Hunter Killer

Director Donovan Marsh

Genre Action | Thriller

Cast Gerard Butler, Gary Oldman, Linda Cardellini, Michael Nyqvist

Rating R

Release Date  October 26th, 2018

“An untested American submarine captain teams with U.S. Navy Seals to rescue the Russian president, who has been kidnapped by a rogue general.”

From director Donovan Marsh, Hunter Killer tells the story of an untested American submarine captain who teams with U.S. Navy Seals to rescue the Russian president after he has been kidnapped by a rogue general. The cast includes Gerard Butler, Gary Oldman, Linda Cardellini, Michael Nyqvist, Common, and John Smith. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Film Facts, Hunter Killer:

• Leading actor, Gerard Butler, sailed aboard the USS Houston (SSN 713) from May 6th to May 9th with director Donovan Marsh for research purposes. They discovered some nuances of a real operating submarine and submarine crew in an attempt to make the movie/script more realistic.

• One of Michael Nyqvist last films before his death in 2017. The 56 year-old actor, well known for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and most recently John Wick, lost his battle with lung cancer. His acting talents will be missed.

Bodyguard

Genre Crime | Drama | Thriller

Cast Richard Madden, Sophie Rundle, Vincent Franklin, Ash Tandon

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere October 24th, 2018 (Netflix)

“After helping thwart a terrorist attack, a war veteran is assigned to protect a politician who was a main proponent of the very conflict he fought in.”

Bodyguard is a British drama series that follows a war veteran who who is assigned to protect a controversial politician, who it turns out was a strong proponent in the war he fought in. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Bodyguard:

• Bodyguard is a British television drama series, created and written by Jed Mercurio and produced by World Productions for the BBC.

• The events in the series are set during October and November of 2018, as the legislation being pushed through parliament by the Home Secretary is entitled RIPA 2018, and multiple shots of documents, phone call records, computer screens, etc. clearly show the date

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Genre Fantasy | Horror | Thriller

Cast Kiernan Shipka, Richard Coyle, Lucy Davis, Tati Gabrielle

Rating TV-14

Series Premiere October 26th, 2018 (Netflix)

“A dark coming-of-age tale that follows Sabrina, as she wrestles to reconcile her dual nature as a half-witch, half-mortal while fighting evil forces.”

Sabrina the witch is back, in what will seemingly be a much darker show than the Sabrina the Teenage Witch we all remember from the late 90’s/early 2000’s starring Melissa Joan Hart. In the exclusive Netflix series is a dark coming-of-age tale that follows Sabrina, as she wrestles to reconcile her dual nature as a half-witch, half-mortal while fighting evil forces., The cast includes Kiernan Shipka, Richard Coyle, Lucy Davis, and Tati Gabrielle. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina:

• This show takes place in the same universe as the CW series "Riverdale," which is based on the Archie comics and featured Sabrina as a character, who later received her own dark comic series.

• Kiernan Shipka will still be in her teens when the series premieres on Netflix, making her the first real-teen to play the teenage Sabrina Spellman in live-action. Melissa Joan Hart was entirely in her twenties when she starred on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (1996).

The Hate U Give

Director George Tillman Jr.

Genre Crime | Drama

Cast Amandla Stenberg, K.J. Apa, Anthony Mackie, Regina Hall

Rating PG-13

Release Date October 19th, 2018

“Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Now, facing pressures from all sides of the community, Starr must find her voice and stand up for what’s right.”

From director George Tillman Jr. and based on the novel by Angie Thomas, The Hate U Give is a gripping crime drama about a teenage girl that witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend at the hands of a police officer. Facing pressure from all sides of the community she must find her voice and stand up for what's right. The cast includes Amandla Stenberg, K.J. Apa, Anthony Mackie, Regina Hall, and Issa Rae.

Ted Takes Film Facts, The Hate U Give:

• The novel the film is based on opened at number one on The New York Times young adult best-seller list, where it remained for 50 weeks. It received positive reviews and won several awards. It is Thomas' debut novel, expanded from a short story she wrote in college following the police shooting of Oscar Grant. The 1999 shooting death of Oscar Grant in Oakland, CA is also portrayed in a film entitled Fruitvale Station - Grant is portrayed by actor Michael B. Jordan.

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Director Marielle Heller

Genre Biography | Comedy | Drama

Cast Melissa McCarthy, Marc Evan Jackson, Richard E. Grant, Joanna Adler

Rating R

Release Date October 19th, 2018

“When bestselling celebrity biographer, Lee Israel, is no longer able to get published because she has fallen out of step with current tastes, she turns her art form to deception, abetted by her loyal friend, Jack.”

From director Marielle Heller, Can You Ever Forgive Me? is a biography drama based on Lee Israel's memoir of the same name. When bestselling celebrity biographer Lee Israel (McCarthy) is no longer able to get published, she turns her art form to deception with the help of a friend. The cast includes Melissa McCarthy, Marc Evan Jackson, Richard E. Grant, and Joanna Adler. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Can You Ever Forgive Me?:

• The movie is based on the life of Lee Israel, who made her living in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s writing profiles of high-achieving women.

• Julianne Moore was attached to this project during early development. She removed herself from the project due to creative differences.

Making a Murderer: Part 2

Genre Documentary | Crime

Cast Steven Avery, Dolores Avery, Ken Kratz, Brendan Dassey

Rating TV-14

Season Premiere October 19th, 2018 (Netflix)

“Filmed over a 10-year period, Steven Avery, a DNA exoneree who, while in the midst of exposing corruption in local law enforcement, finds himself the prime suspect in a grisly new crime.”

The Netflix exclusive documentary that swept the nation is returning with Part 2 - Making a Murderer is a captivating documentary series full of twists and turns that will keep the audience guessing. Check out the official trailer for Part 2 below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Making a Murderer:

• Before meeting with Netflix, Demos and Ricciardi met with executives at PBS and HBO, but neither network was interested in the project.

• Co-director Laura Ricciardi was a lawyer before turning to film making, which came to great use when researching the legal aspects of the case.

Mid90s

Director Jonah Hill

Genre Comedy

Cast Sunny Suljic, Lucas Hedges, Katherine Waterston, Jerrod Carmichael

Rating Unrated

Release Date October 19th, 2018 (Limited)

“The story of a boy growing up in Los Angeles in the 1990s.”

Written and directed by actor Jonah Hill, a talented actor well known for his role in the comedic hit Superbad who has gone to star in a ton of hits ranging from Moneyball to Wolf of Wall Street, Mid90's is his directorial debut and tells the story of a young boy growing up in Los Angeles in the mid 90's. The cast includes Sunny Suljic, Lucas Hedges, Katherine Waterston, and Jerrod Carmichael. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Mid90s:

• Jonah Hill said that Kids (1995) and This Is England (2006) inspired him to make this film.

• Michelle Williams was originally cast but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts and was replaced by Katherine Waterston.

What They Had

Director Elizabeth Chomko

Genre Drama

Cast Hilary Swank, Michael Shannon, Robert Forster, Blythe Danner

Rating R

Series Premiere  October 19th, 2018 (Limited)

“Bridget returns home at her brother’s urging to deal with her ailing mother and her father’s reluctance to let go of their life together.”

Written and directed by Elizabeth Chomko, What They Had tells the story of Bridget, who returns home at her brother's urging to deal with her ailing mother and her father's reluctance to let go of their life together. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, What They Had:

• Early in her career actress Hilary Swank cut off all of her hair and lived as a boy for a month to prepare her for her role as Brandon Teena in Boys Don't Cry (1999). Swank only earned $75 a day for her role in this classic film.

Wildlife

Director Paul Dano

Genre Drama

Cast Jake Gyllenhaal, Carey Mulligan, Bill Camp, Ed Oxenbould

Rating PG-13

Release Date October 19th, 2018 (Limited)

“A boy witnesses his parents’ marriage falling apart after his mother finds another man.”

Directed by Paul Dano, who adapted the screenplay from the Richard Ford novel of the same name, Wildlife is a drama about a boy who watches his parents' marriage slowly fall apart after his mother finds another man. The cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Carey Mulligan, Bill Camp, and Ed Oxenbould. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Wildlife:

• Paul Dano's directorial debut. Dano and Jake Gyllenhaal previously co-starred in Prisoners (2013) and Okja (2017).

• First of at least two movies Paul Dano has planned to write and direct about families. (Sundance 2018)

• Jake Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan previously co-starred in Brothers (2009).

First Man

Director Damien Chazelle

Genre Biography | Drama | History

Cast Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Kyle Chandler, Pablo Schreiber

Rating PG-13

Release Date October 12th, 2018

“A look at the life of the astronaut, Neil Armstrong, and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.”

From director Damien Chazelle, the man who brought us the Oscar-winning film La La Land and Whiplash, First Man is a look at Neil Armstrong and the path that led him to being the first man to step foot on the man. The screenplay is written by Josh Singer and is based on the book by James R. Hansen. The cast includes Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Kyle Chandler, Pablo Schreiber, and Jason Clarke, Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, First Man:

• Damien Chazelle's first choice to play the role of Neil Armstrong was always Ryan Gosling. Gosling was even rumored to be attached to the project during its development stage but nothing was officially confirmed. It wasn't until after Gosling did La La Land (2016) with Chazelle that Gosling would officially sign on to do the project.

• The first film directed by Damien Chazelle in which he didn't write the script.

Bad Times at the El Royale

Director Drew Goddard

Genre Mystery | Thriller

Cast Chris Hemsworth, Dakota Johnson, Cailee Spaeny, Jon Hamm

Rating R

Release Date October 12th, 2018

“Seven strangers, each with a secret to bury, meet at Lake Tahoe’s El Royale, a rundown hotel with a dark past. Over the course of one fateful night, everyone will have a last shot at redemption - before everything goes to hell.”

Written and directed by Drew Goddard, who wrote the script for The Martian starring Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain and also directed The Cabin in the Woods, Bad Times at the El Royale is a thriller following seven strangers, each with a secret to bury. who meet at a rundown hotel with a dark past hoping for one last chance at redemption. The extremely talented cast includes Chris Hemsworth, Dakota Johnson, Cailee Spaeny, Jon Hamm, Jeff Bridges, and Lewis Pullman. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Bad Times at the El Royale:

• Writer and director Drew Goddard's process of selling the spec was under heavy secrecy with the script only going to top studio execs as potential buyers, and they had to read off a tablet and then return it when done.

• Russell Crowe was originally cast in a role. He eventually dropped out and was replaced by Jon Hamm.

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween

Director Ari Sandel

Genre Adventure | Comedy | Family

Cast Jeremy Ray Taylor, Madison Iseman, Ben O'Brien, Wendi Mclendon-Covey

Rating PG

Release Date October 12th, 2018

“Slappy is back to wreak more havoc this Halloween in a brand-new comedy adventure based on R.L. Stine’s 400-million-selling series of books.”

From director Ari Sandel (The DUFF, When We First Met), Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween is another big-screen adaptation straight from the genius mind of Goosebumps author R.L. Stine. I grew up reading these books and consider them to be a big part of my childhood, and I enjoyed the recent 2015 film. The cast includes Jeremy Ray Taylor (Stephen King's It), Madison Iseman (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle), Ben O'Brien, Wendi Mclendon-Covey, Chris Parnell, and Ken Jeong. Check out the official trailer below!! 

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween:

• A sequel to 2015's "Goosebumps" film, which is based off of the best-selling children's book series "Goosebumps" by R. L. Stine.

• Sony Pictures Animation's 5th live action film.

The Haunting of Hill House

Genre Horror | Drama

Cast Mckenna Grace, Carla Gugino, Michiel Huisman, Timothy Hutton

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere October 12th, 2018 (Netflix)

“Flashing between past and present, a fractured family confronts haunting memories of their old home and the terrifying events that drove them from it.”

From talented director Mike Flanagan, the man behind horror films Oculus, Hush, Before I Wake, Ouija: Origin of Evil, and Gerald’s Game, The Haunting of Hill House is a horror series based on the 1959 novel from author Shirley Jackson. The series flashes between past and present, focusing on a family confronting haunting memories from their past that all lead back to their childhood home and all of the horrific events that happened there. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Haunting of Hill House:

• Flashing between past and present, a fractured family confronts haunting memories of their old home and the terrifying events that drove them from it.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

Developer Activision

Genre Action | War

Rating Mature

Formats PS4 | Xbox One | PC

Release Date October 12th, 2018

The trailers for the latest Call of Duty game, Black Ops 4, are FINALLY here!! The game will hit store shelves on October 12th, and the anticipation is already building. Personally I am looking forward to a Black Ops game that doesn't include wall running and all of the other futuristic BS. Included below is a trailer for the brand new mode "Blackout", which is an answer to the extremely popular Battle Royale mode from Fortnite. Check them out below!!

Beautiful Boy

Director Felix Van Groeningen

Genre Drama

Cast Steve Carrell, Timothée Chalamet, Maura Tierney, Christian Convery

Rating R

Release Date October 12th, 2018

“Based on the memoir of the same name, the film tells the heartbreaking and inspiring story of survival and recovery in a family coping with addiction over many years.”

From director Felix Van Groeningen, Beautiful Boy is an intense family drama based on the memoir of the same name, the film tells the story of the heartbreaking and inspiring experience of survival and recovery in a family coping with addiction over many years. The cast includes Steve Carrell, Timothée Chalamet, Maura Tierney, and Christian Convery. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Film Facts, Beautiful Boy:

• Timothée Chalamet had to lose 25 lbs for his role as Nic Sheff. He also had a Consultant/Doctor on set to ensure his acting was realistic and authentic as to a drug addict.

• Steve Carell, Amy Ryan and Maura Tierney were all previous cast members of The Office (US).

The Oath

Director Ike Barinholtz

Genre Action | Comedy | Thriller

Cast Ike Barinholtz, Tiffany Haddish, Billy Magnussen, John Cho

Rating R

Release Date October 12th, 2018

“In a politically divided America, a man struggles to make it through the Thanksgiving holiday without destroying his family.”

Written and directed by accomplished actor Ike Barinholtz, who also stars in the film, The Oath tells the story of a mans struggles to make it through a family Thanksgiving in a politically divided America. The cast includes Ike Barinholtz, Tiffany Haddish, Billy Magnussen, and John Cho. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Oath:

• The feature-film directorial debut for actor Ike Barinholtz. He previously directed a few episodes of the series The Mindy Project, which he also starred in.

• Born and raised in Chicago, Barinholtz originally had aspirations to become a politician but decided to become a comedian instead.

Apostle

Director Gareth Evans

Genre Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Cast Dan Stevens, Kristine Froseth, Michael Sheen, Lucy Boynton

Rating Unrated

Release Date October 12th, 2018 (Netflix)

“A man attempts to rescue his sister who’s been kidnapped by a religious cult.”

Written and directed by Gareth Evans (The Raid: Redemption, The Raid 2), Apostle is set in 1905 and tells the story of a man who travels to a remote island to rescue his sister from the religious cult that kidnapped her. Check out the official trailer below!!

The Romanoffs

Genre Drama

Cast Aaron Eckhart, Kathryn Hahn, Christina Hendricks, Diane Lane

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere October 12th, 2018 (Amazon Prime)

“A contemporary anthology series set around the globe featuring eight separate stories about people who believe themselves to be descendants of the Russian royal family.”

From creator Matthew Weiner, the man who brought us hit shows like The Sopranos and Mad Men, The Romanoffs is an anthology style drama series set around the globe and featuring eight separate stories about people who believe themselves to be descendants of the Russian royal family. The cast includes Aaron Eckhart, Kathryn Hahn, Christina Hendricks, Diane Lane, Amanda Peet, Corey Stoll, Jack Huston, and John Slattery. Check out the official trailers below!!

The Kindergarten Teacher

Director Sara Colangelo

Genre Drama

Cast Maggie Gyllenhaal, Parker Sevak, Anna Baryshnikov, Rosa Salazar

Rating Unrated

Release Date October 12th, 2018 (Netflix)

“A kindergarten teacher in New York becomes obsessed with one of her students who she believes is a child prodigy.”

Directed and co-written by Sara Colangelo (Little Accidents), The Kindergarten Teacher is about a NYC teacher who becomes obsessed with a young boy who she believes is a child prodigy. Now lets pump the breaks for a quick second, on HBO Maggie Gyllenhaal is a "lady of the night" but on Netflix she is a kindergarten teacher, nice to see she has cleaned up her act in 2018. In all seriousness, this Netflix original film is doing extremely well as far as critics are concerned so I am looking forward to checking it out. The cast includes Maggie Gyllenhaal, Parker Sevak, Anna Baryshnikov, and Rosa Salazar. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Kindergarten Teacher:

• The film is based on the 2014 Israeli film of the same name.

• Lead Maggie Gyllenhaal has been in three movies with her brother Jake Gyllenhaal: A Dangerous Woman (1993) (which was directed by their father), Homegrown (1998) (which was directed by their father), and Donnie Darko (2001).

All American: Season 1

Genre Drama | Sport

Cast Daniel Ezra, Taye Diggs, Michael Evans Behling, Jordan Belfi

Rating TV-14

Season Premiere Wednesday October 10th, 2018 9:00 PM EST (The CW)

“When a star high school football player from South Central is recruited to play for Beverly Hills High School, two separate worlds collide.”

All American is a new sports drama series about a star wide receiver from a high school in Crenshaw, CA, who is offered the opportunity to play football for a much safer school in Beverly Hills. The shows focus is the struggle to integrate into a very difference environment while trying to focus on what matters most, a good education and if all works out making it to the NFL someday. Admittedly I was a little concerned this show would be corny considering it is on The CW but is actually looks promising. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, All American:

• Inspired by the life of professional football player Spencer Paysinger.