60. “Spaceman”
Based on Jaroslav Kalfař’s absurdist science fiction novel, “Spaceman of Bohemia,” director Johan Renck’s (“Chernobyl”) “Spaceman” stars Adam Sandler, Paul Dano, Carey Mulligan, and Isabella Rosselini. The story of the Czech Republic’s first astronaut, (Sandler) sent on an interstellar mission; he leaves his wife, travels to Venus, and befriends a giant alien arachnid to escape his past. OK, then!
Release Date: TBD, via Netflix.
59. “Winner”
Filmmaker Susanna Fogel, known for writing “Booksmart” and directing “The Spy Who Dumped Me,” had a Sundance breakout hit with “Cat Person” this year, but she already has another film ready to go. This project reunites her with “Cat Person” star Emilia Jones and is a dark comedic riff on the whistle-blower story of Reality Winner, the woman infamous for leaking an intelligence report about Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. Kathryn Newton, Connie Britton, Zach Galifianakis, and Danny Ramirez co-star.
Release Date: Filming wrapped in late 2022, so it could be ready as early as Sundance 2023.
58. “Abigail”
The fast-working Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, aka Radio Silence, the filmmakers behind “Ready Or Not” and the newly revitalized “Scream” movies, are already back with a new monster horror. It’s essentially a horror about thieves who kidnap a little girl for ransom, only to quickly discover they themselves are the victims of something much more frightening. The horror features Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kevin Durand, Kathryn Newton, a posthumous Angus Cloud appearance, and Giancarlo Esposito.
Release Date: April 19, 2024, via Universal Pictures.
57. “Rebel Ridge”
A high-velocity thriller from filmmaker Jeremy Saulnier (“Green Room”), which originally starred John Boyega, who dropped out mysteriously, Aaron Pierre (“The Underground Railroad”) replaced him, and the cast now features Don Johnson, James Badge Dale, James Cromwell, AnnaSophia, and Robb Emory Cohen.
Release Date: TBD via Netflix.
56. “Materialists”
Filmmaker Celine Song’s A24 breakout Sundance drama, “Past Lives,” is already one of the most acclaimed indies of 2023, but she’s already moving ahead. Said to be in the vein of James L. Brooks or a Mike Nichols’ film, the movie is about the “business of love” about a woman who works as a high-end matchmaker for Manhattan’s elite. Early but apparently debunked casting rumors included Jeremy Allen White and Jodie Comer.
Release Date: TBD, but it was said to shoot this fall, so maybe during the fall festival season if it’s ready?
55. “The Idea Of You”
Shot in late 2022, director Michael Showalter (“The Big Sick“) should return this year with a romantic comedy about a 40-something single mom (Anne Hathaway) who begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old boy band star (Nicholas Galitzine) while taking her daughter to Coachella. Described as “Harry Styles fan-fiction” the film co-stars Ella Rubin, Reid Scott, and Annie Mumolo.
Release Date: TBD, via Amazon Studios. Maybe a Sundance or SXSW premiere?
54. “The Outrun”
Known for 2021’s Netflix film, “The Unforgivable” with Sandra Bullock, German filmmaker Nora Fingscheidt’s fifth film stars Saoirse Ronan (who is also a producer) as a woman coming out of rehab who returns to her childhood home in the wild Orkney Islands of Scotland and faces trauma and memory as she grapples with recovery. Paapa Essiedu and Stephen Dillane co-star.
Release Date: TBD, but finished in 2022 and feels like it could be a Sundance picture.
53. Alex Ross Perry’s Untitled Pavement Film
Alex Ross Perry (“Her Smell”) may have retired from traditional filmmaking, according to a new report. But what’s next is an experimental, unconventional musical biopic concert film that’s apparently not a documentary about the ‘90s rock band Pavement and borrows elements from “Slanted! Enchanted! A Pavement Musical.” Stephen Malkmus and Pavement stars as themselves, and actors Michael Esper Zoe Lister-Jones, and Kathryn Gallagher also appear.
Release Date: TBD. Maybe Sundance?
52. “Kingdom of the Planet Of The Apes”
Generations after the events of “War for the Planet of the Apes,” new ape clans search for human technologies to keep their global dominance intact. Owen Teague and Freya Allan star as a young ape and human who try and find freedom star alongside Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, and William H. Macy. Wes Ball from the “Mazerunner” franchise takes over as director.
Release Date: May 24, 2024.
51. “Wolfs”
A psychological action thriller centers on two professional fixers who find themselves hired for the same job; this could be “Michael Clayton” on steroids. First, it’s directed by Jon Watts of Marvel’s “Spider-Man” series, getting back to the world of thriller-ish drama whence he came. Then you’ve got Apple TV+ flexing finances with a cast that stars George Clooney and Brad Pitt, plus Amy Ryan, Austin Abrams, and Poorna Jagannathan.
Release Date: September 20, 2024, via Apple and Sony Pictures.