The Archies

The Archies is a 2023 Indian teen musical comedy film directed by Zoya Akhtar who also produced the film with Reema Kagti under Tiger Baby Films and Sharad Devarajan under Graphic India. The film features the fictional music band produced by and related to Archie Comics and stars Agastya Nanda, Khushi Kapoor, Suhana Khan, Vedang Raina, Mihir Ahuja, Aditi "Dot" Saigal and Yuvraj Menda.

The film adaptation of the comics has been under development since March 2018, before Akhtar's involvement as the director and producer of the film, officially announced in November 2021. Following an extensive pre-production and casting process, the film was shot during April–December 2022 in two concurrent schedules across Ooty, Mauritius, and Mumbai. Nikos Andritsakis handled the film's cinematography, with the original score composed by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy and Jim Satya, the former also composed the songs with Ankur Tewari, The Islanders and Saigal.

The Archies premiered at the 54th International Film Festival of India on November 22, 2023, and was released on Netflix on December 7, 2023. Watch the official trailer below.

Mary Queen of Scots

Director Josie Rourke

Genre Biography | Drama | History

Cast Margot Robbie, Saoirse Ronan, Joe Alwyn, David Tennant

Rating R

Release Date December 7th, 2018

“Mary Stuart’s attempt to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth I, Queen of England, finds her condemned to years of imprisonment before facing execution.”

Directed by Josie Rourke and based on the biography from John Guy, Mary Queen of Scots tells the story of Mary Stuart's attempt to overthrow her cousin Queen Elizabeth, and finds herself condemned to years of imprisonment before facing eventual execution. The cast includes Margot Robbie, Saoirse Ronan, Joe Alwyn, David Tennant, Jack Alwyn, and Guy Pearce. Check out the official trailer below!!.

Ted Takes Film Facts, Mary Queen of Scots:

• This will be the second time that Saoirse Ronan and Vanessa Redgrave are cast as the same characters on screen. Vanessa Redgrave previously played Mary Stuart in ''Mary Queen of Scots'' (1971). She also played the older Briony Tallis in ''Atonement'' (2007) to the younger Briony played by Saoirse Ronan.

• ''House of Cards'' (2013) creator Beau Willimon is writing an original screenplay based on the biography by John Guy titled "The True Life of Mary Stuart."

Vox Lux

Director Brady Corbet

Genre Drama | Musical

Cast Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Christopher Abbott, Willen Dafoe

Rating R

Release Date December 7th, 2018

“An unusual set of circumstances brings unexpected success to a pop star.”

Written and directed by actor Brady Corbet, Vox Lux is a musical drama about two teenage sisters, Celeste and Eleanor, who survive a seismic, violent tragedy. The sisters compose and perform a song about their experience which becomes a huge hit, catapulting Celeste to stardom. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Vox Lux:

• Rooney Mara was attached to the lead role when the project was announced. After the project was put on hold, Mara dropped out and Portman replaced her.

• Natalie Portman shot her part in only 10 days.

• The film premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival in Canada in September.

Ben Is Back

Director Peter Hedges

Genre Drama

Cast Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges, Courtney B. Vance, Kathryn Newton

Rating R

Release Date December 7th, 2018

“Nineteen-year-old Ben unexpectedly returns to his family’s suburban home on Christmas Eve. Ben’s mom, Holly, is relieved and welcoming but wary of her son’s drug addiction. Over a turbulent 24 hours, new truths are revealed, and a mother’s undying love gets put to the test as Holly does everything in her power to keep Ben clean.”

Written and directed by Peter Hedges (About a Boy, Dan in Real Life), Ben Is Back is a drama that tells the story of a nineteen-year-old who returns to his families suburban home on Christmas Eve, putting everyone on edge due to his struggle with drug addiction. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Film Facts. Ben Is Back:

• Writer/director Peter Hedges is the father of lead actor Lucas Hedges who is best known for his Oscar-winning performance in Manchester by the Sea (2016).

• Lucas Hedges and Kathryn Newton co-starred the year before in Lady Bird (2017) and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), marking this movie their third collaboration.

Mowgli

Director Andy Serkis

Genre Adventure | Drama | Family

Cast Christian Bale, Kate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Naomi Harris

Rating PG-13

Release Date December 7th, 2018 (Netflix & Limited Theaters)

“A human child raised by wolves, must face off against a menacing tiger named Shere Khan, as well as his own origins.”

From veteran actor turned director Andy Serkis, Mowgli is a much darker version of the live-action film The Jungle Book (2016). The film was originally slated to release in 2016 but the release was delayed to 2018 after news broke that Disney would be releasing The Jungle Book. The cast includes Christian Bale, Kate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Naomi Harris, Andy Serkis, and Matthew Rhys. Check out the official trailer below!! 

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Mowgli:

• Andy Serkis directs the film and provides the voice of Baloo.

• This is the third time Christian Bale has provided voice work for a non live-action role in his career. He previously played Thomas in Pocahontas (1995) and Howl in the English version of Howl's Moving Castle (2004).