Fifty Shades Freed

Director James Foley

Genre Drama

Cast Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson, Arielle Kebbel, Tyler Hoechlin

Rating R

Release Date February 9th, 2018

“Anastasia and Christian get married, but Jack Hyde continues to threaten their relationship.”

From director James Foley (House of Cards), Fifty Shades Freed is the 4th feature-film based on the steamy and explicit E.L. James novels. The cast includes Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson, Arielle Kebbel, and Tyler Hoechlin. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Fifty Shades Freed:

• There was talk that Jamie Dornan wouldn't reprise his role as Christian Grey but those rumors were put to rest as of February 25th 2015 when his agent stated he was devoted to the sequels.
• The third and final chapter of Fifty Shades Trilogy.
• This third installment will not have a two parter unlike the other best selling novel adapted film series such as Harry Potter, Twilight, The Hunger Games and The Divergent Series.

Peter Rabbit

Director Will Gluck

Genre Animation | Adventure | Comedy

Cast James Corden, Domhnall Gleeson, Margot Robbie, Daisy Ridley

Rating PG

Release Date February 9th, 2018

“Feature adaptation of Beatrix Potter’s classic tale of a rebellious rabbit trying to sneak into a farmer’s vegetable garden.”

Co-written and directed by Will Gluck (Easy A, Annie), Peter Rabbit is a live-action version of the popular children's story. The cast includes James Corden, Domhnall Gleeson, Margot Robbie, and Daisy Ridley. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Peter Rabbit:

• Margot Robbie and Domhnall Gleeson's third collaboration, following About Time (2013) and Goodbye Christopher Robin (2017).
• This is the first Sony Pictures Animation's live-action/animated hybrid film to be rated G by the MPAA.
• Originally Sam Neill was going to play Mr. McGregor as opposed to Domhnall Gleeson, but was busy filming for Thor: Ragnarok (2017).

When We First Met

Director Ari Sandel

Genre Comedy

Cast Adam Devine, Alexandra Daddario, Robbie Amell, Noureen DeWulf

Rating Unrated

Release Date February 9th, 2018 (Netflix)

“Noah spends the perfect first night with Avery, the girl of his dreams, but gets relegated to the friend zone. He spends the next three years wondering what went wrong - until he gets the unexpected chance to travel back in time and alter that night - and his fate - over and over again.”

From director Ari Sandel (The Duff), When We First Met is a romantic comedy about a man who lands in the friend zone after a first date with the girl of his dreams, and is later given the chance to travel back in time to have another chance at the date with hilarious results. The cast includes Adam Devine, Alexandra Daddario, Robbie Amell, and Noureen DeWulf. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, When We First Met:

• Once Adam was cast as the lead, the producers asked him to look over the script and re-write it to suit to his comedy style.
• Described as being 500 Days of Summer (2009) meets Groundhog Day (1993).

The Cloverfield Paradox

Director Julius Onah

Genre Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi

Cast Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Oyelowo, Daniel Brühl, John Ortiz

Rating TV-MA

Release Date February 4th, 2018 (Netflix)

“Orbiting a planet on the brink of war, scientists test a device to solve an energy crisis, and end up face-to-face with a dark alternate reality.”

From director Julius Onah, The Cloverfield Paradox is the latest film in the Cloverfield franchise so it has some big shoes to fill. The cast includes Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Oyelowo, Daniel Brühl, and John Ortiz. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Cloverfield Paradox:

• The first trailer was released during Super Bowl LII (2018) the same night the actual film was released on Netflix.
• This film is confirmed to be the third installment of J.J. Abrams' Cloverfield series. However, it was first supposed to be a movie of its own called God Particle in which, during a war against Russia, a group of American astronauts find themselves at stake when they come upon the fact that Earth has dissappeared and that a Russian ship is trying to make contact with them.

The Ritual

Director David Bruckner

Genre Horror

Cast Rafe Spall, Robert James Collier, Sam Troughton, Arsher Ali

Rating Unrated

Release Date February 9th, 2018 (Netflix)

“A group of college friends reunite for a trip to the forest, but encounter a menacing presence in the woods that’s stalking them.”

From director David Bruckner (Southbound), The Ritual is a horror film based on the novel from Adam Nevill, about four men who decide to reunite during a trip to the forest, only they find that they are not alone in those woods. The cast includes Rafe Spall, Robert James Collier, Sam Troughton, and Arsher Ali. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Film Facts, The Ritual:

• The original tagline that was used when advertising the film was 'They should have gone to Vegas'. But due to the massacre in Vegas that took place on 1st of October 2017, the tagline has now been changed to 'They should have gone to Ibiza'.
•  Despite being based on a novel written a few years before the films release, some scenes in the film are based 70's horror "rituals".

Victor Crowley

Director Adam Green

Genre Comedy | Horror

Cast Parry Shen, Kane Hodder, Laura Ortiz, David Sheridan

Rating Unrated

Release Date February 6th, 2018

“Ten years after the events of the original movie, Victor Crowley is mistakenly resurrected and proceeds to kill once more.”

Written and directed by Adam Green, the man who also wrote and directed Hatchet 1 & 2 (he didn't direct the third but did write the screenplay), as well as the brutal thriller Frozen, Victor Crowley is the return of the aforementioned deformed psychopath who is once again out to kill in the Louisiana swamps. As a huge fan of slasher films in general I actually own the first two Hatchet films and they are enjoyable movies, definitely campy and a little corny as expected, but overall pretty good. The movies are known for the brutal kills and I am looking forward to seeing what Green has up his sleeve this time around. The cast includes Parry Shen, Kane Hodder (as Victor Crowley), Laura Ortiz, and David Sheridan. Hodder is a bit of a horror icon having played Jason Voorhees in a number of Friday the 13th films as well as the new videogame, and he is a busy guy with over 120 acting credits according to his IMDb filmography. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Victor Crowley:

• During his heartfelt introductions at the Los Angeles and London premieres for this movie, Adam Green cited how his hero Wes Craven's death had effected him so strongly, that it brought him back to his own franchise again, and made him realize that the Hatchet franchise is one of his own biggest contributions to the genre. While Craven's death put the notion of returning to Hatchet in Green's mind, it was another of his heroes, George A. Romero, specifically telling him to make more Hatchet films for the fans, that solidified his decision to make a fourth film in the franchise. Romero passed away just thirty-seven days before the surprise unveiling of this movie on August 22, 2017, and Green stated that this movie would not exist if not for Romero's pep talk assuring him that what he did as a filmmaker mattered, and was needed for the genre

Seeing Allred

Director Roberta Grossman, Sophie Sartan

Genre Documentary

Cast Gloria Allred

Rating Unrated

Release Date February 9th, 2018 (Netflix)

“Women’s rights attorney Gloria Allred takes on the biggest names in American culture as coverage of sexual assault allegations in the media become more prevalent.”

“The documentary, which will make its world premiere at Sundance 2018, chronicles the life of the civil rights attorney and renowned feminist as she gives a candid narration of her career over the last 40 years, in which she overcame personal trauma and media scrutiny while defending women’s rights.”

— The Hollywood Reporter

Check out the official trailer for Seeing Allred below.

Still/Born

Director Brandon Christensen

Genre Horror | Thriller

Cast Christie Burke, Jesse Moss, Rebecca Olson, Jenn Griffin

Rating R

Release Date February 9th, 2018 (Limited)

“When a woman gives birth to twins, only one child survives. She begins to suspect that something supernatural has chosen her remaining child, and it will stop at nothing to take it from her.”

The directorial debut for Brandon Christensen, who also co-wrote the script, Still/Born is a horror thriller about a mother who finds herself desperately trying to protect her infant child from a supernatural force. It is quite the feat to find a quality horror film these days and the best ones always seem to be under the radar indie horrors and this one looks like it could be pretty damn good. The cast includes Christie Burke, Jesse Moss, Rebecca Olson, and Jenn Griffin. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Still/Born:

• World premiere screening was held at The Overlook Film Festival at Mount Hood, Oregon.
• The baby who plays Adam is director Brandon Christensen's niece, and the production of the film was scheduled around her birth.

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.