A number of new movies and limited television series will debut this week, including the following titles opening in theaters or premiering via video on demand on various streaming platforms:
‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’
Genre: Space opera
Cast: Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White, Brendan Wayne, Lateef Crowder, and Sigourney Weaver
Director: Jon Favreau
Rated: PG-13
Din Djarin and Grogu embark on their most thrilling mission yet in “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.”
The Empire has fallen, but Imperial warlords remain scattered across the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic fights to protect what the Rebellion won, they enlist legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his young apprentice, Grogu.
The film is scheduled to be released by Walt Disney Studios on May 22.
‘Jack Ryan: Ghost War’
Genre: Political action thriller
Cast: John Krasinski, Wendell Pierce, Michael Kelly, and Sienna Miller
Director: Andrew Bernstein
Rated: R
In this new film, Jack Ryan (John Krasinski) is reluctantly thrust back into the world of espionage when an international covert mission unravels a deadly conspiracy, forcing him to confront a rogue black-ops unit, and the clock is ticking.
Operating in real time with lives on the line and the threat escalating at every turn, Jack reunites with battle-tested CIA operative Mike November (Michael Kelly) and former CIA boss James Greer (Wendell Pierce), their combined experience the only edge they have against an enemy who knows their every move. Backed by an unlikely new partner — razor-sharp MI6 officer Emma Marlowe (Sienna Miller) — Jack and the team navigate a treacherous web of betrayal, facing a past they thought was long put to rest — making this the most personal, high-stakes mission any of them have ever faced.
The film is scheduled to be released worldwide on Amazon Prime Video on May 20.
‘Passenger’
Genre: Supernatural horror
Cast: Jacob Scipio, Lou Llobell, and Melissa Leo
Director: André Øvredal
Rated: R
After a young couple witnesses a gruesome highway accident, they soon realize they did not leave the crash scene alone, as a demonic presence called the Passenger that won’t stop until it claims them both turns their van life adventure into a nightmare.
The film is scheduled to be released by Paramount Pictures on May 22.
‘I Love Boosters’
Genre: Crime comedy
Cast: Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza González, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, Don Cheadle, and Demi Moore
Director: Boots Riley
Rated: R
A crew of professional shoplifters take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven. It’s like community service.
The film will be released theatrically by Neon on May 22.
‘Ladies First’
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Emily Mortimer, Charles Dance, Fiona Shaw, Tom Davis and Kathryn Hunter
Director: Thea Sharrock
Rated: R
An arrogant but charismatic ladies’ man finds his life of money, power and casual flings upended when he wakes up in a parallel world dominated by women.
The film is scheduled to be released on Netflix on May 22.
‘Tuner’
Genre: Crime thriller
Cast: Leo Woodall, Havana Rose Liu, Lior Raz, Tovah Feldshuh, Jean Reno, and Dustin Hoffman
Director: Daniel Roher
Rated: R
A gifted piano tuner’s meticulous skills for tuning pianos lead him to discover an unexpected aptitude for cracking safes, turning his life upside down.
The film is scheduled to be released in the United States by Black Bear Pictures on May 22.
‘Corporate Retreat’
Genre: Horror
Cast: Odeya Rush, Sasha Lane, Ashton Sanders, Alan Ruck, Kirby Johnson and Rosanna Arquette
Director: Aaron Fisher
Not rated
A group of ambitious tech corporate executives heads to a luxury team-building retreat set at a remote desert estate.
What should have been a weekend of leadership and team-bonding workshops quickly takes a sinister turn. Chaos ensues as participants are thrown into a sadistic survival game where only the ruthless can survive. As the stakes rise, office politics are replaced by primal instinct in a narrative designed to critique the dehumanizing nature of corporate culture. “Corporate Retreat” blends the dread of gory survival horror with dark laughs and shocking twists. With its fearless take on the cutthroat world of modern business, the film channels the frustrations of American corporate life into a wickedly entertaining spectacle, proving that in business, only the ruthless make it out alive.
The film will be released by Western Film Service on May 22.
‘Giant’
Genre: Biographical sports drama
Cast: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan, Katherine Dow Blyton, Austin Haynes, Arian Nik, Ali Saleh, and Ghaith Saleh
Director: Rowan Athale
Not rated
Based on a true story, the film follows boxer Prince Naseem Hamed (Amir El-Masry) and his trainer, Brendan Ingle (Pierce Brosnan), as they rise from the tough streets of Sheffield to the pinnacle of the boxing world.
The film is scheduled to be released by Vertical on May 22.
For more movie news, visit www.TBNweekly.com. Lee Clark Zumpe is TBN entertainment editor. He can be reached by email at lzumpe@TBNweekly.com.