Mowgli

Director Andy Serkis

Genre Adventure | Drama | Family

Cast Christian Bale, Kate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Naomi Harris

Rating PG-13

Release Date December 7th, 2018 (Netflix & Limited Theaters)

“A human child raised by wolves, must face off against a menacing tiger named Shere Khan, as well as his own origins.”

From veteran actor turned director Andy Serkis, Mowgli is a much darker version of the live-action film The Jungle Book (2016). The film was originally slated to release in 2016 but the release was delayed to 2018 after news broke that Disney would be releasing The Jungle Book. The cast includes Christian Bale, Kate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Naomi Harris, Andy Serkis, and Matthew Rhys. Check out the official trailer below!! 

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Mowgli:

• Andy Serkis directs the film and provides the voice of Baloo.

• This is the third time Christian Bale has provided voice work for a non live-action role in his career. He previously played Thomas in Pocahontas (1995) and Howl in the English version of Howl's Moving Castle (2004).

Top 10 Netflix Binge Worthy Shows

Finding something good to watch on Netflix can take all night sometimes, and who wants that?! Lucky for you, your friends at Ted Takes are here to offer some suggestions for what we consider to be "binge worthy" shows currently available on Netflix. Check out the trailers below!!

- note that many of these shows have multiple seasons and the trailer may be for the latest season.

Happy binge watching!!

Bird Box

Director Susanne Bier

Genre Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Cast Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich, Sarah Paulson

Rating Unrated

Release Date December 21st, 2018 (Netflix)

“Something is out there, something terrifying that must not be seen. One glimpse of it, and a person is driven to deadly violence. No one knows what it is or where it came from.”

From director Susanna Bier, Bird Box is a Netflix exclusive dystopian horror/thriller about a mother and her children attempting to navigate a dangerous world inhabited terrifying that cannot be seen. The premise sounds very familiar to the recent sci-fi thriller The Quiet Place, but i’m still willing to give this a fair shake especially considering it is based on a book and seems to have a great deal of story depth in comparison. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Bird Box:

• Based on the 2014 novel of the same name written by Josh Malerman, the lead singer of The High Strung.

• Second collaboration between Sandra Bullock and Sarah Paulson following Ocean's Eight.

Dirty John

Genre Drama

Cast Connie Britton, Eric Bana, Julia Garner, Juno Temple

Rating TV-14

Series Premiere Sunday, November 25th, 2018 10:00 PM EST (BRAVO Network)

“Debra’s seemingly perfect life is disrupted as she falls for a handsome doctor who sweeps her into a whirlwind romance. But her handsome new beau pulls Debra into a sinister game of psychological manipulation.”

Dirty John is a limited series based on true events that tells the story of Debra's seemingly perfect life when it is disrupted as she falls for a handsome doctor who sweeps her into a whirlwind romance. What she did not expect is for her new newfound lover interest to pull her into a sinister game of psychological manipulation. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Dirty John:

• Based on a Los Angeles Times report and podcast by Christopher Goffard.

The Possession of Hannah Grace

Director Diederik Van Rooijen

Genre Horror

Cast Stana Katic, Shay Mitchell, Grey Damon, Louis Herthum

Rating R

Release Date November 30th, 2018

“When a cop who is just out of rehab takes the graveyard shift in a city hospital morgue, she faces a series of bizarre, violent events caused by an evil entity in one of the corpses.”

From director Diederik Van Rooijen, The Possession of Hannah Grace is a horror film that tells the story of a cop fresh out of rehab who takes the graveyard shift at the city morgue, inadvertently setting herself up for the most terrifying night of her life. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Possession of Hannah Grace:

• Shay Mitchell is the third lead actress of "Pretty Little Liars" to have played a leading role in a horror movie, after Ashley Benson in "Ratter" and Troian Bellisario in "Martyrs."

• Shot entirely on a 3.000 USD camera, Sony A7S II.

Anna and the Apocalypse

Director John McPhail

Genre Comedy | Fantasy | Horror

Cast Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Sarah Swire, Christopher Leveaux

Rating R

Release Date November 30th, 2018 (Limited)

“A zombie apocalypse threatens the sleepy town of Little Haven - at Christmas - forcing Anna and her friends to fight, slash and sing their way to survival, facing the undead in a desperate race to reach their loved ones.”

From director John PcPhail, Anna and the Apocalypse is the story of a zombie apocalypse that threatens the sleepy town of Little Haven - at Christmas - forcing Anna and her friends to fight, slash and sing their way to survival, facing the undead in a desperate race to reach their loved ones. But they soon discover that no one is safe in this new world, and with civilization falling apart around them, the only people they can truly rely on are each other. The cast includes Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Sarah Swire, and Christopher Leveaux. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Film Facts, Anna and the Apocalypse:

• The film closes with a dedication to Ryan McHenry - McHenry, who sadly passed away in 2015, wrote and directed the short film Zombie Musical (2011) from which this feature film was adapted.

• Made it’s debut at the 2017 Fantastic Fest film festival in Austin, Texas, September 22nd, 2017.

A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding

Director John Schultz

Genre Romance

Cast Ben Lamb, Rose McIver, Alice Krige, Sarah Douglas

Rating TV-PG

Release Date November 30th, 2018 (Netflix)

“A year after helping Richard get to the throne, Amber is about to become his wife. But is she really made to be queen?”

From director Ben Schultz (Drive Me Crazy, Like Mike), A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding is a romance story about Amber who a year after helping Richard reach the throne is about to become Queen, but is she ready?! Check out the official trailer below!!

Creed II

Director Steven Caple Jr.

Genre Drama | Sport

Cast Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Dolph Lungren

Rating PG-13

Release Date November 21st, 2018

“Under the tutelage of Rocky Balboa, newly crowned light heavyweight champion Adonis Creed faces off against Viktor Drago, the son of Ivan Drago.”

The directorial debut for Steven Caple Jr., Creed II is the follow-up to the successful 2015 film that has brought the Rocky franchise back to the forefront. Ryan Coogler, (Fruitvale Station, Black Panther) directed and co-wrote the screenplay for the original film, but this time around he only receives credit for the characters, with Sylvester Stallone and Cheo Hodari Coker (Notorious, Lowriders) taking credit for the screenplay. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Creed II:

• Ryan Coogler, who directed the first Creed, said in an interview that he wanted to direct the sequel but the timing conflicted with work he was doing for Black Panther. Coogler actually went to film school with director Steven Caple Jr..

• Coogler also said in an interview that the deeper layer of the story of the first Creed was about him and his dad, so he has a strong personal attachment to the film.

Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2

Director Phil Johnston, Rich Moore

Genre Animation | Adventure | Comedy

Cast Kelly Macdonald, Kristen Bell, Mandy Moore, Auli'i Cravalho

Rating PG

Release Date November 21st, 2018

“Six years after the events of “Wreck-It Ralph,” Ralph and Vanellope, now friends, discover a wi-fi router in their arcade, leading them into a new adventure.”

From directors Phil Johnston and Rick Moore (Wreck-It Ralph), Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 is the follow-up to the hit 2012 animated comedy taking place since years later, finding Ralph on yet another adventure. The cast of voice actors includes Kelly Macdonald, Kristen Bell, Mandy Moore, and Auli'i Cravalho. Check out the newly released official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2:

• First feature-length film to feature characters from all four of Disney's major brands: Disney Animation, Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm.

• This sequel takes place 6 years after Wreck-It Ralph (2012), the same amount of time that's passed in real life between the release of the two films.

Robin Hood

Director Otto Bathurst

Genre Adventure

Cast Taron Egerton, Ben Mendelsohn, Jamie Foxx, Jamie Dornan

Rating PG-13

Release Date November 21st, 2018

“Robin Hood returns from fighting in the Crusades to find that Sherwood Forest is rife with corruption.”

From director Otto Bathurst (Peaky Blinders, Black Mirror), Robin Hood is a gritty origin story for the legendary and heroic outlaw first depicted in English folklore and eventually featured in literature and film. The cast includes Taron Egerton, Ben Mendelsohn, Jamie Foxx, and Jamie Dornan. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Robin Hood:

• Shooting for this film has been postponed so that Taron Egerton could film Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) first. The director wanted Taron Egerton as Robin Hood so much that he decided to postpone filming so that he could still play the title character.

• The Nottingham scenes are being filmed in the old town (Stradun) in Dubrovnik, Croatia. This is the same location at the same castle where some episodes of Game of Thrones(2011) and some scenes for Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) were filmed.

Green Book

Director Peter Farrelly

Genre Drama | Comedy

Cast Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini, Don Stark

Rating PG-13

Release Date November 21st, 2018

“A working-class Italian-American bouncer becomes the driver of an African-American classical pianist on a tour of venues through the 1960s American South.”

From director Peter Farrelly (There's Something About Mary, Fever Pitch, Hall Pass), Green Book is drama/comedy about a working-class Italian-American bouncer who becomes the driver of an African-American classical pianist on a tour of venues through the 1960s American South. The cast includes Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini, and Don Stark. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Green Book:

• Italian-American stand up comedian Sebastian Maniscalco joined the cast. He will play Tony's (Viggo Mortensen) fast-talking brother-in-law, Johnny.

• Actor Mahershala Ali won his first Academy Award only four days after becoming a father for the first time in February 2017 (age 43).

The Favourite

Director Yorgos Lanthimos

Genre Biography | History

Cast Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Nicholas Hoult

Rating R

Release Date November 23rd, 2018

“In early 18th century England, a frail Queen Anne occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah governs the country in her stead. When a new servant Abigail arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah.”

From director Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer), The favourite tells the story of a frail Queen Anne (Colman) who occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah (Weisz) governs the country in her stead. When a new servant Abigail (Stone) arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. The cast includes Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, and Nicholas Hoult. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Favourite:

• Kate Winslet was originally cast but dropped out and Rachel Weisz replaced her.

• This will be the second film collaboration of director Yorgos Lanthimos and actress Rachel Weisz after The Lobster (2015).

• This is the First time Yorgos Lanthimos directed a film in which he is not the screenwriter and nor is his regular partner, Efthimis Filippou.

The Christmas Chronicles

Director Clay Kaytis

Genre Animation | Comedy | Family

Cast Kurt Russell, Oliver Hudson, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Lamorne Morris

Rating Unrated

Release Date November 22nd, 2018 (Netflix)

“The story of sister and brother, Kate and Teddy Pierce, whose Christmas Eve plan to catch Santa Claus on camera turns into an unexpected journey that most kids could only dream about.”

From director Clay Kaytis, who made his directorial debut with The Angry Birds Movie (2016), The Christmas Chronicles tells the story of a brother and sister who have plans to catch Santa Claus on camera but instead end up on an adventure that kids only dream about. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Christmas Chronicles:

• Oliver Hudson, the brother of Kate Hudson, is Kurt Russell's stepson with Goldie Hawn.

The Front Runner

Director Jason Reitman

Genre Biography | Drama

Cast Vera Farmiga, Hugh Jackman, Molly Ephraim, Kaitlyn Dever

Rating R

Release Date November 21st, 2018

“American Senator Gary Hart’s presidential campaign in 1988 is derailed when he’s caught in a scandalous love affair.”

From director Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air, Tully), The Front runner is a biography drama that tells the story of American Senator Gary Hart's presidential campaign in 1988 that is derailed when he's caught in a scandalous love affair. The cast includes Vera Farmiga, Hugh Jackman, Molly Ephraim, and Kaitlyn Dever. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Front Runner:

• The film premiered at TIFF (Toronto international Film Festival) in Canada in September 2018.

• Reunites Mike Judge and Toby Huss who worked together on the animated series King of the Hill (1997).

Escape at Dannemora

Genre Drama

Cast Benicio Del Torro, Patricia Arquette, Paul Dano, Bonnie Hunt

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere November 18th, 2018 (SHOWTIME)

“An employee at a prison in upstate New York becomes romantically involved with a pair of inmates and helps them escape.”

From director Ben Stiller, Escape at Dannemora is a limited-series drama based on true events telling the story of a prison break in Upstate New York that brought on a massive manhunt. The series is only available on SHOWTIME. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Escape at Dannemora:

• First time in nearly 20 years that Bonnie Hunt and David Morse have shared screen time, they both appeared in "The Green Mile" (1999) which also takes place in a prison.

• Dannemora was named after a Swedish mining town.

The Final Table

Genre Cooking | Reality-TV

Cast Andrew Knowlton

Rating Unrated

Series Premiere November 20th, 2018 (Netflix)

“Teams of chefs vie to impress some of the world’s toughest palates as they whip up iconic dishes from different nations in this reality cooking competition.”

The Final Table is a cooking competition reality show where teams of chefs come together to try and impress some tough critics with food from all over the world. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Final Table:

• Celebrity tasters for the show include Colin Hanks and Dax Shepard. They briefly spoke about the experience on Dax's podcast Armchair Expert.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Director David Yates

Genre Adventure | Family | Fantasy

Cast Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Johnny Depp, Zoë Kravitz

Rating PG-13

Release Date November 16th, 2018

“Magizoologist Newt Scamander joins forces with young Albus Dumbledore to prevent the devious Gellert Grindelwald from raising pure-blood wizards to rule over all non-magical beings.”

Director David Yates, the man who brought us Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, The Legend of Tarzan, and the last four Harry Potter Films, returns for the sequel Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. From the imagination of J.K Rowling, the film follows Magizoologist Newt Scamander who joins forces with young Albus Dumbledore to prevent the devious Gellert Grindelwald from raising pure-blood wizards to rule over all non-magical beings. The cast includes Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Johnny Depp, and Zoë Kravitz. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald:

• Newt Scamander carries a wand, practices magic, and works for the Ministry of Magic even though he was expelled from Hogwarts, which puzzled several fans online especially since Hagrid wasn't afforded those liberties. J.K. Rowling explained that the reason for this will be revealed throughout the series.

Widows

Director Steve McQueen

Genre Crime | Drama | Thriller

Cast Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo

Rating R

Release Date November 16th, 2018

“Set in contemporary Chicago, amidst a time of turmoil, four women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands’ criminal activities, take fate into their own hands, and conspire to forge a future on their own terms.”

From director Steve McQueen (Shame, 12 Years a Slave), Widows is a crime thriller about four women who all lose their husbands and find themselves in the same situation- badly in-debt to some extremely dangerous people. Having only their current circumstances in common, these four women must risk it all to redeem their livelihoods. The cast includes Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, Liam Neeson, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, and Daniel Kaluuya. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Widows:

• Steve McQueen's first film as a director since his Academy-Award winning film 12 Years a Slave (2013).

• The film is based on the 1985 British series.

• Liam Neeson and Colin Farrell are both Irish actors and are working together for the first time. They were both runners for James Bond which eventually went to Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.

Instant Family

Director Sean Anders

Genre Comedy

Cast Rose Byrne, Mark Wahlberg, Isabela Moner, Octavia Spencer

Rating PG-13

Release Date November 16th, 2018

“A couple find themselves in over their heads when they adopt three children.”

Directed and co-written by Sean Anders, Instant Family of a couple who decide to start a family and are inspired to pursue adoption through the foster care system. They feel like wonderful, altruistic people until they suddenly have three wild kids in their home. The cast includes Rose Byrne, Mark Wahlberg, Isabela Moner, and Octavia Spencer. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Instant Family:

• The movie is inspired by the real events from the life of writer/director Sean Anders.

• This is the 3rd collaboration between director Sean Anders, and Mark Wahlberg. Their previous 2 films being, Daddy's Home (2015) & Daddy's Home 2 (2017).

Jonathan

Director Bill Oliver

Genre Drama | Sci-Fi

Cast Ansel Elgort, Patricia Clarkson, Suki Waterhouse, Matt Bomer

Rating Unrated

Release Date November 16th, 2018 (Limited & On-Demand)

“Jonathan leaves the office everyday at noon. When he gets home, he goes to sleep. Every morning he wakes up and there is a breakfast prepared for him along with a video telling him about the second part of his day.”

From director Bill Oliver, his directorial debut, Jonathan is a sci-fi drama about a man who essentially lives as two separate people. Jonathan leaves the office everyday at noon and goes to bed as soon as he gets home, waking the next morning to a prepared breakfast and a video telling him about the second part of his day. I really like the cast and the trailer is pretty damn good so this is one I will be keeping an eye out for. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Jonathan:

• Actor Ansel Elgort, known for the drama The Fault in Our Stars and Baby Driver, is 6 ft 3 inches tall which is unusually tall compared to most actors.

• Both Ansel Elgort and Suki Waterhouse were in both Insurgent (2015) and Billionaire Boys Club (2018).