Projectile insemination, slimy extraterrestrials, practical creature effects and an unexpected alien pregnancy are all on the menu in Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant, the gloriously bonkers debut feature from Kiwi filmmaking duo THUNDERLIPS (Sean Wallace and Jordan Mark Windsor), and which is ready to be unleashed on audiences at this year’s Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) on August 7.

Equal parts outrageous body horror, sci-fi comedy and heartfelt coming-of-age story, Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant looks set to become one of the year’s most unforgettable homegrown cinematic experiences.

Watch the all-new trailer below:

Expanding upon their acclaimed 2024 short film, Wallace and Windsor deliver a wonderfully bizarre story centred on twenty-something shut-in Mary (Hannah Lynch), whose hopes of finally moving out of home are spectacularly derailed following a rather unfortunate extraterrestrial encounter.

After an unexpected projectile-insemination incident leaves her carrying an alien lifeform, Mary suddenly finds herself battling sceptical doctors, an utterly hopeless baby daddy and an overly enthusiastic mother, all while attempting to reclaim control of her future.

It’s a premise that embraces the wonderfully absurd, but beneath the tentacles, slime and creature chaos lies a surprisingly heartfelt story exploring expectation, autonomy, family and growing up. And yes; there’s plenty of goo!

Before making its way home, Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant has already enjoyed an impressive international festival journey.

The film made its World Premiere at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival, before delighting audiences at the Fantasia International Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival, and is next set to screen at the Melbourne International Film Festival.

Critics have embraced the film’s fearless originality, with Geek Vibe Nation praising its “sharply written script” that cleverly uses its outlandish premise to explore themes of expectation, choice and parenthood, while Daily Dead described it as “a gooey little sci-fi miracle.”

For producers Alix Whittaker, Morgan Leigh Stewart and Ilai Amar, bringing the film back to New Zealand audiences marks an especially exciting milestone after months on the international festival circuit.

Leading the cast is Hannah Lynch (The Rule of Jenny Penn) alongside Arlo Green (Nautilus), with an ensemble packed full of familiar New Zealand talent including Yvette Parsons (The Power of the Dog), Jackie van Beek (The Breaker Upperers) and Jonny Brugh (What We Do in the Shadows).

Produced by Morgan Leigh Stewart, Alix Whittaker and Ilai Amar under the Hot Candle Wave banner, the film was created with support from the New Zealand Film Commission, with Umbrella handling distribution across Australia and New Zealand while XYZ Films oversees international sales.

One Of The Year’s Most Original Kiwi Films

Kiwi cinema has never been afraid to embrace the strange, and Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant looks set to continue that proud tradition with an irresistible blend of practical effects, outrageous comedy, sci-fi spectacle and genuine emotional warmth.

Following rave reactions from audiences around the globe, New Zealand moviegoers will finally have the chance to experience this gloriously gooey adventure when it premieres at the Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival on Friday, 7 August, before arriving in cinemas across the country later this year.

Image: The Public Good

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Whenever we hear the news that Robert Eggers is ready to get back behind the camera, it’s cause for excitement, and after the blood-curdling, gothic glory that was 2024’s Nosferatu, Eggers is ready to return to screens with a project that he has touted as his ‘darkest narrative yet’ in Werwulf…. and its first trailer will chill you to the bone.

Watch the freakishly raw new trailer for Werwulf below:

Drawing on the director’s fascination with monsters, mythology, and folklore, Eggers dials the drama and intensity back to the 13th century, as a vicious monster prowls the desolate and scarred English countryside, and a cursed man must desperately search for a way back to the light.

Conceived with noted poet and writer Sjón, who helped deliver Eggers’ Viking epic The Northman, this first look at Werwulf promises a tale of unnatural terror as pagan rituals smash against the shadow of Christianity in a world of pure instinct and reaction, and this first trailer definitely left us unnerved.

By giving audiences only a taste of what awaits in Werwulf, Eggers delivers an edgy, uncompromising film whose action is intense and whose horror is beastial and terrifying in its impact. Eggers has also been very clear that Werwulf will not follow the standard ‘werewolf-bite-narrative’ which has now become standard and almost cliché, but instead he has described this story as being very much about trying to outrun a curse that one did not naturally invite.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson is front and centre as the unnamed protagonist, merely known as The Cursed Farmer, who is desperate for a chance to shed the beast that lives inside him, and he gives a completely animalistic performance as this shaken and broken man. There’s also the presence of Lily-Rose Depp as The Cursed Farmers’ Wife, who understands that there is a force inside her husband that cannot be tamed, and who desperately gives her love to him, while Willem Defoe could very well deliver his most freakish performance to date as The Hunter who wants to rids the lands of this beats no matter the cost, and his presence is utterly devilish in the narrative.

Shaping the script with Early Modern English, which required Eggers and Sjón to work with Oxford Academics, no detail has been left unturned, and the film carries a richness in both texture and feeling that will bring audiences deeper into its horrific experience. The cinematography of Eggers’ collaborator and friend Jarin Blaschke also deserves praise for its orthochromatic look, which incorporates the grain structure of black-and-white film onto colour film, with the film shot on 35mm Film Stock to amplify the vision Eggers seeks to bring to the big screen.

With its monstrous narrative and blood-drenched visuals of pure horror, Werwulf is an experience not for the faint of heart, and best say your prayers, because we’re pretty sure audiences won’t leave this one unscathed, but with its release this Christmas, we could very much see a picture that could reshape the very experience of horror cinema forever.

Image: Universal Pictures

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Check out the all-new trailer for Sense and Sensibility below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

An irresistible new take on Jane Austen’s iconic Sense and Sensibility: a charming, witty, and deeply relatable story of love and sisterhood starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles.

The sophomoric work of filmmaker Georgia Oakley, this first trailer presents a film that is both a testament to Jane Austen’s debut novel, and it’s original setting and characters, but is also feeling decidedly modern at the same time, and that makes it a real treat for audiences.

Both Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles appear to be perfectly casted as Elinor Dashwood and Marianne Dashwood, and soon all kinds of swoon worthy romance soon follows with the presence of the dapper Edward Ferrars (George MacKay), and the slightly goofy John Willoughby (Frank Dillane). And it all leads to plenty of fun.

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For Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sense and Sensibility is a terrific place on which to play on, and audiences seeking fun, romance, and the classic freedom of the prose of Jane Austen, along with an utterly arresting and breathtaing vision of cinema will be left enchanted when Sense and Sensibility arrives in cinemas on October 15.

Image: Universal Pictures

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Watch the all-new trailer for Klara and the Sun below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

In a dystopian future where technological advances in genetic engineering have divided humans into strict, isolated social classes, an obsolete companion android named Klara tries to bond with Josie, a sick girl for whom she was purchased.

Shot on location in New Zealand in both Wānaka and Auckland, Klara and the Sun is a film filled to the brim with light and warmth, and audiences seeking something fun and jazzy will be well satisfied, along with experiencing a deeper meditation on longing, friendship, and the very nature of connection.

Jenna Ortega gives a totally 360-performance as android Klara, a second-rate and obsolete android who has been purchased to bond with the ill Josie (Mia Tharia), and together they go on quite an adventure together. Amy Adamns is in top form as Jodie’s controlling mother Chrissie, while both Rachel House, Natasha Lyonne and Steve Buscemi are set to appear in key supporting roles.

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Lively and utterly spirited in Taika’s trademark glass half-full style, Klara and the Sun is the picture that feels like the movie we all need right now, and its sure to be a treat when it arrives in cinemas on October 22.

Image: Sony Pictures

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Brad Pitt is ready to face the very savageness of nature in an all-new action spectacle from director David Ayer (Fury, End of Watch, Sabotage) in Heart of the Beast, and this is an adrenaline charging watch that will leave you overrun with energy and emotion.

Take your first look at Heart of the Beast below:

Here’s the official synppsis:

After a harrowing plane crash, retired U.S. Special Forces officer James Belmont (Brad Pitt) and his combat dog, Odin, find themselves stranded deep in the Alaskan wilderness. Together, they are forced into a brutal fight for survival against the elements. From acclaimed filmmaker David Ayer, Heart of the Beast is an intense adventure thriller that explores the unbreakable bond between a man and his best friend as they face their greatest battle yet.

Bringing Academy Award-winner Brad Pitt back together with former collaborator David Ayer, whose first effort produced the lauded WWII tank epic, Fury, Heart of the Beast takes audiences directly into the sacage heart of darkness of man vs nature as dormer US Special Forces Green Beret James Belmont (Brad Pitt), and his retired combat dog Odin, a Belgian Malinois, find themselves on the edge of the unknown in Alaska, as they are forced to suirvive by any means together in order to find their way back to home, and the edge and emotion of this piece os really gong to tap hold.

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Recalling the likes of Rambo and Lone Survivor, Heart of the Beast is engaging and very moving thriller that not only is set to deliver edge of your seat action, but also focuses in on the emotional connection between veterans and the animals they serve with, along with the distressing elements of PTSD, and there’s going to be plenty of heavy dramatic pieces in thsi film from death-defying natural environments, to wild, feral animals, and the gut-wrenching journey of man and dog to find their way back home.

Shot in Southern New Zealand, Heart of the Beast is a stunningly beautiful film, and it offers a perfect canvas to explore just how far and man dog will go together in their extraordinary will to survive.

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Get ready for the ultimate tale of man and dog vs wild when Heart of the Beast arrives in cinemas later this year.

Image: Paramount Pictures

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Watch the all-new trailer for The Cat in the Hat below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

In the film, our hero, The Cat in the Hat (Bill Hader) takes on his toughest assignment yet for the I.I.I.I. (Institute for the Institution of Imagination and Inspiration, LLC): to cheer Gabby and Sebastian, a pair of siblings struggling with their move to a new town. Known for taking things too far, this could be this agent of chaos’s last chance to prove himself…or lose his magical hat!

This new trailer for The Cat in the Hat celebrates the wonderful whimsy of Dr. Seuss delivering a colourful and magical new cinematic experience for audiences whee mischief, magic and mayhem reign supreme. Doing what he does best, the Cat, voiced by Bill Hader, spreads joy to kids in his hilarious, signature and singularly irreverent way, transporting them and audiences on a fantastical journey through a world they’ve never seen before.

The animation is utterly spellbounding thanks to the creative vision of Erica Rivinoja and Alessandro Carloni, and this is a story where anything is possible, and the animators at Warner Brothers Pictures Animation have truly captured the zany and outrageous world first rendered by Dr. Seuss, and with the addition of Bill Hader’s jump off the wall comedic energy, The Cat in the Hat is shaping up to be a wild experience for audiences.

Experience the utter wonder and whimsy of The Cat in the Hat when it arrives in cinemas on December 3 just in time for Christmas.

Image: Warner Brothers Pictures Animation

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Check out the all-new trailer for The Dog Stars below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

The film tells the story of Hig (Jacob Elordi), a young pilot who, together with a military survivalist, Bangley (Josh Brolin), has carved out an efficient but isolated homestead in a brutal post-apocalyptic world. But when Hig receives a mysterious radio transmission, he ventures into the unknown in search of the hope and humanity he still believes exist.

Building off of the original teaser trailer, this new trailer for The Dog Stars delivers an elevated view of its scary world, along with focusing in on the broken psyche of its lead protagonist Hig (Jacon Elordi), a skilled pilot and survivor who is desperate for a chance to escape, and might have found a way to salvation.

Jacob Elordi is truly the man of the moment, and it’s exciting to see him join Sir Ridley Scott for The Dog Stars, and he brings a certain Steve McQueen presence to the role of Hig, and is joined by a stellar supporting cast including the likes of Josh Brolin as Bangley, an aloof, gun-toting ex-Marine and Hig’s companion; Margaret Qualley as Cima, a young medic and Hig’s love interest, and Guy Pearce as Pops, a former Navy SEAL and Cima’s father.

The action is ramped right the way up as well, and The Dog Stars goes hard on its exploration of its science-fiction, post-apocalyptic world, and Scott gives the action is certain gritty feralness that will keep audiences on edge the whole way through.

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There’s a lot to be excited about with The Dog Stars, and this is an action rollercoaster that will pin you back in your seat as it takes off on August 27.

Image: 20th Century Studios

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Watch the all-new trailer for Evil Dead Burn below:

Here’s the official synopsis;

Evil Dead Burn unleashes the franchise’s most savage and terrifying ride to date, blazing onto big screens with an all-new chapter of carnage and demonic mayhem. After the loss of her husband, a woman seeks solace with her in-laws in their secluded family home. As one by one they are transformed into Deadites, turning the gathering into a family reunion from hell, she comes to discover that the vows she took in life… live on even in death.

Directed by Sébastien Vaniček, Evil Dead Burn follows the horrendous and harrowing first chapter of this new Evil Dead story arc with Evil Dead Burn, and from the looks of this first trailer Vaniček appears to have out done the blood-curdling scares that we first witnessed with Evil Dead Burn.

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They say home is where the heart is, but this time it’s very much where the horrors lie, and this new trailer is utterly uncontrollable and shares a good dose of thrilling scares, but also showcasing both the horrors, and the unintentional comedy, that hgas become a staple of the genre, and it’s shaping up to be an incredibly gnarly watch!

Ready yourself for something truly monstrous when the horrors come home when Evil Dead Burn arrives in cinemas on July 9.

Image: Sony Pictures

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Directed by Vea Mafile’o and Gavin Fitzgerald, LOMU promises to deliver an intimate portrait of one of the greatest sporting figures New Zealand has ever produced, tracing Lomu’s remarkable journey from the streets of South Auckland to becoming a global sporting phenomenon whose influence transcended rugby itself.

More than simply a sports documentary, LOMU seeks to explore the man behind the myth, examining the cultural significance, personal sacrifices and immense pressures faced by one of the world’s first truly global rugby superstars.

Watch the full trailer for LOMU below:

Ahead of its official release, the film will return home to Tonga for a special public screening at Teufaiva Rugby Stadium on July 29. The event will serve as a celebration of Lomu’s enduring legacy and his deep connection to the Kingdom of Tonga, whose values, culture and people played a profound role in shaping his identity.

For co-director Vea Mafile’o, bringing the film back to Tonga represents a deeply meaningful moment.

Drawing upon the Tongan proverb “Pikipiki hama ka tau vaevae manava,” Mafile’o explained that the screening reflects the idea of communities coming together, sharing strength and supporting one another through life’s challenges.
She also noted that the event embodies the generosity that defined Lomu throughout his life.

“Jonah was known as someone who always gave to people, to friends, to family, to community and to those around him,” said Mafile’o. “In many ways, this screening has become an extension of that same generosity.”

The free public screening is expected to be a landmark cultural event, made even more significant by the return of Lomu’s mother to Tonga for the occasion. Mafile’o expressed hope that the screening would become a moment of collective pride and celebration for Tongans both at home and across the Pacific.

LOMU looks set to offer audiences unprecedented access to the life of the rugby icon through intimate interviews with family members, friends, teammates and coaches, alongside extensive archival material and never-before-seen family footage.

The documentary explores not only Lomu’s extraordinary achievements on the field but also the personal cost of global fame. Beneath the powerful runs and iconic performances was a humble and deeply grounded man whose life was shaped by his Tongan heritage, Christian faith and the immense responsibility of representing both his people and his nation on the world stage.

For many rugby fans, Jonah Lomu was the player who changed the sport forever. His explosive performances at the 1995 Rugby World Cup transformed him into a global icon and inspired an entire generation of athletes throughout the Pacific and beyond.

Now, LOMU seeks to tell the complete story of that remarkable journey.

The documentary will premiere in Australia at the Sydney Film Festival on June 13 before making its Aotearoa premiere at Auckland’s Civic Theatre on August 1. LOMU will then arrive in cinemas across New Zealand and Australia this September.

Judging by its first trailer, this looks set to be far more than a sporting documentary. Instead, LOMU appears poised to become a moving celebration of identity, resilience, faith and the lasting legacy of one of rugby’s greatest sons.

Image: MadMan Films

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The song of Odysseus is about to be sung, courtesy of the technicolour talent of filmmaker Christopher Nolan, and 2026’s grandest cinematic epic, The Odyssey, is set to be a colossal cinematic that will command the attention of all who witness it.

Check out the brand new trailer for The Odyssey below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

The Odyssey follows Odysseus, the legendary Greek king of Ithaca, on his long and perilous journey home following the Trojan War, chronicling his encounters with mythical beings such as the Cyclops Polyphemus, sirens, and the nymph Calypso, while attempting to reunite with his wife, Penelope.

Released courtesy of an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Christopher Nolan arrived in a very rare appearance to discuss the signifiance of Adapting this legendary work by Homer, which is considered by many to be one of the founding cornerstone of the Western Literature canon, and Nolan has delivered an immense tale of one man’s dogged determination to return home to his wife and son, even it it means suffering through the tests and fates of the gods themselves.

Building on the previous trailer, and being Nolan’s first work delivered wince his Academy Award winning triumph with Oppenheimer, this new look at The Odyssey offers a bigger canvas for the film and showcases the mighty presence of its legendary moments. Chief among them is the presence of the Cyclops, Polyphemus. along with Odysseus’ (Matt Damon) meeting and infatuation with the sea nymph Calypso (Charlize Theron).

The trailer also focuses on the drama that awaits Odysseus’ return to his island kingdom of Ithica, where his queen, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), but contends with the attention and debaucheries of the suitors, who are led by the vicious Antinous (Robert Pattinson), while his son Telemachus (Tom Holland) desperately searches for any remnants of his father’s great travels.

All of it makes for a compelling vision and story, and Nolan has reached the highest heights of epic filmmaking with The Odyssey, shooting the entire film with IMAX cameras. In his chat with Colbert, Nolan was also open about how he’s kept his Odyssey constructed around the same non-linear narrative storytelling as first delivered through Homer’s work, and in his conversation, you can sense that he’s provided a deep and thoughtful narrative that will pull audiences into the legendary magnificence of this story.

The cast is also utterly standout, with Matt Damon leading from the charge as a battle-hardened, worn-down figure of immense power, rage, and the desperate will to survive, whose intelligence and craft guide him on his journey, and who will bring unhealed vengeance to those who wish to clutch his kingdom from him. Anne Hathaway delivers an immense level of drama as his devoted wife, Penelope, who cannot seem to bear the thought of his life, while Tom Holland’s Telemachus is a son searching for meaning and answers in a world without his father. Robert Pattinson delivers a nasty, venomous presence as the scheming, violent suitor Antinous, while Charlize Theron’s Calypso exudes a seductive, dangerous presence.

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Bold, ambitious and enormous in its scope and size, The Odyssey is an epic for the ages, and under Christopher Nolan’s direction, and presented in the IMAX format, this is a picture and an event that will grab the audience’s attention and promise a monumental cinematic experience when it arrives in IMAX on July 16.

Image: Universal Pictures

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