The Letter for the King

Genre Action | Adventure | Family

Cast Amir Wilson, Ruby Ashbourne Serkis, Thaddea Graham, Jonah Lees

Rating TV-PG

Series Premiere March 20th, 2020

“Tiuri, a teenage squire, answers a call for help that sends him on a perilous mission across the three kingdoms to deliver a secret letter to the King.”

The Letter for the King is a family friendly action adventure that follows Tiuri, a teenage squire, who answers a call for help that sends him on a perilous mission across the three kingdoms to deliver a secret letter to the King. Check out the official trailer below!!

Hollywood's New Obsession, What Is Quibi?

There's a hot new app rolling out April 6th and everyone in Hollywood is talking about it. The entertainment world is buzzing about Quibi, a potentially major disruptor in streaming television, that aims to be the first app to actually make short-form TV and movies into a lasting medium on your phone. Steven Spielberg himself announced that he was on board to produce and write a series, and he's not the only big name Quibi has attracted. But what IS this exciting new app that's generated $1 billion in funding, and why should we all be so excited about it?

What is Quibi?

Quibi is a streaming service for short-form entertainment, founded by Jeffrey Katzenberg, who was the chairman of Disney during its animation renaissance in the 1990s, and Meg Whitman, also a former Disney exec, who has also been in charge of DreamWorks, Procter & Gamble, Hasbro, eBay, and Hewlett Packard. It markets itself as a new form of content consumption, creating "snackable" series and films each told via multiple short chapters. It's not available yet, but has recently been making headlines for attracting big names in Hollywood, from Jason Blum, Steven Soderbergh, Chrissy Teigen, and a bunch more people, to produce and star in these quick hits.

What does Quibi mean?

"Quibi" stands for "quick bites" -- that is, very, very short-form content that is easily consumable in one sitting -- made to "fit perfectly into any moment of your day," as the website tells us. It's the future the digital age promised! Whole shows designed just for millennials and their notoriously short attention spans. Am I wrong?

When will it launch?

It's set to launch on April 6, 2020, and it has two payment tiers: $4.99 with short ads, and $7.99 without them. This makes Quibi a big competitor of Apple TV+, also priced at $4.99 per month, and the likes of Netflix or Disney+, whose cheapest tiers are still not as cheap as $5.

How can I use it?

It's designed to be mobile-only -- that is, on your phones and tablets and that's it -- for the foreseeable future. At first Katzenberg and Whitman said they'd try a "mobile-first" approach with a TV component later on, but it looks like they're sticking to an app format. To do this, they've been hiring people from Instagram and Snapchat -- two apps that have pioneered short-form story content across their platforms through IGTV and Snap Originals. Quibi's chief product officer is Tom Conrad, formerly Snap's VP of product. (One of its series in production is a Social Network-style show about the creation of Snapchat.)

The mobile-only format allows Quibi to experiment with form: It will support both horizontal and vertical video and allow its users to switch between the two in the same video. Producers have also considered vertical video formats, which would make some shots look like the video and FaceTime you get on a smartphone screen (see below example).

Check out some of the most recent trailers for Quibi exclusives below including quite a few very recognizable actors and actresses and let us know your thoughts on the new streaming platform in the comments below!!

The Platform

Director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia

Genre Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Cast Ivan Massagué, Zorion Eguileor, Antonia San Juan, Emilio Buale

Rating Unrated

Release Date March 20th, 2020 (Netflix)

“A vertical prison with one cell per level. Two people per cell. One only food platform and two minutes per day to feed from up to down. An endless nightmare trapped in The Pit.”

Directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, The Platform is a twisted social allegory about mankind at its darkest and hungriest. Inside a vertical prison system, inmates are assigned to a level and forced to ration food from a platform that moves between the floors. Check out the official trailer below!!

The Plot Against America

Genre Drama

Cast Winona Ryder, Zoe Kazan, Morgan Spector, John Torturro

Rating TV-MA

Season Premiere March 16th, 2020 (HBO)

“Characters live in an alternative history in which Franklin D. Roosevelt was defeated in the U.S. presidential election of 1940 by Charles Lindbergh.”

The HBO series The Plot Against America follows characters living in an alternative history in which Franklin D. Roosevelt was defeated in the U.S. presidential election of 1940 by Charles Lindbergh. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Plot Against America:

• Based on the novel by Philip Roth.

Little Fires Everywhere

Genre Drama

Cast Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington, Rosemarie DeWitt, Joshua Jackson

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere March 18th, 2020 (Hulu)

“Adaptation of Celeste Ng’s novel, Little Fires Everywhere.”

The Richardson family lives in the planned community of Shaker Heights, Ohio—a place of wealth, comfort, and stability—and they are a clan that embodies those traits. But when Mia, a single mother, and her fifteen year old daughter, Pearl, rent a house in the area, their very different lives will merge with those of the Richardson family and begin to contort the carefully laid lattice that supports their views. Check out the official trailer for the Hulu original series Little Fires Everywhere below!!

Banana Split

Director Benjamin Kasulke

Genre Comedy

Cast Hannah Marks, Liana Liberato, Dylan Sprouse, Luke Spencer Roberts

Rating R

Release Date March 27th, 2020 (Netflix July 26th)

“Over the course of a summer, two teenage girls develop the perfect kindred spirit friendship, with one big problem: one of them is dating the other’s ex.”

From director Benjamin Kasulke, Banana Split is a comedy that picks up over the course of a summer, following two teenage girls who develop the perfect kindred spirit friendship, with one big problem: one of them is dating the other's ex. Check out the official trailer below!!

Vivarium

Director Lorcan Finnegan

Genre Mystery | Sci-Fi

Cast Imogen Poots, Jesse Eisenberg, Jonathan Aris, Eanna Hardwicke

Rating R

Release Date March 27th, 2020 (Prime July 11th)

“A young couple looking for the perfect home find themselves trapped in a mysterious labyrinth-like neighborhood of identical houses.”

From director Lorcan Finnegan (Without Name), Vivarium tells the story of a young couple looking for the perfect home but find themselves trapped in a mysterious labyrinth-like neighborhood of identical houses. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Vivarium:

• The film was first seen on May 18, 2019 at the Cannes Film Festival. The movie is being distributed in the U.S. by Saban Films.

Hooking Up

Director Nico Raineau

Genre Comedy | Drama

Cast Brittany Snow, Sam Richardson, Anna Akana, Kyle Ament

Rating R

Release Date March 20th, 2020

“A cynical writer and a hopeless romantic hit the road for a cross-country trip.”

Hooking Up tells the story of Bailey and Darla, two strangers who embark upon a misguided and mutually deceitful form of therapy, one in which they must drive across the country re-enacting Darla's colorful history as a sex addict. As their true motivations for the road trip come to light, the unlikely pair force one another to confront their issues, discovering that there might actually be more to love than just sex. Check out the official trailer below!!

Horror Streaming Service Shudder FREE for 30 Days

The reality is that most of us are going to be spending a whole lot of time indoors for at least the next 30 days, whether we like it or not. Also, it is the smart thing to do. The coronavirus pandemic is no joke, and avoiding unnecessary trips out of the house can go a long way when it comes to mitigating the spread. If you don’t have to leave, don’t leave. Simple.

While we’re all stuck at home, horror streaming service Shudder wants to help us use our time more productively by offering an extended 30 DAY FREE TRIAL to new members, which is available now.

Try Shudder free for 30 days with promo code: SHUTIN

Plans beyond that free 30 day trial start at $4.75/month, and you can cancel anytime.

With movies being pulled from release, productions being shut down and movie theaters closing up shop for several weeks and possibly even months, on-demand streaming is going to become an essential means to help us keep our sanity while enjoying some great content. And for horror fans specifically, there’s really no better streaming service to sign up for than Shudder.

To get you started, here are a handful of now-streaming titles I can personally recommend including Mayhem starring Steven Yeun, better known as The Walking Dead’s fan favorite character Glen:

• Mayhem (Preview & Trailer)

• Prevenge (Preview & Trailer)

• Mandy (Preview & Trailer)

• The Head Hunter

• Dog Soldiers

• Train to Busan

• Smoke and Mirrors: The Story of Tom Savini

• The Furies

• Bliss

• “Channel Zero: The Dream Door”

• “Eli Roth’s History of Horror”

• Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror

• The Taking of Deborah Logan

• Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

• The Void (Preview & Trailer) The Void (Spoiler-Free Review)

• Revenge (Preview & Trailer)

• Audition

• One Cut of the Dead

• Incident in a Ghostland

Movie theaters may be closed, but digital streaming isn’t going anywhere. Take comfort in that and use this free time to kick back and watch horror movies. We’ll get through this together.

We’re not planning on going anywhere either. Stay strong, stay safe, and stay smart!

Devs

Genre Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Cast Sonoya Mizuno, Nick Offerman, Jin Ha, Alison Pill

Rating Unrated

Series Premiere Thursday March 5th, 2020 (FX on Hulu)

“A computer engineer investigates the secretive development division in her company, which she believes is behind the disappearance of her boyfriend.”

Created by Alex Garland, the man behind sci-fi thrillers Ex Machina and Annihilation, Devs is a limited series that takes a similar route to his films and tells the story of a computer engineer who investigates the secretive development division in her company, which she believes is behind the disappearance of her boyfriend.

Garland is clearly quite creative when it comes to sci-fi, and I will watch anything with Nick Offerman so I am looking forward to this. Check out the official trailer and a few teasers below!! Just a side note, although this is “technically” an FX series, it will be exclusively found on Hulu via FX on Hulu.

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Devs:

• Devs marks Sonoya Mizuno's third project with filmmaker Alex Garland, as she was also in Ex Machina and Annihilation.

Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Director Eliza Hittman

Genre Drama

Cast Sidney Flanigan, Ryan Eggold, Sharon Van Etten, Théodore Pellerin

Rating Unrated

Release Date March 13th, 2020 (Limited)

“A teenage girl in rural Pennsylvania hops on a Greyhound bus and goes on a long, expensive and distressing pilgrimage to New York City to find an abortion clinic.”

Written and directed by Eliza Hittman (Beach Rats), Never Rarely Sometimes Always is a drama that tells the story of a teenage girl in rural Pennsylvania who hops on a Greyhound bus and goes on a long, expensive and distressing pilgrimage to New York City to find an abortion clinic. Check out the official trailer below!!

Bull

Director Annie Silverstein

Genre Drama

Cast Rob Morgan, Amber Havard, Yoloanda Ross, Keira Bennett

Rating Unrated

Release Date March 20th, 2020 (Limited)

“In a near-abandoned subdivision west of Houston, a wayward teen runs headlong into her equally willful and unforgiving neighbor, an aging bullfighter who’s seen his best days in the arena; it’s a collision that will change them both.”

Co-written and directed by Annie Silverstein, Bull is a drama set in a near-abandoned subdivision west of Houston, and follows a wayward teen who runs headlong into her equally willful and unforgiving neighbor, an aging bullfighter who's seen his best days in the arena; it's a collision that will change them both. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Bull:

• First screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. Since the film's premiere, it has received resounding critical acclaim.

I Still Believe

Director Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin

Genre Drama | Music | Romance

Cast K.J. Apa, Britt Robertson, Shania Twain, Gary Sinise

Rating PG

Release Date March 13th, 2020

“The true-life story of Christian music star Jeremy Camp and his journey of love and loss that looks to prove there is always hope.”

From directors Andrew & Jon Erwin (Woodlawn, I Can Only Imagine), I Still Believe is the true-life story of Christian music star Jeremy Camp and his journey of love and loss that looks to prove there is always hope. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, I Still Believe:

• K.J. Apa and Britt Robertson previously played a couple in the film, A Dog's Purpose.

Stargirl

Director Julia Hart

Genre Comedy | Drama | Romance

Cast Giancarlo Esposito, Grace VanderWaal, Karan Brar, Graham Verchere

Rating PG

Release Date March 13th, 2020 (Disney+)

“A boy becomes intrigued by a mysterious and quirky student named Stargirl and spends his time trying to know more about her.”

From director Julia Hart (Miss Stevens, Fast Color), Stargirl is a comedy drama based on the novel of the same name from author Jerry Spinelli. A boy becomes intrigued by a mysterious and quirky student named Stargirl and spends his time trying to know more about her. Check out the official trailer below!! Stargirl will be available to stream exclusively on Disney+ March 13th.

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Stargirl:

• The acting debut for lead Grace VanderWaal, who won America's Got Talent in 2016 at the age of 12, singing songs she wrote and played on a ukulele.

• One of the first original movies made for Disney's streaming service, Disney+.

The Roads Not Taken

Director Sally Potter

Genre Drama

Cast Javier Bardem, Elle Fanning, Laura Linney, Selma Hayek

Rating R

Release Date March 13th, 2020

“A day in the life of Leo and his daughter, Molly, as he floats through alternate lives he could have lived, leading Molly to wrestle with her own path as she considers her future.”

Written and directed by Sally Potter, The Roads Not Taken follows a day in the life of Leo and his daughter, Molly, as he floats through alternate lives he could have lived, leading Molly to wrestle with her own path as she considers her future. Check out the official trailer below!!

ZeroZeroZero

Genre Drama | Crime

Cast Andrea Risenborough, Dane DeHaan, Gabriel Byrne, Giuseppe De Domenico

Rating Unrated

Series Premiere March 6th, 2020 (Amazon Prime)

“Based on the book of the same name by bestselling author Roberto Saviano, ZeroZeroZero is an unforgettable exploration of the inner workings of the global cocaine trade.”

From creators Leonardo Fasoli, Mauricio Katz, and Stefano Sollima, and based on the book of the same name by bestselling author Roberto Saviano, ZeroZeroZero is an unforgettable exploration of the inner workings of the global cocaine trade. Check out the official trailer below!!

The Pale Horse

Genre Mystery

Cast Rufus Sewell, Kaya Scoldelario, Sheila Atim, Madeleine Bowyer

Rating Unrated

Series Premiere March 13th, 2020 (Amazon Prime)

“Mark Easterbrook begins an investigation into how and why his name came to appear on a list inside the shoe of a dead woman which leads him to The Pale Horse, the home of three rumored witches.”

Based on the Agatha Christie novel of the same name, The Pale Horse is a two-part mini-series that follows the story of Mark Easterbrook whose name appears on a list found inside the shoe of a dead woman. He begins an investigation into how and why his name came to appear on the list which leads him to The Pale Horse, the home of three rumored witches. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Pale Horse:

• Based on Agatha Christie’s 1961 novel

• BAFTA-nominated writer Sarah Phelps adapted Christie’s novel for the small screen and serves as executive producer.

The Most Dangerous Animal of All

Genre Docuseries | Thriller

Cast Kyle DeCamp, Katelyn Kapocsi, Corey Landis

Rating Unrated

Series Premiere March 6th, 2020 (FX)

“Soon after his birth-mother contacted him for the first time, Gary L. Stewart decided to search for his biological father. His disturbing identity would force Stewart to reconsider everything he thought he knew about himself.”

Soon after his birth-mother contacted him for the first time, Gary L. Stewart decided to search for his biological father. His disturbing identity would force Stewart to reconsider everything he thought he knew about himself. Check out the official trailer for The Most Dangerous Animal of All below!!

Sometimes Always Never

Director Carl Hunter

Genre Comedy | Drama | Mystery

Cast Bill Nighy, Sam Riley, Jenny Agutter, Tim McInnerny

Rating PG-13

Release Date March 6th, 2020 (Limited & On-Demand)

“A detective fantasy / family drama where a love of words helps a father reconnect with a missing son.”

Alan is a stylish tailor with moves as sharp as his suits. He has spent years searching tirelessly for his missing son Michael who stormed out over a game of Scrabble. With a body to identify and his family torn apart, Alan must repair the relationship with his youngest son Peter and solve the mystery of an online player who he thinks could be Michael, so he can finally move on and reunite his family. Check out the official trailer for Sometimes Always Never below!!

Amazing Stories

Genre Adventure | Fantasy

Cast Dylan O’Brien, Austin Stowell, Duncan Joiner, Edward Burns

Rating Unrated

Season Premiere March 6th, 2020 (Apple TV+)

“An anthology series based on the 1985 television series of the same name created by Steven Spielberg. ”

A re-imagining of the anthology from visionary Steven Spielberg, "Amazing Stories," executive produced by Spielberg, will transport the audience to worlds of wonder through the lens of today's most imaginative filmmakers, directors, and writers. Check out the official trailer below!!