It’s the battle of Avatars, as blockbuster sequel Avatar: Fire and Ash makes its streaming debut alongside season two of Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series. Also, we get the return of Collin Farrell’s Sugar, and much more!
SERIES
Sugar S2
19 June 2026 – Apple TV
If you’ve seen the first season of Sugar, then you know that the neo-noir series has one seriously wild twist. A twist that all the promo material for the new season is going out of its way to keep secret. Props to Apple for that bit of smart marketing, as this just looks like a really well-acted crime drama starring Colin Farrell as dashing Los Angeles private eye John Sugar, who finds himself in way over his head as he’s hired by an up-and-coming local boxer to track down his missing sister. And honestly, that is what is. But there’s also something else, which I’m not spoiling here. And that’s all I’m going to say about that!
The American Experiment
24 June 2026 – Netflix
The United States of America and its leaders have been hogging headlines for a while now, and mostly for all the wrong reasons, causing global sentiment to continue to sour against the superpower. As the USA celebrates its 250th anniversary of independence this year though, it’s important to remember that the country’s start was a very far cry from its current fascist leanings. The American Experiment is a new five-part historical documentary series that “reexamines the improbable achievement that was the nation’s founding, and the radical question at the center of the American Revolution: Can a people govern themselves?”. Featuring former vice presidents and cabinet officials, current and former members of Congress, a former Supreme Court justice, leading historians, tribal chiefs, military experts, and various leaders across the political spectrum, this doc looks at how American democracy has been built, challenged, and reimagined over the course of two and a half centuries. While the current American government seems intent on whitewashing and hiding its troubled past, this series will take a warts-and-all approach as it covers the American Revolution through the drafting of the Constitution and the first American presidency, and feature a diverse array of voices in reenactments, including Martin Sheen as George Washington.
Avatar: The Last Airbender S2
25 June 2026 – Netflix
I am yet to get around to watching the first season Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender. No, this is not some principled stand given how much I loved the original cartoon, or because I am still scarred from M. Night Shyamalan’s abortive feature film adaptation. I’ve just been busy, ok? I will probably fix this entertainment oversight soon though as the series returns next week! Season two will pick up in the moments after Avatar Aang (Gordon Cormier), Katara (Kiawentiio), and Sokka (Ian Ousley) managed to successfully save the Northern Water Tribe from the invading Fire Nation. That act of defiance came at a huge cost though, and now the group of heroes need set off on a new mission to convince the elusive Earth King to aid in their battle against fearsome Fire Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim). And, as fans of the original show knows, that means visiting Ba Sing Se (where there is no war, just remember that!) and meeting Toph (Miya Cech), the fan-favourite Earthbending prodigy!
MOVIES
Voicemails for Isabelle
19 June 2026 – Netflix
We all have our own ways of coping with grief, and for aspiring chef Jill (Zoey Deutch) she deals with her sister Isabelle’s death by leaving her very detailed voicemail notes confessing all the ups and downs of her chaotic life in San Francisco. There’s just one small problem. Unbeknownst to Jill, Isabelle’s mobile number has been reassigned to Austin real estate agent Wes (Nick Robinson) and he’s now been the unwitting recipient to Jill spilling her proverbial guts. When some of those thoughts detail just how rough things are for Jill, Wes finally decides to intervene and the pair immediately hit it off. But again, small problem. Jill doesn’t know that Wes knows all her inner thoughts, good and bad. And yeah, you can see where this is going, right?
Avatar: Fire and Ash
24 June 2026 – Disney+
With box office earnings topping out at $1.5 billion, it’s almost certain that veteran filmmaker James Cameron will get to make a fourth Avatar movie, and that’s a really good thing. Mainly because I don’t want the franchise to end on the painfully clunky note that Avatar: Fire and Ash left us with! While I have defended Cameron’s first two Avatar films as great popcorn blockbuster entertainment, despite their blatantly cliched writing, I wasn’t that big a fan of the long-awaited Fire and Ash, as my 6.5/10 review attested. As I mentioned then, “from a technical blockbuster filmmaking perspective, James Cameron’s third Avatar film is peerless. The visual spectacle is simply unmatched and Cameron stages entertaining action beats to always keep the three-hour-plus runtime interesting. But outside of new baddie Varang, the introduction of a new faction on Pandora is nearly a non-event, and the narrative shift to focus on Jack Champion’s outmatched Spider leads to an uneven sci-fi adventure.” And now, six months later, Avatar: Fire and Ash is finally making its streaming debut on Disney+, but will the aforementioned visual spectacle be enough when you’re watching in your lounge and not a towering IMAX screen? We will find out next week!
In the Hand of Dante
24 June 2026 – Netflix
American painter/filmmaker Julian Schnabel has quite the track record. Since making his filmmaking debut with 1996’s Basquiat, he’s only delivered four other feature films, and most of them have been nominated for various Oscars and Golden Globes, not to mention launching the careers of the likes of Jeffrey Wright, Javier Bardem, and more. All of that is to say that new film In the Hand of Dante should probably be on your list to check out when it debuts next week. The star-studded drama is based on author Nick Tosches’ 2002 novel of the same name and stars Oscar Isaac as a fictionalized version of Tosches himself, who is recruited by the mafia to steal a handwritten copy of 14th century Italian poet Dante Aligheiri’s magnum opus, The Divine Comedy, setting the New York author on a wild and violent course. But the film doesn’t just follow Tosches’ storyline, as it also parallels’ it with the story of Dante himself, also played by Oscar Isaac, as he embarks on a journey to Sicily in search of inspiration to finish what will become his masterpiece. Alongside Oscar, the film’s cast is filled with a collection of well-known faces including Gerard Butler, Gal Gadot, John Malkovich, Martin Scorsese, Al Pacino, Jason Momoa, and more.