Six To See week 39 (Nov 17-23)

1. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: the new prequel film from The Hunger Games trilogy, based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins. It’s a science fiction action film directed by Francis Lawrence and stars Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera, Jason Schwartzman, and Viola Davis. Set 64 years before the first film, this prequel follows young Coriolanus Snow and his relationship with Hunger Games tribute Lucy Gray Baird and the events that eventually lead him on the path to becoming the tyrannical leader of Panem we all know from The Hunger Games-trilogy. The film was released in theatres on November 17. I went to see it when it was out because I’m a very big fan of The Hunger Games. Back when the trilogy was released I was always one of the firsts to see the film. I also have all the books that I read and here I also read the book before going to see the film. I was very excited to see it and very happy that the film was good. It’s really worth it. I already loved the story and seeing it on screen was amazing. The song The Hanging Tree is stuck in my head for days now as well as Olivia Rodrigo’s song. Rachel Zegler was made to play Lucy Gray, what a voice she has, and Tom Blyth is also amazing as the young Coriolanus Snow. It would be great to get even more from The Hunger Games-franchise, but for now we can enjoy this new one.

2. Thanksgiving: a new horror slasher film directed by Eli Roth, from a screenplay written by Jeff Rendell and a story by Roth and Rendell, who produced with Roger Birnbaum. It is based on Roth’s mock trailer of the same name from Grindhouse (2007). The film stars Patrick Dempsey, Addison Rae, Milo Manheim, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Nell Verlaque, Rick Hoffman, and Gina Gershon. After a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy, a mysterious serial killer, known only as John Carver, comes to Plymouth, Massachusetts, with the intention of creating a Thanksgiving carving board out of the town’s inhabitants. Thanksgiving was released in theatres on November 17, a week before the United States are celebrating Thanksgiving.

3. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off: the new animated series based on the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels written and drawn by Bryan Lee O’Malley, who also developed the series with BenDavid Grabinski. The entire main cast from the 2010 film adaptation Scott Pilgrim vs. the World all reprised their roles which includes Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson, Aubrey Plaza, Brandon Routh, Jason Schwartzman, and Mae Whitman. It follows Scott Pilgrim who leads a sweet and simple life. Until sparks fly — and ignite total chaos — when he meets the rainbow-haired girl of his dreams. The series was released on Netflix on November 17. Fans of the film, will love this new animated series.

4. Rustin: a new biographical drama film directed by George C. Wolfe with a screenplay by Julian Breece and Dustin Lance Black from a story by Breece. Produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company Higher Ground Productions, the film revolves around the life of gay civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, who helped Martin Luther King Jr. and others organize the 1963 March on Washington. It stars Colman Domingo in the title role, alongside Chris Rock, Glynn Turman, Aml Ameen, CCH Pounder, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Michael Potts, Bill Irwin, Jeffrey Wright and Audra McDonald. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released in theaters on November 3, before releasing on Netflix on November 17.

5. Next Goal Wins: a new biographical sports comedy-drama film directed by Taika Waititi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Iain Morris. The film is based on the 2014 documentary of the same name by Mike Brett and Steve Jamison about Dutch-American coach Thomas Rongen’s efforts to lead the American Samoa national football team, considered the weakest football team in the world, to qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Michael Fassbender stars as Rongen, alongside Elisabeth Moss, Oscar Kightley, Uli Latukefu, Rachel House, Kaimana, David Fane, Beulah Koale, Chris Alosio, Waititi, Will Arnett, and Rhys Darby. The film was released in theatres on November 17.

6. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: a new ‘Godzilla vs Kong’ spin-off series created by Chris Black, who also developed it with Matt Fraction. It’s the sixth installment and the second television series in the MonsterVerse franchise. It follows members of the organization Monarch as they encounter Godzilla and other Titans over the span of a half century. The series stars Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell, Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Anders Holm, Joe Tippett and Elisa Lasowski. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters premiered on Apple TV+ on November 17.

Bonus: three new animated films to watch with the whole family.

• Trolls Band Together: the new computer-animated musical comedy film based on the Good Luck Trolls dolls from Thomas Dam which serves as the sequel to Trolls World Tour (2020), and the third installment in the Trolls franchise. The film is directed by Walt Dohrn and co-directed by Tim Heitz. Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Zooey Deschanel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Icona Pop, Anderson .Paak, Ron Funches, Kenan Thompson, Kunal Nayyar, and Walt Dohrn reprise their voice roles from its predecessors, with newcomers Eric André, Kid Cudi, Daveed Diggs, Troye Sivan, Camila Cabello, Amy Schumer, Andrew Rannells, RuPaul, and Zosia Mamet joining the ensemble voice cast. In the film, Poppy and Branch, who are officially a couple, attempt to rescue Floyd while reuniting Branch’s brothers after the boyband phenomenon, BroZone, was disbanded. This film also marks the return of boyband NSYNC who came back together and made an original song for the film, called ‘Better Place’. The film was released in theatres on November 17.

• Wish: a new computer-animated musical fantasy film directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn (in her feature directorial debut), produced by Peter Del Vecho and Juan Pablo Reyes, and written by Jennifer Lee and Allison Moore. The art style combines computer animation with Disney’s classic watercolor animation. The film stars the voices of Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk, Angelique Cabral, Victor Garber, Natasha Rothwell, Jennifer Kumiyama, Evan Peters, Harvey Guillén, Ramy Youssef, Niko Vargas, Della Saba, and Jon Rudnitsky. The story focuses on a 17-year-old girl named Asha who makes a passionate plea to the stars in a moment of need when she senses a darkness in the Kingdom of Rosas that no one else does. This newest Disney film was released in theatres on November 22.

• Leo: a new animated musical comedy film directed by Robert Marianetti, Robert Smigel and David Wachtenheim (in Marianetti and Wachtenheim’s feature directorial debuts). It’s written by Smigel, Adam Sandler, and Paul Sado, and produced by Sandler and Mireille Soria. The film stars Adam Sandler in the titular voice role, alongside Bill Burr, Cecily Strong, Jason Alexander, Rob Schneider, Allison Strong, Heidi Gardner, and Adam Sandler’s children Sadie, Sunny and Jackie. It follows Leo the lizard and Squirtle the turtle who are the class pets of a fifth-grade classroom at Fort Myers Elementary School and who are prepared for another school year with a new set of students. But when Leo, who has been stuck in that same classroom for years, discovers that he only has one more year to live, he wants to escape and enjoy his freedom. Instead he will have to save his class. Leo was released on Netflix on November 21.