With some 50 films slated for release between now and mid-November, Hollywood’s fall season runs the proverbial gamut, with something to satisfy just about every taste.
From animated family fare (“The Peanuts Movie”) to grown-up Oscar bait (“Bridge of Spies”). From comedies targeted to teens (“Goosebumps”) to those aimed at adults (“Grandma”). From buddy movies (“Mississippi Grind”) to chick flicks (“Miss You Already”). From sci-fi (“The Martian”) and fantasy (“Pan”) to true stories, both contemporary (“Spotlight”) and historical (“Suffragette”). Plus, of course, sequels, both high-tech (“Spectre”) and low-budget (“Rings”).
And, oh, the stars on the horizon: Johnny Depp, Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, Julianne Moore, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Robert Redford and Cate Blanchett — among many others.
As always, opening dates are subject to change, but here are most of the highlights:
SEPT. 18:
"About Ray." Three generations of a family struggle with a teenager's decision to transition from female to male. Elle Fanning plays the title role, with Naomi Watts and Susan Sarandon as her mother and grandmother.
"Black Mass." Johnny Depp stars in the true story of "Whitey" Bulger, a vicious Irish gangster who evades prosecution and rises to power in 1970s Boston by collaborating with the FBI against the Italian mob.
"Captive." Based on the 2005 killing spree by Brian Nichols, who escaped from the Fulton County Courthouse and eventually took single mother Ashley Smith hostage. David Oyelowo and Kate Mara co-star.
"Grandma." Lily Tomlin is generating Oscar buzz for this bittersweet comedy, written and directed by Paul Weitz. She portrays a feisty lesbian trying to help her pregnant granddaughter out of a jam.
"Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials." In this sequel to last year's box-office hit (adapted from the best-selling books by James Dashner), the Gladers take on the WCKD in a perilous landscape known as Scorch.
"Pawn Sacrifice." A real-life drama depicting the famous Cold War-era chess match between American Bobby Fischer (Tobey Maguire) and Russian Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber). Directed by Edward Zwick.
SEPT. 25:
"Everest." Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, Keira Knightley and Robin Wright lead the ensemble of this action drama about a climbing expedition on Mount Everest that's beset by a devastating snowstorm.
"Hotel Transylvania 2." A 3-D sequel to the 2012 animated movie. Among the voice cast: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, David Spade, Molly Shannon and Mel Brooks.
"The Intern." Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway are sparring partners in writer-director Nancy Meyers' comedy about an elderly widower who comes out of retirement to work for an online fashion site.
"Sicario." Set along the U.S.-Mexico border, this drama features Emily Blunt as an idealistic FBI agent and Josh Brolin as the government official who enlists her aid in the war on drugs. Benicio Del Toro co-stars.
"Sleeping With Other People." A romantic comedy with Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie as kindred spirits and "serial cheaters" who chance to meet 12 years after their one-night stand in college.
"Stonewall." A young man (Jeremy Irvine) comes of age and becomes politically active during the 1969 Greenwich Village riots that effectively began the gay-rights movement. Directed by Roland Emmerich.
OCT. 2:
"Finders Keepers." Truth proves stranger than fiction in this documentary about a man whose amputated leg is discovered in a grill that's sold at a North Carolina auction. An actual custody battle for it ensues.
"He Named Me Malala." Davis Guggenheim's documentary chronicles the story of Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani girl who was victimized by the Taliban before eventually winning the Nobel Peace Prize.
"Legend." Tom Hardy plays dual roles in a true story about the notorious Ronnie and Reggie Kray, identical twin brothers who built a criminal empire in 1960s London. Written and directed by Brian Helgeland.
"The Martian." Presumed dead and left behind by his crew, astronaut Matt Damon must fend for himself on Mars. Ridley Scott directs a cast that also includes Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Kristen Wiig.
"Mississippi Grind." Ryan Reynolds and Ben Mendelsohn co-star in a road movie (of sorts) as gambling buddies who travel down the Mississippi River to attend a high-stakes poker game in New Orleans.
OCT. 9:
"Big Stone Gap." This romantic comedy casts Ashley Judd as a small-town "old maid" whose humdrum life takes an unexpectedly exciting turn. Patrick Wilson and Whoopi Goldberg have supporting roles.
"Coming Home." Celebrated Chinese actress Gong Li stars as the wife of a political prisoner during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and '70s. Things have changed by the time he finally returns.
"Freeheld." Fresh off her Oscar win, Julianne Moore portrays a dying police detective who faces opposition about leaving her pension to "domestic partner" Ellen Page. Based on a true story. With Steve Carell.
"Pan." Director Joe Wright reimagines the famous J.M. Barrie fairy tale about Peter Pan's adventures in Neverland. Hugh Jackman plays the ruthless pirate Blackbeard, Rooney Mara the warrior Tiger Lily.
"Steve Jobs." Written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Danny Boyle, this biopic stars Michael Fassbender as the visionary Apple founder and CEO. Also featuring Seth Rogen as Steve Wozniak.
"The Walk." Joseph Gordon-Levitt appears as real-life high-wire artist Philippe Petit in director Robert Zemeckis' high-tech drama about Petit's 1974 walk between the World Trade Center towers. In Imax 3-D.
OCT. 16:
"Bridge of Spies." Oscar darlings Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks reunite for a Cold War thriller co-scripted by two other Oscar favorites, Joel and Ethan Coen. A lawyer negotiates the release of a captured American pilot.
"Crimson Peak." Director Guillermo Del Toro's gothic horror drama involves a family tragedy, ghosts and a haunted house. Co-starring Charlie Hunnam, Jessica Chastain and Mia Wasikowska.
"Goosebumps." Adapted from the best-selling children's books by R.L. Stine, this 3-D family comedy casts Jack Black as Stine, whose books mysteriously unleash literal figments of his imagination.
OCT. 23:
"Burnt." Bradley Cooper stars in a dramatic comedy about a former hotshot chef, undone by drugs and ego, who cooks up a comeback. With Sienna Miller, Emma Thompson and Uma Thurman.
"Jem and the Holograms." Four small-town sisters become musical superstars in a big-screen version of the short-lived '80s animated TV series. Among the supporting cast: Molly Ringwald and Juliette Lewis.
"The Last Witch Hunter." In this time-traveling action thriller, Vin Diesel plays a valiant medieval warrior cursed with immortality and battling modern-day witches. Elijah Wood and Rose Leslie co-star.
"Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension." A sixth chapter in the popular horror-movie franchise.
"Rock the Kasbah." Barry Levinson directs Bill Murray as a washed-up music promoter who discovers a promising singing star in the unlikeliest of places: Afghanistan. The comedy also stars Bruce Willis.
OCT. 30:
"Labyrinth of Lies." A German drama set in 1958, as a public prosecutor (Alexander Fehling) prepares a case against Nazi war criminals. Horrors from the past clash with hostilities in the present.
"Our Brand Is Crisis." In this dramatic satire, Sandra Bullock and Billy Bob Thornton portray a pair of American strategists enlisted to consult a (fictional) Bolivian politician in his campaign for president.
"Room." An emotional drama, based on Emma Donoghue's novel, about a young mother (Brie Larson) and son (Jacob Tremblay) whose lives unfold as captives, confined to a single windowless room.
"Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse." Three Boy Scouts join forces with a sassy waitress as an unlikely team of heroes after their idyllic hometown is besieged by a zombie invasion.
"Truth." In this docudrama, Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford portray "60 Minutes" producer Mary Mapes and CBS anchor Dan Rather, whose ethics are questioned as a result of an erroneous news segment.
NOV. 6:
"Brooklyn." A romantic Irish girl (Saoirse Ronan) immigrates to New York in the 1950s, soon torn between her new American beau (Emory Cohen) and the man (Domhnall Gleeson) she left behind back home.
"Miss You Already." Lifelong best friends Drew Barrymore and Toni Collette are put to the test when one starts a new family and the other falls ill. Dominic Cooper and Paddy Considine play their love interests.
"The Peanuts Movie." Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of Charles M. Schulz's beloved gang come to the big screen, animated in 3-D. As Snoopy pursues the Red Baron, Charlie embarks on his own quest.
"Spectre." Daniel Craig reprises his role as the intrepid James Bond in this latest installment of the durable action franchise. Christoph Waltz and Monica Bellucci co-star, under the direction of Sam Mendes.
"Spotlight." Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams headline a fact-based story about the Boston Globe's Pulitzer Prize-winning expose of allegations of abuse within the Catholic Church.
"Suffragette." A historical drama about the trials and tribulations of the women who fought for equality in early 20th century England. Starring Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter and Meryl Streep.
NOV. 13:
"By the Sea." Angelina Jolie directs this marital drama set in 1970s France, casting herself and real-life husband Brad Pitt as a couple who rekindle their marriage during a visit to an idyllic seaside village.
"Love the Coopers." A large family gathers for its annual holiday celebration. The comedy's ensemble includes Diane Keaton, John Goodman, Marisa Tomei, Alan Arkin, Amanda Seyfried and Ed Helms.
"My All American." Aaron Eckhart plays University of Texas football coach Darrell Royal in this uplifting true story, directed by Angelo Pizzo (who also wrote the sports dramas "Hoosiers" and "Rudy").
"Rings." Another sequel to the popular horror movies "The Ring" and "The Ring 2."
"The 33." A fact-based drama about the 2010 catastrophe involving a group of Chilean miners, who miraculously survived 69 days buried beneath the ground after a horrific explosion. Antonio Banderas stars.
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