The Hole in the Ground

Director Lee Cronin

Genre Horror

Cast Seána Kerslake, James Quinn Markey, Simone Kirby, Steve Wall

Rating R

Release Date March 1st, 2019 (Limited)

“One night, Sarah’s young son disappears into the woods behind their rural home. When he returns, he looks the same, but his behavior grows increasingly disturbing. Sarah begins to believe that the boy who returned may not be her son at all.”

Directed and co-written Ireland native Lee Cronin, The Hole in the Ground is a disturbing horror film about a boy who disappears into the woods behind his rural home where he lives with his mother, and once he returns his behavior begins to become increasingly disturbing. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Hole in the Ground:

• The film made its debut at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival terrifying audiences.

• Lee Cronin’s feature film directorial debut.

Whiskey Cavalier

Genre Action | Adventure | Comedy

Cast Scott Foley, Lauren Cohan, Ana Ortiz, Tyler James Williams

Rating Unrated

Series Premiere Wednesday, February 27th, 2019 10:00PM EST (ABC)

“An FBI agent and his new partner, a CIA operative, embark on missions to save the world, but have to put up with each other first.”

From executive producer Peter Atencio (Key & Peele, Keanu), Whiskey Cavalier is an action comedy that follows an FBI agent and his new partner, a CIA operative, as they embark on missions to save the world, but have to put up with each other first. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Whiskey Cavalier:

• Lauren Cohan and Tyler James Williams previously starred together in The Walking Dead.

• Scott Foley previously worked with Executive Producer Bill Lawrence on Scrubs.

Leaving Neverland

Director Dan Reed

Genre Documentary

Cast Michael Jackson, Wade Robson, Jimmy Safechuck

Rating Unrated

Release Date Sunday, March 3rd, 2019 8:00 PM EST (HBO)

“At the height of his stardom Michael Jackson began long-running relationships with two boys, aged 7 and 10, and their families. Now in their 30s, they tell their story and how they came to terms with it years later.”

“Despite legal threats from the Michael Jackson Estate, HBO is moving forward with plans to air Leaving Neverland. Directed by Dan Reed, the four-hour documentary details Michael Jackson’s long-running relationships with two underage boys, James Safechuck and Wade Robson, both of who accuse the pop singer of molesting them throughout the 1980s and 90s.

The film will premiere on HBO across two nights on March 3rd and 4th. In anticipation, the first trailer has been unveiled.”

Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Film Facts, Leaving Neverland:

• The estate of Michael Jackson issued a statement denouncing this film as "yet another lurid production in an outrageous and pathetic attempt to exploit and cash in on Michael Jackson."

Saint Judy

Director Sean Hanish

Genre Biography | Drama

Cast Michelle Monaghan, Leem Lubany, Common, Peter Krause

Rating PG-13

Release Date March 1st, 2019 (Limited)

“The true story of immigration attorney Judy Wood, and how she single-handedly changed the U.S. law of asylum to save women’s lives.”

From director Sean Hanish, Saint Judy is a drama that tells the true story of immigration attorney Judy Wood, and how she single-handedly changed the U.S. law of asylum to save women's lives. Check out the official trailer below!!

The Wedding Guest

Director Michael Winterbottom

Genre Thriller

Cast Dev Patel, Radhika Apte, Jim Sarbh, Harish Khanna

Rating R

Release Date March 1st,, 2019

“A story centered on a mysterious British Muslim man (Dev Patel) on his journey across Pakistan and India.”

Written and directed by Michael Winterbottom (The Killer Inside Me), The Wedding Guest is a thriller that tells the story of a mysterious British Muslim man on his journey across Pakistan and India. Check out the official trailer below!!

Woman at War

Director Benedikt Erlingsson

Genre Action | Drama | Thriller

Cast Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir, Jóhann Sigurðarson, Juan Camillo Roman Estrada, Jörundur Ragnarsson

Rating Unrated

Release Date March 1st, 2019 (Limited)

“Halla, a woman in her forties, declares war on the local aluminum industry to prevent it from disfiguring her country. She risks all she has to protect the highlands of Iceland-but the situation could change with the unexpected arrival of a small orphan in her life.”

From director Benedikt Erlingsson, Woman at War is a drama about a woman who declares war on the local aluminum industry to prevent it from disfiguring her country. She risks all she has to protect the highlands of Iceland-but the situation could change with the unexpected arrival of a small orphan in her life. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Woman at War:

• Woman at War is Iceland's submission to the 91st Academy Awards (2019). It is the 2nd submission for director Benedikt Erlingsson.

Paddleton

Director Alex Lehmann

Genre Drama

Cast Ray Romano, Mark Duplass, Christine Woods, Jen Sung

Rating TV-MA

Release Date February 22nd, 2019 (Netflix)

“An unlikely friendship between two misfit neighbors becomes an unexpectedly emotional journey when the younger man is diagnosed with terminal cancer.”

Co-written and directed by Alex Lehmann, Paddleton is a drama that tells the story of an unlikely friendship between two misfit neighbors becomes an unexpectedly emotional journey when the younger man is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Check out the official trailer below!!

2019 Oscar Nominees

Check out the OFFICIAL list for the 2019 Oscar Nominations including Black Panther, the first ever superhero film to be nominated. Who do you think deserves the gold?! Let us know in the comments section.

Be sure to watch the 91st Annual Academy Awards show LIVE on Sunday, February 24th 7:00 PM EST on ABC.

Best Picture

A Star Is Born

Green Book

Roma

BlacKkKlansman

The Favourite

Black Panther

Bohemian Rhapsody

Vice

Best Directing

Alfonso Cuarón, Roma

Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman

Pawel Pawlikowski, Cold War

Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite

Adam McKay, Vice

Best Animated Feature Film

Incredibles 2

Isle of Dogs

Mirai

Ralph Breaks the Internet 

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Best Foreign Language Film

Capernaum

Cold War

Roma 

Shoplifters 

Never Look Away

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Christian Bale, Vice

Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody

Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born

Viggo Mortensen, Green Book

Willem Dafoe, At Eternity's Gate

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Glenn Close, The Wife

Olivia Colman, The Favourite

Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born

Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Yalitza Aparicio, Roma

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Mahershala Ali, Green Book

Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman

Sam Rockwell, Vice

Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Sam Elliott, A Star Is Born

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk

Amy Adams, Vice

Emma Stone, The Favourite

Rachel Weisz, The Favourite

Marina De Tavira, Roma

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Ballad of Buster Sruggs

A Star Is Born

If Beale Street Could Talk

BlacKkKlansman

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Best Original Screenplay

Green Book

First Reformed

The Favourite

Vice

Roma

Best Original Song

"Shallow" 

"All the Stars" 

"I'll Fight"

"The Place Where Lost Things Go"

"When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings"

Best Documentary Feature

Free Solo

Of Fathers and Sons

Minding the Gap

Hale County This Morning, This Evening

RBG

Best Documentary Short Subject

Black Sheep

Lifeboat

Period. End of Sentence.

End Game 

A Night at the Garden 

Best Cinematography

A Star Is Born

Cold War

The Favourite

Never Look Away

Roma

Best Costume Design

The Favourite

Mary Poppins Returns

Black Panther

Mary Queen of Scots

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Best Film Editing

BlacKkKlansman

The Favoruite

Green Book 

Vice

Bohemian Rhapsody

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Vice

Border

Mary Queen of Scots

Best Original Score

Black Panther

BlacKkKlansman

Isle of Dogs

Mary Poppins Returns

If Beale Street Could Talk

Best Production Design

Black Panther, Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart

The Favourite, Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton

Mary Poppins Returns, John Myhre and Gordon Sim

First Man, Nathan Crowley and Kathy Lucas

Roma, Eugenio Caballero and Barbara Enriquez

Best Animated Short Film

Animal Behavior

Bao

Late Afternoon

One Small Step

Weekends

Best Live Action Short Film

Detainment 

Marguerite 

Fauve 

Mother 

Skin

Best Sound Editing

A Quiet Place

Black Panther

Bohemian Rhapsody

First Man

Roma

Best Sound Mixing

A Star Is Born

Black Panther

Bohemian Rhapsody

First Man

Roma

Best Visual Effects

Christopher Robin

First Man

Avengers: Infinity War

Ready Player One

Solo: A Star Wars Story

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.