What Men Want

Director Adam Shankman

Genre Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

Cast Taraji. P Henson, Max Greenfield, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Aldis Hodge

Rating Unrated

Release Date February 8th, 2019

“A woman is boxed out by the male sports agents in her profession, but gains an unexpected edge over them when she develops the ability to hear their thoughts.”

From director Adam Shankman (The Wedding Planner, A Walk to Remember), What Men Want is about a woman who is pushed out by the male sports agents in her profession, but she soon gains an advantage when she is somehow able to actually hear what men are thinking. The movie is a remake with a twist of the 18 year-old film What Women Want (2000), which starred Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt. I have seen that movie a number of times so this one certainly has big shoes to fill.  The cast includes Taraji. P Henson, Max Greenfield, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Aldis Hodge. Check out the official trailer below!!

The Prodigy

Director Nicholas McCarthy

Genre Horror | Thriller

Cast Taylor Schilling, Brittany Allen, Colm Feore, Jackson Robert Scott

Rating R

Release Date February 8th, 2019

“A mother concerned about her young son’s disturbing behavior thinks something supernatural may be affecting him.”

Directed by Nicholas McCarthy (The Pact, At the Devil’s Door) and written by Jeff Buhler who is a co-writer on the upcoming Pet Sematary, The Prodigy is a horror thriller about a young boy who behinds to demonstrate very disturbing behavior. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Prodigy:

• The now infamous scene at the end of the first trailer, along with other scenes, had to be re-edited for test audiences due to their intense scare factor.

• Orange is the New Black actress Taylor Schilling has a lead role in the film.

High Flying Bird

Director Steven Soderbergh

Genre Drama | Sport

Cast Zazie Beetz, André Holland, Melvin Gregg, Zachary Quinto

Rating Unrated

Release Date February 8th, 2019 (Netflix)

“A sports agent pitches a rookie basketball client on an intriguing and controversial business opportunity during a lockout.”

From director Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Logan Lucky) and writer Tarell Alvin McCraney (Moonlight), High Flying Bird tells the story of a sports agent who pitches a rookie basketball client on an intriguing and controversial business opportunity during a lockout. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, High Flying Bird:

• Steven Soderbergh finished the rough cut of the film three hours after principal photography wrapped.

• This is the second film Steven Soderbergh shot on an iPhone, following Unsane (2018).

Everybody Knows

Director Asghar Farhadi

Genre Crime | Drama | Mystery

Cast Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Jaime Lorente, Bárbara Lennie

Rating R

Release Date February 8th, 2019

“Laura, a Spanish woman living in Buenos Aires, returns to her hometown outside Madrid with her two children to attend her sister’s wedding. However, the trip is upset by unexpected events that bring secrets into the open.”

Written and directed by Asghar Farhadi (The Salesman), Everybody Knows is a crime drama that tells the story of a Spanish woman living in Buenos Aires who returns to her hometown outside Madrid with her two children to attend her sister's wedding. What was supposed to be a celebratory trip is upset by unexpected events that bring secrets into the open. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Everybody Knows:

• Only the second Spanish-language film to open Cannes, following Pedro Almodovar's "Bad Education" in 2004. It is also one of the few openers in Cannes history which is not in either English or French.

• Farhadi delayed the production of "Everybody knows" to return to Iran and shoot "The Salesman".

• Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz have been married since 2010.

Russian Doll

Genre Comedy | Drama | Mystery

Cast Natasha Lyonne, Charlie Barnett, Greta Lee, Elizabeth Ashley

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere February 1st, 2019 (Netflix)

“A cynical young woman in New York City keeps dying and returning to the party that’s being thrown in her honor on that same evening. She tries to find a way out of this strange time loop.”

“On Nadia’s 36th birthday she is struck by a car and killed, only to finds herself alive and well, back at her own birthday party earlier that night. When she dies again and her timeline resets, Nadia begins to question her own sanity. Then she encounters a young man stuck in his own loop. Together they strive to unravel the mystery of why and how this is all happening.”

With a premise similar to Happy Death Day, the brand new Netflix exclusive series Russian Doll has critics and users BEGGING for more. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Russian Doll:

• Nathasha Lyonne (Nadia), Dascha Polanco (Beatrice) and Charlie Barnett (Alan) also worked on Orange Is The New Black, but Charlie's character (Wes) never crossed path with them in the series.

Velvet Buzzsaw

Director Dan Gilroy

Genre Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Cast Jake Gyllenhaal, Billy Magnussen, John Malkovich, Toni Collette

Rating R

Release Date February 1st, 2019 (Netflix)

“After a series of paintings by an unknown artist are discovered, a supernatural force enacts revenge on those who have allowed their greed to get in the way of art.”

Written and directed by Dan Gilroy , the man who brought us Nightcrawler and Roman J. Israel, Esq., Velvet Buzzsaw is a horror thriller that tells the interesting story of a supernatural force that enacts revenge on those who have allowed their greed to get in the way of art after a series of paintings by an unknown artist are discovered. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Velvet Buzzsaw:

• It is the second collaboration between Dan Gilroy and Jake Gyllenhaal as well as Rene Russo after Nightcrawler (2014). 

• The term "velvet buzzsaw" has an explicitly sexual origin, related to cunnilingus.

Miss Bala

Director Catherine Hardwicke

Genre Action | Drama | Thriller

Cast Gina Rodriguez, Anthony Mackie, Matt Lauria, Aislinn Derbez

Rating PG-13

Release Date February 1st, 2019

“Gloria finds a power she never knew she had when she is drawn into a dangerous world of cross-border crime. Surviving will require all of her cunning, inventiveness, and strength.”

From director Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight, Red Riding Hood), Miss Bala is a crime thriller that tells the story of a woman who finds the power she never knew she had when she is drawn into a dangerous world of cross-border crime. Hardwicke has proven she has a knack for directing but I am admittedly a bit cautious of the PG-13 rating for any film involving cross-border crime, but we will see how it goes. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Miss Bala:

• Based on the 2011 Spanish-language film of the same name.

• Lead actress Gina Rodriguez has said that her dream role is to play a superhero.

Arctic

Director Joe Penna

Genre Drama

Cast Mads Mikkelsen, Maria Thelma Smáradóttir,

Rating PG-13

Release Date February 1st, 2019 (Limited)

“A man stranded in the Arctic after an airplane crash must decide whether to remain in the relative safety of his makeshift camp or to embark on a deadly trek through the unknown in hopes of making it out alive.”

Co-written and directed by Joe Penna, Arctic is a action drama about a man who survives a plain crash in the Arctic and must decide whether to stay with his wrecked plain and makeshift camp or make the dangerous trek to potential safety and rescue. Check out the first official clip for the film below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Arctic:

• Received a 10 minute standing ovation at it's premiere at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.

• Director Joe Penna started on Youtube in 2006 making videos and short films on his channel MysteryGuitarMan. This is his first feature film.

Serenity

Director Steven Knight

Genre Drama | Thriller

Cast Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Diane Lane, Djimou Hounsou

Rating R

Release Date January 25th, 2019

“The mysterious past of a fishing boat captain comes back to haunt him, when his ex-wife tracks him down with a desperate plea for help, ensnaring his life in a new reality that may not be all that it seems.”

Written and directed by Steven Knight (Locke, Peaky Blinders), Serenity is a drama thriller about a fishing boat captain who is forced to abruptly face his mysterious past when his ex-wife tracks him down with a desperate please for help, turning his life upside down, Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Serenity:

• Diane Lane played Martha Kent in Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Anne Hathaway played Selina Kyle aka Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises (2012).

Glass

Director M. Night Shyamalan

Genre Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi

Cast Bruce Willis, James McAvoy, Samuel L. Jackson, Anya Taylor-Joy

Rating PG-13

Release Date January 18th, 2019

“Security guard David Dunn uses his supernatural abilities to track Kevin Wendell Crumb, a disturbed man who has 24 personalities.”

From writer and director M. Night Shyamalan, Glass is the highly anticipated continuation of the Unbreakable/Split films bringing all of the primary characters together. In this film security guard David Dunn uses his supernatural abilities to track down Kevin Wendell Crumb, a disturbed man with 24 different personalities. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Glass:

• Samuel L. Jackson has said of working with James McAvoy on Glass that "As good as I like to think I am or what I do and how I do it, watching somebody transform characters in front of your eyes and have an argument with four different people is pretty amazing."

• It took M. Night Shyamalan 20 years to make the trilogy, as the release date suggests (which is 2019). Unbreakable (2000) was being developed shortly after the success of The Sixth Sense (1999). Sixteen years later, Split (2016) came out and shortly after it, Glass (2019) was announced

The Punisher: Season 2

Genre Action | Adventure | Crime

Cast Jon Bernthal, Jason R. Moore, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ben Barnes

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere January 18th, 2019 (Netflix)

“After the murder of his family, Marine veteran Frank Castle becomes the vigilante known as “The Punisher,” with only one goal in mind: to avenge them.”

Jon Bernthal is returning as The Punisher in season 2 of the hit Netflix series based on the Marvel character with a dark past. The series revolves around Frank Castle, who after saving a young girl from being murdered is forced to decide whether or not to embrace his life as The Punisher. Check out the official trailers for Season 2 below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Punisher:

• The Punisher made his first appearance in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man # 129 in February 1974. He was originally going to be a minor second string character due to his penchant for killing, but due to his popularity, he became a more prominent figure in the larger Marvel Universe.

The Kid Who Would Be King

Director Joe Cornish

Genre Adventure | Family | Fantasy

Cast Rebecca Ferguson, Louis Asbourne Serkis, Tom Taylor, Patrick Stewart

Rating PG

Release Date January 25th, 2019

“A band of kids embark on an epic quest to thwart a medieval menace.”

Written and directed by Joe Cornish (Attach the Block, Ant-Man), The Kid Who Would Be King tells the story of a group of kids that embark on an epic quest to overtake an evil menace. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Kid Who Would Be King:

• Rebecca Ferguson said in an interview that she would film scenes for Mission Impossible Fallout during the week and film scenes for The Kid Who Would Be King during weekends.

• This will be Rebecca Ferguson's third collaboration with an X-Men actor, the first movie was The Snowman (2017) with Michael Fassbender and The Greatest Showman (2017) with Hugh Jackman.

King of Thieves

Director James Marsh

Genre Crime | Drama

Cast Charlie Cox, Michael Caine, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent

Rating R

Release Date January 25th, 2019 (Limited)

“A crew of retired crooks pulls off a major heist in London’s jewelry district, but what begins as a nostalgic last hurrah for the group quickly becomes a brutal nightmare when greed overtakes them.”

From director James Marsh (The King, The Theory of Everything), King of Thieves is a true-crime story of a crew of retired crooks pulls off a major heist in London's jewelry district, but what begins as a nostalgic last hurrah for the group quickly becomes a brutal nightmare when greed overtakes them. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Film Facts, King of Thieves:

• The events depicted in this film are based on a true story. During the Easter bank holiday period April 2015 a gang of middle aged and OAP veteran criminals really did break into The Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Company in central London using the methods depicted in this film and stole somewhere between £14 million to £25 million worth of valuables from safety deposit boxes (the exact amount is unclear as customers with safety deposit boxes didn't necessarily want to report what their boxes contained). 

Close

Director Vicky Jewson

Genre Action | Thriller

Cast Noomi Rapace, Indira Varma, Sophie Nélisse, Eoin Macken

Rating Unrated

Release Date  January 18th, 2019 (Netflix)

“A bodyguard and counter-terrorism expert Sam takes a job protecting Zoe a rich young heiress. Neither party is keen on the arrangement until a violent kidnap forces them to go on the run.”

From director Vicky Jewson, Close is a action thriller that tells the story if a bodyguard and counter-terrorism expert that takes a job protecting a rich young heiress. Neither party is keen on the arrangement until a violent kidnap forces them to go on the run. Check out the official trailer below!!

The Standoff at Sparrow Creek

Director Henry Dunham

Genre Drama

Cast James Badge Dale, Patrick Fischler, Brian Geraghty, Chris Mulkey

Rating Unrated

Release Date January 18th, 2019 (Limited & On-Demand)

“A former cop-turned-militia man investigates a shooting at a police funeral.”

Written and directed by Henry Dunham, The Standoff at Sparrow Creek is an edgy drama that tells the story of a former cop-turned-militia man investigates a shooting at a police funeral. Check out the official trailer below!!

I Am the Night

Genre Drama | Mystery

Cast Chris Pine, India Eisley, Jefferson Mays, Dylan Smith

Rating Unrated

Series Premiere January 28th, 2019 (TNT)

“Fauna Hodel, who was given away by her teenage birth mother, begins to investigate the secrets to her past, following a sinister trail that swirls ever closer to an infamous Hollywood gynecologist connected to the legendary Black Dahlia murder.”

Based on actual events, I Am the Night tells the story of a young woman given away by her teenage birth mother, who begins to investigate the secrets to her past, following a sinister trail that swirls ever closer to an infamous Hollywood gynecologist connected to the legendary Black Dahlia murder. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Limited Series Facts, I Am the Night:

• The life story of Fauna Hodel (1951-2017) previously inspired the unreleased feature film Pretty Hattie's Baby (1991).

• Chris Pine and Patty Jenkins also worked together on Wonder Woman (2017): Jenkins was the director and Pine played Steve Trevor.

Star Trek: Discovery - Season 2

Genre Action | Adventure | Drama

Cast Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Mary Wiseman

Rating TV-14

Series Premiere January 17th, 2019 (CBS All Access)

“Ten years before Kirk, Spock and the Enterprise, the USS Discovery discovers new worlds and lifeforms as one Starfleet officer learns to understand all things alien.”

The 2nd season of CBS’s Star Trek: Discovery premieres on Thursday, January 17th. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Star Trek: Discovery:

• This series takes place in the prime universe, not the alternate universe, also known as the "Kelvin Timeline".

• Star Trek: Discovery is the first Star Trek television series not made in either Hollywood or in the United States. The show is filmed at Pinewood Toronto Studios in Canada.

Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes

Director Joe Berlinger

Genre Documentary

Cast Ted Bundy (archive footage)

Rating Unrated

Release Date January 24th, 2019 (Netflix)

“A look inside the mind of serial killer Ted Bundy featuring interviews with him on death row.”

From director Joe Berlinger, Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes  is a docuseries that takes a look inside the mind of serial killer Ted Bundy featuring interviews with him on death row. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Series Facts, Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes:

• Released exactly 30 years after the execution of Ted Bundy.

Polar

Director Jonas Åkerlund

Genre Action | Crime

Cast Mads Mikkelsen, Vanessa Hudgens, Katheryn Winnick, Fei Ren

Rating Unrated

Release Date January 25th, 2019 (Netflix)

“The world’s top assassin, Duncan Vizla, is settling into retirement when his former employer marks him as a liability to the firm. Against his will, he finds himself back in the game going head to head with an army of younger killers.”

From Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund, Polar tells the story of the world's top assassin, Duncan Vizla, who is settling into retirement when his former employer marks him as a liability to the firm. Against his will, he finds himself back in the game going head to head with an army of younger killers. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Polar:

• Polar is an adaptation of the action noir comics series of the same name.

Fyre

Director Chris Smith

Genre Documentary

Cast Billy McFarland, Jason Bell

Rating TV-MA

Release Date January 18th, 2019 (Netflix)

“An exclusive behind the scenes look at the infamous unraveling of the Fyre music festival.”

Organized by Fyre Media founder Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule as a luxury music festival to promote the Fyre music booking app, Fyre Festival was promoted on Instagram by "social media influencers" including socialite and model Kendall Jenner, model Bella Hadid, model and actress Emily Ratajkowski, and other media personalities, many of whom did not initially disclose they had been paid to do so. During the Fyre Festival's inaugural weekend, the event experienced problems related to security, food, accommodations and artist relations - and that was just the tip of the iceberg. Check out the trailer for the Netflix documentary below!!