Directed by Jake Kasdan, after a villain kidnaps Santa from the North Pole, an E.L.F. (Extremely Large and Formidable) operative, played by Dwayne Johnson, must partner with the world’s most accomplished tracker, played by Chris Evans, to find Santa, played by J. K. Simmons, and save Christmas.
The rest of the cast includes Kiernan Shipka, Bonnie Hunt, Lucy Liu, Kristofer Hivju, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Nick Kroll and Wesley Kimmel.
Other films directed by Kasdan:
Walk Hard
Bad Teacher
Sex Tape
Liz W. Gracia directs Space Cadet, which reminds me of Jerry Lewis’s slapstick comedy films. The wacky story follows Tiffany “Rex” Simpson, played by Emma Roberts. She has always dreamed of going to space, but life isn’t going quite as planned.
Determined to turn things around, she aims high, and, with the embellishing touch of her supportive best friend Nadine, played by Poppy Li, her “doctored” application lands her in NASA’s ultra-competitive astronaut training program.
Over her head, Rex relies on her quick wits, grit, and determination to get to the top of her class. NASA program directors Pam, played by Gabrielle Union, and Logan, played by Tom Hopper, take notice. But can this Florida girl get through training and into the cosmos before she blows her cover?
Written and directed by Liz W. Garcia, Space Cadet is a comedy about the power of being yourself, following your dreams and shooting for the stars.
Doug Liman directed The Instigators. The story follows Rory, played by Matt Damon, and Cobby, played by Casey Affleck, who are reluctant partners. One is a desperate father, and the other is an ex-con thrown together to pull off a robbery of the ill-gained earnings of a corrupt politician.
But when the heist goes wrong, the two find themselves engulfed in a whirlwind of chaos, pursued not only by police but also by backward bureaucrats and vengeful crime bosses. Completely out of their depth, they convince Rory’s therapist, played by Hong Chau, to join their riotous getaway through the city, where they must put aside their differences and work together to evade capture—or worse.
Written by Chuck MacLean and Casey Affleck, The Instigators also stars Michael Stuhlbarg, Paul Walter Hauser, Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina, and Toby Jones, with Jack Harlow and Ron Perlman.
Other films directed by Doug Liman:
Edge of Tomorrow
The Bourne Identity
Pete Segal directs My Spy: The Eternal City. Back by popular demand, My Spy’s dynamic duo, veteran CIA operative JJ, played by Dave Bautista and his 14-year-old stepdaughter and protégé, Sophie, played by Chloe Coleman, reunite to save the world when a high school choir tour of Italy is interrupted by a nefarious nuclear plot targeting the Vatican.
The supporting cast includes Kristen Schaal, Flula Borg, Craig Robinson, Billy Barratt, Taeho K, Anna Faris, and Ken Jeong.
Based on a book by Jay R. Bonansinga and directed by JJ Perry, The Killer’s Game is an action-comedy.
Pro hitman Joe Flood, played by Dave Bautista, received terrible news from his doctor. He has a terminal illness.
He takes matters into his own hands by taking a hit out on himself for a quick kill instead of the long-suffering pain of the terminal illness.
But when the very hitmen he hired also target his ex-girlfriend, played by Sofia Boutella, he must fend off an army of assassin colleagues and win back the love of his life before it’s too late.
Jon Watts wrote and directed Wolfs, starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney. The story follows two professional fixers, played by Pitt and Clooney.
Though they consider themselves lone wolves, they are forced to work together. One night, their ideologies of working alone and fixing the situation spiral out of control, hopefully making the film entertaining.
It’s good to see Amy Ryan in the trailer. She’s great in Sugar, opposite Colin Farrell, which also plays on Apple TV. Austin Abrams is also in the film and seems poised to be hilarious.
Other movies directed by Jon Watts:
Spiderman No Way Home
Spiderman
Cop Car
Clown
A Sundance audience favorite, Sean Wang wrote and directed Dìdi. It’s an autobiographical story that follows a 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy, played by Izaac Wang, during his last summer before high school begins.
Frustrated, he discovers his family cannot teach him how to flirt, skate or love his mom.
Nicholas Stoller directs Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell in a comedy about a woman (Witherspoon) planning her sister’s perfect wedding.
A father, played by Ferrell, of a young bride-to-be, finds out the remote resort has double-booked for their destination wedding.
They are on an island off the Georgia coast, so both parties decide to share the small venue. Like any comedy, chaos ensues, and disaster awaits.
The supporting cast includes Geraldine Viswanathan, Meredith Hagner, Jimmy Tatro, Stony Blyden, Leanne Morgan, Rory Scovel, Keyla Monterroso Mejia, Ramona Young, Jack McBrayer and Cecilia Weston.
Castille Landon directed Summer Camp, which tells the story of Nora, played by Diane Keaton, Ginny, played by Kathy Bates and Mary, played by Alfe Woodard. They have been inseparable best friends since summer camp.
As the years have passed, they’ve seen each other less and less, so when the chance to reunite for a summer camp reunion arises, they all take it, some begrudgingly and others excitedly.
Each of their lives might not be where they’d imagined, but one thing is sure — Nora, Ginny, and Mary need each other, and summer camp reminds them why.
Tim Burton directs the sequel to 1988’s Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice follows a family trying to keep it together against the interfering Beetlejuice, played by Michael Keaton.
The cast includes Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jenna Ortega and Justin Theroux.