The Art of Racing in the Rain

Director Simon Curtis

Genre Comedy | Drama

Cast Kevin Costner, Amanda Seyfried, Milo Ventimiglia, Gary Cole

Rating PG

Release Date  August 9th, 2019

“A dog named Enzo recalls the life lessons he has learned from his race car driving owner, Denny.”

From director Simon Curtis, The Art of Racing in the Rain is based on the New York Times Bestselling novel of the same name and tells the story of a dog named Enzo as he recalls the life lessons he has learned from his race car driving owner, Denny. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Art of Racing in the Rain:

• Based on the book by author Garth Stein.

Succession: Season 2

Genre Drama

Cast Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere Sunday August 11th, 2019 9:00PM EST (HBO)

“Succession tracks the lives of the Roy family as they contemplate their future once their aging father (Brian Cox) begins to step back from the media and entertainment conglomerate they control.”

HBO’s Succession is back for a 2nd season and I am absolutely PUMPED about it!! HBO in general rarely misses when it comes to exclusive content but Succession really is in a league of it’s own - such a unique family drama infused with hilarious moments throughout. I even watch the intro every single time, it’s that good! This show is not to be missed to go ahead and start binging the first season now and get ready for August 11th!! Check out the official trailers for season 2 below!!

Also below is the trailer for Season 1 if you are just now starting the binge-fest. Enjoy!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, HBO’s Succession:

• The story is said to be based upon Rupert Murdoch's family and media empire, but some dispute that claim.

• The opening sequence is identical to the opening of the 1997 film "The Game". Perhaps a veiled hint to the plot and story of the series.

Light of My Life

Director Casey Affleck

Genre Drama

Cast Casey Affleck, Elisabeth Moss, Tom Bower, Anna Pniowsky

Rating R

Release Date  August 9th, 2019 (Limited)

“A father and his young daughter become trapped in the woods in a post-pandemic world.”

Written and directed by Casey Affleck, who also stars in the film, Light of My Life a parent and his child as they journey through the outskirts of society a decade after a pandemic has wiped out half the world's population. As a father struggles to protect his child, their bond, and the character of humanity, is tested. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Light of My Life:

• In Berlin at the Berlinale-Premiere Casey Affleck said, that he began writing the screenplay for this movie 10 years ago.

• Principal photography began in February 2017 in British Columbia's Okanagan.

Brian Banks

Director Tom Shadyac

Genre Drama

Cast Aldis Hodge, Greg Kinnear, Melanie Liburd, Tiffany Dupont

Rating PG-13

Release Date August 9th, 2019

“A football player’s dreams to play in the NFL are halted when he is wrongly convicted and sent to prison. Years later, he fights to clear his name within an unjust system.”

From director Tom Shadyac and writer Doug Atchison, Brian Banks tells the true story of a football player who has dreams to play in the NFL that are halted when he is wrongly convicted and sent to prison. Years later, he fights to clear his name within an unjust system. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Film Facts, Brian Banks:

• Brian Banks, the subject of this movie, went to Long Beach Poly High School and was a part of the prestigious Jackrabbit football team. Brian was also a part of the team that played against De La Salle. This game was featured in the movie 'When the Game Stands Tall.'

• This movie is Tom Shadyac’s return to directing after an 8 year hiatus.

The Peanut Butter Falcon

Director Tyler Nilson, Michael Schwartz

Genre Adventure | Drama

Cast Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson, Zack Gottsagen, John Hawkes

Rating PG-13

Release Date August 9th, 2019 (Now Streaming Hulu & Amazon Prime)

“Zak runs away from his care home to make his dream of becoming a wrestler come true.”

Written and directed by Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz, The Peanut Butter Falcon is a coming-of-age adventure drama that tells the story of Zak who runs away from his care home to make his dream of becoming a wrestler come true. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Peanut Butter Falcon:

• (Winner) Audience Award for Narrative Spotlight at SXSW Film Fest 2019.

GLOW: Season 3

Genre Comedy | Drama | Sport

Cast Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin, Britney Young, Marc Maron

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere August 9th, 2019 (Netflix)

“A look at the personal and professional lives of a group of women who perform for a wrestling organization in Los Angeles during the 1980s.”

The first season of GLOW took Netflix by storm and much to the delight of viewers the girls are back in their ridiculously outdated yet oddly appealing wrestling attire for a 3rd season. GLOW is hilarious, well-written, and just ridiculous enough to offer a little bit for everyone. Plus I can’t get enough of shows and movies that are set in the 80’s and apparently Netflix agrees! Check out the official trailer for the 3rd season of GLOW below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, GLOW:

• Kia Stevens, who plays Tamee/Welfare Queen in the series, is the only female cast member who is actually a professional wrestler. Stevens has been a champion all over the world wrestling under the name Awesome Kong (sometimes Amazing Kong). She also briefly wrestled in WWE as Kharma.

• The wrestler who trained the actresses for this series, Chavo Guerrero Jr., is the nephew of Armando Guerrero a.k.a. Mando, the trainer for the wrestlers on the original 1980s series.

The Red Sea Diving Resort

Director Gideon Raff

Genre Drama | History | Thriller

Cast Chris Evans, Haley Bennett, Michiel Huisman, Ben Kingsley

Rating TV-MA

Release Date July 31st, 2019 (Netflix)

“Israel’s Mossad agents attempt to rescue Ethiopian Jewish refugees in Sudan in 1977.”

Written and directed by Gideon Raff, The Red Sea Diving Resort is based on true events and tells the story of Israel's Mossad agents as they attempt to rescue Ethiopian Jewish refugees in Sudan in 1977. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Film Facts, The Red Sea Diving Resort:

• Chris Evans and Michiel Huisman were born in 1981, the same year the movie takes place.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

Director Quentin Tarantino

Genre Comedy | Drama

Cast Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Luke Perry

Rating R

Release Date July 26th, 2019

“A faded TV actor and his stunt double strive to achieve fame and success in the film industry during the final years of Hollywood’s Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles.”

Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino (his 9th film), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a comedy drama that tells the story of a faded TV actor and his stunt double as they strive to achieve fame and success in the film industry during the final years of Hollywood's Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Film Facts, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood:

• Tarantino described Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt as "the most exciting star dynamic duo since Robert Redford and Paul Newman."

• This is the first collaboration for Al Pacino and Leonardo DiCaprio.

• This is Luke Perry's last movie to be released posthumously, after suffering a massive stroke in late February 2019 and ultimately passing away March 4, 2019.

Hobbs & Shaw

Director David Leitch

Genre Action | Adventure

Cast Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Vanessa Kirby, Idris Elba

Rating PG-13

Release Date August 2nd, 2019

“Lawman Luke Hobbs and outcast Deckard Shaw form an unlikely alliance when a cyber-genetically enhanced villain threatens the future of humanity.”

From stunt coordinator turned director David Leitch, the man who brought us Atomic Blonde and Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw is an extension of the Fast & Furious franchise and follows Luke Hobbs and outcast Deckard Shaw as they form an unlikely alliance when a cyber-genetically enhanced villain threatens the future of humanity. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Hobbs & Shaw:

• WWE superstar Roman Reigns (Joe Anoa'i) plays Luke Hobbs' (Dwayne Johnson's) brother in the film, but in reality they are cousins. Both Roman and Dwayne annouced this on their respective Instragam pages.

• Actor Idris Elba was given the role of the villain.

The Nightingale

Director Jennifer Kent

Genre Adventure | Drama | Thriller

Cast Sam Claflin, Aisling Franciosi, Damon Herriman, Ewen Leslie

Rating R

Release Date August 2nd, 2019

“Clare, a young Irish convict, chases a British officer through the rugged Tasmanian wilderness and is bent on revenge for a terrible act of violence the man committed against her family. On”

From writer/director Jennifer Kent, the creative mind behind the critically acclaimed indie horror The Babadook, The Nightingale is set in 1825, and tells the story of Clare, a young Irish convict woman, who chases a British officer through the rugged Tasmanian wilderness, bent on revenge for a terrible act of violence he committed against her family. On the way she enlists the services of an Aboriginal tracker named Billy, who is also marked by trauma from his own violence-filled past. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Nightingale:

• The film in 2018 won two awards at the at the Venice Film Festival - the Special Jury Prize and the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor for Baykali Ganambarr.

Luce

Director Julius Onah

Genre Drama

Cast Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Tim Roth, Kelvin Harrison Jr.

Rating R

Release Date  August 2nd, 2019

“A married couple is forced to reckon with their idealized image of their son, adopted from war-torn Eritrea, after an alarming discovery by a devoted high school teacher threatens his status as an all-star student.”

From director Julius Onah, Luce tells the story of a married couple who is forced to reckon with their idealized image of their son, adopted from war-torn Eritrea, after an alarming discovery by a devoted high school teacher threatens his status as an all-star student. Check out the official trailer below!!

Them That Follow

Director Britt Poulton, Dan Madison Savage

Genre Thriller

Cast Olivia Colman, Kaitlyn Dever, Walter Goggins, Alice Englert

Rating R

Release Date  August 2nd, 2019

“Inside a snake-handling church deep in Appalachia, a forbidden relationship forces a pastor’s daughter to confront her community’s deadly tradition.”

From directors Britt Poulton and Dan Madison Savage, Them That Follow is set deep in the wilds of Appalachia, where believers handle death-dealing snakes to prove themselves before God, and it tells the story of a pastor's daughter who holds a secret that threatens to tear her community apart. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Them That Follow:

• Walton Goggins and Kaitlyn Devers previously were on the show Justified together.

The Boys

Genre Action | Drama | Sci-Fi

Cast Karl Urban, Jennifer Esposito, Erin Moriarty, Jack Quaid

Rating Unrated

Series Premiere July 26th, 2019 (Amazon Prime)

“An action story centered on a CIA squad tasked with keeping superheroes in line, by any means necessary.”

From creators Evan Goldberg, Eric Kripke, and Seth Rogen, The Boys is a new action series that tells the story of a CIA squad tasked with keeping superheroes in line, by any means necessary. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Boys:

• The series is based on the comic series of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. The "Coming 2019" poster for the series is an exact recreation of the cover of the first issue, drawn by Robertson, later reused for The Boys Vol. 1 collection, "The Name of the Game".

• Creator Garth Ennis has worked with Seth Rogen bringing both The Boys and Preacher to the small screen.

Skin

Director Guy Nattiv

Genre Biography | Drama

Cast Jamie Bell, Danielle Macdonald, Vera Farmiga, Daniel Henshall

Rating R

Release Date July 26th, 2019

“A destitute young man, raised by racist skinheads and notorious among white supremacists, turns his back on hatred and violence to transform his life, with the help of a black activist and the woman he loves.”

Written and directed by Guy Nattiv, Skin tells the story of a destitute young man, raised by racist skinheads and notorious among white supremacists, who turns his back on hatred and violence to transform his life, with the help of a black activist and the woman he loves. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Skin:

• Guy Nattiv is an Academy Award® winning filmmaker from Israel. His first American short film, SKIN, won the 2019 Academy Award® for Best Live Action Short, along with many festivals around the world. It was acquired by FOX Searchlight. The feature version, also entitled SKIN, stars Jamie Bell, Vera Farmiga and Danielle Macdonald, and premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival to significant acclaim, where it won the Fipresci Critics Prize. Its European premiere was at the Berlin International Film Festival, and will also be shown in April at Tribeca. It will be distributed globally by A24 and Voltage in summer 2019.

Into the Ashes

Director Aaron Harvey

Genre Crime | Drama | Mystery

Cast Luke Grimes, Robert Taylor, James Badge Dale, Frank Grillo,

Rating Unrated

Release Date July 19th, 2019 (Limited)

“With an honest job and a loving wife, Nick Brenner believed he had safely escaped his violent, criminal history. But his old crew hasn’t forgotten about him or the money he stole, and when they take what Nick now values the most - his wife - he has nothing left to lose.”

From writer and director Aaron Harvey (The Neighbor), Into the Ashes tells the story of Nick, an ex-con who's adjusting to a new job, a new wife and some semblance of normalcy in rural Alabama. When vengeful former associates track him down, he's soon forced back into the desperate and violent life that he thought he left behind. Check out the official trailer below!!

Spider-Man: Far From Home

Director Jon Watts

Genre Action | Adventure | Comedy

Cast Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal, Cobie Smulders, Samuel L. Jackson

Rating PG-13

Release Date  July 2nd, 2019

“Peter Parker and his friends go on summer vacation to Europe, where Peter finds himself trying to save his friends against a villain known as Mysterio.”

From director Jon Watts, the man behind (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home is the next adventure from our favorite web-shooting teenage superhero as young Peter Parker aka Spider-Man takes a vacation to Europe with friends only to find himself battling a villain known as Mysterio. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Film Facts, Spider-Man: Far From Home:

• This is the first movie of Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

• Due to his death on November 12, 2018, this movie will most likely contain the final on-screen appearance of Stan Lee, who died shortly after filming for this movie wrapped up.

Stuber

Director Michael Dowse

Genre Action | Comedy

Cast Kumail Nanjiani, Dave Bautista, Natalie Morales, Karen Gillan

Rating R

Release Date July 12th, 2019

“After crashing his car, a cop who’s recovering from eye surgery recruits an Uber driver to help him catch a heroin dealer. The mismatched pair soon find themselves in for a wild day of stakeouts and shootouts as they encounter the city’s seedy side.”

From director Michael Dowse (Goon, What If), Stuber is an action comedy about the misadventures of an Uber driver determined to maintain his high rating and a police officer who just underwent eye surgery as they work together to try and catch a heroin dealer. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Stuber:

• Karen Gillan and Dave Bautista are in the MCU together via The Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) up to Avengers: Endgame (2019).

Crawl

Director Alexandre Aja

Genre Action | Horror | Thriller

Cast Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper, Ross Anderson, Anson Boon

Rating R

Release Date July 12th, 2019

“During a hurricane, a young woman finds herself trapped beneath a flooding house, fighting for her life against a pack of savage alligators.”

From director Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes) and producer Sam Raimi (Evil Dead, Don’t Breathe), Crawl is a horror thriller tells the story of a young woman who finds herself trapped beneath a flooding house during a Category 5 hurricane, fighting for her life against a pack of savage alligators. Check out the official trailer below!!

The Art of Self-Defense

Director Riley Stearns

Genre Comedy

Cast Jesse Eisenberg, Alessandro Nivola, Imogen Poots, Steve Terada

Rating R

Release Date July 12th, 2019

“A man who is attacked at random on the street and enlists in a local dojo, led by a charismatic and mysterious Sensei, in an effort to learn how to defend himself.”

“After he’s attacked on the street at night by a roving motorcycle gang, timid bookkeeper Casey (Jesse Eisenberg) joins a neighborhood karate studio to learn how to protect himself. Under the watchful eye of a charismatic instructor, Sensei (Alessandro Nivola), and hardcore brown belt Anna (Imogen Poots), Casey gains a newfound sense of confidence for the first time in his life. But when he attends Sensei’s mysterious night classes, he discovers a sinister world of fraternity, brutality and hyper-masculinity, presenting a journey that places him squarely in the sights of his enigmatic new mentor. ”

— Obscured Pictures

Check out the preview and exclusive trailers for the upcoming comedy The Art of Self-Defense from writer and director Riley Stearns below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Art of Self-Defense:

• Director Riley Stearns was previously married to actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

Point Blank

Director Joe Lynch

Genre Action | Thriller

Cast Anthony Mackie, Frank Grillo, Marcia Gay Harden, Christian Cooke

Rating Unrated

Release Date July 12th, 2019 (Netflix)

“To save his pregnant wife, an emergency room nurse teams up with an injured murder suspect in a race against time, rival criminals and renegade cops.”

From director Joe Lynch, Point Blank is an action thriller that follows an emergency room nurse who teams up with an injured murder suspect in a race against time, rival criminals and renegade cops in order to save his pregnant wife. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Point Blank:

• This is Anthony Mackie and Frank Grillo's first collaboration outside the MCU.