Don’t Breathe 2
I didn’t think of the first Don’t Breathe as a film that really warrants a sequel, despite leaving some things open in its ending. I was curious to see what they would do for the sequel, and I gotta say, this is definitely not what I expected. I’m already seeing some people online feeling a certain way because this is centering Stephen Lang’s character. It doesn’t seem to me like they’re framing him as a hero. He just happens to be the perspective we’re following, and I think that’s kind of interesting. I liked Don’t Breathe, and it’s cool to see the original creative team back. Here’s to hoping they can make this just as effective as the first.
Don’t Breathe 2 hits theaters on August 13th.
Jolt
I’m sold. I dig Kate Beckinsale, and while I wouldn’t call any of the Underworld movies “great,” she has used them to prove she is plenty capable as an action star. I really dig how rugged and messy she looks. I like how this is basically a reverse Crank, where the electricity is meant to keep her subdued rather than shooting up adrenaline to keep her alive. This is also directed by Tanya Wexler, who made one of my favorite films of 2020 with Buffaloed, so I’m hoping she can bring some of that sly energy, and apply it to the action genre here. This looks fun.
Jolt hits Amazon Prime Video on July 23rd.
The Many Saints Of Newark
Yeah, this looks pretty great. However, I should admit that I have yet to complete The Sopranos. I tried many years ago, but something got in the way, and I ended up not even finishing the first season, but I remember really digging what I saw. I like mob stuff anyways, so it’s hardly a stretch for me. With this prequel coming out, I think I might finally get around to it. It’s cool to see James Gandolfini’s kid take the lead here as Tony, it’s such a nice touch. This trailer is great, and I’m hoping the film will be too.
The Many Saints Of Newark will be released in theaters and HBO Max on October 1st for 31 days.
Coda
I can recall hearing some great things about this when it premiered at Sundance, and I can definitely see why. It is structurally pretty straightforward and not unlike many feel-good movies, but having it centered on a deaf family does provide an interesting layer that adds just a bit more depth than these films usually have. Not much else to say, the trailer really…speaks for itself. Sorry, that was bad, I couldn’t help it.
CODA premieres on Apple TV+ and in select theaters on August 13th.
Sing 2
I was not a huge fan of the first Sing, so I can tell you right now that I’m probably not gonna see this, unless word of mouth is stupendous or something. It’s not like I found the first one terrible or anything, I just found it very basic, uninspired, and it all felt like a big excuse to get a bunch of celebrities together and sell pop songs in a more overt manner, since a lot of American family films tend to use the latest hits in their soundtrack regardless of whether it fits or not. Apologies if I come across as a curmudgeon. If you liked Sing, I hope you enjoy this. It doesn’t look any worse than the first one, so that’s something.
Sing 2 hits theaters on December 22nd.
Clifford The Big Red Dog
Now, it’s been a while, and I’ve only seen a handful of episodes of the PBS show, but I can’t help but feel the filmmakers took some liberties with the source material. Jokes aside, this looks perfectly fine, I suppose. I think some of the effects here are not quite up to snuff, but maybe they’ll work it out before release. One thing I like about this is that they seem to be keeping things fairly low-key, there’s no big villain or anything, just hijinks. I’m sure it will be fun for the kids.
Clifford The Big Red Dog hits theaters on September 17th.
Thoughts on any of the trailers? Feel free to discuss in the comments!