The final theatrical weekend of August offers three films that could hardly be more different.
Ridley Scott returns to science fiction with a story about survival after a global catastrophe. Wile E. Coyote finally gets his day in court after his completed movie was nearly kept from audiences. Meanwhile, an apparently friendly children’s television mascot becomes the centre of a deeply strange horror story.
Here is what to know about The Dog Stars, Coyote vs. Acme and Buddy before they arrive in American theatres on August 28, 2026.
The Dog Stars
Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars is based on Peter Heller’s 2012 novel and stars Jacob Elordi as Hig, a civilian pilot living in the aftermath of a pandemic that destroyed much of the world’s population.
Hig shares an isolated Colorado airport with his dog and Bangley, an armed survivalist played by Josh Brolin. Their arrangement is functional but emotionally empty. Bangley believes that survival is the only objective that still matters, while Hig remains convinced that life must offer something more.
A mysterious radio transmission gives Hig a reason to leave their protected existence and search for other survivors. That journey brings new dangers but also the possibility of connection.
Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce, Benedict Wong and Allison Janney complete the principal cast. Mark L. Smith adapted the screenplay, while Scott directs.
Why It Stands Out
Post-apocalyptic movies often concentrate on ruined cities, violent factions and the mechanics of staying alive. The Dog Stars appears more interested in what survival is worth when companionship, trust and hope have almost disappeared.
Scott still brings scale and danger to the material, but the relationship between Hig, his dog and Bangley gives the story a more intimate foundation. The contrast between Hig’s optimism and Bangley’s defensive worldview could become the film’s emotional centre.
Who Should Watch?
Watch it if you enjoy:
Thoughtful post-apocalyptic stories
Ridley Scott’s science-fiction films
Survival drama
Character-led journeys
Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin
Adaptations of literary fiction
Skip it if you are tired of pandemic narratives or expect continuous blockbuster action.
Early Flicklevel expectation: The Dog Stars looks like the weekend’s most visually ambitious and emotionally serious release.
Coyote vs. Acme
Few 2026 releases arrive with a stranger history than Coyote vs. Acme.
The live-action and animated comedy follows Wile E. Coyote after years of defective Acme products have exploded, collapsed or otherwise failed while he pursued the Road Runner. Instead of ordering another oversized weapon, Coyote hires a lawyer and takes the company to court.
Will Forte plays Kevin Avery, the struggling attorney representing Coyote. John Cena plays the intimidating lawyer defending Acme, while Lana Condor, Tone Bell, P.J. Byrne and Luis Guzmán appear in supporting roles.
Dave Green directs from a screenplay by Samy Burch, based on a story credited to Burch, James Gunn and Jeremy Slater.
Why Its Release Matters
The movie was completed before Warner Bros. Discovery announced that it would not release it. The decision produced widespread criticism, particularly because reports suggested the finished film had performed well during test screenings.
Ketchup Entertainment later acquired the movie and scheduled its theatrical release.
That history gives Coyote vs. Acme significance beyond its plot. Its arrival represents a rare case in which a completed studio production escaped permanent shelving and reached the audience it was made for.
Is It Only for Children?
Not necessarily.
The slapstick animation and familiar Looney Tunes characters make it accessible to families, but the courtroom story gives the film room to satirise corporate power, product liability and the absurd logic of cartoon violence.
The central joke is clever because Coyote has a legitimate complaint. Acme has sold him years of catastrophically unreliable products, and the company has never been required to answer for the consequences.
Who Should Watch?
Watch it if you enjoy:
Looney Tunes
Live-action and animation hybrids
Family comedies
John Cena and Will Forte
Courtroom satire
Films with unusual production histories
Skip it if you dislike exaggerated slapstick or movies built heavily around nostalgia.
Early Flicklevel expectation: This is the weekend’s safest family choice and potentially its most satisfying crowd-pleaser.
Official Coyote vs. Acme website
Buddy
Buddy takes the harmless appearance of 1990s children’s television and turns it into something deeply unsettling.
Directed by Too Many Cooks creator Casper Kelly, the film centres on a brightly coloured humanoid unicorn named Buddy. He presents himself as a cheerful television host who teaches children simple lessons, but the friendly persona conceals a controlling and dangerous nature.
Keegan-Michael Key voices Buddy. Cristin Milioti plays Grace, a suburban mother who is inadvertently drawn into the character’s nightmare world. The cast also includes Delaney Quinn, Topher Grace, Michael Shannon and Patton Oswalt.
The film premiered in Sundance’s Midnight section before Roadside Attractions and Saban Films acquired its North American distribution rights.
Why It Could Be the Weekend’s Surprise
The basic idea sounds like another piece of mascot horror, but Casper Kelly’s involvement suggests something stranger than a conventional killer-character movie.
Kelly understands how familiar television rhythms can become uncomfortable when repeated, distorted or separated from their original context. Buddy can use catchy songs, colourful sets and forced positivity to create tension before the horror fully emerges.
Cristin Milioti is also an important reason to pay attention. She has repeatedly shown an ability to move between comedy, emotional drama and darker material without making the transitions feel artificial.
Who Should Watch?
Watch it if you enjoy:
Unusual horror comedies
Distorted childhood nostalgia
Psychological and surreal horror
Cristin Milioti
Casper Kelly’s Too Many Cooks
Movies that become stranger as they unfold
Skip it if you dislike horror involving children, disturbing mascots or deliberately surreal storytelling.
Early Flicklevel expectation: Buddy is the riskiest selection, but it may become the weekend’s most talked-about genre movie.
Which Movie Should You Watch First?
Choose The Dog Stars if you want scale, survival and an emotionally serious science-fiction story.
Choose Coyote vs. Acme if you want accessible comedy, familiar characters and a film whose real-world survival is almost as remarkable as its plot.
Choose Buddy if you want the weekend’s strangest and most unpredictable experience.
Flicklevel Verdict
Best overall prospect: The Dog Stars
Best family choice: Coyote vs. Acme
Best horror choice: Buddy
Biggest potential surprise: Buddy
The August 28 weekend is not built around one dominant type of movie. That is its advantage. Audiences can choose between thoughtful science fiction, family-friendly cartoon satire and experimental horror without settling for three versions of the same formula.
Final Opinion
The Dog Stars is our first choice because Ridley Scott’s visual instincts and the source novel’s emotional foundation could produce something more substantial than an ordinary post-apocalyptic thriller.
However, Coyote vs. Acme is the movie whose release carries the most symbolic weight. Audiences finally have the opportunity to decide its value for themselves.
Do not overlook Buddy. Its smaller scale and stranger premise may prevent it from leading the box office, but those same qualities could give it the strongest cult following.
Trusted release source: Cinema United release calendar