2 minute read
Screen Time
WITH MARISA PATWA
i
Advertisement
August shows feature inspiring female athletes, a superhero lawyer and a return to a mythical world
A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
Men go off to fight and die in World War II, while their wives build the aircrafts they fly in. Some were even selected to play professional baseball. Batter up: A League of Their Own. This baseball comedy shot in Evansville in the early 90s is being turned into a television series - just in time for the film’s 30th anniversary. It's pitch-perfect timing. As a woman who's always been more posh than sporty, this movie was truly impactful on my childhood. Watching Geena Davis, Rosie O’Donnell, and Madonna play these fierce baseball players in a man’s world made me feel like I could swing a bat - and I'm passing that gift of female empowerment down to my daughter who recently saw the film for the first time. The new series is produced by Broad City's Abbi Jackson, who also stars in it. Get ready to step up to the plate! Amazon Prime 8/12
SHE HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW
The versatile Tatiana Maslany is making the jump from clone to superhero in She Hulk. Her ability to play infinite carbon copies with different personalities in Orphan Black makes her the perfect person to take on the titular role of the hulk's cousin who gets her powers after a blood transfusion gone wrong. Or right if you want to turn green and grow to 6’7". It’s been long overdue for more Marvel female characters to get their own starring roles and Disney+ is finally catching up, recently churning out several female-centric shows and films from Wanda Vision to Ms. Marvel. Here, Maslany plays Jennifer Walters, a lawyer by day and green-skinned, butt-kicking superhero at night. Mark Ruffalo also drops in his cerebral Bruce Banner while The Good Place's Jameela Jamil turns evil as her rival Titania. Soon we'll find out if She Hulk can win her case in court and help save the world. Disney+ 8/17
HOUSE OF THE DRAGON
It’s finally time to take a gold-dipped sword dive back into the mythos of the Game of Thrones phenomena. The realm of royal politics made famous by George R. R. Martin books has turned people around the world into die-hard fans. The HBO show based on his novels turned into a cultural sensation, popularizing everything from Direwolf mugs to Dothraki tattoos. It turned actors like Sophie Turner, Maise Williams, Emilia Clarke and Kit Harrington into household names - the latter of which is getting his own spin-off, a little whisper told me. HBO first tried to release a prequel starring Stranger Things' Jamie Campbell Bower, but strangely, it was pulled. Matthew Smith and Olivia Cooke are now getting the chance to take us back to Westeros, showing the beginnings of the Targaryen Civil War. Will this second attempt at a prequel work? Will it be any match for the original? Only the Mad King can tell us.
