Trailer Blitz! The Rip, Song Sung Blue, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, The Smashing Machine, and Dust Bunny
Must sees!
🎥 “The Rip” Teaser Trailer: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Face Brotherhood, Betrayal, and Blood Money in Joe Carnahan’s New Gritty Crime Thriller — Premieres January 16th on Netflix
They say money is the root of all evil. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have the power to change lives. And if presented a certain way, money can be the mother of all temptation. Which begs the question: can you trust the people standing next to you when staring down a stash of cold, hard cash? What happens when loyalty collides with greed?
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, two of Hollywood’s most famous pals, find their friendship tested to the extreme when faced with such a dilemma in the new gritty crime thriller The Rip. Damon and Affleck star as two Miami police officers caught between duty, temptation, and a score that could change everything. That is, if they don’t let their distrust tear their partnership apart for stolen money that was never meant to be theirs.
It starts with the dream bust: millions in unmarked bills sitting in a forgotten stash house run by the cartel. It’s the kind of score that turns police officers into heroes. But when temptation creeps in, so does paranoia. And the line between brotherhood and betrayal begins to blur.
Damon and Affleck lead the squad that includes fellow officers played by Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, and Catalina Sandino Moreno. While standing in a house filled with money, the officers find themselves torn between duty and desire. Soon, the cash becomes less of a blessing and more of a curse. As word of the discovery leaks, the danger doesn’t just come from within the squad—it comes from every corner of Miami’s underworld. Now with a ticking clock, the officers must decide: take the money and run, or stand their ground and face an onslaught of cartel firepower.
Inspired by true events, this Netflix original feature hails from writer-director Joe Carnahan, whose credits include the equally twisty gritty thrillers Narc, The Grey, and Copshop. Carnahan is also known for directing the over-the-top action romps Smokin’ Aces, The A-Team, and Boss Level. Albeit, this project finds Carnahan returning to the genre of pulpy, high-octane thrillers where money might talk—but in this game, it also kills.
Co-starring Sasha Calle, Scott Adkins, and Kyle Chandler, and produced by Damon and Affleck under their new production label Artists Equity, The Rip is slated to premiere exclusively on Netflix January 16th.
🎥 “Song Sung Blue” Trailer: Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson Belt Out Love, Life, and Neil Diamond in Craig Brewer’s Musical Biographical Dramedy — In Theaters December 25th
Okay, there have been movies about forming a music band against all odds. And most of the time, these stories center around the passion to create something original. This one strikes a different chord—because it’s about forming a band where every member is pouring their heart into delivering the greatest stage show they can. Sure, it’s a tribute band, but that doesn’t mean the dream is any less real or the music any less powerful. And Hugh Jackman shows you that in order to dream big, you must first dare to believe big.
Jackman gets to warm up his vocal pipes a bit as he tackles the role of Mike Sardina, a real-life Milwaukee musical performer who might have just found his latest muse: Neil 'freakin' Diamond. But to emulate one of the greatest showmen to ever grace a stage, he’ll have to find the right partner to match his energy and share his dream. Enter, stage right: Kate Hudson as Claire, a struggling single mother who will not only become Mike’s better half, but also the second half of their electrifying Neil Diamond tribute act: Lightning & Thunder!
In this new musical biographical dramedy Song Sung Blue, inspired by the 2008 documentary of the same name, Jackman and Hudson join forces as Mike and Claire Sardina, two struggling performers who reinvented themselves as “Lightning & Thunder.” What starts as a desperate attempt to keep the lights on quickly blossoms into a joyous celebration of love, resilience, and the timeless power of Neil Diamond’s music.
The film doesn’t just ride the wave of jukebox nostalgia—it seems to be diving deep into the grit, grind, and glitter of chasing a dream when everyone else has counted you out. Jackman, in full chest-hair bravado, channels his inner Diamond while Hudson balances him with warmth and spark, turning their performances into seemingly more than just covers... it’s a love story set to the thunderous, foot-stomping tunes of Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline, Cracklin' Rosie, Song Sung Blue, and many more.
Also starring Michael Imperioli, Fisher Stevens, Jim Belushi, Ella Anderson, and Mustafa Shakir, this feel-good dramedy is written and directed by Craig Brewer, the acclaimed filmmaker behind Hustle & Flow, Black Snake Moan, the Footloose remake, and Dolemite Is My Name.
Song Sung Blue aims to capture both the sweat and sparkle of live performance while keeping its heart firmly rooted in a true story that proves it’s never too late to sing your way back to life. So arriving this Christmas in theaters, perhaps dust off those sequined shirts and warm up your vocal cords. Because if you’re not belting along to Sweet Caroline by the time the credits roll—were you even there?
🎥 “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” Teaser Trailer: Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc Hunts Sin and Secrets in Rian Johnson’s Church-Set Whodunit — In Theaters November 26th, on Netflix December 12th
He has managed to crack open some of the toughest mysteries around. But with his latest case, Benoit Blanc is stepping into unfamiliar territory: an upstate New York parish. And this time, he might just find that faith and deceit are tangled in ways even he can’t easily unravel. And perhaps God Himself has become the only one Blanc can’t question in this house of prayer.
Marking the third installment in writer-director Rian Johnson’s popular whodunit film series, Daniel Craig returns as the master Southern sleuth, stepping into the eerie halls of an old church estate, where a murder shakes a devout congregation led by Josh Brolin and Josh O’Connor.
This time, Benoit Blanc brings his brand of sharp wit and Southern charm to a mystery steeped in scripture, sin, and suspicion. With secrets lurking in every pew, Benoit tries to sniff out the truth as he unravels an impossible murder with no clear motive nor discernible suspect.
At its center is Father Jud Duplenticy (O’Connor), a wide-eyed young priest shadowing the charismatic Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Brolin), whose loyal flock includes an enigmatic church matron (Glenn Close), a no-nonsense lawyer (Kerry Washington), her ambitious husband (Daryl McCormack), a cryptic groundskeeper (Thomas Haden Church), a haunted town doctor (Jeremy Renner), a bestselling novelist (Andrew Scott), and a gifted cellist (Cailee Spaeny). When an unholy murder tears through the parish, the faithful quickly become suspects—and every hymn starts to sound like a confession.
With Mila Kunis as the sharp-tongued police chief who teams up with Blanc, Wake Up Dead Man promises to be the most shadowy and sinister Knives Out entry yet. Packed with a stellar ensemble cast and Johnson’s signature mix of dark humor and razor-sharp plotting, the mystery pushes Blanc into unfamiliar terrain where belief and betrayal walk hand in hand. Confessionals, candles, and a crime that defies reason... well, that sounds like the perfect Sunday for Benoit Blanc.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will open in select theaters November 26th before arriving on Netflix December 12th.
🎥 “The Smashing Machine” New Trailer: Dwayne Johnson Trades ‘The Rock’ Persona for Raw Vulnerability in Benny Safdie’s Gritty UFC Drama with Emily Blunt — In Theaters October 3rd
Could Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson be up for an Oscar this year? Well, stranger things have happened in Hollywood. And if his latest performance packs as much punch as his biceps, he just might be in the running.
The buzz after the world premiere of Johnson’s latest, The Smashing Machine, at Venice last week is very good. The film received a 15-minute standing ovation—and some are saying Johnson might be looking at the strongest reviews of his career.
So, it certainly seems we are due for a wild Oscar campaign this year, as everyone loves to see a beloved star like Johnson rewarded for stepping out of their comfort zone. Though playing a former wrestler turned UFC fighter might not exactly be a stretch on paper, Johnson reportedly brings a raw vulnerability that could surprise a lot of people.
The film marks the solo directorial debut of actor-filmmaker Benny Safdie, who usually collaborates with his older brother Josh Safdie (Good Time, Uncut Gems). The two have since split up, with Josh also directing his first solo feature this year, the soon-to-be-released Marty Supreme (out in December).
In this gritty sports drama, Johnson stars opposite Emily Blunt, his former Jungle Cruise co-star. The film appears to be a turning point for Johnson, as it strips away his “Rock” persona to reveal something raw. Here, Johnson embodies Mark Kerr, a ferocious UFC fighter in the cage but a fragile soul outside of it. Blunt plays his wife Dawn Staples, whose devotion can’t always shield him from the toll of addiction, painkillers, and the crushing weight of expectations.
From the reviews and footage we’ve seen, it’s a performance unlike anything Johnson has delivered before: quieter, bruised, broken, and vulnerable. That tension between violence and tenderness, power and fragility—it runs through the story of a man fighting not only opponents but himself. And if early glimpses are any indication, Johnson may finally silence his critics with a career-defining performance.
Prepare to see The Rock like never before when The Smashing Machine lands in theaters October 3rd.
🎥 “Dust Bunny” Trailer: Mads Mikkelsen Becomes an Unlikely Child’s Protector in Bryan Fuller’s Dark Fairy Tale Hitman Thriller — In Theaters December 12th
Bryan Fuller has been the mastermind behind some of our favorite shows in recent memory: NBC’s Hannibal and ABC’s Pushing Daisies. The only problem is, they don’t seem to last longer than two or three seasons. Which might mean Fuller could fare better with films, seeing a complete story through from beginning to end without network interference. At least, that’s the hope as the visionary television showrunner makes his feature directorial debut this year with Dust Bunny. And in typical Fuller fashion, it’s a darkly imaginative tale where childhood fears collide with a professional assassin’s abilities.
In Dust Bunny, ten-year-old Aurora (newcomer Sophie Sloan) believes a monster has literally eaten her entire family. Desperate, she turns to her strange neighbor (Hannibal star Mads Mikkelsen), who happens to be a hitman with a very particular set of skills. At first, it seems like a child’s imagination run wild—but when assassins close in and the truth behind her parents’ disappearance comes to light, Aurora and her reluctant protector realize some monsters wear human faces... and others are all too real.
Backed by a stellar cast including Sigourney Weaver, David Dastmalchian, Rebecca Henderson, and Sheila Atim, Fuller’s film promises a genre mashup of macabre fairy tale and bloody hitman thriller. Expect operatic visuals, bursts of twisted humor, and a story that dances on the knife-edge between innocence and violence.
Mads Mikkelsen as a monster-killing neighbor? Yup! Count us in. Dust Bunny arrives in theaters December 12th.
Ok, anything that has Sigourney Weaver shooting stiletto heals deserves a look.