“The Dark Tower“Cast: Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey, Abbey Lee, Katheryn Winnick, Nicholas Hamilton, Fran Kranz, Jackie Earle Haley, Tom Taylor, Michael Barbieri
Synopsis: The Gunslinger, Roland Deschain, roams an Old West-like landscape where “the world has moved on” in pursuit of The Man In Black. Also searching for the fabled Dark Tower, in the hopes that reaching it will preserve his dying world. Expect a lot of gun shooting and world bouncing.
What You Need to Know: Stephen King adaptations are wildly inconsistent. Even if you take into account bonafide hits like “The Shining,” “Stand By Me,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” “The Green Mile,” “Carrie” and “Misery,” to name a few, you still find yourself with more than a few misfires — including, but not limited to, “Dreamcatcher,” “Thinner,” “Sleepwalkers,” “Hearts In Atlantis” and, of course, “Maximum Overdrive.” But “The Dark Tower” series is one of his most popular, expansive works, and it’s one Hollywood has tried to develop for the screen with a considerable difficulty. Is this the best version we’ll get? Early reports are troubling, but we hope to stick this one inside the “good” column.
Release Date: August 4th
“Wind River“Cast: Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Jon Bernthal, Martin Sensmeier, Gil Birmingham, Graham Greene
Synopsis: An FBI agent teams with the town’s veteran game tracker to investigate a murder that occurred on a Native American reservation. Expect some crime and beautiful snow vistas.
What You Need to Know: With both “Sicario” and last year’s Best Picture nominee “Hell Or High Water” actor-turned-screenwriter Taylor Sheridan deftly proved himself as a storyteller, which is why we’re hopeful for “Wind River,” his directorial debut. While the reviews out of Sundance were mostly kind, there were a few who didn’t necessarily care for its wintery tale. But we’re going to put our faith in the more optimistic folk. Hopefully, Sheridan proves himself just as adaptable as a writer as he does as a director.
Release Date: August 4th
“Ingrid Goes West“Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Wyatt Russell, Billy Magnussen, Pom Klementieff
Synopsis: Ingrid Thorburn, a mentally disturbed young woman, becomes obsessed with Taylor Sloane, a social-media star who appears to have the perfect life. Expect a lot of dark laughs and disturbed characters.
What You Need to Know: There’s nothing like a good dark comedy to shake things up. And if your dark comedy stars young heavyweights like Plaza, Olsen, Jackson Jr. and Russell, then you know you’re (probably) in for something twistedly good. If the buzz from Sundance is true, this is one to watch out for.
Release Date: August 4th
“Untitled Detriot Riots Project“Cast: John Krasinski, John Boyega, Anthony Mackie, Jason Mitchell, Tyler James Williams, Will Poulter, Kaitlyn Dever, Hannah Murray, Jack Reynor, Jeremy Strong
Synopsis: A police raid in Detroit in 1967 results in one of the largest citizen uprisings in the United States’ history. Expect a potential awards contender.
What You Need to Know: Little is seen or known about Kathryn Bigelow’s latest, which finds her reuniting with her Oscar-winning “The Hurt Locker” and “Zero Dark Thirty” journalist-turned-screenwriter Mark Boal for what’s certain to be another riveting real-life account based on our recent history that should, with tragic recent events in mind, feel timely, urgent and necessary. We’re expecting big things.
Release Date: August 4th
“Logan Lucky“Cast: Daniel Craig, Channing Tatum, Katherine Waterston, Riley Keough, Adam Driver, Sebastian Stan, Katie Holmes, Hilary Swank, Macon Blair, Jack Quaid, Brian Gleeson, Seth MacFarlane
Synopsis: Two brothers attempt to pull off a heist during a NASCAR race in North Carolina. Expect silliness.
What You Need to Know: So much for that retirement, Steven Soderbergh. Granted, it wasn’t as if Soderbergh stepped away from the limelight for good. He directed two seasons of Cinemax‘s brutal/brutally overlooked “The Knick,” and he also recently shot the TV movie “Mosaic.” But it appears Soderbergh is finally ready to return to the big screen, and he’s obviously not going to do it with just any old cast. Instead, he’s rounding up some of our most talented and acclaimed working actors, and he’s going to showcase a type of zany comedy that hasn’t typically been associated with his name. Exciting stuff! It’s good to have you back, Soderbergh.
Release Date: August 18th
“Death Note“Cast: Nat Wolff, Shea Whigham, Margaret Qualley, Willem Dafoe, Lakeith Stanfield, Masi Oka
Synopsis: A student who discovers a supernatural notebook that allows him to kill anyone begins a crusade against evil in order to rule the world as a benevolent human god. Then a deadly game of cat and mouse begins when a reclusive detective begins to track down the young man, attempting to end his reign of terror once and for all. Expect some white-washing.
What You Need to Know: Based on the beloved Japanese manga series, “Death Note” is a property that has floated around Hollywood for years before it finally came to fruition through Netflix. It’s the source of some recent controversy, not dissimilar to the type “The Great Wall” and “Ghost In The Shell” recently received online and beyond, which shouldn’t be ignored. Will that affect the numbers? Perhaps we’ll never know, since Netflix never lets the public know their numbers. But it’s not going to come out quietly.
Release Date: August 25th (Netflix)