Film festivals are getting underway, kids are going back to school, and pumpkin spice lattes have made their triumphant return to Starbucks, which means one thing: fall movie season is upon us. While blockbusters and superhero movies are now a 12-month-a-year affair, the fall movie season also brings with it the promise of character-driven dramas and movies from some of the most acclaimed filmmakers working today, as Oscar season usually coincides with the four-month period at the end of the calendar year and studios put on their Sunday Best.
As fall movie season approaches, and with a variety of films upon us, we here at Collider have taken the opportunity to put together a list of the movies we’re most looking forward to seeing. Since falltechnicallybegins at the end of September, we’ve narrowed the eligibility window down to October through December of 2019, but as you’ll see below there’s really something for everyone heading to multiplexes (and streaming services) this fall movie season.
Behold, Collider’s 35 most anticipated fall movies.
The Laundromat
Release Date:In select theaters September 27th, on Netflix October 18th
Director:Steven Soderbergh
Writer:Scott Z. Burns
Cast:Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, Antonio Banderas, Sharon Stone, David Schwimmer, and Jeffrey Wright
Why We’re Excited For It:It’s the next movie from the writer/director team behindThe Informant!, one of the funniest films of the 21st century. Granted,Steven Soderberghmakes alotof movies, some more compelling than others, but the prospect of seeing him tackle something as politically charged as the Panama Papers with the ensemble-like approach ofTrafficand the verve and sense of humor ofOcean’s Elevenis incredibly enticing. And withMeryl Streepin the lead, no less! Bring onThe Laundromat–Adam Chitwood
Release Date:October 4th
Director:Todd Phillips
Writer:Todd Phillips, Scott Silver
Cast:Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Marc Maron, Brett Cullen
Why We’re Excited for It:Jokeris a fascinating project. It has no ties to any DC Comics featuring the infamous Batman antagonist and yet it readily lifts key figures from that canon. It attempts to create an origin story for a character so deeply ingrained into the pop culture consciousness that, at this point, it’s the definition of hubristic to try and pathologize him.Jokerhas also gotten a reasonable amount of skepticism thanks to early trailers. It’s easy to write off the movie that attempts to explain a sociopath’s descent into madness by making the movie’s starting point an aggrieved white man on the wrong side of 40 who feels he hasn’t gotten what he’s deserved. I’m confidentJoaquin Phoenix, who has never come within spitting distance of a role or world like this in his career, will put some bloom back on the rose with his all-in, balls-to-the-wall performance.
It’s also a big swerve for director and co-screenwriterTodd Phillipsto make a movie that is decidedly not a populist R-rated comedy. I welcome the director wading in, actively eschewing the potentially suffocating boundaries that come with making a comic book movie and instead, turning in a focused character study. -Allie Gemmill
Dolemite Is My Name
Release Date:In select theaters October 4th and on Netflix on October 25th
Director:Craig Brewer
Writers:Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski
Cast:Eddie Murphy, Keegan-Michael Key, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Titus Burgess, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Wesley Snipes
Why We’re Excited For It:Well for one, it looks likeEddie Murphy’s best role in years. Inspired by the true story of filmmaker Rudy Ray Moore, who turned his stand-up routine into a series of Blaxploitation films,Dolemite Is My Namehails fromHustle and FlowdirectorCraig Brewerand the writing team behindEd WoodandThe People v. O.J. Simpson. This looks to be an earnest Hollywood comeback story that packs a serious comedic punch, which mayalsoherald a triumphant return to form for Murphy. So yeah, that’s worth getting excited about. –Adam Chitwood
Lucy in the Sky
Director:Noah Hawley
Writers:Brian C. Brown, Elliott DiGuiseppi, Noah Hawley (revisions)
Cast:Natalie Portman, Jon Hamm, Dan Stevens, Zazie Beetz, Nick Offerman, Ellen Burstyn, Tig Notaro, Colman Domingo
Why We’re Excited for It:Ever sinceAlfonso CuaróntookSandra Bullockinto space in 2013’s stunning sci-fi filmGravity, we’ve wanted to go back.Natalie Portman’s title character feels that same pull inLucy in the Sky,Noah Hawley’s decidedly more grounded film, at least in terms of its setting. But much like Hawley’s mind-bending Marvel seriesLegion,Lucy in the Skylooks to be more of a psychological exploration of an ever-expanding human consciousness and less of a straight-up sci-fi space-survival story.
Portman stars as Lucy Cola, an accomplished astronaut who has a transcendent experience on her space-walk, a moment that’s so awe-inspiring that her life and her very world seem so much smaller in comparison. This psychological conflict escalates over the course of the film once Lucy returns to Earth. She grapples with the constraints of her aging mortal form and the rigors of the training program in a desperate attempt to get back into space, almost as if that experience was a drug she’s now addicted to. But beyond that, Lucy’s dalliance with a fellow astronaut and clashes with misogynistic bureaucracy show both the cracks in her mental faculties and the lengths to which she’ll go to untether herself from this Earth once more. A story like that in Hawley’s hands is something that’s sure to be worth watching.– Dave Trumbore
The Current War
Release Date:October 25th
Director:Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Writer:Michael Mitnick
Cast:Benedict Cumberbatch, Nicholas Hoult, Michael Shannon, Tom Holland, Matthew Macfadyen, Katherine Waterston, Tuppence Middleton
Why We’re Excited for It:As a science nerd, I’m always up for a revisit of the late-19thcentury clash of corporations and ideals between Edison and Westinghouse/Tesla. As a cinephile, I’ve been waiting to see this story on the big screen since hearing about theBlack List scriptway back in 2011. The movie has seen its share of off-screen drama in the years since then, but here’s hoping the theatrical release ofThe Current Warthis fall will make the wait worth the while.
The story is great, and the chance to revisit the highly charged contest between history’s engineering geniuses and corporate cutthroats is an exciting one, but it’s the cast that really sells us on this take. Cumberbatch and Shannon are sure to bring some big-screen bravado and powerful performances, with Hoult’s Tesla caught in the middle much like the mysterious scientist himself. And this release will also see a“new and improved” version of the original cut, though the fact that it had to be re-worked at all gives us some pause. So while this one could easily end up with a lot of scene-chewing, you’d better believe that we’ll be in the theater for it, probably with our AC/DC shirts on.– Dave Trumbore
Pain and Glory
Director:Pedro Almodóvar
Writer:Pedro Almodóvar
Cast:Antonio Banderas, Penélope Cruz, Asier Etxeandia, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Julieta Serrano
Why We’re Excited for It:FilmmakerPedroAlmodóvarre-teams with frequent collaboratorAntonio BanderasforPain and Glory, a movie whose plot feels reminiscent ofFederico Fellini’s8 1/2(a famed director reflects on his life and career, focusing on specific defining moments and exploring them). Despite the similarities, the early buzz aroundPain and Glorypegsthis as an essential Almodóvar work — and that’s big talk considering his oeuvre has earned lots of praise over the years. In my opinion, Almodóvar works best in reflective mode, combining the tender with the tough; if the firstPain and Glorytrailers are anything to go by, this is what we can expect. It also helps that Banderas' performance has been garnering plenty of intrigued, positives reactions inPain and Gloryas it has begun making the rounds. By the time it arrives in theaters, we’ll be in the throes of awards season, we would do well to focus on what’s being offered inPain and Glorybecause it could be a career-defining film for director and lead actor alike. -Allie Gemmill
Gemini Man
Release Date:October 11th
Director:Ang Lee
Writers:David Benioff, Billy Ray, and Darren Lemke
Why We’re Excited For It:Gemini Manhas been in the works in Hollywood for decades, with a litany of famous actors eyed for the lead role over the years. It wasn’t until technology finally allowed for the same actor to fill both lead roles that the movie actually got made, and who better to steer the cutting-edge action-adventure film thanAng Lee? The story tells of an aging government assassin who finds himself running up against a younger clone of himself, withWill Smithplaying both parts. Instead of simply de-aging Smith, his younger self is a completely digital creation that utilizes facial motion-capture to bring the character to life. Will it work? Who knows, but Ang Lee consistently shoots for the stars, and we’re curious to see how this one turned out. –Adam Chitwood
Director/Writer:Vince Gilligan
Cast:Aaron Paul
Why We’re Excited For It:Because it’s theBreaking Badmovie! And because we know almost nothing about it.Breaking Badcreator and showrunnerVince GilliganshotEl Caminoin secret in Albuquerque withAaron Paul, and now it’s due to be released on Netflix in October. We know it’s not a prequel, as it follows the thread of Jesse Pinkman after the events of theBreaking Badseries finale, but we don’t really know who else might be in it, or if we might see the return ofBryan Cranstonas Walter White in flashback form. In lesser hands the might sound like a terrible idea, but Gilligan’s prequel seriesBetter Call Saulis a phenomenal example of how he and his team are able to expand the story ofBreaking Badwithout infringing on that original series, whilealsotaking things in new, unexpected directions. This all bodes well forEl Camino. –Adam Chitwood
Director:Bong Joon-ho
Writers:Bong Joon-ho, Jin Won Han
Cast:Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Jo Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-sik, Jang Hye-jin, Park So-dam
Why We’re Excited for It:I could just say “Bong Joon-ho” full-stop and that would be enough reason to get excited. The iconic filmmaker who’s delivered such delights asOkja,Snowpiercer,Mother(not thatMother), andThe Hostmay have just given us his best film yet inParasiteifearly buzz is to be believed. But don’t just take my word for it; the film won the highest prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, and those folks know a thing or two about movie-making.
The movie tells a tale of two families: A rich one of wealth and means, and a relatively poor one with street smarts and savvy. When those without see an opportunity to provide a unique service those with more than they could ever need, they end up securing some luxuries for themselves as well. But when a parasitic force inserts itself in the otherwise symbiotic relationship, chaos ensues.Parasitepromises to be yet another cinematic port-over from the natural world, which Bong Joon-ho excels at, as a metaphor for the complex and complicated human condition. We simply cannot wait.– Dave Trumbore
Director:David Michôd
Writer:David Michôd & Joel Edgerton
Cast:Timothée Chalamet, Joel Edgerton, Robert Pattinson, Sean Harris, Lily-Rose Depp, and Ben Mendelsohn
Why We’re Excited for It:DirectorDavid Michôdknows how to be unflinching in his storytelling from the crime thrillerAnimal Kingdomto the survival taleThe Roverto the satireWar Machine. Now he’s going for historical epic withTimothée Chalametas Henry V inThe King. While we’ve seen some ups and downs in the period drama, such as last year’s disappointing entries likeOutlaw KingandMary Queen of Scots, I think Michôd will put together something unique and interesting based on his past works. At the very least, the story of how Henry V learned to rule should feel immediate and visceral with Michôd behind the camera and Chalamet in the lead role. –Matt Goldberg
