A double renewal for British television, a London-bound murder mystery and a high-profile Danish casting move lead this week’s verified entertainment briefing. The dedicated Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror section then ranks five important film and television developments announced or reported between 20 and 26 August 2026, with practical viewing impact and the strength of the underlying confirmation guiding the order.
Headline News
The Gentlemen
- Season 2: Launches 3 September 2026 on Netflix
- Season 3: Officially renewed; release timing is to be announced
- Creator and director: Guy Ritchie
- Starring: Theo James, Kaya Scodelario and Ray Winstone
- New this week: Full season-two trailer and season-three order
Netflix has renewed Guy Ritchie’s crime drama for a third season while moving its second season into the immediate viewing calendar. The full trailer arrives with Eddie Horniman and Susie Glass preparing to expand their operation beyond the estate, giving the 3 September return a clearer international scale.
Why it matters: A future renewal and a release just over a week away make this the round-up’s most consequential general entertainment update. Season three has no date yet, so the actionable news is the season-two launch.
Only Murders in the Building — Season 6
- Season title: Only Murders in London
- UK premiere: 8 December 2026 on Disney+
- Co-creators: Steve Martin and John Hoffman
- Starring: Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez
- Guest cast: Includes Tina Fey, Olivia Colman, Meryl Streep, David Tennant, Nicola Coughlan and Martin Freeman
Disney has set a UK premiere and confirmed the season’s London identity. Charles, Oliver and Mabel leave New York after Cinda Canning becomes the latest victim, while an extensive returning and guest ensemble gives the change of setting genuine weight.
Practical impact: UK Disney+ viewers now have an exact 8 December date rather than a general production update, making this the week’s clearest new television scheduling announcement.
The Asset — Season 2
- Status: Production has begun in Denmark
- New casting: Sidse Babett Knudsen joins in a central role
- Returning cast: Clara Dessau, Maria Cordsen, Afshin Firouzi, Nicolas Bro and Soheil Bavi
- Conceptual director and head writer: Samanou Acheche Sahlstrøm
- Premiere: To be announced by Netflix
Netflix’s Danish crime thriller has moved into production with Borgen star Sidse Babett Knudsen joining its central cast. The character and story details remain deliberately undisclosed, but the returning ensemble and creative lead confirm continuity behind the camera as well as in front of it.
Why it matters: This is the week’s strongest verified casting development. It confirms that season two is actively shooting, although viewers should not infer a release window until Netflix supplies one.
Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror
1. Avengers: Endgame Encore
- UK cinema return: From 25 September 2026
- Tickets: On sale now
- Formats: IMAX and Infinity Vision-certified screens
- Directors: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
- Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson
- Bonus: Exclusive look at Avengers: Doomsday, with an additional premium-format sneak peek
Marvel Studios is returning Avengers: Endgame to cinemas with new material tied directly to December’s Avengers: Doomsday. The ticket launch, fixed UK date and premium-format plan turn the encore into a real viewing decision rather than a retrospective announcement.
Why it ranks first: It combines the week’s largest franchise with immediate ticketing impact and authorised footage from Marvel’s next event film. Doomsday remains scheduled for 18 December 2026.
2. Obsession
- Milestone: More than $500 million at the worldwide box office
- Genre: Supernatural horror
- Writer and director: Curry Barker
- Starring: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson and Megan Lawless
- Home viewing: Available to watch at home in supported markets
Focus Features’ low-budget horror breakout has crossed a rare worldwide commercial threshold. Trade reporting places it above $500 million globally, an exceptional result for an original film acquired out of a festival and made for less than $1 million.
Why it ranks second: The scale of the achievement matters well beyond one title: it strengthens the commercial case for original, filmmaker-led horror at a moment when franchise properties dominate much of the market.
3. The People v. Gorilla Grodd
- Status: Eight-episode straight-to-series order from HBO Max
- Format: Half-hour mockumentary crime comedy
- Creators: Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault
- Starring: Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen and Jimmy Tatro as Gorilla Grodd
- Returning DC cast: Beck Bennett, Mikaela Hoover and Wendell Pierce
- Premiere: To be announced
DC Studios and Warner Bros. Television are moving forward with an unconventional series in which Jimmy Olsen reopens the question of whether Gorilla Grodd was wrongly convicted in a celebrated murder trial. The creators of American Vandal bring the mockumentary framework, while several Superman characters return around Gisondo’s reporter.
Why it ranks third: The confirmed order establishes a distinct new corner of the DC screen universe and supplies a complete principal cast. Its practical impact is lower than the two items above because no production or premiere date has been announced.
4. One Hundred Years of Solitude
- Grand finale: Streaming from 26 August 2026 on Netflix
- Format: Feature-length final episode
- Finale director: Laura Mora
- Part-two directors: Laura Mora and Carlos Moreno
- Starring: Claudio Cataño, Marleyda Soto and Marco González
- Language and production: Spanish-language series filmed in Colombia
Netflix’s adaptation reaches its conclusion today with a feature-length episode directed by Laura Mora. The final chapter closes the Buendía family’s multi-generational story and completes one of the platform’s most ambitious Spanish-language fantasy productions.
Why it ranks fourth: It has the most immediate streaming impact in the genre section, but it is the completion of an established adaptation rather than a new franchise order or major industrial milestone.
5. The Dog Stars
- UK cinema release: 26 August 2026
- Formats: Cinemas, IMAX and selected premium large-format screens
- Director and producer: Ridley Scott
- Starring: Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Allison Janney, Benedict Wong and Guy Pearce
- Source material: Peter Heller’s post-apocalyptic novel
Ridley Scott’s post-apocalyptic thriller arrives in UK cinemas today after its London world premiere on 21 August. Jacob Elordi plays a survivor whose isolated life with his dog and a hard-edged neighbour is disrupted by a radio transmission that suggests a wider human future may still exist.
Why it ranks fifth: The release is completely actionable for cinema audiences and carries substantial filmmaker and cast interest, but it has less franchise significance than the announcements above it.
Why It Matters
This week’s strongest developments are unusually usable. Viewers can book an Endgame encore, stream a major fantasy finale, see Ridley Scott’s latest film or mark dates for The Gentlemen and Only Murders. The longer-range items are also firmly bounded: The Asset is filming, while Gorilla Grodd has a series order and cast but no date.
Movieversalfilm Takeaway
Avengers: Endgame Encore has the largest immediate franchise footprint, while Obsession is the week’s most striking industry story. For home viewers, One Hundred Years of Solitude offers the fastest payoff today; for cinema audiences, The Dog Stars is the new release and the Marvel encore is the booking to plan.
What to Watch Next
One Hundred Years of Solitude concludes and The Dog Stars opens today. The Gentlemen returns on Netflix on 3 September, Avengers: Endgame Encore begins its premium-format cinema run on 25 September, and Only Murders in London follows on Disney+ on 8 December.
Which verified development changes your watchlist most this week?