“Trespass Against Us”
Award-winning British TV director Adam Smith makes his feature debut with this UK/Irish co-production and honestly it couldn’t sound more exciting. Starring Michael Fassbender and Brendan Gleeson as two members of a ruthless Irish crime family, scored by The Chemical Brothers and already snapped up by A24 last year, no doubt this has been biding its time for a potential awards push. It could show up anywhere, but Telluride, Toronto or NYFF feel likeliest.
“True Crimes”
Picking where a film like “True Crimes” might land is always hard: on the one hand it’s directed by Greek New Waver Alexandros Avranas whose “Miss Violence” won Best Director in Venice, so the Lido might seem a natural fit. But this murder-story-with-sinister-overtones, is in English, based on a New Yorker article and stars potential comeback narrative Jim Carrey which could tip the balance Toronto’s way. Then again, it was once slated for Roman Polanski… too hard to call, but we’re pretty sure we’ll see it come September somewhere.
“Una”
An adaptation of the play “Blackbird” (which has just finished another Broadway run with Jeff Daniels and Michelle Williams), theater director Benedict Andrews makes his film debut with “Una,” starring Ben Mendelsohn and Rooney Mara. Playwright David Harrower also wrote the screenplay, so we can expect the play’s cauldron of tension to remain at a boil, and with this cast and its extremely well-received source material, a festival bow and an awards run feel very likely, with the North American festivals possibly shading Venice in likelihood.
“A United Kingdom”
With a title that, as John Oliver would say, is starting to sound a little sarcastic post-Brexit, heady themes of interracial love and prejudice, and starring two British actors in David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike, it’s safe to say “Belle” director Amma Asante has topicality on her side. However this is actually the true story of the King of Botswana who was removed from power when he fell in love with a British woman, and since it’s already been announced as a “European” premiere at the London Film Festival, we can expect it at a North American festival beforehand, most likely TIFF, where “Belle” bowed.
“Weightless”/”Voyage of Time”
Honestly, at this stage we’re sick of putting Terrence Malick’s “Weightless” on anticipated lists, so we really hope it bows in the Fall already. It has no date yet, but is by all accounts finished, with Malick already announcing his next next project. Since it missed Cannes, we can only assume Venice is most likely (where “To The Wonder” played). His documentary “Voyage of Time” is another story, however, with an October 7th release slot, it’s bound to pop up, and most likely at one of the North American festivals if for no other reason than the absence of IMAX screens (the format it’s shot in) in Venice.
“War Machine”
A black comedy/satire about the war in Afghanistan starring Brad Pitt leading a stacked supporting cast, from “Animal Kingdom” and “The Rover” director David Michod was always going be a big Yes Please from us. With the names involved, we imagine there’s no fall festival that wouldn’t want it. The major variable at the moment is the distributor, however. Netflix have the rights to the film, which either means Venice, if they wish to follow the “Beasts of No Nation” model, or not-Venice if they feel that strategy was unwise. Time will tell.
“The Woods”
We’re fans of both Adam Wingard‘s last genre titles, “You’re Next” and “The Guest” so consider us sold already on what looks to be an unapologetically classic horror in the ‘Descent‘ or ‘Evil Dead‘ mode. Not to be confused with the woeful “The Forest” from earlier this year, “The Woods” is slated for September 16th release stateside, and “You’re Next” snagged a Midnight slot at TIFF in 2011, so a return to the fest seems a strong probability. However, it’ll be making its world premiere this summer at the San Diego Comic-Con first.
“The Woman In The Silver Plate”
Japanese “Cure” and “Pulse” director Kiyoshi Kurosawa has completed his third film in two years, which is unusually prolific. We were not fans of the 2015 Cannes title “Journey to the Shore” and the 2016 Cannes title “Creepy” had its moments, but was a disappointment overall, so we’re hoping that this oddly named title which is, even more oddly, in French and stars Mathieu Amalric, will see him back to form. Venice is most likely but the Cannes-friendly Kurosawa has no form at any of the big fall festivals.
“Zama”
One of the biggest upsets of the Cannes lineup was the no-show for Argentinian director Lucrecia Martel’s period drama, her first film in 8 long years. Reportedly Martel had been aiming for Cannes, but took a break from post-production for 4 months for undisclosed personal reasons, and the Argentinian release date has been pushed to 2017. But it’s been over 4 months since that announcement, so with a bit of luck the director of ‘The Headless Woman‘– a film that landed at 6 in our Best Foreign Language Films of the Century) will show up this fall. Venice seems most likely.
“The Zookeeper’s Wife”
Director Niki Caro hasn’t ever qute topped her wonderful “Whale Rider,” but it felt like it might happen this time. An adaptation of an best-selling book, based on a true story, set during World War II in the shadow of Holocaust and starring prestige catnip Jessica Chastain, it was surely a bingo for an awards push. But its release has moved to March of next year which quells that hope – still the pedigree is strong enough that a gala fest slot is more than possible, as with “Demolition” opening TIFF last year despite a May 2016 opening date.
What else could we see? Well, there are a few more mainstream outings like “The Magnificent Seven,” Ben Affleck’s autistic-assassin movie “The Accountant,” comedy sequel “Bad Santa 2,” and James Franco’s “The Masterpiece.” Tom Cruise drug-running vehicle “Mena” is currently set for release at the very beginning of January, but might yet get a qualifying run and a festival appearance, as could the Taraji P. Henson/Octavia Spencer drama “Hidden Figures.”
We think Charlie McDowell’s “The Discovery” with Rooney Mara is more likely to pop up at Sundance, but could come a little earlier, while Derek Cianfrance’s “The Light Between Oceans” opens September 2nd, making it too soon for most festivals, though it could technically premiere right at the beginning of Venice. Franco has a second film (and probably a third and fourth) in the works with “Zeroville,” while Amat Escalante returns with “Untamed,” and “Miss Bala” helmer Gerardo Naranjo is back with the English-language “Viena And The Fantomes.” And keep an eye out for new films from Wim Wenders, Francois Ozon and Joao Pedro Rodrigues at Venice. Anything else we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments.