More Than Just Books: Upcoming Movie Releases for August 2026

Welcome back for another installment of media releases beyond BOOKS! It is me again, your librarian, Adriana. Since I last posted, I watched Christopher Nolan’s take on Homer’s Epic Odyssey. I managed to watch at one of my favorite locally owned theaters, the Lory in Highland, and while I was attending with just one other patron, the owner was actually running the film booth! He sat and enjoyed the movie with us, while also adjusting the audio (so we could hear the dialogue over the crescendo of music and action) which made it an extra-special watching experience that you don’t get at larger theaters. Now, I haven’t read Homer’s Odyssey since I was a freshman in high school (well over a decade ago), but I really enjoyed my watch! I was a big fan of Nolan’s last film, Oppenheimer, so I was really looking forward to this one. It was much more action packed than the slow drama of Oppenheimer, which lends to the EPIC feeling of the movie. I thought the cast all did a great job with their roles, and with the audio adjustment, I could hear all of their performances. I remembered much more than I realized I would, and I understand more of the emotional climax of the text now after this watch through. I won’t even get started on the practical effects- you’ll have to watch for yourself to see! I have below a bit of an extended list of upcoming releases... Who needs summer blockbusters when it is time to start settling into autumn?

It Ends (August 21)

From Rotten Tomatoes: “A group of recent grads head out on a late night drive for grub, hoping to enjoy one final hangout before their paths diverge. Instead, they accidentally turn onto a never-ending, two lane hellscape surrounded by untold horrors and cosmic forces beyond their understanding.”

Making its theatrical debut, It Ends is a 2025 horror thriller which was entirely written, directed and the edited by Alexander Ullom as his first full-length film. It Ends will star Phinehas Yoon, Akira Jackson, Noah Toth and Mitchell Cole- and you may be saying to yourself here, "I don’t recognize any of these people!" Which is fair! This is a project that has been called a thriller by and for Gen Z. These young creatives are dipping their toes into the world of movies, and with as many low-budget indie horror/thrillers have broken their box office expectations this year, why not throw their hat in the ring? I’m interested in the concept and as a certified horror-junkie, you know I’ll have a seat in the theater.

Buddy (August 28)

From Rotten Tomatoes: “Remember BUDDY--the bright orange unicorn and star of that classic children's television show who brought joy and life lessons into your living room? Inside the colorful world of "It's Buddy!", a group of children spend their days singing, dancing, and helping Buddy spread happiness. But when one child refuses to play along, Buddy is not pleased and cracks begin to appear in this seemingly perfect world.”

We’re back in the horror genre, but this time a slasher! Buddy is a comedy slasher film, directed by Casper Kelly. You may know him from his work on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, or his infamous short “Too Many Cooks” which went viral with millions of views in just a few days. Alongside this comedy director is comedian Keegan-Michael Key playing the titular Buddy the Unicorn mascot of this movie. Keegan-Michael Key is known for a plethora of roles across screens big and small. If you are into (horror) video games, you know that “Mascot Horror” is having a big moment right now. Will Buddy ride that wave, or will this movie get washed away into the sea of mediocre horror? As someone who has watched both of the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie in theaters EAGERLY, I’m excited to sit down and watch this one.

Coyote vs. Acme (August 28)

From Rotten Tomatoes: “After decades of being blown to bits by bombs, demolished by dynamite, mangled by magnets, battered by boulders, trampled by trains, tricked by tunnels, sprung by springs, steamrolled by steamrollers, maligned by misfires, bedeviled by bungees, rattled by rockets, backstabbed by bat suits, rocked by rocket skates, upended by unicycles, quaked by quake pills, rubberized by rogue bands, and hurled headlong off every cliff in the Southwest, Wile E. Coyote (Genius) finally fights back. Teaming up with billboard accident lawyer Kevin Avery (Will Forte), he takes on slick corporate counsel Buddy Crane (John Cena) and ACME, Inc., the profit-obsessed conglomerate behind every one of the Coyote's chaotic catastrophes.”

After two horror releases in a row, a little family-friendly comedy sounds good… You’ll get just that with this Warner Bros movie! Coyote vs Acme will feature, of course, our voiceless Coyote and along his adventure you’ll see SNL writer Will Forte, actress/YouTuber Lana Condor (who voiced the lead character in “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken”), John Cena, and more. This movie will be directed by Samy Burch, a director that is still pretty fresh to the scene with this being only her third movie. She’s not alone on her journey of filmmaking however! She is credited writing alongside James Gunn and Jeremy Slater. With a mix of well-known talent, and some people who are more new to the scene, we’ll have to watch and see how this Looney adventure pans out.

By Any Means (September 4)

From Rotten Tomatoes: “Based on a true story, a young Black FBI agent (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is sent into 1960s Mississippi to investigate a wave of brutal killings targeting civil rights leaders. Forced to work alongside notorious mafia hitman Greg Scarpa (Mark Wahlberg), he finds himself pulled into a deadly hunt where justice and vengeance begin to blur. When the system is broken, two men divided by everything agree on one thing: the law has limits. They don't.”

Are you in the market for a brutal historical drama? Settle in for this film starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as an FBI agent sent to 1960s Mississippi to solve the murders of civil rights leaders. You may know him from his varied work over the past 10 years; from movies like the Greatest Showman, Aquaman and Candyman (as the lead, Candyman). Alongside Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will be Mark Wahlberg, who needs no introduction. Mark will be the “badcop” mafia hitman to Yahya’s FBI agent while they uncover what is really going down in this community. By Any Means will be directed by Elegance Bratton who is known for his intimate projects, like the Inspection, which is film inspired by his own story of his experience as a gay Black man in the Marines. It is an interesting project with many different perspectives going into the production. As someone that enjoys a historical drama, I’ll be watching this one.

Hope (September 9)

From Rotten Tomatoes: “A police chief, a policewoman and a group of hunters try to track down and kill a mysterious creature that's laying waste to a Korean village.”

This one is for our fans of international movies! If you watch Korean media, you may be familiar with this project from writer/director Na Hong-jin. He is known for his horror film, the Wailing, which boasts an approval rating of 99%! This upcoming film will feature Hwang Jung-min as the main character, who also played the lead shaman in the Wailing. Joining the cast will be model/actress Jung- Ho-yeon who gained notoriety after her lead role in Squid Game as Player 067. For those looking for a movie out of their typical orbit, this might be a project for you to look out for.

With all of these great movies coming out soon, and more, what will you be watching this month? Librarians love talking about movies and televisions; let us know what you've been looking forward to or enjoying!

~Adriana