Winchester

Director Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig

Genre Biography | Horror | Mystery

Cast Helen Mirren, Jason Clarke, Sarah Snook, Angus Sampson

Rating PG-13

Release Date February 2nd, 2018 (Netflix July 1st, 2020)

“Eccentric firearm heiress believes she is haunted by the souls of people killed by the Winchester repeating rifle.”

From directors Michael and Peter Spierig, Helen Mirren, Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built is based on the true story of Sarah Winchester and her home that proved on a variety of occasions to be haunted. The cast includes Helen Mirren, Jason Clarke, Sarah Snook, and Angus Sampson. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Winchester:

• The Winchester Mystery House is an actual mansion that is located in San Jose California. It is believed to be haunted by the victims of the Winchester rifle. It is now a tourist attraction.

• According to the legend, Sarah Winchester believed she would stay alive as long as she kept building on her house.

• The promotional image for the film of Helen Mirren sitting in the carriage in mourning clothes mirrors the only known photograph of the reclusive Sarah Winchester on the estate, which is seen on the tour of the mansion in San Jose.

Braven

Director Lin Oeding

Genre Action | Drama

Cast Jason Momoa, Stephen Lang, Zahn McClarnon, Garret Dillahunt

Rating R

Release Date February 2nd, 2018 (Limited)

“A logger defends his family from a group of dangerous drug runners.”

The directorial debut for stunt coordinator Lin Oeding, who worked on hit films like Inception, The Equalizer, and Spider-Man: Homecoming, Braven is an action drama about a man going to any length to protect his family. The cast includes Jason Momoa, Stephen Lang, Zahn McClarnon, and Garret Dillahunt. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Braven:

• Steven Lang and Jason Manoa played antagonists in the Conan the Barbarian reboot

Altered Carbon

Genre Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Cast Joel Kinnaman, Martha Higareda, James Purefoy, Martha Higareda

Rating Unrated

Series Premiere February 2nd, 2018 (Netflix)

“Set in a future where consciousness is digitized and stored, a prisoner returns to life in a new body and must solve a mind-bending murder to win his freedom.”

A Netflix exclusive, Altered Carbon is a sci-fi drama set in a future where consciousness is digitized and stored. A prison returns to life in a new body and must solve a mind-bending murder to earn his freedom. The cast includes Joel Kinnaman, Martha Higareda, James Purefoy, and Martha Higareda. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Altered Carbon:

• Based on the book by Richard Morgan.
• Joel Kinnaman and Kristin Lehman both starred in "The Killing".

Scorched Earth

Director Peter Howitt

Genre Action | Sci-Fi

Cast Gina Carano, Ryan Robbins, John Hannah, Dean S. Jagger

Rating R

Release Date February 2nd, 2018 (Limited & On-Demand)

“A bounty hunter named Atticus Gage tracks down criminals in a post-apocalyptic Earth.”

From director Peter Howitt, Scorched Earth is film about a bounty hunter tracking down criminals in a post-apocalyptic Earth. Sounds pretty ridiculous right? Well add in trained mixed martial artist Gina Carano as said bounty hunter along with a R rating and you just may have something entertaining on your hands. The cast includes Gina Carano, Ryan Robbins, John Hannah, and Dean S. Jagger. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Scorched Earth:

• The lead character was originally intended to be male, with Sean Bean the first choice to play the role. The screenplay was later rewritten with a female protagonist, and Gina Carano was cast. 

Maze Runner: The Death Cure

Director Wes Ball

Genre Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Cast Dylan O'Brien, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Rosa Salazar, Giancarlo Esposito

Rating PG-13

Release Date January 26th, 2018

“Young hero, Thomas, embarks on a mission to find a cure to a deadly disease known as the “Flare”.”

Director Wes Ball returns to direct The Maze Runner: The Death Cure, the 3rd film based on the best-selling T.S. Nowlin novels. The first two films have fared well in the box office and hope to see a similar result with the latest entry. The cast includes Dylan O'Brien, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Rosa Salazar, and Giancarlo Esposito. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Film Facts, Maze Runner: The Death Cure:

• Director Wes Ball has specifically said he doesn't think the original book source of the trilogy should be split into two movies (as usually the final installment of young-adult movie series is split into two movies). He states that there should be a beginning, middle, and end, and that's it.
• Due to Dylan O'Brien's injury during filming, which he sustained in March 2016, and his eventual recovery, the release date of the movie, originally slated for 17th February, 2017, was postponed to January 12th, 2018. Filming for this film was immediately halted after O'Brien was hospitalized.

Hostiles

Director Scott Cooper

Genre Adventure | Drama | Western

Cast Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike, Peter Mullan, Ben Foster

Rating R

Release January 19th, 2018

“In 1892, a legendary Army captain reluctantly agrees to escort a Cheyenne chief and his family through dangerous territory.”

Co-written and directed by Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace, Black Mass), Hostiles is a western drama set in 1892, and tells the story of a legendary Army captain who reluctantly agrees to escort a Cheyenne chief and his family through hostile territory. This film sort of came out of nowhere for me but the combination of the director and the cast alone has me pretty excited. The cast includes Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike, Peter Mullan, and Ben Foster. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Hostiles:

• Christian Bale and Rosamund Pike were supposed to work together a year before, in a movie called The Deep Blue Good-By, directed by James Mangold but the project fell through due to Bale's leg injuries. Bale recovered but the project didn't resurface and he teamed up with Pike for this project.
• This will be the first time Christian Bale and Scott Cooper worked together since Out of the Furnace (2013).
• The film had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2017.

Waco

Genre Drama

Cast Taylor Kitsch, Michael Shannon, Melissa Benoist, Julia Garner

Rating Unrated

Series Premiere January 24th, 2018 (Paramount Network/Spike)

“The FBI and ATF seize religious leader, David Koresh’s Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas in the spring of 1993.”

Waco is a T.V. miniseries based in the 1993 Waco siege. The talented cast includes Taylor Kitsch, Michael Shannon, Melissa Benoist, and Julia Garner. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Series Facts, Waco:

• The real Waco siege lasted 51 days, ending on April 19th, 1993. There has been much controversy on who started the fire. 6 Branch Davidians were killed in the initial siege. 76 members were killed on April 19th, including 20+ children.

Baskets: Season 3

Genre Comedy

Cast Zach Galifianakis, Martha Kelly, Louie Anderson, Sabina Sciubba

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere Tuesday January 23rd, 2018 (FX)

“After failing at a prestigious French clowning college, Chip Baskets looks to keep his dream of becoming a professional clown alive.”

The FX series Baskets is a ridiculous show but it is absolutely hilarious, and any fan of Zach Galifianakis and his wacky sense of humor needs to give it a try. Overall, it is more of a dark comedy with a heavy dose of dry humor but it is NEVER boring, and it is very well-written. Plus Galifianakis plays twin brothers so you get a pretty sweet 2 for 1 deal. I can't wait for this new season to begin! Check out the official trailer for season 3 below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Baskets:

• Zach Galifianakis did his own stunts for the rodeo clown scenes with the bulls.
• The voice and mannerisms that Zach Galifianakis uses for Dale Baskets is the same he's used for his own fictional twin brother, Seth Galifianakis. "Seth" has been a staple of Galifianakis' stand-up for years.

A Futile and Stupid Gesture

Director David Wain

Genre Biography | Comedy

Cast Will Forte, Domhnall Gleeson, Thomas Lennon, Emily Rossum

Rating TVMA

Release Date January 26th, 2018

“In the 1970s and ‘80s, National Lampoon’s success and influence creates a new media empire overseen in part by the brilliant and troubled Doug Kenney.”

From director David Wain (Role Models, Wanderlust), A Futile and Stupid Gesture is a movie about how National Lampoon's changed the comedic landscape for print and film during the 70's and 80's. The story that is being told is pretty awesome, add in the fact that the film is stacked with acting talent how could this not be worth watching? Plus its a Netflix streaming exclusive!! The cast includes  Will Forte, Domhnall Gleeson, Thomas Lennon, and Emily Rossum. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, A Futile and Stupid Gesture:

• Joel McHale will be portraying Chevy Chase in this project. The two costarred on Community (2009). A number of episodes centered on McHale's character fearing he would become like Chase's one day.
• Multiple scenes from National Lampoons Animal House and Caddyshack were filmed for the production.

12 Strong

Director Nicolai Fuglsig

Genre Action | Drama | History

Cast Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Michael Peña, Trevante Rhodes

Rating R

Release Date January 19th, 2018

“12 Strong tells the story of the first Special Forces team deployed to Afghanistan after 9/11; under the leadership of a new captain, the team must work with an Afghani warlord to take down the Taliban.”

From director Nicolai Fuglsig, 12 Strong is a history war drama based on the book Horse Soldiers from author Doug Stanton, and that was the original title for the film before they changed it. I just finished the book and it was absolutely amazing. It is mind boggling how little I knew about what these men did in sacrifice of our great country, and I can't even tell you how many times the book gave me chills. This is the story of real-life action hero's post 9/11, taking the fight to the terrorists to prove that they made a costly mistake messing with us. The cast includes Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Michael Peña, and Trevante Rhodes. Check out the newly released official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, 12 Strong:

• General Abdul Rashid Dostum was quoted, 'I asked for a few Americans, they brought with them the courage of a whole Army' according to eyewitness Robert Young Pelton's in his March 2002 National Geographic Adventure article "The Legend of Heavy D and the Boys". Pelton was the only journalist with the Green Beret and CIA team whose story is featured in "Horse Soldiers".
• Chris Hemsworth was initially offered the role during filming for Thor: Ragnarok and nearly turned it down hesitant to take on yet another physically demanding role and he also didn't want to be away from his family. To get Hemsworth on board his wife Elsa Pataky was offered the role of his on-screen spouse, allowing them time together during filming.

Den of Thieves

Director Christian Gudegast

Genre Action | Crime  | Drama

Cast Gerard Butler, Pablo Schreiber, O'Shea Jackson Jr., 50 Cent

Rating R

Release Date January 19th, 2018 (Netflix May 1st, 2020)

“An elite unit of the LA County Sheriff’s Dept. and the state’s most successful bank robbery crew collide as the outlaws plan a seemingly impossible heist on the Federal Reserve Bank.”

Written and directed by Christian Gudegast, his directorial debut, Den of Thieves is a crime drama about a thief who gets stuck in the middle of two dangerous sets of criminals while attempting to plan a bank robbery. Gudegast previously wrote the screenplays for the Vin Diesel film A Man Apart and Gerard Butler's London Has Fallen. The cast includes Gerard Butler, 50 Cent, Pablo Schreiber, and Sonya Balmores. Check out the official trailers below!!

Also check out our Spoiler-Free Review for Den of Thieves here

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Den of Thieves:

• Filmed in Atlanta, GA.

Mom and Dad

Director Brian Taylor

Genre Horror | Thriller

Cast Nicolas Cage, Selma Blair, Anne Winters, Lance Henriksen

Rating R

Release Date January 19th, 2018 (Limited)

“A teenage girl and her little brother must survive a wild 24 hours during which a mass hysteria of unknown origins causes parents to turn violently on their own kids.”

Written and directed by Brian Taylor (Crank, Crank: High Voltage, Gamer), Mom and Dad is an intense horror thriller about parents losing their minds and subsequently trying to murder their children. Sounds pleasant right? Yeah this definitely isn't a family friendly flick but is looks like a ton of fun and director Bryan Taylor certainly has an eye for style and a "unique" imagination. The cast includes Nicolas Cage, Selma Blair, Anne Winters, and Lance Henriksen. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Mom and Dad:

• Nicolas Cage said this is his favorite movie in ten years that he's filmed.
• First premiere was at Toronto Film Festival at 11:59 p.m. on 9 September 2017.

Phantom Thread

Director Paul Thomas Anderson

Genre Drama

Cast Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps, Lesley Manville, Camilla Rutherford

Rating R

Release Date January 19th, 2018 (Limited)

“Set in 1950’s London, Reynolds Woodcock is a renowned dressmaker whose fastidious life is disrupted by a young, strong-willed woman, Alma, who becomes his muse and lover.”

Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood), Phantom Thread is a drama based in 1950's London about a renowned dressmaker who has his life disrupted by a young, strong willed woman. To be honest I really don't know much about this film but the combination of Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Day-Lewis is all I need to convince me to give it a shot. The full cast includes Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps, Lesley Manville, and Camilla Rutherford. Check out the official trailer below!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Phantom Thread:

• This will be Daniel Day-Lewis's last film. He announced that he will be retiring from acting on June 20, 2017
• Paul Thomas Anderson directed and shot the film as he served as both the Director and Cinematographer.
• At $35 million, this is Paul Thomas Anderson's second highest budgeted movie after Magnolia (1999) at $37 million.

The Open House

Director Matt Angel, Suzanne Coot

Genre Horror | Thriller

Cast Dylan Minnette, Piercey Dalton, Sharif Atkins, Patricia Bethun

Rating Unrated

Release Date January 19th, 2018 (Netflix)

“A teenager and his mother find themselves besieged by threatening forces when they move into a new house.”

Written and directed by Matt Angel and Suzanne Coot, The Open House is a horror thriller about a teenager and his mother moving into a home where they end up crossing paths with much more than they bargained for. The cast includes Dylan Minnette, Piercey Dalton, Sharif Atkins, and Patricia Bethune. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Open House:

• Netflix acquired worldwide rights to this movie and it will be available to stream on Netflix Jan 19, 2018.

Forever My Girl

Director Bethany Ashton Wolf

Genre Drama | Music | Romance

Cast Alex Roe, Jessica Rothe, John Benjamin Hickey, Abby Ryder Fortson

Rating PG

Release Date January 19th, 2018

“After being gone for a decade a country star returns home to the love he left behind.”

Written and directed by Bethany Ashton Wolf (Little Chenier), Forever My Girl is a romantic drama based on the book written by author Heidi McLaughlin, about a country music star who returns to his hometown and the love he left behind. The Cast includes Alex Roe, Jessica Rothe, John Benjamin Hickey, and Abby Ryder Fortson. Check out the official trailer below!!

The Shape of Water

Director Guillermo del Toro

Genre Adventure | Drama | Fantasy

Cast Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon, Michael Stuhlbarg

Rating R

Release Date January 19th, 2017 (Limited)

“In a 1960s research facility, a mute janitor forms a relationship with an aquatic creature.”

Directed and co-written by twisted mastermind Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water is an R-rated fantasy drama set during the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1963, and it looks pretty twisted! The cast includes Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon, and Michael Stuhlbarg. Check out the newly released official trailer below!! 

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Shape of Water:

• Set during a real-life war and featuring magical elements. This was also the premise for Guillermo del Toro's earlier film Pan's Labyrinth (2006).
• del Toro has worked on this film for several years, and developed it before he began production on Pacific Rim (2013). Eventually, he chose to direct this film instead of Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018).

Check out the newly released unrated Red Band trailer below!!

Release day is less than a month away and the final trailer is here, check it out below!!

The Current War

Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

Genre Biography | Drama | History

Cast Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon, Nicholas Hoult, Tom Holland

Rating Unrated

Release Date January 19th, 2018

“The dramatic story of the cutthroat race between electricity titans Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse to determine whose electrical system would power the modern world.”

From extremely talented director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), The Current War is the story of how electricity came to be, more or less, as Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse battled it out to determine who would be the man behind the curtain. The cast includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon, Nicholas Hoult, and Tom Holland. Check out the exclusive new trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Current War:

• Jake Gyllenhaal was originally cast alongside Benedict Cumberbatch in the lead role, however, Gyllenhaal dropped out and Michael Shannon replaceed him.
• The War of Currents (sometimes called War of the Currents or Battle of Currents) was a series of events surrounding the introduction of competing electric power transmission systems in the late 1880s and early 1890s.

Call Me by Your Name

Director Luca Guadagnino

Genre Drama | Romance

Cast Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar

Rating R

Release Date January 19th, 2018 (Limited)

“In Northern Italy in 1983, seventeen year-old Elio begins a relationship with visiting Oliver, his father’s research assistant, with whom he bonds over his emerging sexuality, their Jewish heritage, and the beguiling Italian landscape.”

From director Luca Guadagnino (A Bigger Splash), Call Me by Your Name is a romance drama based on the 2007 novel from American author André Aciman.  The critically acclaimed film has been making its mark at film festivals prior to receiving a wider theatrical release in the U.S. The cast includes Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Amira Casar. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Call Me by Your Name:

• The entire film (including the opening credits) was shot with a single 35mm lens.
• On its premiere night, Call Me By Your Name (2017) received a ten-minute standing ovation, which was the longest standing ovation ever at the New York Film Festival.
• Timothée Chalamet learned to speak Italian and to play the guitar for the role of Elio.

Small Town Crime

Director Eshom Nelms, Ian Nelms

Genre Crime | Thriller

Cast John Hawkes, Anthony Anderson, Clifton Collins Jr., Michael Vartan

Rating R

Release Date January 19th, 2018 (Limited)

“When alcoholic ex-cop Mike Kendall finds the body of a young woman, he becomes obsessed with redeeming himself by finding the killer. In the process, he puts himself and his family in danger while hanging out with an assortment of shady characters.”

Written and directed by Eshom and Ian Nelms, Small Town Crime is a crime thriller with a stellar cast about an alcoholic ex cop who stumbles upon the body of a young women and decides this is an opportunity for redemption. The cast includes John Hawkes, Anthony Anderson, Clifton Collins Jr., Michael Vartan, and Octavia Spencer. Check out the official trailer below!! 

The Commuter

Director Jaume Collet-Serra

Genre Crime | Drama | Mystery

Cast Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Sam Neill

Rating PG-13

Release Date January 12th, 2018

“A businessman is caught up in a criminal conspiracy during his daily commute home.”

From talented director Jaume Collet-Serra, the man behind House of Wax, Orphan, Unknown, Non-Stop, Run All Night, and The Shallows (he clearly enjoys the company of Liam Neeson), The Commuter is yet another intense crime drama about a man who gets caught up in a criminal conspiracy during his commute home from work. The cast includes Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Sam Neill, and Dean-Charles Chapman. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Commuter:

• Liam Neeson and Sam Neill are both Irish actors and were both contenders for the role of James Bond in Goldeneye (1995), which eventually went to fellow Irish actor Pierce Brosnan. Neill was also considered for Bond in The Living Daylights (1987). Additionally, both actors starred in two 1993 Steven Spielberg films (Schindler's List and Jurassic Park).