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New on NOW TV and Sky Cinema in August 2020

Some of the best movies of the last 12 months are heading to Sky Cinema and NOW TV in August, ensuring that the lack of major multiplex releases doesn’t mean film fans are left without anything to watch.

Joaquin Phoenix’s Oscar-winning turn in Joker leads the crop of new releases coming to the platform, but the entire Star Wars franchise is also available along with new collections spotlighting iconic movie villains and some of the greatest adventure films ever made.

Here are some of the most exciting new movies coming to Sky Cinema and NOW TV during the month of August.

Movies coming to Sky Cinema and NOW TV in August 2020. (Credit: Sony/Warner Bros/Paramount)
Movies coming to Sky Cinema and NOW TV in August 2020. (Credit: Sony/Warner Bros/Paramount)

Films

New Premieres

Joker — 7 August on Sky Cinema and Sky Cinema Pass on NOW TV

After breaking dozens of records at the box office last year and earning Joaquin Phoenix his first Oscar, this dark comic book tale is making its way to Sky Cinema. Phoenix plays failed comedian and part-time clown Arthur Fleck as he descends further and further into mayhem and violence.

The Assistant — 8 August on Sky Cinema and Sky Cinema Pass on NOW TV

Julia Garner in a still from The Assistant. (Vertigo)
Julia Garner in a still from The Assistant. (Vertigo)

With the #MeToo movement continuing to have a huge impact in Hollywood, The Assistant is a subtle, but powerful journey into that world. Julia Garner plays the titular role, as assistant to a tyrannical movie producer who is a barely concealed avatar for Harvey Weinstein. It’s a complex and intriguing story, aided by a tremendous central performance.

The Kill Team — 13 August on Sky Cinema and Sky Cinema Pass on NOW TV

Nat Wolff in 'The Kill Team'. (Credit: A24)
Nat Wolff in 'The Kill Team'. (Credit: A24)

This potent drama based on real events follows a soldier who becomes morally conflicted when others in his platoon kill civilians in Afghanistan. It is helmed by Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Dan Krauss and is a stark, real depiction of the horrors of war.

Jumanji: The Next Level — 14 August on Sky Cinema and Sky Cinema Pass on NOW TV

Several years after the delightful surprise of the Jumanji reboot, the same cast of avatars is back — albeit with different characters embodying them — for another fun adventure. It’s smart, silly and packed with memorable set pieces. Kevin Hart’s take on Danny Glover is worth the running time all by itself.

Ordinary Love — 16 August on Sky Cinema and Sky Cinema Pass on NOW TV

Liam Neeson and Lesley Manville in 'Ordinary Love'. (Credit: Focus Features/Universal)
Liam Neeson and Lesley Manville in 'Ordinary Love'. (Credit: Focus Features/Universal)

Liam Neeson sheds the confines of Taken-inspired action carnage for this muted drama in which he and Lesley Manville play a couple reeling in the aftermath of her cancer diagnosis. It’s frank, intimate and shows a complexity to the issues that is often absent from more saccharine, Hollywood-ised portrayals of illness.

Zombieland: Double Tap — 21 August on Sky Cinema and Sky Cinema Pass on NOW TV

A decade after the first Zombieland became a cult comedy hit, the original cast returns for Zombieland: Double Tap. These characters are now deep into a world occupied by the marauding undead and audiences meet them living in the White House. Naturally, things soon go downhill for all of them.

The Informer — 22 August on Sky Cinema and Sky Cinema Pass on NOW TV

Joel Kinnaman in 'The Informer'. (Credit: Warner Bros)
Joel Kinnaman in 'The Informer'. (Credit: Warner Bros)

This British crime thriller stars Joel Kinnaman as a reformed criminal turned informant, infiltrating the Polish drug trade in New York. The movie had a brief cinema release last year but, with an impressive cast including Rosamund Pike and Clive Owen, it’s sure to earn a whole new audience on streaming.

Swallow — 23 August on Sky Cinema and Sky Cinema Pass on NOW TV

Haley Bennett in 'Swallow'. (Credit: IFC Films)
Haley Bennett in 'Swallow'. (Credit: IFC Films)

The directorial debut of Carlo Mirabella-Davis, this deeply strange body horror features Haley Bennett as an emotionally isolated woman who develops an impulse to consume everyday objects. It’s not the sort of film that’s suitable for the entire family on a rainy afternoon, but those looking for something different will find plenty to appreciate.

Abominable — 28 August on Sky Cinema and Sky Cinema Pass on NOW TV

Not to be confused with the rather similar Smallfoot, this tale follows a Yeti who befriends a teenager after escaping from the clutches of a businessman. What follows is a journey of the time we’ve seen many times before as the creature’s new young friend tries to get the Yeti back home.

Ready or Not — 29 August on Sky Cinema and Sky Cinema Pass on NOW TV

One of the most impressive horror movies of last year, this delightful explosion of all-out chaos follows Samara Weaving as a woman marrying into a rich family of board game entrepreneurs. She’s charged with playing a game of hide and seek on her wedding night, but has no idea that it’s part of a ritual demanding she must die by sunrise. Weaving is terrific as she fights off her heavily-armed, wealthy assailants.

Blue Story — 30 August on Sky Cinema and Sky Cinema Pass on NOW TV

The movie debut of musician Rapman, Blue Story follows two friends as they become entangled in gang violence in modern London. With rap interludes within the storytelling, it’s a unique take on the well-worn genre of gangland drama helped by strong performances, including from BAFTA Rising Star winner Micheal Ward.

New Collections

Villains – 3 August to 16 August on Sky Cinema and Sky Cinema Pass on NOW TV

Some of cinema’s greatest bad guys are celebrated this month on Sky Cinema, with a collection that includes classics from masters like Alfred Hitchcock and Quentin Tarantino through to some of the most memorable villains from recent cinema. Notably, it’s a double helping of murderous clowns with both Joker and It: Chapter Two.

Highlights: Joker, It: Chapter Two, Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil, Psycho, Inglourious Basterds, Fatal Attraction, Gladiator, Total Recall (1989)

Janet Leigh as Marion Crane in Alfred Hitchcock's horror classic 'Psycho'. (Credit: Paramount)
Janet Leigh as Marion Crane in Alfred Hitchcock's horror classic 'Psycho'. (Credit: Paramount)

Star Wars – 3 August to 9 August on Sky Cinema and Sky Cinema Pass on NOW TV

Every single journey to the galaxy far, far away will be available in this collection, from the first glimpse at the twin suns of Tatooine through to the final moments of Rey’s journey. It’s a journey through more than 40 years of cinema, featuring some of the most thrilling movies ever made.

Highlights: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: A New Hope, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

Rey (Daisy Ridley) in STAR WARS: EPISODE IX
Rey (Daisy Ridley) in STAR WARS: EPISODE IX

Adventure – 10 August to 23 August on Sky Cinema and Sky Cinema Pass on NOW TV

It’s not a Sunday afternoon in front of the telly without a rollicking adventure film for the whole family to enjoy. That’s the focus of this collection, which pairs straight from the cinema gems like Jumanji: The Next Level with the timeless thrills and emotion of E.T. and The Goonies. There’s also the entirety of the Harry Potter franchise.

Highlights: Jumanji: The Next Level, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, Aladdin, E.T, The Goonies, Labyrinth, Chronicles Of Narnia: Voyage Of The Dawn Treader, National Treasure, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, The Mask Of Zorro, the complete Harry Potter series