Aladdin
It’s a teaser, so not a lot to go on here. All I can really say is, “huh, so that’s what a Guy Ritchie Aladdin movie looks like.” Aside from Pete’s Dragon, and to a lesser extent Cinderella (and if I’m being very, very, very generous, Maleficent), I haven’t been much of a fan of these Disney “live-action” reimaginings of their classic animated films. All they do is remind me of better movies that I would much rather watch, and they almost always fail to capture what made the original special. So, I’m not too excited for this, and I’d be very surprised if Guy Ritchie (who I generally like, mind you) will explore a middle eastern culture with any semblance of authenticity.
Aladdin will fly into theaters May 24th, 2019.
Pet Sematary
This looks really good! I haven’t read the book, and I don’t recall much of the 1989 film since it’s been a while since I’ve seen it, but either way this looks cool. The main reason I’m excited is because the film is directed by the guys who made a little horror film a few years ago called Starry Eyes, which I definitely recommend. I really like the casting here, it looks visually on point, and super creepy. I’m excited.
Pet Sematary will be released on April 5th, 2019.
Bodied
If you saw my Favorite Films of the Year So Far list, you probably noticed that I had Bodied listed as an honorable mention simply because it wasn’t out yet. I saw it at AFI Fest last year, and it was great, I can tell you that now. This trailer is just the tip of the iceberg. Hopefully, I’ll remember to post something about it once the release date comes close. This is one I definitely recommend checking out, and with a crowd if possible.
Bodied will hit select theaters November 2nd and YouTube Premium on November 28th.
Shoplifters
I first heard of this when it won the Palme d’Or at Cannes earlier this year. I’m unfortunately not too familiar with Hirokazu Kore-eda’s work, but this makes me very curious to check out his previous films. I even did a quick skim at IMDb, and I’ve noticed a lot of his films revolve around children or families, which is interesting. It’s cool to find someone new to dig into, and I’m definitely gonna try checking this one out as soon as it’s out.
Shoplifters will be released in select theaters November 23rd.
The Night Comes For Us
The new Indonesian action film from the guys behind Killers and Headshot! That’s pretty much all I need to get excited for this, but add on top of that the glowing word-of-mouth from its Fantastic Fest premier that it’s one of the most balls-to-the-wall action films in recent memory, and I am counting the seconds down to this coming out. This looks great, and it’s got all the guys I’ve come to love from their work on the Raid films. If you’re an action junkie like me, this should be a priority viewing, and it comes out next week!
The Night Comes For Us will begin streaming on Netflix October 19th.
The Best Of Enemies
This looks fine, I suppose, if a tad generic. It’s the directorial debut of Robin Bissell, who has produced most of Gary Ross’ films. Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell do look great in this, but everything else feels like business as usual for a movie like this. It does seem like a compelling enough story, though. However, the fact that something like this isn’t being given an awards season release date is a tad suspect.
The Best Of Enemies will be released on April 5th, 2019.
Ben Is Back
I guess this could make a solid double feature with Beautiful Boy, which deals with Timothée Chalamet being an addict and how that affects the relationship with his family, specifically with his father. This also looks fine. I’m not immediately compelled here, and I’ve seen plenty like this before. Hopefully, it will at least be a decent watch, especially with the actors involved.
Ben Is Back will be released in select theaters December 7th.
The Little Drummer Girl
I haven’t read any John Le Carré, but I’ve enjoyed many of his novel adaptations. And the cool thing about this is that it’s directed by Park Chan-wook, the genius behind Oldboy and The Handmaiden, among many other brilliant films. The cast is great too, but I’m mostly interested in seeing how Park handles this kind of material, and in the context of a miniseries no less.
The Little Drummer Girl will begin airing on three nights starting November 19th at 9 PM EST.
Thoughts on any of the trailers? Feel free to discuss in the comments!