Britt Hayes is a writer, movie lover, and sensible sweater enthusiast living in Austin, Texas. She watches too much TV and never eats her vegetables.
Britt Hayes
What’s Leaving Netflix Instant: January 2017
Just as Netflix Instant giveth, so must Netflix Instant taketh away, and while there are plenty of great new titles coming to the streaming giant’s service in January, there’s almost just as many that will expire. Now’s a good time to stop procrastinating and finally get around to checking out some of those 30 For 30 specials, or maybe binge-watch every season Murder, She Wrote (you can knock out 12 seasons of Jessica Fletcher in two weeks, right?). January also sees the exit of teen classics like Bring It On and Sixteen Candles, which sounds like a great Saturday night double feature — but you only have a few more weeks to make that happen.
New Netflix Instant Releases: January 2017
Look, a lot of bad things happened in 2016 (so much so that the entire year has become a meme), but it’s time to look forward to all the promising things 2017 might bring — and your streaming BFF Netflix is already on top of it. There’s plenty of good stuff hitting the service in January, including premieres of Netflix Originals like A Series of Unfortunate Events and the YA film Coin Heist, as well as classics like Boogie Nights and The Shining.
Michael Fassbender Offers Details on His New Robot Role in ‘Alien: Covenant’
An interesting rumor surfaced over the summer, suggesting that Michael Fassbender is playing not one, but two droid roles in Alien: Covenant — the dangerously mischievous synthetic David from Prometheus, and a new and somewhat improved iteration known as Walter. Those dual roles have been confirmed, with the actor himself offering a few details about his intriguing new robot character.
Daisy Ridley Says ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Already Revealed Rey’s Parents
One of the biggest questions we were left with at the end of The Force Awakens, aside from “Do you think Luke makes his own organic soap out there on that space island?” was “Who the heck are Rey’s parents?” It’s a question that won’t be answered in the Star Wars universe until Episode VIII hits theaters late next year…unless you’re a real smarty-pants like Daisy Ridley.
Jimmy Kimmel Will Host the 2017 Academy Awards
Not long after setting Mike DeLuca and Jennifer Todd as showrunners, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has officially selected the host of the 2017 Oscars telecast. Drumroll please…oh, forget it, you saw the headline. It’s Jimmy Kimmel, comedian, host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and, most importantly, the guy who brought you celebrities reading mean tweets about themselves for your entertainment.
There Will Be ‘Many’ More ‘Ghostbusters’ Movies, According to Ivan Reitman
Ivan Reitman ain’t afraid of no underwhelming box office numbers. The original Ghostbusters director and producer of this year’s reboot says that despite weak returns for Paul Feig’s film, “there’s going to be many other” movies in the franchise. That statement contradicts a previous report, which indicated that Sony is focusing their energy on the animated Ghostbusters film and a new TV series, while the possibility of a sequel to Feig’s reboot had become very unlikely.
‘Passengers’ Trailer: How Upset Is James Cameron For Not Thinking of ‘Space Titanic’?
Somewhere, James Cameron is shaking his head and chuckling to himself, wondering why the heck he didn’t think of setting Titanic in space because it seems so obvious now — especially with this new trailer for Passengers, the Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence sci-fi romance that looks like it was made with an algorithm. Take the two most beloved actors on the planet, put them in a shiny, futuristic sci-fi movie and smoosh their faces together while making kissy noises. Cha-ching.
What’s Expiring From Netflix Instant: December 2016
Netflix may be giving us Captain America: Civil War on Christmas (and many more great additions next month), but there are also several titles expiring from the service in December, including — gasp — every season of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Okay, you might not be all that concerned about Kevin Sorbo’s biceps, but chances are there’s at least one or two things on this list of expiring movies and TV shows that you’ll probably want to watch before they leave Netflix next month.
‘Kong: Skull Island’ Trailer: All Hail the King
The first trailer for Kong: Skull Island debuted at Comic-Con back in July, offering a sneak peek that was more visually exciting and intriguing than we could have possibly hoped, clearly evoking classic war films like Apocalypse Now and The Thin Red Line — you know, but with a giant ape. After a week of teasers and images preparing us for Kong’s revival, a new official trailer has arrived online heralding a bigger, badder return for the legendary movie monster.
Natalie Portman Makes Funeral Arrangements in the New ‘Jackie’ Trailer
Among the usual biopics and awards season fare, Jackie has emerged as an intriguing contender — an atypical biopic about one of America’s most famous tragedies, told from the perspective of our most iconic First Lady, and directed by a Chilean filmmaker (who has not one, but two biopics hitting theaters this December). Following its premiere at TIFF in September, Jackie immediately became one of our most anticipated films of this awards season, and this new trailer isn’t making us any less patient for its release.
Robert Vaughn, Star of ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’, Has Passed Away at 83
Robert Vaughn, best known for his television roles in such classics as The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and The Protectors, has passed away at the age of 83. Vaughn, who began his career in the ’50s with appearances on shows like As the World Turns and West Point, died today, November 11. His manager, Matthew Sullivan, confirmed that Vaughn succumbed to a fight with acute leukemia.
There’s a ‘Starship Troopers’ Reboot in the Works, Would You Like to Know More?
A reboot of Starship Troopers has been kicking around for several years, despite the fact that Paul Verhoeven’s cult classic (which could describe most of his films) is pretty great as is. It’s hard to imagine another filmmaking team successfully delivering a great sci-fi B-movie that perfectly functions as a satire of sci-fi B-movies layered into a satire of the military (it’s like a seven-layer satire dip, really) — especially in 2016, or 2017, or whenever this thing happens. But if Donald Trump wins the presidency, it could be quite timely.