At the start of the summer season, as we await the monsoon rains, people can also gear up for the impending Eid holidays and vacations. Luckily, there are also a slew of new shows and movies set to debut on the big screen and available to stream.
We are also looking at the start of the blockbuster season, with many new franchise installations releasing slowly over the course of summer.
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Until then, spend the days following Eid unwinding to this selection of new titles.
‘Kukri’: theatres across Pakistan
This gritty crime thriller tells the story of serial killer Javed Iqbal, who abused and killed more than 100 children in Lahore between 1998 and 1999.
Written and directed by Abu Aleeha, the film stars Ayesha Omar and Yasir Hussain and is already earning rave reviews off its chilling trailer. Expect breakout performances from the lead actors as they navigate the crime underworld in this dark big-screen feature.
The film is all set to release June 2.
‘Never Have I Ever’: Netflix
This quick-witted coming-of-age comedy is looking to it’s fourth and final season on June 8.
The protagonist, the lovable Devi, played by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, is finally bearing the fruits of the beastly amount of effort she has put into enhancing her social status in high school. Last season left us on a romantic cliffhanger as well as all the students looking to enter senior year and head off to college.
The new season promises to look into prom, graduation, and a new potential romance.
In an earlier interview with Entertainment Tonight, co-creator Mindy Kaling spoke about the show coming to an end: “Four seasons for a high school show felt like it made sense,” she said “They can’t be in high school forever…”
“The great thing about doing it on Netflix is that we got to tell stories that you wouldn’t necessarily be able to tell in traditional network shows and so we feel good. We really told the story of this 15-year-old girl and that felt like the perfect amount of time,” Kaling was quoted as saying.
‘Deewana’: theatres across Pakistan
This crime thriller tells the story of a family living in London. The father, a taxi driver, returns home from work one day to find his wife murdered in his house, and his son too, is killed shortly after.
There are plenty of suspects, a gang, a jealous workmate, and an unknown person. Himself and the police thus set out to hunt for the killer(s). The film stars Zara Akbar, Adnan Khan, and Amin Gondal, and is all set to release on June 2.
‘And Just Like That…’: MAX
This very unexpected and long-awaited spin-off to the popular ‘Sex and the City’ series from the early 2000s is now all set for its second season.
Carrie Bradshaw, Miranda Hobbes and Charlotte York Goldenblatt will be returning for more cosmos, podcasts and disastrous dates. This season also brings back many previously known characters from the original series, such as Carrie’s old flame Aidan, as well as Candice Bergen as Carrie’s frosty Vogue editor, Enid Frick.
The series is all set to debut on June 22.
‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’: theatres across Pakistan
Harrison Ford returns to the role of the legendary hero archaeologist for this fifth and likely final installment of the iconic franchise.
Starring along with Ford are Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies and Mads Mikkelsen. The film had a glittering debut at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this month, moving Ford to tears during the presentation.
Prior to the screening, Ford was awarded with honorary award for his cinema career and said, “They say when you’re about to die, you see your life flash before your eyes, and I just saw my life flash before my eyes, a great part of my life,” he told the audience, which included Disney CEO Bob Iger.
Directed by James Mangold, the film features Steven Spielberg and George Lucas serving as executive producers. John Williams, who has scored each Indy adventure since the original ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ in 1981, has composed the score.
The film debuts on June 30.
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‘Madaari’: theatres across Pakistan
Yet another crime thriller releasing over Eid, this one, however, is set in the gritty city of Karachi.
Exploring the dichotomy of the justice system the film tells the story of Haris, whose father was murdered in a political rift. The only luck he gets is at his father’s killer’s office, where he is faced with a difficult choice.
‘Jack Ryan’ - Season 4: Prime Video
John Krasinski will be reprising his role as Jack Ryan, the CIA analyst based on the book series by author Tom Clancy, in the final season of the Amazon Original action series.
The new season will see Ryan in his role as the CIA’s deputy director, on a mission to investigate drug cartels, terrorist organizations and a domestic conspiracy.
The series finale will begin to debut on June 30. Two episodes will be released weekly thereafter, with the finale of the six-episode season debuting on July 14.
‘Allahyar And The 100 Flowers Of God’: theatres across Pakistan
This animated adventure follows Allahyar, a young boy from the northern areas of Pakistan, who along with his best friend Hero, travels to a new world in order to rescue his father from a race of ruthless, tree-poaching robots.
The film talks about climate change, renewable energy and stresses the importance of trees and forests for a greener future. It also touches on key issues like social inequality and the value of friendship and unity.
The movie features a star voice-over cast, including Humayun Saeed, Ali Zafar, Iqra Aziz, Meera, Bushra Ansari and Nadia Jamil among others.
The film is all set to release over Eid.
‘Hijack’: Apple TV+
This seven-episode series shares the real-time journey of a hijacked plane.
When Flight KA29 is hijacked during its seven-hour journey from Dubai to London, corporate negotiator Sam Nelson played by Idris Elba, tries to use his professional skills to save everyone on board.
The series also stars Archie Panjabi and is all set to release June 28.