20th Century Fox announced a slew of release dates on this fine Saturday morning. We’ve already brought you the high profile news regarding the dates for theAvatarsequelsandDeadpool 2andNew Mutantsas well as the delay ofThe Predator, but there’s plenty more where that came from. Briefly, here’s the skinny:
And now, let’s dig into a bit more on what each of these films are, who’s in them, etc.
Untitled Steven Spielberg
This film is almost certainlyThe Post, a project that Spielberg recently put together in a rush. The filmmaker and starsTom HanksandMeryl Streepcame together on the project last month andare clearing their schedules to shoot and get this thing outin time for the next awards season. Scripted byLiz Hannah, the drama recounts the Washington Post’s role in exposing the Pentagon Papers to the public in 1971, and how Post editor Ben Bradlee (to be played by Hanks) teamed up with the organization’s first female publisher Kay Graham (Streep’s character) and the New York Times to challenge the federal government over their right to publish. The Pentagon Papers was a classified study that revealed harrowing details about the futility of the Vietnam War, which exposed that the Nixon Administration had been lying to the public. When the White House stopped the New York Times’ initial release of the papers, Bradlee and Graham fought to publish the rest in direct defiance of the Executive Branch.
The case made it all the way to the Supreme Court, where it was ruled that the New York Times and Washington Post were covered by the First Amendment and that the White House had failed to prove how the publishing of the Papers would cause harm to national security. It was a major victor for the freedom of the press, and during a time when the Trump administration is installing unprecedented, standoffish, and troublingly antagonistic relations with the press, one can imagine the immediacy with which Spielberg, Hanks, and Streep want to tell this story.
The film currently has quite a bit of competition on the Christmas release date, includingPitch Perfect 3, theMark Wahlberg-frontedThe Six Billion Dollar Man, andAlexander Payne’s new filmDownsizing. It is undoubtedly a strong awards play, and another example of just how quickly Spielberg is able to work. Keep this one on your radar.
Maze Runner: The Death Cure
The third and final film in theMaze Runnerfranchise infamously shut down production last year when starDylan O’Brienwas seriously injured on set. O’Brien was given ample time to recover and then he shot the upcoming actionerAmerican Assassin, so it’s only just now thatThe Death Curehas gone back into production. The January release date always seemed weird for a successful franchise, so this new August 18, 2025 date makes a bit more sense. It’ll now be squaring off directly against another trilogy-conclusion,Fifty Shades Freed, as well as the family filmPeter Rabbit.
Red Sparrow
Currently in production,Red Sparrowreunites Lawrence with herHunger GamesdirectorFrancis Lawrenceand finds the Oscar-winning actress playing a Russian intelligence officer/trained seductress who is assigned to operate against a CIA officer. The two subsequently team up to seek revenge against their soulless masters.Joel Edgerton,Mary-Louise Parker,Jeremy Irons,Matthias Schoenaerts,Charlotte Rampling, andJoely Richardsonalso star.
The film was going to be rushed out this November, but it appears Fox decided instead to give Lawrence more time to finish the picture while also giving the film aHunger Games-esque March release date. On March 2nd the film currently has no competition, but it opens two weeks before theTomb Raiderreboot and a week afterPacific Rim: Uprising.
The highly anticipated next film from12 Years a SlaveandShamefilmmakerSteve McQueennow has a release date!Widowsis a thriller scripted byGone Girlauthor/screenwriterGillian Flynnthat’s based on a British miniseries. It revolves around four armed robbers who are killed in a failed heist attempt, only to have their widows step up to finish the job.
McQueen’s terrific cast includesViola Davis,Michelle Rodriguez,Elizabeth Debicki,Colin Farrell,Liam Neeson,Daniel Kaluuya,Robert Duvall, andAndre Holland, and production is just about to get underway.
On the film’s awards-friendly November 2018 release date, the film will square off directly againstFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2and opens a week after the animatedDr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas. So this will be a nice adult alternative to all the family fare.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Finally, Fox has set a June 16, 2025 release for the long-developingFreddie MercurybiopicBohemian Rhapsodywhile also confirming thatX-MenfilmmakerBryan Singerwill direct.Mr. RobotbreakoutRami Malekis set to play theQueenfrontman in the film that has seen many filmmakers come and go. Most recentlySacha Baron Cohenwas attached to star, but apparently the remaining members of Queen were pretty hands-on regarding the film’s portrayal of Mercury and the band itself.
We’ll see how Singer opts to tell this story, but it’s notable that this is Singer’s first non-blockbuster movie sinceValkyrie. On that December release date,Bohemian Rhapsodywill square off against Disney’s sequelMary Poppins Returnsand will open a week after Warner Bros.’Aquaman.
