There are 16 new trailers this week, and all of them are at least somewhat interesting. So buckle up, because Christmas just came early.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
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Dinosaurs. Explosions. Chris Pratt. Is there anything more this Jurassic World sequel needed?
(Okay, maybe an explanation as to why the island is blowing up. But that’s hardly relevant.)
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom opens in South Africa 8 June 2018.
Ready Player One
Steven Spielberg’s much-hyped Ready Player One finally has an official trailer that reveals actual plot.
Based on the novel by Ernest Cline (for which Cline is currently writing a sequel), the film tells of Wade Watts, a futuristic teen who finds himself on a quest to save his home: a virtual reality simulator called OASIS.
Ready Player One stars Tye Sheridan (X-Men: Apocalypse), Olivia Cooke (Bates Motel), Ben Mendelsohn (The Dark Knight Rises), TJ Miller (Silicon Valley) and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead).
Catch the film in SA from 30 March 2018.
Maze Runner: The Death Cure
Ever wanted to see Cape Town as an evil CGI city? Ever wanted to see Dylan O’Brien stand on Philip Kgosana Drive and stare at the Lion’s butt (also known as Signal Hill)? Then this Maze Runner trailer is for you!
Other less exciting parts of Maze Runner: The Death Cure include final battles, yearning lovers and something about a cure to save humankind or whatever.
Maze Runner comes back to SA 26 January 2018.
Alita: Battle Angel
Based on the manga-turned-anime Battle Angel Alita, this 10-years-in-the-making blockbuster tells the story of Alita, a Pinocchio-like cyborg who remembers nothing of her past life.
The film is co-produced by James Cameron, and uses the CGI technology from Avatar.
Alita: Battle Angel premieres in South Africa 20 July 2018.
7 Days in Entebbe
In 1976, four terrorists hijacked a plane departing from Israel and diverted the flight to Entebbe, Uganda.
Supported by the forces of Ugandan President Idi Amin, the hijackers demanded a US$5-million ransom from Israel, and the release of 53 Palestinian and Pro-Palestinian militants, 40 of whom were prisoners in Israel.
7 Days in Entebbe — the second film on the subject following 1977’s Raid on Entebbe — tells this story with the help of director José Padilha (RoboCop) and a starring cast of Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl), Daniel Brühl (Captain America: Civil War), Vincent Cassel (Black Swan) and Eddie Marsan (Atomic Blonde).
Entebbe opens in theatres 6 April 2018.
You Were Never Really Here
Cannes darling You Were Never Really Here has released what feels like a million trailers, each one revealing a teeny tiny bit more than the last.
In this one, Joaquin Phoenix still plays a man in search of a kidnapped young girl — except this time we learn he’s been paid to do it, and that his search may not be entirely motivated by money.
You Were Never Really Here doesn’t have an SA release yet, though it hits the US on 6 April 2018.
Wormwood
The final official trailer for Netflix’s Wormwood is here and we can all breathe a sigh of relief.
The six-episode docudrama tells of the CIA’s LSD experiment that led to the mysterious death of a US citizen in the 1950s. The mini-series combines interviews with the man’s son — who has been searching for answers for 60 years — with Errol Morris’ highly-stylised dramatic talent.
Wormwood premieres on Netflix this Friday (15 December).
Lean On Pete
Lean on Pete looks like an indie coming-of-age horse story that will resonate with… people who like horse stories.
Based on the eponymous novel, the film tells of a lonely teenager who befriends a horse at his summer job — until he finds out the horse is being sold and makes the rash decision to run away with him.
Lean on Pete stars Boardwalk Empire stars Steve Buscemi and Charlie Plummer, as well as Chloë Sevigny (Bloodline). The film doesn’t yet have an SA release, but will be in the US 30 March 2018.
Please Stand By
Starring Dakota Fanning, Please Stand By tells of an autistic woman who flees her caregiver in an attempt to submit her Star Trek manuscript to a writing competition.
The film also stars Toni Collette (United States of Tara) and Patton Oswalt (Keeping Up with the Joneses).
The film opens in South Africa 25 May 2018.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
It’s 2017, and everyone is wondering: when will we get more Spider-Man content? But don’t worry — Sony has our backs.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is an animated film about Miles Morales as he juggles high school and the struggles of being a suphero. The film — animated to emulate the style of comic books — was created by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the duo recently ousted from Solo: A Star Wars Story.
The film hits SA cinemas on Thursday 14 December 2018.
Black Mirror
Black Mirror has slowly been releasing trailers for season four’s episodes, and last week it finally gave us a release date.
The full trailer touches on each of the six episodes, promising unique stories that stick to Black Mirror‘s theme of human beings warped by our own creations. Fun.
Catch the fourth season on Netflix from 29 December.
Marvel’s Jessica Jones
Marvel is back with its best TV show: Jessica Jones.
Having already defeated the main villain Kilgrave in season one, the second season looks poised to tackle an even bigger enemy: Jessica’s past.
Catch the second season of Jessica Jones on Netflix 8 March 2018 — a cool three years after the first. It’s fine. I’m not mad.
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan
Here’s a second teaser for Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan starring John Krasinski (The Office) as the title character.
The 10-episode show will tell of the CIA analyst as he is pulled from the safety of his desk job and into the deadly world of fieldwork.
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan premieres on Amazon Prime next year.
Altered Carbon
Netflix’s Altered Carbon is a sci-fi series about a man who, having reincarnated himself several times, hires someone to investigate his previous murder.
Based on the eponymous novel by Richard K Morgan, Netflix calls the show “an intriguing story of murder, love, sex, and betrayal set more than 300 years in the future”.
Altered Carbon premieres on Netflix 2 February.
Good Girls
Overwhelmed by their daily lives and financial burdens, three suburban women rob a supermarket and plunge themselves into the world of crime.
Good Girls stars Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), Retta (Parks and Recreation), and Mae Whitman (Parenthood).
The series premieres in the US 26 February 2018.
Doctor Who: Christmas Special 2017
And, finally, Doctor Who‘s 2017 Christmas Special promises the historic regeneration of the Doctor into its first female form.
The special also stars David Bradley as William Hartnell’s First Doctor, because this is time travel and nothing matters. Duh.
The special — followed by a farewell episode for Capaldi — will air in the UK 25 December.
Feature image: Screenshot, Warner Bros. Pictures via YouTube
