DOCTOR STRANGE – Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tilda Swinton, and Rachel McAdams (Release Date 11/4)
The Plot: Doctor Strange follows the story of neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who, after a horrific car accident, discovers the hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions.
Outlook – With a great cast and a very impressive trailer that debuted during the San Diego Comic-Con, it seems that Marvel will have another superhero hit making a killing at this year’s box office.
HACKSAW RIDGE – Starring Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, and Teresa Palmer (Release Date 11/4)
The Plot – Hacksaw Ridge is based on the extraordinary true story of conscientious collaborator Desmond Doss (Garfield) who, in Okinawa during the bloodiest battle of WWII, saved 75 men without firing or carrying a gun. He believed the war was just, but killing was nevertheless wrong; he was the only American soldier in WWII to fight on the front lines without a weapon. As an army medic, Doss single-handedly evacuated the wounded from behind enemy lines, braved fire while tending to soldiers and was wounded by a grenade and hit by snipers. He was the first conscientious objector to ever earn the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Outlook – Director Mel Gibson is still a polarizing figure and his films do not open as huge as they did a few decades back. That said, this one’s generating a fair amount of buzz and Gibson even received a lengthy standing ovation after a screening at the Venice Film Festival.
TROLLS – Voiced by Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, James Corden, and Russell Brand (Release Date 11/4)
The Plot – Trolls stars Anna Kendrick as Poppy, the optimistic leader of the Trolls, and her polar opposite, Branch, played by Justin Timberlake. Together, this unlikely pair of Trolls must embark on an adventure that takes them far beyond the only world they’ve ever known.
Outlook – Even with so many great animated films already released this year, Trolls might be worth the price of admission if the songs are original and strong. And, hopefully, there’s enough humor and fun dialogue to make this revival of the classic Trolls dolls worthy of a theatrical release.
ARRIVAL – Starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Forest Whitaker (Release Date 11/11)
The Plot – When mysterious spacecraft touch down across the globe, an elite team – lead by expert linguist Louise Banks (Adams) – are brought together to investigate. As mankind teeters on the verge of global war, Banks and the team race against time for answers – and to find them, she will take a chance that could threaten her life, and quite possibly humanity.
Outlook – A solid cast led by Adams and a little different approach on the classic ‘aliens making contact story’ should be worth the price of admission. The film just premiered at Telluride to rave reviews including one by Time UK critic Kate Muir who said, “Less Close Encounters of the Third Kind and more Linguistic Encounters of the Academic Kind, this is a sci-fi movie with intelligence, cerebral and emotional.”
BILLY LYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK – Starring Joe Alwyn, Garrett Hedlund, Vin Diesel, and Kristen Stewart (Release Date 11/11)
The Plot: Bravo Company and 19-year-old private Billy Lynn survive a harrowing Iraq battle that is captured by news cameras. They are brought home by the US administration for a promotional tour, culminating at the spectacular halftime show of a Thanksgiving Day football game, all while facing an imminent return to the war. Almost the entire movie takes place during the day of the game, with flashes back to the underlying events and Billy’s heroism.
Outlook – The film’s set to debut as the opening night movie at the New York Film Festival and is expected to be a serious awards contender. Directed by Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Life of Pi), Billy Lynn‘s marks the first feature film shot in 4K and native 3D at 120 frames-per-second which Lee believes will create a sharper, more realistic viewing experience. It’ll be interesting to see if audiences embrace the technology which, no matter what, will set this much-anticipated drama apart from the rest of the fall and holiday releases.
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM – Starring Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Colin Farrell, and Ezra Miller (Release Date 11/18)
The Plot – Eddie Redmayne stars in the central role of wizarding world magizoologist Newt Scamander. The film opens in 1926 as Newt Scamander has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident…were it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob, a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt’s fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.
Outlook – Harry Potter veteran David Yates directs an original screenplay by J. K. Rowling which was inspired by a book at Hogwarts. And while it’s minus Harry, Ron, and Hermione, there’s no doubt Muggles worldwide will be anxious to visit Rowling’s return to the world of witches, wizards and magical creatures which will lead to a huge box office take for Warner Bros.
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA – Starring Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, and Lucas Hedges (Release Date 11/18)
The Plot – In Manchester by the Sea, the life of a solitary Boston janitor is transformed when he returns to his hometown to take care of his teenage nephew. The story of the Chandlers, a working-class family living in a Massachusetts fishing village for generations, Manchester by the Sea is a deeply poignant, unexpectedly funny exploration of the power of familial love, community, sacrifice and hope.
After the death of his older brother Joe (Chandler), Lee Chandler (Affleck) is shocked to learn that Joe has made him sole guardian of his nephew Patrick (Hedges). Taking leave of his job, Lee reluctantly returns to Manchester-by-the-Sea to care for Patrick, a spirited 15-year-old, and is forced to deal with a past that separated him from his wife Randi (Williams) and the community where he was born and raised. Bonded by the man who held their family together, Lee and Patrick struggle to adjust to a world without him.
Outlook – Already a critical favorite at this year’s Sundance Film Festival (it currently sits at 95% fresh on RottenTomatoes), this drama has generated Oscar Best Picture buzz with critics calling it “absorbing,” a “wrenching family tragedy,” and “the most artful tearjerker of the year.”
ALLIED – Starring Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard, Lizzy Caplan, and Matthew Goode (Release Date 11/23)
The Plot – Allied is the story of intelligence officer Max Vatan (Pitt), who in 1942 North Africa encounters French Resistance fighter Marianne Beausejour (Cotillard) on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Reunited in London, their relationship is threatened by the extreme pressures of the war.
Outlook – Robert Zemeckis helms this romantic thriller set during World War II that’s one of Paramount’s big awards hopefuls. The teaser trailer didn’t win everyone over and the plot sounds a bit like a soap opera, but big budget romantic thrillers are few and far between which means there may be an adult audience out there just waiting for this sort of production. Prognosticators have this one on their Oscar shortlists.
MOANA – Voiced by Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson (Release Date 11/23)
The Plot – Three thousand years ago, the greatest sailors in the world voyaged across the vast Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania. But then, for a millennium, their voyages stopped – and no one knows why. Moana follows an adventurous teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people. During her journey, Moana (Cravalho) meets the once-mighty demigod Maui (Johnson), who guides her in her quest to become a master wayfinder. Together, they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds, and along the way, Moana fulfills the ancient quest of her ancestors and discovers the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity.
Outlook – Disney’s animated holiday offering was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker (Aladdin, Hercules, and The Little Mermaid) and features new music from Tony Award-winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In the Heights). With Dwayne Johnson bringing the demi-god to life, Moana might just be the animated adventure families are looking for around the holiday season. It certainly looks gorgeous.
RULES DON’T APPLY – Starring Lily Collins, Alden Ehrenreich, Warren Beatty, Haley Bennett, and Taissa Farmiga (Release Date 11/23)
The Plot – It’s Hollywood, 1958. Small town beauty queen and devout Baptist virgin Marla Mabrey (Collins), under contract to the infamous Howard Hughes (Beatty), arrives in Los Angeles. At the airport, she meets her driver Frank Forbes (Ehrenreich), who is engaged to be married to his 7th grade sweetheart and is a deeply religious Methodist. Their instant attraction not only puts their religious convictions to the test, but also defies Hughes’ #1 rule: no employee is allowed to have any relationship whatsoever with a contract actress. Hughes’ behavior intersects with Marla and Frank in very separate and unexpected ways, and as they are drawn deeper into his bizarre world, their values are challenged and their lives are changed.
Outlook – Warren Beatty wrote, directed, produced, and stars as billionaire Howard Hughes in Rules Don’t Apply which marks his first time behind the camera in 15 years. The romantic comedy/drama was chosen as the opening night film at the American Film Institute’s AFI Fest, a significant honor that should signal the start of Fox’s Oscar campaign for Beatty’s filmmaking return.
LA LA LAND – Starring Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Finn Wittrock, and J.K. Simmons (Release Date 12/2)
The Plot – La La Land is a modern take on the classic Hollywood romance, which is heightened by spectacular song-and-dance numbers, as two dreamers struggle to make ends meet while they pursue their passions in a city known for destroying hopes and breaking hearts. Mia (Stone), an aspiring actress, serves lattes to movie stars in between auditions, and Sebastian (Gosling), a dedicated jazz musician, scrapes by playing cocktail piano gigs in dingy bars, but as success mounts they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.
Outlook – Even Tom Hanks took time out from promoting his own movie, Sully, to praise La La Land following a screening at the Telluride Film Festival. This one’s a lock for awards consideration, but even better – it’s an old school type movie musical that will bring back the glory days of the genre. A must-see according to international critics, put this one on your list to check out as soon as it opens in theaters.
MISS SLOANE – Starring Jessica Chastain, Mark Strong, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Michael Stuhlbarg (Release Date 12/9)
The Plot – A ruthless and highly successful political strategist, Elizabeth Sloane (Chastain), exposes the cutthroat world of D.C. lobbyists working on both sides of the gun debate. New legislation requiring more stringent background checks for gun purchases is gaining traction in the Senate, and Sloane is approached to spearhead the campaign, pitting her against formidable and powerful political opponents. Deploying her notorious skills and driven by a desire to win at all costs – she jeopardizes those closest to her, and puts her own career at risk.
Outlook – Will audiences be interested in a political thriller so close to the election? It’s possible this film, despite having a stellar cast and director John Madden at the helm, may be left out in the cold in favor of more escapist fare. After all, it’s opening in the holiday season.
THE FOUNDER – Starring Michael Keaton, Linda Cardellini, Laura Dern, BJ Novak, and Patrick Wilson (Release Date 12/16)
The Plot – The Founder is a drama that tells the true story of how Ray Kroc (Keaton), a salesman from Illinois, met Mac and Dick McDonald, who were running a burger operation in 1950s Southern California. Kroc was impressed by the brothers’ speedy system of making the food and saw franchise potential. He maneuvered himself into a position to be able to pull the company from the brothers and create a billion-dollar empire.
Outlook – With buzz building around Michael Keaton’s performance, The Founder was pushed back from an August theatrical release to a limited opening in December in order to qualify for awards consideration. Keaton fans are hoping this is the role that finally earns him a Best Actor Oscar.
ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY – Starring Felicity Jones, Ben Mendelsohn, Diego Luna, and Riz Ahmed (Release Date 12/16)
The Plot – Lucasfilm’s Rogue One, which takes place before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, tells the story of unlikely heroes who have united to steal plans to the dreaded Death Star.
Outlook – Is it strange that there’s another Star Wars film heading to theaters this year and there isn’t really any buzz surrounding its release? Reshoots, questions about the film’s tone, and a trailer that left some Star Wars fans questioning the point of the new movie, this sci-fi action movie has some major hurdles to get over if it’s to generate a Star Wars-sized audience.
ASSASSIN’S CREED – Starring Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, and Michael K Williams (Release Date 12/21)
The Plot – Through a revolutionary technology that unlocks his genetic memories, Callum Lynch (Fassbender) experiences the adventures of his ancestor, Aguilar, in 15th Century Spain. Callum discovers he is descended from a mysterious secret society, the Assassins, and amasses incredible knowledge and skills to take on the oppressive and powerful Templar organization in the present day.
Outlook – The Pros: Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, and a trailer that shows off the action. The Cons: It’s a yet another video game-inspired film and we all know what that usually means.
PASSENGERS – Starring Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence (Release Date 12/21)
The Plot – On a routine journey through space to a new home, two passengers, sleeping in suspended animation, are awakened 90 years too early when their ship malfunctions. As Jim (Pratt) and Aurora (Lawrence) face living the rest of their lives on board, with every luxury they could ever ask for, they begin to fall for each other, unable to deny their intense attraction… until they discover the ship is in grave danger. With the lives of 5000 sleeping passengers at stake, only Jim and Aurora can save them all.
Outlook – The success of Passengers depends on the chemistry of the film’s two leads. At this year’s CinemaCon, movie theater owners gave the footage screened a solid round of applause and that was mostly due to the fact the pairing of Pratt and Lawrence works. Now it’s all about whether the effects and story will stand up.
SING – Voiced by Matthew McConaughey, Scarlett Johansson, Reese Witherspoon, and Seth MacFarlane (Release Date 12/21)
The Plot – Set in a world like ours but entirely inhabited by animals, Sing stars Buster Moon (McConaughey), a dapper Koala who presides over a once-grand theater that has fallen on hard times. Buster is an eternal optimist—okay, maybe a bit of a scoundrel—who loves his theater above all and will do anything to preserve it. Now facing the crumbling of his life’s ambition, he has one final chance to restore his fading jewel to its former glory by producing the world’s greatest singing competition.
Outlook – Think American Idol but with animals. With a strong voice cast and a Christmas release, Sing is seeking to capture families looking for something to do during the holiday season. The trailers are fun and the tunes are catchy, so it’s possible Sing will finish out the year of animated movies on a high note.
FENCES – Starring Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Mykelti Williamson, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Russell Hornsby (Release Date 12/25)
The Plot – Set in the 1950s, Fences focuses on an African American father and his struggles with race relations in the United States.
Outlook – Washington stars in and directs this feature film adaptation of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play. Washington and Davis reprise their Tony Award-winning roles in what’s sure to be not only a moving film but also one that will be mentioned often during awards season. Washington may even earn a 2017 Oscar hat trick as director, actor, and producer.
(Additional reporting by Rebecca Murray.)
