The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

Director Lasse Hallström, Joe Johnson

Genre Adventure | Family | Fantasy

Cast Keira Knightley, Morgan Freeman, Mackenzie Foy, Helen Mirren

Rating PG

Release Date November 2nd, 2018

“A young girl is transported into a magical world of gingerbread soldiers and an army of mice.”

Directed by Lasse Hallström (Chocolat, Safe Haven, A Dog's Purpose) and Joe Johnson (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Jumanji, Captain America: The First Avenger), The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is a fantasy adventure for the whole family based on the story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, from E.T.A Hoffmann. The cast includes Keira Knightley, Morgan Freeman, Mackenzie Foy, and Helen Mirren. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms:

• A feature adaptation of "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" by E.T.A. Hoffmann.

• Took over the original release date for Mulan (2019), pushing that film's release back to December 2019.

• To be shot on Kodak 65mm film.

Suspiria

Director Luca Guadagnino

Genre Fantasy | Horror | Mystery

Cast Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth, Chloë Grace Moretz

Rating R

Release Date November 2nd, 2018

“A darkness swirls at the center of a world-renowned dance company, one that will engulf the artistic director, an ambitious young dancer, and a grieving psychotherapist. Some will succumb to the nightmare. Others will finally wake up.”

From director Luca Guadagnino, the man who brought us A Bigger Splash and the award-winning Call Me by Your Name, Suspiria is a horror mystery about the darkness at the center of a world-renowned dance company that will soon overtake everyone involved. The cast includes Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth, Chloë Grace Moretz, Lutz Ebersdorf, and Jessica Harper. Check out the official trailer below!! 

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Suspiria:

• Luca Guadagnino started shooting this film only four months after wrapping the filming of Call Me by Your Name (2017) in 2016.

• The first footage that premiered at the 2018 CinemaCon presentation was said to be so intense and disturbing, some audience members left the presentation midway through.

Bohemian Rhapsody

Director Dexter Fletcher, Bryan Singer

Genre Biography | Drama | Music

Cast Rami Malek, Ben Hardy, Gwilym Lee, Lucy Boynton

Rating PG-13

Release Date November 2nd, 2018

“A chronicle of the years leading up to Queen’s legendary appearance at the Live Aid (1985) concert in 1985.”

From directors Dexter Fletcher (Wild Bill, Eddie the Eagle) and Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men), Bohemian Rhapsody is a biography drama chronicling the years leading up to Queen's legendary appearance at the Live Aid concert in 1985. The making of the film included enough drama to have it's own reality show, including controversy involving the initial casting decision for Sacha Baron Cohen to play Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek was eventually cast) to the firing of director Bryan Singer for erratic behavior and not showing up to direct for days at a time etc. The cast includes Rami Malek, Ben Hardy, Gwilym Lee, Lucy Boynton, and Mike Myers. Check out the official trailers below!! 

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Bohemian Rhapsody:

• The title is taken from Queen's biggest UK hit song "Bohemian Rhapsody," written by Freddie Mercury, the lead singer and pianist of the band.

• Bryan Singer was fired by 20th Century Fox on December 5, 2017 for reportedly being at odds with his star, Rami Malek. Singer threw an object at the actor when Malek complained to the studio about the director's absences.

Nobody's Fool

Director Tyler Perry

Genre Comedy | Drama

Cast Tiffany Haddish, Tika Sumpter, Omari Hardwick, Whoopi Goldberg

Rating R

Release Date November 2nd, 2018

“A woman who gets released from prison and reunites with her sister, who discovers she is in an online relationship with a man that may be “catfishing” her.”

Written and directed by Tyler Perry, Nobody's Fool tells the story of a woman who gets released from prison and reunites with her sister, and next discovers she is in an online relationship with a man that may be "catfishing" her. Love him or hate him, Tyler Perry makes bank with his movies even considering the fact that critics almost always shred them. The cast includes Tiffany Haddish, Tika Sumpter, Omari Hardwick, and Whoopi Goldberg. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Nobody's Fool:

• Tiffany Haddish wears her white halter Alexander McQueen dress for a fifth time in this movie. She wore this beautiful dress to the to such milestone occasions like the premiere of Girl's Trip, SNL, and to host the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards. It is an inside joke and breaking barriers in fashion to wear the same dress more than once.

Boy Erased

Director Joel Edgerton

Genre Biography | Drama

Cast Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Joel Edgerton, Russell Crowe

Rating R

Release Date November 2nd, 2018

“The son of a baptist preacher is forced to participate in a church-supported gay conversion program.”

From actor turned director Joel Edgerton, Boy Erased is a biography drama based on Garrard Conley's memoir telling his story of when he was forced to participate in a church-supported gay conversion program. The talented cast includes Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Nicole Kidman, Joel Edgerton, and Russell Crowe. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Film Facts, Boy Erased:

• By the time Garrard Conley's memoir was released, only a handful of US states had banned gay conversion therapy, those being Vermont, California, New Jersey, Illinois, Oregon and the District of Colombia. Mainstream health and medical groups have rejected the underlying assumptions that LGBTQ people need to or can change their sexuality.

• Garrard Conley turned down the opportunity to write the adaptation himself as he believed a filmmaker would be better fit to translate his memoir to the big screen.

• Focus Features won the rights to the film in a bidding war against Annapurna Pictures, Netflix and Amazon Studios.

House of Cards: The Final Season

Genre Drama

Cast Robin Wright, Kevin Spacey, Michael Kelly, Derek Cecil

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere November 2nd, 2018 (Netflix)

“A Congressman works with his equally conniving wife to exact revenge on the people who betrayed him.”

Everyone is well aware of the drama involving actor Kevin Space, unless perhaps you live under a rock, and to be honest it is really a shame because regardless of what the guy did (or didn't) do behind closed doors, he is one heck of an actor. House of Cards blew up to become one of Netflix's most-watched dramas, but eventually all good things must come to an end - thus here we are fast approaching the final season. The cast includes Robin Wright, Kevin Spacey, Michael Kelly, and Derek Cecil. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, House of Cards:

• Michel Gill (President Walker) and Jayne Atkinson (Catherine Durant) are married in real-life.

• The first two seasons together cost $100 million to produce.

• Season 3 was accidentally released to Netflix two weeks before the official release. It was taken down around 17 minutes later.

Homecoming

Genre Drama | Thriller

Cast Julia Roberts, Bobby Cannavale, Stephan James, Alex Karpovsky

Rating TV-14

Series Premiere November 2nd, 2018 (Amazon Prime)

“A psychological thriller that centers on a caseworker, Heidi Bergman, at a facility treating soldiers returning from war, and Walter Cruz, a veteran eager to rejoin civilian life.”

Homecoming is a brand new psychological drama series that follows a caseworker who works at a facility that treats veteran soldiers returning from war, and a veteran who is eager to return to civilian life. The show is already receiving a great deal of praise from critics calling it a gripping human drama. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Homecoming:

• Based on the podcast of the same name created by Eli Horowitz and Micah Bloomberg that is set to premiere on November 2, 2018 on Amazon Video.

Galveston

Director Mélanie Laurent

Genre Action | Crime | Drama

Cast Ben Foster, Elle Fanning, Lili Reinhart, Robert Aramayo

Rating Unrated

Release Date  October 19th, 2018 (Limited & On-Demand)

“After escaping a set up, a dying hitman returns to his hometown of Galveston where he plans his revenge.”

From director Mélanie Laurent (The Adopted, Breathe), Galveston is a crime drama about a dying hitman who escapes a setup and returns to his hometown of Galveston for revenge. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Galveston:

• Written by the same writer as True Detective, however it was written years before True Detective was created.

• Mélanie Laurent's English-language directorial debut. She had previously directed two feature films and a documentary in France.

Top 10 Netflix Horror Movies

The weather has cooled, bright orange pumpkins are covering porch steps all over the neighborhood, and the Fall foliage is already nearly in full effect. The only other thing as consistent as the changing seasons is the fact that finding something good to watch on Netflix can take all night sometimes - and who wants that?! Halloween is fast approaching, and as huge fans of this special holiday we know you need something to scratch that horror itch. Lucky for you, your friends at Ted Takes are here to offer some suggestions for what we consider to be the top movies in the horror genre currently available to stream on Netflix.

Check out the trailers below and let us know what you consider to be your all-time favorite horror movie in the comments section!!

The Shining (1980)

“A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil spiritual presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and of the future.”

It Follows (2014)

“A young woman is followed by an unknown supernatural force after a sexual encounter.”

The Witch (2015)

“A family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession.”

The Conjuring (2013)

“Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse.”

The Invitation (2015)

“A man accepts an invitation to a dinner party hosted by his ex-wife, an unsettling affair that reopens old wounds and creates new tensions.”

Oculus (2013)

“A woman tries to exonerate her brother, who was convicted of murder, by proving that the crime was committed by a supernatural phenomenon.”

The Strangers (2008)

“A young couple staying in an isolated vacation home are terrorized by three unknown assailants.”

The Babadook (2014)

“A widowed mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son’s fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her.”

The Ritual (2017)

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

Terrifier (2017)

“A maniacal clown terrorizes three young women on Halloween night and everyone else who stands in his way.”

Red Dead Redemption 2

Developer Rockstar Games

Genre Action | Adventure | Crime

Rating Mature

Formats PS4 | Xbox One

Release Date October 26th, 2018

“The story of outlaw Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang as they rob, fight and steal their way across the vast and rugged heart of America in order to survive.”

Rockstar Games can lay claim to some of the best game releases in history, the biggest of which being Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption, which has earned its place as GTA of the Wild West! The first Red Dead Redemption released in 2010 and was absolutely amazing so I, like many others, cannot wait for this new game to finally release!! The official release date is now confirmed as October 26th.  Check out the official trailers below!!

Johnny English Strikes Again

Director David Kerr

Genre Action | Adventure | Comedy

Cast Rowan Atkinson, Olga Kurylenko, Jake Lacy, Ben Miller

Rating PG

Release Date October 26th, 2018

“After a cyber-attack reveals the identity of all of the active undercover agents in Britain, Johnny English is forced to come out of retirement to find the mastermind hacker.”

From director David Kerr, his feature-film debut, Johnny English Strikes Again is a sequel to the 2011 film, Johnny English Reborn, and is the third installment in the Johnny English series. The films are a spoof of the James Bond films, and follow the antics of British spy Johnny English. In this film, English (who is currently teaching at a minor prep school) is called back into action after a criminal mastermind reveals the identities of all active undercover agents in Britain. The cast includes Rowan Atkinson, Olga Kurylenko, Jake Lacy, and Ben Miller. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Johnny English Strikes Again:

• Will be release 7 years after Johnny English Reborn and 15 years after Johnny English.

• Rowan Atkinson played Nigel SmallFaucet, James Bond's MI6 contact in the Bahamas in Never Say Never Again.

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).