Leave No Trace

Director Debra Granik

Genre Drama

Cast Ben Foster, Dale Dickey, Jeff Kober, Thomasin McKenzie

Rating PG

Release Date June 29th, 2018 (Limited)

“A father and his thirteen year-old daughter are living in an ideal existence in a vast urban park in Portland, Oregon, when a small mistake derails their lives forever.”

From director Debra Granik, who also wrote the screenplay, Leave No Trace is a drama based on the 2009 novel "My Abandonement" from author Peter Rock. The film is based on the true story of a 13-year old girl and her father who live an ideal existence in a vast urban park in Portland, Oregon, but after a single misstep their ideal lives spiral out of control. The cast includes Ben Foster, Dale Dickey, Jeff Kober, and Thomasin McKenzie.

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Leave No Trace:

• Debra Granik previously directed and co-wrote the Oscar nominated drama Winter's Bone (2010), which served as a breakout performance for actress Jennifer Lawrence.

Woman Walks Ahead

Director Susanna White

Genre Biography | Drama | History

Cast Jessica Chastain, Sam Rockwell, Ciarán Hinds, Bill Camp

Rating R

Release Date June 29th, 2018

“Catherine Weldon, a portrait painter from 1890s Brooklyn, travels to Dakota to paint a portrait of Sitting Bull and becomes embroiled in the Lakota peoples’ struggle over the rights to their land.”

From director Susanna White, the director behind the acclaimed HBO miniseries Generation Kill, Woman Walks Ahead is the story of a portrait painter from 1890's Brooklyn who travels to Dakota to paint a portrait of a sitting bull but finds herself mixed up in a struggle over land rights. The cast includes Jessica Chastain, Sam Rockwell, Ciarán Hinds, and Bill Camp. Check out the official trailer below!!

The Domestics

Director Mike P. Nelson

Genre Horror | Thriller

Cast Kate Bosworth, Tyler Hoechlin, Sonoya Mizuno, Lance Reddick

Rating R

Release Date June 29th, 2018 (Limited & On-Demand)

“In the future, a young couple must travel through a gang-ravaged and post-apocalyptic countryside in an attempt to get home.”

Written and directed by Mike P. Nelson, a relatively unknown director known for his violence themed short films and work as a sound guy, The Domestics is set in a terrifying post-apocalyptic world inhabited by gangs divided into deadly factions, and the story follows a husband and wife as they race desperately across the countryside in search of safety- and must work together as they are pushed to the breaking point in order to survive. The cast includes Kate Bosworth, Tyler Hoechlin, Sonoya Mizuno, and Lance Reddick. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Film Facts, The Domestics:

• In May 2018, Orion Classics acquired distribution rights to the film and set it for a June 28, 2018, release. Orion Classics is known for acquiring indie and foreign films for North American distribution.
• Actress Kate Bosworth has two different color eyes: Brown and Blue. This condition is known as Heterochromia Iridum.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Director J.A. Bayona

Genre Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Cast Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jeff Goldblum, BD Wong

Rating PG-13

Release Date June 22nd, 2018 

“When the island’s dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen and Claire mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event.”

From director J.A. Bayona (A Monster Calls) and writer Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World), Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is the follow-up to the hit 2015 film that reignited one of the best movie franchises ever. The cast includes Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jeff Goldblum, BD Wong, and Toby Jones. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom:

• Full teaser trailer set to premiere with Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
• The Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) will be released 25 years after Jurassic Park (1993), 21 years after The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), 17 years after Jurassic Park III (2001), and three years after Jurassic World (2015).

American Animals

Director Bart Layton

Genre Crime | Drama

Cast Evan Peters, Barry Keoghan, Blake Jenner, Jared Abrahamson

Rating R

Release Date June 1st, 2018 (Wide Release 6/22/18)

“Four young men mistake their lives for a movie and attempt one of the most audacious heists in U.S. history.”

From writer and director Bart Layton (The Imposter), American Animals is based on the true story of four friends who attempted to execute one of the most daring heists in U.S. history, stealing a rare book from a college library's secure archives. The film made it's debut at The Sundance Film Festival to mostly positive reviews and has been described as a high energy and flashy heist thriller. I was excited for this after all of the Sundance hype and the trailer really out this film on my radar, i can't wait to check it out. The cast includes Evan Peters (Kick-Ass, X-Men: Days of Future Past), Barry Keoghan (Dunkirk, The Killing of a Sacred Deer), Blake Jenner (Everybody Wants Some!!, Edge of Seventeen), and Jared Abrahamson. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, American Animals:

• The film is based on true events.

• MoviePass Ventures (a subsidiary of the controversial service MoviePass) partnered with The Orchard to purchase North American distribution rights for American Animals at Sundance Film Festival in a $3 million dollar deal.

Damsel

Director David Zellner, Nathan Zellner

Genre Comedy | Drama | Western

Cast Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska, David Zellner, and Nathan Zellner

Rating R

Release Date June 22nd, 2018 (Limited)

“It’s the Wild West, circa 1870. Samuel Alabaster, an affluent pioneer, ventures across the American frontier to marry the love of his life, Penelope. As his group traverses the west, the once-simple journey grows treacherous, blurring the lines between hero, villain and damsel.”

Written and directed by David and Nathan Zellner, Damsel is a western comedy/drama about an affluent pioneer who ventures across the American frontier to marry the love of his life. Along the way the journey proves to be much more troublesome than anticipated. The cast includes Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska, David Zellner, and Nathan Zellner. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Damsel:

• Mia Wasikowska and Robert Pattinson were supposed to star in another western called Brimstone (2016). Both dropped out from the production weeks before filming began.
• The film premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2018

Boundaries

Director Shane Festa

Genre Comedy | Drama

Cast Vera Farmiga, Christopher Plummer, Lewis MacDougall, Christopher Lloyd

Rating R

Release Date June 22nd, 2018 (Limited)

“Laura and her son Henry are forced to drive her estranged, pot-dealing, carefree father Jack across country after being kicked out of a nursing home.”

Written and directed by Shana Feste (The Greatest, Country Strong), Boundaries is a comedy drama about a woman forced to drive her estranged, pot-dealing and carefree father Jack across country after being kicked out of his nursing home. The cast includes Vera Farmiga, Christopher Plummer, Lewis MacDougall, Christopher Lloyd, and Bobby Cannavale. Check out the official trailer below!!

Luke Cage: Season 2

Genre Action | Crime | Drama

Cast Mike Colter, Justin Swain, Simone Missick, Theo Rossi

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere June 22nd, 2018 (Netflix)

“When a sabotaged experiment gives him super strength and unbreakable skin, Luke Cage becomes a fugitive attempting to rebuild his life in Harlem and must soon confront his past and fight a battle for the heart of his city.”

Luke Cage is returning to Netflix with what I assume to be no shortage of bad guys for him to toss around like ragdolls. The popular Netflix exclusive is dropping it's second season June 22nd and it promises to give Luke Cage fans more of what they have grown to love. The cast includes Mike Colter, Justin Swain, Simone Missick, and Theo Rossi. Check out the official trailers for season 2 below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Luke Cage:

• In the 90's, Quentin Tarantino wanted to make Luke Cage: Hero for Hire into a film, with Laurence Fishburne in the title role, but opted to make Pulp Fiction instead.
• Luke Cage was never a policeman or military serviceman in the comic book versions. In the Netflix series it is mentioned that he was a former cop and that he served in Marine Force Recon, which is presumably created only for this live-action version of his character.

Yellowstone

Genre Drama

Cast Kevin Costner, Dave Annable, Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser

Rating Unrated

Series Premiere Wednesday, June 20th, 2018 (Paramount Network)

“A ranching family in Montana face off against others encroaching on their land.”

From writer Taylor Sheridan, the man who penned the scripts for Sicario, Hell or High Water, and Wind River, which is also directed, Yellowstone is a drama set in the wide open landscape of Montana about a ranching family who is forced to defend themselves from outside threats. The cast includes Kevin Costner in the lead role, Dave Annable, Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, Wes Bentley, and Gil Birmingham. Check out the official teaser trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Yellowstone:

• Gil Birmingham, Kelsey Asbille and Ian Bohen previously appeared in the film Wind River (2017 film), which was directed by Taylor Sheridan who is also the writer of this show.

Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town

Director Christian Papierniak

Genre Comedy | Drama

Cast Mackenzie Davis, Carrie Coon, Alex Russell, Alia Shawkat

Rating Unrated

Release Date June 22nd, 2018 (Limited)

“A woman at rock bottom must find her way across Los Angeles in order to crash her ex-boyfriend’s engagement party.”

The feature film directorial debut for Christian Papierniak, who also penned the script, Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town is a dramedy about a woman who hits rock bottom and must find her way across town in order to crash her ex-boyfriends engagement party. The cast includes Mackenzie Davis, Carrie Coon, Alex Russell, and Alia Shawkat. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town:

• The second film in which Haley Joel Osment's character is named Walt or Walter. The other one being Secondhand Lions (2003).

Incredibles 2

Director Brad Bird

Genre Animation | Action | Adventure

Cast Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, John Ratzenberger

Rating PG

Release Date June 15th, 2018

“Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) is left to care for Jack-Jack while Helen (Elastigirl) is out saving the world.”

From director Brad Bird, Incredibles 2 is the follow-up to the hit 2014 film that won audiences over. The cast includes Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, and John Ratzenberger. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Incredibles 2:

• Brad Bird has stated over the years, that he would only do a sequel to The Incredibles (2004), if he could come up with a story that's just as good as, or better than, its predecessor.
• The Incredibles (2004) will be the fifth Pixar film to become a franchise, following Toy Story (1995) Cars (2006), Monsters, Inc. (2001), and Finding Nemo (2003).

Tag

Director Jeff Tomsic

Genre Comedy

Cast Ed Helms, Jake Johnson, Annabelle Wallis, Rashida Jones

Rating R

Release Date June 15th, 2018

“A small group of former classmates organize an elaborate, annual game of tag that requires some to travel all over the country.”

From director Jeff Tomsic (Comedy Central's Broad City), his feature-film debut, and co-written by Rob McKittrick (Waiting...), Tag is an outrageous comedy about a group of friends who have been taking part in a game of tag once a year ever since they were kids. Now as adults, the game goes to extreme lengths to determine the winner. The cast includes Ed Helms, Jake Johnson, Annabelle Wallis, Rashida Jones, Isla Fisher, Leslie Bibb, Hannibal Buress, Jon Hamm and Jeremy Renner. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Tag:

• Based on true events in the lives of former classmates, all of whom graduated from a preparatory school in Washington state.
• Jeremy Renner fractured his right elbow and left wrist while filming a stunt for this movie. Luckily the incident didn't impact his filming schedule for Avengers: Infinity War.

SuperFly

Director Director X

Genre Action | Crime | Thriller

Cast Trevor Jackson, Jennifer Morrison, Michael Kenneth Williams, Jason Mitchell

Rating R

Release Date June 13th, 2018

“The movie is a remake of the 1972 blaxploitation film ‘Super Fly’.”

From Director X, Superfly is a remake of the 1972 film that became a cult classic. The story is centered around the daily routine of a cocaine dealer priest who wants to score one more super deal and retire. The cast includes Trevor Jackson, Jennifer Morrison, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Jason Mitchell. Check out the official trailers below!!

Gotti

Director Kevin Connolly

Genre Biography | Crime | Drama

Cast John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Stacy Keach, Pruitt Taylor Vince

Rating R

Release Date June 15th, 2018 (Limited)

“The story of crime boss John Gotti and his son.”

Directed by Kevin Connolly, who most will recognize from his recurring role as Eric "E" Murphy in the HBO hit series Entourage, Gotti is a look at the life of feared Italian-American crime boss John Gotti. A straight to T.V. movie released in 1996 starring Armand Assante as John Gotti, and was pretty good all things considered. Gotti was a notorious criminal and an extremely successful one at that so this movie better do the story justice. The cast includes John Travolta (as Gotti), Kelly Preston, Stacy Keach, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Megan Leonard, Lydia Hull, and William DeMeo. Check out the newly released official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Gotti:

• Joe Pesci was originally cast as Angelo Ruggiero. Pesci later filed a $3 million lawsuit against the producers claiming breach of contract. In the lawsuit, Pesci claims that after he gained 30 pounds for the role of the overweight Ruggiero, he was instead offered a different role. The suit is still pending.
• Lindsay Lohan was temporarily dropped from the film by the producers citing difficult demands made by her management team. Lohan called producer Marc Fiore personally to convince him to let her keep her role. Lohan is no longer in this film.
• John Travolta wore many of John Gotti's clothing accessories in this production, such as his ties.

Goliath: Season 2

Genre Drama

Cast Billy Bob Thornton, Nina Arianda, Tania Raymonde, Diana Hopper

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere June 15th, 2018 (Amazon Prime)

“A disgraced lawyer, now an ambulance chaser, gets a case that could bring him redemption or at least revenge on the firm which expelled him.”

if you enjoy edgy courtroom dramas Amazon's Goliath is absolutely worth a look. Billy Bob Thornton plays the lead role of washed up defense attorney Billy McBride. who was once the best of the best, now he spends the majority of his time getting blackout drunk in his favorite dive bar. The show builds a solid backstory with it's rags to riches/root for the little guy premise and includes a solid cast. I personally really enjoyed the first season so I am looking forward to what season 2 brings to the table. The cast includes Billy Bob Thornton, Nina Arianda, Tania Raymonde, and Diana Hopper. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Goliath:

• Both the Ocean Lodge Hotel (where Billy lives) and the Chez Jay bar (where Billy drinks) are real places in Santa Monica, California. The interior of Chez Jay, however, was too small to accommodate a cast and camera crew, so an expanded version was replicated on a studio soundstage. Chez Jay was only used for the exteriors.
• Season one showrunner David E. Kelley chose to feature the Santa Monica 'Chez Jay' bar because that's where he first met his wife, Michelle Pfeiffer.
• Billy Bob Thornton liked including the late John Ritter in his films (Sling Blade, Bad Santa) and now John Ritter's son Jason appears in Goliath.

Loving Pablo

Director Fernando León de Aranoa

Genre Biography | Crime | Drama

Cast Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz,, Peter Sarsgaard, and Julieth Restrepo

Rating R

Release Date June 15th, 2018 (Limited)

“A journalist strikes up a romantic relationship with notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar.”

From director Fernando León de Aranoa, who also wrote the screenplay, Loving Pablo is the story of a journalist who strikes up a romantic relationship with notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar. The film is based on the book from Virginia Vellejo. The cast includes Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz,, Peter Sarsgaard, and Julieth Restrepo. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Loving Pablo:

• Leads Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz have been married since 2010. 
• The movie is based on Virginia Vallejo's bestselling memoir Loving Pablo, Hating Escobar.

Ocean's 8

Director Gary Ross

Genre Action | Crime | Thriller

Cast Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling

Rating PG-13

Release Date June 8th, 2018

“Debbie Ocean gathers a crew to attempt an impossible heist at New York City’s yearly Met Gala.”

Directed and co-written by Gary Ross (Seabiscuit, The Hunger Games, Free State of Jones), Ocean's 8 is the latest entry in the popular franchise of complex crime thrillers. Considered to be a "spin-off" of the original franchise with a all-female cast, the talent alone involved in this project has me looking forward to it. The cast includes Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, and Sarah Paulson. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Ocean's 8:

• In her 2011 book, Mindy Kaling expressed an interest in wanting to do a reboot of Ocean's 11, called Ocean's 5, that would feature an all female cast.
• Matt Damon and Carl Reiner are the only cast members from the "Ocean's Eleven" films to appear in the "Ocean's Eight" spin-off.
• The eight main cast has won four Oscars, two Emmys, eight Grammys, six Golden Globes, five BAFTAs, and 10 SAGs combined.

Hereditary

Director Ari Aster

Genre Drama | Horror | Mystery

Cast Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro

Rating R

Release Date June 8th, 2018

“When the matriarch of the Graham family passes away, her daughter’s family begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry.”

Have no fear, a horror movie from A24 is almost here!! Oh wait, I guess you should have some fear- and lots of it! The trailer finally dropped for Hereditary, the A24 horror film that made waves at the Sundance Film Festival. The film tells the story of a family who's reclusive grandmother passes away and not long after begins to haunt the family relentlessly. The cast includes Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff, and Milly Shapiro. I am a fan of old school horror so I cannot wait for this to hit theaters. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Hereditary:

• The trailer was accidentally shown before a screening of Peter Rabbit at a theater in Western Australia, causing minor panic among the audience expecting kid-friendly previews.
• The fourth A24 movie to get a wide release after The Witch (2016), Free Fire (2017), and It Comes At Night (2017).

Hotel Artemis

Director Drew Pearce

Genre Action | Crime | Sci-Fi

Cast Jodie Foster, Sterling K. Brown, Sofia Boutella, Charlie Day

Rating R

Release Date June 8th, 2018

“Set in riot-torn, near-future Los Angeles, ‘Hotel Artemis’ follows the Nurse, who runs a secret, members-only emergency room for criminals.”

Written an directed by Drew Pearce, Hotel Artemis is a sci-fi action thriller set in a riot torn near future Los Angeles, following the activities of a nurse who runs a secret members-only emergency room for criminals. The cast includes Jodie Foster, Sterling K. Brown, Sofia Boutella, Charlie Day, and Dave Bautista. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Hotel Artemis:

• Drew Pearce's directorial debut.
• Jodie Foster's first acting role since Elysium (2013)
• Staring K. Brown and Bryan Tyree Henry have both appeared on This Is Us and were both nominated for Emmys for the first season. Brown won for his leading role in the series.

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Director Morgan Neville

Genre Documentary | Biography

Cast Joanne Rogers, Fred Rogers (archive footage)

Rating PG-13

Release Date June 8th, 2018 (Limited)

“An exploration of the life, lessons, and legacy of iconic children’s television host, Fred Rogers.”

From director Morgan Neville, Won't You Be My Neighbor? is a documentary that gives an intimate look at the life of the iconic children's television host, Fred Rogers. Utilizing archive footage of Mr. Rogers himself as well as a huge contribution from his widow Joanne Rogers, this is a documentary that is not to be missed. Check out the official trailer below!!