40. “Maestro”
So impressed with “A Star Is Born,” Steven Spielberg reportedly rang up Bradley Cooper suggested he take over the long-developing biopic himself. A couple of studios later (Paramount was initially involved), now it’s going to be a big Netflix awards contender that centers on legendary composer, Leonard Bernstein, and his relationship with his Chilean wife and TV actress Felicia Montealegre. Cooper directs and stars, Carey Mulligan is the muse, and Jeremy Strong plays a critic and writer who penned an authorized biography of the musical maestro. It’s unclear if the film has been shot, but there are reports it started this fall.
Release Date: TBD. Honestly, it could be a 2023 film, but Netflix will want it at festivals and during awards season if it’s ready. –RP
39. “The Whale”
Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky’s first film since 2017’s “Mother!” his latest is a psychological drama, based on a play about a 600-pound middle-aged man trying to reconnect with his estranged 17-year-old daughter. Brendan Fraser stars, wearing what he says was “a lot of make-up and prosthetics,” “Stranger Things” star Sadie Sink plays his daughter and Hong Chau, Samantha Morton, and Ty Simpkins co-star. Cinematographer Matthew Libatique is behind the camera again.
Release Date: TBD, via A24, but feels like a fall film contender. –RP
38. “Men”
The maker of surreal, hypnotic, and psychedelic mind-benders (“Ex Machina,” “Annihilation,” FX‘s underappreciated “Devs”), much of writer/director Alex Garland’s recent work lately has centered around tech, A.I., and dystopian notions. Not much is known about “Men,” but it’s called a horror drama about a woman (Jessie Buckley) who goes on a solo vacation following the death of her ex-husband. Rory Kinnear and Paapa Essiedu co-star.
Release Date: TBD, but maybe A24 will take it to a fall festival as production wrapped about six months ago. –RP
37. “Emancipation”
Will Smith famously turned down Tarantino’s “Django Unchained” and said he had no interest in making movies depicting Black people as slaves for years. But he’s clearly made the exception for filmmaker Antoine Fuqua, who is now on a roll following the critically acclaimed “The Guilty.” But don’t expect awards drama; Fuqua is making an action-thriller. Co-starring Ben Foster, the movie tells the true tale of a slave the escaped a Louisiana plantation, outwitting cold-blooded hunters, and eventually joined the Union army up north.
Release Date: TBD, but Fuqua works fast; the film shot in summer/fall 2021, and Apple TV+ could make major noise with its release. –RP
36. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”
With the commercial and critical success of “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Straight Outta Compton,” the music biopic has seemingly received a second lease on life. Next up on the list is this Whitney Houston biopic. Directed by Kasi Lemmons (“Eve’s Bayou,” “Harriet“), Naomi Ackie plays Whitney Houston, Ashton Sanders star as Bobby Brown, and Stanley Tucci plays record mogul Clive Davis. Houston led a tumultuous life, but the star also gifted us with so many jubilant pop songs; hopefully, the biopic doesn’t forget that. Anthony McCarten (“Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Darkest Hour“) has written the script.
Release Date: December 23, via Sony, which means it has big Oscar hopes. –RP
35. “Fire”
French filmmaking icon Claire Denis (“Trouble Every Day,” “High Life”) crafts a story set in the world of French radio—one of her personal loves. But that’s merely the milieu, the movie, originally titled “Radioscopie,” centers on a woman caught between two men: one is her long-time partner, and the other is his best friend, who was once her boyfriend. The film stars Juliette Binoche, Vincent Lindon, Grégoire Colin, Hannah Magimel, and Mati Diop among others.
Release Date: TBD, but maybe a Cannes premiere if Frémaux and Co. can stop snubbing Denis. – RP
34. “The Last Planet” / “The Way Of The Wind”
Auteur Terrence Malick works at his own damn pace, but maybe his latest— a retelling of several episodes in the life of Christ— will manifest in 2022. Starring Mark Rylance (as Satan apparently), Matthias Schoenaerts (Apostle Peter), Geza Rohrig (“Son of Saul,” as Jesus), Joseph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, Tawfeek Barhom, Ori Pfeffer, and more, given Malick’s spiritual tendencies, it’s a bit surprising it has taken this long to tackle this subject matter.
Release Date: TBD, and kind of a toss-up if it does arrive this year. – RP
33. “Asteroid City”
Leading his merry troupe of actors from one stage to the next, Wes Anderson’s follow-up to “The French Dispatch,” “Asteroid City,” recently wrapped filming in Spain. The plot details are unknown, featuring another ensemble of exceptional talent led by Tilda Swinton. Still, with Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie, Scarlett Johansson, Adrien Brody, Bryan Cranston, Jeffrey Wright, Jeff Goldblum, Liev Schreiber, Jason Schwartzman, Fisher Stevens, Matt Dillon, Tony Revolori, Bill Murray, and more, making up the cast, rotten tomatoes seem doubtful.
Release Date: TBD, and it might be much higher if we were sure it was actually coming out in 2022 – AB.
32. “Zone Of Interest”
In the works for several years, you apparently can’t rush genius or director Jonathan Glazer (“Under The Skin”). An adaptation of Martin Amis’ novel “The Zone Of Interest,” set in Auschwitz, Glazer’s film is a WWII concentration camp story, reportedly about a Nazi officer who has become enamored with the camp commandant’s wife. At the risk of putting this on our list one too many times prematurely, we can at least say the film shot this year, and there is photographic evidence.
Release Date: TBD, but maybe end of 2022 if we’re super lucky? It would likely be #1 if we were guaranteed it was coming next year. – RP
31. “Mission: Impossible 7”
Tom Cruise, director Christopher McQuarrie (“Mission: Impossible – Fallout”), and the “Mission Impossible” team are back. The plot is unknown, but who cares, really, when your cast includes Cruise, Vanessa Kirby, Rebecca Ferguson, Haley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham, Esai Morales, Rob Delaney, Indira Varma, Cary Elwes and many more. McQuarrie has created a franchise where death-defying stunts, crazy action, and a threadbare plot still seem to totally work and satisfy.
Release Date: September 30, via Paramount Pictures. – RP