Disney+ Hotstar new arrivals in August: ‘The One & Only Ivan’, ‘Lovecraft Country’ and more

A modern-day Disney classic, a racial horror-drama from Jordan Peele, and a tribute to a legendary lyricist are among new offerings this month

A hybrid of live-action and CGI, ‘The One & Only Ivan’ is based on Katherine Applegate’s bestselling book

In August, Disney+ Hotstar debuts a diverse range of shows and films.

The classic characters Phineas and Ferb are back at their comical best in Phineas & Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe . The untold story of Howard , the brilliant lyricist behind Disney classics like Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast and many such masterpieces is another highlight, as is Kristen Stewart’s sci-fi horror flick Underwater.

Lovecraft Country, executive produced by Jordan Peele, about a young African American who travels across the 1950s segregated United States in search of his missing father, is a horror-drama series with racial undertones that is much anticipated.

The biggest arrival this month is

The One & Only Iva n, a hybrid of live-action and CGI, which is based on Katherine Applegate’s bestselling book. Starring the voices of A-listers such as Angelina Jolie and Sam Rockwell, the heartwarming story of a very special gorilla looks set to be a modern-day Disney classic for the ages.

Upcoming movies

Spies in Disguise - August 8

In this high-flying animated comedy, super spy Lance Sterling (Will Smith) and scientist Walter Beckett (Tom Holland) are almost exact opposites. Lance is smooth, suave and debonair. Walter is none of the above. But this unlikely duo must team up for the ultimate mission to save the world when a “biodynamic concealment” experiment transforms Lance into a brave, fierce, majestic... pigeon!

Cast: Will Smith, Tom Holland, Ben Mendelsohn, Karen Gillan, Rashida Jones, DJ Khaled, Masi Oka

Howard - August 8

Directed by Don Hahn, Howard is the untold story of Howard Ashman, the brilliant lyricist behind Disney classics like “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Little Mermaid” and creator of musicals including “Little Shop of Horrors.”

Featuring never-before-seen archival footage, personal films and photographs, as well as interviews with Howard’s friends and family, the film is an intimate look at the Disney Legend’s life, his creative drive, and the process behind the music. Spanning his childhood in Baltimore, to his formative years in New York, and his untimely death due to AIDS, “Howard” goes in-depth to explore his journey to become the lyricist behind some of the most beloved and well-known classic family films in the world.

The One & Only Ivan - August 21

An adaptation of the award-winning book about one very special gorilla, “The One and Only Ivan” is an unforgettable tale about the beauty of friendship, the power of visualization and the significance of the place one calls home.

Ivan is a 400-pound silverback gorilla who shares a communal habitat in a suburban shopping mall with Stella the elephant, Bob the dog, and various other animals. He has few memories of the jungle where he was captured, but when a baby elephant named Ruby arrives, it touches something deep within him. Ruby is recently separated from her family in the wild, which causes him to question his life, where he comes from and where he ultimately wants to be.

The heartwarming adventure, which comes to the screen in an impressive hybrid of live-action and CGI, is based on Katherine Applegate’s bestselling book, which won numerous awards upon its publication in 2013, including the Newbery Medal.

Cast: Sam Rockwell (voice of Ivan), Angelina Jolie (voice of Stella), Danny DeVito (voice of Bob the dog), Helen Mirren (voice of Snickers the poodle), Brooklynn Prince (voice of Ruby), Ramon Rodriguez (mall employee George), Ariana Greenblatt (George’s daughter Julia), Chaka Khan (voice of Henrietta the chicken), Mike White (voice of Frankie the seal), Ron Funches (voice of Murphy the rabbit), Phillipa Soo (voice of Thelma the parrot)

Underwater - August 14

A crew of underwater researchers must scramble to safety after an earthquake devastates their deep-sea laboratory. But the crew has more than the ocean’s depths to fear.

Cast: Kristen Stewart, Vincent Cassel, Jessica Henwick, John Gallagher Jr., Mamoudou Athie, T.J. Miller, Gunner Wright, Fiona Rene, Amanda Troop

Phineas & Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe - August 28

Stepbrothers Phineas and Ferb, their older sister Candace, Perry the Platypus and the Danville gang are back together again in “Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe,” an out-of-this-world animated adventure from Disney Television Animation.

Executive-produced by Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh (creators and executive producers of the long-running Emmy Award-winning series “Phineas and Ferb”) the movie centers on Phineas and Ferb as they set out across the galaxy to rescue Candace, who after being abducted by aliens, finds utopia in a far-off planet, free of pesky little brothers.

Cast: Ashley Tisdale (Candace Flynn), Vincent Martella (Phineas Flynn), David Errigo Jr. (Ferb Fletcher), Caroline Rhea (Mom), Dee Bradley Baker (Perry the Platypus), Alyson Stoner (Isabella) and Maulik Pancholy (Baljeet)

Upcoming shows

Weird But True! Season 3 - August 14

Children’s entertainers and educators Charlie Engelman and Carly Ciarrocchi host the third season of the Emmy Award-winning series and this time, they’re embarking on even more imaginative and strange adventures to reveal surprising and interesting facts about the world.

Set both in studio and in the field, “Weird But True!” is a 13-episode series that integrates a mix of arts and crafts, unbelievable facts and real-life exploration. Whether hunting for dinosaur fossils, hiking volcanoes or flying planes, the science-loving duo inspires kids to get excited about the world around them.

Host: Charlie Engelman and Carly Ciarrocchi

Lovecraft Country - August 17

Based on Matt Ruff ‘s novel of the same name, Lovecraft Country follows Atticus Freeman as he meets up with his friend Letitia and his Uncle George to embark on a road trip across 1950s Jim Crow America in search of his missing father. This begins a struggle to survive and overcome both the racist terrors of white America and the terrifying monsters that could be ripped from a Lovecraft paperback.

Cast: Jonathan Majors, Jurnee Smollett, Courtney B. Vance, Michael Kenneth Williams