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New trailers: Deadpool, Zoolander 2, Empire, and more

All the shows and movies you should be looking out for

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There is a lot of good stuff to check out this week. It starts with huge returning champions (like Zoolander and Empire), moves on to some incredible surprises (By the Sea and The Assassin), and finishes up with some impressive-looking documentaries and... kind of just a mixture of other things that look great. There are 16 trailers below.

Deadpool

One year ago, the internet was watching a leaked test reel showing what a Deadpool movie might look like; now, pretty much exactly one year later, we're getting a first look at the real thing. And yeah, it looks as irreverent, vulgar, and funny as everyone hoped. It comes out in February.

Zoolander 2

It's good to see Blue Steel again. Ben Stiller is back in costume as Derek Zoolander, and it seems like he's having plenty of fun with it. This first teaser doesn't show much, but it should be enough to remind you what was so fun about this character in the first place. The movie comes out next February.

Empire

Empire became a surprise smash hit last year, and it's about to come back for season two. This trailer should give fans a solid idea of what's to come when it returns just over a month from now, on September 23rd.

The Last Witch Hunter

In this trailer alone, Vin Diesel has an incredible flowing beard, wields a flaming sword, shoots a dream monster with a shotgun, is approached by a sick car, and literally says that he is afraid of nothing. Will this be the perfect movie, or has it gone too far? It's out October 23rd.

By the Sea

This is a nice surprise: Angelina Jolie wrote and directed a movie that seems to primarily star herself and Brad Pitt, and it looks like a gorgeous, quiet, and tense look at a couple's relationship while vacationing along a beautiful vista. It's out November 13th.

The Assassin

I'm pretty blown away with how gorgeous, thoughtful, and tense this looks. The Assassin is a martial arts film from Hou Hsiao-Hsien, who picked up the best director award at this year's Cannes Film Festival, and is about a woman who's sent to kill the man she was supposed to marry. There's no word on when it'll come out internationally, but it's supposed to start being released in China this month.

Stonewall

No one is really sure why the guy who made Independence Day is directing Stonewall, but what's done is done and, hey, it even looks like it could be pretty good. Stonewall is about the start of the gay rights movement and the famous riots at New York's Stonewall Inn. It'll be in theaters September 25th.

The Leftovers

The Leftovers is kind of rebooting for its second season, and this trailer tries to make it clear what we're in for. The show is going to have to answer quickly whether this move is enough to keep it going. The premise has always been interesting, now it just has to follow through. Season two starts on October 4th.

Vinyl

Basically all you need to know about Vinyl: it's from Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger, and it airs on HBO. If that doesn't sell you, maybe Vinyl's not for you. The show starts sometime next year.

Sneakerheadz

If you've ever wondered why people go so crazy about sneakers, this movie may have your answer. Or, at the very least, it'll show you just how crazy for sneakers some people can get. The trailer for Sneakerheadz makes it seem like a fascinating look at a wildly enthusiastic culture. It appears to be in a small number of theaters right now, and it hits Vimeo on August 21st. (On a related note, if you're in New York City in the next couple months, there's a wonderful exhibit on sneaker culture at the Brooklyn Museum.)

About Ray

Elle Fanning, Naomi Watts, and Susan Sarandon play a family in this drama about a grumpy dude who won't let his trans son begin to transition. About Ray looks like it may be a straightforward, warmhearted family drama, but it has a solid cast and it's nice to see more big actors starting to explore transgender stories. It's out September 18th.

Atomic: Living in Dread and Promise

Seventy years ago this week, the US dropped an atomic bomb on on Hiroshima that killed around 80,000 people. The BBC documentary Atomic: Living in Dread and Promise appears to take a haunting look back at the bomb's horrific destruction and what life was like after its fall. The film is supposed to use only archival footage, but it's scored with a new — and apparently powerful — soundtrack from Mogwai. It airs Saturday night.

Peace Officer

Documentaries don't get much more timely than this. Peace Officer is a look at the militarization of police forces and the incredibly controversial killings that continue to come out of them. Be warned: there's some very graphic footage in here. The film starts out in a small number of theaters next month.

Blunt Talk

Here's the thing: Blunt Talk doesn't have to be that good. At the end of the day, it's still about Patrick Stewart being crazy high, ridiculous, and destructive. It should be at least a little fun. It starts on Starz August 22nd.

Mistress America

I'm happy to shamelessly express my love for everything happening in this trailer. It's Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach — you know what to expect. It's out next weekend.

Sneaky Pete

Amazon has a new pilot out today. It's about a con-man who starts to fool an older couple into believing that he's their grandson, all while some guy, played by Bryan Cranston, comes looking for him. It seems... okay, but with Cranston on board as an executive producer, it may be worth keeping an eye on. (Correction: Sneaky Pete's pilot premieres today — not its first season, which has yet to receive an order.)