Patti Cake$

Director Geremy Jasper

Genre Drama

Cast Danielle Macdonald, Bridget Everett, Siddharth Dhananjay, Mamoudou Athie

Rating R

Release Date August 18th, 2017 (Limited)

“PATTI CAKE$ is centered on aspiring rapper Patricia Dombrowski, a.k.a. Killa P, a.k.a. Patti Cake$ who is fighting an unlikely quest for glory in her downtrodden hometown in New Jersey.”

Written and directed by Geremy Jasper, his full-length film directorial debut, Patti Cake$ is a infectious drama about real-life struggle and what it takes to follow your dreams. The film has received widespread critic praise from film festival's and the trailer certainly has me intrigued. The cast includes Danielle Macdonald, Bridget Everett, Siddharth Dhananjay, and Mamoudou Athie. Check out the official trailer below!! 

The Defenders

Genre Action | Adventure | Crime

Cast Mike Colter, Charlie Cox, Krysten Ritter, Finn Jones

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere August 18th, 2017 (Netflix)

“Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist team up to fight crime in New York City.”

An exclusive Netflix series, The Defenders brings together fan favorites Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Daredevil, and Iron Fist, to fight crime in the big apple (NYC). I have really enjoyed the stand alone shows and if the newly released official trailer is any indication, this should be pretty damn good!! The cast includes Mike Colter (Luke Cage), Charlie Cox (Daredevil), Krysten Ritter (Jessica Jones), and Finn Jones (Iron Fist). Check out the trailer for yourself below.

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Defenders:

• In this series, the founding members of the Defenders are Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. In the comics the Defenders were formed by the Incredible Hulk, Doctor Strange, Silver Surfer and Namor the Sub-Mariner.
•  One of the trailers shows black and white security camera footage of the four defenders in a light with a time stamp in the top right corner. The time says 8:18 in hours and minutes. This is a reference to the release date of August 18th.

Lemon

Director Janicza Bravo

Genre Comedy | Drama

Cast Brett Gelman, Judy Greer, Michael Cera, Gillian Jacobs

Rating Unrated

Release Date August 18th, 2017 (Limited)

“A man watches his life unravel after he is left by his girlfriend of 10 years”

Directed and co-written by Janicza Bravo, Lemon is a indie dramedy (comedy/drama) about a man who's life falls apart after his girlfriend of 10 years decides to leave him. The cast includes Brett Gelman, Judy Greer, Michael Cera, and Gillian Jacobs. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Lemon:

• Writer/director Janicza Bravo and writer/actor Brett Gelman are married in real life. When the movie premiered, their families - that are portrayed quite dysfunctional in the movie - hadn't seen the film yet.

6 Days

Director Toa Fraser

Genre Action | Drama

Cast Abbie Cornish, Mark Strong, Jamie Bell, Emun Elliott

Rating R

Release Date August 18th, 2017 (Limited)

“In April 1980, armed gunmen stormed the Iranian Embassy in Princes Gate, London and took all inside hostage. Over the next six days a tense standoff took place, all the while a group of highly trained soldiers from the SAS prepared for a raid the world had never seen the likes of.”

From director Toa Fraser, 6 Days is an action drama based on a 1980 hostage crisis. The cast includes Abbie Cornish, Mark Strong, Jamie Bell, and Emun Elliott. Check out the official trailer below!! 

Ted Takes Fun Facts, 6 Days:

• Rusty Firmin was the technical advisor on the film, he served 15 years in the SAS and led blue team who went in through the library at the back of the embassy. He also wrote a book about the siege entitled "Go, Go, Go!".

Marjorie Prime

Director Michael Almereyda

Genre Comedy | Drama | Mystery

Cast Jon Hamm, Geena Davis, Tim Robbins, Lois Smith

Rating Unrated

Release Date August 18th, 2017 (Limited)

“A service that provides holographic recreations of deceased loved ones and allows a man to come face-to-face with the younger version of his late father-in-law.”

Co-written and directed by Michael Almereyda (Experimenter, Hamlet), Marjorie Prime is a sci-fi comedy drama based on Jordan Harrison's Pulitzer-nominated play, exploring memory and identity, love and loss. The trailer looks great and early critic and user feedback has been mostly positive, with the general consensus being that this is a very unique experience. The cast includes Jon Hamm, Geena Davis, Tim Robbins, and Lois Smith. Check out the official trailer below!!

Gook

Director Justin Chon

Genre Drama

Cast Simone Baker, Justin Chon, Curtiss Cook Jr., David So

Rating Unrated

Release Date August 18th, 2017 (Limited)

“Eli and Daniel, two Korean American brothers, own a struggling shoe store and have an unlikely friendship with Kamilla, a street wise 11-year-old African American girl.”

Written and directed by actor Justin Chon, his 2nd feature-film, Gook is a powerful drama based on an unlikely relationship formed during a racially charged time in our history. After watching the trailer I am pretty excited as this looks like it could be the most powerful film of 2017 thus far. The cast includes Simone Baker, Justin Chon, Curtiss Cook Jr., and David So. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Gook:

• Justin Chon was 11 years old at the time of the Rodney King L.A. riots.

What Happened to Monday

Director Tommy Wirkola

Genre Sci-Fi | Thriller

Cast Noomi Rapace, Willem Dafoe, Glenn Close, Robert Wagner

Rating Unrated

Release Date August 18th, 2017 (Netflix)

“In a world where families are limited to one child due to overpopulation, a set of identical septuplets must avoid being put to a long sleep by the government and dangerous infighting while investigating the disappearance of one of their own.”

From director Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters). What Happened to Monday is a sci-fi thriller set in the future during a time when families are only allowed one child due to overpopulation issues. The cast includes Noomi Rapace, Willem Dafoe, Glenn Close, and Robert Wagner. The film will release exclusively on Netflix August 18th. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, What Happened to Monday:

• Filmed in only 94 days and shot entirely in Romania.
• Actress Noomi Rapace and her ex-husband chose the surname "Rapace" as opposed to taking the others name. Rapace means "bird of prey" in French and Italian.

Annabelle: Creation

Director David F. Sandberg

Genre Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Cast Stephanie Sigman, Miranda Otto, Lulu Wilson, Javier Botet

Rating R

Release Date August 11th, 2017

“Several years after the tragic death of their little girl, a dollmaker and his wife welcome a nun and several girls from a shuttered orphanage into their home, soon becoming the target of the dollmaker’s possessed creation, Annabelle.”

From director David F. Sandberg who brought us the horror gem Lights Out, Annabelle: Creation is the next film in the "Conjuring universe" that tells the origin story for the Annabelle doll. The first Annabelle film fell well short of expectations but after watching this trailer I think horror fans are in for a treat. I can't wait!! The cast includes Miranda Otto, Javier Botet, Stephanie Sigman, and Lulu Wilson. Check out the newly released official trailer below.

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Annabelle: Creation:

• Originally scheduled to be released on May 19, 2017, but was moved to August 11, 2017 to avoid competition with Alien: Covenant (2017).
• Alicia Vela-Bailey previously collaborated with David F. Sandberg on Lights Out (2016).

Need more?! Another trailer just released, check it out below!

The Glass Castle

Director Destin Daniel Cretton

Genre Biography | Drama

Cast Brie Larson, Naomi Watts, Woody Harrelson, Sarah Snook

Rating PG-13

Release Date August 11th, 2017

“A young girl comes of age in a dysfunctional family of nonconformist nomads with a mother who’s an eccentric artist and an alcoholic father who would stir the children’s imagination with hope as a distraction to their poverty.”

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and based on the memoir of Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle is a powerful biography drama with a spectacular cast, including Brie Larson, Naomi Watts, Woody Harrelson, and Sarah Snook. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Glass Castle: 

• Jennifer Lawrence was attached to star and produce the movie for a long period of time but dropped out. Brie Larson was cast in the lead role after Lawrence dropped out.
• Brie Larson's second collaboration with director Destin Daniel Cretton. She previously starred in his 2013 feature "Short Term 12."
• Based on a true story about a family on the run from the government, often hiding in small towns, living in poverty

The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature

Director Cal Brunker

Genre Animation | Adventure | Comedy

Cast Will Arnett, Katherine Heigl, Maya Rudolph, Jackie Chan

Rating PG

Release Date August 11th, 2017

“Following the events of the first film, Surly and his friends must stop Oakton City’s mayor from destroying their home to make way for a dysfunctional amusement park.”

Directed and co-written by Cal Brunker, mostly known as a storyboard artist who worked on films such as The Secret Life of Pets, ratchet & Clank, Minions, Despicable Me etc, The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature is a follow-up to the successful 2014 animated film. The talented cast of voice actors includes Will Arnett, Katherine Heigl, Maya Rudolph, and Jackie Chan. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ingrid Goes West

Director Matt Spicer

Genre Comedy | Drama

Cast Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Wyatt Russell

Rating R

Release Date August 11th, 2017

“An unhinged social media stalker moves to LA and insinuates herself into the life of an Instagram star.”

The feature-film directorial debut for Matt Spicer, Ingrid Goes West is an over the top comedy drama about an obsessed fan who just so happens to have some significant mental issues. Ingrid Goes West premiered at Sundance Film Festival and has received decent critic endorsement thus far. The cast includes Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, O'Shea Jackson Jr., and Wyatt Russell. Check out the official trailers below!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Ingrid Goes West:

• The production was delayed by some setbacks when director Matt Spicer accidentally walked through a sliding glass door after yelling "cut" and gaffers had to remove fragments of glass from his arm with duct tape. At one point the production had to evacuate their location due to the raging Santa Clarita brush fires in L.A. county.
• Considering the theme of the film, actor Wyatt Russell does not, ironically, participate in social media at all.

Good Time

Director Ben Safdie, Joshua Safdie

Genre Crime | Drama

Cast Robert Pattinson, Ben Safdie, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Barkhad Abdi

Rating Unrated

Release Date August 11th, 2017

“Constantine “Connie” Nikas goes through a dangerous and desperate journey to get his brother out of jail after a bank robbery goes wrong, while also trying to keep himself from law’s reach.”

Directed by brothers Ben and Joshua Safdie, Good Time is a crime drama revolving around the lengths a person will go to protect those they love. I have yet to come across a film distributed by A24 that I didn't like so I look forward to giving this one a fair shake. The cast includes Robert Pattinson, Ben Safdie, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Barkhad Abdi. Check out the official trailers below!!

The Only Living Boy in New York

Director Marc Webb

Genre Drama

Cast Callum Turner, Kate Beckinsale, Jeff Bridges, Pierce Brosnan

Rating R

Release Date August 11th, 2017

“Adrift in New York City, a recent college graduate’s life is upended by his father’s mistress.”

From director Mark Webb (500 Days of Summer, The Amazing Spider-Man, Gifted), The Only Living Boy in New York is a drama about a recent college graduates life being turned upside down by his father's seemingly unstable mistress. The cast includes Callum Turner, Kate Beckinsale, Jeff Bridges, and Pierce Brosnan. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Only Living Boy in New York:

• The title is taken from a Paul Simon song.
• Second film to be directed by Marc Webb being released in 2017. The first was "Gifted" in April.

Fun Mom Dinner

Director Althea Jones

Genre Comedy

Cast Katie Aselton, Toni Collette, Molly Shannon, Bridget Everett

Rating R

Release Date August 4th, 2017 (Limited) 

“Four moms whose only common ground is their kids’ preschool class, decide to get together for a harmless “fun mom dinner.””

Fun Mom Dinner is the feature-film directorial debut for Althea Jones, and is written by Julie Rudd, the wife of successful actor Paul Rudd. The film has a premise similar to that of Bad Moms, but doesn't seem to be quite as raunchy as far as I can tell. The trailer is also rather restrained, but considering the film is rated R I expect an unrated Red Band trailer to surface at some point. The cast includes Katie Aselton, Toni Collette, Molly Shannon, and Bridget Everett. Check out the exclusive new trailer below!

Sharknado 5: Global Swarming

Director Anthony C. Ferrante

Genre Horror | Sci-Fi

Cast Dolph Lundren, Tara Reid, Olivia Newton-John, Masiela Lusha

Rating TV-14

Release Date Sunday, August 6th, 2017 (SyFy Network)

“With much of America lying in ruins, the rest of the world braces for a global sharknado, Fin and his family must travel around the world to stop them.”

The cult classic Sharknado is making its return with Sharknado 5: Global Swarming, and fans will rejoice on August 6th!! The cast includes Dolph Lundren, Tara Reid, Olivia Newton-John, and Masiela Lusha. Check out the trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Sharknado: Global Swarming:

• Aired as the last of six original films in SyFy's 2017 "Sharknado Week" lineup.

The Dark Tower

Director Nikolaj Arcel

Genre Action | Adventure | Fantasy

Cast Tom Taylor, Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey, Abbey Lee

Rating PG-13

Release Date August 4th, 2017

“The Gunslinger, Roland Deschain, roams an Old West-like landscape where “the world has moved on” in pursuit of the man in black. Also searching for the fabled Dark Tower, in the hopes that reaching it will preserve his dying world.”

From director Nikolaj Arcel (King's Game, A Royal Affair), The Dark Tower is based on Stephen King's best-selling novel, and is considered one of the authors best works of his illustrriois career by many fans. The trailer looks amazing and I can't wait for this release, I might need to check out the book myself. The cast includes Tom Taylor, Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey, and Abbey Lee. Check out the newly released official trailer for the highly anticipated film below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Dark Tower:

• The Dark Tower is a series of eight books which span an entire connected universe which links several other books and stories by Stephen King, including Bag of Bones, The Talisman, Black House, The Stand, Everything's Eventual, From a Buick 8, Hearts in Atlantis, Insomnia, The Eyes of the Dragon and 'Salem's Lot, with minor references to It and The Mist.
• Stephen King sold the film rights to The Dark Tower for $19.19. This is a significant, recurring number in later books in the series.

The official international trailer #2 is here!! Check it out below.

Kidnap

Director Luis Prieto

Genre Thriller

Cast Halle Berry, Robert Walker Branchaud, Dana Gourrier, Lew Temple

Rating R

Release Date August 4th, 2017

“A mother stops at nothing to recover her kidnapped son.”

Directed by Luis Prieto, Kidnap is an intense thriller starring Halle Berry, Robert Walker Branchaud, Dana Gourrier, and Lew Temple. Check out the official trailer below.

Detroit

Director Kathryn Bigelow

Genre Drama | History | Thriller

Cast Anthony Mackie, John Boyega, John Krasinski, Will Poulter

Rating R

Release Date August 4th, 2017

“A police raid in Detroit in 1967 results in one of the largest citizen uprisings in the United States’ history.”

From Academy Award winning director Kathryn Bigelow, who directed hit films The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, Detroit is an intense drama based on the largest citizen uprising in United States history. Zero Dark Thirty was fantastic and The Hurt Locker is one of my favorite war films so I cannot wait for this!! The cast includes Anthony Mackie, John Boyega, John Krasinski, and Will Poulter. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Detroit:

• A set depicting Detroit 1967 was also built in Brockton, Massachusetts, right at the site of the Liberty Tree, a sycamore planted in 1863 which marked a stop on the Underground Railroad where, during the Civil War, slaves on their way north to freedom were hidden during the day in the stables of Edward Bennett so they could travel at night under the cover of darkness. Filming took place here during September 2016.
• This is the third collaboration between director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal. The first two were Zero Dark Thirty (2012) and The Hurt Locker (2009). Both Bigelow and Boal won Oscars for The Hurt Locker, including Best Picture.

Wind River

Director Taylor Sheridan

Genre Action | Crime | Thriller

Cast Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Graham Greene, Jon Bernthal

Rating R

Release Date August 4th, 2017

“An FBI agent teams with the town’s veteran game tracker to investigate a murder that occurred on a Native American reservation.”

Written and directed by actor turned writer/director Taylor Sheridan (Vile), Wind River is a crime thriller with a very talented cast. The talented Sheridan previously penned the script for the Oscar winning drama Hell or High Water. The cast includes Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Graham Greene, and Jon Bernthal. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Wind River:

• The project was announced with Chris Pine and Elizabeth Olsen in the lead roles. Pine eventually dropped out and was replaced by Jeremy Renner.
• Taylor Sheridan's first screenplay which he didn't write on spec. Sicario and Hell or High Water were written on spec.
• Filmed on location in Park City, Utah. Coincidentally, the film would go on to have its world premiere in Park City at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

Columbus

Director Kogonada

Genre Comedy | Drama | Romance

Cast John Cho, Haley Lu Richardson, Parker Posey, Rory Culkin

Rating Unrated

Release Date August 4th, 2017 (Limited)

“A Korean-born man finds himself stuck in Columbus, Indiana, where his architect father is in a coma. The man meets a young woman who wants to stay in Columbus with her mother, a recovering addict, instead of pursuing her own dreams.”

Directed by Kogonada, who is known for his widely acclaimed video essays, Columbus is an infectious indie romantic drama that critics have been raving about. Admittedly I hadn't even heard of this film until recently, but the trailer is amazing and I really like John Cho (most well known for Harold & Kumar) and Haley Lu Richardson, who was amazing in Edge of Seventeen. This will be a limited release but I hope to check it out sooner than later!! The cast includes i, Check out the official trailer below.

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Columbus:

• The film takes place and is named after Columbus, Indiana, which is known for its unique modern architecture, and is known as "The Athens on the Prairie".
• Columbus, Indiana is the childhood home of Vice President Mike Pence.