Making fun of dictators and those in power is nothing new. It dates back centuries if you look to theater and decades if you restrict the field to just movies. Disney and Warner Brothers had no problem putting their cartoon characters to work fighting the Nazis, and live action films soon followed. Here’s a list of the best comic attacks on real life dictators.
1. The Great Dictator (1940)
Charlie Chaplin’s first feature length talkie ranks as the best, most potent, and most sublime attack on a real political figure. Chaplin parodied Hitler by presenting us with Adenoid Hynkel, a megalomaniacal dictator, and then having a Jewish barber trying desperately to avoid persecution from Hynkel’s repressive regime. Both characters were played by Chaplin. Although Hitler and Germany are not mentioned by name, there is absolutely no ambiguity that Chaplin was being highly critical of the Fuhrer. There’s a brilliant, wordless sequence in which the Hitler-esque Hynkel tosses a balloon-globe around until it pops in his face. But it’s the ending — a speech delivered with the utmost sincerity and passion by Chaplin — with its message of hope that proves most memorable, provocative, and deeply moving. The sad irony, though, was that just over a decade later, Chaplin would fall victim to the McCarthy witch hunts and his “left wing” politics would prompt the U.S. to banish the Little Tramp from its shores.
2. To Be Or Not To Be (1941)
Ernst Lubitsch was known for his light comedic touch and he put it to exquisite use in this comedy about a troupe of Polish actors in Nazi-occupied Warsaw trying to put on a serious show about Hitler. Just before the play opens an official informs them that the government is closing them down because the play might “offend Hitler.” Jack Benny’s Joseph Tura scoffs that wouldn’t that be bad just listen to what Hitler’s saying about the Poles. But that doesn’t stop Lubitsch from elegantly skewering not just Hitler and his Nazi party but pretentious artists as well. The actor playing Hitler in the play improvises the line “Heil myself,” and Carole Lombard’s Maria Tura is an actress more concerned with how she looks than historical accuracy. Her producer is shocked when she appears in a stunning silk gown for her Concentration Camp scene. He objects but she replies, “I think it’s a tremendous contrast. Think of me being flogged in darkness and the lights come on and the audience sees me in this gorgeous dress.” Later the Nazis try to recruit Maria as a spy, prompting her to ask, “But what are we going to do about my conscience?” The professor presses her, suggesting that she doesn’t really know what Nazism is. He explains: “We just want to create a happy world.” To which Maria says, “And people who don’t want to be happy have no place in this happy world.” Lombard’s lovely delivery captures both the humor and the disturbing truth. This is a classic display of how subtle comedy can make a bold statement.
3. The Producers (1968)
Mel Brooks would remake To Be Or Not To Be in 1983 and with a heavier comic hand than Lubitsch. But Brooks was completely in his element in 1968 with The Producers, in which Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder are looking to produce a flop so they mount a production of something called “Springtime for Hitler,” and recruit a director who wants to make it a musical romp for Adolf and Eva. A sure-fire failure, they predict.
Brooks was criticized for bad taste because Nazis were not meant to be funny. But the comedian retorted, “If you ridicule them, you bring them down with laughter. They can’t win. You show how crazy they are.” The comedy is far more broad than what Chaplin and Lubitsch employed but it certainly made a mockery of Hitler.
4. Bananas (1971)
Woody Allen’s film poked general fun at military dictatorships but his imaginary country of San Marcos definitely looked like Cuba and its leader like Fidel Castro. The film opens with a wickedly funny attack on both politics and the media by having a Wide World of Sports broadcaster bringing you “a live, on-the-spot assassination. They are going to kill the president of this lovely Latin American country and replace him with a military dictatorship and everyone is as tense and excited as can be.” Then Howard Cosell pops in to try and get a final word from the expiring president. But the rebel leader who takes over (the Castro stand in) lets power go immediately to his head and then is in need of being taken down as well.
Allen’s film is merciless in pointing out the absurdity of this cycle of political repetition with no one ever getting the wiser.
5. Team America (2004)
Before Kim Jong-Un got ridiculed in The Interview, North Korea’s previous dictator Kim Jong-Il got the comic treatment courtesy of Trey Parker and Matt Stone in Team America. The film used puppets rather than live actors so you could say there was a little distance between the real leader and his onscreen counterpart. Parker and Stone give Kim a hilariously memorable ballad, “I’m Lonely,” in which the dictator bemoans the solitude of being a political leader while we see people being tortured and executed behind him. Parker and Stone had no trouble making fun of Kim as well as right wing American extremists and left wing Hollywood actors. No one was spared, which was part of the film’s charm.
6. South Park – Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (1999)
Just a few years earlier, Parker and Stone would take down another political leader, Saddam Hussein. This time it was within an animated context (a photo of the real Saddam’s face is placed on an animated body) and the irony was that Satan comes out looking good at the expense of Saddam. The film puts Saddam and Satan in a sadomasochistic relationship in which Satan is Saddam’s bitch and the victim of his relentless abuse. The film not only poked fun at the Iraqi dictator but also at the way American politicians and media tried to demonize him.
7. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (1988)
The Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker comedy (based off the failed TV show Police Squad) took an assassination attempt against a real-life head of state (Queen Elizabeth) for its plot that begins with what may be the single largest gathering of despots at one table in a movie. The film opens with a Beirut meeting of Gorbachev, Idi Amin, Khadafy, Arafat, Castro (I think it’s Castro at the end of the table but he gets no lines), and the Ayatollah Khomeini. Khomeini insists, “If we do nothing else we must conceive at least one terrorist act.” Of course Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) is there to put the bad guys out of business. He takes care of Khomeini with some Three Stooges moves and reveals that the religious leader is sporting a punk Mohawk under his turban. Totally silly but funny.
8. FDR: American Badass (2012)
Okay this one is just wacky. Director Garrett Brawith and writer Ross Patterson give us an alternate view of FDR and history by presenting America’s enemies as werewolves. That’s right FDR faces off against werewolf versions of Hitler, Mussolini, and Emperor Hirohito. You gotta see this to believe it!
9. Hot Shots (1991) / Hot Shots Part Deux (1993)
Actor Jerry Haleva plays Saddam Hussein in both movies and gets to square off against the President played by Lloyd Bridges who finally disposes of the dictator in a comic rip off Terminator 2. So Saddam gets frozen and shattered only to melt and reassemble like T1000.
None of the people involved with The Interview ever saw it as a political satire but sometimes movies are taken out of the hands of their creators. Such is the case with The Interview. A cyber attack on Sony Pictures led to reports that a North Korean group known as the Guardians of Peace wanted the film pulled from distribution. Sony acquiesced but then got flack from independent theaters that insisted on showing the film. So the film got released but later reports suggested that the hack might have been masterminded by a disgruntled Sony employee. But whatever the case, this bromance was turned into a symbol of free speech and a statement against tyranny through no fault of its own. That might be funnier than the film, which makes North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un the target of a CIA assassination plot. But Kim’s rebellious assistant suggests that it would be better to humiliate the dictator on global TV than kill him. Such is the power of the media to build and destroy political figures. Not a stunning insight but that’s the closest the film actually gets to political commentary.
Honorable mentions: Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds and Sasha Baron Cohen’s The Dictator.
The original Glee gang’s back and they’ve reunited to sing A-ha’s “Take On Me” on season six of the Fox series. Lea Michele, Chris Colfer, Amber Riley, Mark Salling, and the cast sing the ’80s tune through the halls of their old high school and Fox has debuted video of the full performance in support of the upcoming season premiere.
The network’s also showing off the performance of Ed Sheeran’s “Loser Like Me” by the Warblers.
The final 13 episodes of Fox’s Glee will kick of on January 9, 2015 at 8pm with an extended two-hour premiere.
The Plot of Glee Season 6:
Over the last five years, the series has followed a dynamic group of high school students from the halls of McKinley to the mean streets of New York City, as they embarked on life after high school. This season, after her humiliating failure as a TV actress, New Directions’ original star, Rachel Berry (Michele), comes home to Lima to figure out what she wants to do next. Upon discovering that Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) has banished the arts at McKinley, Rachel takes it upon herself to reinstate and lead the glee club.
Meanwhile, Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss), Sam Evans (Overstreet) and Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) have all found surprising new gigs in Ohio. Throughout the season, other alumnae also will return to McKinley.
Terrence Howard and Taraji P Henson lead the cast of Fox’s primetime drama Empire as Lucious and Cookie Lyon. Season one of the one-hour drama created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong debuts on January 7, 2015.
Malik Yoba is Vernon Turner, Jussie Smollett is Jamal Lyon, Bryshere Gray plays Hakeem Lyon, Trai Byers stars as Andre Lyon, Grace Gealey is Anika Gibbons, and Kaitlin Doubleday is Rhonda Lyon.
The Synopsis: LUCIOUS LYON (Howard) is the king of hip-hop. An immensely talented artist, the CEO of Empire Entertainment and a former street thug, his reign has been unchallenged for years. But all that changes, when he learns he has a disease that is going to render him crippled and incapacitated in a matter of three years. The clock is ticking, and he must groom one of his three sons to take over his crowning achievement, without destroying his already fractured family.
Lucious’ favorite is his youngest son, HAKEEM (newcomer Bryshere Gray), a gifted musician and a spoiled playboy who values fame over hard work. The middle son, JAMAL (Jussie Smollett), is a sensitive soul and a musical prodigy who, unlike Hakeem, shies away from the spotlight. Jamal also happens to be gay, which infuriates and embarrasses his father. ANDRE (Trai Byers), the eldest son, is CFO of Empire Entertainment. Wharton-educated with a brilliant business mind, Andre lacks the charisma that Lucious believes is crucial to running the company. But in his quest for power, Andre is assisted by his manipulative and like-minded wife, RHONDA (Kaitlin Doubleday).
As Lucious prompts his sons to vie for the empire, his plans are thrown into chaos when his ex-wife, COOKIE (Henson), mysteriously emerges seven years early from prison, where she’s been for almost two decades. Brash and fearless, she sees herself as the sacrificial lamb who built an empire with Lucious and then took the fall for running the drugs that financed Lucious’ early career.
For now, Lucious remains firmly in control of Empire Entertainment. He is attended to by his hard-working assistant, BECKY (guest star Gabourey Sidibe), and relies on longtime friend and Chairman of the Board VERNON TURNER (Malik Yoba) for advice and support. He relies on a whole lot more from ANIKA GIBBONS (newcomer Grace Gealey), the head of A&R for Empire and his current girlfriend.
As the Lyons slug it out, an emotional chess game begins that will either cause the family’s destruction or redemption. Lives and loves will be lost as the complicated family will come together and fall apart over the elusive throne, all set to an original soundtrack written and produced by legendary hip-hop hitmaker Timbaland. Will the family unite and learn to love each other before it’s too late? Love, war, family, sacrifice, money and music: this is the story of EMPIRE.
Samantha (Lorelei Linklater), Mason Sr. (Ethan Hawke), and Mason (Ellar Coltrane), age 9, in Richard Linklater’s BOYHOOD. (Photo Courtesy of Matt Lankes. An IFC Films Release.)
The American Cinema Editors (ACE) have announced the nominees for the 65th Annual ACE Eddie Awards and for only the second time in the ACE Eddie Awards history, a tie resulted in six editors being nominated in the dramatic feature film category. And according to ACE, the odds are now in favor of one of the Eddie Awards nominees going on to win the Best Picture Oscar. No film has won the Academy Award in the Best Picture category without an ACE Eddie Awards nomination since 1981’s Ordinary People.
Winners will be announced on January 30, 2015 during a ceremony in Beverly Hills.
2015 ACE Eddie Awards Nominees
BEST EDITED FEATURE FILM (DRAMATIC): American Sniper
Joel Cox, ACE & Gary Roach, ACE
The most anticipated movie of 2015 is Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but it’s hardly the only sci-fi film heading to theaters that’s earning a lot of buzz. Terminator‘s back, the Avengers reunite, and Marvel’s Ant-Man will finally make an appearance on the big screen. Plus, Fantastic Four‘s getting a reboot, Hunger Games finishes up the franchise with Mockingjay Part 2, and the second film of the Divergent series will arrive in theaters this year.
2015 Sci-Fi Films
400 Days – April 15, 2015
Starring Caity Lotz, Brandon Routh, Tom Cavanagh, Ben Feldman, Dane Cook, and Grant Bowler
Directed by Matthew Osterman
The Plot: 4 would-be astronauts spend 400 days in a land locked space simulator to test the psychological effects of deep space travel but, when something goes terribly wrong and they are forced to leave the simulation, they discover that everything on earth has changed. Is this real or is the simulation on a higher level than they could have ever imagined?
Air – To Be Determined 2015
Starring Norman Reedus and Djimon Hounsou
Directed by Christian Cantamessa
The Plot: When Earth’s atmosphere is all but destroyed, humanity’s last hope is the personnel cryogenically frozen in an underground bunker. Reedus and Hounsou play the caretakers of the facility whose sanity is tested as they struggle to survive in the last bit of habitable space on Earth.
Ant-Man – July 17, 2015
Starring Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Judy Greer, Tip “Ti” Harris, David Dastmalchian, Wood Harris, Jordi Mollà, and Michael Douglas
Directed by Peyton Reed
The Plot: The next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a founding member of The Avengers to the big screen for the first time with Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man. Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.
Avengers: Age of Ultron – May 1, 2015
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsgård, James Spader, and Samuel L. Jackson
Directed by Joss Whedon
The Plot: Marvel Studios presents Avengers: Age of Ultron, the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.
Chappie – March 6, 2015
Starring Sharlto Copley, Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver, and Dev Patel
Directed by Neill Blomkamp
The Plot: Every child comes into the world full of promise, and none more so than Chappie: he is gifted, special, a prodigy. Like any child, Chappie will come under the influence of his surroundings — some good, some bad — and he will rely on his heart and soul to find his way in the world and become his own man. But there’s one thing that makes Chappie different from anyone else: he is a robot. The first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself. His life, his story, will change the way the world looks at robots and humans forever.
The Divergent Series: Insurgent – March 20, 2015
Starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller, and Zoë Kravitz
Directed by Robert Schwentke
The Plot: The Divergent Series: Insurgent raises the stakes for Tris as she searches for allies and answers in the ruins of a futuristic Chicago. Tris (Woodley) and Four (James) are now fugitives on the run, hunted by Jeanine (Winslet), the leader of the power-hungry Erudite elite. Racing against time, they must find out what Tris’s family sacrificed their lives to protect, and why the Erudite leaders will do anything to stop them. Haunted by her past choices but desperate to protect the ones she loves, Tris, with Four at her side, faces one impossible challenge after another as they unlock the truth about the past and ultimately the future of their world.
Equals – To Be Determined
Starring Kristen Stewart, Nicholas Hoult, Guy Pearce, and Jacki Weaver
Directed by Drake Doremus
The Plot: Equals takes place in a future world in which emotions have been eradicated. However, a disease is capable of causing them to return.
Ex Machina – April 10, 2015
Starring Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, and Alicia Vikander
Directed by Alex Garland
The Plot: Caleb Smith (Gleeson), a programmer at an internet-‐search giant, wins a competition to spend a week at the private mountain estate of the company’s brilliant and reclusive CEO, Nathan Bateman (Isaac). Upon his arrival, Caleb learns that Nathan has chosen him to be the human component in a Turing Test—charging him with evaluating the capabilities, and ultimately the consciousness, of Nathan’s latest experiment in artificial intelligence. That experiment is Ava (Vikander), a breathtaking A.I. whose emotional intelligence proves more sophisticated, seductive––and more deceptive–– than the two men could have imagined.
The Fantastic Four – August 7, 2015
Starring Miles Teller, Michael B Jordan, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, and Toby Kebbell
Directed by Josh Trank
The Plot: Details have yet to be released.
High-Rise – To Be Determined 2015
Starring Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, Luke Evans, and Elisabeth Moss
Directed by Ben Wheatley
The Plot: High-Rise is the story of Laing, a young doctor who moves into an aspirational high-rise building in 1975 on the eve of Margaret Thatcher’s rise to power. Seduced by the luxurious lifestyle and cutting-edge technology offered by the building’s famed architect Anthony Royal, Laing hopes for a fresh start. The high-rise gives its wealthy tenants all the conveniences that modern life has to offer, but at the same time isolates them from the outside world. Laing quickly senses discord amongst the residents, and meets Wilder, a rebellious filmmaker who seems bent on inciting the situation. Laing strikes up a relationship with Charlotte, a beautiful but fragile woman who works closely with Royal.
Life in the high-rise degenerates quickly as power failures and petty annoyances escalate into an orgy of violence. The tenants soon divide themselves into the traditional three groups of Western society: the lower class live on the lowest floors, the middle class in the centre, and the upper class take the most luxurious apartments on the highest floors. Wilder initiates Laing into the desperate, unseen life of the high-rise and Laing is shocked at the depravity he sees. Soon, skirmishes are being fought throughout the building as elevators are hijacked, groups gather to defend their rights, and party-goers attack ‘enemy floors’ to raid and vandalise them. It doesn’t take long for the tenants to abandon all social restraints and give in to their most primal urges. Even as hunger sets in, many still seem to be enjoying themselves, as the building allows them to toy with their own dark desires.
As bodies pile up and the commodities of the high-rise break down, Laing is forced to confront Wilder, now a savage vigilante. Unable to save Charlotte who remains committed to the doomed Royal, Laing must fight for survival.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 – November 20, 2015
Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, Woody Harrelson, and Elizabeth Banks
Directed by Francis Lawrence
The Plot: Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) continues her journey, leading the districts of Panem in a rebellion against the tyrannical and corrupt Capitol. As the war that will determine the fate of Panem escalates, Katniss must decipher for herself who she can trust and what needs to be done, with everything she cares for in the balance.
Jupiter Ascending – February 6, 2015
Starring Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth, Tuppence Middleton, Doona Bae, James D’Arcy, and Tim Pigott-Smith
Directed by Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski
The Plot: Jupiter Jones (Kunis) was born under a night sky, with signs predicting that she was destined for great things. Now grown, Jupiter dreams of the stars but wakes up to the cold reality of a job cleaning other people’s houses and an endless run of bad breaks. Only when Caine (Tatum), a genetically engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track her down does Jupiter begin to glimpse the fate that has been waiting for her all along—her genetic signature marks her as next in line for an extraordinary inheritance that could alter the balance of the cosmos.
Jurassic World – June 12, 2015
Starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Irrfan Khan, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jake Johnson, Omar Sy, BD Wong, and Judy Greer
Directed by Colin Trevorrow
The Plot: “Jurassic World takes place in a fully functional park on Isla Nublar. It sees more than 20,000 visitors every day. You arrive by ferry from Costa Rica. It has elements of a biological preserve, a safari, a zoo, and a theme park. There is a luxury resort with hotels, restaurants, nightlife and a golf course. And there are dinosaurs. Real ones. You can get closer to them than you ever imagined possible.” – /film
The Lobster – March 2015
Starring Colin Farrell, Léa Seydoux, Rachel Weisz, Ben Whishaw, and John C. Reilly
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
The Plot: An unconventional love story set in a dystopian near future where single people, according to the rules of the Town, are arrested and transferred to the Hotel. There they are obliged to find a matching mate in 45 days. If they fail, they are transformed into an animal of their choosing and released into the Woods. A desperate Man escapes from the Hotel to the Woods where the Loners live and there he falls in love, although it’s against their rules.
Mad Max: Fury Road – May 15, 2015
Starring Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Nathan Jones, Zoë Kravitz, Riley Keough, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Abbey Lee
Directed by George Miller
The Plot: Haunted by his turbulent past, Mad Max believes the best way to survive is to wander alone. Nevertheless, he becomes swept up with a group fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by an elite Imperator, Furiosa. They are escaping a Citadel tyrannized by the Immortan Joe, from whom something irreplaceable has been taken. Enraged, the Warlord marshals all his gangs and pursues the rebels ruthlessly in the high-octane Road War that follows.
The Martian – November 25, 2015
Starring Jessica Chastain, Kate Mara, Kristen Wiig, and Matt Damon
Directed by Ridley Scott
Andy Weir’s book The Martian Synopsis – Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
Midnight Special – November 25, 2015
Starring Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, Michael Shannon, and Sam Shepard
Directed by Jeff Nichols
The Plot: In Midnight Special, the latest sci-fi thriller from acclaimed writer/director Jeff Nichols, Roy (Shannon) is a father who goes on the run to protect his son, Alton (Jaeden Lieberher) who has special powers.
The Phoenix Project – January 16, 2015
Starring Corey Rieger, Andrew Simpson, and David Pesta
Directed by Tyler Graham Pavey
The Plot: Four young scientists work to craft a machine to reanimate deceased organisms. As the project develops, the machine exceeds their wildest expectations, creating boundless possibilities that challenge the very nature of human existence. However, success with this experiment comes at a price, as ulterior motives and reckless abandon lead to consequences none of them could predict. As their time and resources fade, this team of visionary scientists must face the realities of the task they have set out for themselves, bringing the dead back to life.
Pixels – July 24, 2015
Starring Peter Dinklage, Adam Sandler, Josh Gad, Kevin James, and Michelle Monaghan
Directed by Chris Columbus
The Plot: In Pixels, when intergalactic aliens misinterpret video-feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war against them, they attack the Earth, using the games as models for their various assaults. President Will Cooper (James) has to call on his childhood best friend, ’80s video game champion Sam Brenner (Sandler), now a home theater installer, to lead a team of old-school arcaders (Dinklage and Gad) to defeat the aliens and save the planet. Monaghan plays the team’s unique weapons specialist.
Predestination – January 9, 2015
Starring Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, and Noah Taylor
Directed by Michael and Peter Spierig
The Plot: Predestination chronicles the life of a Temporal Agent (Hawke) sent on an intricate series of time-travel journeys designed to prevent future killers from committing their crimes. Now, on his final assignment, the Agent must stop the one criminal that has eluded him throughout time and prevent a devastating attack in which thousands of lives will be lost.
Revolt (aka Prisoner of War) – To Be Determined 2015
Starring Lee Pace and Bérénice Marlohe
Directed by Joe Miale
The Plot: Revolt is an action-packed sci-fi thriller about humankind’s last stand against a cataclysmic alien invasion. Set in the war-ravaged African countryside, an American soldier and a French foreign aid worker team up to survive the alien onslaught. As they journey through the battlefield in search of refuge, their bond will be tested when the soldier discovers his true identity.
Selfless – July 31, 2015
Starring Matthew Goode, Ryan Reynolds, Michelle Dockery, and Ben Kingsley
Directed by Tarsem Singh
The Plot: Selfless centers on a terminally ill billionaire who buys the opportunity to transplant his brain into a younger man’s dead boy. However, the body chosen for the experimental surgery turns out to be that of a man who was murdered.
Skate God
Starring Luke Benward, Aimee Teegarden, Evan Ross, Nathan Gamble, and Crystal Lowe
Directed by Art Camacho
The Plot: A skateboarder, Oren off in a Dystopian future, comes into self discovery that he is the scion of the Greek god Zephyrus. He must learn how to use his new found powers with help from Wisdom, a shaman left on earth to guide Oren to his destiny. Oren must save humanity from a clandestine society known as The Hadians who want to unleash hell on earth. Their leader Metolus wants to recruit Oren so he can use his power to bring the world to its knees.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens – December 18, 2015
Starring Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Andy Serkis, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max Von Sydow
Directed by J.J. Abrams
The Plot: (To Be Disclosed) Lucasfilm and visionary director J.J. Abrams join forces to take you back again to a galaxy far, far away as Star Wars returns to the big screen with Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Terminator Genisys – July 1, 2015
Starring Jai Courtney, Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Matt Smith, Byung-Hun Lee, and J.K. Simmons
Directed by Alan Tayor
The Plot: “July 1, 2015: he’ll be back – that’s all of the official description released thus far.
Tomorrowland – May 22, 2015
Starring George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Britt Robertson, Raffey Cassidy, Tim McGraw, Judy Greer, Kathryn Hahn, Keegan-Michael Key, and Thomas Robinson
Directed by Brad Bird
The Plot: Bound by a shared destiny, former boy-genius Frank (Clooney), jaded by disillusionment, and Casey (Britt Robertson), a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity, embark on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space known only as “Tomorrowland.” What they must do there changes the world—and them—forever.
Featuring a screenplay by Lost writer and co-creator Damon Lindelof and Brad Bird, from a story by Lindelof & Bird & Jeff Jensen, Tomorrowland promises to take audiences on a thrill ride of nonstop adventures through new dimensions that have only been dreamed of.
Vice – January 16, 2015
Starring Bruce Willis, Thomas Jane, Ambyr Childers, Johnathon Schaech, Bryan Greenberg, Charlotte Kirk, and Tyler J. Olson
Directed by Brian A Miller
The Plot: Julian Michaels (Willis) has designed the ultimate resort: VICE, where anything goes and the customers can play out their wildest fantasies with artificial inhabitants who look, think and feel like humans. When an artificial (Childers) becomes self-aware and escapes, she finds herself caught in the crossfire between Julian’s mercenaries and a cop (Jane) who is hell-bent on shutting down Vice, and stopping the violence once and for all.
Z for Zachariah – April 16, 2015
Starring Chris Pine, Margot Robbie, and Chiwetel Ejiofor
Directed by Craig Zobel
The Plot: The movie is set in a post apocalyptic world, where a young woman named Ann (Robbie) lives on a farm believing she is the last of the human race. Her fate is turned on its head when she meets Loomis (Ejiofor), a dying scientist on a hopeless quest to find his family. A budding young woman with feelings of lust, Ann starts to fall in love with Loomis while she nurses him back to health. But their relationship becomes tenuous when an unexpected survivor named Caleb (Pine) shows up. Caleb is younger, stronger and more virile than Loomis. So when Loomis and Caleb begin to compete for Ann’s affections their primal urges seep to the surface. We soon see their true nature as they relentlessly struggle to claim the last woman on earth.
The glass slippers, fairy godmother, Prince Charming, and the ball are all featured in the new video teaser for Disney’s live-action fairy tale film, Cinderella. Directed by Kenneth Branagh (Thor), the cast is led by Lily James (Downton Abbey) as Cinderella, Game of Thrones‘ Richard Madden as Prince Charming, and Helena Bonham Carter as the fairy godmother.
The story of Cinderella follows the fortunes of young Ella (James) whose merchant father remarries following the death of her mother. Eager to support her loving father, Ella welcomes her new stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and her daughters Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) and Drisella (Sophie McShera) into the family home. But, when Ella’s father unexpectedly passes away, she finds herself at the mercy of a jealous and cruel new family.
Finally relegated to nothing more than a servant girl covered in ashes, and spitefully renamed Cinderella, Ella could easily begin to lose hope. Yet, despite the cruelty inflicted upon her, Ella is determined to honor her mother’s dying words and to “have courage and be kind.” She will not give in to despair nor despise those who mistreat her.
And then there is the dashing stranger she meets in the woods. Unaware that he is really a prince, not merely an apprentice at the Palace, Ella finally feels she has met a kindred soul. It appears her fortunes may be about to change when the Palace sends out an open invitation for all maidens to attend a ball, raising Ella’s hopes of once again encountering the charming Kit (Madden).
Alas, her stepmother forbids her to attend and callously rips apart her dress. But, as in all good fairy tales, help is at hand, and a kindly beggar woman (Bonham-Carter) steps forward and — armed with a pumpkin and a few mice — changes Cinderella’s life forever.
The slate of animated movies heading to theaters in 2015 looks to be one of the best in years. Pixar’s back, Peanuts finally has its own big-screen feature film, Despicable Me‘s minions get their own movie, and The Little Prince could quite possibly be the most beautiful animated film in decades. Here’s the scoop on 2015’s animated movies, listed in alphabetical order.
2015 Animated Films
B.O.O.: Bureau Of Otherworldly Operations – To Be Determined 2015
Voice Cast: Seth Rogen, Melissa McCarthy, Rashida Jones, Octavia Spencer, Matt Bomer, and Bill Murray
Directed by Tony Leondis
The Plot: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations (B.O.O.) is a top-secret government agency which employs ghosts to protect humans from evil hauntings. When two new agents named Jackson Moss and Watts uncover a plot by the agency’s most wanted haunter Addison Drake to destroy B.O.O., they must use their skills to defeat his ghost army and save the world.
The Good Dinosaur – November 25, 2015
Directed by Peter Sohn
The Plot: The Good Dinosaur asks the generations-old question: What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? In theaters on November 25, 2015, the film is a humorous and exciting original story about Arlo, a lively Apatosaurus with a big heart. After a traumatic event unsettles Arlo’s family, he sets out on a remarkable journey, gaining an unlikely companion along the way – a human boy. The Good Dinosaur is an extraordinary journey of self-discovery full of thrilling adventure, hilarious characters and poignant heart.
Home – March 27, 2015
Voice Cast: Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, and Steve Martin
Directed by Tim Johnson
The Plot: When Earth is taken over by the overly-confident Boov, an alien race in search of a new place to call home, all humans are promptly relocated, while all Boov get busy reorganizing the planet. But when one resourceful girl, Tip, (Rihanna, who also contributes a song) manages to avoid capture, she finds herself the accidental accomplice of a banished Boov named Oh (Parsons). The two fugitives realize there’s a lot more at stake than intergalactic relations as they embark on the road trip of a lifetime.
Hotel Transylvania 2 – September 25, 2015
Voice Cast: Adam Sandler, Mel Brooks, Selena Gomez, Steve Buscemi, Andy Samberg, and Kevin James
Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky
The Plot: Dracula, Mavis, Jonathan and all of their monster friends are back in the brand new comedy adventure: when the old-old-old-fashioned vampire Vlad arrives at the hotel for an impromptu family get-together, Hotel Transylvania is in for a comic collision of supernatural old-school and modern day cool.
Inside Out – June 19, 2015
Voice Cast: Bill Hader, Amy Poehler, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, and Phyllis Smith
Directed by Pete Docter and Ronnie del Carmen
The Plot: From an adventurous balloon ride above the clouds to a monster-filled metropolis, Academy Award®-winning director Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc., Up) has taken audiences to unique and imaginative places. In Disney•Pixar’s original movie Inside Out, he will take us to the most extraordinary location of all—inside the mind.
Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it’s no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions – Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley’s main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school.
The Little Prince – To Be Determined 2015
Voice Cast: Marion Cotillard, James Franco, Rachel McAdams, Jeff Bridges, Paul Giamatti, and Benicio del Toro
Directed by Mark Osborne
The Plot: This is the story of a story. This is the story of a little girl, fearless and curious, who lives in a world of adults. This is the story of an aviator, eccentric and mischievous, who never really grew up. This is the story of the Little Prince that will bring them together in an extraordinary adventure.
Minions – July 10, 2015
Voice Cast: Sandra Bullock, Michael Keaton, Jon Hamm, Steve Coogan, and Allison Janney
Directed by Pierre Coffin
The Plot: The story of Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s Minions begins at the dawn of time. Starting as single-celled yellow organisms, Minions evolve through the ages, perpetually serving the most despicable of masters. After accidentally killing off so many of them—from T. rex to Napoleon—the Minions find themselves without a master to serve and fall into a deep depression.
But one Minion named Kevin has a plan, and he—alongside teenage rebel Stuart and lovable little Bob—ventures out into the world to find a new evil boss for his brethren to follow.
The trio embarks upon an adventure that ultimately leads them to their next potential master, Scarlet Overkill (Bullock), the world’s first-ever female super-villain. They travel from frigid Antarctica to 1960s New York City, ending in mod London, where they must face their biggest challenge to date: saving all of Minionkind…from annihilation.
Teaser poster for ‘Peanuts’
The Peanuts Movie – November 6, 2015
Voice Cast: Noah Schnapp, Hadley Belle Miller, Alexander Garfin, and Noah Johnston
Directed by Steve Martino
The Plot: In Peanuts, a 3D, CGI animated comedic adventure, Snoopy, the world’s most lovable beagle – and flying ace! – embarks upon his greatest mission as he and his team take to the skies to pursue their arch-nemesis, while his best pal Charlie Brown begins his own epic quest back home.
Shaun the Sheep The Movie – To Be Determined 2015
Directed by Mark Burton and Richard Starzack
The Plot: When Shaun’s mischief inadvertently leads to the Farmer being taken away from the farm, Shaun, Bitzer, and the flock have to go into the big city to rescue him, setting the stage for an epic adventure.
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water – February 6, 2015
Voice Cast: Antonio Banderas, Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence, and Douglas Lawrence
Directed by Paul Tibbitt
The Plot: SpongeBob SquarePants, the world’s favorite sea dwelling invertebrate, comes ashore to our world for his most super-heroic adventure yet.
Strange Magic – January 23, 2015
Voice Cast: Alan Cumming, Evan Rachel Wood, Kristin Chenoweth, Maya Rudolph, Sam Palladio, Meredith Anne Bull, Alfred Molina, Elijah Kelley, Bob Einstein, and Peter Stormare
Directed by Gary Rydstrom
The Plot: Strange Magic, a new animated film from Lucasfilm, is a madcap fairy tale musical inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Popular songs from the past six decades help tell the tale of a colorful cast of goblins, elves, fairies and imps, and their hilarious misadventures sparked by the battle over a powerful potion. Lucasfilm Animation Singapore and Industrial Light & Magic bring to life the fanciful forest turned upside down with world-class animation and visual effects.
Underdogs – April 10, 2015
Voice Cast: Matthew Morrison, Ariana Grande, Nicholas Hoult, and Katie Holmes
Directed by Juan José Campanella
The Plot: From Academy Award winning director Campanella comes Underdogs, an animated comedy with a little bit of magic and a whole lot of heart. Jake (Morrison) is a shy, but talented, foosball player. His passion for the game is rivaled only by his love for free-spirited Laura (Grande). With her encouragement, he beats the town bully, Ace (Hoult), in a foosball game. But everything changes when Ace becomes the world’s best soccer player and returns years later to turn their village into a new sports stadium. He starts to destroy everything and kidnaps Laura in the process. Just when it looks like all hope is lost, the toy figures from Jake’s foosball table come to life. He and the players embark on a wild adventure to save Laura and reclaim their village. With the help of his team, his town, and a little bit of magic, Jake will try to save the day.
Do you want to check out celebrities walking the red carpet while doing something good to benefit a charity? The Screen Actors Guild is offering up 100 bleachers seats lining the 2015 SAG Awards red carpet with the funds raised going to benefit the SAG Foundation’s Children’s Literacy and Emergency Assistance Programs. The winning bidders will be able to take photos from their bleacher seats as well as try to snag a few autographs.
The SAG Awards Red Carpet Bleacher Seat Auction includes special VIP seating in the front row seats across from E’s live broadcast set-up. Bidding opens at 6pm PT / 9pm ET on December 31st and will remain open through January 10th at 6pm PT / 9pm ET. For more info or to bid, visit www.sagawards.org/auction.
The 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be held on January 25, 2015 and will be broadcast live on TNT and TBS. The SAG Awards are the only awards in which actors honor their own in both TV and films.
If you’re a fan of horror movies, 2015 is going to be a pretty good year in theaters. New horror/thrillers are on the way from Guillermo del Toro, M. Night Shyamalan, Rob Zombie, Leigh Whannell, and Michael Dougherty, with 2015’s releases including a remake of Poltergeist, another visit to Amityville, as well as new Insidious, Sinister, and Paranormal Activity films. Here’s a look at what horror fans can expect, listed in alphabetical order and with plot details (if they’re available).
2015 Horror Movies
31 – To Be Determined 2015
Starring Sheri Moon Zombie
Directed by Rob Zombie
The Plot: Halloween-set 31 follows five carnival workers who are kidnapped the night before Halloween and held hostage in a large secret compound known as Murder World. Once there, they have 12 hours to survive a terrifying game called 31 in which ‘The Heads’- murderous maniacs dressed as clowns – are released to hunt them down and kill them.
Amityville: The Awakening – To Be Determined 2015
Starring Bella Thorne, Cameron Monaghan, and Jennifer Jason Leigh
Directed by Franck Khalfoun
The Plot: Belle (Thorne), her little sister, and her comatose twin brother (Monaghan) move into a new house with their single mother Joan in order to save money to help pay for her brother’s expensive healthcare. But when strange phenomena begin to occur in the house including the miraculous recovery of her brother, Belle begins to suspect her Mother isn’t telling her everything and soon realizes they just moved into the infamous Amityville house.
Bone Tomahawk – To Be Determined 2015
Starring Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, and David Arquette
Directed by S. Craig Zahler
The Plot: After an outlaw unknowingly leads a band of cannibalistic Troglodytes into the peaceful western town of Bright Hope, the monsters kidnap several settlers, including the wife of a local rancher. Despite his injured leg the rancher joins a small rescue party with the sheriff, his aging deputy and a strong-willed gunslinger. What follows is a journey into hell on earth as the posse comes to realize it is up against a foe whose savagery knows no bounds. The film takes place in the mid 1800’s around the border of what is now Texas and New Mexico.
Crimson Peak – October 16, 2015
Starring Charlie Hunnam, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, and Mia Wasikowska
Directed by Guillermo del Toro
The Plot: In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds…and remembers.
Demonic – To Be Determined 2015
Starring Maria Bello, Frank Grillo, and Dustin Milligan
Directed by Will Canon
The Plot: The film centers on the aftermath of a horrific massacre where five college students were brutally murdered inside an abandoned home. Detective Mark Lewis and psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Klein question one of the few survivors who explains they were amateur ghost-hunters, seeking out paranormal phenomenon at the abandoned house, which was believed to be haunted. But what started out as a harmless activity turned into something truly terrifying.
The Final Girls – To Be Determined 2015
Starring Nina Dobrev, Taissa Farmiga, Alexander Ludwig, and Malin Akerman
Directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson
The Plot: The Final Girls follows a girl grieving the loss of her mother, who was a scream queen in the 1980s. When she and her friends are mysteriously sucked into the world of her mother’s most famous horror movie, Max is reunited with her mom and must face the pic’s crazed killer.
The Gallows – July 10, 2015
Starring Cassidy Gifford, Ryan Shoos, Reese Mishler, and Pfeifer Brown
Directed by Chris Lofing and Travis Cluff
The Plot: Twenty years after an accident during a small town high school play results in death, students at the school resurrect the failed stage production in a misguided attempt to honor the anniversary of the tragedy – but ultimately find out that some things are better left alone.
Insidious Chapter 3 – June 5, 2015
Starring Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott, Leigh Whannell, and Lin Shaye
Directed by Leigh Whannell
The Plot: This chilling prequel, set before the haunting of the Lambert family, reveals how gifted psychic Elise Rainier (Shaye) reluctantly agrees to use her ability to contact the dead in order to help a teenage girl (Scott) who has been targeted by a dangerous supernatural entity.
Krampus – December 4, 2015
Starring Allison Tolman and Emjay Anthony
Directed by Michael Dougherty
The Plot: Based on the ancient legend of a pagan demon who punishes the wicked, Legendary Pictures’ Krampus, a twisted horror comedy set during the holidays, is written and directed by Michael Dougherty (Trick ‘r Treat).
Maggie – To Be Determined 2015
Starring Abigail Breslin, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Joely Richardson, and Laura Cayouette
Directed by Henry Hobson
The Plot: The film tells the story of a deadly zombie virus that has put a plague on the world. When Maggie, a vivacious young woman becomes infected, her father brings her home to let her be with their family. As Maggie’s condition worsens, their relationship is tested, a father’s love holding on stronger than the disease. This heart-wrenching twist on the zombie apocalypse puts a human face on an inexplicable horror.
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension – March 13, 2015
Starring Katie Featherston, Billy Shepperd, and Tyler Craig
Directed by Gregory Plotkin
The Plot: The fifth Paranormal Activity movie will follow a video game designer and his family who movie into a new house where something evil resides.
Poltergeist – July 24, 2015
Starring Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Nicholas Braun, and Jared Harris
Directed by Gil Kenan
The Plot: The Bowens are like any other Californian suburban family. But one night their youngest, 5-year-old Madison, hears a voice from inside the television set. At first there is an invasion of friendly spirits, but then a force of evil threatens to destroy them. (per Facebook)
Scouts vs. Zombies – October 30, 2015
Starring Tye Sheridan, Logan Miller, Joey Morgan, Sarah Dumont, Cloris Leachman, and Patrick Schwarzenegger
Directed by Christopher Landon
The Plot: Tye Sheridan, Logan Miller, and newcomer Joey Morgan are three scouts who, on the eve of their last camp out, discover the true meaning of friendship when they attempt to save their town from a zombie outbreak.
Sinister 2 – August 21, 2015
Starring Shannyn Sossamon, James Ransone, Robert Sloan, and Dartanian Sloan
Directed by Ciaran Foy
The Plot: In the aftermath of the shocking events in Sinister, a protective mother (Sossamon) and her 9-year-old twin sons find themselves in a rural house marked for death. James Ransone, who portrayed the concerned sheriff’s deputy in Sinister, will be reprising his character in Sinister 2.
Victor Frankenstein – October 2, 2015
Starring Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy
Directed by Paul McGuigan
The Plot: James McAvoy is Victor Von Frankenstein and Daniel Radcliffe stars as Igor in a unique, never-before-seen twist on Mary Shelley’s classic 19th century novel. Told from Igor’s perspective, we see the troubled young assistant’s dark origins, his redemptive friendship with the young medical student Victor Von Frankenstein, and become eyewitnesses to the emergence of how Frankenstein became the man—and the legend—we know today.
The Visit – September 25, 2015
Starring Kathryn Hahn and Ed Oxenbould
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
The Plot: The Visit tells the story of a brother and sister on a weeklong trip at their grandparents’ Pennsylvanian farm. While there, the siblings discover their grandparents have been hiding some disturbing secrets, slimming down the children’s chances of ever returning home. (source: EW)
The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death – January 2, 2015
Starring Jeremy Irvine, Phoebe Fox, Helen McCrory, Adrian Rawlins, Leanne Best, and Ned Dennehy
Directed by Tom Harper
The Plot: When a group of orphaned children are forced to move from their home in London, caretakers Eve (Fox) and Jean (McCrory) bring everyone to the desolate and eerie British countryside. 40 years after Arthur Kipps left, this supernatural horror film introduces this new group to the now abandoned Eel Marsh House; an odd but seemingly safe location. It isn’t long before Eve starts to sense that this house is not what it appears to be as the children in her care begin to disappear. As their house of safety becomes a house of horrors, Eve enlists the help of a handsome pilot (Irvine) to help investigate what is happening. Eve soon discovers that it may not be a coincidence that she has come to reside in the house inhabited by the Woman in Black.
Yoga Hosers – June 1, 2015
Starring Harley Quinn Smith, Lily-Rose Depp, Johnny Depp, Haley Joel Osment, Tyler Posey, Genesis Rodriguez, and Justin Long
Directed by Kevin Smith
The Plot: 15-year-old yoga-nuts Colleen Collette and Colleen McKenzie love their smart phones and hate their after school job at Manitoban convenience store Eh-2-Zed. But when an ancient evil rises from beneath Canada’s crust and threatens their big invitation to a Grade 12 party, the Colleens join forces with the legendary man-hunter from Montreal named Guy Lapointe to fight for their lives with all seven Charkas, one Warrior Pose at a time. Depp, Depp the younger and Smith the younger are returning in the roles they created for Tusk.
American Sniper, based on the true story of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, set a new record for the biggest grossing film opening in limited release (10 or fewer theaters). Directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Bradley Cooper in an award-worthy performance as Kyle, American Sniper took in $1.04 million over its first five days in limited release, averaging $260,000 per theater.
“Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper have created a remarkable portrayal of a truly remarkable man,” said Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures. “We are proud that American Sniper is already resonating so strongly with critics and audiences as we begin our rollout of the film, and we look forward to sharing this story with the rest of the country in the New Year.”
American Sniper is based on the book by Chris Kyle (with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice) and was adapted for the screen by Jason Hall. In addition to Cooper, the cast includes Sienna Miller, Luke Grimes, Jake McDorman, Cory Hardrict, Kevin Lacz, Navid Negahban, and Keir O’Donnell.
The Plot:
Navy SEAL Chris Kyle is sent to Iraq with only one mission: to protect his brothers-in-arms. His pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and, as stories of his courageous exploits spread, he earns the nickname “Legend.” However, his reputation is also growing behind enemy lines, putting a price on his head and making him a prime target of insurgents. He is also facing a different kind of battle on the home front: striving to be a good husband and father from halfway around the world. Despite the danger, as well as the toll on his family at home, Chris serves through four harrowing tours of duty in Iraq, personifying the spirit of the SEAL creed to “leave no one behind.” But upon returning to his wife, Taya (Miller), and kids, Chris finds that it is the war he can’t leave behind.
