Disney’s kicking off 2018 with the release of three special motion posters and a new trailer for A Wrinkle in Time. The much-anticipated fantasy film is based on the critically acclaimed bestselling novel by Madeleine L’Engle and was directed by Ava DuVernay (13th, Queen Sugar, Selma). Jennifer Lee (Frozen, Wreck-It Ralph) adapted Madeleine L’Engle’s book for the screen.
The three new motion posters feature Oprah Winfrey (The Color Purple) as Mrs. Which, Reese Witherspoon (Big Little Lies, Home Again) as Mrs. Whatsit, and Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project) as Mrs. Who. The cast also includes Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Beauty and the Beast), Michael Peňa (12 Strong), Storm Reid (12 Years a Slave), Levi Miller (Pan), Deric McCabe (Stephanie), Zach Galifianakis (Baskets, Keeping Up with the Joneses), and Chris Pine (Wonder Woman, the Star Trek films).
Disney’s set a March 9, 2018 theatrical release date for A Wrinkle in Time.
The Plot: Meg Murry (Reid) is a typical middle school student struggling with issues of self-worth who is desperate to fit in. As the daughter of two world-renowned physicists, she is intelligent and uniquely gifted, as is Meg’s younger brother Charles Wallace (McCabe), but she has yet to realize it for herself. Making matters even worse is the baffling disappearance of Mr. Murry (Pine), which torments Meg and has left her mother (Mbatha-Raw) heartbroken. Charles Wallace introduces Meg and her fellow classmate Calvin (Miller) to three celestial guides—Mrs. Which (Winfrey), Mrs. Whatsit (Witherspoon) and Mrs. Who (Kaling) — who have journeyed to Earth to help search for their father, and together they set off on their formidable quest.
Traveling via a wrinkling of time and space known as tessering, they are soon transported to worlds beyond their imagination where they must confront a powerful evil. To make it back home to Earth, Meg must look deep within herself and embrace her flaws to harness the strength necessary to defeat the darkness closing in on them.
ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns from its short winter holiday break with season five episode 6 titled “Fun & Games.” The sixth episode of season five will air on Friday, January 5, 2018 at 9pm ET/PT and marks Clark Gregg’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. directorial debut. Gregg directs from a script by Brent Fletcher.
Clark Gregg previously directed, co-wrote, and starred in the 2008 feature film Choke, based on Chuck Palahniuk’s novel and co-starring Angelica Huston, Jonah Bobo, and Gillian Jacobs. Gregg also directed, wrote, and starred in the 2013 comedy/drama Trust Me with Felicity Huffman, Allison Janney, William H. Macy, and Sam Rockwell.
The season five cast includes Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May, Chloe Bennet as Daisy Johnson, Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leo Fitz, Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Jemma Simmons, Henry Simmons as Agent Alphonso “Mack” MacKenzie, and Natalia Cordova-Buckley as Elena “Yo-Yo” Rodriguez.
Episode six guest stars include Eve Harlow as Tess, Dominic Rains as Kasius, Florence Faivre as Sinara, Joel Stoffer as Enoch, Coy Stewart as Flint, Pruitt Taylor Vince as Grill, Tunisha Hubbard as Ava, Erika Ervin as Lady Karaba, Patrick Fabian as Ponarian, Myko Olivier as Ben, Jay Hunter as watch commander, Tim Sitarz as Kree soldier, Isaac C. Singleton Jr. as The Vicar, Samuel Roukin as Faulnak, Michele Tobin as Gretchen, and Remington Hoffman as Maston-Dar.
The “Fun & Games” Plot: With Daisy’s life on the line, an unexpected friend attempts to rescue her.
Dominic Rains as Kasius and Florence Faivre as Sinara in ‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ season 5 episode 6 (ABC/Eric McCandless)Chloe Bennet as Daisy Johnson in ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ season 5 episode 6 (ABC/Eric McCandless)Dominic Rains in ‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ season 5 episode 6 (ABC/Eric McCandless)Florence Faivre as Sinara (ABC/Eric McCandless)Dominic Rains as Kasius (ABC/Eric McCandless)Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Jemma Simmons (ABC/Eric McCandless)
Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft in Warner Bros. Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures’ action adventure ‘Tomb Raider’ (Photo by Ilzek Kitshoff)
Action movie fans have a lot to look forward to in 2018, including a new Mission: Impossible, another round of Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, the much-anticipated sequel to Sicario, and the true story of the first troops sent into Afghanistan following 9/11.
2018’s action movie offerings also include the reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise, two star-studded action comedies, and a female version of the Ocean’s films.
The following list of the 2018’s action films is in alphabetical order and includes cast info and plots, when available. This 2018 Action Movies Preview doesn’t include sci-fi, horror, or comic book-inspired action films as they have their own lists. (See the bottom of this page for additional 2018 movie previews.)
Chris Hemsworth in ’12 Strong’
12 Strong starring Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Michael Peña, Trevante Rhodes, Geoff Stults, Thad Luckinbill, Austin Stowell, Ben O’Toole, Austin Hebert, Kenneth Miller, Kenny Sheard, Jack Kesy, Navid Negahban, Elsa Pataky, William Fichtner, and Rob Riggle
The Plot:12 Strong is set in the harrowing days following 9/11 when a U.S. Special Forces team, led by their new Captain, Mitch Nelson (Hemsworth), is chosen to be the first U.S. troops sent into Afghanistan for an extremely dangerous mission. There, in the rugged mountains, they must convince Northern Alliance General Dostum (Negahban) to join forces with them to fight their common adversary: the Taliban and their Al Qaeda allies.
In addition to overcoming mutual distrust and a vast cultural divide, the Americans—accustomed to state-of-the-art warfare—must adopt the rudimentary tactics of the Afghan horse soldiers. But despite their uneasy bond, the new allies face overwhelming odds: outnumbered and outgunned by a ruthless enemy that does not take prisoners.
Acts of Violence starring Cole Hauser, Bruce Willis, Shawn Ashmore, Ashton Holmes, Melissa Bolona, Sophia Bush, and Mike Epps
The Plot: Three Midwestern brothers, a crime lord, and an incorruptible cop are on a deadly collision course when the youngest brother’s fiancée is kidnapped by human traffickers. To save her, the MacGregor boys call on their military training – and the strength of family – to fight the most important battle of their lives.
Alpha starring Kodi Smit-McPhee and Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson
The Plot: An epic adventure set in the last Ice Age. Europe, 20,000 years ago. While on his first hunt with his tribe’s most elite group, a young man is injured and left for dead. Awakening to find himself broken and alone — he must learn to survive and navigate the harsh and unforgiving wilderness. Reluctantly taming a lone wolf abandoned by its pack, the pair learn to rely on each other and become unlikely allies, enduring countless dangers and overwhelming odds in order to find their way home before the deadly winter arrives.
Creed II starring Sylvester Stallone, Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, and Dolph Lundgren
The Plot: The official synopsis has not been released, however it’s believed the Creed sequel will find Adonis and Drago’s son battling it out in the ring.
Death Wish starring Bruce Willis, Vincent D’Onofrio, Elisabeth Shue, Camila Morrone, Dean Norris, and Kimberly Elise
The Plot: Dr. Paul Kersey (Willis) is a surgeon who only sees the aftermath of Chicago violence when it is rushed into his ER – until his wife (Shue) and college-age daughter (Morrone) are viciously attacked in their suburban home. With the police overloaded with crimes, Paul, burning for revenge, hunts his family’s assailants to deliver justice. As the anonymous slayings of criminals grabs the media’s attention, the city wonders if this deadly vigilante is a guardian angel or a grim reaper.
Maurice Compte and Gerard Butler in ‘Den Of Thieves’ Den of Thieves starring Gerard Butler, Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson, Pablo Schreiber, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Evan Jones, Cooper Anderson, Maurice Compte, Kaiwai Lyman-Mersereau, Mo McRae, Meadow Williams, and Brian Van Holt
The Plot: A Los Angeles crime saga in the vein of Heat, Den of Thieves follows the intersecting and often personally connected lives of an elite unit of the LA County Sheriff’s Dept. and the state’s most successful bank robbery crew as the outlaws plan a seemingly impossible heist on the Federal Reserve Bank of downtown Los Angeles.
Game Night starring Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Billy Magnussen, Sharon Horgan, Lamorne Morris, Kylie Bunbury, Jesse Plemons, Danny Huston, Michael C. Hall, and Kyle Chandler
The Plot: Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams star as Max and Annie, whose weekly couples game night gets kicked up a notch when Max’s charismatic brother, Brooks (Chandler), arranges a murder mystery party, complete with fake thugs and faux federal agents. So when Brooks gets kidnapped, it’s all part of the game…right? But as the six uber-competitive gamers set out to solve the case and win, they begin to discover that neither this “game”—nor Brooks—are what they seem to be.
Over the course of one chaotic night, the friends find themselves increasingly in over their heads as each twist leads to another unexpected turn. With no rules, no points, and no idea who all the players are, this could turn out to be the most fun they’ve ever had…or game over.
David Oyelowo, Charlize Theron and Joel Edgerton in ‘Gringo’
Gringo starring David Oyelowo, Charlize Theron, Joel Edgerton, Thandie Newton, Sharlto Copley, Harry Treadaway, and Amanda Seyfried
The Plot: Mild-mannered pharmaceutical company executive Harold Soyinka (Oyelowo) takes a business trip from Chicago to Mexico with his cutthroat bosses Richard (Edgerton) and Elaine (Theron). At the company’s Mexican lab, Richard orders manager Sanchez (Hernán Mendoza) to stop selling the bioengineered marijuana product Cannabax to a brutal, Beatles-loving cartel kingpin known as The Black Panther. Meanwhile, straight-arrow Harold learns he’ll be out of a job as soon as Richard and Elaine sell their newly cleaned-up company to a conglomerate. And when he turns to his wife Bonnie (Newton) back home for comfort, she confesses via Skype that she’s having an affair.
Targeted by the ruthless Black Panther, who hopes to gain access to the Cannabax formula, Harold disappears before his bosses return to Chicago. A few hours later they receive a call informing them he’s been kidnapped, and his captors are demanding a $5 million ransom. Rather than pay, Richard dispatches his mercenary-turned-humanitarian brother Mitch (Copley) to extract Harold. But even with some temporary assistance from warmhearted American tourist Sunny (Seyfried) and her drug-mule boyfriend Miles (Treadaway), Harold’s prospects for survival grow dimmer by the minute. Pursued by an army of attackers, Harold crosses the line from mild-mannered citizen to wanted criminal. But is he out of his depth? Or two steps ahead? An action-comedy roller-coaster ride brimming with black humor, white-knuckle car chases and double-dealing, Gringo takes the concept of adventure travel to a whole new level.
Kickboxer: Retaliation starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Christopher Lambert, Alain Moussi, and Sara Malakul Lane
The Plot:Kickboxer: Retaliation continues where Kickboxer: Vengeance left off. It has now been 12 months since Kurt Sloan left Thailand vowing never to return. We pickup the story in a crowded sports arena with cheering fans where Kurt is now in a new battle – A title bout for the MMA World Championship title. When Kurt returns back to the locker room he is met by a familiar face along with, what we are led to believe to be two US marshals who charge Kurt with a crime and is extradited back to Thailand in an illegal manner. At some point during the journey, Kurt is sedated and later wakes up in a dingy cell at an infamous prison in Bangkok, Thailand.
Kurt soon meets the masterminds behind his abduction and is told he needs to fight a new formidable foe named Mongkut, who is a beast of a man, standing at 6’8″ and weighing in around 400lbs of solid muscle. This is a spectacle they know will bring in millions. Kurt is offered 2 million dollars to fight or face a life term behind bars, but Kurt is steadfast and just wants to go home…He will not put a price on human life for the pleasure of others. A bounty is placed on Kurt’s head, prompting other prisoners to take shots to help coerce him to fight, however, Kurt can certainly hold his own and is not phased at all by any of this , however, eventually, under duress, he is forced to fight.
Kurt does not fully comprehend the challenge he has ahead of him until he encounters the pure size and strength of the man named Mongkut. Through much pain and pure determination, Kurt is put through some of the most enduring training he has ever experienced to prepare him for the fight for his life.
Mission: Impossible 6 starring Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Henry Cavill, Rebecca Ferguson, Michelle Monaghan, Alec Baldwin, Angela Bassett, Ving Rhames, and Sean Harris
The Plot: Paramount’s keeping the sixth Mission Impossible film’s plot a secret.
Ocean’s 8 starring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Rihanna, Mindy Kaling, Awkwafina, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, and Sarah Paulson
The Plot: Debbie Ocean attempts to pull off the heist of the century at New York City’s star-studded annual Met Gala. Her first stop is to assemble the perfect crew: Lou (Blanchett), Nine Ball (Rihanna), Amita (Kaling), Constance (Awkwafina), Rose (Bonham Carter), Daphne Kluger (Hathaway), and Tammy (Paulson).
Proud Mary starring Taraji P. Henson, Billy Brown, Jahi Di’Allo Winston, and Danny Glover
The Plot: Taraji P. Henson is Mary, a hit woman working for an organized crime family in Boston, whose life is completely turned around when she meets a young boy whose path she crosses when a professional hit goes bad.
Samson starring Jackson Rathbone, Billy Zane, Rutger Hauer, Lindsay Wagner, Caitlin Leahy, and Taylor James
The Plot:Samson, empowered by God with supernatural strength, endangers his destiny with impulsive decisions that lead to betrayal by a wicked prince and a beautiful temptress. When Samson calls on his God once more, he turns imprisonment and blindness into final victory.
Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin in ‘Sicario 2: Soldado’
Sicario 2: Soldado starring Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro, Donovan, Isabela Moner, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, and Catherine Keener.
The Plot: In Sicario 2: Soldado, the drug war on the US-Mexico border has escalated as the cartels have begun trafficking terrorists across the US border. To fight the war, federal agent Matt Graver (Brolin) reteams with the mercurial Alejandro (Del Toro).
The Spy Who Dumped Me starring Sam Heughan, Justin Theroux, Mila Kunis, Kate McKinnon, and Gillian Anderson
The Plot:The Spy Who Dumped Me tells the story of Audrey (Kunis) and Morgan (McKinnon), two best friends who unwittingly become entangled in an international conspiracy when one of the women discovers the boyfriend who dumped her was actually a spy.
Tomb Raider starring Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Walton Goggins, Daniel Wu, and Kristin Scott Thomas
The Plot: Lara Croft is the fiercely independent daughter of an eccentric adventurer who vanished when she was scarcely a teen. Now a young woman of 21 without any real focus or purpose, Lara navigates the chaotic streets of trendy East London as a bike courier, barely making the rent, and takes college courses, rarely making it to class. Determined to forge her own path, she refuses to take the reins of her father’s global empire just as staunchly as she rejects the idea that he’s truly gone. Advised to face the facts and move forward after seven years without him, even Lara can’t understand what drives her to finally solve the puzzle of his mysterious death.
Going explicitly against his final wishes, she leaves everything she knows behind in search of her dad’s last-known destination: a fabled tomb on a mythical island that might be somewhere off the coast of Japan. But her mission will not be an easy one; just reaching the island will be extremely treacherous. Suddenly, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Lara, who—against the odds and armed with only her sharp mind, blind faith and inherently stubborn spirit—must learn to push herself beyond her limits as she journeys into the unknown. If she survives this perilous adventure, it could be the making of her, earning her the name tomb raider.
Showtime is set to debut the new dramatic series The Chi on Sunday, January 7, 2018 at 10 pm ET/PT. The new series comes from Emmy Award-winner Lena Waithe (Master of None) and is executive produced by Waithe, Oscar winner Common (Selma), Elwood Reid (The Bridge), Aaron Kaplan (Santa Clarita Diet, Divorce), Derek Dudley, Shelby Stone, and Rick Famuyiwa (Dope). Reid also serves as the first season’s showrunner and Famuyiwa directed the first episode.
The Chi stars Jason Mitchell (Straight Outta Compton), Jacob Latimore (Sleight), Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine (Queen of Katwe), Alex Hibbert (Moonlight), Yolonda Ross (Treme, The Get Down), Armando Riesco (Bull), and Tiffany Boone (The Following). Sonja Sohn (The Wire), Jahking Guillory (Kicks), and Steven Williams (The Leftovers) are season one recurring guest stars.
The Plot: Produced entirely in its namesake city, The Chi is a timely coming-of-age story centering on a group of residents who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption. Kevin (Hibbert) is the pre-teen who must step past shattered illusions and embrace the normal rites of childhood, while Brandon (Mitchell) the dreamer makes his own nearly impossible leap of faith to succeed in life and love with girlfriend Jerrika (Boone).
Emmett (Latimore) is the carefree teen thrust into complex responsibility with guidance from his mother Jada (Ross), and Ronnie (Mwine) is the drifter whose struggle to love and be loved calls into question his every pursuit.
Yolonda Ross, Tiffany Boone, Jason Mitchell, Armando Riesco, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Alex Hibbert and Jacob Latimore in ‘The Chi’ (Photo: Mathieu Young / Showtime)Jason Mitchell stars in ‘The Chi’ (Photo: Mathieu Young / Showtime)Tiffany Boone as Jerrika (Photo: Mathieu Young / Showtime)Jacob Latimore as Emmett (Photo: Mathieu Young / Showtime)Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine as Ronnie (Photo: Mathieu Young / Showtime)Armando Riesco as Detective Cruz (Photo: Mathieu Young / Showtime)
2017 was a wild ride for action movie fans. The genre produced its fair share of clunkers (Geostorm, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Transformers: The Last Knight), but fortunately it also produced some outstanding films with memorable action sequences.
Our 2017 Top 10 Action Movies list includes four comic book-inspired films, the final film of the Planet of the Apes trilogy, and the latest trip to a galaxy far, far away. A bloody Samurai film that marks Takashi Miike’s 100th movie, a music-driven heist film, the return of John Wick, and Christopher Nolan’s epic World War II tale also made the cut and earned spots on our annual list of the best action films.
2017 Best Action Movies:
Takuya Kimura and Hana Sugisaki in ‘Blade of the Immortal’ (Photo Courtesy of Magnet Releasing)
10.Blade of the Immortal starring Takuya Kimura, Hana Sugisaki, and Sota Fukishi
The Plot: Manji, a highly skilled samurai, becomes cursed with immortality after a legendary battle. Haunted by the brutal murder of his sister, Manji knows that only fighting evil will regain his soul. He promises to help a young girl named Rin avenge her parents, who were killed by a group of master swordsmen led by ruthless warrior Anotsu. The mission will change Manji in ways he could never imagine… the 100th film by master director Takashi Miike.
9.War for the Planet of the Apes starring Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, Amiah Miller, Karin Konoval, and Terry Notary
The Plot: In War for the Planet of the Apes, the third chapter of the critically acclaimed blockbuster franchise, Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.
8.Logan starring Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, and Dafne Keen
The Plot: In the near future, a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X in a hide out on the Mexican border. But Logan’s attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are up-ended when a young mutant arrives, being pursued by dark forces.
7.Spider-Man: Homecoming starring Tom Holland, Robert Downey Jr, Michael Keaton, and Marisa Tomei
The Plot: A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Holland), who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May (Tomei), under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Downey Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine – distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man – but when the Vulture (Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened.
6.Wonder Woman starring Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, David Thewlis, Connie Nielsen, Lucy Davis, and Danny Huston
The Plot: Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, when an American pilot crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world, Diana leaves her home, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers…and her true destiny.
5.Star Wars: The Last Jedi starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern, and Benicio Del Toro
The Plot: In Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the Skywalker saga continues as the heroes of The Force Awakens join the galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past.
4.Thor: Ragnarok starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, and Anthony Hopkins
The Plot: In Marvel Studios’ Thor: Ragnarok, Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok—the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization—at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela. But first he must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger—the Incredible Hulk!
3.John Wick: Chapter 2 starring Keanu Reeves, Common, Riccardo Scamarcio, Laurence Fishburne, Ruby Rose, Bridget Moynahan, Lance Reddick, Franco Nero, John Leguizamo, and Ian McShane
The Plot: In this next chapter following the 2014 hit, legendary hitman John Wick (Reeves) is forced back out of retirement by a former associate plotting to seize control of a shadowy international assassins’ guild. Bound by a blood oath to help him, John travels to Rome where he squares off against some of the world’s deadliest killers.
2.Baby Driver starring Ansel Elgort, Lily James, Jon Bernthal, Eiza Gonzalez, Jon Hamm, and Jamie Foxx
The Plot: A talented, young getaway driver (Elgort) relies on the beat of his personal soundtrack to be the best in the game. When he meets the girl of his dreams (James), Baby sees a chance to ditch his criminal life and make a clean getaway. But after being coerced into working for a crime boss, he must face the music when a doomed heist threatens his life, love and freedom.
1.Dunkirk starring Tom Hardy, Harry Styles, Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, Fionn Whitehead, and Barry Keoghan
The Plot:Dunkirk opens as hundreds of thousands of British and Allied troops are surrounded by enemy forces. Trapped on the beach with their backs to the sea they face an impossible situation as the enemy closes in.
Honorable Mentions:American Made, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Dan Fogler as Jacob and Eddie Redmayne as Newt in Warner Bros. Pictures’ fantasy adventure ‘FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. (Photo by Jaap Buitendijk)
Warner Bros. Pictures just released a new batch of five photos from the 2018 epic adventure, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. The film marks the second of a planned five new stories set in J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World. Directed by David Yates, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald was written by Rowling who also serves as a producer along with David Heyman, Steve Kloves, and Lionel Wigram.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is scheduled to open in theaters in 2D, 3D and IMAX on November 16, 2018.
Warner Bros Pictures’ provided the following cast details: Eddie Redmayne stars again as wizarding world Magizoologist Newt Scamander who has now gained fame in the wizarding world as the author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Katherine Waterston returns as Tina Goldstein, who has been reinstated as an Auror for MACUSA. Jude Law plays a young Albus Dumbledore, taking on the mantle of one of J.K. Rowling’s most beloved characters. Ezra Miller makes a return as the enigmatic Credence whose fate was unknown at the end of the first film. Claudia Kim appears as a Maledictus, the carrier of a blood curse that destines her ultimately to transform into a beast.
Zoe Kravitz plays Leta Lestrange, who had once been close to Newt Scamander but is now engaged to his brother. Callum Turner joins the cast as Newt’s older brother, Theseus Scamander, a celebrated war hero and the Head of the Auror Office at the British Ministry of Magic. Dan Fogler reprises the role of the only No-Maj in the group, Jacob Kowalski. Alison Sudol reprises the part of Tina’s free-spirited sister, Queenie Goldstein, a Legilimens who can read minds. And Johnny Depp returns as the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald.
The Plot: At the end of the first film, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Depp) was captured by MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America), with the help of Newt Scamander (Redmayne). But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escaped custody and has set about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings.
In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore (Law) enlists his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.
Jude Law as young Albus Dumbledore in Warner Bros. Pictures’ fantasy adventure ‘FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. (Photo by Jaap Buitendijk)Jude Law and Eddie Redmayne behind the scenes on Warner Bros. Pictures’ fantasy adventure ‘FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. (Photo by Jaap Buitendijk)Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald and Poppy Corby-Tuech as Vinda Rosier, one of Grindelwald’s most trusted followers, a loyal servant to his cause and often at his side, in Warner Bros. Pictures’ fantasy adventure ‘FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. (Photo by Jaap Buitendijk)Eddie Redmayne as Newt in Warner Bros. Pictures’ fantasy adventure ‘FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. (Photo by Jaap Buitendijk)
Paramount Pictures has unveiled the first photo from the Transformers spinoff, Bumblebee. The first official photo from the action film based on the transforming robots toys shows Bumblebee, a yellow Volkswagen Bug, with the film’s star, Hailee Steinfeld (the Pitch Perfect films, Edge of Seventeen).
The latest excursion into the world of Transformers was directed by Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings, Coraline) from a script by Christina Hodson (Unforgettable, Shut In). The 2018 action drama was produced by Transformers veterans Michael Bay and Lorenzo di Bonaventura. Steven Spielberg, Brian Goldner, Mark Vahradian, and Chris Brigham executive produce.
In addition to the yellow bug and Hailee Steinfeld, the cast includes Pamela Adlon (Better Things, Louie), John Cena (Daddy’s Home 2, Trainwreck), Stephen Schneider (Broad City, You’re the Worst), Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Brigsby Bear), Jason Drucker (Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, Every Witch Way), Kenneth Choi (American Crime Story, The Last Man on Earth), Ricardo Hoyos (Degrassi: Next Class, The Belko Experiment), Abby Quinn (Landline, The Sisterhood of Night), Rachel Crow (Deidra and Laney Rob a Train, The X Factor), and Grace Dzienny (Zoo, Chasing Life).
The fifth film of the Transformers franchise, Transformers: The Last Knight, opened on June 21, 2017. Transformers: The Last Knight, directed by Michael Bay, had a $44 million opening weekend and grossed $605 million before exiting theaters. Paramount’s opting for a winter release for Bumblebee, with the spinoff set to be released in theaters on December 21, 2018.
The Plot: On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld), on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns this is no ordinary, yellow VW bug.
Fox is set to introduce the new half-hour comedy series LA to Vegas on Tuesday, January 2, 2018. The comedy will air on Tuesday nights at 9pm ET/PT following Lethal Weapon season two and immediately prior to The Mick (which is moving to a new time slot). The series features Dylan McDermott (American Horror Story, Hostages) who’s returning to series television as a pilot working for a low-budget airline.
LA to Vegas is executive produced by Will Ferrell (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Elf), Adam McKay (The Big Short), Lon Zimmet (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Owen Burke (Drunk History), Chris Henchy (Eastbound and Down), and Steve Levitan (Modern Family). Zimmet wrote the series and Levitan directed the pilot.
In addition to Dylan McDermott, the season one cast includes Kim Matula (UnREAL), Ed Weeks (The Mindy Project), Nathan Lee Graham (The Comeback), Olivia Macklin (The Young Pope), and Peter Stormare (The Big Lebowski).
The Plot: Meet the shoestring budget airline crew and its eccentric passengers who, every weekend, take the roundtrip flight from Los Angeles to Las Vegas with one goal in mind – to come back a winner. It won’t be easy, but this unlikely group of miscreants and dreamers will eventually go from being strangers on a plane to a supportive, if unconventional, family…well, at least from Friday to Sunday.
2017’s Top 15 list includes a gritty Western, an epic fairy tale, a timely true story, an adorable gigantic pig tale, and one of the few decent romantic comedies to come along in the past decade. A crime thriller starring two members of the Avengers, a high octane music-driven action film, a comic book-inspired female empowerment action drama, a nightmare-inducing killer clown film, and two incredible coming of age stories also made this year’s Best Movies list.
The following list represents my personal favorite films of 2017, although it’s possible that after I’ve published the list I’ll think of one or two additional films that should have made the cut. Since it’s a matter of personal taste, your list will most likely be very different from mine. These 15 movies represent 2017 films that made a lasting impression, sparked conversations/debates, and/or introduced a new talent either in front of or behind the camera. Box office gross, genre, and whether a film comes from a major studio or was an independent production did not play any role in my selection process.
The 15 Best Movies of 2017:
An Seo Hyun stars in Netflix’s ‘Okja’
15.Okja starring An Seo Hyun, Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, Steven Yeun, Devon Bostick, Lily Collins, and Byun Heebong
The Plot:Okja follows Mija, a young girl who must risk everything to prevent a powerful, multi-national company from kidnapping her best friend – a massive animal named ‘Okja’.
14.The Big Sick starring Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, and Ray Romano
The Plot: Based on the real-life courtship courtship between Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, The Big Sick tells the story of Pakistan-born aspiring comedian Kumail (Nanjiani), who connects with grad student Emily (Kazan) after one of his standup sets. However, what they thought would be just a one-night stand blossoms into the real thing, which complicates the life that is expected of Kumail by his traditional Muslim parents. When Emily is beset with a mystery illness, it forces Kumail to navigate the medical crisis with her parents, Beth and Terry (Hunter and Romano) who he’s never met, while dealing with the emotional tug-of- war between his family and his heart.
13.The Post starring Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Matthew Rhys, Bob Odenkirk, Carrie Coon, Michael Stuhlbarg, Tracy Letts, and Jesse Plemons
The Plot: Steven Spielberg directs Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in The Post, a thrilling drama about the unlikely partnership of Katharine Graham (Streep), the first female publisher of The Washington Post, and its driven editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks), as they race to catch up with The New York Times to expose a massive cover-up of government secrets that spanned three decades and four U.S. Presidents. The two must overcome their differences as they risk their careers—and their very freedom—to bring long-buried truths to light.
12.Hostiles starring Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike, Wes Studi, Jesse Plemons, Adam Beach, Ben Foster, Rory Cochrane, and Q’orianka Kilcher
The Plot: Set in 1892, Hostiles tells the story of a legendary Army Captain (Bale) who, after stern resistance, reluctantly agrees to escort a dying Cheyenne war chief (Studi) and his family back home to tribal lands. Making the harrowing and perilous journey from New Mexico to the grasslands of Montana, the former rivals encounter a young widow (Pike) whose family was murdered on the plains. Together, they must join forces to overcome the punishing landscape, hostile Comanche, and vicious outliers they encounter along the way.
11.Wind River starring Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Gil Birmingham, Jon Bernthal, Julia Jones, Kelsey Asbille, and James Jordan
The Plot:Wind River is a chilling thriller that follows a rookie FBI agent (Olsen) who teams up with a local game tracker with deep community ties and a haunted past (Renner) to investigate the murder of a local girl on a remote Native American Reservation in the hopes of solving her mysterious death.
Robert Pattinson and Charlie Hunnam in ‘The Lost City of Z’ (Credit: Aidan Monaghan /Amazon Studios & Bleecker Street)
10.The Lost City of Z starring Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller, and Tom Holland
The Plot: Based on author David Grann’s nonfiction bestseller, The Lost City of Z tells the incredible true story of British explorer Percy Fawcett (Hunnam), who journeys into the Amazon at the dawn of the 20th century and discovers evidence of a previously unknown, advanced civilization that may have once inhabited the region. Despite being ridiculed by the scientific establishment who regard indigenous populations as “savages,” the determined Fawcett – supported by his devoted wife (Miller), son (Holland) and aide de camp (Pattinson) – returns time and again to his beloved jungle in an attempt to prove his case, culminating in his mysterious disappearance in 1925.
9.Baby Driver starring Ansel Elgort, Lily James, Jon Bernthal, Eiza Gonzalez, Jon Hamm, and Jamie Foxx
The Plot: A talented, young getaway driver (Elgort) relies on the beat of his personal soundtrack to be the best in the game. When he meets the girl of his dreams (James), Baby sees a chance to ditch his criminal life and make a clean getaway. But after being coerced into working for a crime boss, he must face the music when a doomed heist threatens his life, love and freedom.
8.Wonder Woman starring Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, David Thewlis, Connie Nielsen, Lucy Davis, and Danny Huston
The Plot: Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, when an American pilot crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world, Diana leaves her home, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers…and her true destiny.
7.Dunkirk starring Tom Hardy, Harry Styles, Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, Fionn Whitehead, and Barry Keoghan
The Plot:Dunkirk opens as hundreds of thousands of British and Allied troops are surrounded by enemy forces. Trapped on the beach with their backs to the sea they face an impossible situation as the enemy closes in.
6.It starring Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer, Nicholas Hamilton, and Jackson Robert Scott
The Plot: When children begin to disappear in the town of Derry, Maine, a group of young kids are faced with their biggest fears when they square off against an evil clown named Pennywise (Skarsgard), whose history of murder and violence dates back for centuries.
5.Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri starring Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Abbie Cornish, Lucas Hedges, Caleb Landry Jones, Clarke Peters, Samantha Weaving, John Hawkes, and Peter Dinklage
The Plot:Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a darkly comic drama from Academy Award winner Martin McDonagh. After months have passed without a culprit in her daughter’s murder case, Mildred Hayes (McDormand) makes a bold move, painting three signs leading into her town with a controversial message directed at William Willoughby (Harrelson), the town’s revered chief of police. When his second-in-command Officer Dixon (Rockwell), an immature mother’s boy with a penchant for violence, gets involved, the battle between Mildred and Ebbing’s law enforcement is only exacerbated.
4.Get Out starring Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, Catherine Keener, Caleb Landry Jones, and LilRel Howery
The Plot: When a young African-American man visits his white girlfriend’s family estate, he becomes ensnared in a more sinister real reason for the invitation. Now that Chris (Kaluuya) and his girlfriend, Rose (Williams), have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend getaway upstate with Missy (Keener) and Dean (Whitford). At first, Chris reads the family’s overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter’s interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he could have never imagined.
Michael Stuhlbarg, Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer star in ‘Call Me by Your Name’ (Photo Credit: Sony Pictures Classics)
3.Call Me by Your Name starring Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Amira Casar
The Plot: In the summer of 1983, in the north of Italy, Elio Perlman (Chalamet), a 17-year-old American spends his days in his family’s 17th century villa lazily transcribing music and flirting with his friend Marzia (Esther Garrel). One day Oliver (Hammer), a 24-year-old graduate student working on his doctorate arrives as the annual summer intern tasked with helping Elio’s father (Stuhlbarg), an eminent professor specializing in Greco-Roman culture. Soon, Elio and Oliver discover a summer that will alter their lives forever.
2.The Shape of Water starring Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Octavia Spencer
The Plot: From master storyteller Guillermo del Toro comes The Shape of Water – an other-worldly fairy tale, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1962. In the hidden high-security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa (Hawkins) is trapped in a life of isolation. Elisa’s life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda (Spencer) discover a secret classified experiment.
Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf in ‘Lady Bird’ (Photo by Merie Wallace, Courtesy of A24)
1.Lady Bird starring Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, and Beanie Feldstein
The Plot: In Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig reveals herself to be a bold new cinematic voice with her directorial debut, excavating both the humor and pathos in the turbulent bond between a mother and her teenage daughter. Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Ronan) fights against but is exactly like her wildly loving, deeply opinionated and strong-willed mom (Metcalf), a nurse working tirelessly to keep her family afloat after Lady Bird’s father (Letts) loses his job.
Set in Sacramento, California in 2002, amidst a rapidly shifting American economic landscape, Lady Bird is an affecting look at the relationships that shape us, the beliefs that define us, and the unmatched beauty of a place called home.
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Honorable Mentions:The Disaster Artist, Mudbound, Darkest Hour, Logan, The Beguiled, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, and The Florida Project
E!’s addictive drama The Royals will return on March 11, 2018, as just confirmed by the network. The fourth season will air on Sundays at 10pm ET/PT, with the new season consisting of 10 one-hour episodes.
The announcement of the season four premiere date was accompanied by a 30 second teaser trailer that doesn’t really give anything away about the upcoming season. In addition, the announcement revealed the show’s digital companion series, The Royal Hangover, will also premiere on March 11th.
Returning The Royals cast members include Elizabeth Hurley as Queen Helena, William Moseley as Prince Liam, Alexandra Park as Princess Eleanor, Jake Maskall as Cyrus, Max Brown as King Robert, Tom Austen as Jasper, and Genevieve Gaunt as Wilhelmina. The series is executive produced by Brian Robbins, Joe Davola, and Shauna Phelan.
The Plot: The 10 episode one-hour season involves unexpected twists and intriguing complexities, revealing the intricacies faced by royals trying to maintain high-profile relationships under scrutiny, and continuing to shine a light on the anarchy in the monarchy.
The fourth season of The Royals picks up after the charming, potentially duplicitous, Prince Robert (Max Brown) is crowned King of England. Prince Liam (William Moseley) and his recently dethroned uncle Cyrus (Jake Maskall) form an unlikely alliance, Queen Helena (Elizabeth Hurley) struggles to control her unruly brood as she figures out her role in the palace. And, after a heated on again-off again relationship, bodyguard Jasper (Tom Austen) tries to capture Princess Eleanor’s (Alexandra Park) heart one more time just as they are about to face their biggest obstacle yet.
A Look Back at Seasons 2 and 3: Season three picked up two weeks after the execution of King Simon’s murderer, Ted Pryce, the former head of the Royal Family’s security. While vigilante justice appeared to be served when an angry mob took matters into their own hands and ended Ted’s life after he robbed them of their beloved King Simon, the royal family still struggled to reestablish themselves as worthy leaders of their people.
Queen Helena was on a mission to prove that Prince Liam and Princess Eleanor are the legitimate heirs to the throne and the children of King Simon. However, Simon’s brother and current ruler of the monarch, King Cyrus, stopped at nothing to ensure the Queen could not prove the twins’ paternity.
Meanwhile, twins Prince Liam and Princess Eleanor were at the height of their fame – so far. In fact, a mysterious #KingLiam hashtag took England by storm, calling for an uprising in support of the hero Prince. But Liam was plagued by Ted’s controversial execution, and turned down a dark path to cope with his anger and resentment. Her brother’s seedy behavior went unnoticed by Princess Eleanor who was torn on what to do with her relationship with Jasper. On one hand, she was undeniably in love with him. On the other hand, before he fell in love with her, his plan was solely to seduce her and steal her fortune. Not exactly “perfect boyfriend” material.
The news of Prince Robert’s mysterious death shattered his family and the nation alike. Then, in the series’ season two finale, it was revealed that the presumed deceased Prince Robert was in fact still alive. Season three answered the questions surrounding Prince Robert’s disappearance and how his return impacted his siblings, mother, and uncle as the rightful heir to the throne.
Tom Austen, Alexandra Park, Elizabeth Hurley, William Moseley and Jake Maskall star in ‘The Royals.’
