(via Shutterstock)
August is shaping up to be a busy month in streaming land!
Ah, what are saying? In the age of digital streaming plenty, every month, week and day is frantic, manic and full-on, ironically turning something that should be, and once was, escapist fun, into something more akin to a job!
Thankfully, for all the surfeit of content, many of the stories, such as in the two series profiled in this post, remaining compellingly and wonderfully immersive so even though finding time for them will be tough, it will be absolutely, soul-nourishingly worth it.
The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power (season 2)
(courtesy IMP Awards)
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In Season Two of The Rings of Power series on Prime Video, 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 The Rings of Power – 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. Look good so far?The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is a series developed by Amazon Studios, in cooperation with the Tolkien Estate & Trust, HarperCollins, New Line Cinema. J. D. Payne & Patrick McKay are showrunners and developed the streaming series adaptation, set in the Second Age of Middle-earth before the events of the Lord of the Rings novel and the previous films. Featuring episodes in Season 2 directed by Charlotte Brändström, Sanaa Hamri, Louise Hooper. Executive produced by Lindsey Weber, Callum Greene, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison. (courtesy First Showing)
The first episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres on 29 August on Prime Video with the remaining five episodes releasing weekly thereafter until 3 October.
Bonus! A behind-the-scenes look at season 2 …
Only Murders in the Building (season 4)
(courtesy Disney+)
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As previously reported, season four of Only Murders [in the Building] will follow Mabel (Gomez), Charles (Martin) and Oliver (Short) searching for answers about who killed Sazz (Jane Lynch), if they were actually aiming for Charles and why anyone would want to kill either of them.Season four will see Meryl Streep return as Loretta, Oliver’s love interest. She’ll be joined by recurring additions Eva Longoria, Eugene Levy, Kumail Nanjiani, Molly Shannon and Zach Galifianakis as Sazz’s murder investigation stretches to L.A. as well as New York. (courtesy Hollywood Reporter)
Only Murders in the Building season 4 premieres on 27 August on Disney+
House of the Dragon (season 2)
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As written by A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin in his companion book Fire and Blood, not only does this conflict topple the once-imperious Targaryen Empire, but it leads to the near extinction of dragonkind by the time a certain silver-haired Khaleesi begins her ascent hundreds of years later in the timeline of Game of Thrones. And after the tumultuous events of a Golden Globe-winning freshman season that set the stage, House of the Dragon season 2 (premiering June 16) places the more proverbial chess pieces on the board so the battle can truly begin. People will die, dragons will perish, and Westeros will never be the same.“Season 2 is the march to war,” showrunner and co-creator Ryan Condal ominously intones weeks later in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “It’s really a cold war because each side is trying to undeniably win the throne for themselves without going to all-out dragon war. We do that through plotting and backstabbing and assassination and spy games and all the things that you would see in a classic James Bond Cold War thriller.” (courtesy EW)
As well as the main trailer for the series overall …
There are two additional trailers …
The Green trailer focuses on the front led by King Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) in King’s Landing, where he, Alicent (Olivia Cooke), Otto (Rhys Ifans), and Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) are preparing for war to defend their claim on the Iron Throne. (courtesy Marie Claire)
Meanwhile, the Black trailer shows Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Daemon (Matt Smith) gathering their forces on Dragonstone and recruiting more allies, including a glimpse of a trip to the snowy North. The Dance of the Dragons is about to begin, and as the clips say, “All Must Choose.” (courtesy Marie Claire)
House of the Dragon premieres on 16 June on HBO and 17 June on Binge in Australia with the remaining seven episodes released weekly thereafter until 5 August.
TON O’ TV TRAILERS EXTRA EXTRA!
Heartstopper (season 3)
(courtesy Netflix Tudum)
Now series creator and writer Alice Oseman is dishing about what to expect from the next installment of Heartstopper. “Season 2 ended with Nick beginning to understand the extent of Charlie’s mental health issues, and it’s this that will drive the story through Season 3,” Oseman told Netflix. “While Heartstopper will always celebrate the joyful and point towards hope, I’m really excited that we are allowing the tone of the show to mature alongside our beloved characters growing up. Mental health, sex, university ambitions, and more: Nick, Charlie, and the Heartstopper teens are getting older, learning more about themselves and each other, and experiencing new desires, new fears, and new joys as they approach adulthood.” (courtesy Netflix)
Heartstopper season 3 releases 3 October on Netflix.