The Conjuring

When a rural family of seven (headed by Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor) begin to suspect that they are not alone on their farmstead, they hire world-renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) to check out their secluded farmhouse. The Warrens may be seasoned ghost hunters, but they soon realize that they are in over their heads. As supernatural activity around the home becomes increasingly violent and ominous, the couple must fight for their lives in order to destroy the most terrifying evil they have ever encountered.

Part ghost story and part 1970s New England biopic, The Conjuring is director James Wan’s latest horror offering, following Insidious and Saw. “I put the things that scare me up on screen,” says Wan, “and that’s kind of like my therapy.” The film is based on the true story of the Perron family, who hired the Warrens to cleanse the evil spirits that had been haunting their home. But what can two people do against such powerful forces?

Written by Chad and Carey W. Hayes and directed by James Wan, The Conjuring will be released into theaters on July 19, 2013. This Warner Bros. Pictures horror/thriller also stars Lili Taylor, Joey King, Shanley Caswell, Haley McFarland, Mackenzie Foy, Kyla Deaver, and Sterling Jerins.

Elysium

How far would you go for equality? The year is 2159. Society has been split into two classes: the haves, who live luxuriously on a wealthy space station called Elysium; and the have-nots, who eke out a meager existence on the overpopulated remains of Earth. Jodie Foster plays Secretary Rhodes, a strict government official who will stop at nothing to keep immigrants away from Elysium and preserve the settlement’s sense of grandeur and power. Many have tried to enter Elysium, but the vast disparity between the haves and the have-nots ensures that breaking into the heavily-fortified colony is an almost insurmountable task.

When Max (Matt Damon) finds himself running out of options and his back against the wall, he agrees to attempt a mission that no one has dared to believe possible. If he succeeds, not only will he redeem his own life, but he may also bring equality to two worlds that have been polarized for far too long.

Elysium is writer/director Neill Blomkamp’s first film since his vividly original debut film, District 9. This Columbia Pictures (Sony) science-fiction thriller also stars Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Diego Luna, Wagner Moura, and William Fichtner; and it is scheduled for release on August 9, 2013.

Now You See Me

 

“The more you think you see, the easier it will be to fool you.” In Now You See Me, a team of magicians calling themselves “The Four Horsemen” (Jesse Eisenberg, Woddy Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco) have begun staging a series of breathtaking shows that culminate in heists against corrupt business leaders—right before the audience’s eyes! After the quartet robs a bank on another continent and showers the audience with the stolen riches of a white-collar criminal (Elias Koteas), their antics catch the attention of an elite FBI team led by Dylan Hobbs (Mark Ruffalo). A dazzling cat-and-mouse chase ensues, and the Four Horseman must use all of their cunning if they hope to stay ahead of the law—and pull off their next heist!

 

However, Hobbs’ manhunt soon hits a snag. Since the Four Horsemen’s stunts span opposite sides of the globe, Hobbs is forced to team up with Interpol agent Alma Vargas (Melanie Laurent), and he’s instantly suspicious. Unable to figure out the Horsemen’s techniques, Hobbs and Vargas enlist the aid of Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman), a famed magic debunker, to help uncover the illusions. It soon becomes clear that the Horsemen must have a point man on the scene to help orchestrate their crimes. Could it be Vargas? Or Thaddeus? As the clock winds down, Hobbs’s team races to find an answer before the Horseman can pull off their greatest heist yet.

 

Written by Boaz Yakin, Edward Ricourt, Josh Applebaum, Andre Nemec, and Ed Solomon, and directed by Louis Leterrier, Now You See Me is scheduled for theatrical release on June 7, 2013. This Summit Entertainment/Lionsgate crime thriller also stars Michael Caine and Common.

Fast and Furious 6

 

In Fast and Furious 6, street racers Dominic (Vin Diesel) and Brian (Paul Walker) return to the screen in a blaze of glory. The two find themselves on the wrong side of the law yet again as they stage a massive heist on the streets of Europe—and the stakes are higher than ever! With a rival gang trying to steal their prize and a relentless federal agent (Dwayne Johnson) following their every move, Dominic and Brian must work faster and fight harder if they hope to succeed.

 

 

Following in the footsteps of the previous installment of this series, Fast and Furious 6 continues the transformation of the franchise from “pure car culture movies” into “true action movies in the spirit of those great heist films made 10 or 15 years ago,” says Universal Pictures chairman Adam Fogelson. Written by franchise veteran Chris Morgan and directed by Justin Lin, Fast and Furious 6 will be released in theaters and IMAX on May 24, 2013. This Universal Pictures action/crime/thriller also stars Gina Carano, Luke Evans, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Joe Taslim, Sung Kang, and Gal Gadot. Stay tuned during the Super Bowl for a sneak peak at the first trailer!

Girl Most Likely (a.k.a Imogene)

 

In Girl Most Likely, Imogene (Kristen Wiig) is finding her world crumbling apart. She had been an up-and-coming New York playwright, with a high-society boyfriend and bourgeoise aspirations, but after her boyfriend dumps her, she begins to spiral down into depression. Desperate to win him back, Imogene uses her flair for drama to stage a fake suicide, hoping that her ex will see it and feel sympathy. Instead, her stunt lands her in the care of her estranged, gambling-addict mother, Zelda (Annete Bening). Imogene must leave behind everything she has worked for and return home to the Jersey shore with her mother.

 

Once at home, Imogene realizes that the only way forward is to confront her past and reconcile with the family she’s never felt close with. She must reunite not just with her estranged mother, but also with her quirky brother Ralph (Christopher Fitzgerald) and her mother’s new boyfriend The Bousche (Matt Dillon). With their help—and that of the family’s attractive young lodger Lee (Darren Criss)—Imogene sets off on a journey of self-discovery to find her place in the world.

 

Written by Michelle Morgan and directed by Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman, Girl Most Likely will see a limited theatrical release on July 19, 2013. This Roadside Attractions comedy/drama also stars Natasha Lyonne, June Diane Raphael, and Mickey Sumner.

Love Is All You Need

 

Two lives are about to be turned upside down in Love Is All You Need, a romantic comedy about finding love in the most unlikely of places. After Ida (Tryne Dyrholm), a Danish woman who has just finished battling cancer, walks in on her husband sleeping with a young co-worker, she finds her marriage falling to pieces. Distraught and alone, Ida travels to Italy for her daughter’s wedding, but on the way she quite literally crashes into wealthy wholesale magnate Philip (Pierce Brosnan), who turns out to be the father of the groom. Although Ida writes Philip off as a typical angry and demanding businessman, she soon discovers that there’s more to him than meets the eye. As the days leading up to the wedding progress, the two begin to fall for each other as the rest of the family descends into conflict.

 

Love Is All You Need is a film about “bitter endings and sweet beginnings.” Half in English and half in Danish, this film examines the dynamics of a dysfunctional family and shows how every cloud has a silver lining. Ida is a woman fighting for her life, both literally and emotionally. This is the story of her journey for redemption and love—and of the man whom her love can redeem.

 

Written by Anders Thomas Jensen and Susanne Bier and directed by Susanne Bier, Love Is All You Need will see a limited NY/LA release on May 3, 2013. This Sony Pictures Classics romantic comedy also stars Paprika Steen, Kim Bodnia, Sebastian Jessen, and Molly Blixt Egelind.

The Purge

What if on one night each year, you could commit any crime without consequence? The Purge presents a vision of the near future in which rampant violence and prison overcrowding has led the U.S. government to impose strict martial law over the population. As a social experiment, the authoritarian regime (which calls itself the New Founding Fathers of America) decides to sanction one 12-hour period each year during which anything is legal—even murder. During these 12 hours there are no police, no hospitals, no government help whatsoever. The Purge examines just how far one family will go to protect themselves during one of these terrifying nights.

After a trespasser breaks into James Sandlin’s (Ethan Hawke) gated community, he and his wife Mary (Lena Headey) know that they must fight to keep their family alive. But they soon come to realize that self-defense comes with a cost—James and Mary must decide what kind of people they are willing to become in the name of safety. As the clock winds down, James and Mary must find a way to protect themselves without turning into the very monsters that they’re fighting.

Written and directed by James DeMonaco, The Purge will be released on May 31, 2013. This Universal Pictures speculative thriller also stars Adelaide Kane and Max Burkholder.

Post Tenebras Lux

Post Tenebras Lux tells the semi-autobiographical story of a high-class urban family’s move to the Mexican countryside. As Juan (Adolfo Jimenez Castro) and his family adapt to their new life, their previously-hidden frictions begin to bloom into domestic conflicts. The film’s stunningly photographed, impressionistic cinematography highlights the majesty—and subtlety—of the natural world. At once spellbinding and mysterious, Post Tenebras Lux doesn’t expose truths as much as paint pictures of moments in time, moments that stay with you long after the film has ended. Themes of man’s shifting place in the world, as well as upper-class man’s unclear place in lower-class man’s environment, are explored. Fans of experimental cinema will enjoy this film’s unorthodox approach to storytelling; patient viewers are rewarded with a slab of surreal, expressionistic filmmaking that questions not only the nature of the human condition but also the future of cinema to come.

Written and directed by Carlos Reygadas, winner of the Best Director prize at the 2012 Cannes Film Festibal, Post Tenebras Lux will see a limited New York release on May 1, 2013. This unrated Spanish-language drama/documentary also stars Nathalia Acevedo, Willebaldo Torres, Rut Reygadas, and Eleazar Reygadas.

Pain &Gain

Based on true events, Pain & Gain tells the story of the “Sun Gym Gang,” a trio of bodybuilders involved in a 1999 kidnapping and extortion plot that went horribly wrong. Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) started lifting weights in order to improve himself, but now finds that better muscles don’t translate into a better job. Tired of being poor, Daniel recruits fellow gym member Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie) and recently released ex-con Paul Doyle (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) into a scheme that will make them all rich. Daniel plans to kidnap Victor Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub), a rich and spoiled member of Sun Gym, and extort his fortune through threats of torture. However, the gang’s plan soon goes awry. Although the trio successfully steals the millionaire’s assets, Kershaw survives their assassination attempt and hires detective Ed Du Bois (Ed Harris) to hunt down the gang and bring them to justice. Daniel, Adrian, and Paul soon find their lives crashing down around them as they dodge both Du Bois and the Miami Police in order to escape with the money.

Pain & Gain was written around a 1999 series of articles that was published in the Miami Times by investigative journalist Pete Collins, giving this Michael Bay film a strong grounding in reality. Both Daniel Lugo and Adrian Doorbal currently sit on death row for their participation in the plot. With a budget of $25 million, Pain & Gain is Michael Bay’s least expensive film since his feature debut, Bad Boys.

Written for the screen by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely and directed by Michael Bay, this Paramount Pictures action film will be release on April 26, 2013. Pain & Gain also stars Rob Corrdry, Bar Paly, Rebel Wilson, Ken Jeong, and Yolanthe Cabau.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist

 

“Yes I’m Pakistani. Yes I’m Muslim. But that’s not all I am.” In The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Changez (Riz Ahmed), a young Pakistani immigrant and recent Princeton graduate, moves to New York to find success on Wall Street. But soon his pursuit of the American Dream conflicts with the strong post-9/11 atmosphere of the day. Before long, he finds himself involved in a battle between his desire for corporate success and the culture and values of his homeland. Set in five countries, The Reluctant Fundamentalist follows Changez’s journey towards personal fulfillment in the face of overwhelming extremism on all sides.

 

Based on Mohsin Amid’s best-selling novel of the same name, The Reluctant Fundamentalist examines the other sides of fundamentalism—both religious and economic—and vividly depicts the effects on its victims. “You say guilty people hide?” asks Changez. “So do people who feel hunted.” The Reluctant Fundamentalist opens a sort of dialogue between East and West, highlighting the fact that beyond all of the hate and fear, we all shed the same blood and tears.

 

Written for the screen by William Wheeler and Amir Boghani and directed by Mira Nair, this IFC Films drama/thriller will see a limited release on April 24, 2013. The Reluctant Fundamentalist also stars Kate Hudson, Kiefer Sutherland, and Liev Schrieber. Rated R for language, some violence and brief sexuality.