Spiral

Director Darren Lynn Bousman

Genre Crime | Horror | Mystery

Cast Chris Rock, Samuel L. Jackson, Marisol Nichols, Max Minghella

Rating R

Release Date May 14th, 2021

“A sadistic mastermind unleashes a twisted form of justice in Spiral, the terrifying new chapter from the book of Saw.”

From director Darren Lynn Bousman, the man behind Saw II, III, and IV, Spiral is described as a re-imaging of the Saw franchise. It’s no secret that this franchise has a HUGE following, even though that has dwindled as of late. I personally enjoyed the 2017 film Jigsaw and thought it was a nice conclusion to the franchise. It will be interesting to see where Spiral decides to take things (all-new franchise perhaps?). Check out the official trailers below!!

Black Widow

Black Widow is a 2021 superhero film based on the edgy and extremely popular Marvel Comics character of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it marks the 24th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

From director Cate Shortland (Berlin Syndrome), Black Widow gives us a an in-depth look at the Marvel character with a dark past and troubling upbringing, to say the least. At birth, the Black Widow (aka Natasha Romanova) is given to the KGB, which grooms her to become its ultimate operative. When the U.S.S.R. breaks up, the government tries to kill her as the action moves to present-day New York, where she is a freelance operative. The standalone film will find Romanoff living in the United States 15 years after the fall of the Soviet Union, and take place directly following the events of Captain America: Civil War.

The impressive cast includes Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow alongside Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O-T Fagbenle, William Hurt, Ray Winstone, and Rachel Weisz. Like many films, Black Widow was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, derailing an initial plan for a May 2020 release date and getting delayed 3 times in total. It is the first film to kick off Phase 4 of the MCU.

Black Widow finally premiered on June 29th, 2021 at various events around the world, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on July 9th, in theaters & IMAX as well as streaming through Disney+ with Premier Access (an additional $29.99). Watch the official trailers below.

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Black Widow:

• This will be Scarlett Johansson's ninth time playing Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, if you count her cameo in Captain Marvel (2019).

• Scarlett Johansson describes the film as "Its Own Genre" and even named Logan (2017) an Influence along with The Fugitive (1993) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991).

• It was revealed that the film is set after Captain America: Civil War (2016).

Separation

Separation is a 2021 horror film, directed by William Brent Bell, from a screenplay by Nick Amadeus and Josh Braun. It tells the story of 8-year-old Jenny who is constantly caught in the middle of the feuding between her lawyer mother Maggie and artist father Jeff. She leads a lonely but imaginative life, surrounded by puppets called “Grisly Kin”, which are based on the works of her father. When Maggie is tragically killed in a hit-and-run, Jeff and Jenny try to piece together a new life.

The cast includes Rupert Friend, Mamie Gummer, Madeline Brewer, Violet McGraw, Simon Quarterman, and Brian Cox.

Separation is set for a theatrical release on April 30th from Open Road Films and Briarcliff Entertainment. Watch the official trailer below.

Mortal Kombat

“MMA fighter Cole Young seeks out Earth's greatest champions in order to stand against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe.”

The Mortal Kombat trailer we have all been waiting for is finally here, and it looks INTENSE!! I was born in 1984 (yes, I know I’m old), so to say that Mortal Kombat was a big part of my childhood would be an understatement. My friends and I would spend hours mastering the finishing moves, and when the cut scene for a move was triggered, we just watched in pure awe. It was a truly magical time.

The dream was always to have the movie version of the game and in 1995, that is exactly what we got. And to be honest, I really liked it. I mean the soundtrack got me all kinds of fired up, and still does to this day. But it was far from perfect. I mean first of all, it was rated PG-13 (yawnnnnnnnn). So for years now we have been itching for a R-rated movie that could truly embody what Mortal Kombat is, and well, that day is nearly here.

This new Mortal Kombat looks incredible, and has me feeling next-level nostalgic. I will be sitting in the movie theater day 1 for this, and it cannot come soon enough.

Mortal Kombat is set to hit theaters, IMAX, and HBO Max April 23rd. Watch the UNRATED trailer below.

West Side Story

West Side Story is a 2021 romantic musical drama directed and co-produced by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Tony Kushner and choreography by Justin Peck. The film is the second feature-length adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical of the same name by Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim, which is based loosely on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The screenplay is expected to follow the Broadway script more so than the 1961 film adaptation.

An adaptation of the 1957 musical, West Side Story explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds.

The cast includes Rachel Zegler and Ansel Elgort, with Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Josh Andrés Rivera, Corey Stoll and Brian d'Arcy James. Rita Moreno, who appeared in the 1961 film, has a supporting role and is an executive producer.

West Side Story is scheduled to be released by 20th Century Studios in the United States on December 10th, after being delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Halloween Kills

Halloween Kills is a 2021 horror slasher directed by David Gordon Green and written by Green, Danny McBride and Scott Teems. The film is a sequel to 2018's Halloween and the twelfth installment in the Halloween franchise.

After Laurie Strode, her daughter Karen, and granddaughter Allyson leave Michael Myers caged in the basement of Laurie's burning house, Michael manages to free himself when firemen arrive on the scene. The Strode women join a group of other survivors that decide to form a mob to hunt Michael.

The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Nick Castle, who reprise their roles as Laurie Strode and Michael Myers, with James Jude Courtney also portraying Myers again. Judy Greer, Andy Matichak, and Will Patton also reprise their roles from the previous film, with Anthony Michael Hall and Thomas Mann joining the cast.

Jason Blum serves as a producer on the film through his Blumhouse Productions banner, alongside Malek Akkad and Bill Block.

Halloween Kills had its world premiere at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 8th, 2021. Following a year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on October 15th, by Universal Pictures; it will also stream on paid tiers of Peacockfor 60 days.

A direct sequel, Halloween Ends, is rumored to release on October 14th, 2022. Watch the official trailer below.

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Halloween Kills:

• Paul Rudd was offered to reprise his role Tommy Doyle but had to decline due to scheduling conflicts with the new Ghostbusters. He was replaced by Anthony Michael Hall.

• Jamie Lee Curtis reprises her role as Laurie Strode for a sixth time and in doing so surpasses Donald Pleasence (Sam Loomis) with the most appearances in the Halloween series.

Cruella

Brilliant. Bad. A little bit mad. May 2021.

Academy Award winner Emma Stone (La La Land) stars in Disney’s Cruella, an all-new live-action feature film about the early days of the notorious 101 Dalmatians villain, Cruella de Vil.

Set in 1970s London during the punk rock revolution, the story follows a young con artist named Estella, a clever and creative girl determined to make a name for herself in the design world. She befriends a pair of young thieves who appreciate her appetite for mischief, and together they are able to build a life for themselves on the London streets.

Co-stars include Emma Thompson, Emily Beecham, Dev Patel, Mark Strong, and Paul Walter Hause.

The film is directed by Craig Gillespie (I Tonya). Two-time Oscar-winning costume designer Jenny Beavan (Mad Max: Fury Road) is behind the eye-popping wardrobes throughout the film.

Cruella is set to hit theaters on May 28th along with Disney+ Premier Access. Check out the official trailers below.

In the Heights

“In Washington Heights, N.Y., the scent of warm coffee hangs in the air just outside of the 181st St. subway stop, where a kaleidoscope of dreams rallies a vibrant and tight-knit community. At the intersection of it all is a likable and magnetic bodega owner who hopes, imagines and sings about a better life.”

In the Heights is a 2021 musical drama film directed by Jon M. Chu, from a screenplay by Quiara Alegría Hudes. It is based on the stage musical of the same name by Hudes and Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton). The film stars Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera, Olga Merediz, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Gregory Diaz IV, and Jimmy Smits.

In the Heights had its world premiere at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival on June 4th, and is scheduled to be released in theaters on June 11th, and will also be available on the HBO Max streaming service.

In the Heights is set to hit theaters and HBO Max June 11th. Watch the official trailers below.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Marvels’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Shang-Chi. It stars Canadian actor Simu Liu (Kim's Convenience, Blood and Water) as a martial artist who has been trained to be an assassin since childhood by the Ten Rings terror organization and then tries to escape to a normal life in San Francisco.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is set to hit theaters on September 3rd. Watch the latest trailers below.

Dear Evan Hansen

The breathtaking, generation-defining Broadway phenomenon becomes a soaring cinematic event as Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Ben Platt reprises his role as an anxious, isolated high schooler aching for understanding and belonging amid the chaos and cruelty of the social-media age.

Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Wonder), the film is written for the screen by the show’s Tony winner Steven Levenson with music and lyrics by the show’s Oscar®, Grammy and Tony-winning songwriting team of Benj Pasek & Justin Paul (La La Land, The Greatest Showman).

Featuring Grammy winning songs, including the iconic anthem “You Will Be Found,” “Waving Through a Window,” “For Forever” and “Words Fail,” Dear Evan Hansen stars six-time Oscar® nominee Amy Adams, Oscar® winner Julianne Moore, Kaitlyn Dever (Booksmart), Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give), Colton Ryan (Apple TV+’s Little Voice), Nik Dodani (Netflix’s Atypical), DeMarius Copes (Broadway’s Mean Girls) and Danny Pino (NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit).

Dear Evan Hansen is set to hit theaters on September 24th, courtesy of Universal Pictures. Watch the official trailer below.

Silent Night

Silent Night is a 2021 comedy horror film written and directed by Camille Griffin. It had its world premiere at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival on September 16th, 2021.

A couple invite their closest friends to join their family for Christmas dinner at their idyllic home in the English countryside. As the group comes together, it feels like old times -- but behind all of the laughter and merriment, something isn't quite right. The world outside is facing impending doom, and no amount of gifts, games or wine can make mankind's imminent destruction go away. Surviving the holidays just got a lot more complicated.

Starring Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Roman Griffin Davis, Annabelle Wallis, Lily-Rose Depp, Sope Dirisu, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Lucy Punch and Rufus Jones.

Silent Night is scheduled to be released December 3rd exclusively on the AMC+ streaming service, courtesy of RLJE Films. Watch the official trailer below.

Boss Level

First of all, I love me some Frank Grillo, dude is a BEAST! Most will recognize him as Rumlow from Captain America: Winter Soldier and Civil War. He was also a force to be reckoned with in a few of the Purge films, but he busts his ass and has built himself quite a career as an actor.

In his latest venture, Boss Level, he plays a retired special forces officer trapped in a never ending time loop on the day of his death. If that wasn’t enough to warrant a watch, the film co-stars Mel Gibson and Naomi Watts.

Boss Level will be available to stream exclusively on Hulu March 5th. Watch the official trailer below.

Malignant

Malignant is a 2021 horror thriller directed by James Wan, the man who brought us Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring. The screenplay is from Akela Cooper, and is based on an original story by Wan, Ingrid Bisu and Cooper. The film tells the story of Madison, a woman who is paralyzed by shocking visions of grisly murders, and her torment worsens as she discovers that these waking dreams are in fact terrifying realities.

The talented cast includes Annabelle Wallis, Jake Abel, George Young, Jacqueline McKenzie, and Mckenna Grace.

Malignant is scheduled to be released theatrically and on HBO Max September 10th, courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Watch the official trailers below.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

From director Jon Watts and writers Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers , Spider-Man: No Way Home is the sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), and is the 27th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the high-stakes of being a Super Hero. When he asks for help from Doctor Strange the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.

Starring Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zendaya, Marisa Tomei, Willem Dafoe, Benedict Wong, J.K. Simmons, and Jon Favreau.

Spider-Man: No Way Home hits theaters and IMAX December 17th. Watch the official new trailer below.

The Harder They Fall

The Harder They Fall is a 2021 Netflix Original Western drama directed by Jeymes Samuel, who co-wrote the screenplay with Boaz Yakin.

When outlaw Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) discovers that the man who murdered his family, Rufus Buck (Idris Elba), is being released from prison he rounds up his gang to track Rufus down and seek revenge.

The full cast includes Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz, Lakeith Stanfield, Delroy Lindo, Regina King, R.J. Cyler, Damon Wayans Jr., and Deon Cole.

The Harder They Fall will have its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on October 6th, 2021, and is scheduled to be released in select theaters and on Netflix November 3rd. Watch the official trailer below.

Dune

Dune is a 2021 sci-fi thriller directed by Denis Villeneuve with a screenplay by Jon Spaihts, Villeneuve, and Eric Roth. It is the first of a planned two-part adaptation of the 1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert, about the son of a noble family entrusted with the protection of the most valuable asset and most vital element in the galaxy.

The film stars Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem.

Dune is scheduled to premiere at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 3rd, 2021, and will hit theaters October 22nd, courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures, with a simultaneous release on HBO Max for 31 days. Watch the official trailer below.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Starring Anthony Mackie as Falcon and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is an upcoming Disney+ Original Series focusing on the dynamic duo. The series also stars Daniel Brühl continuing his role as the antihero Zemo.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will be available exclusively on Disney+ March 19th. Watch the official trailer below.

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, also known simply as Snake Eyes, is a 2021 superhero action film directed by Robert Schwentke from a screenplay by Evan Spiliotopoulos, Joe Shrapnel, and Anna Waterhouse. Based on Hasbro's G.I. Joe toy, comic, and media franchise, the film is a reboot, and the third installment in the G.I. Joe film series and serves as an origin story for the title character Snake Eyes. Henry Golding stars as the title role, replacing Ray Park who portrayed him in the previous films.

Snake Eyes is a tenacious loner who is welcomed into an ancient Japanese clan called the Arashikage after saving the life of their heir apparent. Upon arrival in Japan, the Arashikage teach Snake Eyes the ways of the ninja warrior while also providing something he’s been longing for: a home. But, when secrets from his past are revealed, Snake Eyes’ honor and allegiance will be tested – even if that means losing the trust of those closest to him. The cast also includes Andrew Koji as Storm Shadow, Úrsula Corberó as The Baroness, Samara Weaving as Scarlett, Haruka Abe as Akiko, Tahehiro Hira as Kenta, and Iko Uwais as Hard Master.

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins is scheduled for a theatrical release in the United States on July 23rd, 2021, by Paramount Pictures.

Every warrior has a beginning. Watch the official trailers for #SnakeEyes below. Uncover the classified origin story only in theaters July 23rd. 🐍

F9

From director Justin Lin, who helmed the directors chair for a number of the previous entries, Fast & Furious 9, otherwise known as simply F9, continues a franchise that to be quite honest helped shape my youth as it arrived in theaters in 2001 during my sophomore year in high school.

In this latest entry, Cipher enlists the help of Jakob, Dom's younger brother, to take revenge on Dom and his team.

I remember watching the original over and over again, to the point where I’d just hear the soundtrack in my head, and as I was not yet a licensed driver just thinking how cool it would be to eventually be able to drive a car myself. I also nearly fell into the trap of buying a civic to match the cars they used to jack trucks, but went with an Integra instead. I for one can’t wait for the latest entry to hit theaters this summer after suffering a number of COVID-19 related delays.

F9 is set to hit theaters on June 25th. Buckle up and watch the official trailers below.

Thunder Force

“In a world where supervillains are commonplace, two estranged childhood best friends reunite after one devises a treatment that gives them powers to protect their city.”

Written and directed by Ben Falcone, Thunder Force stars Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, Bobby Cannavale, and Jason Bateman.

It will be available to stream exclusively on Netflix April 9th. Watch the official trailer below.