Okja

Director Bong Joon Ho

Genre Action | Adventure | Drama

Cast Jake Gyllenhaal, Tilda Swinton, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito

Rating Unrated

Release Date June 28th, 2017 (Netflix)

“Meet Mija, a young girl who risks everything to prevent a powerful, multi-national company from kidnapping her best friend - a massive animal named Okja.”

Okja is directed and co-written by Bong Joon Ho, who brought us the indie hit Snowpiercer starring Chris Evans, which was Ho's feature-film directorial debut. It is a South Korean-American adventure film. The Cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Tilda Swinton, Lily Collins, and Giancarlo Esposito. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Okja:

• This will be the second movie Jake Gyllenhaal and Paul Dano have been in together since Prisoners (2013).
• This will be the second Netflix movie co-produced by Plan B Entertainment. The first movie is War Machine (2017).
• Okja's face design was motif to Florida state manatee.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Director Luc Besson

Genre Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Cast Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, Ethan Hawke

Rating PG-13

Release Date July 21st, 2017

“A dark force threatens Alpha, a vast metropolis and home to species from a thousand planets. Special operatives Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.”

Directed by the supremely talented Paris, France native writer and director Luc Besson, who wrote and directed the cult classic Léon: The Professional (1994), wrote and directed Lucy with Scarlett Johansson, and also co-wrote and directed the hit film The Fifth Element (1997), Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is a sprawling sci-fi adventure that has received some comparisons to The Fifth Element BUT most critics are hesitant to say whether it is quite that good. Nonetheless, sci-fi isn't my favorite genre traditionally but the trailers are amazing and this looks like one heck of a good time at the movie theater. I can't wait to check it out! The cast includes Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, and Ethan Hawke. Check out the official trailers below!! 

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets:

• Luc Besson deliberately chose to shoot the film, an adaptation of a French comic, in English with English-speaking actors in order to raise its chances of a wider audience.
• The film is based on the French science fiction comics series Valérian and Laureline, written by Pierre Christin and illustrated by Jean-Claude Mézières.
• The futuristic New York City in Luc Besson's previous film The Fifth Element (1997) was visually inspired by "The Circles of Power", the fifteenth volume in the "Valérian and Laureline" comic series.

Check out the newly released official trailer #2 below!!

Trailer #3 is here, check it out below!!

Girls Trip

Director Malcolm D. Lee

Genre Comedy

Cast Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Regina Hall, Tiffany Haddish

Rating R

Release Date July 21st, 2017

“When four lifelong friends travel to New Orleans for the annual Essence Festival, sisterhoods are rekindled, wild sides are rediscovered, and there’s enough dancing, drinking, brawling, and romancing to make the Big Easy blush.”

From director Malcolm D. Lee (The Best Man Holiday, Barbershop: The Next Cut), Girls Trip is a no-holds-barred comedy about a group of friends reconnecting and letting loose. The cast includes Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Regina Hall, and Tiffany Haddish. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Girls Trip:

• The film reunites Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett Smith just over 20 years since they co-starred in Set It Off (1996).
• This is the third film to co-star Jada Pinkett Smith and Larenz Tate. They previously appeared together in Menace II Society (1993) and The Inkwell (1994).

Despicable Me 3

Director Kyle Balda, Pierre Coffin, Eric Guillon

Genre Animation | Action | Adventure

Cast Steve Carrell, Trey Parker, Kristen Wiig, Amanda Cosgrove

Rating PG

Release Date June 30th, 2017

“Gru meets his long-lost charming, cheerful, and more successful twin brother Dru who wants to team up with him for one last criminal heist.”

The 3rd film in the Despicable Me trilogy stars voice actors Steve Carrell, Trey Parker, Kristen Wiig, and Amanda Cosgrove. Personally I really enjoyed the first 2 films and I like the addition of Trey Parker as Gru's (Steve Carrell) nemesis. Check out the official trailer below.

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Despicable Me 3:

• Steve Carell said that Despicable Me 3 may be his last film as the voice of Gru. However, Carell stated that if he was asked to do a cameo in any future Minion sequels, he happily would.
• Agnes's voice actress Elsie Fisher from the first and second movies was replaced by Nev Scharrel due to Fisher getting too old for the role.
• Trey Parker's first role in a movie targeted to children.

Check out the newly released official trailer #2 below!!

Trailer #3 is here!! Check it out below.

Ozark Season 1

Genre Crime | Drama | Thriller

Cast Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Jason Butler Harner, Anthony Collins

Rating TVMA

Series Premiere Friday July 21st, 2017 (Netflix)

“A Chicago-based financial advisor secretly relocates his family to the Missouri Ozarks when his dealings with a drug cartel go awry.”

From creators Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams, Ozark is an intense crime drama about a wealthy financial adviser who gets mixed up with the wrong people putting him and his family in imminent danger. The cast includes Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Jason Butler Harner, and Anthony Collins. Check out the teaser and official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Ozark:

• The show is set at a modest waterfront resort at Lake of the Ozarks, inspired by the Alhonna Resort and Marina where series creator Dubuque worked as a dock hand at the resort while he was at school in Missouri during the 1980s.
• Rather than filming at the Lake of the Ozarks, most of the shooting locations are in the Atlanta area because of tax breaks offered by the State of Georgia.

The House

Director Andrew Jay Cohen

Genre Comedy

Cast Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, Jason Mantzoukas, Nick Kroll

Rating R

Release Date June 30th, 2017

“A dad convinces his friends to start an illegal casino in his basement after he and his wife spend their daughter’s college fund.”

The feature-film debut for writer turned director director Andrew Jay Cohen, who wrote Neighbors 1 & 2 and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, The House is an outrageous R-rated comedy that shines a light on bad yet hilarious parenting. The stellar cast includes Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, Jason Mantzoukas (Rafi from The League), Nick Kroll, Ryan Simpkins, and Allison Tolman. I have been waiting on the trailer to release and I will say that it looks pretty damn good! Check out the newly released official trailer for yourself below.

Want more?! Well you're in luck!! Check out the newly released and unrated Red Band trailer below!!

Killing Ground

Director Damien Power

Genre Thriller

Cast Harriet Dyer, Maya Stange, Tiarnie Coupland, Stephen Hunter

Rating Unrated

Release Date July 21st, 2017 (Limited & On-Demand)

“A couples’ camping trip turns into a frightening ordeal when they stumble across the scene of a horrific crime.”

The feature-film debut for Damien Power, who also penned the script, Killing Ground is a Aussie thriller with an edge unlike much else out there. Distributed by IFC Midnight, who also brought us the indie horror hit The Autopsy of Jane Doe, this looks like it could be yet another gem if the intense trailer is any indication. The cast includes Harriet Dyer, Maya Stange, Tiarnie Coupland, and Stephen Hunter. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Killing Ground:

• Killing Ground is highly influenced by the hit thriller Deliverance (1972).
• Official selection of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

Landline

Director Gillian Robespierre

Genre Comedy

Cast Jenny Slate, Finn Wittrock, John Turturro, Edie Falco

Rating Unrated

Release Date July 21st, 2017 (Limited)

“In 1995, a teenager living with her sister and parents in Manhattan discovers that her father is having an affair.”

From director Gillian Robespierre (Obvious Child), Landline is a comedy drama (dramedy) that takes place in the mid 90's. The cast includes Jenny Slate, Finn Wittrock, John Turturro, and Edie Falco. Check out the official trailer below!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Landline:

• On May 15, 2016, it was reported that Jenny Slate would star in the film, reuniting with Obvious Child director Gillian Robespierre and producer Elisabeth Holm.
• It had its world premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2017.
• Amazon Studios acquired distribution rights to the film.

The Little Hours

Director Jeff Baena

Genre Comedy

Cast Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Aubrey Plaza, John C. Reilly

Rating R

Release Date June 30th, 2017

“A young servant fleeing from his master takes refuge at a convent full of emotionally unstable nuns in the middle ages.”

Written and directed by Jeff Baena (Life After Beth, Joshy), The Little Hours is a comedy with a ridiculous and raunchy premise set during the middle ages. I'm pretty sure it will be corny and over-the-top, but that is fine with me! Plus I am a huge fan of John C. Reilly and Dave Franco so I will absolutely give this one a go. Also, the trailer looks pretty good! The full cast includes Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Kate Micucci, Aubrey Plaza, John C. Reilly, Nick Offerman, and Molly Shannon. Check out the trailer for yourself below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Little Hours:

• The film was an Official Selection at the Sundance Film Festival.
• Dave Franco, Kate Micucci and Molly Shannon have appeared in the TV Series Scrubs (2001).
• The screenplay is based on the first tale of the third day from The Decameron (1971).

2:22

Director Paul Currie

Genre Thriller

Cast Michiel Huisman, Teresa Palmer, Sam Reid, Maeve Dermody

Rating PG-13

Release Date July 30th, 2017

“A man’s life is derailed when an ominous pattern of events repeats itself in exactly the same manner every day, ending at precisely 2:22 p.m.”

From director Paul Currie, 2:22 is a unique thriller about a pattern of events that begin to reshape one man's life and the world around him. The cast includes Michiel Huisman, Teresa Palmer, Sam Reid, and Maeve Dermody. Check out the official trailer below!!

First Kill

Director Steven C. Miller

Genre Action | Thriller

Cast Bruce Willis, Hayden Christensen, Gethin Anthony, Magi Avila

Rating R

Release Date July 21st, 2017

“A Wall Street broker is forced to evade a police chief investigating a bank robbery as he attempts to recover the stolen money in exchange for his son’s life.”

From director Steven C. Miller (Marauders), First Kill is a crime thriller about two men who find themselves involved in a very dangerous situation following a bank robbery. The cast includes Bruce Willis, Hayden Christensen, Gethin Anthony, and Magi Avila. Check out the official trailer below!! 

All or Nothing: A Season with the Los Angeles Rams

Genre Documentary | Sport

Cast Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Sean McVay

Rating Unrated

Series Premiere June 30th, 2017 (Amazon Prime)

“Follows the miserable Rams National Football League team and Franchise as they play their first season in Los Angeles, California.”

The first season of All or Nothing on Amazon Prime was with the Arizona Cardinals and I really enjoyed it. I always enjoy HBO's Hard Knocks, but I feel like All or Nothing gives you a more in depth look at the life of the players and the coaches. This new season follows the struggling L.A. Rams in their first season playing in the glamorous city. The season will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime June 30th. Bring on the NFL season!!! Check out the trailer below.

Transformers: The Last Knight

Director Michael Bay

Genre Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Cast Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Hopkins, Laura Haddock, Stanley Tucci

Rating PG-13

Release Date June 21st, 2017

“Humans and Transformers are at war, Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving our future lies buried in the secrets of the past, in the hidden history of Transformers on Earth.”

Director Michael Bay is back with the latest Transformers film, The Last Knight. The action-packed sequel has Mark Wahlberg returning in the lead role, the cast also includes Anthony Hopkins, Laura Haddock, and Stanley Tucci. Granted Bay catches his fair share of crap for making mindless action flicks but at the end of the day a Summer blockbuster in IMAX 3D is just what the doctor ordered! Check out the exclusive trailers below!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Transformers: The Last Knight:

• This is the most expensive Transformers film, having a budget of 260 million dollars.
• This will be the second Hollywood movie to be shot in Cuba after The Fate of the Furious (2017). Coincidentally, Tyrese Gibson played a major role in the first three Transformers movies, and the Fast & Furious franchise.
• Michael Bay said that this will be the last Transformers film he will ever direct, for the moment. He is open to doing more films in the future if he gets a good story.

Check out the new Super Bowl spot below!!

Check out the official trailer #2 below!!

Still have the itch?! Check out the newly released official trailer #3 below!!

The release date is fast approaching, check out the newly released final trailer below!!

You guessed it, another trailer!! Check out the newly released International trailer below!!

War for the Planet of the Apes

Director Matt Reeves

Genre Action | Adventure | Drama

Cast Woody Harrelson, Judy Greer, Andy Serkis, Steve Zahn

Rating PG-13

Release Date July 14th, 2017

“After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind.”

“In War for the Planet of the Apes, the third chapter of the critically acclaimed blockbuster franchise, Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.”

From director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Let Me In), War for the Planet of the Apes looks to be the action-packed sequel fans have been waiting for! They certainly didn't hold back on the CGI this time around, that's for sure, and the cast looks more than promising. The cast includes Woody Harrelson, Judy Greer, Andy Serkis, and Steve Zahn. Check out the official trailer below.

Ted Takes Fun Facts, War for the Planet of the Apes:

• This will be Matt Reeves second directorial film in the rebooted Planet of the Apes franchise. The first being Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014).
• According to director Matt Reeves, the apes that serve the humans are called "Donkeys", both as a reference to Donkey Kong and like donkeys, they are used as pack animals.
• Human soldier slogans as seen on the poster include quotes about: "The only good ape, is a dead ape", which is a reference to the gorilla General Ursus' popular quote from the 1970 "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" film, albeit the tables have turned.

Check out the newly released trailer #2 below!!

It's almost here!! Check out the newly released final trailer below.

Check out the brand-new official trailer #4 below!!

Game of Thrones Season 7

Genre Adventure | Drama | Fantasy

Cast Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere Sunday July 16th, 2017 9:00 PM EST (HBO)

“Nine noble families fight for control over the mythical lands of Westeros; A forgotten race returns after being dormant for thousands of years.”

Game of Thrones, one of the most popular shows on television, is returning for it's 7th season!! It will premiere on HBO Sunday, July 16th 9:00 PM. Check out the official trailer below!!

The new trailer just dropped, check it out below!!

The Beguiled

Director Sofia Coppola

Genre Drama | Western

Cast Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning

Rating R

Release Date June 23rd, 2017 (Limited)

“While imprisoned in a Confederate girls’ boarding school, an injured Union soldier cons his way into each of the lonely women’s hearts, causing them to turn on each other, and eventually, on him.”

From director Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation), The Beguiled is a drama based on the novel written by Thomas Cullinan. The book was first made into a film in 1971 and starred Clint Eastwood. The trailer for the 2017 version looks pretty intense! The cast includes Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, and Elle Fanning. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun facts, The Beguiled:

• For this film, Sofia Coppola won the prize of Best Director at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. It marked the first time in 50 years a woman won the award, and only the second time overall.
• Colin Farrell revealed that filming of this movie was his favorite shoot in his career, praising his co-stars and his director; "To be surrounded by talented, decent, smart, insightful creative and serious women - I was spoiled by Sofia Coppola who set a particular mood of comfort, ease and trust. It allows you as an actor to play and explore."

The Bad Batch

Director Ana Lily Amirpour

Genre Romance | Sci-Fi

Cast Suki Waterhouse, Keanu Reeves, Jason Mamoa, Jim Carrey

Rating R

Release Date June 23rd, 2017

“A dystopian love story in a Texas wasteland and set in a community of cannibals.”

Written and directed by Ana Lily Amirpour (A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night), The Bad Batch is a ultra-violent and twisted sci-fi thrill ride that includes a stellar cast. The cast includes Suki Waterhouse, Keanu Reeves, Jason Mamoa, and Jim Carrey. Check out the official trailer below!!

The Big Sick

Director Michael Showalter

Genre Comedy | Romance

Cast Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano

Rating R

Release Date July 14th, 2017

“A couple deals with their cultural differences as their relationship grows.”

From director Michael Showalter (Hello, My Name is Doris), The Big Sick is a romantic comedy based on a true story. The buzz for this film has been incredible and I couldn't wait for the trailer to release, it did NOT disappoint! This is a stellar cast and will surely be the next great romantic comedy. If it is half as good as 50/50, I will be more than satisfied! The cast includes Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, and Ray Romano. Check out the newly released official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Big Sick:

• The movie is based on how lead actor Kumail Nanjiani and co-writer Emily V. Gordon met and fell in love.
• The film premiered at The Sundance Film Festival where it sold to Amazon Studios for $12 million dollars, one of the largest deals in Sundance History. Nanjiani insisted the buyer give the film a theatrical treatment which effectively eliminated Netflix from the bidding war.

Lady Macbeth

Director William Oldroyd

Genre Drama

Cast Florence Pugh, Christopher Fairbank, Cosmo Jarvis, Bill Fellows

Rating Unrated

Release Date July 14th, 2017

“In this adaptation of Nikolai Leskov’s novella “Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk, a 19th century young bride is sold into marriage to a middle-aged man.”

Directed by William Oldroyd, Lady Macbeth is a film adaptation of the 19th century story. The cast includes Florence Pugh, Christopher Fairbank, Cosmo Jarvis, and Bill Fellows. Check out the official trailer below!!

To the Bone

Director Marti Noxon

Genre Comedy | Drama

Cast Keanu Reeves, Lily Collins, Carrie Preston, Alanna Ubac

Rating Unrated

Release Date July 14th, 2017 (Netflix)

“A young woman is dealing with anorexia. She meets an unconventional doctor who challenges her to face her condition and embrace life.”

Written and directed by Marti Noxon, her feature film directorial debut, To the Bone is a powerful drama about a young woman and her battle with a very serious illness. I really like the cast and the trailer looks promising, and at the very least the film should help to create awareness about a very real issue that continues to plague our society behind closed doors. The cast includes Keanu Reeves, Lily Collins, Carrie Preston, and Alanna Ubach. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Film Facts, To the Bone:

• The film is based on director Marto Noxon's own struggle with an eating disorder.
• Just like her character in the film, lead Lily Collins also suffered from an eating disorder as a teenager.
• Netflix acquired the rights to the film in January 2017 for $8 million.