#OnTheBigScreen: What to expect in August

Brad Pitt is back in action in Bullet Train as Ladybug, an unlucky assassin determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs gone off the rails. Fate, however, may have other plans, as Ladybug's latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe—all with connected, yet conflicting, objectives—on the world's fastest train. The end of the line is just the beginning in this non-stop thrill-ride through modern-day Japan from David Leitch, the director of Deadpool 2. From 5 August in cinemas.

In the action-packed animated comedy Paws Of Fury: The Legend of Hank, a loveable dog with a head full of dreams about becoming a samurai, sets off in search of his destiny and ends up in a strange and unwelcoming town that’s entirely inhabited by cats! Hank, who is a good dog, meets a very bad cat, and the chase is on! From 5 August in cinemas.

Eiffel is an epic romantic love-story told with the construction of the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop. Gustave Eiffel’s life is turned upside-down when the great lost love from his youth reappears. Their secret affair will inspire him to change the face of Paris forever. From 5 August in cinemas.

Set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago, Prey is the story of a young woman, Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior. She has been raised in the shadow of some of the most legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains, so when danger threatens her camp, she sets out to prove herself a worthy hunter. The prey she stalks, and ultimately confronts, turns out to be a highly evolved alien Predator with a technically advanced arsenal, resulting in a vicious and terrifying showdown between the two adversaries. From August 6 on Disney+.

Dear Evan Hansen is the endearing adaptation of the Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical about Evan Hansen, a high school senior with Social Anxiety disorder and his journey of self-discovery and acceptance following the suicide of a fellow classmate. From 6 August on Showmax.

In the pulse-pounding new thriller Beast, Idris Elba finds himself and a wildlife biologist (Sharlto Copley) hunted by a massive rogue lion intent on proving that the savannah has but one apex predator. What begins as a journey of healing jolts into a fearsome fight for survival. From August 12 in cinemas.

A life-affirming story chronicling the extraordinary life of an ordinary man, Laal Singh Chaddha, is a retelling of Forrest Gump, through the lens of India’s modern history and culture. From August 12 in cinemas.

No Man Of God is a compelling drama that tells of the complicated relationship that formed between the FBI analyst Bill Hagmaier (Elijah Wood) and serial killer Bundy (Luke Kirby) during Bundy's final years on death row. From August 15 on Showmax.

Jordan Peele reimagines the summer movie with the expansive new horror epic, Nope, a dark pop nightmare of uncanny science fiction and complex social thriller that unpacks the seeds of violence, risk and opportunism that are inseparable from the romanticized history of the American West … and from show business itself. From August 19 in cinemas.

In the coming-of-age story, 2 Thirds of a Man, Justin, a talented but guarded teenager returns to Cape Town to navigate unique challenges as a first-year student at Rocklands University. It’s a tale about a young, coloured male who transitions from being two-thirds of a man into a fully-fledged adult, and addresses the many challenges thereof, exploring themes of love, courage, ambition and tragedy. This local film was written and directed by first-time filmmaker Earl Kopeledi, On 19 August in cinemas.

As a shocking truth about a couple's families emerges, the two lovers discover they are not so different from each other in the romantic drama After Ever Happy. Tessa is no longer the sweet, simple, good girl she was when she met Hardin — any more than he is the cruel, moody boy she fell so hard for. From 26 August in cinemas.

In Edgar Wright’s superb psychological horror Last Night In Soho an aspiring fashion designer is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer. But the glamour is not all it appears to be and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter into something darker. From August 26 on Showmax.

Live Theatre and Ballet

Leopoldstadt is an epic family drama telling the story of an Austrian-Jewish family's experience over 50 years from the turn of the century to World War II. Written by Britain’s greatest living playwright Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare in Love, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead) inspired by his own family history. From August 6 at Cinema Nouveau.

The legend of the enigmatic swan-woman set to Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece of a score is ballet’s most beloved production in the classical canon. The Bolshoi Ballet’s Swan Lake exemplifies the dramatic tension and heart-stopping beauty of motion with prima ballerina Olga Smirnova leading the cast, as sensational as the black swan as she is poignant as the white swan. From August 13 at Cinema Nouveau.

The Bolshoi Ballet’s Jewels is a homage to the cities and dance schools of Paris, New York and St. Petersburg that made a vital impact on the revered choreographer Balanchine’s career. From August 20 at Cinema Nouveau.

Read more about the latest and upcoming film releases here.