By all accounts, this will be another busy month of new titles and returning hits. Whether you’re looking for a hilarious comedy, an intense drama, or a mysterious thriller, July boasts one of the most interesting TV premiere line-ups of 2024.
So, what are the new audiovisual releases for the coming weeks? First of all, fans of TV adaptations will be able to enjoy some truly great projects. Thrilling and emblematic books, such as: Those About to Die: or the Way of the Gladiator by Daniel P. Mannix (1958), The Emperor of Ocean Park by Stephen L. Carter (2002), Dark Manual by Colin O’Sullivan (2018), and Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman (2019), will reach our screens converted into series format.
Also noteworthy, the long-awaited debut of the daring Latin American crime series Women in Blue, aka Las Azules, and the “supersized” final season of Netflix’s popular martial arts show, Cobra Kai.
These series star renowned actors such as Anthony Hopkins, Rashida Jones, Natalie Portman, Forest Whitaker, Barbara Mori, to name a few. Undoubtedly, July is going to be an exciting month in television, with a generous offer of premiere series and new seasons of big hits.
Here’s a look at the titles and dates to watch out for:
Sunny
Apple TV | Season premiere | Release date: Wednesday, July 10
Created by Katie Robbins (The Affair), Apple TV’s upcoming dark comedy Sunny is based on the book Dark Manual (2018) by award-winning Irish writer Colin O’Sullivan.
In this irreverent story, Rashida Jones plays Suzie, an American living in Kyoto, Japan, whose life takes an irreversible turn when her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash. Then, to help her grieve, Suzie is given a cheerful household robot named “Sunny,” manufactured by her late husband’s electronics company.
Although Suzie is initially reluctant to Sunny’s approaches and gestures, gradually she and the robot “…develop an unexpected friendship, as together they uncover the dark truth of what really happened to Suzie’s family, becoming dangerously enmeshed in a world Suzie never knew existed,” states the official description.
Actress Rashida Jones also recently starred in Apple’s hit series Silo, based on Hugh Howey’s trilogy of dystopian novels. Along with Jones, Sunny’s cast includes Hidetoshi Nishijima, Joanna Sotomura and Judy Ongg.
The 10-episode dark comedy will launch with the first two episodes on Wednesday, July 10, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through September 4.
Emperor of Ocean Park
MGM+ | Season premiere | Release date: Sunday, July 14
Directed by Damian Marcano (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty) and written by Sherman Payne (Charm City Kings), Emperor of Ocean Park is an upcoming thriller series based on the acclaimed novel by Stephen L. Carter.
According to MGM+’s official description:
“Set in the worlds of politics, Ivy League academia, and the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard, the series centers on Talcott Garland, an Ivy League law professor whose quiet life is shattered when his father, Judge Oliver Garland, dies of an apparent heart attack. The nature of the judge’s death is questioned by Tal’s sister, Mariah, a former journalist and inveterate conspiracy theorist, who believes that the judge, a failed Black nominee to the Supreme Court, met with foul play.”
The series has added several heavyweights to its cast, including Grantham Coleman, Tiffany Mack, Paulina Lule, Henry Simmons, Jasmine Batchelor and Oscar winner Forest Whitaker.
“Emperor of Ocean Park is much more than a murder mystery,” said Michael Wright, head of MGM+. “While it is an engrossing whodunit in its own right, it also explores important themes of middle-and-upper-class Black identity, making it an outstanding addition to MGM+’s slate of engaging and thought-provoking original series.”
The series premieres with two episodes on July 14.
Those About to Die
Peacock | Season premiere | Release date: Thursday, July 18
Those About to Die is a Peacock original production and the network’s biggest budget production to date. Based on Daniel P. Mannix’s 1958 book of the same name, the historical series plunges us into the sanguinary and corrupt world of chariot racing and gladiatorial combat in Ancient Rome.
Those About to Die is set in Rome in 79 A.D., when the heirs to the empire, Titus and Domitian, compete for the throne soon to be vacated by their aging father, Vespasian. In this context, Rome is experiencing an influx of slaves from the growing empire and its population is becoming increasingly bored, restless and out for blood.
Per the press release from Peacock:
“Those About to Die is a large-scale drama set within the spectacular, complex, and corrupt world of gladiatorial sports in Ancient Rome. The series introduces an ensemble of diverse characters across the many layers of Roman society where sports, politics, and business intersect and collide.”
The series is written by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Robert Rodat (The Patriot, Saving Private Ryan), and directed by Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, Midway). According to producers, the drama delves into the ruthless world of gladiatorial combat, revealing the nexus of entertainment, politics and ambition in Ancient Rome.
Veteran Anthony Hopkins leads the cast of Those About To Die as Emperor Vespasian, emperor of Rome and patriarch of the Flavian lineage. In addition to Hopkins, the cast also includes Iwan Rheon, Sara Martins, Tom Hughes, Jojo Macari, Moe Hashim, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Rupert Penry-Jones, Gabriella Pession, Emilio Sakraya, Pepe Barroso, among others.
The ten episodes of the first season of Those About to Die will premiere on Thursday, July 18.
Cobra Kai
Netflix | Season: 6 | Release date: Thursday, July 18
“Strike First. Strike Hard. No Mercy…” Get ready for the latest season of Cobra Kai, which promises to be the most explosive to date.
As we recall, in 2018 Sony Pictures TV partnered with YouTube Red to produce Cobra Kai, a sequel series to The Karate Kid hit films from the 1980s.
Cobra Kai takes place 34 years after the events of the original The Karate Kid, reigniting the rivalry between Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso; after the second season aired, Netflix picked up the rights to Cobra Kai, and the series has since become an even bigger hit.
Just now, the program is heading into its sixth season, and showrunners Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg have confirmed that this will be the finale of the beloved martial arts show.
While many plot details remain under wraps, we can be sure that season six of Cobra Kai will continue to expand the “Miyagiverse.” We already know that after five seasons of rivalry, Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso team up and give their all to defeat the revamped Cobra Kai under the tutelage of Terry Silver.
The official description for season six is:
“Picking up with Cobra Kai eliminated from the Valley, our senseis and students must decide if and how they will compete in the Sekai Taikai – the world championships of karate.”
The final season of Cobra Kai will have 15 episodes, making it the longest to date. In May 2024, Netflix officially confirmed that the season will be split into three batches of five episodes each: the first five episodes of the final season will arrive on July 18 and the next five on November 28. The “Grand Finale” is expected to premiere sometime in 2025.
Lady in the Lake
Apple TV | Season premiere | Release date: Friday, July 19
Lady in the Lake, created, written and directed by Alma Har’el (Honey Boy), is based on the New York Times bestselling novel of the same name by Laura Lippman. This crime drama takes place in 1960s Baltimore, where an unsolved murder pushes a housewife to reinvent herself as an investigative journalist.
Here is the official synopsis for Lady in the Lake from Apple TV:
“When the disappearance of a young girl grips the city of Baltimore on Thanksgiving 1966, the lives of two women converge on a fatal collision course. Maddie Schwartz ( Natalie Portman), a Jewish housewife seeking to shed a secret past and reinvent herself as an investigative journalist, and Cleo Johnson (Moses Ingram), a mother navigating the political underbelly of Black Baltimore while struggling to provide for her family. Their disparate lives seem parallel at first, but when Maddie becomes fixated on Cleo’s mystifying death, a chasm opens that puts everyone around them in danger…”
The book’s author, Laura Lippman, has stated that the story was inspired by the actual murders of Esther Lebowitz, a white Jewish girl, and Shirley Parker, a black woman, and how differently those two tragedies had been treated and covered in the press.
Lady in the Lake stars Natalie Portman, Moses Ingram, Y’Lan Noel, Mikey Madison, Brett Gelman, Noah Jupe and Mike Epps.
The seven-episode series will premiere with the first two episodes on Friday, July 19, followed by new episodes every Friday through August 23.
Women in Blue
Apple TV | Season premiere | Release date: Wednesday, July 31
Women in Blue, aka Las Azules is a Spanish-language crime series premiering at the end of the month on Apple TV. Directed by International Emmy Award winner Fernando Rovzar (Hotel Cocaína), this ten-episode crime drama is inspired by the true stories of Mexico’s first female police force.
According to Apple TV’s official synopsis:
“Set in 1971 and inspired by true events, Women in Blue tells the story of four women who defy the ultraconservative norms of the time and join Mexico’s first female police force, only to discover that their squad is a publicity stunt to distract the media from a brutal serial killer. As the body count grows, María (Barbara Mori), whose determination to catch the killer becomes an obsession, Gabina (Amorita Rasgado), whose father is a renowned cop, Ángeles (Ximena Sariñana), a brilliant fingerprint analyst, and Valentina (Natalia Téllez), a young rebel, set up a secret investigation to achieve what no male officer has been able to do and bring the serial killer to justice.”
With this drama, the streaming giant honors the memory of Mexico’s first female police officers, while promoting an honest debate on gender equality.
The first two episodes will premiere on July 31, with subsequent episodes airing weekly until September 25, 2024.