I can’t overstate how curious and excited I am for “Outlaw Johnny Black”, the upcoming genre smorgasbord from director, co-producer, co-writer, and star Michael Jai White. Deemed a “spiritual sequel” to White’s 2009 cult hit “Black Dynamite”, the film is a genre lover’s dream, mixing together elements of Westerns, martial arts, comedy, and adventure.

This week Samuel Goldwyn Films announced that the movie will be released exclusively in theaters on September 15, 2023. To coincide with the announcement the studio has released a brand new poster and trailer (see them below). Here is the official studio press release…

Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired US rights to the western OUTLAW JOHNNY BLACK, written and directed by Michael Jai White, for a theatrical release on September 15. Donovan De Boer, Michael Jai White and Grant Gilmore serve as producers, with a screenplay by Michael Jai White.

From the same team that made the 2009 cult classic BLACK DYNAMITE, OUTLAW JOHNNY BLACK stars Michael Jai White (“As Good as Dead”), Anika Noni Rose (“The Princess and the Frog”), Erica Ash (“We Have a Ghost”), Byron Minns (“Black Dynamite”), Kym Whitley (“Act Your Age”), and Tony Baker.

“We’re thrilled to be reteaming with Michael Jai White after the success of our 2022 action movie AS GOOD AS DEAD. This spiritual successor to BLACK DYNAMITE not only showcases Michael’s abilities as an action and comedy star, but also his skills as a filmmaker,” said SGF president Peter Goldwyn.

Hell bent on avenging the death of his father, Johnny Black vows to gun down Brett Clayton and becomes a wanted man in the process. He goes into hiding, posing as a preacher in a small mining town that’s been taken over by a notorious Land Baron.

“I hope this movie, inspired by the late Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte, creates for others, the kind of joy I felt as a child when I could watch movies over and over with my family and get something new each time!” said writer and director Michael Jai White.

Samuel Goldwyn Films will release OUTLAW JOHNNY BLACK exclusively in theaters on September 15.

What could be more exciting than seeing Ridley Scott back doing a historical epic? That’s exactly what we’re getting with “Napoleon” and the brand new trailer is giving us our thrilling first look. In it we see the director of “Gladiator”, the underappreciated “Kingdom of Heaven”, and the more grossly underappreciated “Robin Hood” once again stepping back in time, this time to tell the story of the titular and controversial French leader’s rise to power.

Academy Award winner Joaquin Phoenix plays the lead of Napoleon Bonaparte while Vanessa Kirby sinks her teeth into the role of his first wife, Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais. From the trailer we see Scott putting a pretty heavy emphasis on the couple’s complicated relationship. But we also get glimpses of Napoleon’s exploits as a military commander through some battlefield shots that show the 85-year-old Scott is still a master of scope and scale. I love this first look at “Napoleon” as it offers up plenty to be excited about.

“Napoleon” releases in theaters November 22nd and will stream on Apple TV+ on a date soon after. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Five years ago “The Nun” came out. It was a gothic supernatural horror film that served as a spin-off/prequel to the popular The Conjuring movies. “The Nun” was loaded with potential but unfortunately never quite lived up to it. Warner Bros. is taking another swing at it with “The Nun II” and I’m actually happy about it. All the pieces are there for a really good chiller and the first trailer certainly looks promising.

Two of the biggest things that work in the movie’s favor are its star, Taissa Farmiga and its terrifying antagonist, Valak. Farmiga (the younger sister of The Conjuring star Vera Farmiga) reprises her role of Sister Irene in a great bit of meta casting. Meanwhile Bonnie Aarons plays Valak, the truly horrifying titular presence. Again they are two are great pieces. They only need a worthwhile story that utilizes them well. That’s something the first film struggled with. Hopefully this one has it covered.

“The Nun II” hits theaters September 8, 2023. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Among the most anticipated movies the year has to be the latest from iconic American filmmaker Martin Scorsese. “Killers of the Flower Moon” is an epic-sized $200 million feature film backed by Apple Studios that received rave reviews following its premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The film is getting a full theater release courtesy of Paramount Pictures before streaming exclusively on Apple TV+.

A brand new trailer has dropped giving us an ever better look at what’s sure to be a compelling and immersive cinematic experience. The film sees Scorsese reteaming with two of his very favorites, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro to tell the story of the mysterious murders of Osage tribe members in 1920s Oklahoma. Politics, greed, territorialism, and genocide all factor into this historical crime drama that ventures into the truly horrific.

“Killers of the Flower Moon” releases in theaters on October 20th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

As if the first trailer didn’t stir up enough excitement for Denis Villeneuve’s eagerly awaited “Dune: Part Two”, now we get a second trailer that reveals even more about the stunning dystopian science-fiction epic. The mind-blowing visuals, massive scale, incredible cast – everything is on display in this spectacular three-minute new look.

Villeneuve is picking up where he left off in telling the story of Paul Atreides who’s played again by Timothée Chalamet. I admit, for me Chalamet is one of the weaker pieces of the trailer and I hope his performance is better than the snippets we get. But everything and everyone else absolutely shines. It’s going to be a long wait, but this new trailer reminds us that we have something pretty special ahead of us.

You know what time it is. It’s time for another Liam Neeson action thriller. These things are as reliable as the seasons and I admit to getting a kick out of them. Not all of them land. But enough do and I honestly enjoy watching Neeson do his thing. His latest, “Retribution” dropped its first trailer and it quickly caught my interest. It has a pretty wacky premise. But it’s the kind of premise that could provide some fun and reliable popcorn entertainment. That’s what I’ll be looking for.

Directed by Nimrod Antal, “Retribution” sees Neeson playing Matt Turner, a financier who finds himself in quite the pickle. While driving his two kids Matt gets a call from a mystery man who has put a bomb underneath his car. The man orders Matt to perform a specific series of tasks across the city or he will blow him and his children to bits. And as the trailer shows us the man certainly means business. Lionsgate did well with the trailer and this could be a fun and thrilling nailbiter.

“Retribution” hits theaters August 25th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.