The fall movie main event
Finally the good stuff.
After a summer of ups ("Inside Out," "Mad Max") and downs ("Fantastic Four"), the fall movie season offers an embarrassment of variety. It all climaxes with a new "Star Wars," and there's no Jar Jar Binks in sight.
Here are the highlights and potential wild cards for the next four months of cinema. Release dates subject to change.
September
Main Event: Sicario (Sept. 18, expansion on Oct. 2)
Tough Emily Blunt and a shifty Benicio del Toro lead a government task force to stop a drug ring on the U.S.-Mexico border. Director Denis Villeneuve ("Prisoners") is an exciting filmmaker, and early word is very good.
Worth Noting
Black Mass (Sept. 18)
Can Johnny Depp shake a string of awful box office performances? As infamous Boston criminal Whitey Bulger, Depp at least appears to be trying. Hey, it looks better than "Mortdecai."
Everest (Sept. 18)
A dramatization of the 1996 Mount Everest expedition-gone-wrong, featuring Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin and half of Hollywood.
The Walk (Sept. 30, expansion on Oct. 9)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as a French high-wire stuntman who attempted an incredible walk between the two towers of the World Trade Center in 1974. Watch the Oscar-winning documentary "Man on Wire" now on Netflix Instant streaming.
Wild Card: The Visit (Sept. 11)
M. Night Shyamalan is back with this low-budget horror thriller about a spooky visit to Grandma's house. It looks so crazy, it might actually be good. That's what we said about "The Happening" too.
Also playing: "Transporter Refueled" NOT starring Jason Statham (today), "Hunger Games" knockoff sequel "The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials" (Sept. 18), Robert De Niro goes to work for Anne Hathaway in "The Intern" (Sept. 25), and "Hotel Transylvania 2" (Sept. 25), the kiddie sequel nobody needed.
October
Main Event: Steve Jobs (Oct. 9)
Prestige all the way. Michael Fassbender stars in the title role of this biopic from director Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire") and writer Aaron Sorkin ("The Social Network"). Award magnet Kate Winslet co-stars, and even Seth Rogen is taking things seriously as Steve Wozniak. Bound to be better than the Ashton Kutcher version.
More Fact-Based Drama!
Tom Hardy plays twin gangsters Ronald and Reginald Kray in "Legend" (limited Oct. 2). Julianne Moore and Ellen Page fight for marriage equality in "Freeheld" (limited Oct. 2), Robert Redford and Cate Blanchett are disgraced "60 Minutes" reporters in "Truth" (limited Oct. 16). Women's voting rights are the subject of "Suffragette" with Carey Mulligan and Meryl Streep (limited Oct. 23).
Worth Noting
The Martian (Oct. 2)
Matt Damon is stranded on Mars in this Ridley Scott-directed adaptation of the popular book.
Bridge of Spies (Oct. 16)
Tom Hanks and director Steven Spielberg reunite for this Cold War thriller about a lawyer who helps to rescue a pilot detained by Big Red.
Crimson Peak (Oct. 16)
Visionary director Guillermo del Toro ("Pan's Labyrinth") serves up his bonkers version of a gothic haunted house thriller. With Jessica Chastain.
Our Brand is Crisis (Oct. 30)
Sandra Bullock stars in a dramatized version of the documentary of the same name, about the insanity of American political campaign marketing. An appearance by Donald Trump is not out of the question.
Wild Card: The Last Witch Hunter (Oct. 23)
Vin Diesel growls his way through the "Fast & Furious" franchise, but he won't have The Rock to rescue him if this supernatural franchise-starter stumbles at the box office.
Also Playing: A live-action Peter Pan origin story, "Pan," with pirate Hugh Jackman (Oct. 9), R.L Stine's kid-friendly horror books come to life in "Goosebumps" with Jack Black (Oct. 16), culinary tale "Burnt" starring Bradley Cooper (Oct. 23), Bill Murray as a grumpy music manager in "Rock the Kasbah" (Oct. 23), the 32nd "Paranormal Activity" sequel (Oct. 23), and the self-explanatory thriller "Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse" (Oct. 30)
November
Main Events: Spectre (Nov. 6) and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (Nov. 20)
Two big sequels with enormous fan bases. Daniel Craig is back as James Bond, fresh off the success of "Skyfall." Sam Mendes returns to direct, and Christoph Waltz (born to play a Bond villain) is the Big Bad. The problem? Emails from last year's Sony hack indicated script problems. Luckily, there was plenty of time for rewrites.
Meanwhile "The Hunger Games" franchise comes to a close with "Mockingjay Part 2." "Part 1" was a competent but unsatisfying half-movie, so Jennifer Lawrence better bring the thunder this time around.
Worth Noting
Spotlight (limited
Nov. 6)
Another movie about real-life journalism! This one follows Boston Globe reporters uncovering scandal in the Catholic Church. The cast is stacked with the likes of Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams and Mark Ruffalo. Coming in 2016... the Rachel Dolezal story?
By the Sea (Nov. 13)
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie onscreen together in this 1970s-set drama about a married couple drifting apart. Directed by Jolie.
Secret in their Eyes (Nov. 20)
American adaptation of the Oscar-winning Argentine film about a team of investigators who are rocked by personal loss. Starring Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Wild Cards: The Peanuts Movie (Nov. 6) and The Good Dinosaur (Nov. 25)
November's family offerings carry some heavy baggage. With "Peanuts," audiences will have to wrestle with CGI likenesses of the classic comic strip characters. The weird look won't matter if the story is good.
"The Good Dinosaur" is a Pixar production with an ugly backstory. The film was delayed and completely retooled last year. Pixar's late-session tinkering worked well for troubled productions like "Ratatouille" and "Brave," but this is the studio's most significant behind-the-scenes meddling. At least we already have one great Pixar movie in 2015.
Also Playing: Bryan Cranston plays a blacklisted writer in the biopic "Trumbo" (limited Nov. 6) the Chilean miners story, "The 33" (Nov. 13), more spooky children in the "Rings" reboot (Nov. 13), festival favorite "Carol" with Cate Blanchett (limited Nov. 20), Sly Stallone is back as Rocky in "Creed" (Nov. 25), Seth Rogen has a very, merry, R-rated Christmas in "The Night Before" (Nov. 25), Hank Williams biopic "I Saw the Light" (limited Nov. 27), and Daniel Radcliffe plays Igor in "Victor Frankenstein" (Nov. 25).
December
Main Event (obviously): Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Dec. 18)
A guy named J.J. Abrams made a new sequel to some obscure space opera. Harrison Ford, cute robots and light swords factor into the equation.
Look, we're all going to see it. How many times we see it will depend on if Abrams and Disney can actually deliver on the promise of a so-far terrific marketing campaign.
Worth Noting
In the Heart of the Sea (Dec. 11)
Ron Howard directs this adventure about an 1800s-era whaling ship stranded at sea. Starring Chris Hemsworth, or Mr. Thor as I like to call him.
The Hateful Eight (limited Dec. 25)
Only "Star Wars" can trump the buzz of a new Quentin Tarantino movie. This winter-set Western features a cast of Tarantino all-stars, and, after the script leaked last year, an entirely new climax.
Joy (Dec. 25)
Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and director David O. Russell hope to continue their winning streak (see "Silver Linings Playbook" and "American Hustle") with this drama about the driven young inventor of the "Miracle Mop."
Wild Card: The Revenant (limited
Dec. 25)
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Oscar-winning director of last year's "Birdman," is not one to play it safe. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as an 1820s fur trapper who seeks revenge on the men who left him for dead in the wilderness. Production on the film has been arduous and troubled, with Inarritu pushing for as much realism as possible. Could be great. Could be a huge mess. Such is the work of Inarritu.
Also Playing: Ghosts terrorize some yuppies in the holiday-themed "Krampus" (Dec. 4), a new take on "Macbeth" with Michael Fassbender (limited Dec. 4), Amy Poehler and Tina Fey play "Sisters" (Dec. 18), the NFL won't be happy with Will Smith in "Concussion" (Dec. 25), Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg compete for World's Greatest Dad in "Daddy's Home" (Dec. 25), somebody remade "Point Break" for no good reason (Dec. 25), somebody made another "Alvin and the Chipmunks" for no good reason (Dec. 25), and controversy is sure to follow Oliver Stone's "Snowden" (limited Dec. 25).
Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com.