10. “Civil War”
Following up on 2022’s psychological horror “Men,” writer/director Alex Garland quickly shot his follow-up, an ambitious epic action film ominously titled “Civil War” set in the near future in the United States. Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Cailee Spaeny, and Sonoya Mizuno star. Expect the politically relevant as the film is “an allegory for our currently polarised predicament.”
Release Date: No release date, but A24 would probably like a festival bow.
9. “Bird”
Anytime U.K. filmmaker Andrea Arnold (“American Honey”) deigns to grace us with a film, we are there like humble servants. Not much is known, but Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski star, it is said to continue her exploration of the fringes of society, and A24 and Arte France Cinéma are onboard as producers.
Release Date: TBD, but it was shot in the summer, right before the strikes, so it’s likely late fall at the earliest.
8. “Blitz”
Following his four-hour doc, “Occupied City,” filmmaker Steve McQueen stays in his WWII mood and groove. This historical drama follows the stories of a group of Londoners during the events of the British capital bombing in World War II. Saoirse Ronan, Harris Dickinson, Leigh Gill, Erin Kellyman, Stephen Graham, and Hayley Squires star.
Release Date: TBD, but Apple TV+ is behind it, so it could be an awards contender for the fall.
7. “Megalopolis”
Two-plus decades in the making, Francis Ford Coppola apparently never learned the lessons of “Apocalypse Now” and “One From The Heart” and financing your own films. Though when you are 83 and can afford $100 million, maybe it’s just DGAF time. In the film, an architect wants to rebuild New York City as a utopia following a devastating disaster. Adam Driver, Forest Whitaker, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, and Aubrey Plaza star.
Release Date: TBD.
6. “Maria”
The third and final installment in what has been dubbed the “Lady with Heels” trilogy of female-led biopics, Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín (“Spencer” and “Jackie”) turns his gaze to famous opera singer Maria Callas, played by Angelina Jolie. Written by Steven Knight (“Spencer”), the film co-stars Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Haluk Bilginer, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Valeria Golino.
Release Date: TBD, but filming was underway in the fall, and given Larraín’s speed, a Venice premiere feels like a good bet.
5. “Mickey7”
Bong Joon-ho (“Parasite”) finally goes mainstream, with a big budget, Warner Bros. backing, and Brad Pitt’s Plan B company producing. An outstanding cast features Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo, and Holliday Grainger. The film centers on an “expendable,” who is a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonize an ice world. Already rumored for delay because of all the VFX work, sometime in 2024 does seem doable regardless.
Release Date: March 29, 2024 via Warner Bros.
4. “Nosferatu”
After years of trying, filmmaker Robert Eggers (“The Northman”) finally gets his passion project off the ground about a vampire and his gothic tale of obsession with a young woman. Bill Skarsgård and Lily-Rose Depp star alongside Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, and Willem Dafoe.
Release Date: Dec. 25, 2024, via Focus Feature.
3. “Dune: Part Two”
Initially scheduled for fall 2023, Denis Villeneuve’s epic sci-fi sequel to the story of Arrakis and the Atreides family was delayed thanks to the strikes. Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Javier Bardem, and all the surviving members of the original cast return. Newcomers include Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Christopher Walken, and Léa Seydoux.
Release Date: March 1, 2024, via Warner Bros.
2. “Polaris”
The great Lynne Ramsey reunites with Joaquin Phoenix after their breathtaking collaboration on “You Were Never Really Here,” and that’s really enough. Yet, there’s more. “Polaris” co-stars Rooney Mara, and it’s set in Alaska during the 1890s, where an ice photographer meets the devil. Potentially retitled as “Dark Slides,” it’s the first original script Ramsay has put into production since her 1999 debut, “Ratcatcher.”
Release Date: TBD, but it actually wrapped production summer 2023, so it could be ready by Cannes or the fall.
1. “Mad Max: Furiosa”
Nine years after 2015’s ‘Fury Road,’ 78-year-old filmmaker George Miller returns to the wasteland. This time, however, the story is a prequel centered on a young Furiosa played by Anya Taylor-Joy. The cast also features Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Nathan Jones, Angus Sampson, and more. A Cannes world premiere is rumored, and given the release date, Cannes is always mid-May (and the fact that ‘Fury Road’ premiered there, too), it feels like a safe bet.
Release Date: May 24, 2024, via Warner Bros.