Directed by Paul Greengrass, News of the World follows Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, played by Tom Hanks. It’s five years after the end of the Civil War, and he is a veteran of three wars, now moves from town to town as a non-fiction storyteller, sharing the news of presidents and queens, glorious feuds, devastating catastrophes, and gripping adventures from the far reaches of the globe.
In the plains of Texas, he crosses paths with Johanna, played by Helena Zengel, a 10-year-old taken in by the Kiowa people six years earlier and raised as one of their own. Johanna, hostile to a world she’s never experienced, is being returned to her biological aunt and uncle against her will.
Kidd agrees to deliver the child where the law says she belongs. As they travel hundreds of miles into the unforgiving wilderness, the two will face tremendous challenges of human and natural forces as they search for a place they can call home.
Greengrass co-wrote the screenplay with Luke Davies based on the National Book Award finalist and best-selling novel by Paulette Jiles. The film’s music is by eight-time Academy Award® nominee James Newton Howard.
Directed by Oleg Stepchenko, for the first time, screen legends Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan face off against each other in battle in this epic fantasy adventure, Iron Mask.
To save his homeland from certain doom, a kung fu master, played by Chan, must escape from the maniacal James Hook, played by Schwarzenegger, to send his daughter a secret talisman that will allow her to control a massive and mythical dragon.
This larger-than-life, globe-trotting tale – ranging from the impenetrable Tower of London to the fabled Silk Road and China’s Great Wall – also stars Rutger Hauer in one of the screen icon’s final performances.
The rest of the talented cast includes Jason Flemyng, Yao Xingtong, Anna Churina, Yuri Kolokolnikov, Martin Klebba, Charles Dance, and Christopher Fairbank.
Directed by Edson Oda, Nine Days follow Will, played by Winston Duke, as he spends his days in a remote outpost watching the live Point of View (POV) on TV of people going about their lives. Then one of them perishes, leaving a vacancy for a new life on Earth.
Soon, several candidates – unborn souls – arrive at Will’s to undergo tests determining their fitness, facing oblivion when deemed unsuitable.
But Will soon faces his own existential challenge in the form of free-spirited Emma, played by Zazie Beetz, a candidate, unlike the others. The situation forces him to turn within and reckon with his own tumultuous past. Fueled by unexpected power, Will discovers a bold new path forward in his own life.
The movie also stars Brandy Pitcher, Eric Ramaekers, and Eliza de Azevedo Brown.
Making his feature-film debut after a series of highly acclaimed and award-winning short films and music videos, Japanese Brazilian director Oda appears to deliver a heartfelt and meditative vision of human souls in limbo, aching to be born against unimaginable odds yet hindered by forces beyond their will.
Directed by Luke Greenfield, Half Brothers is a story about the complex connection between a brother based in Mexico and another in the United States. It’s meant to be a metaphor for the relationship between neighboring countries the United States of America, and Mexico.
Directed by Shawn Levy, Free Guy follows a bank teller, played by Ryan Reynolds. He discovers that he’s actually an NPC inside a brutal, open-world video game.
Also starring in the movie are Taika Waititi and Jodie Comer.
Written and directed by Zoe Lister-Jones, The Craft: Legacy continues Blumhouse’s cult hit The Craft. The story follows an eclectic foursome of aspiring teenage witches who get more than they bargained for as they lean into their newfound powers. You won’t catch this movie in the theaters as it’s set for on-demand.
The film stars Cailee Spaeny, Gideon Adlon, Lovie Simone, Zoey Luna, Nicholas Galitzine, Michelle Monaghan, and David Duchovny.
Directed by Lance Hool and co-written by Veronica Hool and Robin U. Russin, 2 Hearts follows two couples. Their future unfolds in different decades and different places, but a hidden connection will bring them together in a way no one could have predicted.
Based on a true story that inspires, 2 Hearts is a romantic journey that celebrates life, love, and generosity of spirit, and challenges audiences to believe miracles are possible.
The cast includes Jacob Elordi, Radha Mitchell, and Tiera Skovbye.
I am not sure where this story is going but I hope it’s not too syrupy, sweet.
The featurette tells us a bit about the story but not all of it. It looks like a tearjerker.
Story by Diane Paragas and Andy Bienen and co-wrote with Paragas, Annie Howell, and Celena Cipriaso, Paragas also directed Yellow Rose. The movie follows a Filipina teen, played by Eva Nolblezada, from a small Texas town. She fights to pursue her dreams as a country music performer while having to decide between staying with her family or leaving the only home she has known.
Noblezada is a Grammy-winner and two-time Tony Award nominee for Broadway’s Hadestown and Miss Saigon. This is her feature film debut with award-winning country music artist Dale Watson, Princess Punzalan and Lea Salonga.
As her first narrative feature film, Paragas had this to say, “…a deeply personal story that is filled with heart, acceptance, and hope set to an unforgettable original soundtrack. This release has given us a unique opportunity to present the Filipino-American experience and the struggles of undocumented families to a wide spectrum of audiences, who we hope will embrace Rose’s story and leave the theater singing her songs.”
Directed by Chole Zhao, Nomadland follows Fern, played by Frances McDormand. Following the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, she packs her van and sets off on the road, exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad.
I saw the movie and found it very well written, directed and acted. The story is genuine about the struggle for the American Dream. It’s not something you’d want to watch for pure entertainment. Well crafted, it’s a movie that gets under your skin, and you think about it for days. You marvel at how internally deep Frances McDormand goes to tell us this amazing story.
The third feature film from Zhao, Nomandland features real nomads Linda May, Swankie and Bob Wells as Fern’s mentors and comrades in her exploration through the vast landscape of the American West.
“The American road fascinates me. It’s heartbreakingly beautiful and deeply complicated. I’ve traveled it for many years and always hoped to capture a glimpse of it. I’m thankful to be able to make Nomandland and excited for audiences to join Fern on her adventure,” said Zhao.
The filmed version of the original Broadway production of Hamilton combines the best elements of live theater, film, and streaming to bring the cultural phenomenon to homes around the world for a thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
With book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and direction by Thomas Kail, Hamilton is inspired by the book Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow.
Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway, Hamilton has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theatre. This musical has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education.
Hamilton stars: Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson; Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler; Jonathan Groff as King George; Christopher Jackson as George Washington; Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds; Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton; Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr; Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison; Anthony Ramos as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton; and Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton.
“I’m incredibly grateful that the world will be able to see this. Theater is a communal artistic experience, and this film is a love letter to live theater,” Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Capturing the essence of the Broadway show were six camera positions with six camera operators. Additionally, there were three fixed camera positions, one dolly and a Steadicam, a crane and two angles capturing each performance. There was one overhead camera and one at the rear of the stage, strategically hidden in a brick wall. The Steadicam, crane, and dolly were used on the scene the day the audience was not present. They shot 13 or 14 numbers from the 46 numbers in the show.
Director Thomas Kail describes directing Hamilton for the screen, “This film celebrates the work of our extraordinary designers.”
Offering the example with one of the most moving scenes, he says, “Satisfied changes time and plays with the time dynamic. The show doesn’t proceed in a linear fashion. It’s elliptical… it’s not continuous time, but it’s always moving forward, and Satisfied is the first moment in our show where we stop time.”
The song is also doing more, “What we are doing in that song is setting up the final duel… we’re setting up the bullet, and what we’re able to do on film is be much more subjective with the camera, so it feels a little more like we’re going inside her brain. The cut pattern is quite accelerated, and the camera angles are quite varied, and we did that because we wanted to also break the form in the cinematic language in the same way that we break the form in the theatrical language in the theater.”
