Now that the terribly mediocre summer blockbuster movie season is finally coming to a close, it’s time to whet our film-going appetite for fall’s award bait offerings. And there’s plenty to get excited about. There’s David Fincher’s hotly anticipated adaptation of Gone Girl, starring future Batman Ben Affleck; Michael Keaton’s star-studded comeback vehicle, Birdman; Christopher Nolan’s space-traveling epic Interstellar, starring Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey; and so much more. So, without further ado, here are the movies we’re looking forward to seeing the most this fall.
Lionsgate
It’s one of the biggest urban legends in the history of Major League Baseball: That on June 12, 1970, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Doc Ellis threw a no-hitter… while tripping on acid. Documentary filmmaker Jeffrey Radice’s No No: A Dockumentary, which made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, traces the controversial Ellis’ life from his early days, to that fateful day, to his larger-than-life persona—a boozing, pill-popping character who wore hair curlers in the dugout, and fought for African-American players’ rights by exploding cultural taboos. He was an integral part of “The Team that Changed Baseball”—the 1971 Pirates, who started the first all-minority lineup in MLB history—and one of the wackiest, most intriguing people to ever play ball.
The Orchard
This gritty urban drama, directed by Michael R. Roskam, marks James Gandolfini’s final appearance in a feature film after he passed back in June 2013. Written by novelist Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone), the movie stars Tom Hardy as Bob Saginowski, a bar owner in New York City who finds himself embroiled in a botched robbery—forcing his neighborhood “friends” and family members to make amends with their respective pasts. In addition to Hardy and Gandolfini, the film stars Noomi Rapace, Matthias Schoenaerts, and James Frecheville.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
The winner of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival is usually an underrated indie gem (see: The Squid and the Whale, Safety Not Guaranteed), and Craig Johnson’s comedy-drama is just that. After 10 years of estrangement, twins Maggie (Kristen Wiig) and Milo (Bill Hader) are both depressed, living on opposite coasts, and contemplating suicide. When Milo attempts it—and survives—Maggie visits him in the hospital, and the two struggle to mend fences. SNL pals Wiig and Hader previously stole scenes in Adventureland, and here they deliver the best performances of their respective careers as a pair of down-in-the-dumps thirtysomethings attempting to give their lives meaning.
Roadside Attractions
There couldn’t be a timelier documentary than Nadav Schirman’s The Green Prince, which chronicles the life of Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of Hamas founder and leader Sheikh Hassan Yousef. For a decade, from 1997 to 2007, he was employed as an undercover operative for the Shin Bet, an Israeli intelligence agency, where he prevented untold numbers of suicide bombings and assassination attempts on Israelis. Schirman’s film traces Yousef’s path from self-described “Son of Hamas” to Israeli spy to his current status as a Christian living in California.
Music Box Films
The paunchy Matthew Crawley has, after his onscreen death, broken free from the confines of Downton Abbey, gotten buff, and is now transitioning into the role of badass film star with The Guest. Dan Stevens stars as David Collins, a mysterious guest who one day appears at the door of the Peterson family, who are still grieving the death of their eldest son, who died while serving in Afghanistan. Collins claims to be their son’s fellow soldier and friend, and the family welcomes him in with open arms. At first, all seems normal, as Collins ingratiates himself to the family, but when people start turning up dead, the family begins to wonder if Collins is who he says he is. The riveting flick is the latest from Adam Wingard, who directed the underrated thriller You’re Next.
ArtAffects Entertainment
Distribution 20th Century Fox is hoping—nay, praying—that they have a big YA franchise on their hands with this upcoming sci-fi adventure, adapted from James Dashner’s bestselling novel. Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) wakes up to find himself trapped, along with a group of other adolescents, in a massive, complex maze, with no recollection of how they got there. He must piece together memories of his past in order to escape. The film also features up-and-coming stars Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Game of Thrones), Kaya Scodelario (Skins), Will Poulter (We’re the Millers), and, last but not least, Patricia Clarkson.
Ben Rothstein
Based on the bestselling book of the same name by Jonathan Tropper (who also penned the screenplay), this ensemble dramedy is directed by Shawn Levy (Date Night), and centers on the dysfunctional Altman family, played by Tina Fey, Adam Driver, Corey Stoll, and Jason Bateman. The gang is compelled to reunite at their childhood home in the ‘burbs for a week of sitting Shiva after their father passes away, which, of course, forces the clashing personalities to confront their lingering resentments head on. The film also stars Jane Fonda, Rose Byrne, Kathryn Hahn, and Timothy Olyphant.
Warner Bros. Pictures
Written and directed by acclaimed screenwriter Scott Frank, who penned Get Shorty, Out of Sight, Minority Report, and several other films, and directed his solid first feature, The Lookout, back in 2007, this thriller follows Matthew Scudder, a former NYPD officer and private eye played by the incomparable LIAM NEESONS, who’s hired by a local drug dealer (Dan Stevens, Downton Abbey) to track down his kidnapped wife. With Frank at the helm, this should be a more contemplative, complex crime drama than Neeson’s disposable array of Taken clones.
Universal Pictures
On paper, filmmaker Matthew Warchus’ comedy/historical drama seems like a bit of a snooze, but the film has received lots of positive press in pre-festival screenings, and has generated a bit of awards buzz. The film tells the unique, real-life story of a group of UK gay and lesbian activists who—oddly enough—joined forces with a group of burly, macho, quasi-homophobic miners during the strike of the UK’s National Union of Mineworkers back in 1984. Pride features an excellent UK cast, including Bill Nighy, Dominic West, Imelda Staunton, and Paddy Considine.
Nicola Dove/CBS Films
This Australian-made drama/adventure is directed by John Curran (The Painted Veil), and based on the memoir of the same name by Robyn Davidson. Set in 1977, Tracks traces Davidson’s (Mia Wasikowska) 1,700-mile journey across the Australian deserts to the Indian Ocean, accompanied by just her dog, four camels, and Rick Smolan, a photographer from National Geographic, played by Girls’ Adam Driver. Shot on location in South Australia, the film boasts stunning vistas and excellent performances by its two talented leads.
The Weinstein Company
The latest from visionary filmmaker Terry Gilliam is the final part of what he’s dubbed the “Orwellian Triptych”—consisting of the dystopian films Brazil and 12 Monkeys. Gilliam’s sci-fi drama stars two-time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz as Qohen Leth, a genius computer programmer who’s working on a formula to discover the meaning of life. Will he succeed in his task, or be driven to madness? The Zero Theorem also stars Melanie Thierry, David Thewlis, Matt Damon, and Tilda Swinton.
Amplify
Winner of the Best New Documentary Director award at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival, this compelling doc by Alan Hicks follows 89-year-old jazz legend Clark Terry (mentor to the film’s producer, Quincy Jones, and Miles Davis) and his four-year journey to mentor 23-year-old Justin Kauflin, a blind piano prodigy, and prepare him for a big piano competition. Produced by the people behind The Cove and Chasing Ice, this documentary will have you rooting for its against-all-odds protagonist as if he’s one of your own.
RADiUS-TWC
The last time filmmaker Antoine Fuqua and star Denzel Washington hooked up, for 2001’s crime saga Training Day, Washington took home the Academy Award for Best Actor. They’ve reunited for The Equalizer. Based on the ‘80s TV series of the same name, the action/thriller stars Washington as Robert McCall, an ex-special ops soldier who’s left his killing days behind him. When a girl he befriends, played by Chloe Grace Moretz, is almost killed by Russian gangsters, McCall is pulled back into action, making it his duty to bring every last one of the bastards to justice. If you liked Man on Fire, well, this seems like just the movie for you.
Sony Pictures Releasing
Directed by Danish filmmaker Henrik Ruben Genz (Terribly Happy), and written by Kelly Masterson (Snowpiercer), this thriller stars James Franco and Kate Hudson as an American couple living in London who fall on hard financial times while renovating their dream house. When they find a stash of money in the walls belonging to some nefarious gangsters and choose to keep it, they find themselves in even deeper shit. The film also stars Omar Sy (The Intouchables), Anna Friel, and Tom Wilkinson.
Millennium Entertainment
Written and directed by John Ridley, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of 12 Years A Slave, this biopic stars Outkast’s Andre Benjamin as guitar virtuoso Jimi Hendrix, and chronicles the years (1966-1967) he spent in London that helped shape him into a music legend. Like the John Lennon flick Nowhere Boy, the film doesn’t incorporate any of those Hendrix classics—since the Hendrix Estate has denied virtually everyone the rights to use them in a film—but does incorporate songs of his during the early London years, and features a brilliant turn by Benjamin.
XLrator Media
Marking the directorial debut of acclaimed screenwriter Hossein Amini, who penned The Wings of the Dove and the recent Ryan Gosling-starrer Drive, and based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith, this globetrotting suspense film follows glamorous couple Chester (Viggo Mortensen) and Colette McFarland (Kirsten Dunst), who arrive in Athens and befriend a local, Rydal (Oscar Isaac). When a private detective winds up dead, the trio must flee to Turkey, where the two men eventually engage in a standoff over their mutual affection for the fetching Colette.
Magnolia Pictures
It is, simply put, one of the most anticipated films of the year—although any film by the brilliant David Fincher is just that. Written and adapted from the bestselling novel of the same name by Gillian Flynn, this drama/mystery centers on Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) and his wife, Amy Elliott-Dunne (Rosamund Pike). When Amy goes missing, Nick is the prime suspect—but everything is not what it seems. The film also stars Tyler Perry, Neil Patrick Harris, Carrie Coon, and “Blurred Lines” video vixen Emily Ratajkowski.
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Directed by Philippe Falardeau, a Quebecoise filmmaker who helmed the 2011 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nominee Monsieur Lazhar, this drama stars Reese Witherspoon as Carrie Davis, an American woman hired to help four young Sudanese refugees, otherwise known as the Lost Boys of Sudan, who’ve won a lottery to immigrate to the U.S. Davis hosts one of the young men in her home, as he struggles to assimilate to American life. The film also stars Corey Stoll, Sarah Baker, and Femi Oguns.
Warner Bros.
Oscar-nominated filmmaker Jason Reitman’s (Juno) follow-up to the disappointing melodrama Labor Day sees him tackle our technology obsession and the way its impacted modern-day communication and relationships by focusing on a group of interconnected tales, including a parent who’s trying to have an affair to teen flirtation. The ensemble dramedy, which will make its premiere at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, stars Adam Sandler (in a rare dramatic turn), Jennifer Garner, Emma Thompson, Rosemarie DeWitt, Dean Norris, Ansel Elgort, and Judy Greer.
Paramount Pictures
Will this be Robert Downey Jr.’s Oscar moment? Too soon to say, but David Dobkin’s comedy-drama The Judge seems like the juiciest role for Downey since Tropic Thunder. He stars as Hank Palmer, an ace litigator who ventures from the big city to his hometown of Carlinville, Indiana, for his mother’s funeral. Things take a sharp turn when his estranged father (and town judge), Judge Joseph Palmer (Robert Duvall), is accused of murder. Hank is placed in the awkward position of having to defend his father, which leads to much proverbial head-butting—and scenery-chewing—between the two Roberts.
Warner Bros. Pictures/Village Roadshow Pictures
Adapted from the celebrated children’s tome of the same name by filmmaker Miguel Arteta (Arrested Development), this family comedy tells the tale of Alexander (Ed Oxenbould), an 11-year-old who wakes up with gum in his hair, and proceeds to have—yes—the worst day ever. However, he soon realizes that the other members of his family are having equally terrible days, and begins to, for the first time, develop a sense of empathy. Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner star as Alexander’s parents, and the film also features Bella Thorne, Megan Mullally, Jennifer Coolidge, and Donald Glover.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The feature directorial debut of Ned Benson has, strangely enough, been split into three separate films (more on that later). But the 3+ hour unedited cut I saw is a beautiful, melancholic tale of love and loss that centers on Eleanor Rigby (Jessica Chastain), a woman who survives a suicide attempt after losing her baby. With the help of her parents (William Hurt, Isabelle Hupert), and a teacher (Viola Davis), she gradually re-adapts to society, and attempts to mend her broken relationship to her estranged husband, played by James McAvoy. The film will be released on Sept. 12 as Them, a two-hour truncated version, and then as Him and Her, two halves of the film telling it from each character’s (Chastain’s and McAvoy’s) perspective, on Oct. 10.
Unison Films
Who would’ve imagined that a film set at a music conservatory, featuring a battle of wits between a hard-ass jazz instructor (JK Simmons) and an aspiring jazz drummer (Miles Teller), could be so damn engrossing? Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash, which cleaned up at the Sundance Film Festival—winning the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Awards—features flashy editing and camerawork, as well as two towering performances courtesy of Simmons, who is an absolute dynamo as a ruthless, no-nonsense music teacher/conductor, and Teller as his tormented-but-devoted student. It’ll have you tapping your fingers on tables—or any surface, really—for days after you see it.
Sony Pictures Classics
Directed by Michael Cuesta (Homeland, Six Feet Under), this based on a true story thriller stars Jeremy Renner as Gary Webb, a journalist in the mid-‘90s who uncovers a CIA conspiracy involving importing cocaine into the U.S. and selling it in stateside ghettos to raise money for the Nicaraguan Contras. Webb publishes the series of stories, called Dark Alliance, and then finds himself the target of the CIA, who is intent on smearing his reputation. The film also stars Ray Liotta, Barry Pepper, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rosemarie DeWitt, Michael Sheen, and Michael K. Williams.
Focus Features
Directed by Jorge Gutierrez and produced by visionary filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro, this 3D animated film is a realization of the Mexican holiday Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead), and tells the journey of Manolo (voiced by Diego Luna), a young man who’s battling for the heart of the stunning Maria (Zoe Saldana) with dreamboat Joaquin (Channing Tatum). The fearless Manolo is whisked away to different fantastical realms, where he must square off against evil spirits and terrifying creatures in order to win the heart of Maria. The film also features the voices of Ron Perlman, Ice Cube, and Christina Applegate.
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Remember Michael Keaton, the wildly talented character actor you grew up loving in films like Batman and Beetlejuice? After years of being given the short end of the stick, he’s finally been given a role worth of his talents in Birdman. Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (21 Grams), Keaton stars as a washed-up actor known for playing the iconic titular superhero who’s attempting to mount a comeback by starring in a Broadway play. But, in the days leading up to it, he’s forced to come to grips with ghosts from his past. The film boasts an all-star cast including Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Andrea Riseborough, and Amy Ryan.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Directed by David Ayer (End of Watch), this brutal WWII drama stars Brad Pitt as Wardaddy, a U.S. Army sergeant who’s in charge of a tank called “Fury.” In April 1945, during the last month of the war, Wardaddy and his crew of five find themselves trapped behind enemy lines in Nazi Germany, and must fight their way out of it. The film, which also stars Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Pena, Jon Bernthal, Jason Isaacs, and Scott Eastwood (son of Clint), is said to be one of the most unflinching portraits of World War II, featuring the gory execution of Nazi prisoners and armed children at the hands of the Allied troops.
Columbia Pictures
One of the biggest surprises during the 2014 Sundance Film Festival is this, the directorial debut of Peter Sattler. Made on a budget of just $1 million, Camp X-Ray stars Kristen Stewart as Amy Cole, a green Army recruit who’s assigned as a guard at Guantanamo Bay—as well as its holding facility, Camp X-Ray. Cole is initially unfazed by the conditions there, but when she strikes up an unlikely friendship with one of the detainees, a man named Ali (Peyman Moaadi) who may be wrongfully accused, she begins to question the injustices of Gitmo. The movie features an excellent performance by Stewart as the beleaguered guard, anchoring the film with quiet dignity.
Beth Dubber
Another big surprise out of Sundance was this hilarious satire by Justin Simien, eventually winning the fest’s award for Breakthrough Talent. It tells the story of four African-American students at an elite, mostly white Ivy League college, who find themselves in the middle of an all-out race war over an incredibly distasteful, racist African-American-themed shindig thrown by the rich white kids on campus. Simien’s film tackles a number of racial taboos, from white people’s love of Taylor Swift to “the amount of black friends required not to seem racist,” and features excellent turns from a hilarious young cast that includes Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson, Kyle Gallner, Brittany Curran, and Marque Richardson.
Lionsgate
Not to be confused with the awesome singer of the same name, this highly anticipated dramedy from filmmaker Theodore Melfi stars the one and only Bill Murray as St. Vincent, a drunken, curmudgeonly war veteran. One day, the misanthrope is tasked with watching over his neighbor’s 12-year-old son, Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher), and the two embark on a series of misadventures that include gambling binges, strip clubs, and more. The film also stars Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts, Chris O’Dowd, and Terrence Howard.
The Weinstein Company
It’s a pretty risky move for a global superstar like Shailene Woodley (see: Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars) to team up with edgy indie filmmaker Gregg Araki (Doom Generation) for a sexy, noir-ish coming-of-age drama. Woodley stars as Kat Connor, a teen experimenting with her sexuality who’s very close to her icy mother, Eve (Eva Green). One day, her mother goes missing, and Kat begins to suspect that her quiet father, played by Christopher Meloni, is the culprit. The film also stars Shiloh Fernandez, Angela Bassett, Thomas Jane, and Gabourey Sidibe.
Courtesy of Sundance Institute
The latest from indie filmmaker Lynn Shelton, who was responsible for the hilarious, mostly-improvised mumblecore films Humpday and Your Sister’s Sister, stars Keira Knightley as Megan, a 28-year-old who’s experiencing a quarter-life crisis of sorts. When her high school boyfriend (Mark Webber) proposes, she freaks out, befriends a wise-beyond-her-years 16-year-old (Chloe Grace Moretz), and begins to reassess where her life is going. The film, which received positive reviews at Sundance, also stars Sam Rockwell and The Office’s Ellie Kemper.
A24
Written and directed by Dan Gilroy, this noir-ish—and nightmarish—thriller stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Lou Bloom, an eager man who finds himself lost in the world of freelance crime journalism in downtown Los Angeles. There, he becomes mixed up in the world of “nightcrawling”—where each fire, robbery, or homicide can equal his next paycheck. Soon, however, Bloom finds himself in way over his head. The mysterious film also stars Gilroy’s wife, Rene Russo, as well as Bill Paxton and Riz Ahmed, and will make its premiere at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.
Open Road Films
Harry Potter… as a demon? Yes, that is the conceit for Horns, the latest from horror filmmaker Alexandre Aja (High Tension). In this supernatural thriller, Radcliffe stars as Ig Perrish, a 26-year-old who wakes up in a drunken stupor to find horns growing out of his head that imbue him with magical powers. Accused of the rape and murder of his girlfriend (Juno Temple), Perrish uses his newly-acquired powers to exonerate himself. The supernatural flick also stars James Remar, Kelli Garner, Heather Graham, and Max Minghella.
RADiUS-TWC
This might be the most anticipated film of the year, let alone the fall season. The latest from celebrated filmmaker Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Inception) is his ode to 2001: A Space Odyssey. The sci-fi film sees a widowed engineer (Matthew McConaughey) and a group of explorers and scientists travel through a wormhole to save Earth, which has run frighteningly low on resources. Shot in 35mm IMAX, Nolan’s film boasts a massive cast which, in addition to recent Oscar winner McConaughey, includes Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Ellen Burstyn, Michael Caine, Casey Affleck, John Lithgow and Matt Damon.
Paramount Pictures
Remember that months-long hiatus Jon Stewart took from hosting The Daily Show where he was replaced by John Oliver? Well, Stewart was busy shooting his feature directorial debut, a drama based on the memoir Then They Came for Me by Maziar Bahari, which told the story of Bahari’s five-month imprisonment by Iranian authorities following an interview he did on The Daily Show back in 2009—footage which was used as evidence to “prove” he was in contact with an American spy. The film stars Gael Garcia Bernal as Bahari, a journalist who’s tortured over the course of 118 days in an Iranian prison.
Open Road Films
Based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name, this superhero comedy comes courtesy of Walt Disney Animation Studios, the makers of Wreck-It Ralph and Frozen, and is set in a fictional futuristic metropolis dubbed San Fransokyo (San Francisco/Tokyo). Hiro Hamada (voiced by Ryan Potter), a young robotics expert, and his trusty massive robot sidekick Baymax (Scott Adsit) stumble upon a terrifying plot, and must enlist a team of unemployed crime fighters to help them foil it. The 3D animated film also features the voices of Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr., Maya Rudolph, and James Cromwell.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Directed by James Marsh, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind the riveting documentary Man on Wire, this biopic is loosely adapted from the memoir Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen by Jane Hawking, and tells the real-life tale of renowned physicist Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne), who falls in love with a fetching art student by the name of Jane Wilde (Felicity Jones) while the two are studying at Cambridge University in the 1960s. The film also stars Charlie Cox (your future Daredevil via Netflix), Emily Watson, Simon McBurney, and David Thewlis.
Focus Features
Directed by acclaimed TV helmer Tristram Shapeeero, who’s filmed episodes of the series Absolutely Fabulous, Peep Show, Community, and Parks and Recreation, this holiday comedy is the last movie comedy genius Robin Williams filmed before his death. He stars as Mitch, the unruly patriarch of the Mitchler clan. When his son, Boyd (Joel McHale), forgets his son’s Christmas gifts at home, he must embark on a lengthy road trip with his Dad (Williams) to get the presents back home in time for Xmas. The film also stars Lauren Graham, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Oliver Platt, and Tim Heidecker.
Entertainment One
This film—you’ve maybe heard it here first—will spell Oscar for Steve Carell. Directed by biopic specialist Bennett Miller (Capote, Moneyball), this gripping drama tells the tale of Olympic wrestling champion Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum), who’s sponsored by John du Pont (Steve Carell), a schizophrenic heir to the du Pont fortune. Du Pont’s thirst for competition eventually drives him to murder. The awards bait film is based on a true story, and also stars Mark Ruffalo, Vanessa Redgrave, Sienna Miller, and Anthony Michael Hall. You will be hearing a lot about this film, a deconstruction of the American dream, come Oscar season.
Sony Pictures Classics
Tommy Lee Jones’ feature directorial debut, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, signaled an exciting new voice in filmmaking. For his follow-up western, he’s focused his lens on an oft-overlooked aspect of the American West—the plight of women. The Homesman follows a pioneer woman (Hilary Swank) and claim jumper (Tommy Lee Jones) who are tasked with transporting three “insane” women from Nebraska to Iowa. Things, naturally, don’t go as planned. The film also stars Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto, Hailee Steinfeld, John Lithgow, and James Spader, and features a cameo by none other than Meryl Streep.
Roadside Attractions
This long-gestating sequel to the 1994 comedy Dumb and Dumber sees the dimwitted duo of Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels) reunite 20 years after their first misadventure. This time, they head off on a cross-country voyage in search of Harry’s long-lost daughter—that is, if Lloyd doesn’t get in the way. The comedy is once again directed by the Farrelly Brothers, and also stars Laurie Holden, Kathleen Turner, Rob Riggle, and allegedly features a cameo by—yes—Jennifer Lawrence.
Universal Pictures
This, the first in the two-part finale to The Hunger Games film franchise, bears the distinction of being the last film ever featuring acting titan Philip Seymour Hoffman. Francis Lawrence, who helmed the previous installment Catching Fire, is back in the director’s chair to tell the story of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), who finds herself a stranger and reluctant rebel leader in District 13. Disillusioned and haunted by nightmares, she finds her bearings and adjusts to her new role, while also leading a rescue mission to save Peeta Mallark (Josh Hutcherson). The film also stars Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Hoffman, Donald Sutherland, and newcomers Julianne Moore (as President Coin) and Natalie Dormer (as Cressida).
Lionsgate
Benedict Cumberbatch just took home his first Emmy Award for the miniseries Sherlock—will Oscar follow? This biopic, distributed by awards svengali Harvey Weinstein, tells the real-life story of Alan Turing (Cumberbatch), from his early years as an outcast teen to his work as a key code-breaker for Britain’s Government Code and Cypher School, which broke the Nazi’s code during World War II, to his conviction for “gross indecency” due to being gay. The film also stars Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Mark Strong, and Charles Dance.
StudioCanal
This sequel to the 2011 left-field comedy hit sees the gang (Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis) reprise their roles—only this time, the trio are attempting to launch a business start-up when a cagey investor, played by Christoph Waltz, threatens to take them down. So, they do what anyone else would do in this situation, and decide to kidnap the investor’s son (Chris Pine). The flick also sees Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx, and Kevin Spacey return.
Warner Bros. Pictures
This 3D animated spin-off of the massive Madagascar franchise sees a trio of penguins, Skipper (Tom McGrath), Kowalski (Chris Miller), and Rico (John DiMaggio), join forces with the spy agency North Wind, led by a cunning wolf (Benedict Cumberbatch), in order to take down Dr. Octavius Brine (John Malkovich), an evil octopus who’s threatening to take over the world.
Dreamworks Animation
