The Sinner

Genre Thriller

Cast Jessica Biel, Bill Pullman, Christopher Abbott, Robert Funaro

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere Wednesday August 2nd, 2017 10:00 PM EST (USA Network)

“A young mother stabs a man to death, in front of dozens of witnesses, without motive or explanation.”

Written and directed by Derek Simonds, The Sinner is based on the international best selling book of the same name, written by Petra Hammesfahr. The show is of the "whydunit" as opposed to the traditional "whodunit", and chronicles the apparent unraveling of a woman with a dark past. The trailer is INTENSE and I am a sucker for crime dramas so I am looking forward to checking this one out. The cast includes Jessica Biel, Bill Pullman, Christopher Abbott, and Robert Funaro. The show will premiere on USA August 2nd at 10:00 pm EST. Check out the official trailer below!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Sinner:

• Premiered during the TriBeCa Film Festival April 25, 2017.

Atomic Blonde

Director David Leitch

Genre Action | Mystery | Thriller

Cast Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, Eddie Marsan, John Goodman

Rating R

Release Date July 28th, 2017

“An undercover MI6 agent is sent to Berlin during the Cold War to investigate the murder of a fellow agent and recover a missing list of double agents.”

From director/stunt coordinator David Leitch, who contributed to the directing of John Wick and is slated to direct the highly anticipated Deadpool sequel, Atomic Blonde looks like it could be the female version of John Wick and just as brutal. Sign me up! The cast includes Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, Eddie Marsan, and John Goodman. Check out the badass official trailers below.

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Atomic Blonde:

• The movie is based on Antony Johnston's 2012 graphic novel The Coldest City.
• Charlize Theron spent five years developing this project, and cracked two teeth during filming.
• Before filming resumed, James McAvoy broke his hand on the set of Split (2016) and had to endure all his action scenes of "Atomic Blonde" with his imperfect hand-condition.
• Charlize Theron had eight personal trainers help her overcome the intense psychical performance. She also trained with Keanu Reeves who was preparing for John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017).

Need more?! Check out the newly released official trailer #2 below!!

Check out the newly released final trailer below!!

Room 104

Genre Comedy | Drama

Cast Davie-Blue, Spencer Garrett, Will Tranfo

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere Friday July 28th, 2017 11:30 PM EST (HBO)

“Set in a single room of an average American hotel, Room 104, which tells a different story of the assorted guests who pass through it.”

From creators Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass, Room 104 is a unique comedy drama surrounding the events that take place inside one motel room involving the variety of guests that accompany it. HBO rarely misses on a series and I like the unique structure, reminds me of a anthology type film almost. Also, the trailers look pretty awesome! Some of the cast includes Davie-Blue, Spencer Garrett, and Will Tranfo. Check out the trailers for yourself below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts. HBO's Room 104:

• David Lynch and Monty Montgomery attempted a similar, albeit more 'them' version of this idea - oddly enough ALSO on HBO - back in 1993. Their idea, known as Hotel Room, lasted one, three-part, episode with a different cast for each, set in room number 603 of the New York City-based "Railroad Hotel", in the years 1969, 1992, and 1936, respectively. The three episodes were created to be shown together in the form of a feature-length pilot. Unfortunately the reception was very lukewarm and it was not picked up for further production.

The Emoji Movie

Director Tony Leondis

Genre Animation | Comedy | Family

Cast T.J. Miller, James Corden, Ilana Glazer, Steven Wright

Rating PG

Release Date July 28th, 2017

“Gene, a muli-expressional emoji, sets out on a journey to become a normal emoji.”

From director Tony Leondis,  The Emoji Movie is an animated take on the "social media" generation. Most people today use the aforementioned emoji's to express how they are feeling or to simply add a little flavor to a text message or social media post. It is too early to tell whether or not this film will be of the raunchy variety similar to Sausage Party, but considering the director I expect a film with a PG-13 rating with content more than okay for kids but geared towards adults. The cast of voice actors includes T.J. Miller, James Corden, Ilana Glazer, and Steven Wright. Check out the teaser trailer below. 

Check out the official full length trailer below!!

Brigsby Bear

Director Dave McCary

Genre Comedy | Drama

Cast Mark Hamill, Claire Danes, Kyle Rooney, Greg Kinnear

Rating PG-13

Release Date July 28th, 2017 (Limited)

“After being freed from the kidnappers he thought were his parents, a man sets out to make a movie of the only TV show he has ever known.”

Directed by Dave McCary, Brigsby Bear is a unique indie comedy drama about a young man attempting to recreate a TV show that meant everything to him during his childhood. The cast includes Mark Hamill, Claire Danes, Kyle Rooney, and Greg Kinnear. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Brigsby Bear:

• Following the world premiere at Sundance Film Festival 2017 at the Eccles theatre during the Q&A, the cast were asked what attracted them to the project. Mark Hamill talked about how much he liked the script and the originality of the story, but also joked: 'Also, I actually had lines. You know, that's always a bonus for me'. This is a reference to the fact that all of his lines were cut from Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).
• Extremely talented actor/writer/director/producer Kevin Smith has stated that this is his favorite film of 2017 so far.

2017 Oscar Nominees

Check out the previews & exclusive trailers for the 2017 Oscar Nominated films. Who do you think deserves the gold?! Let us know in the comments section.

Be sure to watch the 89th Annual Academy Awards show LIVE on Sunday, February 26th 7:00 PM EST on ABC.

Ballers Season 3

Genre Comedy | Drama | Sport

Cast Dwayne Johnson, Rob Corddry, John David Washington, Troy Garity

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere Sunday July 23rd, 2017 10:00 PM EST (HBO)

“A series centered around a group of football players and their families, friends, and handlers.”

Ballers is returning for its 3rd season, following the up and down careers of two sports agents trying to make it big. The show doesn't have as much of an edge as I wish it did, but it is still very entertaining and full of eye candy so I am looking forward to this new season. The cast includes Dwayne Johnson, Rob Corddry, John David Washington, Troy Garity, and a number of professional athlete cameos. Check out the official trailer for season 3 below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, HBO's Ballers:

• Dwayne Johnson was the first and only choice for the lead.
• Dwayne Johnson was a college football player himself for the University of Miami in the 1990s. He can be seen in his playing uniform in the beginning of opening credits.
• John David Washington is the son of two-time Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington. He also played professional football as a runningback for the St. Louis Rams in the NFL and in the defunct United Football League. He is an alumni of Morehouse College where he was also a star player on the football team.

Menashe

Director Joshua Z Weinstein

Genre Drama

Cast Menashe Lustig, Yoel Falkowitz

Rating PG

Release Date July 28th, 2017 (Limited)

“Within Brooklyn’s ultra-orthodox Jewish community, a widower battles for custody of his son. A tender drama performed entirely in Yiddish, the film intimately explores the nature of faith and the price of parenthood.”

From director Joshua Z Weinstein, Menashe is a drama that takes place in the ultra-orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn, New York. I'm not a huge fan of films with subtitles but this is one that I would be more than willing to give a try. The credited cast includes Menashe Lustig and Yoel Falkowitz. Check out the official trailer below. 

A Family Man

Director Mark Williams

Genre Drama

Cast Alison Brie, Gerard Butler, Willem Dafoe, Gretchen Mol

Rating R

Release Date July 28th, 2017 (Limited & On-Demand)

“A Chicago personnel recruiter is hungry to stay on top of his competitive profession, but when his son is diagnosed with cancer, his priorities are called into question.”

Director Mark Williams directorial debut, A Family Man is a drama about a family and their struggle trying to find a work life balance while dealing with a real-life tragedy. The cast includes Alison Brie, Gerard Butler, Willem Dafoe, and  Gretchen Mol. Check out the official trailer below!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, A Family Man:

• Screenplay writer Bill Dubuque's wrote the story for the film in November 2012 under the title "The Headhunter's Calling" which remained its title until late January of 2017, in early February of 2017 it's distributor Voltage Pictures renamed the film "A Family Man".
• Is the 1st time ever that both Gerard Butler and Willem Dafoe have starred in a movie together.

Person to Person

Director Dustin Guy Defa

Genre Drama

Cast Michael Cera, Abbi Jacobson, Philip Baker Hall, Michaela Watkins

Rating Unrated

Release Date July 28th, 2017

“Follows a variety of New York characters as they navigate personal relationships and unexpected problems over the course of one day.”

From director Dustin Guy Defa, Person to Person is a indie comedy drama following various individuals during a day in New York. The cast includes Michael Cera, Abbi Jacobson, Philip Baker Hall, and Michaela Watkins. Check out the official trailer below!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Person to Person:

• The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20th, 2017.

It Stains the Sands Red

Director Colin Minihan

Genre Drama | Horror | Thriller

Cast Brittany Allen, Juan Riedinger, Merwin Mondesir, Kristopher Higgins

Rating Unrated

Release Date July 28th, 2017 (Limited)

“In the throes of a zombie apocalypse, a troubled woman from Las Vegas with a dark past finds herself stranded in the desert with a lone and ravenous zombie on her tail.”

Directed and co-written by Colin Minihan, It Stains the Sands Red is a unique zombie horror thriller about survival. Very much a indie zombie flick, this actually looks like it could be pretty good, and for the most part critics seem to agree. The cast includes Brittany Allen, Juan Riedinger, Merwin Mondesir, and Kristopher Higgins. Check out the official trailer below!!

Baby Driver

Director Edgar Wright

Genre Action | Crime | Thriller

Cast Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm

Rating R

Release Date June 28th, 2017

“After being coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway driver finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail.”

Written and directed by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hott Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), Baby Driver looks to be one heck of a fun getaway driver flick with a complicated love story. Early critic feedback has been extremely positive and Wright tends to deliver the goods. Oh, and the trailers look AMAZING! I'm excited to see it! The stellar cast includes Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, and Jon Bernthal. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Baby Driver:

• Edgar Wright had been sitting on this idea for a film for many years. His first use of it was a music video he directed for British electronic duo Mint Royale and their track "Blue Song". The video stars Noel Fielding as a music-loving getaway driver for a group of bank robbers, one of whom is Wright's regular Nick Frost.
• First Edgar Wright film to be shot in the United States.
• When Edgar Wright wanted Ansel to be more stern in a shot he used the code words: "Man Driver!" He taught him the "Kubrick look" by showing Ansel a picture on his phone of Malcolm McDowell in character in A Clockwork Orange (1971).

Critics are losing their minds over Baby Driver, it is going to be EPIC!! Check out the newly released "TeKillYah" trailer to hold you over until June 28th!

Dunkirk

Director Christopher Nolan

Genre Action | Drama | History

Cast Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh

Rating PG-13

Release Date July 21st, 2017

“Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Empire, Canada and France are surrounded by the German army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.”

From acclaimed director Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Inception), Dunkirk chronicles the miraculous evacuation of Allied soldiers from Belgium, Britain and France, between May 27th - June 4th, 1940, during Battle of France in World War II. As a huge fan of Nolan's work I was already extremely excited for this film, but after watching the newly released full-trailer I am pretty much ecstatic! Dunkirk stars Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, and Kenneth Branagh. Check out the teaser trailer as well as the full trailer below. 

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Dunkirk:

• First Christopher Nolan movie to be based on historical events. All of his other movies have either been original scripts, remakes, novel/short story adaptations, or comic book adaptations.
• By the tradition, Christopher Nolan decided to use the real naval destroyers instead of CGI for sea battle sequences in this film.
• Christopher Nolan received a $20 million salary against 20% of the box office gross, the biggest deal for any director since Peter Jackson received the same amount with King Kong (2005).

Check out the brand new official final trailer for Dunkirk below!!

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.