30. “Red, White and Water”
Jennifer Lawrence stars as a U.S. soldier who suffers a traumatic brain injury while fighting in Afghanistan and struggles to adjust to life back home. Directed by acclaimed theatre director Lila Neugebauer making her feature-length directorial debut, the film also stars Samira Wiley, Brian Tyree Henry, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Linda Emond. Could this follow in the footsteps of under-appreciated post-war films like “Brothers,” “Stop-Loss,” and “In the Valley of Elah?”
Release Date: TBD, via A24, though it’s been sitting on the shelf for over a year now, and Scott Rudin’s involvement probably doesn’t help. –RP
29. “KIMI”
Like a modern “The Conversation,” Steven Soderbergh’s latest centers on an agoraphobic tech worker (Zoë Kravitz) who inadvertently discovers evidence of a violent crime while reviewing a data stream, and the knowledge puts her in peril. Byron Bowers, Jaime Camil, Jacob Vargas, and Erika Christensen co-star, David Koepp (“Panic Room”) writes, and Cliff Martinez (who hasn’t worked with Soderbergh since 2017’s “The Knick”) does the music.
Release Date: February 10 via HBO Max. –RP
28. “Crimes Of The Future”
Repurposing a title of an old 1970 film barely anyone has seen, after an eight-year hiatus wherein he thought he might retire, 78-year-old David Cronenberg filmmaker is finally back. Not much is known, but it’s a horror film, and Viggo Mortensen, who stars, says Cronenberg is going back to those early roots. Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart, Scott Speedman, Welket Bungué, and Don McKellar co-star.
Release Date: TBD, but NEON is behind the film in the U.S., first look pictures have already surfaced, and it screams Cannes premiere. –RP
27. “Creed III”
Michael B. Jordan steps behind the camera for the third film in the “Rocky” spin-off series. While official details are still uncertain, Sylvester Stallone, who is not expected to return this time around, has expressed interest in Clubber Lang’s (Mr. T) son being “Creed III’s” boxing baddie. Alongside returning co-star Tessa Thompson, the immeasurably talented Jonathan Majors has been cast in the film, piquing out interest in the franchise’s latest installment.
Release Date: TBD, via MGM. – AB
26. Untitled David O. Russell Project aka “Amsterdam” aka “Canterbury Glass”
Not much is known about David O. Russell’s (“American Hustle”) upcoming film other than it’s rumored to be a Depression-era period piece, said to revolve around a doctor and lawyer who form an unlikely partnership. But what more does it matter with an all-star cast featuring Margot Robbie, Christian Bale, John David Washington, Rami Malek, Zoe Saldana, Robert De Niro, Mike Myers, Timothy Olyphant, Michael Shannon, Chris Rock, Anya Taylor-Joy, Andrea Riseborough, Matthias Schoenaerts. Alessandro Nivola and Taylor Swift? Also, composer Hildur Guðnadóttir and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki are on board. File under awards contender.
Release Date: November 4, via 20th Century Studios. –RP
25. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
With the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” has daunting shoes to fill. Making the respectful decision not to recast T’Challa—the moniker being passed down from generation to generation—fans assume the sequel will serve as a transition movie, passing the costume onto a character such as Shuri (Letitia Wright)—who has taken up the mantle in the comics—Okoye (Danai Gurira), or M’Baku (Winston Duke). Michaela Coel also joins the cast and we’re intrigued to see the direction Ryan Coogler takes the franchise.
Release Date: November 11, via Disney. – AB
24. “The Batman”
He is Vengeance. He is the Night. He is… “The Batman.” All jokes (and riddles?) aside, sure, nobody needs another Dark Knight movie, but with Robert Pattinson donning the cape and Matt Reeves behind the camera, it’s hard not to get amped, even if doubling down on the darkness is not what Gotham City needs. Providing new interpretations of classic rogue baddies such as Penguin (Colin Farrell), Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), and the Riddler (Paul Dano), Reeves takes looks to reinvigorate street-level DC.
Release Date: March 4, via Warner Bros. – AB
23. Untitled Kenya Barris/Jonah Hill Project
Modern love and family dynamics face against clashing cultures, societal expectations, and generational differences; yep, it’s an unlikely but super welcome collaboration between “Black-ish” Kenya Barris, who directs and writes, and Jonah Hill co-stars and co-writes. The outstanding cast features Eddie Murphy, Hill, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lauren London, Molly Gordon, Mike Epps, Nia Long, Deon Cole, Rhea Perlman, and David Duchovny. Nuff said!
Release Date: TBD, but it’s shot, and Netflix will likely want this for the fall.
22. “Babylon”
Not all that much is known about Damien Chazelle’s latest, other than its apparently a sprawling period epic set against the glorious backdrop of Hollywood in its infancy and eyeing awards season. That said, “La La Land” and “First Man” are nothing, if ambitious, and the cast suggests something huge. Starring Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie, “Babylon” also features Katherine Waterston, Max Minghella, Flea, Samara Weaving, Tobey Maguire, Olivia Wilde, Spike Jonze, Jean Smart, Jeff Garlin, Li Jun Li, Jovan Adepo, and more.
Release Date: December 25, via Paramount, – RP
21. “Decision To Leave”
South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook (“The Handmaiden”) returns with a crime mystery about a detective investigating a murder in the mountains and how he meets the dead man’s mysterious wife during his dogged sleuthing. Park Hae-il (“The Host”) plays the detective, while Tang Wei (“Lust, Caution”) stars as the widow. Kyung-Pyo Go co-stars and frequent screenwriting collaborator Chung Seo-Kyung (“Thirst,” “Lady Vengeance“) is co-writing.
Release Date: TBD, but the film was shot in late 2020. – RP