How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Director Dean DeBlois

Genre Animation | Action | Adventure

Cast Jonah Hill, Kate Blanchett, Kit Harington, Kristen Wiig

Rating PG

Release Date February 22nd, 2019

“As Hiccup fulfills his dream of creating a peaceful dragon utopia, Toothless’ discovery of an untamed, elusive mate draws the Night Fury away. When danger mounts at home and Hiccup’s reign as village chief is tested, both dragon and rider must make impossible decisions to save their kind.”

From director Dean DeBlois (How to Train Your Dragon 1 & 2), How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is the next step into the magical world of dragons following Hiccup and Toothless on an epic adventure. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World:

• DreamWorks Animation's first trilogy in which each movie was distributed by a different film studio: Paramount distributed How to Train Your Dragon (2010), 20th Century Fox distributed How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014), and Universal will be distributing How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019).

• The 1st trailer of this film was released on June 7th 2018, the 48th birthday of director/writer Dean DeBlois.

Fighting with My Family

Director Stephen Merchant

Genre Biography | Comedy | Drama

Cast Florence Pugh, Dwayne Johnson, Lena Headey, Nick Frost

Rating PG-13

Release Date February 22nd, 2019

“A former wrestler and his family make a living performing at small venues around the country while his kids dream of joining World Wrestling Entertainment.”

Written and directed by actor/writer Stephen Merchant, his feature-film directorial debut, Fighting with My Family is a comedy drama that tells the story of a former wrestler and his family as they make a living performing at small venues around the country while his kids dream of joining World Wrestling Entertainment. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Fighting with My Family:

• Based on the real-life true story of WWE superstar Paige and her family.

• Scenes for this movie were shot in the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California after WWE Monday Night RAW on March 20, 2017. The scene included a re-creation of a match between Paige (Saraya-Jade Bevis) and A.J. Lee (A.J. Mendez).

The Enemy Within

Genre Drama

Cast Jennifer Carpenter, Morris Chestnut, James Carpinello, Cassandra Freeman

Rating Unrated

Series Premiere Monday February 25th, 2019 10:00 PM EST (NBC)

“FBI Agent Will Keaton enlists the most notorious traitor in American history to help catch a spy.”

“Erica Shepherd is a brilliant former CIA operative, now known as the most notorious traitor in American history, serving a life sentence in a Supermax prison. Against every fiber of his being, but with nowhere else to turn, FBI Agent Will Keaton enlists Shepherd to help track down a fiercely dangerous and elusive criminal she knows all too well. For Keaton, it’s not easy to trust the woman who cost him so much. While Shepherd and Keaton have different motivations for bringing the enemy to justice, they both know that to catch a spy - they must think like one.”

— NBC

Lorena

Genre Documentary

Cast Lorena Bobbitt, John Wayne Bobbitt, Paul Ebert, Kim Gandy

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere February 15th, 2019 (Amazon Prime)

“From Executive Producer Jordan Peele, this four-part docuseries re-investigates the events of 1993, where Lorena Bobbitt sliced off her husband’s penis after years of abuse.”

“From Executive Producer Jordan Peele, this four-part docuseries investigates the events of 1993, where Lorena Bobbitt sliced off her husband’s penis after years of abuse. John and Lorena Bobbitt’s stories exploded into a 24-hour news cycle. She became a national joke, her suffering ignored by the male-dominated press. But as John spiraled downward, Lorena found strength in the scars of her ordeal.”

I was only 9 years old when this happened but somehow I have an extremely vivid memory of the events - more specifically I clearly remember Lorena’s “actions” becoming the punch line for the majority of the jokes my friend and I would tell at school. I guess that’s what happens when you go through the majority of grade school in Florida. Check out the official trailer for the brand-new Prime documentary series Lorena below!!

Run The Race

Director Chris Dowling

Genre Drama | Sport

Cast Tanner Stine, Kristoffer Polaha, Evan Hofer, Kelsey Reinhardt

Rating PG

Release Date February 22nd, 2019

“Against the backdrop of high school football and track, two brothers in a small Southern town face escalating problems with two different world views, straining - but ultimately strengthening - the bonds of brotherhood.”

From director Chris Dowling and executive producer Tim Tebow, Run The Race is a drama that tells the story of two brothers in a small Southern town who are facing escalating problems with two different world views, straining - but ultimately strengthening - the bonds of brotherhood. Check out the official trailer below!!

Happy Death Day 2U

Director Christopher Landon

Genre Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Cast Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Ruby Modine, Suraj Sharma

Rating PG-13

Release Date February 13th, 2019

“A young woman learns that dying over and over again was surprisingly easier than the dangers that lie ahead.”

Written and directed by Christopher Landon (Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones, Happy Death Day), Happy Death Day 2U is the sequel to the 2017 horror film about a college student who is forced to relive the day she is killed by a maniac over and over again. In the sequel she learns that what she went through before was nothing compared to what lies ahead. The “Groundhog Day” type theme worked well with the original film thanks to some creative writing and directing as well as a good balance between comedy and slasher style horror so I am looking forward to this! Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Happy Death Day 2U:

• This film may reveal how the time loop in the previous one got started in the first place as director Christopher Landon has stated that he plans to save the reason for a sequel.

• The trailer premiered in theaters before the showing of Halloween (2018).

Alita: Battle Angel

Director Robert Rodriguez

Genre Action | Adventure | Romance

Cast Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Skrein

Rating PG-13

Release Date February 14th, 2019

“An action-packed story of one young woman’s journey to discover the truth of who she is and her fight to change the world.”

From multi-talented director Robert Rodriguez, the man who brought us Desperado (1995), From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), Sin City (2005), and Machete (2010), to name a few, Alita: Battle Angel is a sci-fi action film centered around the action-packed story of one young woman's journey to discover the truth of who she is and her fight to change the world. This movie has managed to sneak under the radar for me and I finally saw the trailer in the IMAX before Ant-Man and the Wasp and I was thoroughly impressed. Simply put, this movie looks really damn cool- so I wasn't surprised to learn that Sin City director Robert Rodriguez is at the helm. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Alita: Battle Angel:

• James Cameron confirmed in an interview that this will be a combination of the first four books in Yukito Kishiro's series of manga books ("Motorball" from books 3 and 4, and the story from books 1 and 2). In another interview, Cameron also said that should this film be successful, he hopes to make another two "Battle Angel" films.

• The main character, even though it's a live action film, will be done with CG animation and will be shot in 3D using the stereo imaging system that James Cameron had been developing for his documentaries.

Isn't It Romantic

Director Todd Strauss-Schulson

Genre Comedy | Romance

Cast Rebel Wilson, Priyanka Chopra, Betty Gilpin, Liam Hemsworth

Rating PG-13

Release Date  February 14th, 2019

“A young woman disenchanted with love mysteriously finds herself trapped inside a romantic comedy.”

From director Todd Strauss-Schulson (A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, The Final Girls), Isn’t It Romantic is a romantic comedy about all of the ingredients that come together to make the genre we know as “rom-coms”. A woman who is very critical of the idea of love finds herself stuck inside a romantic comedy. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Isn’t It Romantic:

• As preparation, the director Todd Strauss-Schulson watched 65 romantic-comedies over two weeks and noted the similar visual and narrative tropes found amongst them, in order to emulate them in his film. Such observations included: New York setting, Starbucks coffee, rain falling when couples kiss, half-moon windows, and bubble baths.

Donnybrook

Director Tim Sutton

Genre Drama

Cast Margaret Qualley, Frank Grillo, Jamie Bell, James Badge Dale

Rating R

Release Date February 15th, 2019 (Limited)

“Two men prepare to compete in a legendary bare-knuckle fight where the winner gets a $100,000 prize.”

From director Tim Sutton, Donnybrook is a drama that tells the story of two men as they prepare to compete in a legendary bare-knuckle fight where the winner gets a $100,000 prize. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts Donnybrook:

• Based on the novel of the same name from author Frank Bill.

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

The Umbrella Academy

Genre Action | Fantasy

Cast Aidan Gallagher, Cameron Britton, Eden Cupid, Cameron Brodeur

Rating TV-14

Series Premiere February 15th, 2019 (Netflix)

“A disbanded group of superheroes reunite after their adoptive father, who trained them to save the world, dies.”

From creator Jeremy Slater (The Lazarus Effect, Death Note), The Umbrella Academy is a new action fantasy series that tells the story of a disbanded group of superheroes reunite after their adoptive father, who trained them to save the world, dies. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Umbrella Academy:

• "My Chemical Romance" former frontman Gerard Way penned the original comic series.

• This is Ellen Page's second comic-book feature, after the X-Men films.

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

Director Mike Mitchell, Trisha Gum

Genre Animation | Action | Adventure

Cast Chris Pratt, Margot Robbie, Channing Tatum, Alison Brie

Rating PG

Release Date February 8th, 2019

“It’s been five years since everything was awesome and the citizens are facing a huge new threat: LEGO DUPLO® invaders from outer space, wrecking everything faster than they can rebuild.”

From directors Mike Mitchell (Shrek Ever After, Trolls) and Trisha Gum (co-director), The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part is the follow-up to the hit film that ingrained the catchphrase "Everything Is Awesome" into our heads in 2014 (I still hear it!). The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part picks up 5 years after The Lego Movie and the citizens are facing a new threat, LEGO DUPLO® invaders from outer space, and they are wrecking everything faster than they can rebuild! Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part:

• The LEGO Movie 2 originally had a release date of May 26th, 2017, but was pushed back until 2018 for the spin-off movies.

• This is Margot Robbie's first time voicing Harley Quinn, while also playing Harley in the DC universe. Robbie is the first actress to voice Harley Quinn in the Lego franchise since Jenny Slate in The Lego Batman Movie (2017).

Cold Pursuit

Director Hans Petter Moland

Genre Action | Drama | Thriller

Cast Liam Neeson, Emmy Rossum, Tom Bateman, William Forsythe

Rating R

Release Date February 8th, 2019

“A snowplow driver seeks revenge against the drug dealers he thinks killed his son. Based on the 2014 Norwegian film ‘In Order of Disappearance’.”

“Quiet family man and hard-working snowplow driver Nels is the lifeblood of a glitzy resort town in the Rocky Mountains because he is the one who keeps the winter roads clear. He and his wife live in a comfortable cabin away from the tourists. The town has just awarded him “Citizen of the Year.” But Nels has to leave his quiet mountain life when his son is murdered by a powerful drug lord. As a man who has nothing to lose he is stoked by a drive for vengeance. This unlikely hero uses his hunting skills and transforms from an ordinary man into a skilled killer as he sets out to dismantle the cartel. Nels’ actions ignite a turf war between a manically unpredictable gangster known as Viking and a rival gang boss. Justice is served in one final spectacular confrontation that will leave (almost) no one unscathed.”

From director Hans Petter Moland, Cold Pursuit stars ageless actor Liam Neeson, who is technically 66 but you would be hard pressed to believe that. He is on yet another path of revenge and even though its been done time and time again, I am ready for it. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Cold Pursuit:

• Director Hans Petter Moland made Cold Pursuit as a remake to his 2014 film In Order of Disappearance (originally titled Kraftidioten), so even though it is a remake it feels like it is made for all of the right reasons.

• In early 2017, the film was refused a permit to shoot in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. The explanation given was that Parks Canada objected to the antagonist of the film being an aboriginal Canadian. Even the actor playing the role, popular aboriginal Canadian Tom Jackson, could not sway the government agency's opinion, and the production was moved out of the park.

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.