16 New Netflix Original Movies Coming Soon

Netflix has been making a clear effort to push further into the world of original films over the last year and pretty soon, viewers will be able to see the results of their work. Over the next year or so, the streaming service has a slew of new movies set to premiere, including several recent acquisitions from this year’s Sundance. The upcoming titles range widely in genre, from indies like Rebirth to high-profile blockbusters like Brad Pitt’s War Machine. Here’s a look at all the new original movies that will soon be exclusively available for streaming on Netflix:

1. XOXO, 2016

Sarah Hyland.
Sarah Hyland. | Robin Marchant/Getty Images

One of Netflix’s newest acquisitions is an untitled electronic music project, starring Modern Family’s Sarah Hyland, as well as Graham Phillips (The Good Wife) and Chris D’Elia (Undateable). Written by Dylan Meyer, the film is set amidst the biggest EDM festival in America, XOXO, and follows six strangers whose lives collide in one frenetic, dream-chasing, hopelessly romantic night. Per IMDb, XOXO is coming to Netflix and theaters sometime in 2016.

2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend, February 26

crouching-tiger-netflix.jpg
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend. | Source: Netflix

The sequel to 2000’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, written by John Fusco and directed by Yuen Woo-ping (Iron Monkey, Kill Bill: Vol 2), was originally set to be released in late summer 2015, but has since been pushed back. The film stars Michelle Yeoh from the original film, along with Donnie Yen, Harry Shum Jr and Jason Scott Lee. It will have its Netflix release in the first quarter of 2016, along with an IMAX release in the United States and a theatrical release in China.

3. Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, March 18

Directed by John Lee and written by Paul Reubens and Paul Ruse, the upcoming comedy features Reubens reprising his iconic role as Pee-wee Herman. According to Netflix’s official synopsis, the movie involves a fateful meeting with a mysterious stranger and is set to be an epically wonderful tale of friendship and adventure.

“We didn’t hesitate for a moment knowing that Pee-wee’s Big Holiday was such a passion project for Paul and Judd and we are delighted by the opportunity to introduce such a beloved character to a new generation,” Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said. Tara Buck, Joe Manganiello, Jessica Pohly, Stephanie Beatriz and Alia Shawkat co-star in the upcoming movie.

4. Special Correspondents, April 29

Special Correspondents
Special Correspondents. | Source: Netflix

Written and directed by comedian Ricky Gervais, this upcoming comedy stars Eric Bana as a struggling New York City-based radio journalist whose career is in jeopardy because of his arrogance and decadent lifestyle. With his job on the line, he begins faking front line war reports from a hideout above a Spanish restaurant in Queens. Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel), Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire), Kevin Pollak (The Usual Suspects), America Ferrera (Ugly Betty), Raúl Castillo (Looking), and Benjamin Bratt (24: Live Another Day) also co-star in the movie.

5. Rebirth

Actor Fran Kranz
Fran Kranz. | Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images

Another of Netflix’s recent indie acquisition is the twisted psychological thriller, Rebirth, from writer-director Karl Mueller (Mr. Jones). It follows a white-collar suburban father Kyle (Fran Kranz) who is surprised at his office by long-lost college buddy Zack (Adam Goldberg). Zack is as wild and crazy as ever, brimming with excitement about the self-actualization program he’s just finished called Rebirth. He talks Kyle into going on a weekend-long Rebirth retreat,handing over his keys, wallet, and phone. Thus begins his journey down an bizarre rabbit hole of psychodrama, seduction, and violence.

Rebirth will be available exclusively on Netflix day and date with theatrical and transactional in 2016.

6. Jadotville

Jamie Dornan
Jamie Dornan. | Ian Gavan/Getty Images

The war drama, directed by Richie Smyth and written by Kevin Brodbin (Constantine), features Fifty Shades of Grey star Jamie Dornan. The movie chronicles the true story of the 1961 siege of a 150-member Irish U.N. battalion under Commander Patrick Quinlan (Dornan) by 3,000 Congolese troops, led by French and Belgian mercenaries working for mining companies. The movie also co-stars Guillaume Canet (Tell No One) as the French commander who sought to defeat Quinlan and his men.

No exact release date for the film has been revealed yet, but it’s expected to hit Netflix sometime next year.

7. The Most Hated Woman In America

Melissa Leo
Melissa Leo. | Charley Gallay/Getty Images

Starring Melissa Leo (The Fighter), this indie feature will chronicle the true story of the controversial rise and untimely demise of Madalyn Murray O’Hair — iconoclast, opportunist, and America’s most outspoken atheist for the separation of church and state.

Tommy O’Haver (An American Crime) penned and is set to direct the film. Meanwhile, Pitch Perfect 2 producers Max Handelman and Elizabeth Banks will produce through their Brownstone Productions. Netflix only recently acquired worldwide distribution rights and is expected to give it a theatrical and transactional release sometime in 2016, although a more specific date has not been revealed yet.

 8. War Machine

Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt. | Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

In June, Netflix acquired one of its most high-profile feature film projects yet in this satirical war comedy. The David Michod-directed drama will star Brad Pitt as a four-star rock star U.S. military general. The film is inspired by Michael Hasting’s bestselling book The Operators: The Wild And Terrifying Inside Story Of America’s War In Afghanistan and Pitt’s character is patterned after Gen. Stanley McChrystal, once the commanding general of international and U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

The movie will get a qualifying theatrical run, and then a big Netflix worldwide bow sometime in late 2016.

9. Girlfriend’s Day

Bob Odenkirk
Bob Odenkirk. | Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Netflix recently scooped up this noir comedy, which stars Better Call Sauls Bob Odenkirk as a down-on-his-luck greeting card writer who attempts to clear his name after he’s framed for murder. Amber Tamblyn will co-star as a femme fatale while Michael Stephenson (Best Worst Movie) is on board to direct. Odendirk co-wrote the script with Philip Zlotorynski and Eric Hoffman and is producing with Marc Provissiero of Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment and M. Elizabeth Hughes.

The project will expand Netflix’s relationship with Odenkirk, whose sketch series W/ Bob & David (in which he stars with his Mr. Show With Bob and David collaborator David Cross) premiered on the streaming site in November.

No exact premiere date has been revealed, but Netflix is reportedly planning a day-and-date theatrical release for sometime in 2016.

10. Mercy

James Wolk
James Wolk. | Vivien Killilea/Getty Images

Mercy centers on four estranged brothers who return to their childhood home to be with their dying mother, and find their bond tested after old family secrets begin to surface.Mad Men’s James Wolk (seen above) and Master of Sex’s Caitlin FitzGerald will star in the home invasion thriller, which recently completed filming. Tom Lipinski (The Knick), Michael Godere (The Affair) and Dan Ziskie (House of Cards) also star in the film. Meanwhile, Chris Sparling, who penned the 2010 Ryan Reynolds thriller Buried and Gus Van Sant’s The Sea of Tree, wrote and also directed the project.

Per THR, Netflix is planning on using its new model of an initial brief theatrical film release first, followed shortly after by exclusive streaming, for this project. The movie is expected to be released sometime in 2016, although no premiere date has been confirmed yet.

11. Mascots

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 05: Actor and director Christopher Guest speaks at the New Yorker Festival 2013 - Without A Script at SVA Theater 1 on October 5, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for The New Yorker)
Actor and director Christopher Guest. | Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

In August, Netflix bought the latest mockumentary from Christopher Guest. Casting details for Mascots have not been announced, but the movie will take place in the fluffy world of mascots. As the synopsis reads, “Welcome to all the drama, intrigue, and occasional excitement of the 8th World Mascot Association Championships, where a group of ‘unusual’ men and women, with big heads and furry suits, compete to win the prestigious Gold Fluffy Award and be crowned best mascot in the world.” This is the first feature film that Guest will have directed since 2006’s For Your Consideration.

The movie will premiere exclusively on the streaming service sometime this year, but an exact premiere date has yet to be established.

12. First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers

Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie. | SAFIN HAMED/AFP/Getty Images

Angelina Jolie is set to direct First They Killed My Father, based on the 2000 memoir by Cambodian-American author Loung Ung. Ung is a survivor of the deadly reign of Khmer Rouge, which took power over Cambodia in 1975 and began a four-year reign of terror and genocide. Over the course of their regime, nearly 2 million Cambodians lost their lives. Ung was forced to leave her family’s home and trained as a child soldier in a work camp for orphans while her six siblings were sent to labor camps. Though no exact premiere date has been scheduled, the movie is expected to debut on the streaming service sometime in the fall of 2016.

13. The Fundamentals of Caring

The Fundamentals of Caring
The Fundamentals of Caring. | Source: Sundance Film Festival

Netflix acquired the distribution rights to The Fundamentals of Caring at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Based on the 2012 novel of same name by Jonathan Evison, the movie stars Paul Rudd as a soon-to-be-divorced, unemployed father who becomes caregiver to a teenager with muscular dystrophy (Craig Roberts). The unlikely pair embarks on a trip to see America’s strange roadside attractions, picking up a runaway (Selena Gomez) and a pregnant woman (Megan Ferguson) along the way. No premiere date has been scheduled yet.

14. Tallulah

Ellen Page in Tallulah
Ellen Page in Tallulah. | Source: Netflix

Earlier this year, the streaming service also snapped up the rights to the dramatic comedy Tallulah, the story of a young drifter (Ellen Page) who takes a baby from a negligent mother and pretends the child is her own with the help of her ex-boyfriend’s mother. After being accused of kidnapping, she returns the child to its mother, and the three women form a close connection. Alison Janney, David Zayas, Tammy Blanchard, Zachary Quinto and Uzo Aduba also co-star. A premiere date is still TBD.

15. Under the Ground

Under the Ground
Under the Ground. | Source: Netflix

Set in 1988 Iran, during the bloodshed of the Iran-Iraq War, Under the Ground follows the story  of Shideh (Narges Rashidi) and her daughter Dorsa (Avin Manshadi), who start to believe their family home is haunted by “djinn”—evil spirits that are trying to steal their most prized belongings, including a treasured cloth doll. Written and directed by first-time filmmaker Babak Anvari, the Iranian horror film was snapped up by Netflix before it even premiered at Sundance. The movie is expected to debut globally on Netflix later this year, shortly after a theatrical or alternative-platform release.

16. ARQ

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 12: Actor Robbie Amell arrives at the premiere of Fox's "The X-Files" at the California Science Center on January 16, 2106 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Robbie Amell. | Kevin Winter/Getty Images

ARQ is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller set in the near future when the oil supply has run dry. The movie stars Robbie Amell (The Flash) who, after getting trapped in a house and surrounded by a gang of mysterious masked intruders, must protect a technology that could deliver unlimited energy and end the wars that have consumed the world. The only problem is that the technology has created a time loop that condemns him and his friends all to relive the same day over and over. Rachael Taylor (Jessica Jones) is set to co-star in the movie, which s set to begin shooting this winter in Toronto. A release date has not been confirmed.

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