From an HBO superhero mystery smashing critical expectations to a Looney Tunes courtroom farce that barely survived its own studio, this week's lineup is anything but predictable.
Whether you are looking for a prestige television obsession or an incoming movie that survived corporate purgatory, here is what is worth tracking this week.
DC's TV Redemption: Why Lanterns Is the First Must-Watch DCU Show
🍅95%Tomatometer
Lanterns arrived on HBO on August 16 — and DC fans who have spent years waiting for a truly grounded television hit are finally getting their validation.
While James Gunn's DC Universe kicked off theatrically with Superman, Lanterns serves as the flagship television pillar. What makes its 95% Tomatometer score significant is not just the high number — it is the fact that critics previously skeptical about DC TV are praising this entry without reservation.
The series follows Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart investigating an ancient, dark mystery in the American heartland. Structured as a prestige crime procedural first and a cosmic superhero show second, it prioritizes atmospheric dread and character work over spectacle.
Why it matters: The television side of the new DCU needed a bulletproof start. Scoring a 95% rating across 60 reviews gives James Gunn's broader franchise rollout immediate creative credibility.
16 Years of Terror: How Insidious 6 Flips the Franchise Mythology
Insidious: Out of the Further opens August 21 as the sixth entry in the low-budget horror franchise James Wan launched in 2010. Sixteen years in, the series continues to demonstrate remarkable staying power.
This chapter shifts focus to Gemma, a young mother who survived a childhood haunted house only to discover she possesses the rare ability to cross into The Further — the purgatorial realm of lost souls at the center of the franchise's mythology. The twist that revitalizes the narrative: Gemma can pull entities out of The Further and into our reality, a power evil forces exploit immediately.
Crucially, horror icon Lin Shaye returns as Elise Rainier, providing essential continuity across the franchise's timeline. Director Jacob Chase — who wrote the screenplay while expecting his first child — grounds the supernatural scares in parental dread. The original Insidious was fundamentally about a father terrified of losing his child. Out of the Further approaches the same fear from the mother's side.
Pre-release tracking projects a $26–34 million domestic opening weekend.
What to watch: Whether Chase can expand the lore without over-explaining The Further. The strongest entries in this franchise have always relied on shadow play and restraint rather than gratuitous monster reveals.
Track Insidious: Out of the Further on incoming →
Resurrected from the Tax Vault: Coyote vs. Acme Finally Arrives
🍅95%Tomatometer
Coyote vs. Acme arrives in theaters on August 28 following one of the most bizarre distribution battles in Hollywood history.
After filming wrapped, Warner Bros. Discovery shelved the completed live-action/animation hybrid in November 2023, attempting to write it off as a $30 million tax loss — the same strategy WBD had used on Batgirl over a year earlier. The backlash was immediate: a fan appeared outside WB headquarters in a Wile E. Coyote costume carrying a protest sign, and at the 51st Annie Awards, voice actor Eric Bauza broke character mid-speech to shout "RELEASE COYOTE VS ACME" — as Daffy Duck, which made it both funnier and sharper. Amazon and Netflix entered negotiations and declined when WB asked approximately $80 million for the rights. Eventually, indie distributor Ketchup Entertainment acquired worldwide rights for roughly $50 million.
Early reviews justify the outcry: the film holds a 95% Tomatometer score, with critics drawing favorable comparisons to Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Adapted from Ian Frazier's 1990 New Yorker humor piece, the plot sees Wile E. Coyote hire a down-on-his-luck attorney (Will Forte) to sue Acme Corporation for its defective products. John Cena and Lana Condor round out the live-action cast.
The open question: Ketchup Entertainment does not have a major studio's marketing reach. Whether a 95% Tomatometer and a great story convert into opening-weekend ticket sales is genuinely uncertain.
Track Coyote vs. Acme on incoming →
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lanterns about on HBO? Lanterns is a DCU series following Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart as they investigate a dark mystery in the American heartland, structured as a prestige crime thriller.
Is Insidious: Out of the Further a reboot or a direct sequel? It is a direct sequel. Lin Shaye reprises her role as Elise Rainier, maintaining continuity with the previous five films.
Why was Coyote vs. Acme shelved by Warner Bros.? Warner Bros. shelved the finished film in November 2023 to claim a $30 million tax write-down. Public backlash and years of negotiations eventually led Ketchup Entertainment to acquire and release it.
What is the Rotten Tomatoes score for Coyote vs. Acme? The film holds a 95% Tomatometer score based on early critic reviews. Audience scores are pending — it opens August 28.
Where can I stream Lanterns? Lanterns is streaming exclusively on Max (HBO).