Castle Rock

Genre Drama | Fantasy | Horror

Cast André Holland, Bill Skarsgård, Jane Kevy, Sissy Spacek

Rating TV-14

Series Premiere July 25th, 2018 (Hulu)

“Henry returns to Castle Rock, Maine, unsettled by the place he once called home; based on the literary canon of Stephen King.”

From executive producer J.J. Abrams, Castle Rock is the latest Stephen King adaptation, and what I have seen so far has me pretty excited. The Hulu exclusive is a psychological horror series based on the stories of Stephen King, seamlessly intertwining characters and themes from from some of the great authors best work, all taking place in the fictional Maine town of Castle Rock. The cast includes André Holland, Bill Skarsgård, Jane Kevy, Sissy Spacek, Melanie Lynskey, Scott Glenn, and Terry O'Quinn. Check out the official trailers below. 

Ted Takes Series Facts, Hulu's Castle Rock:

• Castle Rock is the same town where Gordie, Chris, Teddy and Vern lived in the movie Stand By Me.
• Bill Skarsgård shot this series in between two other Stephen King projects: It (2017) and It: Chapter Two (2019).
• Some filming took place at West Virginia State Penitentiary in Moundsville, West Virginia. The penitentiary once housed 2,400 violent criminals with 85 executions taking place on the property, along with murder, rape and suicides. The 142 year old penitentiary is considered, to some, as one of the most haunted sites in the state.

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies

Director Aaron Horvath, Peter Rida Michail

Genre Animation | Action | Comedy

Cast Kristen Bell, Nicolas Cage, Tara Strong, Will Arnett

Rating PG

Release Date July 27th, 2018

“A villain’s maniacal plan for world domination sidetracks five teenage superheroes who dream of Hollywood stardom.”

From directors Aaron Horvath and Peter Rida Michai, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies is the first Teen Titans movie to get a big-screen feature debut. Teen Titans Go! is a animated television series that made its debut on the Cartoon Network in 2013, and is based on the DC Comics fictional superhero team. Interestingly enough this will more than likely end up as one of the highest rated DC films to date (I get it, the bar has been set pretty low). Nonetheless, critics have been raving about this animated feature. The talented cast of voice actors includes Kristen Bell, Nicolas Cage, Tara Strong, Will Arnett, Stan Lee, and Patton Oswalt. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies:

• First theatrically released traditionally animated Warner Bros. film since Clifford's Really Big Movie (2004) 14 years prior.
• The fourth theatrical film based on a Cartoon Network TV series, after The Powerpuff Girls Movie (2002) released 16 years prior, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) 10 years prior, and The Lego Ninjago Movie (2017) a year before.

Blindspotting

Director Carlos López Estrada

Genre Comedy | Drama

Cast Daveed Diggs, Rafael Casal, Janina Gavankar, Jasmine Cephas Jones

Rating R

Release Date July 27th, 2018

“Lifelong friends Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal co-wrote and star in this timely and wildly entertaining story about the intersection of race and class, set against the backdrop of a rapidly gentrifying Oakland.”

From director Carlos López Estrada, Blindspotting is a comedy drama that provides a unique look at the intersection between race and class, set against the backdrop of a rapidly gentrifying Oakland, CA. The cast includes Daveed Diggs, Rafael Casal, Janina Gavankar, and Jasmine Cephas Jones. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Blindspotting:

• The film had its world premiere on January 18, 2018 in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.
• The character, Miles, is based off of a man who walked across the film set on the first day of shooting.

Hot Summer Nights

Director Elijah Bynum

Genre Drama

Cast Timothée Chalamet, Maika Monroe, Alex Roe, William Fichtner

Rating R

Release Date July 27th, 2018 (Limited)

“A teen winds up in over his head while dealing drugs with a rebellious partner and chasing the young man’s enigmatic sister during one scorching summer in Cape Cod, Mass.”

Written and directed by Elijah Bynum, Hot Summer Nights is a crime drama with a coming-of-age twist, about a boy in Cape, Cod, MA, during a hot summer who gets in over his head dealing drugs and falling in love. Picked up by A24, this is the first I have heard of this movie but it looks pretty awesome, almost like a coming-of-age Traffic. I'm definitely looking forward to it. The cast includes Timothée Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name, Lady Bird), Maika Monroe, Alex Roe, William Fichtner, and Emory Cohen. Check out the official trailer below!!

Extinction

Director Ben Young

Genre Sci-Fi | Thriller

Cast Michael Peña, Lizzy Caplan, Mike Colter, Emma Booth

Rating Unrated

Release Date July 27th, 2018 (Netflix)

“A father has a recurring dream of losing his family. His nightmare turns into reality when the planet is invaded by a force bent on destruction. Fighting for their lives, he comes to realize an unknown strength to keep them safe from harm.”

From director Ben Young (Hounds of Love), Extinction is a sci-fi thriller about a father who finds himself having recurring dreams about losing his family, only the dreams become reality when the planet is invaded by an alien force. Now I watched Young's film Hounds of Love, and it was really good but very, very messed up (proceed with caution of you decide to check that one out). I'm not sure what the tone will be for this Netflix exclusive film but I think the cast is solid so I look forward to giving this movie a try. Young also made comparisons from this movie to District 9 on a thematic level so that is very intriguing as well. The cast includes Michael Peña, Lizzy Caplan, Mike Colter, and Emma Booth. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Extinction:

• This is Ben Young and Emma Booth's second feature film collaboration together after Hounds of Love (2017). Young and Booth have been friends for over a decade prior to filming Extinction.

The Equalizer 2

Director Antoine Fuqua

Genre Action | Crime | Thriller

Cast Denzel Washington, Ashton Sanders, Pedro Pascal, Melissa Leo

Rating R

Release Date July 20th, 2018

“Robert McCall serves an unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed, but how far will he go when that is someone he loves?”

From director Antoine Fuqua, the man who brought us the first film as well as Training Day, Shooter, and Southpaw, The Equalizer 2 is the return of Robert McCall, and this time around he is forced to fight for someone he loves. I feel bad for the people who decided to mess with the ultimate badass, i'm sure it won't end well for them. The cast includes Denzel Washington, Ashton Sanders, Pedro Pascal, and Melissa Leo. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Equalizer 2:

• Antoine Fuqua directed this movie, making it the first time directing a sequel to one of his own movies.
• After over 55 film and television credits, this will be Denzel Washington's first sequel.
• The debut for 8-year old Rhys Olivia Cote, a model turned actress from Wells, Maine. After auditioning for a small role she was cast in a role pivotal to the start of the film. She can be seen twice in the beginning of the trailer.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

Director Ol Parker

Genre Musical | Comedy

Cast Lily James, Christine Baranski, Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried

Rating PG-13

Release Date July 20th, 2018

“In this sequel to Mamma Mia! Sophie learns about her mother’s past while pregnant.”

Written and directed by Ol Parker (Now Is Good), Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is the sequel to the 2008 musical comedy. The cast includes Lily James, Christine Baranski, Meryl Streep, Amanda and Seyfried. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again:

• Releasing exactly 10 years after Mamma Mia! (2008).
• Cher was originally offered the role of Tanya in the first film which she turned down. She appears in this movie but in a different role.

Unfriended: Dark Web

Director Stephen Susco

Genre Horror

Cast Rebecca Rittenhouse, Chelsea Alden, Betty Gabriel, Andrew Lees

Rating R

Release Date July 20th, 2018

“A teen comes into possession of a new laptop and soon discovers that the previous owner is not only watching him, but will also do anything to get it back.”

The directorial debut for Stephen Susco, Unfriended: Dark Web is the follow-up to the 2014 horror film. Susco also wrote the script and his previous writing credits include The Grudge 1 & 2 and Texas Chainsaw 3D. In the sequel a teen finds a mysterious laptop and soon finds out that the rightful owner is watching him and will do anything to get it back. The cast includes Rebecca Rittenhouse, Chelsea, Alden, Betty Gabriel, and Andrew Lees. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Unfriended: Dark Web:

• Filmed in secret for a 2018 release, the film was originally titled Unfriended: Game Night.

Generation Wealth

Director Lauren Greenfield

Genre Documentary

Cast Limo Bob, Florian Homm, Tiffany Masters, Jaqueline Siegel 

Rating R

Release Date July 20th, 2018

“A documentary that investigates the pathologies that have created the richest society the world has ever seen.”

From writer and director Lauren Greenfield, Generation Wealth is a documentary that investigates the pathologies that have created the richest society the world has ever seen. Greenfield spent two decades documenting wealth, consumerism, and the powerful influence of affluence. Check out the official trailer below!! 

How It Ends

Director David M. Rosenthal

Genre Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Cast Theo James, Kat Graham, Nancy Sorel, Forest Whitaker.

Rating TV-MA

Release Date July 13th, 2018 (Netflix)

“When a mysterious disaster turns the country into a war zone, a young lawyer heads west with his future father-in-law to find his pregnant fiancée.”

From director David M. Rosenthal (A Single Shot, The Perfect Guy), How It Ends is a action thriller taking place after the country is turned into a war zone after a mysterious disaster, sending a young lawyer west with his future father-in-law in search of his fiancée. The cast includes Theo James, Kat Graham, Nancy Sorel, and Forest Whitaker. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, How It Ends:

• Some of the soldiers in the movie at the road block scene were actual members of the Canadian Armed Forces.
• The Arlington Bridge in Winnipeg Manitoba Canada, shown in some of the scenes, is 105 years old. It was opened on February 5, 1912.

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

Director Genndy Tartakovsky

Genre Animation | Comedy | Family

Cast Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Kathryn Hahn, Selena Gomez

Rating PG

Release Date July 13th, 2018

“Join our favorite monster family as they embark on a vacation on a luxury monster cruise ship so Drac can take a summer vacation from providing everyone else’s vacation at the hotel.”

From director Genndy Tartakovsky, Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation gets the gang back together when Mavis surprises Dracula with a family vacation on a luxury Monster Cruise Ship. The cast includes Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Kathryn Hahn, Selena Gomez, Mel Brooks, and Steve Buschemi. Check out the official trailers below!! 

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation:

• This movie was going to be released on September 21, 2018, but it was pushed forward two months to allow Goosebumps: Haunted Halloween (2018) to take that date, though that film would later be pushed back a month to October 12th the same year.
• Andy Samberg's fifth Sony Animation movie after Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009), Hotel Transylvania (2012), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013), and Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015).

Skyscraper

Director Rawson Marshall Thurber

Genre Action | Crime | Drama

Cast Dwayne Johnson, Pablo Schreiber, Neve Campbell, Noah Taylor

Rating PG-13

Release Date July 13th, 2018

“Framed and on the run, a former FBI agent must save his family from a blazing fire in the world’s tallest building.”

Written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, the man who brought us Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, We're the Millers, and Central Intelligence (also starring Dwayne Johnson), Skyscraper is a action crime drama about a former FBI agent who finds himself framed and on the run, and tasked with saving his family from a blazing fire in the world's tallest building. The cast includes Dwayne Johnson, Pablo Schreiber, Neve Campbell, and Noah Taylor. Check out the official trailers below!!  

Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot

Director Gus Van Sant

Genre Biography | Drama

Cast Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara, Jack Black

Rating R

Release Date July 13th, 2018 (Limited)

“On the rocky path to sobriety after a life-changing accident, John Callahan discovers the healing power of art, willing his injured hands into drawing hilarious, often controversial cartoons, which bring him a new lease on life.”

Directed and co-written by Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Milk), Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot is a drama based on the life of John Callahan, a man that was paralyzed in a car accident at the age of 21, and turned to drawing as a form of therapy. The stellar cast includes Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara, and Jack Black. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot:

• Gus Van Sant originally planned to make this movie in the 1990s starring Robin Williams as John Callahan. 
• The film will have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2018.

Eighth Grade

Director Bo Burnham

Genre Comedy

Cast Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson, Imani Lewis

Rating Unrated

Release Date July 13th, 2018

“A teenager tries to survive the last week of her disastrous eighth-grade year before leaving to start high school.”

Written and directed by Bo Burnham, Eighth Grade is the story of a teenage girl trying to survive the last week of her disasterous eighth-grade year before leaving for high school. The cast includes Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson, and Imani Lewis. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Eighth Grade:

• Premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.

Shock and Awe

Director Rob Reiner

Genre Biography | Drama | History

Cast James Marsden, Woody Harrelson, Jessica Biel, Milla Jovovich

Rating R

Release Date July 13th, 2018 (Limited & On-Demand)

“A group of journalists covering George Bush’s planned invasion of Iraq in 2003 are skeptical of the president’s claim that Saddam Hussein has “weapons of mass destruction.””

From actor/director Rob Reiner (Stand by Me, A Few Good Men), Shock and Awe tells the story of a group of journalists covering President Bush's Iraq invasion in 2003 and become skeptical of the idea that Saddam Hussein is in possession of weapons of mass destruction. The cast includes James Marsden, Woody Harrelson, Jessica Biel, Milla Jovovich, Tommy Lee Jones, and Rob Reiner. Check out the official trailer below!! 

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Shock and Awe:

• The film reunites Tommy Lee Jones and Woody Harrelson after their appearances in Natural Born Killers (1994), A Prairie Home Companion (2006) and No Country for Old Men (2007).
• John Walcott, Warren Strobel, Jonathan Landay, and their families all make cameos in the film.

The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter

Director Jody Hill

Genre Comedy

Cast Josh Brolin, Danny McBride, Montana Jordan, Carrie Coon

Rating TV-14

Release Date July 6th, 2018 (Netflix)

“The great hunter Buck Ferguson and his trusted cameraman Don set out for an epic weekend adventure to reconnect with Buck’s young son.”

Co-written and directed by Jody Hill, the comedic mind who brought us The Foot Fist Way, Eastbound & Down, and Vice Principals (all starring Danny McBride), The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter centered on great hunter Buck Ferguson (Josh Brolin) and his trusted cameraman Don (Danny McBride) as they set out on an epic weekend adventure to reconnect with Buck's young son. The cast includes Josh Brolin, Danny McBride, Montana Jordan, Carrie Coon, and Scoot McNairy. Check out the official trailer below!! 

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter:

• Josh Brolin gained forty pounds and grew a mustache for the role.
• While filming, Brolin stayed at local coffee house "The Cork and Bean" in Bryson City, North Carolina.
• Josh Brolin and Carrie Coon also worked together in Avengers: Infinity War (2018).

The Devil's Doorway

Director Aislinn Clarke

Genre Horror

Cast Lalor Roddy, Ciaran Flynn, Helena Bereen, Lauren Coe

Rating Unrated

Release Date July 13th, 2018 (Limited & On-Demand)

“In the fall of 1960, Father Thomas Riley and Father John Thornton were sent by the Vatican to investigate a miraculous event in an Irish home for ‘fallen women’, only to uncover something much more horrific.”

Co-written and directed by Aislinn Clarke, The Devil's Doorway is a horror film about two priests sent to the Vatican to investigate a miraculous event in a Irish home for "fallen women", only to discover something horrific. The cast includes Lalor Roddy, Ciaran Flynn, Helena Bereen, and Lauren Coe. Check out the official trailer below!! 

Siberia

Director Matthew Ross

Genre Crime | Romance | Thriller

Cast Keanu Reeves, Ana Ularu, Molly Ringwald, Aleks Paunovic

Rating R

Release Date July 13th, 2018 (Limited)

“When an American diamond trader’s Russian partner goes missing, he journeys to Siberia in search of him, but instead begins a love affair.”

From director Matthew Ross, Siberia is a crime/romance thriller about an American diamond trader who ventures to Siberia in search of his missing Russian Partner, and ends up falling in love. The cast includes Keanu Reeves, Ana Ularu, Molly Ringwald, and Aleks Paunovic. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Director Peyton Reed

Genre Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Cast Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Walter Goggins

Rating PG-13

Release Date July 6th, 2018

“As Scott Lang balances being both a Super Hero and a father, Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym present an urgent new mission that finds the Ant-Man fighting alongside The Wasp to uncover secrets from their past.”

From director Peyton Reed, Ant-Man and the Wasp is the follow-up to the 2015 hit Marvel film Ant-Man, which Reed also directed. A part of the Marvel Universe and technically one of the Avengers, Ant-Man took quite a while to hit the big screen due to hesitation from the studio but it was very well received once it finally did. I loved the first film and I felt that it was cast perfectly so I can't wait for this one! The cast includes Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, and Walter Goggins. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Ant-Man and the Wasp:

• This movie was announced 3 months after Ant-Man (2015) was released and due to Marvel's packed phase 3 lineup, they had to move the release dates of Black Panther (2018) and Captain Marvel (2019).
• This will be the twentieth film to be released by Marvel Studios for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The First Purge

Director Gerald McMurray

Genre Action | Horror

Cast Y'Lan Noel, Lex Scott Davis, Joivan Wade, Marisa Tomei

Rating R

Release Date July 4th, 2018

“To push the crime rate below one percent for the rest of the year, the New Founding Fathers of America test a sociological theory that vents aggression for one night in one isolated community. But when the violence of oppressors meets the rage of the others, the contagion will explode from the trial-city borders and spread across the nation.”

Directed by Gerald McMurray and written by James DeMonaco (who wrote the other films in the franchise), The First Purge is the prequel to the "Purge" films that feature a time where one day a year society can commit heinous acts, including murder, without consequence. This film will chronicle the first ever Purge and how it came to be. The cast includes Y'Lan Noel, Lex Scott Davis, Joivan Wade, Luna Lauren Velez and Marisa Tomei. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The First Purge:

• The Purge franchise has become one of the most profitable movie series' to date, capitalizing on micro-budget productions that reap big rewards. 2014's The Purge took in $64.4 million domestic and $89.3 million worldwide, from just a $3 million budget, while the 2015 follow-up took in $71.9 million domestically and $111.9 million worldwide from a $9 million budget. Last year's The Purge: Election Year took in $79.2 million domestically and $118.5 million worldwide from a $10 million budget. - MovieWeb