The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become one of the most critically and commercially successful movie franchises of all time. Disney wanted to recreate this success with a shared universe of television shows on ABC and Netflix. They have had mixed results so far. The fans loved Daredevil and Jessica Jones, but shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Iron Fist have prompted more of a negative response.
Netflix has been given the chance to create their own version of The Avengers, who deal with street-level threats instead of intergalactic armies. The time has almost come to see if they can pull it off.
We are here today to count down the most exciting TV shows and movies that are being added to Netflix in August of 2017.
From the English debut of Death Note, to the TV version of The Avengers, here are the 15 Shows And Movies You Didn't Know Were Coming To Netflix This August.
15. Death Note
It's crazy that it took this long for Death Note to receive an English live action adaptation. Death Note was a massively popular manga series in Japan that spawned numerous adaptations in its homeland.
It is usually difficult to recreate a manga or anime series in real life, yet Death Note is grounded enough that it would be easy to pull off cheaply. Death Note is about a teenager named Light, who discovers a magical book that will kill anyone whose name is written within it. Light decides to end all crime and war by killing criminals and dictators. The only person who can stop him is a detective named L, whose true name is unknown.
The response to the Death Note trailer has been negative to say the least. The story has been altered in order to move the setting to America and to trim it down into a single movie, which means that it will be different from the other versions of the story.
The Death Note manga is one of the greatest comic book series of all time, and Netflix would have to totally screw up in every way in order to ruin it.
Death Note is coming to Netflix on August 25th.
14. The Matrix Trilogy
All three of The Matrix movies are coming to Netflix. The first one redefined the action movie genre, while the other two... also exist.
The Matrix is often cited as being the movie that kicked off the DVD generation. DVD's were a huge jump in quality over VHS tapes, and The Matrix was the first must-own movies of the time when DVD players started appearing in homes across the world.
It was the movie that popularized the notion of humanity living in a virtual reality (though The Matrix was far from the first story to use that premise), whilst combining kung fu action scenes with elegant gunplay. The Matrix is one of the most influential movies of all time and you should go out of your way to see it if you haven't already.
The Matrix sequels are not as good as the original, though they are still entertaining movies in their own right. The original Matrix movie is the one that deserves your attention, though.
The three Matrix movies will be coming to Netflix on August 1st.
13. Icarus
Icarus is one of Netflix's most expensive purchases of all time. They spent $5 million dollars on acquiring the distribution rights for the film after it was shown at Sundance. Icarus promises to be one of the most revealing documentaries of all time.
The premise of Icarus is that Russia has been doping its athletes since the '60s and has been faking clean drug tests for the same length of time. Icarus aims to unveil the truth behind the Russian government's involvement and culpability in these crimes. This can be tricky, especially when people associated with the scandal keep mysteriously dropping dead.
If the claims in Icarus are true, then the results of almost all of the major worldwide sporting events for the past fifty years will be called into question. The use of steroids and painkillers in order to increase the performance of athletes may invalidate all of Russia's sports victories since the '60s.
Icarus is coming to Netflix on August 4th.
12. Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later: Season 1
Netflix has shown a willingness to revive properties of questionable quality. One can only wonder why they bothered to bring back Richie Rich or Full House. They can sometimes hit on a winner, however, which was the case with Wet Hot American Summer.
This was originally a movie that parodied the teen sex comedies of the '80s, yet it bombed at the box office and was hated by critics. Netflix decided to make a prequel show based on the movie, called Wet Hot American Summer: First Day Of Camp, which was a lot better received.
A sequel series is coming to Netflix, which will be set after the events of the film. Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later will focus on the cast after they have grown into adults. Bradley Cooper was not able to return to the show due to prior commitments, unfortunately, but the rest of the original cast will be returning.
Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later is coming to Netflix on August 4th.
11. Cloud Atlas
The Matrix trilogy isn't the only project by the Wachowskis that is joining Netflix this month. Their 2012 science fiction film Cloud Atlas is also appearing on the streaming service.
Cloud Atlas is an unusual film, to say the least. The film is set at several different points in history, with characters who reincarnate into new people throughout the story. To say more would be to spoil too much of the film's story.
Cloud Atlas ran into trouble when it was first released, due to accusations of certain characters appearing in yellowface during segments set in Seoul. This controversy has since died down.
The movie is considered to be one of the Wachowskis most polarizing works. There doesn't seem to be a consensus on the film's quality, as it is usually loved or hated at both ends of the spectrum. It is up to each viewer to determine whether Cloud Atlas is for them.
Cloud Atlas is coming to Netflix on August 1st.
10. Surviving Escobar – Alias JJ: Season 1
One of Netflix's most popular original series is Narcos. This was the series that told the story of Pablo Escobar, who was one of the most successful and vicious drug lords of all time.
It seems that Netflix wants to squeeze more out of the story of Pablo Escobar. They have purchased the English distribution rights for Surviving Escobar - Alias JJ from Caracol TV, which is a Colombian network.
Surviving Escobar - Alias JJ is based on a book written by John Jairo Velasquez, who was one of Pablo Escobar's personal hitmen. Velasquez was better known as Popeye, which was a nickname given to him during his time in the Navy. He spent most of his life behind bars, before being released in 2014. Velasquez is now a YouTube celebrity in Colombia, where he presumably pretends to be scared by video games or gives makeup tips.
Surviving Escobar - Alias JJ is coming to Netflix on August 1st.
9. Voltron: Legendary Defender: Season 3
The original Voltron was an early English language adaptation of an anime called Beast King GoLion. It was mainly released because of its superficial resemblance to Transformers, which was also a big hit at the time. Voltron was a big hit in the '80s and it maintained a cult following. Netflix teamed up with DreamWorks to reboot the franchise, which led to the creation of Voltron: Legendary Defender.
Voltron: Legendary Defender follows the story of the five pilots of the Voltron mechas, who are known as Paladins. It is up to them to stand against the evil Galra Empire and their leader, as they are dragged into an intergalactic war in order to protect the Earth from destruction. Voltron: Legendary Defender has been well received by fans, due to its quality mixture of traditional animation and CGI, as well as for its snappy dialogue.
The third season of Voltron: Legendary Defender is coming to Netflix on August 4th.
8. What Happened to Monday?
There are some actors who have played multiple roles in the same movie or show, which has usually required the use of a green screen or the use of twin actors. Poor Noomi Rapace played seven different sisters in What Happened to Monday? which is a science fiction movie set in a dystopian world where people are only allowed to have one child.
What Happened to Monday? (originally called Seven Sisters) stars Noomi Rapace as seven identical sisters (named after the days of the week) who try and hide their existence from a government that has enforced a harsh "one child only" policy in response to growing famine and overpopulation.
They are only allowed to leave their apartment for one day a week, in order to hide their existence from the world. This happens every day until Monday does not come home. Netflix purchased the exclusive distribution rights for the film in the US, so you can only view it there.
What Happened To Monday? is coming to Netflix on August 18th.
7. DreamWorks Dragons: Race to the Edge: Season 5
How To Train Your Dragon might be the best DreamWorks movie ever produced. It was only denied the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature due to the fact that it went up against Toy Story 3. How To Train Your Dragon would have trounced most of the shlock released by Pixar nowadays, so it's a shame that it went up against one of the last great movies.
DreamWorks Dragons: Race to the Edge is set between the events of the first and second How To Train Your Dragon films. The show started out as a Cartoon Network production before the third season was moved to Netflix in 2015. DreamWorks Dragons: Race to the Edge has been well-received by fans and critics alike, which is probably why it has made it to its fifth season.
The fifth season of DreamWorks Dragons: Race to the Edge is coming to Netflix on August 25th.
6. Atypical
The Internet has turned the word "autistic" into an insult that is usually aimed at people who are perceived to be too interested or devoted to a topic. This is also true of Asperger syndrome, which has similarly been turned into a buzzword thrown around by immature idiots.
Netflix has created a dark comedy show called Atypical that aims to show the growing pains of a teenager with autism. Kier Gilchrist plays Sam, who has difficulty understanding when people aren't talking literally to him.
Sam wants to find a girlfriend and lose his virginity, even though he believes himself to be a weirdo and an outcast at his school. The show also deals with Sam's family, in that it shows how his condition has affected his home life. Atypical is a different kind of coming-of-age drama, as it deals with someone who may not have the capacity to truly communicate his feelings to others.
Atypical is coming to Netflix on August 11th.
5. Home: Adventures With Tip & Oh: Season 3
There has been a renaissance in animation over the past ten years, as some of the best new shows on television have been cartoons. Shows like Adventure Time, Bob's Burgers, Steven Universe, and Rick and Morty have proven that the animated TV show universe doesn't end with the residents of Springfield.
Home: Adventures With Tip & Oh is a TV show sequel to a 3D animated movie called Home. The Netflix show uses traditional 2D animation and is similar to shows like Adventure Time and Steven Universe, and fans of those will likely enjoy it.
It follows the events of Home and is set on an Earth where humans and aliens now live together. Tip and Oh are the human and alien duo who are the stars of the show. The third season is debuting next month, which means that you can check out the first two right now.
The third season of Home: Adventures With Tip & Oh is coming to Netflix on August 11th.
4. Naked
Groundhog Day has pretty much taken over the concept of a person being caught in a time-loop. This means that any film or TV show that uses a similar concept will be compared, unfavorably, to one of Bill Murray's best movies.
Naked is a Netflix original movie that seems to have the same concept as Groundhog Day. It stars Marlon Wayans as a man who wakes up naked in an elevator on his wedding day. He is forced to repeat the same hour over and over again, as he desperately tries to make it to the ceremony.
Naked is actually a remake of a Swedish movie, called Naken, so it's not technically ripping off Groundhog Day. Naken is best known for its two directors (the Knutsson brothers) showing up naked to the Cannes Film Festival in order to promote the movie, which got them arrested. Marlon Wayans was unable to do this, however, due to Naked being a Netflix original movie.
Naked is coming to Netflix on August 11th.
3. I Am Sam
There are some movies which are clearly Oscar bait. These movies are usually centered around historical tragedies (with the Holocaust being the most popular choice) or involve the lead actor playing a character with a physical or mental disability. I Am Sam has often been accused of being one of the most obvious Oscar Bait movies of all time. That may be true, but it doesn't stop it from being an incredible movie.
I Am Sam stars Sean Penn, who plays a man with a developmental disability. The movie focuses on his relationship with his young daughter, who quickly becomes more intelligent than he is.
Sam seeks out the help of a lawyer (played by Michelle Pfeiffer), in order to stop his daughter from being taken away from him by social services. Sean Penn gives an incredible performance in the role of Sam. He never actually won any major awards for this movie, but Dakota Fanning (who played his daughter) was able to win several.
I Am Sam is coming to Netflix on August 18th.
2. Disjointed
Since the end of 2016, there have been several states in the US that have legalized the recreational and medicinal use of marijuana. It is expected that the individual illegality of the substance will be lifted slowly over time across the country. Chuck Lorre decided that a café that deals specifically with the selling of legal cannabis would be an excellent location for a comedy series.
Disjointed is a twenty-episode comedy series that stars Kathy Bates as Ruth Whiteflower Feldman. She is a lifetime weed aficionado, who finally has the ability to smoke and sell it in a legal manner.
The slow legalization of marijuana has prompted several networks to commission comedy shows based on locations that can legally sell weed, like Margaret Cho's Highland and HBO's High Maintenance (you might be seeing a bit of a theme with the titles). It remains to be seen if Disjointed will stand out from the pack.
Disjointed is coming to Netflix on August 25th.
1. The Defenders
In 2015, Marvel's partnership with Netflix bore fruit in the form of Daredevil. This was an awesome street-level superhero action show, which helped to redeem the character in the eyes of those who only remember him from the Ben Affleck movie. Daredevil was then followed by the awesome Jessica Jones.
The Netflix/Marvel TV show universe started to diminish in quality after Jessica Jones. Luke Cage was considered to be average and mostly disposable by fans and critics alike, while Iron Fist was thrashed in the reviews.
Netflix's TV show universe is leading to a crossover show that combines all of the protagonists of the previous shows. The Defenders will hopefully tie up all of the loose ends established in the other shows, while possibly leading to a connection with the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Will the two-year shared universe experiment pay off? We'll find out within the next few weeks, and we'll be keeping our fingers crossed.
Marvel's The Defenders is coming to Netflix on August 18th.
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Which of these shows or movies are you most looking forward to seeing? Are there any others that you think Netflix should add? Let us know in the comment section!