‘Migration’ Trailer: Elizabeth Banks, Kumail Nanjiani, And Awkwafina Fly South For The Winter

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November 14, 2023

Illumination has already scored one of the biggest hits of the year with The Super Mario Bros. Movie, but they’re hoping to go two-for-two with the release of Migration. The film about a family of mallards on a troubled vacation could be the next gigantic franchise for the studio, following the likes of Despicable Me, Minions, The Secret Life of Pets, and Sing. These folks rarely miss, although buzz for this one has been a bit quiet, as it doesn’t have the instant splash appeal of their previous projects.

Migration centers on a family of mallards and their wild journey to the Bahamas. The Illumination film was penned by The White Lotus creator Mike White and features the voices of Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Awkwafina, Keegan-Michael Key, Carol Kane, and Danny DeVito. Benjamin Renner directed, joined by co-director Guylo Homsy.

Here’s the synopsis:The Mallard family is in a bit of rut. While dad Mack is content to keep his family safe paddling around their New England pond forever, mom Pam is eager to shake things up and show their kids—teen son Dax and duckling daughter Gwen—the whole wide world. After a migrating duck family alights on their pond with thrilling tales of far-flung places, Pam persuades Mack to embark on a family trip, via New York City, to tropical Jamaica.

As the Mallards make their way South for the winter, their well-laid plans quickly go awry. The experience will inspire them to expand their horizons, open themselves up to new friends and accomplish more than they ever thought possible, while teaching them more about each other—and themselves—than they ever imagined.

Another big draw is the Taylor Swift track “Out of the Woods (Taylor’s Version)” which comes from the re-recorded album “1989 (Taylor’s Version)”.

Migration opens in theaters on December 23rd.

DC Readers: Attend A Free Early Screening Of ‘Leave The World Behind’

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Travis Hopson

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November 14, 2023

We’re happy to offer our DC readers the chance to attend a free early screening of Leave the World Behind, starring Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, and Kevin Bacon. The film is directed by Sam Esmail, who will be on hand for a Q&A along with author Rumaan Alam following the event. There will also be free concessions for those who attend!

SYNOPSIS: A family’s vacation is upended when two strangers arrive at night, seeking refuge from a cyberattack that grows more terrifying by the minute, forcing everyone to come to terms with their places in a collapsing world.

The screening takes place on Thursday, November 16th at 7:30pm at iPic Bethesda. If you’d like to attend, please RSVP here.

Leave the World Behind opens in select theaters on November 22nd, followed by Netflix on December 8th.

‘Masters Of The Universe’ Live-Action Film Could Move To Amazon Next

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Travis Hopson

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November 14, 2023

Nostalgia is all the rage right now, and movies based on toys are bigger hits than ever. But still, there’s one project that just can’t seem to ever get going, and that’s a live-action Masters of the Universe. Talk about “Development Hell”, this project has been trapped there for more than a decade, but seemed to get going when Netflix paid a cool $30M to acquire and develop it, only to shutter it over the summer. Now it’s possible He-Man has found a new home at a rival streamer.

Variety reports that Amazon is talks to acquire Masters of the Universe and complete the movie themselves. The “tenuous” conversations depend on multiple factors. Mattel would need to sign off and they reportedly want a guarantee of a theatrical release. Directors Aaron and Adam Nee (recently of The Lost City, and now in charge of a new Lego film) would need to be negotiated with as they’ve been on the project for years. And finally, there’s a rights issue that needs to be sorted out between Mattel and NBC Universal/Dreamworks that could impact any potential sequels.

The budget for the film is said to be in the $170M range, which certainly sounds like the start of a major franchise effort. Basically, NBC Universal/Dreamworks has the rights but Mattel is free to seek a live-action feature deal, but that time runs out in 2026, which means Amazon wouldn’t have a chance to do a sequel. Mattel is negotiating an extension so that if Master of the Universe is a hit, Amazon can then keep making He-Man movies.

And what happens to West Side Story actor Kylen Allen, who was cast to play He-Man/Prince Adam? Does he stick around? Or does Amazon have an idea of their own who should star? We should get some answers soon.

‘The Sacrifice Game’ Trailer: Prep School Girls Face A Deadly Cult In Jenn Wexler’s Holiday Horror

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Travis Hopson

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November 13, 2023

Traveling cults, the Christmas season, an all-girl prep school…sounds like the perfect mix for a killer horror flick. The Sacrifice Game is just what genre fans ordered, and it comes from filmmaker Jenn Wexler. If you saw her 2018 slasher The Ranger, then you know she’s got the goods, and this one ought to be a lot of fun.

Wexler reunites with The Ranger star Chloë Levine, along with Aladdin star Mena Massoud, Olivia Scott Welch, Gus Kenworthy, Madison Baines, Derek Johns, Laurent Pitre, and Georgia Acken.

Set in 1971, the film follows a group of prep school girls who can’t go home for the holidays. To make matters infinitely worse, they become the targets of a traveling cult.

Of course this is a Shudder release, and they plan to make The Sacrifice Game available to stream on December 8th.

Here’s the synopsis: The Blackvale School for Girls, 1971. It’s bad enough that students Samantha (Madison Baines) and Clara (Georgia Acken) can’t go home for the holidays, but things take a deadly turn when a gang of cult killers arrives at their doorstep—just in time for Christmas.

Denzel Washington To Conquer As Hannibal In Antoine Fuqua’s Historical Epic

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Travis Hopson

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November 13, 2023

Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua just can’t quit one another. Now that their Equalizer trilogy has wrapped up, and quite successfully at that, the duo aren’t wasting any time in finding their next project together. With the SAG-AFTRA strike over, Fuqua’s historical epic on the legendary conqueror Hannibal is moving ahead, with Denzel set for the lead role.

The project is set up at Netflix, who have announced that Denzel Washington will lead the untitled Hannibal project to be directed by Fuqua. Aboard to write the script is Oscar-nominated writer, John Logan. He’s known best for working with Scorsese on The Aviator and Hugo, Tim Burton on Sweeney Todd, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, and Sam Mendes for Skyfall and Spectre. In short, Logan is very in-demand.

Here is the current synopsis: Based on real-life warrior Hannibal, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest military commanders in history. The film covers the pivotal battles he led against the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War.

This is still pretty early so we have no idea when we can expect the Hannibal film to hit Netflix. You can bet there will be a theatrical component, too. With Denzel aboard, Fuqua has his guy, and the rest of the pieces should line up easily. [Deadline]

DC Readers: Attend A Free Early Screening Of ‘Thanksgiving’

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Travis Hopson

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November 13, 2023

We’re happy to offer our DC readers the chance to feast on an early screening of Thanksgiving, Eli Roth’s latest horror film that expands on his original grindhouse mock trailer from 2007. The film stars Patrick Dempsey, Addison Rae, Milo Manheim, Rick Hoffman, and Gina Gershon.

SYNOPSIS: After a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy, a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer terrorizes Plymouth, Massachusetts – the birthplace of the holiday. Picking off residents one by one, what begins as random revenge killings are soon revealed to be part of a larger, sinister holiday plan. Will the town uncover the killer and survive the holidays…or become guests at his twisted holiday dinner table?

The screening takes place on Wednesday, November 15th at 7:30pm at Landmark E Street. If you’d like to attend, RSVP at the Sony Pictures site here. Please remember all screenings are first come first served and you’ll need to arrive early to ensure seating. Don’t forget the cranberry sauce!

Thanksgiving opens in theaters on November 17th.

‘Terrifier 3’ Teaser Has Art The Clown Returning For A Murderous Christmas

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Travis Hopson

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November 13, 2023

It’s tough to create a new slasher that can stand with the likes of Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, and Jason Voorhees. But Damien Leone seems to have done that with Art the Clown, who has been stalking Final Girls since Leone’s first short film in 2008. The character really blew up last year when Terrifier 2 broke the bank at the box office, and now that franchise is red-hot. Fortunately, fans of Art won’t have to wait long to see him return, as Terrifer 3 is already being teased before its release next year.

And Leone is surprising fans with something special for next time: this sequel is going to be a Christmas movie. That’s right, we get to see how Art the Clown celebrates the holidays. Based on this teaser, he’s coming down your chimney, stealing your presents, and possibly taking a hatchet to any kids on the “Naughty” list.

Yeah, this one’s gonna be pretty fucked up.

David Howard Thorton returns as Art the Clown, a role he’s played since Terrifier in 2016. Lauren LaVera also returns as Sienna Shaw, the “Final Girl” of the previous movie, and Samantha Scaffidi will return as Victoria Heyes, who survived the first movie but now has a rather gruesome connection to Art.

Here is the synopsis: In the third installment of Damien Leone’s breakout horror film, Art the Clown is set to unleash chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve.

Terrifier 3 will deck the halls on October 25th 2024.

‘Sometimes I Think About Dying’ Trailer: Daisy Ridley Is A Misfit In Need Of Human Connection

By

Travis Hopson

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November 13, 2023

Daisy Ridley in SOMETIMES I THINK ABOUT DYING

It’s funny how things shake out sometimes. Just days ago I was talking with a colleague about the Daisy Ridley “dramedy”, Sometimes I Think About Dying, which had its world premiere at Sundance. It was…well, not a positive conversation as we both agreed it was a pretty miserable way to kick off the festival. We wondered if it had found distribution, and lo and behold, here is the first trailer which arrives before the film’s release next January, a full year after it debuted.

Ridley stars as Fran, a lonely young woman who is more than happy to live a quiet, simple life with her office job, few friends, and not much else to speak of. Her life gets tossed upside down when Robert, a new hire at work, enters her life and sparks feelings she hasn’t felt in a very long time.

The film is directed by Rachel Lambert and produced by Ridley, showing her investment in the project. It’s based on a 2019 short film directed by co-writer Stefanie Abel Horowitz which, in turn, was based on a play called Killers by Kevin Armento.

Also in the cast are Dave Merheje, Parvesh Cheena, Marcia Debonis, Meg Stalter, and Brittany O’Grady.

As you probably guessed, I did not like this movie at all, writing “Even clocking at just 90-minutes or so, the film does test one’s patience. There’s very little urgency to anything going on, and we get very little insight into Fran which can be frustrating.”

Perhaps you will feel different? Ridley is still a very talented actress (she recently elevated The Marsh King’s Daughter as far as she could) who takes on roles that challenge her. She’ll always be worth paying attention to, even when the material is subpar.

Sometimes I Think About Dying opens on January 26th 2024.

‘Vandits’ Exclusive Clip: Small-Time Crooks Go For The Big Score On Christmas Eve

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Travis Hopson

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November 13, 2023

Small-time crooks go for broke in a new exclusive clip from the upcoming heist comedy, Vandits. The holiday caper stars Enrico Colantoni (Veronica Mars), Robb Wells (Trailer Park Boys), Tony Nappo (Saw II), Francesco Antonio (Wayne), Jesse Camacho (Locke & Key), and Victoria Turko (Burden of Truth). Also in the cast is singer/songwriter Jann Arden.

Here is the official synopsis: A gang of small-time crooks, self-proclaimed THE VANDITS, look to make a big score when they embark on a ridiculous heist to rob a bingo hall on Christmas Eve.

Vandits was directed by Stuart Stone, who also co-wrote the script with Adam Rodness. The film was produced by Adam Rodness and executive produced by Kyle Bornais, Ira Levy, Michael McGuigan, Kent Sobey, Gary Glassman, Lita Glassman, Adam Weitner, and John Weitner.

Quiver Distribution released Vandits on November 10th and it is available now.

‘Damsel’ Teaser: Millie Bobby Brown Fights A Dragon To Survive In Netflix’s Fantasy Adventure

By

Travis Hopson

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November 13, 2023

Millie Bobby Brown has made it VERY clear that she’s ready for the whole Stranger Things stuff to be over. For her, the delays caused by the SAG-AFTRA strike must’ve been torture, because the next season probably won’t arrive until 2025 at the earliest. Until that time, Brown has continued to find ways to step out on her own, with the popular Enola Holmes movies, and next year’s fantasy-adventure, Damsel, which is being teased in a new trailer.

The story is an interesting twist on classic fairy tales, with Brown playing a woman who agrees to marry a handsome prince. Unfortunately, she discovers that her spouse’s family really wanted her as a sacrifice in an ancient ritual involving a fire-breathing dragon. She must use her wits and skills to avoid being eaten by the creature and make her escape.

Damsel is the first film directed by Spanish filmmaker Juan Carlos Fresnadillo since 2011’s Intruders. That’s incredible to me for a director of his talent. He also helmed 28 Weeks Later, the sequel to Danny Boyle’s hit “zombie” horror.

Joining Brown in the cast is a phenomenal group that includes Ray Winstone, Nick Robinson, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Angela Bassett, and Robin Wright.

Here’s the synopsis: A dutiful damsel agrees to marry a handsome prince, only to find the royal family has recruited her as a sacrifice to repay an ancient debt. Thrown into a cave with a fire-breathing dragon, she must rely on her wits and will to survive.

Damsel was originally due to hit Netflix last month, but has moved to 2024.