“Deepwater Horizon”/ “Patriot’s Day”
Fans of “Lone Survivor” rejoice — you’re getting not just one but two films reteaming that movie’s director, Peter Berg, and star, Mark Wahlberg, in the next few months, and both or either could end up on the festival circuit. First up is oil-rig disaster pic “Deepwater Horizon,” which could get a TIFF premiere unless it’s a purely commercial play. Then comes Boston Marathon docudrama “Patriot’s Day,” which only started filming in March, but is due to get a limited release in December. That’s a near-identical timetable to “Lone Survivor,” so don’t be shocked to see it follow that film to an AFI premiere in November.
“Eternity”
If you can name an attractive French actor under the age of 50, chances are they’ll probably be appearing in “Eternity,” the latest from “The Scent Of Green Papaya” director Tràn Anh Hùng. Based on a novel by writer Alice Ferney, the film follows three generation of women in France in the early 20th century, and stars Audrey Tautou, Berenice Bejo, Melanie Laurent, Jeremie Renier, Irene Jacob and Pierre Deladonchamps. Hung’s “Cyclo” won the Golden Lion and his last film “Norwegian Wood” premiered at Venice too, so this is a dead cert for the Lido this year.
“Free Fire”
Ben Wheatley’s “High-Rise” is only just in theaters and still dividing people enormously, but the prolific director has already finished a new film: a “Reservoir Dogs”-style crime thriller about IRA terrorists and arms dealers who end up in a stand-off, and his first US-set film has a killer cast: fresh-off-the-Oscar Brie Larson, Sharlto Copley, Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy, Jack Reynor, Michael Smiley and Sam Riley. We know it’s done (a trailer should drop any day now), and if it doesn’t appear in the Venice line-up as tipped, it’ll definitely be at TIFF, where “High-Rise” premiered.
“The Girl On The Train”
It’s aiming in almost all respects, including early October release date, to be this year’s “Gone Girl,” but while it looks intriguing, and already has awards buzz for star Emily Blunt (who’s joined by Rebecca Ferguson, Justin Theroux, Edgar Ramirez, Luke Evans, Haley Bennett and Allison Janney), director Tate Taylor doesn’t have the same auteur cred as David Fincher, so an NYFF premiere seems unlikely. But don’t rule out TIFF, unless Universal are skipping festivals entirely.
“Gold”
Things have been quiet on this Steven Gaghan-directed adventure film, starring Matthew McConaughey and Edgar Ramirez as two men attempting to find gold in the jungles of Borneo, and the Weinstein Company are showing their confidence by dating it for Christmas Day release. And so we’re pretty sure we’ll see it at a festival too, most likely TIFF, or maybe Telluride first.
“Good Time”
The Safdie Brothers’ “Heaven Knows What” was a total surprise — a film that few were aware of until it premiered at Venice two years ago and proceeded to blow everybody’s socks off. The duo shot their latest film at the start of the year, a ‘neo-grindhouse’ crime thriller about a bank robber trying to stay free, with some A-list backing thanks to star Robert Pattinson. The film’s long since wrapped, and given their history at Venice, we reckon we’ll see them there again this time in the main competition.
“Hacksaw Ridge”
Given the controversy that it’s likely to cause, few festivals would turn down the chance to have Mel Gibson’s new film as director, his first in a decade and the start of a planned comeback after his personal… issues. The true-life tale of a conscientious objector in WW2, with Andrew Garfield and Vince Vaughn leading the cast, this seems most likely to pop up at TIFF, given a planned release date for the start of November.
“HHhH”
Tackling the same subject as the about-to-premiere “Anthropoid” with Jamie Dornan — the assassination of Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich — this has one of the more impressive indie casts of the year, with Jason Clarke, Rosamund Pike, Jack Reynor, Jack O’Connell and Mia Wasikowska all involved (“The Connection” director Cedric Jimenez is at the helm). The Weinstein Company have the rights, and even if they’re not planning an awards push this year for it, we think they’ll probably aim for a fall launch at TIFF or even Venice (unless they’re trying to hold it back for Berlin).
“How To Talk To Girls At Parties”
“Coraline” aside, we’re yet to have a really great Neil Gaiman-related movie — could “How To Talk To Girls At Parties” be the first? Based on the short story by the enormously brilliant and popular writer, and directed by the great John Cameron Mitchelll, it’s a British-set coming-of-age tale with a sci-fi twist, a sort of mix of “Submarine” and “Under The Skin.” Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman and Ruth Wilson topline, and it’s tipped to be premiering at Venice, though we’d wager TIFF and Telluride could get it as well (A24 are distributing, and made real splashes at both fests last year with “Room”).
“Jackie”
Given that Pablo Larrain is one of the best directors we have right now, that we have three movies from him this year can only be a good thing. And after “The Club” and “Neruda,” his English-language debut on “Jackie” couldn’t be more eagerly awaited. Following Jackie Kennedy (Natalie Portman) in the days following the assassination of her husband, it should be a very different kind of biopic, and with filming having begun last December, we can’t imagine this not getting an awards push, though it’s currently without distributor. Larrain has some history at Venice — he was on the jury there three years ago and “Post Mortem” screened there — so there, TIFF or NYFF are all viable.