God: The Fight Rages On is set two decades after the events of the award-winning Brazilian feature. Max’s sequel promises to stay true to its roots, continuing the story of Buscapé while introducing new characters and settings that reflect the current struggles of the favela; it should be added that both the original film and the upcoming series are based on the famed literary work by Paulo Lins.
According to the official season description:
“In the original film, the Brazilian saying “if you run, the beast will catch you; if you stay, it will eat you” portrayed the City of God as an inescapable place. In the series, the community, plagued by disputes between drug dealers, police, and militiamen, presents a perspective of collective resistance, focusing on the lives of its residents.”
It is good to know that the six-episode production features a good cast of characters we already met in City of God, such as Buscapé (Alexandre Rodrigues), Lampião (Thiago Martins), Berenice (Roberta Rodrigues), Melonhead (Kiko Marques) and Barbantinho (Edson Oliveira).
Max has revealed that the HBO original series, City of God: The Fight Rages On will premiere on Sunday, August 25 on HBO Latino in the United States and will be available globally for streaming on Max.
Only Murders in the Building
Hulu | Season 4 | Release date: Tuesday, August 27th
Season 4 of Only Murders in the Building premieres August 27 on Hulu, continuing the journey of podcasters and amateur sleuths Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez), Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin) and Oliver Putnam (Martin Short); as the trailer announces this may be the “… The starriest season yet”
After wrapping up the investigation of Ben Glenroy (Paul Rudd) and revealing the dramatic season three finale in October 2023, Hulu confirmed that the hit murder mystery series would be renewed for a new adventure.
Following in the tradition of Only Murders in the Building, yet another crime has taken place in the Upper West Side apartment complex. This time, Mabel, Charles and Oliver will search for answers about the murder of Charles’ doppelganger, Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch), who was gunned down by a sniper. While solving Sazz’s case, the trio will also have to discover if Charles was the real target and why.
Like past seasons, the upcoming installment will introduce a handful of new faces, including Melissa McCarthy, Eugene Levy, Eva Longoria, Zach Galifianakis, Molly Shannon, Kumail Nanjiani and Richard Kind. It has also been officially confirmed that Meryl Streep will return to the series.
The first three seasons of the daring comedy Only Murders in the Building are currently streaming on Hulu.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Prime Video | Season 2 | Release date: Thursday, August 19
Having broken a record as the most expensive television series in history, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power returns for a second season. Based on portions of Tolkien’s posthumous book “The Silmarillion,” the show consists of five seasons in total.
After the first season established the historical context and the conflict in the making, the new installment chronicles the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron and the creation of more Rings of Power. Showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay promised that the return to Middle-earth would be “darker,” “tenser” and “more character-focused.”
“Season one opens with: Who is Galadriel? Where did she come from? What did she suffer? Why is she driven? We’re doing the same thing with Sauron in season two. We’ll fill in all the missing pieces,” J.D. Payne told The Hollywood Reporter.
The official season 2 description from Prime Video reads:
“In Season Two of ‘The Rings of Power,’ Sauron has returned. 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. Building on Season One’s epic scope and ambition, the new season plunges even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity. Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots… as friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all… each other.”
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres Thursday, August 29, almost exactly two years after its debut. So far, the series has become one of Prime Video’s most successful series and has been watched by more than 95 million people worldwide.
The entire main cast of The Rings of Power, which includes Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Charlie Vickers, Robert Aramayo, is expected to remain largely intact. Charlotte Brändström, Sanaa Hamri and Louise Hooper are directing this ambitious project.