Coming soon: our in-depth columns on Red, White & Royal Blue, a new Prime Video film based on the Kirkus-starred romance by Casey McQuiston (premiering Aug. 11), and Landscape With Invisible Hand, a theatrical film based on the Kirkus-starred YA novel by M.T. Anderson (premiering Aug. 18). Here are four more book-to-screen adaptations coming in August:

Aug. 3: Heartstopper (Season 2 premiere, Netflix)

Season 1 of this live-action show was based on the first two volumes of Alice Oseman’s YA LGBTQ+ romance graphic-novel series, both published in 2020. (The second volume received a Kirkus Star.) The books tell the touching story of a romance between two British high school students: Charlie, a slight boy in year 10 (the equivalent of American freshman year) and rugby player Nick in year 11, who identifies as straight but who eventually requites Charlie’s affection. Following a shared kiss, the pair pursue a secret relationship as Nick comes to terms with his sexuality. “Nick and Charlie’s lighthearted and tender romance is delightful,” Kirkus’ reviewer wrote about Volume 2, “and the genuine heart present in the characters makes for a wholesome and uplifting ride.” Season 2 of the streaming series adapts Heartstopper: Volume 3 (2021), which features a school trip to Paris; it follows the teens’ relationship as Nick determines how to come out to his schoolmates. The show stars newcomer Joe Locke as Charlie and Kit Connor, who played a young Elton John in the 2019 film Rocketman, as Nick. The supporting cast includes newcomer William Gao as Charlie’s best friend, Tao, and Yasmin Finney, who’s set to co-star in the next season of Doctor Who, as Charlie and Tao’s friend Elle, who transferred to a girls’ school after coming out as trans.

Aug. 4: Meg 2: The Trench (theatrical film premiere)

This action-movie sequel adapts Steve Alten’s The Trench (2019), a follow-up to his bestseller Meg (1997), which yielded its own film version, The Meg, in 2018. In the first book, paleontologist Jonas Taylor is on the hunt for a gigantic, ravenous shark called a megalodon—a species thought be extinct. The second novel tells a similar tale, but the “meg” this time around is the offspring of the first shark—and it’s a much larger beast. The original film, which starred Jason Statham as Taylor, was an entertaining riff on Jaws that featured a few very good jump-scares. The entertaining Statham returns for this outing, which promises similarly gory fun; it’s directed by Ben Wheatley, who helmed a memorable 2015 movie adaptation of J.G Ballard’s High-Rise (1975).

Aug. 4: Corner Office (theatrical film premiere)

Mad Men’s Jon Hamm stars in this movie version of Jonas Karlsson’s 2015 novel, The Room (translated from Swedish by Neil Smith). In the book, unreliable narrator Björn, a civil service worker at an obscure government agency, discovers a secret room that no one else can perceive; whenever he enters, it seems to energize him and allow him to do amazing work. His co-workers, however, are put off by his apparent delusion—and his odd tendency to stand motionless for minutes at a time. This satirical novel seems like good material for a quirky, dark film comedy; Hamm has shown impressive comedic chops in the Netflix show Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and elsewhere, and co-star Danny Pudi is best known for his work on the much-loved sitcom Community. Director Joachim Back won an Oscar in 2009 for his short film The New Tenants.

Aug. 20: The Winter King (limited series premiere, MGM+)

The legend of King Arthur has been told countless times, but Bernard Cornwell’s The Winter King (1996) stands out for its unusual takes on well-known characters—depicting Lancelot as a cowardly politician and Merlin as a comical wizard. It also features “great battle scenes and brilliant political intrigue,” according to Kirkus’ review. This intriguing new miniseries, based on The Winter King and its two sequels, Enemy of God (1997) and Excalibur (1998), stars Agents of  S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Iain De Caestecker as Arthur and is co–executive produced by Julie Gardner (Doctor Who).

David Rapp is the senior Indie editor.