Opening this weekend
View a guide to this weekend's new theatrical releases including War for the Planet of the Apes, Wish Upon, and more.
New trailers and updates for upcoming films
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Darkest HourGary Oldman stars as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, one of a string of recent British WWII films that includes the recent Churchill, starring Brian Cox, which dramatized Churchill's D-Day decision, as well as next week's Dunkirk. This November 22 release focuses on Churchill’s first term as Prime Minister, covering his refusal to negotiate peace with the Nazis and the subsequent inspiration he provided Britain. Directed by Joe Wright (hopefully returning to form after Pan), the film’s supporting cast includes Lily James, Ben Mendelsohn, Stephen Dillane, and Kristin Scott Thomas.
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Goon: Last of the Enforcers
Seann William Scott, Jay Baruchel, Liev Schreiber, Alison Pill, Marc-André Grondin, and Kim Coates all return for this sequel to Goon. After co-writing the original, Baruchel directs and co-writes this follow-up that finds hockey enforcer Doug Glatt struggling to return to his former glory with the Highlanders. Coming to theaters September 1st, Goon: Last of the Enforcers also stars Elisha Cuthbert, T.J. Miller, and Wyatt Russel.
Lemon
Coming to theaters and VOD on August 18th, Lemon stars Brett Gelman as Isaac Lachmann. Isaac is 40. His girlfriend (Judy Greer) is leaving him, and his career is going nowhere. In her feature directing debut (co-written with Gelman), Janicza Bravo has assembled a wealth of comedic talent (Michael Cera, Nia Long, Fred Melamed, Jeff Garlin, Gillian Jacobs, Martin Starr, and Megan Mullally) to express her unique comedic sensibility. Early reviews are mostly positive.
Kuso
The debut feature from Steven Ellison, aka Flying Lotus, caused walkouts when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Depicting a nightmare post-earthquake Los Angeles through a blend of live-action, animation, body horror, boils, puss, and every other excretion one can think of, Kuso will test the strongest of stomachs when it hits select theaters and Shudder on July 21st.
The Layover
Alexandra Daddario and Kate Upton star in this comedy about two best friends who become the worst of enemies when they find themselves competing for the same guy (Matt Barr) during a layover in St. Louis. Directed by William H. Macy, The Layover also stars Kal Penn, Matt Jones, Molly Shannon, and Rob Corddry. Find it on DirecTV August 3rd and in select theaters September 1st.
Escapes
Directed by Michael Almereyda (Experimenter), Escapes chronicles the life of Hampton Fancher—flamenco dancer, actor, and the producer/writer of Blade Runner. Coming to select theaters July 26th, this unique documentary, led by Fancher’s zeal for storytelling, has good early reviews.
Birth of the Dragon
Re-edited since its debut at TIFF last year, Birth of the Dragon is inspired by the story of Bruce Lee’s fight with kung fu master Wong Jack Man in 1960s San Francisco. Directed by George Nolfi (The Adjustment Bureau), the film stars Philip Ng as Bruce Lee and Yu Xia as Man. Look for it in select theaters August 25.
Pilgrimage
Tom Holland stars as a young Irish monk tasked with delivering a holy relic to Rome in Pilgrimage. Accompanying him on his quest is a former Crusader played by Jon Bernthal. Threatening them along the way are Norman soldiers led by Richard Armitage. Directed by Brendan Muldowney, the film comes to select theaters August 11th.
Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature
The Nut Job received poor reviews and wasn’t a great success at the box office (especially for a family film), but why let that get in the way of a sequel? August 11 brings The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature, with Will Arnett returning to voice Surly Squirrel, who leads his animal friends in a fight to save Liberty Park from the evil plans of the mayor of Oakton.
Short takes
The latest featurette for Atomic Blonde, coming to theaters July 28th, showcases Charlize Theron’s fighting skills.
Directed by Tom Lowe and executive produced by Terrence Malick, Awaken explores humanity’s relationship with technology and nature. No release date has been set.
In 68 Kill, the hapless Chip (Matthew Gray Gubler) finds himself having a rough day when a simple heist with his girlfriend (AnnaLynne McCord) turns into a bloody crime spree. Find it in select theaters and on VOD beginning August 4th.
News and notes
- Barry Jenkins will follow-up Moonlight with an adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel If Beale Street Could Talk. - Variety
- Quentin Tarantino’s next film will revolve around the Manson Family murders. Margot Robbie has been mentioned in connection with the role of Sharon Tate and Brad Pitt, Samuel L. Jackson, and Jennifer Lawrence are being considered for other roles. - Heat Vision & Deadline
- Felicity Jones will star in A Bigger Splash director Luca Guadagnino’s adaptation of Swan Lake. - THR
- Lily James (Baby Driver) has joined Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, Christine Baranski, and Amanda Seyfried in Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again. - THR
- Joe Pesci has come out of retirement to join Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Ray Romano in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman. - Deadline
- Randall Park will play S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jimmy Woo in The Ant-Man and The Wasp. Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, and Michael Peña are all reprising their roles. - Variety
- Jaume Collet-Serra (The Shallows) is the frontrunner to direct Suicide Squad 2. - Deadline
- John Williams will score Steven Spielberg’s The Papers, and Alan Silvestri will take on those duties for Spielberg’s Ready Player One. - Variety
- Clint Eastwood has cast the real heroes—Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos and Spencer Stone—to star in The 15:17 to Paris, about the thwarted terrorist attack. - THR
- Jorge Lendeborg Jr. will star alongside Hailee Steinfeld in Transformers Universe: Bumblebee. - Heat Vision
- David Ayer (Suicide Squad) will not direct Universal’s new Scarface film. - THR
- Blake Lively will star in the spy thriller The Rhythm Section for director Reed Morano (The Handmaid's Tale). - Variety
- Renee Zellweger, Common, Isabella Rossellini, Simon Baker, Taylor Kinney, and Gus Birney have joined Sarah Jessica Parker in the romantic drama Best Day of My Life. - Variety
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