Critical Thinking

Director John Leguizamo

Genre Drama

Cast John Leguizamo, Rachel Bay Jones, Michael Kenneth Williams, Corwin C. Tuggles

Rating PG-13

Release Date  September 4th, 2020 (Limited Release & On-Demand)

“The true story of the Miami Jackson High School chess team which was the first inner city team to win the U.S. National Chess Championship.”

Actor John Leguizamo’s directorial debut, Critical Thinking tells the true story of the Miami Jackson High School chess team which was the first inner city team to win the U.S. National Chess Championship. Check out the official trailer below!!

Unhinged

Director Derrick Borte

Genre Thriller

Cast Russell Crowe, Caren Pistorious, Gabriel Bateman, Austin P. McKenzie

Rating R

Release Date August 21st, 2020

“After a confrontation with an unstable man at an intersection, a woman becomes the target of his rage.”

From director Derrick Borte, Unhinged is a psychological thriller that takes something we've all experienced- road rage - to an unpredictable and terrifying conclusion. Rachel is running late getting to work when she crosses paths with a stranger at a traffic light. Soon, Rachel finds herself and everyone she loves the target of a man who feels invisible and is looking to make one last mark upon the world by teaching her a series of deadly lessons. Check out the official trailer below!!

Tesla

Director Michael Almereyda

Genre Biography | Drama

Cast Ethan Hawke, Eve Hewson, Hannah Gross, Jim Gaffigan

Rating PG-13

Release Date August 21st, 2020 (Limited & On-Demand)

“A freewheeling take on visionary inventor Nikola Tesla, his interactions with Thomas Edison and J.P. Morgan’s daughter Anne, and his breakthroughs in transmitting electrical power and light.”

From director Michael Almereyda, Tesla is a freewheeling take on visionary inventor Nikola Tesla, his interactions with Thomas Edison and J.P. Morgan's daughter Anne, and his breakthroughs in transmitting electrical power and light. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Film Facts, Tesla:

• Nikola Tesla was born and raised in a small village called Smiljan in Austro-Hungarian empire. His father was a Serb orthodox priest.

• David Bowie played Tesla in Christopher Nolan's The Prestige (2006)

Peninsula

Director Sang-ho Yeon

Genre Action | Horror | Thriller

Cast Dong-won Gang, Jung-hyun Lee

Rating Unrated

Release Date August 21st, 2020 (Limited & On-Demand)

The highly anticipated sequel to the zombie survival horror film Train to Busan FINALLY has a trailer. When it will actually drop on Netflix or perhaps another streaming service is anyone’s guess (the August date above is for France apparently) but at least this is a start. Check out the trailer below!!

Project Power

Director Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman

Genre Action | Crime | Sci-Fi

Cast Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jamie Foxx, Dominique Fishback, Machine Gun Kelly

Rating R

Release Date August 14th, 2020 (Netflix)

“On the streets of New Orleans, word begins to spread about a mysterious new pill that unlocks superpowers unique to each user. The catch: You don’t know what will happen until you take it. ”

What would you risk for five minutes of pure power?

On the streets of New Orleans, word begins to spread about a mysterious new pill that unlocks superpowers unique to each user. The catch: You don’t know what will happen until you take it. While some develop bulletproof skin, invisibility, and super strength, others exhibit a deadlier reaction. But when the pill escalates crime within the city to dangerous levels, a local cop (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) teams with a teenage dealer (Dominique Fishback) and a former soldier fueled by a secret vendetta (Jamie Foxx) to fight power with power and risk taking the pill in order to track down and stop the group responsible for creating it.

Check out the official trailer for the Netflix Original Film Project Power below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Project Power:

• In October 2017, it was announced that Netflix had acquired Mattson Tomlin's spec script Power in a bidding war with several other studios. In May 2020, it was announced that the film will officially be titled Project Power.

Hoops

Genre Animation | Sports | Comedy

Cast Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, Damon Wayans Jr., Hannah Simone

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere August 21st, 2020 (Netflix)

“A hot-headed, foul-mouthed high school basketball coach thinks turning around his godawful team will take him to the “big leagues.””

A new mature animated Netflix series titled Hoops tells the story of a hot-headed basketball coach, voiced by Jake Johnson, who dreams of turning around his awful team. Guest stars include Johnson’s “New Girl” co-stars Max Greenfield, Damon Wayans Jr. and Hannah Simone. Check out the official trailer below!!

Lucifer: Season 5

Genre Crime | Drama | Fantasy

Cast Tom Ellis, Lauren German, Kevin Alejandro, Lesley Ann-Brandt

Rating TV-14

Series Premiere August 21st, 2020 (Netflix)

“Lucifer Morningstar has decided he’s had enough of being the dutiful servant in Hell and decides to spend some time on Earth to better understand humanity. He settles in Los Angeles - the City of Angels.”

Lucifer Morningstar has decided he's had enough of being the dutiful servant in Hell and decides to spend some time on Earth to better understand humanity. He settles in Los Angeles - the City of Angels. Check out the official trailer for season 5 of Lucifer below!!

The Vanished

Director Peter Facinelli

Genre Action | Mystery | Thriller

Cast Brittany Kaiser, David Carroll, Paul-Olivier Dehaye, Ravi Naik

Rating R

Release Date August 21st, 2020 (Limited & On-Demand)

“A husband and wife will stop at nothing to find their missing daughter who disappeared on a family camping trip. When the police don’t catch any leads, the duo take over.”

Written and directed by Peter Facinelli, The Vanished is a thriller that tells the story of a husband and wife who will stop at nothing to find their missing daughter who disappeared on a family camping trip. When the police don't catch any leads, the duo take over. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Vanished:

• Stars Anne Heche and Thomas Jane play a married couple in the film and are a couple in real-life. They previously played a divorced couple in the HBO series Hung.

Lovecraft Country

Genre Drama | Fantasy | Horror

Cast Jonathan Majors, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Courtney B. Vance, Aunjanue Ellis

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere August 16th, 2020 (HBO)

“Atticus Freeman joins up with his friend Letitia and his Uncle George to embark on a road trip across 1950s Jim Crow America in search of his missing father.”

The HBO original drama series Lovecraft Country, based on the 2016 novel by Matt Ruff of the same name, debuts this August. The series follows Atticus Freeman as he joins up with his friend Letitia and his Uncle George to embark on a road trip across 1950s Jim Crow America in search of his missing father. This begins a struggle to survive and overcome both the racist terrors of white America and the terrifying monsters that could be ripped from a Lovecraft paperback. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Lasso

Genre Comedy

Cast Jason Sudeikis, Stephen Manas, Colin Blyth, Phil Dunster

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere August 14th, 2020 (Apple TV+)

“Small-time football coach Ted Lasso is hired to coach a professional soccer team in England, despite having no experience coaching soccer.”

Starring and co-created by Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso tells the story of small-time football coach Ted Lasso who is hired to coach a professional soccer team in England, despite having no experience coaching soccer. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Ted Lasso:

• The “Ted Lasso” character originated as a part of a NBC Sport promo series with Sudeikis. The popularity allowed for the network to create a series based on this character.

The Silencing

Director Robin Pront

Genre Action | Crime | Thriller

Cast Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Annabelle Wallis, Zahn McClarnon, Melanie Scrofano

Rating R

Release Date August 14th, 2020 (Limited & On-Demand))

“A reformed hunter living in isolation on a wildlife sanctuary becomes involved in a deadly game of cat and mouse when he and the local Sheriff set out to track a vicious killer who may have kidnapped his daughter years ago.”

From director Robin Pront, The Silencing is a drama thriller that tells the story of a reformed hunter living in isolation on a wildlife sanctuary who becomes involved in a deadly game of cat and mouse when he and the local Sheriff set out to track a vicious killer who may have kidnapped his daughter years ago. Check out the official trailer below!!

The One and Only Ivan

Director Thea Sharrock

Genre Animation | Adventure | Comedy

Cast Sam Rockwell, Angelina Jolie, Danny DeVito, Bryan Cranston

Rating PG

Release Date August 14th, 2020 (Disney+)

“A gorilla named Ivan tries to piece together his past with the help of an elephant named Stella as they hatch a plan to escape from captivity.”

The One and Only Ivan is a family adventure that tells the story of a gorilla named Ivan who tries to piece together his past with the help of an elephant named Stella as they hatch a plan to escape from captivity. Check out the official trailer for The One and Only Ivan below available so stream on Disney+ August 14th!!

Hard Knocks: Los Angeles

Genre Documentary | Sports

Cast L.A. Chargers & Rams

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere August 11th, 2020 (HBO)

“Hard Knocks: Los Angeles gives an unfiltered all-access look at what it takes to make it in the National Football League.”

Hard Knocks: Los Angeles gives an unfiltered all-access look at what it takes to make it in the National Football League. The 18-time Sports Emmy Award winning series will follow head coaches Anthony Lynn of the Los Angeles Chargers and Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams leading a mix of established veterans, free-agent acquisitions and rising stars on both sides of the ball. Hard Knocks: Los Angeles kicks off August 11 on @HBO and stream it on @HBOMax. Check out the official trailer below!!

Magic Camp

Director Mark Waters

Genre Comedy | Family | Fantasy

Cast Adam DeVine, Gillian Jacobs, Josie Totah, Aldis Hodge

Rating PG

Release Date August 14th, 2020 (Disney+)

“Andy, who, at the urging of his former mentor and Magic Camp owner Roy Preston, returns as a counselor to the camp of his youth hoping to reignite his career.”

From director Mark Waters (Freaky Friday), Magic Camp is a family comedy that tells the story of Andy, who, at the urging of his former mentor and Magic Camp owner Roy Preston, returns as a counselor to the camp of his youth hoping to reignite his career. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Magic Camp:

• Real-life magicians were employed to teach the actors and to maintain authenticity. Among them is acclaimed magician Justin Willman, who had worked with Gillian Jacobs on Love (2016).

• Filming took place on Disney's Golden Oak Ranch.

Made in Italy

Director James D’Arcy

Genre Drama | Romance

Cast Liam Neeson, Micheál Richardson, Yolanda Kettle, Souad Faress

Rating R

Release Date August 7th, 2020 (Limited & On-Demand)

“A London artist and his estranged son try to mend their relationship as they work together to repair a dilapidated house in Italy”

Written and directed by actor James D’Arcy (Dunkirk), Made in Italy tells the story of a bohemian artist who travels from London to Italy with his estranged son to sell the house he inherited from his late wife. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Film Facts, Made in Italy:

• Stars Liam Neeson and Micheál Richardson are real-life father and son.

• Micheál Richardson, formally Neeson, changed his last name to his mother’s maiden name to honor her memory. Actress Natasha Richardson, the wife of Liam Neeson, died after a ski accident in 2009 in Canada. Micheál said in an interview that making this film with his father was extremely therapeutic for him.

Boys State

Director Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss

Genre Documentary

Cast —

Rating PG-13

Release Date August 14th, 2020 (Limited & On-Demand)

“A thousand 17-year-old boys from Texas join together to build a representative government from the ground up.”

Boys State is a documentary that tells the story of a thousand 17-year-old boys from Texas join together to build a representative government from the ground up. Check out the official trailer below!!

An American Pickle

Director Brandon Trost

Genre Comedy | Drama

Cast Seth Rogen, Sarah Snook, Sean Whalen, Jorma Taccone

Rating PG-13

Release Date August 6th, 2020 (HBO Max)

“An immigrant worker at a pickle factory is accidentally preserved for 100 years and wakes up in modern day Brooklyn.”

Directed by Brandon Trost (This is the End, Neighbors) and based on Simon Rich’s New Yorker novella, An American Pickle tells the story of an immigrant worker who falls into a vat of pickles and is brined for 100 years. The brine preserves him perfectly, and when he emerges in present day Brooklyn, he finds that he hasn't aged a day. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, An American Pickle:

• Initially intended for theatrical release later this year, Sony made the decision to sell the Seth Rogen comedy to the Warner Media streaming service, HBO Max.

• From the producers of The Disaster Artist and 50/50.

Summerland

Director Jessica Swale

Genre Drama | War

Cast Gemma Arterton, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Penelope Wilton, Tom Courtenay

Rating PG

Release Date July 31st, 2020

“During World War II, an Englishwoman opens her heart to an evacuee after initially resolving to be rid of him in this moving journey of womanhood, love and friendship.”

Written and directed by Jessica Swale, Summerland is a war drama set during During World War II, telling the story of reclusive writer Alice who has her sequestered life upended when Frank, an evacuee from the London Blitz, is left in her care. Despite initially resolving to be rid of him, Alice finds herself and her emotions reawakened by him. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Summerland:

• Shares the same name but no other tie to the Lori Loughlin-Ryan Kwanten-Zac Effron television series "Summerland" (2003-2005).

The Tax Collector

Director David Ayer

Genre Crime | Drama | Thriller

Cast Shia LaBeouf, Bobby Soto, Cinthya Carmona, George Lopez

Rating Unrated

Release Date August 7th, 2020 (Limited & On-Demand)

“A “tax collector” for a crime lord finds his family’s safety compromised when his boss’s old rival shows up in LA and upends his business.”

Written and directed by David Ayer, the man behind Training Day, End of Watch, Fury, and Suicide Squad, The Tax Collector is a crime drama that tells the story of David and Creeper who are “tax collectors” for the crime lord Wizard, collecting his cut from the profits of local gangs’ illicit dealings. But when Wizard’s old rival returns to Los Angeles from Mexico, the business is upended, and David finds himself desperate to protect what matters more to him than anything else: his family. Check out the official trailer below!!

Star Trek: Lower Decks

Genre Animation | Action | Adventure

Cast Tawny Newsome, Jack Quaid, Noël Wells, Gillian Vigman

Rating Unrated

Series Premiere August 6th, 2020 (CBS All Access)

“The support crew serving on one of Starfleet’s least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos, have to keep up with their duties, often while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies.”

A CBS All Access animated series, Star Trek: Lower Decks follows the support crew serving on one of Starfleet's least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos, working to keep up with their duties, often while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies. Check out the official trailer below!!