With the end of the year — which is to say, the beginning of Hollywood’s awards season — in plain view, the studios are unveiling some of their most prestigious contenders over the coming weeks.
For every occasional mindless comedy or commercially driven blockbuster, there are any number of projects from such Oscar alumni as Warren Beatty, Jennifer Lawrence, Matthew McConaughey, Natalie Portman, Martin Scorsese, Denzel Washington and Robert Zemeckis.
Mark your calendars, but do so in pencil, as opening dates are subject to change.
NOV. 23:
"Allied." Robert Zemeckis directs this World War II espionage drama, about a love affair between Brad Pitt (as an American intelligence officer) and Marion Cotillard (as a French Resistance fighter).
"Bad Santa 2." In a sequel to the raunchy 2003 hit, Billy Bob Thornton returns as a boozing, foul-mouthed department store Santa. New to the mix: Kathy Bates as his monstrous mother.
"Moana." Disney's latest animated film follows a young Hawaiian girl, who sets sail in search of a fabled island — and herself. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson leads the voice cast. In 3-D.
"Nocturnal Animals." Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal portray a divorced couple in a haunting romantic thriller. When he sends her the manuscript of his latest novel, the plot thickens.
"Rules Don't Apply." Writer-director Warren Beatty plays Howard Hughes. Matthew Broderick, Annette Bening, Alec Baldwin and Candice Bergen also appear in the star-studded ensemble.
DEC. 2:
"Man Down." Shia LaBeouf headlines this action drama, as a Marine who comes home from Afghanistan to find himself embroiled in another battle to locate his missing wife and son.
"Manchester by the Sea." An alternately poignant and funny story about a working-class loner (Casey Affleck) who becomes a reluctant guardian to his nephew. Michelle Williams co-stars.
DEC. 9:
"Miss Sloane." Set in the high-stakes world of political power-brokers, Jessica Chastain plays a ruthless lobbyist whose desire to win at any cost could jeopardize her own career.
"Office Christmas Party." A raucous comedy filmed in Atlanta, in which co-workers throw a party to end all parties. The cast features Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston and Kate McKinnon.
DEC. 16:
"Collateral Beauty." Will Smith struggles with a personal tragedy in this life-affirming drama. Among those who try to help: Kate Winslet, Edward Norton, Keira Knightley and Helen Mirren.
"La La Land." Showcasing Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, this original musical involves the romance between a jazz musician and an aspiring actress. John Legend has a supporting role.
"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story." A sci-fi saga about a band of heroes (including Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Mads Mikkelsen and Forest Whitaker) who unite for an action-packed adventure.
"The Space Between Us." The futuristic story of a boy (Asa Butterfield), the first human born on a colonized Mars, who embarks for Earth, where he meets a street-smart girl (Britt Robertson).
DEC. 21:
"Assassin's Creed." Michael Fassbender stars in a technological thriller about a modern man who unlocks the genetic memories and mysterious powers of an ancient ancestor to fight evil.
"Jackie." Natalie Portman portrays iconic first lady Jacqueline Kennedy in an intimate drama about the tumultuous days immediately following the tragic assassination of her husband.
"Lion." A young man (Dev Patel) sets out across India to find the family from whom he was separated as a child. Nicole Kidman plays his adoptive mother, Rooney Mara his love interest.
"Passengers." In this 3-D sci-fi thriller (and love story), Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt travel aboard a spaceship to a new life on another planet — until a malfunction threatens their plans.
"Sing." From the makers of "Despicable Me" comes an animated film about a lovable koala bear (voiced by Matthew McConaughey). The voice cast also includes Reese Witherspoon.
DEC. 23:
"Elle." Director Paul Verhoeven's revenge thriller casts Isabelle Huppert as a French woman and crime victim engaged in a dangerous — and kinky — game of cat and mouse with her assailant.
"Why Him?" An overprotective father (Bryan Cranston) matches wits, so to speak, with his daughter's wild boyfriend (James Franco) in a comedy co-produced by Ben Stiller and Jonah Hill.
DEC. 25:
"Fences." Denzel Washington directs and stars in a Pulitzer Prize-winning drama. He and Viola Davis reprise their roles from the 2010 Broadway version directed by Atlanta's own Kenny Leon.
"Gold." An epic tale of one man's pursuit of the American dream, with Matthew McConaughey as a plucky prospector looking to strike it rich in the uncharted jungles of Indonesia.
"Hidden Figures." The true story of three black women (played by Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae) who were involved with the NASA program during the 1960s. Made in Atlanta.
JAN. 6:
"A Monster Calls." The emotional story of a lonely boy (Lewis MacDougall) and the monster (voiced by Liam Neeson) who guides him on a courageous journey between fantasy and reality.
"Silence." In director Martin Scorsese's drama, set in 17th-century Japan, Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver play Christian missionaries, with Liam Neeson as the missing mentor they seek.
JAN. 13:
"Patriot's Day." A gripping account of the Boston Marathon bombing, featuring Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Bacon, John Goodman and J.K. Simmons as various police investigators on the case.
"20th Century Women." Annette Bening, Greta Gerwig and Elle Fanning play three generations of free-spirited women exploring love and freedom during the late 1970s.
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