Ben-Hur

Director Timur Bekmambetov

Genre Adventure | Drama | History

Cast Jack Huston, Nazanin Boniadi, Haluk Bilginer, Morgan Freeman

Rating PG-13

Release Date August 19th, 2016

“A falsely accused Jewish nobleman survives years of slavery to take vengeance on his Roman best friend, who betrayed him.”

Ben-Hur is directed by Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), and stars Jack Huston, Nazanin Boniadi, Haluk Bilginer, and Morgan Freeman. It will release in theaters late summer, check out the trailer below.

Imperium

Director Daniel Ragussis

Genre Crime | Drama | Thriller

Cast Daniel Radcliffe, Toni Collette, Burn Gorman, Nestor Carbonell

Rating R

Release Date August 19th, 2016

“Nate Foster (Daniel Radcliffe), a young, idealistic FBI agent, goes undercover to take down a radical right-wing terrorist group. The bright up-and-coming analyst must confront the challenge of sticking to a new identity while maintaining his real principles as he navigates the dangerous underworld of white supremacy.”

Imperium is directed and co-written by Daniel Ragussis and will serve as his feature-film directorial debut. The cast includes Daniel Radcliffe, Toni Collette, Burn Gorman, and Nestor Carbonell. The film is based on true events and it looks like a very intense drama centered around the world of white supremacists. It has me excited. Check out the official trailer below. 

Kubo and the Two Strings

Director Travis Knight

Genre Animation | Adventure | Family

Cast Charlize Theron, Rooney Mara, Matthew McConaughey, Ralph Fiennes

Rating PG

Release Date August 19th, 2016

“Kubo lives a quiet, normal life in a small shoreside village until a spirit from the past turns his life upside down by re-igniting an age-old vendetta. This causes all sorts of havoc as gods and monsters chase Kubo who, in order to survive, must locate a magical suit of armor once worn by his late father, a legendary Samurai warrior.”

Directed by Travis Knight who produced ParaNorman and The Boxtrolls, Kubo and the Two Strings delivers a stellar cast of voice actors including Charlize Theron, Rooney Mara, Matthew McConaughey, Ralph Fiennes. It will release in theaters this summer, check out the trailer below.

Morris from America

Director Chad Hartigan

Genre Comedy | Drama | Romance

Cast Craig Robinson, Carla Juri, Lina Keller, Markees Christmas

Rating R

Release Date August 19th, 2016

“The romantic and coming-of-age misadventures of a 13-year-old American living in Germany.”

Directed by Chad Hartigan, Morris From America stars Craig Robinson, Carla Juri, Lina Keller, and Markees Christmas. It looks to be a solid entry in the coming-of-age genre of films. Check out the trailer below.

Hell or High Water

Director David Mackenzie

Genre Crime | Drama

Cast Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges, Katy Mixon

Rating R

Release Date August 12th, 2016

“A divorced dad and his ex-con brother resort to a desperate scheme in order to save their family’s farm in West Texas.”

Hell or High Water is directed by by David Mackenzie who previously directed the 2013 hit independent film Starred Up. It is written by Taylor Sheridan, who's very first writing credit includes the recent cartel drama Sicario. The noteworthy cast includes Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges, and Katy Mixon. Hell or High Water looks like a good old fashioned film about cops and robbers that seems to have a pretty good story. Check out the trailer below.

Pete's Dragon

Director David Lowery

Genre Adventure | Family | Fantasy

Cast Bryce Dallas Howard, Karl Urban, Robert Redford, Wes Bentley

Rating PG

Release Date August 12th, 2016

“The adventures of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliott, who just so happens to be a dragon.”

I thought this was the sequel to Jurassic World at first, I mean a dragon is sort of a dinosaur right? Between that and Bryce Dallas Howard I had to do a double take. It turns out Pete's Dragon is based on a 1977 musical but thankfully this 2016 remake is not a musical (seriously, not a fan of musicals). Pete's Dragon stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Karl Urban, Robert Redford, and Wes Bentley. Check out the latest trailers below.

Blood Father

Director Jean-Francois Richet

Genre Action | Thriller

Cast Mel Gibson, Elisabeth Rohm, Erin Moriarty, William H. Macy

Rating R

Release Date August 12th, 2016

“An ex-con reunites with his estranged wayward 16-year old daughter to protect her from drug dealers who are trying to kill her.”

Directed by Jean-Francois Richet, Blood Father is an action thriller starring Mel Gibson, Elisabeth Rohm, Erin Moriarty, and William H. Macy. Check out the trailer below.

Sausage Party

Director Greg Tiernan, Conrad Vernon

Genre Animation | Adventure | Comedy

Cast Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd

Rating R

Release Date August 12th, 2016

“An animated movie about one sausage’s quest to discover the truth about his existence.”

Sausage Party looks absolutely ridiculous, that is a fact. But with a voice-acting cast consisting of Seth Rogen, James Franco, Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, Kristen Wiig, and many many more, how could I afford to not check this out?! It will hit theaters this summer, see for yourself and watch the trailer below.

Check out the uncensored Red Band trailer #3 below (You've been warned).

Florence Foster Jenkins

Director Stephen Frears

Genre Biography | Comedy

Cast Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant, Simon Helberg, Rebecca Ferguson

Rating PG-13

Release Date August 12th, 2016

“The story of Florence Foster Jenkins, a New York heiress who dreamed of becoming an opera singer, despite having a terrible singing voice.”

Directed by Stephen Frears, who previously directed High Fidelity, Queen, and Philomena, Florence Foster Jenkins stars Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant, Simon Helberg, and Rebecca Ferguson. Check out the official trailer below.

Anthropoid

Director Sean Ellis

Genre Biography | History | Thriller

Cast Jamie Dornan, Cillian Murphy, Brian Caspe, Karel Hermanek Jr.

Rating R

Release Date August 12th, 2016

“Based on the extraordinary true story of Operation Anthropoid, the WWII mission to assassinate SS General Reinhard Heydrich, the main architect behind the Final Solution and the Reich’s third in command after Hitler and Himmler.”

“ANTHROPOID is based on the extraordinary true story of Operation Anthropoid, the World War II mission to assassinate SS General Reinhard Heydrich. The Reich’s third in command after Hitler and Himmler, Heydrich was the main architect behind the Final Solution and the leader of occupying Nazi forces in Czechoslovakia whose reign of terror prompted self-exiled Czech and Slovak soldiers (Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan) to hatch a top-secret mission that would change the face of Europe forever.”

Joshy

Director Jeff Baena

Genre Comedy

Cast Thomas Middleditch, Adam Pally, Alex Ross Perry, Nick Kroll

Rating R

Release Date August 12th, 2016

“Josh treats what would have been his bachelor party as an opportunity to reconnect with his friends.”

Directed by Jeff Baena, only his second feature film, Joshy stars Thomas Middleditch Silicon Valley), Adam Pally (The MIndy Project), Alex Ross Perry, and Nick Kroll (The League). Lionsgate and Hulu teamed up to purchase the exclusive rights to the film after it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. They intend to give it exclusive streaming availability on Hulu follows its initial theatrical run which will most likely be art house theaters for the most part. Check out the trailer below.

Suicide Squad

Director David Ayer

Genre Action | Adventure | Fantasy

Cast Margot Robbie, Scott Eastwood, Will Smith, Jared Leto

Rating PG-13

Release Date August 5th, 2016

“A secret government agency recruits imprisoned supervillains to execute dangerous black ops missions in exchange for clemency.”

So let me think about this for a second, a take on the dark side of the world of superheroes, the supervillains as they are known, with the scantily clad Harley Quinn played by the beautiful and tantalizing Margot Robbie? Sure she might be as crazy as they come, but I am all in on this one. Ohh yeah Will Smith, Jared Leto, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney, Scott Eastwood, and Ben Affleck also star Suicide Squad. To say I can't wait would be an understatement. Check out the latest trailers below.

The Little Prince

Director Mark Osborne

Genre Animation | Adventure | Drama

Cast Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Paul Rudd, Marion Cotillard

Rating PG

Release Date August 5th, 2016 (Netflix)

“A little girl lives in a very grown-up world with her mother, who tries to prepare her for it. Her neighbor, the Aviator, introduces the girl to an extraordinary world where anything is possible, the world of the Little Prince.”

“From Mark Osborne comes the first-ever animated feature film adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s iconic masterpiece, The Little Prince. At the heart of it all is The Little Girl, who’s being prepared by her mother for the very grown-up world in which they live - only to be interrupted by her eccentric, kind-hearted neighbor, The Aviator. The Aviator introduces his new friend to an extraordinary world where anything is possible. A world that he himself was initiated into long ago by The Little Prince. It’s here that The Little Girl’s magical and emotional journey into her own imagination - and into the universe of The Little Prince - begins. And it’s where The Little Girl rediscovers her childhood and learns that ultimately, it’s human connections that matter most, and that what’s truly essential can only be seen with the heart”

Little Men

Director Ira Sachs

Genre Drama | Family

Cast Jennifer Ehle, Alfred Molina, Greg Kinnear, Talia Balsam

Rating PG

Release Date August 5th, 2016

“A new pair of best friends have their bond tested by their parents’ battle over a dress shop lease.”

Directed by Ira Sachs, the family drama Little Men stars Jennifer Ehle, Alfred Molina, Greg Kinnear, and Talia Balsam. It will release in theaters this summer. Check out the trailer below.

Nine Lives

Director Barren Sonnenfield

Genre Comedy | Family | Fantasy

Cast Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Garner, Robbie Amell, Christopher Walken

Rating PG

Release Date August 5th, 2016

“A stuffy businessman finds himself trapped inside the body of his family’s cat.”

Nine Lives has a ridiculous premise yet a very solid cast so I am interested to see how it turns out. Directed by Barren Sonnenfield (Men In Black, Wild Wild West), the film stars Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Garner, Robbie Amell, and Christopher Walken. Check out the trailer below.

Sun Choke

Director Ben Cresciman

Genre Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Cast Christina Amber, Derek Bevil, Jim Boeven, Barbara Crampton

Rating Unrated

Release Date August 5th, 2016

“Janie’s just trying to get well.”

“As she recovers from a recent violent psychotic break, Janie (Hagan)is subjected each day to a bizarre holistic health and wellness regimen designed, and enforced, by her lifelong nanny and caretaker, Irma (Crampton). Janie begins to veer off the road to recovery when she develops an obsession with a young woman, Savannah (Lane), that Janie feels an inexplicable yet profound connection to. The obsession turns increasingly invasive, and wedges all three women into an ever-tightening, and terrifying struggle for control. Will Janie pull herself back from the precipice of insanity? Or will she go over head-first, taking anyone nearby down with her?”

Jason Bourne

Director Paul Greengrass

Genre Action | Thriller

Cast Matt Damon, Alicia Vikander, Julia Stiles, Tommy Lee Jones

Rating PG-13

Release Date July 29th, 2016

“Jason Bourne, now remembering who he truly is, tries to uncover hidden truths about his past.”

Matt Damon is back as Jason Bourne and honestly that has me pretty excited. I was a bit embarrassed when he did an interview at the Golden Globes explaining that he was jumping on a flight immediately following the event to work on shooting the film. I had no idea a new Jason Bourne film was in the works although I had heard rumors. The Film is directed by Paul Greengrass who is quite familiar with Matt Damon having directed The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, and The Green Zone, all starring Damon. Even though the plot is currently unknown (we all know what is going to happen), Jason Bourne is the ultimate badass and I look forward to seeing him crack some skulls. Check out the teaser trailer below.

The full official trailer for Jason Bourne is below.

Nerve

Director Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman

Genre Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Cast Dave Franco, Emma Roberts, Kimiko Glenn, Juliette Lewis

Rating PG-13

Release Date July 27th, 2016

“A high school senior finds herself immersed in an online game of truth or dare, where her every move starts to become manipulated by an anonymous community of “watchers.””

Nerve is directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, the two directors behind Paranormal Activity 1 & 2, and includes an intriguing cast consisting of Dave Franco, Emma Roberts, Kimiko Glenn, and Juliette Lewis. Nerve looks like a unique high-stakes thriller and hopefully it ends up being as fun as it looks, check out the trailer below.

Bad Moms

Director Jon Lucas, Scott Moore

Genre Comedy

Cast Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Christina Applegate

Rating R

Release Date July 29, 2016

“When three overworked and under-appreciated moms are pushed beyond their limits, they ditch their conventional responsibilities for a jolt of long overdue freedom, fun, and comedic self-indulgence.”

“A woman with a seemingly perfect life - a great marriage, overachieving kids, beautiful home, stunning looks and still holding down a career. However she’s over-worked, over committed and exhausted to the point that she’s about to snap. Fed up, she joins forces with two other over-stressed moms and all go on a quest to liberate themselves from conventional responsibilities, going on a wild un-mom like binge of freedom, fun and self-indulgence - putting them on a collision course with PTA Queen Bee Gwendolyn and her clique of devoted perfect moms.”

Into the Forest

Director Patricia Rozema

Genre Drama | Sci-Fi

Cast Ellen Page, Evan Rachel Wood, Max Minghella, Callum Rennie

Rating R

Release Date July 29th, 2016

“After a massive power outage, two sisters learn to survive on their own in their isolated woodland home.”

Directed by Patricia Rozema, Into the Forest is a sci-fi thriller starring Ellen Page, Evan Rachel Wood, Max Minghella, and Callum Rennie. It is based on the book of the same name written by Jean Hegland. Check out the trailer below.