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In 2018, Steven Spielberg took to SXSW with “Ready Player One,” a movie entirely built around offering homage and worship to the kind of ’80s movies Spielberg helped popularize. Needless to say, the movie wasn’t very good. Now, director Jess Varley is trying to make that a trend with the SXSW premiere of “The Astronaut,” a movie that references “Jurassic Park,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” and even “E.T.” while telling a psychological thriller about an astronaut going back home. Unfortunately, just like Spielberg couldn’t save “Ready Player One” even with Gundam-sized references, Varley’s homages and nods can’t help save “The Astronaut” from a sudden tonal shift that takes away what makes the first half of the film interesting and brings it into redundant — and honestly, quite baffling — territory.

Kate Mara stars as Sam Walker, an astronaut returning home from her very first mission in space.

Bodies Bodies Bodies lead Maria Bakalova is set to star alongside Peter Mullan (Baghead) in the single-location suspense thriller No Way Off, per Variety. The location? A bus that is driving into the middle of nowhere on Christmas Eve.

No Way Off, written by Gaby Hull, will be directed by Brian Kelly.

Bakalova will play Laura, a tired young mother traveling alone with her infant son on Christmas Eve. “When the bus pulls up, its driver is wearing a latex Santa mask. Laura climbs aboard, collapsing into her seat. Exhausted and stressed, she soon falls asleep. When Laura wakes, night has fallen. The bus is now hurtling along a motorway, miles off its usual route. Apart from the sleeping baby, she is the only passenger left on board. She can’t outrun the driver – she’ll have to outsmart him.“

“My dreams have come true. No Way Off has a...

New Order have announced a “definitive” box set of their 1986 album, Brotherhood, out November 22nd via Warner Music. What’s more, they’re separately reissuing the 12-inch singles for “Bizarre Love Triangle,” “State of the Nation,” and “Touched by the Hand of God.”

The Brotherhood collection features nine unreleased songs and demos from a 1985 recording session in Japan alongside remixes and their contributions to the soundtrack of Beth B’s film Salvation. Among these tracks are the full-length version of “Every Little Counts” and instrumental versions of “All Day Long” and “Broken Promise.”

Get Peter Hook & The Light Tickets Here

Also included are DVDs containing live performances at Brixton Academy, G-Mex Manchester, and Glastonbury, as well as TV shows from the UK and Europe — all of which are coming to DVD for the first time. Pre-orders for Brotherhood Definitive Edition and the 12-inch reissues are ongoing.

Just in case that...

Ridley Scott's Alien is easily one of the best and most influential horror films of all time. It's a sci-fi horror masterpiece, bringing one of the greatest movie monsters ever designed to the silver screen with the sleek, physics-defying xenomorph. It's spawned a multimedia franchise from great games to comics to a forthcoming TV series, with its latest entry, Fede lvarez's Alien: Romulus, returning the franchise to its horror roots. The franchise has influenced a variety of subsequent horror entries from B-movie knockoffs like Galaxy of Terror to modern indie films like Sea Fever and Sputnik. One would be hard-pressed to find a modern horror fan who can't sling facts about protagonist Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) or draw a xenomorph from memory. With Romulus now in theaters, you may want a refresher of everything that went down in Alien's terrorizing finale, as the new entry is deeply connected...

A24 is teaming up with Chernin Entertainment and award-winning Russian director Egor Abramenko (Sputnik) to produce its next terrifying horror film, Altar. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but 1428 Elm has learned that the script, written by Will Soodik (Westworld), is based on a short story by Philip Fracassi.

Set during a momentous summer in a young boy's life, Altar sounds like a twisted coming-of-age story where he is "forced to grow up faster than he ever imagined." Actress Lily Collias (Good One) will star alongside newcomer Hudson Behling. They will be joined by stars like January Jones (Mad Men), David Krumholtz (Oppenheimer), and Kyle MacLachlan (Fallout).

Fracassi is a Bram Stoker-nominated author who has written many acclaimed stories and novels, including the award-winning collection Behold the Void and novels like Gothic, Boys in the Valley, and the upcoming The Third Rule of Time Travel.

In 2022, Deadline reported that his short story "Death,...

A24 has unveiled its next nightmare.

The indie favorite is teaming up with Chernin Entertainment for “Altar,” from “Sputnik” director Egor Abramenko and starring “Good One” breakout Lily Collias and newcomer Hudson Behling.

January Jones (“Mad Men”), David Krumholtz (“Oppenheimer”) and Kyle MacLachlan (“Fallout”) round out the cast.

The film is written by Will Soodik (“Westworld”) and based on a short story by Philip Fracassi. While plot details are being kept close to the vest, the project is described as a horror film that follows the summer of a young boy, forced to grow up faster than he ever imagined.

A24 will handle global distribution.

Hailing from Russia, Abramenko is an award-winning director of commercials and music videos, working with brands including Google, BMW, Visa, Samsung, Danone and Budweiser. His first feature film, 2020’s sci-fi horror “Sputnik,” was supposed to have its world premiere at Tribeca Festival, followed by a...

Strap in: Jerry Seinfeld will drink… your… cereal milk. He’ll drink it up! Or something to that effect, anyway – the legendary comedian is making his feature directorial debut with Unfrosted, a film about (of all things) the origin of Pop-Tarts; the beloved toaster pastry that crashed onto the breakfast scene in the ‘60s. And this being a Jerry Seinfeld film, it’s going to be packed with stars and comedians, and allusions to some of the greatest films of all time – including none other than There Will Be Blood. Oh, and The Godfather.

“Do you remember the scene in The Right Stuff where Jeff Goldblum and Harry Shearer are running down the hall, and they burst into the darkened boardroom and they go, ‘It’s called… Sputnik!’? That’s what this movie is,” Seinfeld tells Empire, teasing the vision. Quite how Francis Ford Coppola’s mafia masterpiece and Paul Thomas Anderson...

Milo Ventimiglia was just 19 years old and starting out in Hollywood when he was cast as a gay teen in the 1996 short, “Must Be the Music.” You’d think his team would have advised him not to play queer, but Ventimiglia says he received nothing but support to sign on.

“I played a gay teenager who is going out with his friends, meets a guy but his buddy’s best friend is already kind of sweet on that guy,” Ventimiglia remembered. “Then he ends up giving them a ride home and he gets the guys number. It was a very sweet story.”

The short was produced by Gus Van Sant.

“That’s the great thing about being an actor,” the “This Is Us” star said at the Film Independent Spirit Awards on Sunday. “You play a lot of different roles. You represent a lot of roles. You represent a lot of stories.

Maria Bakalova, who earned an Oscar nomination for her performance in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm and has gone on to have roles in The Bubble and Bodies Bodies Bodies (and deliver vocal performances in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), has signed on to star in the horror film God’s Country, which is being produced by The Batman director Matt Reeves.

Bakalova takes over a role that had previously been assigned to Melissa Barrera of the recent Scream sequels. Barrera had to drop out of the project over scheduling issues.

The film will mark the English-language debut of director Egor Abramenko, who made his feature directorial debut with the Russian horror film Sputnik. God’s Country was written by Will Soodik (Westworld). According to Deadline, Bakalova will be playing a young woman who travels to Kentucky to meet her fiancé, subsequently uncovering something sinister beyond comprehension,...

Director Egor Abramenko gave a new twist to the creature feature in 2020’s Sputnik. He’s now set to take on biblical terror in God’s Country, marking his American directorial debut. Deadline reports that Bodies Bodies Bodies star Maria Bakalova will lead the Matt Reeves-produced genre pic.

God’s Country will follow “a young woman who travels to Kentucky to meet her fiancé, subsequently uncovering something sinister beyond comprehension, as her American dream curdles into a nightmare of biblical proportions.”

Will Soodik (“Westworld”) wrote the script.

Bakalova takes over for Melissa Barrera, who reportedly exited the role due scheduling conflicts. God’s Country is set to go into production in Romania under a SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreement in March. Barrera was announced to lead the project in February earlier this year, where her character was described as a Salvadoran woman.

What’s most fascinating about this is that Reeves told Deadline at the time,...

The best sci-fi horror movies of the 2020s combine fantastical elements with a hint of plausibility, showcasing the evolution of these two genres over time. These movies draw on common sci-fi tropes like advanced technology and alien contact to create terrifying and suspenseful stories that resonate with new generations of viewers. From the eerie and unexplained events in a tight-knit fishing community to the psychological horror of gaslighting and abuse of power, these films explore a wide range of themes while delivering gripping and unsettling cinematic experiences.

The best sci-fi horror movies of the 2020s showcase just how far the two genres have come. As seen in the entire history of cinema, horror and sci-fi have always been a match made in hell. Whereas classic horror relies on fantastical premises, sci-fi horror films sow terror from the fringes of science, giving a small but effective hint of plausibility to even the most otherworldly nightmares.

A Million Miles Away is a feel-good drama film based on the autobiography of astronaut José Hernández titled Reaching for the Stars: The Inspiring Story of a Migrant Farmworker Turned Astronaut. The Prime Video film follows the story of Hernández from when he was a child and he came to the United States as a migrant farm worker with his parents. In his childhood, he saw the launch of Apollo 11, and from then on he harbored a dream of going into space. Throughout his life he overcomes a lot of hurdles first with the help of his family and then his wife in order to achieve his dream. So, if you liked the inspirational film here are some similar movies you could watch next.

First Man (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Universal Pictures

Synopsis: Oscar®-winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling reteam for the riveting story behind the...

Infamy is a drama series created by Anna Maliszewska. The Netflix series follows the story of a 17-year-old girl, who dreams of becoming a hip-hop musician but the pressure from her family is getting in her way. Infamy is filled with brilliant emotional scenes with great music. So, if you loved the drama series here are some similar movies and shows you could watch next.

Secret Superstar (Not available in the US) Credit – Zee Studios

Synopsis: Secret Superstar is a 2017 Indian Hindi-language musical drama film written and directed by Advait Chandan, and produced by Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao under the studio Aamir Khan Productions. The film stars Zaira Wasim, Aamir Khan, Meher Vij and Raj Arjun. The film tells the coming-of-age story of a teenage girl who aspires to be a singer, uploading videos on YouTube while disguising her identity with a niqab, and her relationships with her mother,...

Village Roadshow Entertainment has made a wave of additions and promotions with Nic Gordon being elevated to Vice President of Feature Film for Village Roadshow Pictures (Vrp), and Anne MacKay is being named as a Creative Executive at Vrp. Elizabeth Elliott joins Vreg as Executive Vice President of Business Affairs. Gordon and MacKay will report to Jillian Apfelbaum and Tristen Tuckfield, Vrp’s Executive Vice Presidents of Feature Film. Elliot will report to Louis Santor, COO, Vreg.

“We are extremely pleased that Vrp homegrown executives Nic and Anne continue to demonstrate the creative thinking and initiative that allows us to generate a diverse slate of feature films based both on our deep library as well as original IP. Their contributions to the department have been incredible and we will continue to greatly benefit from their work across all of our projects as we bring them to fruition,” said Apfelbaum and Tuckfield.

Exclusive: Matt Reeves’ 6th & Idaho is teaming with Zq Entertainment to produce God’s Country — a new genre film starring Scream VI’s Melissa Barrera, which will mark the American directorial debut of Egor Abramenko (Sputnik).

The film going into production this summer will have Barrera playing a young Salvadoran woman who travels to Kentucky to meet her fiancé. What she uncovers is something sinister beyond comprehension, as her American dream curdles into a nightmare of biblical proportions.

Related Story ‘The Backrooms’ Horror Film Based On Viral Shorts By 17-Year-Old Kane Parsons In Works At A24, Atomic Monster, Chernin & 21 Laps Related Story Lionsgate Acquiring Blumhouse Thriller 'Imaginary' To Be Directed By Jeff Wadlow – EFM Related Story Evan Rachel Wood, Josh Gad & Anthony Carrigan Set For Murder Mystery 'The Adults' From Filmmaker Alex Winter – EFM

Will Soodik (Westworld) wrote the script. Reeves (The Batman) and Rafi Crohn (Tales from the Loop) will produce for 6th & Idaho,...

Len Blavatnik and Ruben Dishdishyan producing.

An Media has reported a strong response to its AFM action thriller Mira with multiple territory sales led by the US, Germany, Australia and South Korea in the latest example of the longer deal-making tail at markets.

Germany-based Capelight Pictures has acquired rights for the US, Germany and Australia, while Korea Screen will distribute in South Korea and Cine Y Video in Latin America. An Media is continuing talks for other territories.

Dmitry Kiselev (Spacewalker) directs Mira, which centres on Lera, the 15-year-old daughter of an astronaut, Arabov, who left many years ago on...

Len Blavatnik and Ruben Dishdishyan producing.

An Media has reported a strong response to its AFM action thriller Mira with multiple territory sales led by the US, Germany, Australia and South Korea in the latest example of the longer deal-making tail at markets.

Germany-based Capelight Pictures has acquired rights for the US, Germany and Australia, while Korea Screen will distribute in South Korea and Cine Y Video in Latin America. An Media is continuing talks for other territories.

Dmitry Kiselev (Spacewalker) directs Mira, which centres on Lera, the 15-year-old daughter of an astronaut, Arabov, who left many years ago on...

Producer Ilya Stewart has launched an independent studio based in Europe that will operate on a global scale, working with international talent and focusing on English-language feature films and television series, Variety can exclusively reveal.

Hype Studios is the new venture from Stewart, the formerly Moscow-based producer who in recent years has been a fixture at the Cannes Film Festival, where his collaborations with Russian auteur Kirill Serebrennikov, including “Petrov’s Flu” and “Tchaikovsky’s Wife,” have premiered in competition.

Among the co-productions with American and European partners currently on Hype Studios’ slate is Zach Wigon’s “Sanctuary,” starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott, which premieres as a Special Presentation next month at the Toronto International Film Festival and was produced with Rumble Films and Mosaic Films, along with Charades. Also on the slate is Pietro Marcello’s French-language “Scarlet,” produced in partnership with CG Cinéma’s Charles Gillibert, which opened this...

Well Go USA have picked up North American rights to the Russian WWII actioner The Pilot: A Battle for Survival.

Directed by Renat Davletyarov, the period film follows a Russian pilot, played by Sputnik star Pyotr Fyodorov, who crash-lands behind enemy lines and must fight his way back to friendly territory, facing hunger, extreme cold, wolf packs, and Nazi soldiers. Anna Peskova, Pavel Osadchy, Maksim Emelyanov, and Nikoloz Paikridze co-star.

Davletyarov co-wrote the screenplay to The Pilot, which is based on real-life events, together with Alexey Timoshkin and Sergey Ashkenazi.

Well Go USA president Doris Pfardrescher called the film “a gripping story ...

Tesla, Sputnik, A Call to Spy and Centigrade will be released by Shout! Factory in conjunction with IFC From a biography of one of history’s most revered inventors, to a sci-fi thriller about an alien parasite, to the inspiring true story of the female spies who fought against the Nazi occupation of France, and a …

The post Four IFC Films Make Blu-ray Debuts This February from Scream Factory and Shout! Factory appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

Principal shooting is set to begin next month on the latest feature from critically acclaimed Russian director Yury Bykov, whose sophomore film “The Major” played in Cannes’ Critics’ Week, Variety has learned.

“The Owner” is produced by Ilya Stewart, Pavel Buria, and Murad Osmann of Moscow-based Hype Film, in their first collaboration with Kinopoisk, Russia’s leading streaming platform. Olga Filipuk is producing for Kinopoisk, which is owned by search engine Yandex.

Also co-producing are Dan Wechsler and Jamal Zeinal Zade of Switzerland’s Bord Cadre Films and Andreas Roald of the U.K.’s Sovereign Films, who are both co-producers on Cannes Palme d’Or winner Ruben Östlund’s upcoming feature “Triangle of Sadness.” Mexico’s Pimienta Films headed by Nicolas Celis (“Roma”), and Jim Stark are on board as executive producers.

Handling world sales and boarding the film as co-producers are Carole Baraton, Yohann Comte, and Pierre Mazars of Paris-based Charades.

One of the most-acclaimed surprises of this year was the Russian film, Sputnik. Set in the Cold War space race, the film went beyond the usual sci-fi stereotypes with its chilling premise and gripping characters, with decent visual effects. It is just another example of several other non-English films that are cementing their position in the pantheon new-age science fiction films.

Related: Sci-Fi: 10 Best Outer Space Survival Films

These films succeed in presenting an alternative view to the audiences apart from the usual 'aliens invade New York' routine. Here are a few foreign picks similar to Sputnik that defined the sci-fi genre in their vernacular language.

One of the latest releases to garner the buzz this pandemic season is the Russian film Sputnik. In the Soviet Union of the 1980s, a young, passionate doctor is summoned to a secret facility that’s researching on a cosmonaut with an alien parasite dwelling inside his body. What she observes in this symbiotic relationship results in a compelling, philosophical sci-fi/horror story that turned out to be a surprisingly good thriller with the potential to be a cult film in the future.

Related: 10 Best Sci-Fi Horror Movies Of The Last Decade

Sputnik is a treat for those viewers who don’t expect a simple ‘aliens vs humans’ story but something that makes them ponder on how would it be if humans interacted with extra-terrestrial life. Here are a few films similar to Sputnik either in premise or themes.

With what was supposed to be the summer movie season now just another relic of this pandemic-blasted year, and the rest of 2020’s major film releases in a continuing state of flux, it’s important to note that there has still been a fairly steady stream of new films coming out, some in limited theatrical release but others largely available via video on demand and streaming services.

With that in mind, and with the customary “opening weekend” a rather fluid and ambiguous term as well, below is a rundown of films we’ve caught in the past month, along with information on where you can find and watch them. Some are good, some not so much, but your mileage may vary for each. The important thing to know is that movies are still coming out–just not always in the ways we expect.

She Dies Tomorrow

Although it was released back on Aug.

Sputnik is a Russian sci-fi thriller that has wowed global audiences. A smarter than expected script takes the Alien premise in a completely different direction. Dark, moody, and superbly acted, Sputnik drips with palpable tension. The characters true motives aren't clear until the blood starts spurting. More twists follow as the nasty critter has plans of its own. Sputnik merits its critical acclaim. The summer's best creature feature has arrived stateside.

Sputnik opens in 1983 with two cosmonauts orbiting the Earth. Konstantin Veshnyakov (Pyotr Fyodorov) and Kirill Averchenko (Aleksey Demidov) plot their course to enter the atmosphere. The men sing songs together. They look forward to returning home as heroes of the Soviet Union. Konstantin sees something crawl over the viewport. He must be hallucinating. Suddenly, they hear a banging noise on the capsule door.

In Moscow, Tatyana Klimova (Oksana Akinshina), a neurophysiologist with extreme methods, sits at a hearing. A...

"Sputnik" is the new science fiction horror feature, directed by Egor Abramenko, starring Oksana Akinshina, Fedor Bondarchuk and Pyotr Fyodorov:

"...at the height of the 'Cold War', a 'Soviet' spacecraft crash lands after a mission gone awry, leaving the commander as its only survivor. 

"After a renowned Russian psychologist is brought in to evaluate the commander's mental state, it becomes clear that something dangerous may have come back to Earth with him..."

Click the images to enlarge...

Sputnik Directed By Egor Abramenko Oksana Akinshina (Lilya 4-ever), Fedor Bondarchuk (9th Company), And Pyotr Fyodorov (The Darkest Hour) Due to her controversial methods, young doctor Tatiana Yurievna is on the precipice of losing her medical license. Her career may not be over, though. After she’s recruited by the military, Tatiana …

The post Opens Today | Sputnik – 80’s-Set Russian Sci-Fi-Horror by Egor Abramenko | Opens 8/14 courtesy of IFC Midnight appeared first on Hnn | Horrornews.net.

Boldly going where no one has gone before, the crew of the spacecraft in “Sputnik” is bound for new terrain. Surprise! Things don’t go as planned. The ship shakes violently and hurtles toward Earth. Something slimy and creepy is crawling outside the escape pod. If you have seen a lot of alien movies, you know what’s next: scares, blood, flashing red lights, and a heroine who somehow adapts quicker than the aliens.

Directed by Egor Abrameko from a script by Oleg Malovicho and Andrei Zolotarev, the movie is set in 1983 and dramatizes what happens after most alien movies end.

Continue reading ‘Sputnik’: A Scary Sci-Fi Thriller That Is More Than Just ‘Alien In Russia’ [Review] at The Playlist.

Canada and the U.S. are in different worlds when it comes to Covid-19. The northern neighbor is good to go for most theaters (with safety measures in play). And with that, the country went its own way this weekend with two wide releases.

“The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run” took top spot for all theaters in both countries, grossing around $910,000 in 300 theaters. The Russell Crowe-starring thriller “Unhinged” was #2 with about $580,000 on 284 screens. “Peninsula,” the Korean “Train to Busan” sequel, made $119,000 in 45 theaters. This opens in 115 U.S. theaters this Friday.

In 2015, “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water” opened to $55 million ion North America, and Canada generally earns about 10 percent of the two-country total. If the new SpongeBob” opened in North America in a world without Covid, we might factor in a falloff of interest in the franchise over five years; a reasonable guess might be a...

Summer of 1996. The booming ’90s cinematic box 0ffice was graced with the arrival of extraterrestrial beings in hovering unidentified flying objects that lingered over large cities across planet Earth. Independence Day took ideas of science fiction classics like War of the Worlds, Alien, and E.T. and combined them together for a popcorn movie that helped reimagine what stories of invaders from outer space could look and feel like. It’s a big, loud, fun science fiction spectacle.

Summer of 2020. Science fiction films have evolved. Stories of alien beings have morphed into manifestations of comic book characters or the reemergence of the Star Wars cinematic galaxy in popular culture. We’ve seen brand new films in the Alien and Predator movie galaxy, more Cloverfield alien monsters, and another journey 20 years after the original film release with Independence Day: Resurgence. Aliens are everywhere.

However, this abundance of stories has led to...

[Editor’s Note: The following story contains spoilers for IFC Midnight’s “Sputnik,” now available on VOD, digital, and in select theaters.]

While a space traveler’s greatest fear is typically what’s waiting out there in the great unknown, what they bring back to Earth could be much, much worse. That’s the premise of Russian filmmaker Egor Abramenko’s feature debut “Sputnik,” a sci-fi chiller with the stately echoes of Ridley Scott’s classic “Alien.” Set in the 1980s Cold War era, “Sputnik” blends creature-feature effects with heady extraterrestrial thrills. “Sputnik” is based on a proof-of-concept short Abramenko released in 2017 called “The Passenger” and, according to the director in a recent IndieWire interview, it’s unusual to see a sci-fi movie of such ambitious scale come out of Russia. Besides the one Russian name synonymous with soul-searching sci-fi, Andrei Tarkovsky, of course.

“We wanted to combine a very common setting for the Russian audiences, which is the U.

Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on Wbgr-fm on August 13th, 2020, reviewing the new films “Sputnik” and “Red Penguins.”

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Sputnik This Russian-made film was suppose to have its World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival 2020 in April (moved to online). A Russian cosmonaut in 1983 has something strange happen to him on re-entry, and the Soviet-era scientists can’t figure out what’s wrong. They bring in a radical female psycho-therapist to think outside the box, and she learns that the space traveler has a parasite living inside him (like the film Alien). This creature has needs – including what it eats – that are top secret. 4/5 stars. Locally, it’s available for actual theatrical and virtual download through MusicBoxTheatre.com.

Rating: 4.5/5.0

Red Penguins What happens when two American entrepreneurs invest in the Russian Red Army hockey team in 1993, and send a slick marketing...

The intense, often nerve-wracking, yet thoroughly enjoyable genre film Sputnik is also the debut for Russian director Egor Abramenko. This is a film that sports echoes of other classics of the horror/science fiction ilk like Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979), or even John Carpenter’s remake of The Thing (1982). Abramenko, however, displays a singular style with an impressive first feature that portends potentially greater things yet to come.

The film first introduces young doctor Tatiana Yurievna (Oksana Akinshina) who has been summoned before a medical review board for her less-than-orthodox treatment techniques (despite their success) and may have her license revoked. Her maverick spirit, however, intrigues the Russian military who asks her to consult on a case involving recently returned from space cosmonaut Konstantin Sergeyevich (Pyotr Fyodorov) who seems to have developed a particularly nasty symbiotic condition that manifests itself in the shrouded darkness of the night. Of course, the...

If nothing changes (and if 2020 has taught us anything it probably will), movie theaters will be opening en masse in the U.S. within the next couple of weeks. Does that mean people are ready to flock back to theaters? It's hard to say. For now, we mostly have what can be enjoyed from home. Fortunately, this week has no shortage of new releases to enjoy.

Netflix has a new superhero flick coming down the pipeline and Disney+ is bringing a would-be theatrical release to streaming instead. We also have a couple of new horror flicks, a Joe Bob Briggs special and Judd Apatow's latest comedy finally hitting a major streaming service. Here are this week's streaming selections.

Project Power - Netflix

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Netflix is, yet again, stepping up to try and fill the summer movie void. In this case, they are...

Exclusive: Sputnik, the sci-fi thriller that would have been a Tribeca premiere were it not for the fest’s cancellation, has launched online in its native Russia ahead of its U.S. bow and is recording stellar viewership.

More than one million people have streamed the title since its release on April 23 across its three Svod homes, according to its producers. The film is playing on More.tv, Wink and Ivi, which are a mixture of subscription services and Tvod and are three of Russia’s biggest platforms. That makes it the top-performing title across those services for the past two years, surpassing all Hollywood and local releases.

The project is directed by first time helmer Egor Abramenko and is produced by Fedor Bondarchuk’s Moscow-based Art Pictures Studio. IFC Midnight secured North American rights to the pic back in April and will release stateside August 14.

Bondarchuk stars in the movie alongside Oksana Akinshina,...

IFC Midnight has secured the North American rights to Egor Abramenko’s directorial debut feature Sputnik, a sci-thriller set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, which has been postponed due to the current global health crisis. Oksana Akinshina, Fedor Bondarchuk, Pyotr Fyodorov, and Anton Vasilev star in the film, which IFC will release on August 14.

Inspired by Abramenko’s short film The Passenger, the plot takes place at the height of the Cold War when a Soviet spacecraft crash lands after a mission gone awry, leaving the commander as its only survivor. After a renowned Russian psychologist is brought in to evaluate the commander’s mental state, it becomes clear that something dangerous may have come back to Earth with him.

More from DeadlineIFC Picks Up North American Rights To Contained Arctic Chiller 'Centigrade' Based On True StoryIFC Midnight Takes North American Rights To Fantasia Horror 'The Wretched'ifc Midnight...