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A crackling bulletin on Kiwa radio sets the stage: humanity hurtles toward oblivion with an asteroid cluster bearing down, its timetable etched into every ticker. In that echo of impending doom, When I’m Ready uncovers the fragile poetry of final days, as life’s ordinary rhythms fracture under the weight of the unstoppable.

Michael and Rose emerge as reluctant heralds of the end—two twenty‑somethings who trade dorm room routines for a ’70s king‑cab Ford and a pilgrimage through America’s silent arteries. Their newfound romance unfolds against a canvas emptied of commerce and chatter, where petrol stops and trespassing on vacant porches become acts of intimacy.

Behind the camera, Andrew Johnson guides the film with a steady hand, letting moments of playful recklessness slip into lingering questions of regret. Andrew Ortenberg’s screenplay sidesteps heavy exposition, favoring elliptical dialogue that flutters between anxiety and levity. Rachael Kliman...

With the looming dread of an asteroid extinction event on the horizon, a young couple takes the road trip of a lifetime in Andrew Johnson's new movie When I'm Ready. With the apocalyptic romantic thriller now playing on VOD and Digital platforms (and sounding like it could make a great double feature with Seeking a Friend for the End of the World), we have an exclusive clip from When I'm Ready that combines a bottle of wine, a shotgun getaway, and reports of impending doom on the airwaves.

You can watch our exclusive clip below, and to learn more about When I'm Ready, visit:

https://www.quiverdistribution.com/slate/when-i'm-ready

"Written and produced by Ortenberg and directed by Andrew Johnson, When I’M Ready revolves around a young couple, Rose (Schreiner) and Michael (Ortenberg), on a road trip across the country during the last days before an extinction event, as...

Led Zeppelin on Imax, Parthenope by Paolo Sorrentino and Armand starring Renate Reinsve, both Cannes premieres, and Barry Koeghan in Irish drama Bring Them Down headline an interesting specialty weekend.

Sony Pictures Classics debuts Bernard MacMahon’s hybrid docu concert film Becoming Led Zeppelin exclusively in Imax at 369 locations this week, opening wide next week on over 1,000 screens. Powered by never-before-seen footage, performances and music, the film is billed as an experiential cinematic odyssey exploring Led Zeppelin‘s creative, musical, and personal origin story. It’s told in Led Zeppelin’s own words and is the first officially sanctioned film on the group.

An early version premiered at the Venice Film Festival back in 2021 as a work in progress to a 10-minute standing ovation. It subsequently incorporated a brand-new sound mix, newly unearthed material from the archives of all four band members (including home movies and family photos), and exclusive interviews with Jimmy Page,...

“When I'm Ready” is a new science fiction thriller, directed by Andrew Johnson, starring Andrew Ortenberg, June Schreiner, Thalia Besson, Lauren Cohan, Dermot Mulroney and Bryan Curtis, opening February 7, 2025 in theaters, followed by a February 14 VOD release:

“…’Rose’ (Schreiner) and ‘Michael’ (Ortenberg), take a road trip across the country during the last days before an extinction event, as asteroids threaten to wipe out all life on earth.

“While journeying to see the girl's grandmother one last time before they perish, they fight to find meaning and adventure in the world's final week…

“…encountering a rotating cast of lost souls from different backgrounds, each looking for something very different in the end…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

Over the past few years, especially during and after Covid, the movie business has been quite unpredictable. 2024 was filled with all sorts of hits and flops as well, and 2025 is going to be a crucial year, especially after the Hollywood strikes.

Much like the mentioned general scenario, Marvel Studios has been facing ups and downs lately, and Captain America: Brave New World looks more crucial because of this. On the other hand, films like You, Me & Her are trying to experiment with a new sort of film release model.

Anthony Mackie in Captain America: Brave New World | Credit: Marvel Entertainment

After having a decent January, it looks like February 2025 holds the potential to bring diversity to the film releases, as all sorts of action thrillers, horror movies, comedies, and animated movies are on the way. Let’s take a look at the movies releasing in theaters in the month of Valentine.

“When I'm Ready” is a new science fiction thriller, directed by Andrew Johnson, starring Andrew Ortenberg, June Schreiner, Thalia Besson, Lauren Cohan, Dermot Mulroney and Bryan Curtis, opening February 7, 2025 in theaters, followed by a February 14 VOD release:

“…’Rose’ (Schreiner) and ‘Michael’ (Ortenberg), take a road trip across the country during the last days before an extinction event, as asteroids threaten to wipe out all life on earth.

“While journeying to see the girl's grandmother one last time before they perish, they fight to find meaning and adventure in the world's final week…

“…encountering a rotating cast of lost souls from different backgrounds, each looking for something very different in the end…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

"I can't believe it's really gonna happen." Briarcliff Entertainment & 19th Hole Productions have unveiled an official trailer for an indie film called When I'm Ready, a "romantic end-of-the-world thriller" from filmmaker Andrew Johnson. Set for release in February just in time for Valentine's Day - including on VOD to watch at home if you want. It's the end of the world. Seeking meaning and thrills in their last days alive, Rose and Michael embark on a cross-country road trip as a devastating asteroid threatens to wipe out life on Earth. While journeying to see her grandmother one last time before they perish, they fight to find meaning and adventure in the world's final week. Starring Andrew Ortenberg & June Schreiner as Michael & Rose, with Thalia Besson, Lauren Cohan, and Dermot Mulroney. Bryan Curtis of The Ringer also voices a radio DJ updating citizens on the progress of the asteroids as the hours tick down.

Exclusive: Quiver Distribution has taken North American distribution rights to the romantic end-of-days thriller When I’m Ready, starring Andrew Ortenberg, June Schreiner, Thalia Besson, Lauren Cohan, and Dermot Mulroney.

Quiver and Briarcliff will jointly oversee theatrical release which is set for Feb. 7, 2025 followed by a digital release on Feb. 14. Quiver will handle the home entertainment release of the Ortenberg written movie.

Directed by Andrew Johnson, When I’m Ready revolves around a young couple, Rose and Michael, on a road trip across the country during the last days before an extinction event, as asteroids threaten to wipe out all life on earth. While journeying to see the girl’s grandmother one last time before they perish, they fight to find meaning and adventure in the world’s final week. Along the way Rose and Michael encounter a rotating cast of lost souls from different backgrounds, each looking for something very different out of the end.

Briarcliff Entertainment has acquired domestic distribution rights to Legion M’s “My Dead Friend Zoe.” The dark comedy-drama, which won the SXSW Film Festival’s Audience Award this year, stars Sonequa Martin-Green (“The Walking Dead”), Natalie Morales (“No Hard Feelings”), Oscar nominee Ed Harris (“Apollo 13”) and Oscar winner Morgan Freeman (“Million Dollar Baby”). The supporting cast also includes Gloria Reuben (“ER“) and Utkarsh Ambudkar (“Ghosts”).

The film is the directorial debut of Kyle Hausmann-Stokes, a former U.S. Army infantry paratrooper and Iraq War Bronze Star veteran. In the film, Hausmann-Stokes examines the post-war experience and pays tribute to veterans. The story was co-written by Hausmann-Stokes with A.J. Bermudez. The film also marks the executive producer debut of NFL star Travis Kelce.

In “My Dead Friend Zoe,” Merit (Martin-Green) is a U.S. Army Afghanistan veteran who finds herself at odds with her family because of the presence of Zoe...

Briarcliff Entertainment wrapped and has set a 2025 wide theatrical release on Nickels, a life affirming drama directed by Spencer King (The Wilderness), and starring Rob Riggle, Aaron Holliday, Bitsie Tulloch, Rebecca Gayheart, Vinessa Shaw with Odessa A’zion and Tom Arnold. Tim Tuchrello wrote the script.

Briarcliff CEO Tom Ortenberg green lit the film, which has been shooting in and around Los Angeles. Riggle stars as Tom Monroe, a successful entrepreneur and family man who tragically lost his older brother in a motorcycle accident as a teenager. Some 30 years later, another serious bike accident involving his neighbor’s son, Mitch Diller(Holliday) sets in motion a series of events that have Tom wondering if his brother has perhaps returned to his life. Tulloch plays the wife who tries to be supportive.

Ortenberg produced with Danielle Goodman Strong, Andrew Ortenberg and Jordan Dykstra. Executive Producers include Tuchrello, Russell Geyser and Clay Pecorin of Rainmaker Films,...

Exclusive: Briarcliff Entertainment has acquired North American distribution rights to the gripping historical drama Kent State from writer, director Karen Slade. The film will star Dermot Mulroney, Clancy Brown, Aksel Hennie, Christopher Backus, Christopher Ammanuel, Andrew Ortenberg and Jacqueline Emerson.

Grandave International is handling foreign sales on the film. The pic will begin filming this November in Columbus, Ga with a US theatrical release anticipated for 2023.

Inspired by true events, the movie tells the story of how a family’s buried past coincides with the brutal truth of one of the most significant events in American history, when the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of student protestors, killing four, and injuring 7 on May 4th, 1970, at Kent State University. Told through the perspective of Will McCormack in two time periods in his life, the film asks the question of not just what happened then, but why these kinds of events continue to happen.

Exclusive: Film Bridge International and 19th Hole Productions have shot and are ready to shop the end-of-the-world YA romance When I’m Ready, starring up and comers Andrew Ortenberg and June Schreiner along with Thalia Besson, Dermot Mulroney and Lauren Cohan.

Written by Ortenberg and directed by Andrew Johnson, When I’m Ready tells the story of Rose and Michael, a young couple falling in love while on the run from their past as a devastating asteroid threatens to wipe out life on Earth. Seeking meaning and thrills in their last days alive, they embark on a cross-country road trip. Along the way they encounter other lost souls, each with their own unique perspective on the impending doom. It will be shopped shortly and readied for early 2023 festivals.

Pic is produced by Jordan Dykstra, Ortenberg, Robert Ballo and Eli Samek. Executive producers include James Masciello, Matt Sidari, Clay Pecorin, Russell Geyser and Tom Ortenberg.