A couple days back Focus Features dropped the first trailer for “Land”, their upcoming drama set to premiere at Sundance in January before its wider release February 12, 2021 just in time to qualify for Oscar consideration. It’s the directorial debut for Robin Wright working from a screenplay written by Jesse Chatham and Erin Digman. Wright did some directing for the hit television show “House of Cards”, but this is the first time at the helm for a feature film. This first look leaves a really good impression.

Wright also plays the film’s lead character who goes off the grid following a devastating personal loss. “It’s really difficult to be around people.” She retreats to a remote cabin in the wilderness and disconnects from society. But when a hunter played by Demian Bichir saves her from near-death, she finds in him someone who helps her cope with her sorrow and view life through a different lens. So much in this first trailer lands well from its deeply personal perspective to the gorgeous mountain setting. I’m in.

Once again “Land” is set for a Sundance premiere and then a full release February 12, 2021. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

What a fun day! Warner Bros. dropped the first trailer for one of my most anticipated films, John Lee Hancock’s “The Little Things”. I loved Hancock’s last two movies 2016’s “The Founder” and 2019’s “The Highwaymen”. But the big draw here is the cast led by three Oscar winners, Rami Malek, Jared Leto, and one of my all-time favorites Denzel Washington. Personally I’ll see anything Denzel does, but all of these extra ingredients only adds to the excitement.

“The Little Things” looks to be a gritty crime thriller that sees Washington playing a Kern County Deputy Sheriff who joins up with a Los Angeles police detective (Malek) in hunting down a brutal serial killer. Their methods clash a bit and tensions rise especially when the slippery prime suspect (played by Leto) begins playing his games. The screenplay is written by Hancock and the glimpses we get of John Schwartzman’s cinematography hint at a dark, moody tone. I can’t wait!

“The Little Things” opens January 29th, 2021 in theaters and on HBO Max. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

It looks like Netflix will be kicking off the new year with a literal bang. Their new futuristic shoot-em-up “Outside the Wire” comes from the studio that made other recent action flicks for the streaming giant, the surprisingly good “Extraction” and the not-so-good “The Old Guard”. Directed by Swedish filmmaker Mikael Håfström, this action and sci-fi blend dropped its first trailer this morning. And while it certainly has a familiar look, it could also be a pretty good time.

The movie stars Marvel alum Anthony Mackie and is set to premiere just before his big MCU Disney+ series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”. Mackie plays a seriously tough android who is partnered with an inexperienced drone pilot (Damson Idris) to go into a heavy militarized territory in search of a doomsday weapon. Action ensues as Mackie shows off his action movie lead actor chops. The clips we get are loaded with fisticuffs, gunfire, and even robots. That’s all I needed. I’ll be giving it a look.

“Outside the Wire” premieres January 15th on Netflix. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

In case you missed it yesterday was Walt Disney’s Investor Day meaning a ton of great Star Wars news dropped. And I do mean A TON. I know some people were left with a sour taste in their mouth after “Rise of Skywalker” (not me, I still think it’s a good film). But most agree that both the final season of “The Clone Wars” and “The Mandalorian” have been terrific entries into the massive Star Wars canon. Well get ready because that canon is about to get even bigger. Last night Disney shared huge plans for the franchise announcing new movies and Disney+ streaming series. It’s still a great time to be a Star Wars fan. In case you missed it here are the evening’s biggest announcements.

#1 – Hayden Christensen and the Obi-Wan Kenobi Series

Yesterday we learned that not only is the Ewan McGregor led Obi-Wan series chugging right along, but it will feature none other than Hayden Christensen making his return to the Star Wars universe as Darth Vader. It’s exciting news and makes perfect sense considering the series is set 10 years after “Revenge of the Sith”. Needless to say there is plenty of unfinished business between the two that’s just begging to be explored. Look for this coming soon to Disney+.

#2 – Patty Jenkins is Making a Star Wars Movie

It looks like we know what’s next for Patty Jenkins after her highly anticipated Wonder Woman sequel. Disney dropped a very personal (and extremely cool) video featuring Jenkins announcing “Rouge Squadron”. It will be a feature film focused on something near and dear to Jenkins’ heart – fighter pilots. Plus she will be the first woman to direct a Star Wars film. This is obviously in its early stages but I can’t wait to see we she brings to the beloved galaxy far, far away.

#3 – The Bad Patch Animated Series

There were rumors of this circulating but now it’s confirmed. Disney dropped an official trailer announcing “The Bad Patch” animated series. This is particularly exciting for anyone who saw the highly praised final season of “The Clone Wars”. There is a ton of potential as the mercenary group find themselves at odds with pretty much everyone in the wake of Order 66. The series is “coming soon” to Disney+.

#4 – Taika Waititi’s Star Wars Movie is Confirmed

It’s been swirling around the internet for a while, but Disney finally confirmed that Taika Waititi will be directing an upcoming feature film. No real details whatsoever but several questions. Will it be a stand-alone or the start of a new trilogy? Will he stay in sync with the SWU or do something jarringly different (see “Thor: Ragnarok”). One thing we do know, he’s already dipped his toe into Star Wars with “The Mandalorian” and I’m anxious to see what he has up his sleeve.

#5 – Ahsoka Tano Gets Her Own Series

Many of us are rejoicing following the news that the much-loved Ahsoka is getting her own live-action series. It will be set during the Mandalorian timeline and is almost certain to connect with certain characters and locations from Mando’s current show. Rosario Dawson will reprise her role which is fine by me. Can’t wait for this one coming soon to Disney+.

#6 – Lando Calrissian Series in the Works

That smooth-talking scoundrel Lando Calrissian is finally getting more than a supporting role. In fact he’s getting his very own series (you guessed it) coming soon to Disney+. Practically nothing else was shared including the most obvious question – will this feature Billy Dee Williams or Donald Glover? How about both? That’s my vote.

#7 – Diego Luna Returns as Cassian Andor

Great news for “Rogue One” fans. Diego Luna will reprise his role as Cassian Andor in an upcoming streaming series “Andor”. The project actually began production in late 2018 but now is moving full-steam ahead. It will feature some returning faces from “Rogue One” including Cassian’s snarky sidekick K-2SO once again voiced by Alan Tudyk. The series lands on Disney+ in 2022.

Other announcements for Disney+ include another Mandalorian spin-off “Rangers of the New Republic”, a collection of anime short films titled “Star Wars: Visions”, a new mystery-thriller series called “The Acolyte”, a new animated feature film “A Droid Story”, and “The Mandalorian: Season 3” slated for December 2021.

So what do you think of the big announcements? Which one excites you the most? Let me know in the comments section below.

I first saw the trailer for “The Marksman” a few weeks ago at the theaters. I think it was in front of “Let Him Go”. Regardless, a new Liam Neeson action flick always catches my eye even if it’s built around a pretty corny premise and even if it features the gravelly-voiced Irishman sporting a hilariously bad southern accent. Actually approaching this as an unintentional light comedy has merits of its own.

Familiar elements abound in this latest revenge-fueled yarn. Neeson plays a rancher on the southern border who happens to be an ex-Marine sharpshooter (that’s sure to come in handy later). His quiet life is shaken when he witnesses a migrant mother and her young son running from a violent drug cartel. Of course he intervenes putting him in the gang’s crosshairs and forcing him to dust off his ‘particular set of skills’. It goes without saying the film looks to be treading some well-worn ground, but I’ll still be seeing it. What can I say, I have a soft spot for these Neeson romps.

“The Marksman” is set for a January 22nd theater release. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

If you were anywhere close to screen yesterday you probably saw what is the biggest movie news of the year and potentially of the next few years to come. Warner Bros. announced that they will be releasing their entire slate of 2021 movies on their streaming partner HBO Max the same day as they hit theaters. Yep, that means “Dune”, “The Matrix 4”, Denzel Washington’s “The Little Things”, “Godzilla vs. Kong”, “The Suicide Squad” and many other big WB titles will be available to stream at home on their theater release date. 17 movies in total. And just like that HBO Max is a major player in the streaming game.

Now maybe this won’t have a big effect. Maybe this is just Warner offering viewers choices. Maybe this will be a “unique one-year plan” as WarnerMedia CEO Ann Sarnoff stated. On the other hand this could be a tectonic shift in the moviewatching landcape. It could be the beginning of a major change in the way movie fans consume blockbuster content. And it brings with it some obvious questions. If the decision proves profitable would WB really consider going back to the old model? Will other major studios follow? If they do can the already struggling multiplexes sustain another year? How many will be forced to close permanently? How many jobs will be impacted? As is often the case, there is a cost to convenience.

Many of us were posing similar questions earlier in the year when Universal Pictures began testing the waters at the start of the COVID-19 theater closings. Some theater chains were criticized for fighting the move by banning Universal’s films from their screens. In reality those chains understood the potential damage a streaming future would have on their industry and they took a desperate stand. It did them no good. Since then other major studios have tinkered in the streaming space. Disney put “Mulan” on their streaming platform for a “premium” price. Sony Pictures sold rights to “Greyhoud” to Apple. Netflix bought distribution rights of “Enola Holmes” from Warner Bros. Paramount sold the rights to “Coming 2 America” to Amazon. These are just some of the digital moves we have seen from studios since March.

But nothing has been quite as significant and potentially game-changing as the Warner Bros. announcement. Yes COVID-19 still lingers and too many theaters remain closed for exclusive big screen releases to be profitable. In that sense this seems like a smart and well-calculated business move. From a viewer’s standpoint the idea that people can look forward to a slate of big studio movies without the fear of delay is exciting and gives the still apprehensive moviegoers a way to watch where they feel safe.

But let’s not overlook the big unknown. How will this ultimately effect the big screen movie experience? Is it realistic to think that movie houses won’t be effected by this? Is it remotely plausible that Warner and any other studio that follows their lead will abandon this new model if it proves to be a moneymaking success? Many theaters have worked hard and gone to great lengths to show that movies can be watched safely on the big screen. But without public confidence or big movies to show, they now find themselves up a creek without a paddle. And its hard to believe that big blockbusters going to streaming is going to help their already precarious situation.

So what do you think of this huge news? Are you excited or concerned, fascinated or shocked? I’d love to hear your thoughts.