Natascha McElhone and Zoe McLellan in ‘Designated Survivor’ season 2 episode 10 (ABC/Ben Mark Holzberg)
“One way or another, this investigation ends today,” says Alex (Natasha McElhone) to White House Counsel Kendra Daynes (Zoe McLellan) as she goes in to face John Forstell (Reed Diamond) and give her testimony in ABC’s mid-season finale of Designated Survivor.
As season two episode 10 begins, Hannah Wells (Maggie Q) goes through Damian Rennett’s (Ben Lawson) things while he sleeps. She finds a flash drive and downloads its content onto her computer. Just as Rennett is waking, she finishes and turns off the computer. She offers to get him some aspirin, but he decides to take her back to bed.
Meanwhile at the White House, President Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland) and his staff are dealing with how to handle a national park wildfire that’s been burning for over 20 days. They agree it’s best if they just let the fire burn itself out, however, Aaron (Adan Canto) reports from the scene of the fire that there are a handful of diehard religious believers, led by Deacon Sheridan, who have barricaded themselves in the cabin. They are refusing to leave unless the Deacon gets to speak with the President.
Aaron talks to the Deacon who tells him he wants a little girl named Grace who’s been hospitalized to be given back to her mother so that God’s will can intervene. Grace needs an operation to save her life, but her mother and the group don’t believe in using blood transfusions, believing it’s not God’s will. Until he hears Grace is back with her mother, Deacon Sheridan’s group will stay put in the cabin – even if it means the fire will consume them.
Kirkman sends Emily (Italia Ricci) to talk to the mother to see if she can reason with her. Emily meets with Grace’s mother, Carrie, but she won’t change her mind since it would mean denying her daughter entrance into heaven if she agreed to the blood transfusion.
Kendra and Lyor Boone (Paulo Costanzo) suggest that Kirkman talk to the Deacon via video to see if they can declare him mentally unstable, allowing them to legally demand his followers evacuate the park. Kirkman tries talking to the Deacon about evacuating, but Sheridan is adamant they won’t leave until Grace is back with her mother and out of the hospital. After listening to the conversation, Kendra determines that although the Deacon may be a fanatic, he does not fall under the category of being mentally unstable. They don’t have legal grounds to remove them by force.
Wells is working with Chuck Russink (Jake Epstein) to uncover what they can about Rennett, and Chuck discovers it was Rennett’s phone number that called their suspect and gave him a head start to escape. Chuck tells Wells that Rennet is suspect and she needs to be careful.
Back at the White House, Aaron gets a heads up from Detective Blakey (Dillon Casey) that Rennett is not what he seems to be. Blakey gives him a video and tells him to watch it so he knows who he’s dealing with.
Kendra meets with Forstell and asks for a postponement of the hearing. Forstell and Kendra go back and forth, and he gives her a counteroffer to take to the First Lady. It’s an obstruction plea with no time served. Kendra takes the offer to Alex who seems happy to take the deal and put all of this behind them. However, Tom is concerned about Alex’s reputation and this plea following her everywhere she goes. “You are innocent and that’s where I stand,” says the President as he leaves the room.
Wells meets with Aaron who shows her the surveillance footage of the warehouse fire she and Rennett investigated. It turns out he was there two hours before she showed up and set the fire. Aaron confronts Wells on having a physical relationship with Rennett, suggesting she’s compromised. “You let him play you,” says Aaron to an upset Wells who refuses to be benched from the investigation. Aaron tells Wells she’ll be on a short leash and that they will set up a sting on Rennett.
Kirkman meets with one of the best open-heart surgeons who lost his license a few years back due to performing a procedure on a patient that wasn’t yet approved by the medical board. Kirkman offers to reinstate him as a doctor if he’ll perform the operation on little Grace. He agrees to try but says he can’t make any promises because of her young age and the high-risk factor of the operation.
Wells meets up with Rennett to exchange gifts (it’s Christmas time) and she gives him a fancy watch. She says she has to get back to work but she’ll see him tonight for dinner. Later, Wells and Chuck track Rennett by the watch Wells gave him because, of course, it’s bugged. The two discover Rennett is at Wells’ apartment going through her laptop.
Alex is preparing for her deposition when Tom comes in to wish her luck. Before he leaves, he tells her that he hates she’s going through all this and when it’s over later tonight he’ll make it up to her. Making her smile for the first time in weeks, Alex tells Tom she’s going to hold him to that.
Kirkman speaks to Carrie about her daughter and convinces her to let her daughter have the life-saving surgery.
Things get complicated again though when the doctor tells Carrie that Grace is going to need a blood transfusion and that Carrie has the same blood type. Carrie wants to save her daughter but believes transferring blood is a sin and against God. Emily reminds Carrie she carried Grace for nine months and gave her everything she needed; this is no different. Carrie’s blood is her daughter’s blood. Emily’s words hit home and Carrie agrees to go ahead with the transfusion.
Alex and Kendra show up to the disposition which was supposed to be private. The press got wind of it and bombard Alex with questions as she enters the building. Kendra tells Forstell they want the proceedings to be unsealed. He agrees.
Little Grace makes it out of surgery and is going to be fine. The President informs the Deacon via video chat and they agree to be evacuated by the firefighters.
Aaron meets again with Wells after receiving new intelligence indicating Rennett has been meeting with a Russian agent. He suspects that the British agent may have been turned.
At the proceedings, Alex reads an opening statement into the record including all the facts of the FBI investigation into she and her mother, as well as Forstell opening a committee to research his run for a Senate seat. Furious and surprised, Forstell screams for the recorder to be turned off.
Wells meets with Rennett on a bridge and after a kiss tells him she knows about everything. She reveals she knows he set the fire and he accessed her laptop. Rennett tries to tell Wells he can explain, but he needs to get something out of his pocket to show her. “You reach for it and you’re dead,” says Wells, pointing her gun at him. Rennett reaches for it and Wells shoots him. Rennett falls into the river and disappears.
Kirkman goes to the hospital to see baby Grace. He misses his wife’s call and she leaves a message telling him they beat the case and it’s finally over. She says she loves him.
Wells is sitting at a bar getting quietly drunk while down the river up pops Rennett. He drags himself out and unzips his jacket to reveal he’s wearing a bullet-proof vest.
The First Lady’s motorcade is driving Alex back to the White House when a truck slams into her side of the car. A Secret Service agent checks on Alex and is shocked and upset with what he sees.
Kirkman is starting to leave the hospital when he receives a call and stops to take it. After a few seconds, he drops the phone and falls to his knees, devastated.
Designated Survivor Season 2 Episode 10 Review
Dramatic and shocking, episode 10 titled “Line of Fire” reveals the terrible and tragic end of First Lady Alex Kirkman as actress Natascha McElhone exits the show permanently. It’s just a waste to have a smart and tough character like the First Lady be taken out by a senseless accident. If her death was tied to the leftover conspirators of the Capitol bombing from the first season or a brand new threat facing the nation, it could have been the catalyst to bring the show back to its suspenseful origins.
The entire storyline of religious fanatics, the wildfire, and trying to save an innocent baby felt contrived and not very believable. The second storyline of the reveal that Rennett might actually be an enemy is another substandard plot compared to the original and intriguing storylines of the show’s first season.
With the First Lady gone and President Kirkman now a widower, here’s hoping the series doesn’t become a melodramatic soap opera with a grieving President trying to run a country and his staff playing matchmaker for their boss.
The complaints about Star Wars: The Force Awakens must have been heard and taken to heart as its sequel, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, is a substantially better film. Star Wars: The Force Awakens felt more like a rehash of key events from Star Wars: A New Hope than it did an original entry in the blockbuster sci-fi film franchise. Star Wars: The Last Jedi pays homage to the previous films while weaving a completely new tale that won’t be confused with prior Star Wars movies.
The events in The Last Jedi take place just minutes after the end of The Force Awakens. Rey hopes to impress on Luke Skywalker how much he’s needed in the Rebellion while learning all she can about The Force and Jedi. Elsewhere, General Leia Organa continues to take on the First Order and General Hux, while Kylo Ren does Supreme Leader Snoke’s bidding. Poe acts against orders and is stripped of his command, only to continue to disobey for what he believes is the good of the Rebellion. Finn teams up with Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) for a secret mission, aided by a criminal named DJ (Benicio Del Toro) with specific skills. And while all of that matters, what’s really important is how our heroes band together to take on the First Order in epic action scenes that are some of the best of the franchise.
Working in Star Wars: The Last Jedi’s favor is a new sense of confidence on screen from the main players: Daisy Ridley as Rey, John Boyega as Finn, and Adam Driver as Kylo Ren. Introductions are over and with Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the personalities of these three pivotal characters are more fully fleshed out. The character arcs are more fulfilling in this sequel, particularly Ridley’s Rey. We cheered her on in The Force Awakens, but with The Last Jedi she cements herself as a force to be reckoned with and a heroine to look up to. She’s flawed and fallible, but loyal to a fault and steadfast in her beliefs. Plus, she’s a fierce fighter.
Kylo Ren is surprisingly sympathetic, to a point, and Adam Driver seems to have a real grasp on the character’s struggles. John Boyega’s Finn has earned hero status among the Rebellion, but he’s willing to risk everything to ensure the safety of Rey. Daisy Ridley’s Rey and John Boyega’s Finn have separate missions for much of the film, but when they do share screen time they recapture that special chemistry between the unlikely allies and now close friends.
Oscar Isaac is terrific at playing cocky, and Poe Cameron is even more so in The Last Jedi than he was in The Force Awakens. Isaac seems to really relish this role and his enjoyment in being a part of the Star Wars world is evident on screen. General Leia Organa admires his passion and flying skills but is forced to demote him because of his difficulty following orders. Poe’s commitment to the Resistance is unwavering, but his leadership skills leave much to be desired.
The film’s also a fitting tribute to one of the most recognizable fictional characters of the past 40 years in movies. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is dedicated to the beloved Carrie Fisher whose impact and influence as Princess Leia was felt by innumerable young girls who embraced the strong female role model. Fisher’s General Leia is central to The Last Jedi and some scenes have a preternatural vibe, as though her sudden passing was somehow acknowledged before it occurred. (I realize that makes little sense, but when you watch the film there are two key scenes that raise goosebumps.)
As a diehard fan of the original trilogy, it was fantastic to see Mark Hamill once again actively involved in a Star Wars film. We’ve watched Hamill’s Luke Skywalker grow from a 19-year-old thrust into the role of a leader of the Rebellion to a Master Jedi who’s cut himself off from outside contact by isolating himself on a remote island. Star Wars: The Last Jedi reveals how he’s been passing the years spent away from his friends in the Resistance and advances Luke’s hero’s journey.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi also features great performances from supporting actors Domnhall Gleeson, who’s given much more to do this time around, Star Wars newcomer Laura Dern, and from Billie Lourd as Lieutenant Connix. Lourd, sporting her mom’s Princess Leia twin buns hairstyle, is elevated from barely seen and soon forgotten in The Force Awakens to a decent-sized role in this sequel.
Writer/director Rian Johnson was clearly the right choice to take charge of The Last Jedi. Johnson keeps the film flying along, mixing in the right measure of humor, heartbreak, and intense action sequences. Johnson also came up with the perfect amount of screen time for two of the film’s most talked about new creatures: the porgs and the crystal foxes.
The porgs are just insanely cute and their expressions are incredibly adorable. Even Chewbacca’s won over by the delightful seabird critters who were inspired by real-life puffins. (Did you know a baby porg is a porglet?) The crystal foxes are officially known as vulptices (the singular is vulptex) and show up toward the end of The Last Jedi. Although they have very limited screen time, their contribution to the story is huge. The porgs are a great merchandising gimmick and add some comic relief (you laugh just looking at them), but the crystal foxes are much more integral to the actual plot.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi delivers the Star Wars film we wanted with The Force Awakens but didn’t get. There are twists you won’t see coming and just when you think you’ve figured everything out, Rian Johnson pulls a rabbit out of his hat. This new trip to a galaxy far, far away is entertaining, fast-paced, and leaves us feeling hopeful about the state of the Star Wars franchise.
GRADE: B+
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence
Ben Sinclair in ‘High Maintenance’ season 2 episode 1 (Photo by David Giesbrecht / HBO)
Season two of the HBO comedy series High Maintenance will premiere on Friday, January 19, 2018 at 11pm ET/PT. The half-hour comedy was created by Katja Blichfeld (30 Rock) and Ben Sinclair (Home Again, Sisters), and stars Ben Sinclair as a pot-dealing deliveryman. In support of the upcoming new season, the network’s released details on January and February episodes as well the second season’s guest stars.
Danielle Brooks (Orange Is the New Black), John Gallagher, Jr. (The Newsroom), Jessica Hecht (The Forgotten), Luzer Twersky (Félix & Meira) and Kate Lyn Sheil (Girlfriend) will make their High Maintenance debuts in season two. Season one’s Abdullah Saeed (Bong Appétit) and Yael Stone (Orange Is the New Black) return as guest stars.
Season one of the half-hour comedy consisted of six episodes, and season two has an expanded order of 10 episodes. Blichfeld and Sinclair executive produce the critically acclaimed comedy along with Russell Gregory. Willy Friedman, Gwen Bialic and Emi Irikawa serve as producers.
The Season 2 Plot: A comedy of human interaction, the new season of High Maintenance delves deeper into the contemporary anxieties New Yorkers are experiencing, from political tension to soaring real estate prices, while emphasizing the importance of savoring the highs of life in this increasingly volatile world. Pulling back the curtain on The Guy’s personal life, the second season reveals a few more people and details of what happens when he’s not on the clock.
Introducing new customers and revisiting familiar ones, the second season of High Maintenance weaves together a labyrinth of humor, poignant observations and heartfelt moments in stories that explore the lives of intriguing and colorful individuals from all walks of life.
High Maintenance Season 2 Episodes:
Episode #7: “Globo” (season 2, episode 1)
Debut: FRIDAY, JAN. 19 (11:00-11:30 p.m. ET/PT)
The Guy (Ben Sinclair) has a busier-than-usual day as New Yorkers react to world-changing news. The morning after a hookup, carefree hotel guests spend an indulgent day, unaware of what’s going on outside their door. With the world around him in disarray, a client’s roommate (Joshua Schubart) struggles to maintain his commitment to losing weight.
Written and directed by Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair.
Episode #8: “Fagin” (season 2, episode 2)
Debut: FRIDAY, JAN. 26 (11:00-11:30 p.m.)
A couple (Marcia DeBonis, Ray Anthony Thomas) visiting their daughter (Amanda Debraux) in Bushwick embraces the urban surroundings while dealing with a less-than-ideal rental that comes with an unwelcome roommate. The Guy (Ben Sinclair) delivers to Brenna (Brenna Palughi) and Molly’s (Molly Knefel) all-female, politically-minded meetup, where things get dramatic fast.
Written by Rebecca Drysdale & Isaac Oliver and Katja Blichfeld & Ben Sinclair; directed by Katja Blichfeld & Ben Sinclair.
Episode #9: “Namaste” (season 2, episode 3)
Debut: FRIDAY, FEB. 2 (11:00-11:30 p.m.)
An industrious Brooklyn realtor (Danielle Brooks) endeavors to hustle her way to a new home. After winning an affordable-housing lottery, Candace (Candace Thompson) and John (John E. Peery) face culture shock and notice a class divide when they move into their new apartment. The Guy (Ben Sinclair) considers his living situation.
Written by Hannah Bos, Paul Thureen and Shaka King; directed by Shaka King.
Episode #10: “Derech” (season 2, episode 4)
Debut: FRIDAY, FEB. 9 (11:00-11:30 p.m.)
An ex-Hasidic man (Luzer Twersky) explores the world outside his sect as he connects with a writer who may have ulterior motives. A nightclub performer’s (Darrell Thorne) night out takes an unexpected turn. The Guy (Ben Sinclair) bonds with a driver (Abdullah Saeed) when he finds himself in need of a lift.
Written by Ben Sinclair; directed by Shaka King.
Episode #11: “Scromple” (season 2, episode 5)
Debut: FRIDAY, FEB. 16 (11:00-11:30 p.m.)
The Guy (Ben Sinclair) tries to de-stress when he ends up in an uncomfortable situation. A freelance brand strategist (Kate Lyn Sheil) struggling with her latest assignment embarks on a desperate search for a weed fix.
Written by Katja Blichfeld and Rebecca Drysdale; directed by Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair.
Fox’s A Christmas Story Live! musical event will kick off with a performance by singer/songwriter Bebe Rexha. Benja Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land, Dear Evan Hansen) wrote the original song “Count on Christmas” for the musical, and Rexha will perform it at the beginning of the live broadcast. “Count on Christmas” is the first original Christmas song Rexha’s ever performed and in a short video announcing her attachment to A Christmas Story Live!, she described the rehearsals.
“We were on set the other day and there’s going to be like 75 dancers behind me. And, I’m singing it live in front of the whole country,” said Rexha. “So, it’s going to be a little bit different than recording it in the studio. I can’t wait for the world to hear it because I’ve been singing it non-stop.”
Rexha is excited to be a part of the live musical event and loves the original film. “I was such a big fan of A Christmas Story, especially growing up we watched it during Christmas time. And, when Fox asked me to be a part of this live musical, it was kind of a dream come true.”
Bebe Rexha joins a cast that includes Maya Rudolph (Saturday Night Live, Bridesmaids), Matthew Broderick (Manchester by the Sea), Jane Krakowski (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Chris Diamantopoulos (Silicon Valley, Episodes), Ana Gasteyer (Saturday Night Live), David Alan Grier (The Carmichael Show), Ken Jeong (Dr. Ken), and Andy Walken. PRETTYMUCH is on board to perform as the Hohman Indiana carolers.
The three-hour A Christmas Story Live! musical will air on Sunday, December 17, 2017 at 7pm ET (tape-delayed on the West Coast). Scott Ellis (She Loves Me, Weeds) is the director overseeing the stage direction. Alex Rudzinski (Grease: Live) is the live television director. Ellis, Rudzinski, Marc Platt, and Adam Siegel are executive producing. Jonathan Tolins and Robert Cary are on board as writers and co-executive producers.
More on Bebe Rexha, Courtesy of Fox: “Singer/songwriter Bebe Rexha has accumulated more than 10 million overall single sales, 3.25 billion total global streams and a radio audience of more than 10 billion. Her most recent single, “Meant To Be” with Florida Georgia Line, is currently topping the charts at No. 1 on Billboard Hot Country and has amassed over 130M global streams to date. Rexha hit No. 1 both on the Billboard Pop and Rap charts with her Platinum-selling smash single, “Me, Myself & I” with G-Eazy. Her single, “No Broken Hearts,” featuring Nicki Minaj, has more than 217 million YouTube/VEVO views to date; she is featured on Martin Garrix’s single, “In The Name of Love,” which already has more than 231 million YouTube/VEVO views; and “I Got You” has garnered more than 199 million YouTube/VEVO views.
Rexha burst onto the scene in 2013 when she penned the song “Monster,” which became a worldwide hit for Eminem and Rihanna, and went RIAA quadruple-Platinum stateside. She wrote and was featured on Cash Cash’s “Take Me Home” and Pitbull’s “This Is Not A Drill,” in addition to writing Tinashe’s “All Hands On Deck” and Selena Gomez’s “Champion.” Her 2015 debut EP, I Don’t Wanna Grow Up (Warner Bros. Records), boasts the singles “I Can’t Stop Drinking About You” and “I’m Gonna Show You Crazy,” which racked up more than 52 million Spotify streams in only six months. That same year, she co-wrote and carried instantly recognizable hooks for the double-Platinum “Hey Mama,” by David Guetta, Nicki Minaj and Afrojack, which was nominated for a Billboard Music Award for Top Dance/Electronic Song, as well as the Billboard Hot 100 smash “Me, Myself, & I” with G-Eazy. Rexha released her debut EP, All Your Fault: Part 1, and the follow-up, All Your Fault: Part 2, this year to rave reviews. In addition, she also is featured on Louis Tomlinson’s track, “Back to You,” off of his upcoming solo album.”
Bebe Rexha joins the cast of ‘A Christmas Story Live!’ (Photo by Jordin Althaus / FOX)
The official trailer for Paramount Pictures’ Annihilation is definitely going to give a boost to sales of Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach Trilogy. The film was adapted from VanderMeer’s bestselling, award-winning first book of the trilogy for the screen by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, 28 Days Later) who also directed the sci-fi action thriller.
Natalie Portman leads the cast that includes Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny and Oscar Isaac. Scott Rudin, Andrew MacDonald, Allon Reich, and Eli Bush served as producers.
Annihilation will open in theaters on February 23, 2018.
The Film’s Plot: A biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition where the laws of nature don’t apply.
A More Detailed Description of Jeff VanderMeer’s Book: “Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; all the members of the second expedition committed suicide; the third expedition died in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another; the members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within months of their return, all had died of aggressive cancer.
This is the twelfth expedition.
Their group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain and collect specimens; to record all their observations, scientific and otherwise, of their surroundings and of one another; and, above all, to avoid being contaminated by Area X itself.
They arrive expecting the unexpected, and Area X delivers—they discover a massive topographic anomaly and life forms that surpass understanding—but it’s the surprises that came across the border with them, and the secrets the expedition members are keeping from one another, that change everything.” (Per FSG Originals)
Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny, Natalie Portman and Jennifer Jason Leigh in ‘Annihilation’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame just announced the musical artists who will be inducted in 2018. Bon Jovi, The Cars, Dire Straits, The Moody Blues, and Nina Simone have been voted in and will enter the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the performer category. In addition, Sister Rosetta Tharpe will receive the Award for Early Influence.
The 33rd Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Saturday, April 14, 2018. The ceremony will be held at the Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio and for music fans unable to attend, HBO will air the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2018 Induction Ceremony on a yet-to-be-announced date.
Information on ticket sales for the general public will be released in January. Pre-sale tickets will be available to members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame prior to the general public sale. In order to qualify for pre-sale tickets, you must be a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame before December 31, 2017.
Details on Rock & Rock Hall of Fame 2018 Inductees: “To be eligible for Induction, an individual artist or band must have released its first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to the year of induction. The 2018 Nominees had to release their first official recording no later than 1992.
Four of the Inductees were on the ballot for the first time, including Dire Straits, The Moody Blues, Nina Simone and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Additionally, the top five artists, as selected by the public, comprised a “fans’ ballot” that was tallied along with the other ballots to determine the 2018 Inductees. Four of the top five artists (Bon Jovi, The Moody Blues, Dire Straits and The Cars) from the fan ballot will be inducted as performers in 2018.
Ballots were sent to an international voting body of more than 1,000 artists, including current living Inductees, historians and members of the music industry. Factors such as an artist’s musical influence on other artists, length and depth of career and the body of work, innovation and superiority in style and technique are taken into consideration.”
The Cars are inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Photo by Jeff Albertson)
Warner Bros Pictures just released the official trailer for the dramatic thriller, The 15:17 to Paris. The 2018 release is based on true events and features the real-life heroes who saved innocent passengers aboard a train bound for Paris in 2015. Anthony Sadler, Oregon National Guardsman Alek Skarlatos, and U.S. Air Force Airman First Class Spencer Stone play themselves in the film from director Clint Eastwood.
The cast also includes Jenna Fischer (Hall Pass, The Office), Judy Greer (War for the Planet of the Apes), Ray Corasani (The Long Road Home), PJ Byrne (The Wolf of Wall Street), Tony Hale (Veep), and Thomas Lennon (Transformers: Age of Extinction). Younger versions of the Paris train heroes are played by Paul-Mikél Williams as Anthony, Bryce Gheisar as Alek, and William Jennings as Spencer.
Dorothy Blyskal wrote the script based on Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos, Spencer Stone and Jeffrey E. Stern’s book. Bruce Berman executive produces, and Eastwood, Tim Moore, Kristina Rivera and Jessica Meier produce. Clint Eastwood reunited with cinematographer Tom Stern and costume designer Deborah Hopper for the inspirational drama. Eastwood worked on 13 previous movies with Stern and on 17 previous films with Hopper. Sully‘s editor Blu Murray edited The 15:17 to Paris and Christian Jacob serves as the composer.
The 15:17 to Paris is set to open in theaters on February 9, 2018.
The Plot: In the early evening of August 21, 2015, the world watched in stunned silence as the media reported a thwarted terrorist attack on Thalys train #9364 bound for Paris—an attempt prevented by three courageous young Americans traveling through Europe. The film follows the course of the friends’ lives, from the struggles of childhood through finding their footing in life, to the series of unlikely events leading up to the attack. Throughout the harrowing ordeal, their friendship never wavers, making it their greatest weapon and allowing them to save the lives of the more than 500 passengers on board.
Winners will be announced on Sunday, January 21, 2018. The SAG Awards will be broadcast live beginning at 8pm ET/5pm PT on TNT and TBS. Kristen Bell has been tapped to be the SAG Awards show’s first-ever host.
Details on the SAG Awards Voting, Courtesy of the Screen Actors Guild: “Two nominating panels — one for television and one for film — each composed of 2,500 randomly selected union members from across the United States, chose this year’s nominees. Final voting information will be sent to the 121,544 SAG-AFTRA members in good standing across the country, who may vote on all categories. In keeping with the SAG Awards’ commitment to sustainable practices, online voting is encouraged and paper ballots are available only upon request received by Friday, Jan. 8, 2018. All votes must be received at Integrity Voting Systems by noon on Friday, Jan. 19. Results will be tallied and sealed until the envelopes are opened by the presenters live onstage at the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony on Jan. 21, 2018.”
Screen Actors Guild 2018 Nominees:
The Theatrical Motion Picture Nominees are:
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
JUDI DENCH / Queen Victoria – “VICTORIA & ABDUL” (Focus Features)
SALLY HAWKINS / Elisa Esposito – “THE SHAPE OF WATER” (Fox Searchlight)
FRANCES McDORMAND / Mildred – “THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI” (Fox Searchlight)
MARGOT ROBBIE / Tonya Harding – “I, TONYA” (Neon)
SAOIRSE RONAN / Lady Bird McPherson – “LADY BIRD” (A24)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET / Elio – “CALL ME BY YOUR NAME” (Sony Pictures Classics)
JAMES FRANCO / Tommy Wiseau – “THE DISASTER ARTIST” (A24)
DANIEL KALUUYA / Chris Washington – “GET OUT” (Universal Pictures)
GARY OLDMAN / Winston Churchill – “DARKEST HOUR” (Focus Features)
DENZEL WASHINGTON / Roman J. Israel, Esq. – “ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ.” (Columbia Pictures)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
MARY J. BLIGE / Florence Jackson – “MUDBOUND” (Netflix)
HONG CHAU / Ngoc Lan Tran – “DOWNSIZING” (Paramount Pictures)
HOLLY HUNTER / Beth – “THE BIG SICK” (Amazon Studios)
ALLISON JANNEY / LaVona Golden – “I, TONYA” (Neon)
LAURIE METCALF / Marion McPherson – “LADY BIRD” (A24)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
STEVE CARELL / Bobby Riggs – “BATTLE OF THE SEXES” (Fox Searchlight)
WILLEM DAFOE / Bobby – “THE FLORIDA PROJECT” (A24)
WOODY HARRELSON / Willoughby – “THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI” (Fox Searchlight)
RICHARD JENKINS / Giles – “THE SHAPE OF WATER” (Fox Searchlight)|
SAM ROCKWELL / Dixon – “THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI” (Fox Searchlight)
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
THE BIG SICK (Amazon Studios)
ADEEL AKHTAR / Naveed
HOLLY HUNTER / Beth
ZOE KAZAN / Emily
ANUPAM KHER / Azmat
KUMAIL NANJIANI / Kumail
RAY ROMANO / Terry
ZENOBIA SHROFF / Sharmeen
GET OUT (Universal Pictures)
CALEB LANDRY JONES / Jeremy Armitage
DANIEL KALUUYA / Chris Washington
CATHERINE KEENER / Missy Armitage
STEPHEN ROOT / Jim Hudson
LAKEITH STANFIELD / Andrew/Logan King
BRADLEY WHITFORD / Dean Armitage
ALLISON WILLIAMS / Rose Armitage
LADY BIRD (A24)
TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET / Kyle Scheible
BEANIE FELDSTEIN / Julie Steffans
LUCAS HEDGES / Danny O’Neill
TRACY LETTS / Larry McPherson
STEPHEN McKINLEY HENDERSON / Father Leviatch
LAURIE METCALF / Marion McPherson
JORDAN RODRIGUES / Miguel McPherson
SAOIRSE RONAN / Lady Bird McPherson
ODEYA RUSH / Jenna Walton
MARIELLE SCOTT / Shelly Yuhan
LOIS SMITH / Sister Sarah Joan
MUDBOUND (Netflix)
JONATHAN BANKS / Pappy McAllan
MARY J. BLIGE / Florence Jackson
JASON CLARKE / Henry McAllan
GARRETT HEDLUND / Jamie McAllan
JASON MITCHELL / Ronsel Jackson
ROB MORGAN / Hap Jackson
CAREY MULLIGAN / Laura McAllan
THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI (Fox Searchlight)
ABBIE CORNISH / Anne
PETER DINKLAGE / James
WOODY HARRELSON / Willoughby
JOHN HAWKES / Charlie
LUCAS HEDGES / Robbie
ŽELJKO IVANEK / Desk Sgt.
CALEB LANDRY JONES / Red Welby
FRANCES McDORMAND / Mildred
CLARKE PETERS / Abercrombie
SAM ROCKWELL / Dixon
SAMARA WEAVING / Penelope
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
“BABY DRIVER” (TriStar Pictures and MRC)
“DUNKIRK” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
“LOGAN” (20th Century Fox)
“WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES” (20th Century Fox)
“WONDER WOMAN” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
The Television Nominees are:
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
LAURA DERN / Renata Klein – “BIG LITTLE LIES” (HBO)
NICOLE KIDMAN / Celeste Wright – “BIG LITTLE LIES” (HBO)
JESSICA LANGE / Joan Crawford – “FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN” (FX Networks)
SUSAN SARANDON / Bette Davis – “FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN” (FX Networks)
REESE WITHERSPOON / Madeline MacKenzie – “BIG LITTLE LIES” (HBO)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH / Sherlock Holmes – “SHERLOCK: THE LYING DETECTIVE” (WGBH/Masterpiece)
JEFF DANIELS / Frank Griffin – “GODLESS” (Netflix)
ROBERT DE NIRO / Bernie Madoff – “THE WIZARD OF LIES” (HBO)
GEOFFREY RUSH / Albert Einstein – “GENIUS” (National Geographic)
ALEXANDER SKARSGÅRD / Perry Wright – “BIG LITTLE LIES” (HBO)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
MILLIE BOBBY BROWN / Eleven – “STRANGER THINGS” (Netflix)
CLAIRE FOY / Queen Elizabeth II – “THE CROWN” (Netflix)
LAURA LINNEY / Wendy Byrde – “OZARK” (Netflix)
ELISABETH MOSS / Offred/June – “THE HANDMAID’S TALE” (Hulu)
ROBIN WRIGHT / Claire Underwood – “HOUSE OF CARDS” (Netflix)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
JASON BATEMAN / Martin “Marty” Byrde – “OZARK” (Netflix)
STERLING K. BROWN / Randall Pearson – “THIS IS US” (NBC)
PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister – “GAME OF THRONES” (HBO)
DAVID HARBOUR / Jim Hopper – “STRANGER THINGS” (Netflix)
BOB ODENKIRK / Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman – “BETTER CALL SAUL” (AMC)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
UZO ADUBA / Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren – “ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK” (Netflix)
ALISON BRIE / Ruth Wilder – “GLOW” (Netflix)
JANE FONDA / Grace Hanson – “GRACE AND FRANKIE” (Netflix)
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / Selina Meyer – “VEEP” (HBO)
LILY TOMLIN / Frankie Bergstein – “GRACE AND FRANKIE” (Netflix)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ANTHONY ANDERSON / Andre “Dre” Johnson – “BLACK-ISH” (ABC)
AZIZ ANSARI / Dev – “MASTER OF NONE” (Netflix)
LARRY DAVID / Himself – “CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM” (HBO)
SEAN HAYES / Jack McFarland – “WILL & GRACE” (NBC)
WILLIAM H. MACY / Frank Gallagher – “SHAMELESS” (Showtime)
MARC MARON / Sam Sylvia – “GLOW” (Netflix)
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
THE CROWN (Netflix)
CLAIRE FOY / Queen Elizabeth II
VICTORIA HAMILTON / Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
VANESSA KIRBY / Princess Margaret
ANTON LESSER / Prime Minister Harold Macmillan
MATT SMITH / Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
ALFIE ALLEN / Theon Greyjoy
JACOB ANDERSON / Grey Worm
PILOU ASBÆK / Euron Greyjoy
HAFÞÓR JÚLÍUS BJÖRNSSON / The Mountain
JOHN BRADLEY / Samwell Tarly
JIM BROADBENT / Archmaester Ebrose
GWENDOLINE CHRISTIE / Brienne
EMILIA CLARKE / Daenerys Targaryen
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU / Jaime Lannister
LIAM CUNNINGHAM / Davos Seaworth
PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister
RICHARD DORMER / Beric Dondarrion
NATHALIE EMMANUEL / Missandei
JAMES FAULKNER / Randyll Tarly
JEROME FLYNN / Bronn
AIDAN GILLEN / Petyr Baelish
IAIN GLEN / Jorah Mormont
KIT HARINGTON / Jon Snow
LENA HEADEY / Cersei Lannister
ISAAC HEMPSTEAD WRIGHT / Bran Stark
CONLETH HILL / Varys
KRISTOFER HIVJU / Tormund Giantsbane
TOM HOPPER / Dickon Tarly
ANTON LESSER / Qyburn
RORY McCANN / The Hound
STAZ NAIR / Qhono
RICHARD RYCROFT / Maester Wolkan
SOPHIE TURNER / Sansa Stark
RUPERT VANSITTART / Yohn Royce
MAISIE WILLIAMS / Arya Stark
THE HANDMAID’S TALE (Hulu)
MADELINE BREWER / Janine/Ofwarren/Ofdaniel
AMANDA BRUGEL / Rita
ANN DOWD / Aunt Lydia
O-T FAGBENLE / Luke
JOSEPH FIENNES / Commander Waterford
TATTIAWNA JONES / Ofglen #2
MAX MINGHELLA / Nick Blaine
ELISABETH MOSS / Offred/June
YVONNE STRAHOVSKI / Serena Joy
SAMIRA WILEY / Moira
STRANGER THINGS (Netflix)
SEAN ASTIN / Bob Newby
MILLIE BOBBY BROWN / Eleven
CARA BUONO / Karen Wheeler
JOE CHREST / Ted Wheeler
CATHERINE CURTIN / Claudia Henderson (Dustin’s Mom)
NATALIA DYER / Nancy Wheeler
DAVID HARBOUR / Jim Hopper
CHARLIE HEATON / Jonathan Byers
JOE KEERY / Steve Harrington
GATEN MATARAZZO / Dustin Henderson
CALEB McLAUGHLIN / Lucas Sinclair
DACRE MONTGOMERY / Billy
PAUL REISER / Dr. Owens
WINONA RYDER / Joyce Byers
NOAH SCHNAPP / Will Byers
SADIE SINK / Max
FINN WOLFHARD / Mike Wheeler
THIS IS US (NBC)
ERIS BAKER / Tess Pearson
ALEXANDRA BRECKENRIDGE / Sophie
STERLING K. BROWN / Randall Pearson
LONNIE CHAVIS / Young Randall
JUSTIN HARTLEY / Kevin Pearson
FAITHE HERMAN / Annie Pearson
RON CEPHAS JONES / William Hill
CHRISSY METZ / Kate Pearson
MANDY MOORE / Rebecca Pearson
CHRIS SULLIVAN / Toby Damon
MILO VENTIMIGLIA / Jack Pearson
SUSAN KELECHI WATSON / Beth Pearson
HANNAH ZEILE / Teenage Kate
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
BLACK-ISH (ABC)
ANTHONY ANDERSON / Andre “Dre” Johnson
MILES BROWN / Jack Johnson
DEON COLE / Charlie Telphy
LAURENCE FISHBURNE / Pops
JENIFER LEWIS / Ruby
PETER MACKENZIE / Mr. Stevens
MARSAI MARTIN / Diane Johnson
JEFF MEACHAM / Josh
TRACEE ELLIS ROSS / Dr. Rainbow Johnson
MARCUS SCRIBNER / Andre Johnson, Jr.
YARA SHAHIDI / Zoey Johnson
CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM (HBO)
TED DANSON / Himself
LARRY DAVID / Himself
SUSIE ESSMAN / Susie Greene
JEFF GARLIN / Jeff Greene
CHERYL HINES / Cheryl David
JB SMOOVE / Leon Black
GLOW (Netflix)
BRITT BARON / Justine Biagi
ALISON BRIE / Ruth Wilder
KIMMY GATEWOOD / Stacey Beswick
BETTY GILPIN / Debbie Eagan
REBEKKA JOHNSON / Dawn Rivecca
CHRIS LOWELL / Bash
SUNITA MANI / Arthie Premkumar
MARC MARON / Sam Sylvia
KATE NASH / Rhonda Richardson
SYDELLE NOEL / Cherry Bang
MARIANNA PALKA / Reggie Walsh
GAYLE RANKIN / Sheila the She-Wolf
BASHIR SALAHUDDIN / Keith
RICH SOMMER / Mark
KIA STEVENS / Tammé Dawson
JACKIE TOHN / Melanie Rosen
ELLEN WONG / Jenny Chey
BRITNEY YOUNG / Carmen Wade
ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (Netflix)
UZO ADUBA / Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren
EMILY ALTHAUS / Maureen Kukudio
DANIELLE BROOKS / Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson
ROSAL COLÓN / Ouija
JACKIE CRUZ / Marisol “Flaca” Gonzales
FRANCESCA CURRAN / Helen Van Maele
DANIELLA DE JESÚS / Zirconia
LEA DeLARIA / Big Boo
NICK DILLENBURG / CO Blake
ASIA KATE DILLON / Brandy Epps
BETH DOVER / Linda Ferguson
KIMIKO GLENN / Brook Soso
ANNIE GOLDEN / Norma Romano
LAURA GÓMEZ / Blanca Flores
DIANE GUERRERO / Maritza Ramos
EVAN ARTHUR HALL / CO Stratman
MICHAEL J. HARNEY / Sam Healy
BRAD WILLIAM HENKE / Desi Piscatella
MIKE HOUSTON / CO Lee Dixon
VICKY JEUDY / Janae Watson
KELLY KARBACZ / Kasey Sankey
JULIE LAKE / Angie Rice
SELENIS LEYVA / Gloria Mendoza
NATASHA LYONNE / Nicky Nichols
TARYN MANNING / Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett
ADRIENNE C. MOORE / Cindy Hayes
MIRIAM MORALES / Pidge
KATE MULGREW / Galina “Red” Reznikov
EMMA MYLES / Leanne Taylor
JOHN PALLADINO / Josh
MATT PETERS / Joel Luschek
JESSICA PIMENTEL / Maria Ruiz
DASCHA POLANCO / Dayanara Diaz
LAURA PREPON / Alex Vause
JOLENE PURDY / Stephanie Hapakuka
ELIZABETH RODRIGUEZ / Aleida Diaz
NICK SANDOW / Joe Caputo
ABIGAIL SAVAGE / Gina Murphy
TAYLOR SCHILLING / Piper Chapman
CONSTANCE SHULMAN / Yoga Jones
DALE SOULES / Frieda Berlin
YAEL STONE / Lorna Morello
EMILY TARVER / CO Artesian McCullough
MICHAEL TORPEY / CO Thomas Humphrey
LIN TUCCI / Anita DeMarco
VEEP (HBO)
DAN BAKKEDAHL / Roger Furlong
ANNA CHLUMSKY / Amy Brookheimer
GARY COLE / Kent Davison
MARGARET COLIN / Jane McCabe
KEVIN DUNN / Ben Cafferty
CLEA DUVALL / Marjorie Palmiotti
NELSON FRANKLIN / Will
TONY HALE / Gary Walsh
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / Selina Meyer
SAM RICHARDSON / Richard Splett
PAUL SCHEER / Stevie
REID SCOTT / Dan Egan
TIMOTHY SIMONS / Jonah Ryan
SARAH SUTHERLAND / Catherine Meyer
MATT WALSH / Mike McLintock
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series
GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
GLOW (Netflix)
HOMELAND (Showtime)
STRANGER THINGS (Netflix)
THE WALKING DEAD (AMC)
LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
54th SAG Life Achievement Award
MORGAN FREEMAN
Mindy Kaling, Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon in a scene from Disney’s ‘A Wrinkle in Time’
The list of sci-fi films heading to theaters in 2018 is a lengthy one, which is great news for fans of the genre. Among the films sci-fi audiences can look forward to in 2018 include a new Predator film, a Star Wars prequel focusing on a young Han Solo, a Transformers spinoff with Bumblebee, another Cloverfield film, and gigantic creatures wreaking havoc in Rampage, The Meg, and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. 2018 will also serve up another Pacific Rim movie and the final film of the Maze Runner trilogy.
This preview of the sci-fi movies set to arrive in theaters in 2018 doesn’t cover any superhero films as they’re included in a 2018 comic book and superhero preview of their own. The following list is sorted in alphabetical order, and there’s always a possibility films on the list could be booted to 2019 or released straight to video.
2018 Sci-Fi Films:
Alita: Battle Angel starring Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jackie Earle Haley, and Keean Johnson
The Plot: Set several centuries in the future, the abandoned Alita (Salazar) is found in the scrapyard of Iron City by Ido (Waltz), a compassionate cyber-doctor who takes the unconscious cyborg Alita to his clinic. When Alita awakens she has no memory of who she is, nor does she have any recognition of the world she finds herself in. Everything is new to Alita, every experience a first. As she learns to navigate her new life and the treacherous streets of Iron City, Ido tries to shield Alita from her mysterious past while her street-smart new friend, Hugo (Johnson), offers instead to help trigger her memories.
A growing affection develops between the two until deadly forces come after Alita and threaten her newfound relationships. It is then that Alita discovers she has extraordinary fighting abilities that could be used to save the friends and family she’s grown to love. Determined to uncover the truth behind her origin, Alita sets out on a journey that will lead her to take on the injustices of this dark, corrupt world, and discover that one young woman can change the world in which she lives.
Annihilation starring Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny and Oscar Isaac
The Plot: A biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition where the laws of nature don’t apply.
Bumblebee starring Hailee Steinfeld, Pamela Adlon, John Cena, Stephen Schneider, Jorge Lendeborg Jr, Jason Drucker, Kenneth Choi, Ricardo Hoyos, Abby Quinn, Rachel Crow, and Grace Dzienny
The Plot: On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie (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.
Captive State starring Vera Farmiga, John Goodman, Ashton Sanders, and James Ransone
The Plot: Set in a Chicago neighborhood nearly a decade after an occupation by an extra-terrestrial force, Captive State explores the lives on both sides of the conflicts – the collaborators and the dissidents.
Cloverfield Movie (formerly titled God Particle) starring David Oyelowo, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ziyi Zhang, Elizabeth Debicki, Daniel Brühl, and Chris O’Dowd
The Plot: Bumped to 2018 from its October 2017 release date, the next Cloverfield film takes place in the not-so-distant future and involves astronauts on a space station. The team discover something that challenges the very fabric of reality.
Code 8 starring Stephen Amell, Robbie Amell, Sung Kang, Aaron Abrams, and Greg Bryk
The Plot:Code 8 is set in a world where 4% of the population is born with varying supernatural abilities, but instead of being billionaires or superheroes, most “specials” face discrimination and live in poverty, often resorting to crime. In a world now carefully monitored by drones, guardians and the police, Connor Reed (Robbie Amell), a power-enabled young man, is struggling to pay for his ailing mother’s (Kari Matchett) health treatment.
Fighting to earn enough money as a day laborer, Connor is lured into a lucrative criminal world by Garrett (Stephen Amell) who works for Lincoln City’s reigning drug lord, Marcus Sutcliffe (Bryk). Garrett helps Connor sharpen his powers in order to execute a series of crimes on behalf of Sutcliffe, while a militarized police unit, led by Agent Park (Kang) and Agent Davis (Abrams), hunts them down.
The Darkest Minds starring Mandy Moore, Gwendoline Christie, Amandla Stenberg, and Harris Dickinson
The Plot: (Synopsis of the book, courtesy of author Alexandra Bracken’s website) When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.
Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones. When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents. When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader.
But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.
Extinction starring Michael Pena, Emma Booth, and Lizzy Caplan
The Plot: A father has a recurring dream of losing his family. His nightmare turns reality when the planet is invaded by a force bent on destruction. Fighting for their lives, he comes to realize an unknown strength to keep them safe from harm.
Future World starring James Franco, Lucy Liu, Suki Waterhouse, and Margarita Levieva
The Plot: In a post-apocalyptic world, where water and gasoline have long since dried-up, a Prince from the Oasis (one of the last known safe-havens) must venture out to find medicine for the ailing Queen (Liu), but along the way he gets mixed up with The Warlord (Franco) and his robot Ash (Waterhouse), which leads to a daring journey through the desolate Wastelands.
High Life starring Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, Mia Goth, and Andre Benjamin
The Plot:High Life centers on convicts who trade in their jail time by agreeing to crew a dangerous mission to a black hole, set on an intergalactic ship. (per Variety)
The House with a Clock in Its Walls starring Cate Blanchett, Jack Black, Owen Vaccaro, and Kyle MacLachlan
The Plot: In the tradition of Amblin classics where fantastical events occur in the most unexpected places, Jack Black and Cate Blanchett star in The House with a Clock in Its Walls, from Amblin Entertainment. The magical adventure tells the spine-tingling tale of 10-year-old Lewis (Vaccaro) who goes to live with his uncle in a creaky old house with a mysterious tick-tocking heart. But his new town’s sleepy façade jolts to life with a secret world of warlocks and witches when Lewis accidentally awakens the dead.
I Think We’re Alone Now starring Peter Dinklage and Elle Fanning
The Plot: The apocalypse proves a blessing in disguise for one lucky recluse – until a second survivor arrives with the threat of companionship.
The Plot:Inversion follows a street-wise American con man and a young Chinese physicist (Liu) as they race against the clock to save the earth from a terrifying loss of gravity. John Bailey (Jackson) believing the two are the cause of the cause of the inversions of gravity chase them across two continents trying to stop further destruction.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, James Cromwell, Ted Levine, Justice Smith, Geraldine Chaplin, Toby Jones, Rafe Spall, BD Wong, and Jeff Goldblum
The Plot: It’s been four years since theme park and luxury resort Jurassic World was destroyed by dinosaurs out of containment. Isla Nublar now sits abandoned by humans while the surviving dinosaurs fend for themselves in the jungles. When the island’s dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen (Pratt) and Claire (Howard) mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event. Owen is driven to find Blue, his lead raptor who’s still missing in the wild, and Claire has grown a respect for these creatures she now makes her mission.
Arriving on the unstable island as lava begins raining down, their expedition uncovers a conspiracy that could return our entire planet to a perilous order not seen since prehistoric times. With all of the wonder, adventure and thrills synonymous with one of the most popular and successful series in cinema history, this all-new motion-picture event sees the return of favorite characters and dinosaurs—along with new breeds more awe-inspiring and terrifying than ever before. Welcome to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote starring Adam Driver, Olga Kurylenko, Stellan Skarsgard, and Jonathan Pryce
The Plot: The film tells the story of an old man convinced he’s Don Quixote and confuses Toby, an advertising executive, with his faithful squire, Sancho Panza. The couple embark on a strange journey, with jumps back and forth in time, between the current 21st century and the magical 17th century. Little by little Toby, like the infamous knight, catches on to the illusory world and is incapable of separating dream and reality. The story culminates in a phantasmagorical and emotional ending where Toby takes over from Don Quixote de la Mancha.
Maze Runner: The Death Cure starring Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Giancarlo Esposito, Patricia Clarkson, Katherine McNamara, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Aidan Gillen
The Plot: In the epic finale to the Maze Runner saga, Thomas leads his group of escaped Gladers on their final and most dangerous mission yet. To save their friends, they must break into the legendary Last City, a WCKD-controlled labyrinth that may turn out to be the deadliest maze of all. Anyone who makes it out alive will get answers to the questions the Gladers have been asking since they first arrived in the maze.
The Meg starring Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Cliff Curtis, Rainn Wilson, and Ruby Rose
The Plot: A deep-sea submersible—part of an international undersea observation program—has been attacked by a massive creature, previously thought to be extinct, and now lies disabled at the bottom of the deepest trench in the Pacific…with its crew trapped inside. With time running out, expert deep sea rescue diver Jonas Taylor (Statham) is recruited by a visionary Chinese oceanographer (Chao), against the wishes of his daughter Suyin (Bingbing), to save the crew—and the ocean itself—from this unstoppable threat: a pre-historic 75-foot-long shark known as the Megalodon.
What no one could have imagined is that, years before, Taylor had encountered this same terrifying creature. Now, teamed with Suyin, he must confront his fears and risk his own life to save everyone trapped below…bringing him face to face once more with the greatest and largest predator of all time.
Mortal Engines starring Robert Sheehan, Hugo Weaving, Hera Hilmar, and Stephen Lang
The Plot: Following the conclusion of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies, three-time Academy Award®-winning filmmakers Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh return to the screen with a startling and sweeping new vision of a future where Earth’s cities now roam the globe on huge wheels, battling each other in a struggle for ever-diminishing resources.
This is the world of Mortal Engines, the story of how two unlikely heroes come together and change the course of the future.
Alexander Skarsgard stars in ‘Mute’ (Photo by Keith Bernstein / Netflix)
Mute starring Alexander Skarsgard, Paul Rudd, Justin Theroux, and Seyneb Saleh
The Plot: Set in the near-future, Leo (Skarsgård) is a bartender living in the pulsing city of Berlin. Because of a childhood accident, Leo lost the ability to speak and the only good thing in his life is his beautiful girlfriend Naadirah (Saleh). When she vanishes without a trace, Leo’s search for her takes him deep into the city’s seedy underbelly. A pair of wise-cracking American surgeons (Rudd and Theroux) are the only recurring clue and Leo is forced to take on this teeming underworld in order to find his love.
Pacific Rim Uprising starring John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Rinko Kikuchi, Adria Arjona, and Charlie Day
The Plot: John Boyega stars as the rebellious Jake Pentecost, a once-promising Jaeger pilot whose legendary father gave his life to secure humanity’s victory against the monstrous “Kaiju.” Jake has since abandoned his training only to become caught up in a criminal underworld. But when an even more unstoppable threat is unleashed to tear through our cities and bring the world to its knees, he is given one last chance to live up to his father’s legacy by his estranged sister, Mako Mori (Kikuchi), who is leading a brave new generation of pilots who have grown up in the shadow of war. As they seek justice for the fallen, their only hope is to unite together in a global uprising against the forces of extinction.
Jake is joined by gifted rival pilot Lambert (Eastwood) and 15-year-old Jaeger hacker Amara (Spaeny), as the heroes of the PPDC become the only family he has left. Rising up to become the most powerful defense force to ever walk the earth, they will set course for a spectacular all-new adventure on a towering scale.
The Predator starring Yvonne Strahovski, Olivia Munn, Jacob Tremblay, Thomas Jane, Sterling K. Brown, and Boyd Holbrook
The Plot: 20th Century Fox has not released the official synopsis for the 2018 Predator film.
Rampage starring Dwayne Johnson, Naomie Harris, Malin Akerman, Jake Lacy, Joe Manganiello, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Jack Quaid
The Plot: Primatologist Davis Okoye (Johnson), a man who keeps people at a distance, shares an unshakable bond with George, the extraordinarily intelligent, silverback gorilla who has been in his care since birth. But a rogue genetic experiment gone awry mutates this gentle ape into a raging creature of enormous size. To make matters worse, it’s soon discovered there are other similarly altered animals.
As these newly created alpha predators tear across North America, destroying everything in their path, Okoye teams with a discredited genetic engineer to secure an antidote, fighting his way through an ever-changing battlefield, not only to halt a global catastrophe but to save the fearsome creature that was once his friend.
Ready Player One starring Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, T.J. Miller, Simon Pegg, and Mark Rylance
The Plot: The film is set in 2045, with the world on the brink of chaos and collapse. But the people have found salvation in the OASIS, an expansive virtual reality universe created by the brilliant and eccentric James Halliday (Rylance). When Halliday dies, he leaves his immense fortune to the first person to find a digital Easter egg he has hidden somewhere in the OASIS, sparking a contest that grips the entire world. When an unlikely young hero named Wade Watts (Sheridan) decides to join the contest, he is hurled into a breakneck, reality-bending treasure hunt through a fantastical universe of mystery, discovery and danger.
Replicas starring Keanu Reeves, Alice Eve, and Thomas Middleditch
The Plot: In this sci-fi thriller, neuro-scientist William Foster (Reeves) is on the verge of successfully transferring human consciousness into a computer when his family is tragically killed in a car crash. Desperate to resurrect them, William recruits fellow scientist Ed Whittle (Middleditch) to help him secretly clone their bodies and create replicas. But he soon faces a “Sophie’s choice” when it turns out that they can only bring three of the four family members back to life.
Solo: A Star Wars Story starring Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Joonas Suotamo
The Plot:Solo: A Star Wars Story takes place before the original Star Wars trilogy and explains what Han Solo was like as a young man.
Sorry to Bother You starring Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Steven Yeun, Jermaine Fowler, Armie Hammer, and Omari Hardwicke
The Plot: In a speculative and dystopian not-too-distant future, black telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success – which propels him into a macabre universe.
The Titan starring Sam Worthington, Taylor Schilling, Tom Wilkinson, Agyness Deyn, and Nathalie Emmanuel
The Plot: The film follows a military experiment designed to genetically evolve a man to be sent into space that goes horribly wrong, with the side effects threatening humanity itself.
A Wrinkle in Time starring Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Michael Peňa, Zach Galifianakis, Chris Pine, and Storm Reid
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 (Deric 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 (Levi 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.
Netflix just announced Marvel’s The Punisher will be back for a second season. The network officially confirmed the comic book-inspired action series has been renewed for a second season, however they have not announced when we can expect new episodes to arrive.
The renewal announcement comes on the heels of the release of a new video from season one. The series’ stars Jon Bernthal, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Amber Rose Revah, and Ben Barnes, along with showrunner/executive producer Steve Lightfoot, discuss the Netflix series in the four-minute video. The behind-the-scenes featurette focuses on the lead characters and how they came to be in the situations we find them in during season one.
Season one stars Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead, Baby Driver) as Frank Castle, Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Girls, The Lake House) as David Lieberman, and Deborah Ann Woll (Marvel’s Daredevil, True Blood) as Karen Page. The cast also includes Ben Barnes (Westworld, The Chronicles of Narnia) as Billy Russo, Amber Rose Revah (Emerald City, Indian Summers) as Dinah Madani, Michael Nathanson (The Knick, Wolf of Wall Street) as Sam Stein, Jaime Ray Newman (Bates Motel) as Sarah Lieberman, Jason R Moore (A Lonely Place for Dying) as Curtis Hoyle, Daniel Webber (11.22.63) as Lewis Walcott, and Paul Schulze (Nurse Jackie) as Rawlins.
Marvel’s The Punisher is executive produced by Steve Lightfoot (Hannibal), Jim Chory (Marvel’s Daredevil, Marvel’s Jessica Jones, Marvel’s Luke Cage), and Marvel’s Head of Television Jeph Loeb (Marvel’s Daredevil, Marvel’s Jessica Jones, Marvel’s Luke Cage).
The Marvel’s The Punisher Plot: After exacting revenge on those responsible for the death of his wife and children, Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) uncovers a conspiracy that runs far deeper than New York’s criminal underworld. Now known throughout the city as The Punisher, he must discover the truth about injustices that affect more than his family alone.
