Cinephiles can count on new movies debuting in theaters and on streaming services this fall. How many, though, depends on Hollywood studios’ ability to stomach the idea of promoting these projects without the help of their stars.
There’s quite a bit of uncertainty surrounding the movie release calendar over the next few months as some studios have opted to delay putting out finished films during the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strikes against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. We’ve already seen a few films vacate their fall release dates, including “Dune: Part Two” and the Western Pennsylvania-shot Ethan Coen comedy “Drive-Away Dolls.”
Movie lovers should be paying close attention to those labor disputes and may want to remain as vigilant this fall and winter as they did in 2020 and 2021 during the height of COVID-induced release-date shuffling, if little progress continues to be made. With all that in mind, here’s the majority of Hollywood’s fall movie slate as it currently stands:
____________
Sept. 1
“The Equalizer 3” (theaters): Denzel Washington returns as Robert McCall for the third installment of “The Equalizer” franchise, which has been helmed since 2014 by Pittsburgh native Antoine Fuqua. Dakota Fanning is along for the ride this time as McCall runs afoul of local criminals while trying to escape his past in Southern Italy.
“Happy Ending” (Netflix): A threesome changes the trajectory of a previously happy couple. This Dutch film comes from writer-director Joosje Duk and stars Gaite Jansen, Martijn Lakemeier and Joy Delima.
“A Day and a Half” (Netflix): A desperate man kidnaps his wife in an attempt to reunite with his daughter. This Swedish film was directed by Fares Fares, who stars alongside Alexej Manvelov and Alma Pöysti.
____________
Sept. 6
“Scout's Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America” (Netflix): Director Brian Knappenberger’s documentary takes aim at an alleged decades-long sexual abuse coverup perpetrated by the Boy Scouts of America.
____________
Sept. 8
“The Nun II” (theaters): This sequel to 2018’s “The Nun” also happens to be the ninth film in “The Conjuring” universe that also includes the “Annabelle” franchise and 2019’s “The Curse of La Llorona.” Directed by Michael Chaves and starring Taissa Farmiga, Bonnie Aarons and Storm Reid.
“My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3” (theaters): Franchise writer and star Nia Vardalos steps into the director’s chair for this third romp that finds the Portokalos family heading to Greece for a family reunion. It also stars John Corbett, Andrea Martin, Elena Kampouris and Joey Fatone.
____________
Sept. 15
“A Haunting in Venice” (theaters): Kenneth Branagh returns as Hercule Poirot in this supernatural mystery that finds the famed detective having to solve the murder of a seance guest. Branagh also directed and stars alongside Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Dornan and Tina Fey.
“Love at First Sight” (Netflix): Two strangers form a connection on a flight to London and may or may not ever find each other again after being unceremoniously separated. Directed by Vanessa Caswill and starring Haley Lu Richardson, Ben Hardy, Dexter Fletcher and Jameela Jamil.
____________
Sept. 22
“Expend4bles” (theaters): Almost a decade after “Expendables 3,” the team is back to stop a terrorist organization from attempting to incite World War III. Directed by Scott Waugh and starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, 50 Cent, Randy Couture and Andy Garcia.
____________
Sept. 29
“The Creator” (theaters): Set in a future where humanity is at war with a powerful artificial intelligence, a special-forces operative is tasked with hunting down the AI’s creator and its newest weapon. Directed by Gareth Edwards and starring John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe and Allison Janney.
“PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie” (theaters): The titular pups gain superpowers in this film adaptation of the long-running Nickelodeon series. Directed by Cal Brunker with a voice cast that includes James Marsden, Kristen Bell, Taraji P. Henson and McKenna Grace.
“Saw X” (theaters): Jigsaw turns the tables on a group of scammers in this sequel set between the events of “Saw” and “Saw II.” Directed by Kevin Greutert and starring Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith and Synnøve Macody Lund.
“Carlos” (theaters): Rudy Valdez directed this documentary for Sony Picture Classics about the life and work of renowned guitarist Carlos Santana.
“Flora and Son” (AppleTV+): A single mother salvages an old guitar in hopes it will become a hobby for her troubled son. The latest film from “Once” and “Sing Street” director John Carney stars Eve Hewson, Orén Kinlan, Jack Reynor and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
____________
Oct. 6
“The Exorcist: Believer” (theaters): A young girl is possessed by a demon in this direct sequel to 1973’s “The Exorcist” featuring the return of Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil. Directed by David Gordon Green and also starring Leslie Odom Jr., Jennifer Nettles and Ann Dowd.
“Strange Way of Life” (theaters): This 31-minute short film was directed by Pedro Almodóvar and stars Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke as two gunslingers reuniting after 25 years apart.
“Dumb Money” (theaters): Director Craig Gillespie’s dramedy is based on the 2021 book “The Antisocial Network: The GameStop Short Squeeze and the Ragtag Group of Amateur Traders That Brought Wall Street to Its Knees.” Its cast includes Paul Dano, Shailene Woodley, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Ramos, Nick Offerman, Seth Rogen, Vincent D'Onofrio, Dane DeHaan and Pete Davidson.
“Reptile” (Netflix): A New England detective attempts to solve the murder of a real estate agent. Directed by Grant Singer and starring Benicio Del Toro, Justin Timberlake, Alicia Silverstone and Eric Bogosian.
____________
Oct. 13
“Fair Play” (Netflix): A young couple’s relationship begins to unravel after one of them gets promoted at work. Written and directed by Chloe Domont and starring Phoebe Dynevor, Alden Ehrenreich, Rich Sommer and Eddie Marsan.
____________
Oct. 20
“Killers of the Flower Moon” (theaters): Martin Scorsese’s latest film chronicles the early-20th century mystery surrounding the murders of multiple Osage Nation members in Oklahoma and the FBI’s subsequent investigation. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone and Jesse Plemons.
“The Pigeon Tunnel” (AppleTV+): Documentarian Errol Morris sits down for an interview with the late David Cornwell, aka former British spy and espionage novelist John le Carré.
____________
Oct. 27
“Five Nights at Freddy’s” (theaters and Peacock): A security guard has to survive an animatronic nightmare in this film adaptation of the video game franchise of the same name. Directed by Emma Tammi and starring Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard, Elizabeth Lail and Mary Stuart Masterson.
____________
Nov. 1
“Wingwoman” (Netflix): Two thieves tired of constantly being on the run get ready to pull one last job. Directed by Mélanie Laurent, who also stars alongside Adèle Exarchopoulos, Manon Bresch and Isabelle Adjani.
____________
Nov. 10
“The Marvels” (theaters): Marvel’s latest adventure involves Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan trying to save the day while figuring out why their powers seem to have gotten intertwined. Directed by Nia DaCosta and starring Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani and Zawe Ashton.
“Journey to Bethlehem” (theaters): This musical retelling of the circumstances around Jesus Christ’s birth is directed by Adam Anders and stars Fiona Palomo as Mary, Milo Manheim as Joseph and Antonio Banderas as King Herod.
“The Holdovers” (theaters): A teacher supervising students who didn’t go home for Christmas break has to contend with one particular troublemaker. Directed by Alexander Payne and starring Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa and Tate Donovan.
“The Killer” (Netflix): David Fincher’s film adaptation of Alexis Nolent’s graphic novel series of he same name stars Michael Fassbender as an assassin trying to outrun his former employers. It also stars Tilda Swinton, Charles Parnell and Arliss Howard.
____________
Nov. 17
“Thanksgiving” (theaters): A serial killer attempts to carve up the residents of a small Massachusetts town in director Eli Roth’s feature adaptation of his own fake trailer from 2007’s “Grindhouse.” It stars Rick Hoffman, Patrick Dempsey, Gina Gershon, Milo Manheim and Addison Rae.
“Trolls Band Together” (theaters): The latest “Trolls” film dives into Branch’s boy-band past after one of his brothers is kidnapped. Directed by Walt Dohrn and Tim Heitz, with a voice cast featuring Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Zooey Deschanel, Daveed Diggs, Amy Schumer and Andrew Rannells.
“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” (theaters): This prequel to the original “Hunger Games” story takes place during the 10th Hunger Games and follows a young Coriolanus Snow as he mentors District 12’s champion, Lucy Gray Baird. Directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman, Viola Davis and Hunter Schafer.
“Next Goal Wins” (theaters): Taika Waititi directed and co-wrote this sports dramedy about the American Samoa soccer team, which famously lost 31-0 to Australia in a 2001 match. It stars Michael Fassbender, Will Arnett, Oscar Kightley and Elisabeth Moss.
“American Fiction” (theaters): An English professor attempts to take the publishing industry down a peg in this film adaptation of Percival Everett’s 2001 novel “Erasure.” Written and directed by Cord Jefferson, and starring Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Sterling K. Brown, Issa Rae and Adam Brody.
“Rustin” (Netflix): This Pittsburgh-filmed biopic was helmed by “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” director George C. Wolfe and stars Colman Domingo as civil rights activist Bayard Rustin alongside a cast that also includes Glynn Turman, Chris Rock, Audra McDonald and Jeffrey Wright.
____________
Nov. 22
“Wish” (theaters): Disney’s latest animated musical finds a young girl getting more than she bargained for after wishing upon a star. Directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn, with a voice cast featuring Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine and Alan Tudyk.
“Napoleon” (theaters): Ridley Scott directs this historical biopic starring Joaquin Phoenix as legendary French leader Napoleon Bonaparte and Vanessa Kirby as his wife, Empress Josephine.
____________
Dec. 8
“Magazine Dreams” (theaters): An aspiring bodybuilder is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve superstardom. Written and directed by Elijah Bynum and starring Jonathan Majors, Haley Bennett, Taylour Paige and Michael O’Hearn.
“Poor Things” (theaters): Director Yorgos Lanthimos is back with this tale of a young woman seeking liberation after being brought back to life by a mad scientist. It stars Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo and Ramy Youssef.
____________
Dec. 15
“Wonka” (theaters): Timothée Chalamet stars as the titular chocolatier in this musical prequel exploring his origins and first meetings with the Oompa-Loompas in a film directed by Paul King. It also stars Olivia Colman, Hugh Grant, Keegan-Michael Key and Sally Hawkins.
“Anyone But You” (theaters): Two people who absolutely loathe each other can’t seem to stop getting into hijinks together during a vacation in Sydney. Will Gluck directs and Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell and Alexandra Shipp star.
____________
Dec. 20
“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” (theaters): This sequel to 2018’s “Aquaman” finds the titular half-human/half-Atlantean hero once again battling the forces of evil. Directed by James Wan and starring Jason Momoa, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Dolph Lundgren, Patrick Wilson and Nicole Kidman.
“Maestro” (Netflix): Bradley Cooper directed and stars in this biopic about the relationship between celebrated composer Leonard Bernstein and his wife, Felicia Montealegre. It also stars Carey Mulligan, Maya Hawke, Matt Bomer and Michael Urie.
____________
Dec. 22
“Migration” (theaters): A family of ducks embarks on a journey from New England to Jamaica. Directed by Benjamin Renner with a voice cast that includes Elizabeth Banks, Kumail Nanjiani, Carol Kane, Awkwafina and Keegan-Michael Key.
“All of Us Strangers” (theaters): A screenwriter returns home and discovers that his long-dead parents are both alive and somehow look exactly like they did 30 years ago. Andrew Haigh writes and directs and Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Jaime Bell and Claire Foy star.
“The Iron Claw” (theaters): Based on a true story, this film follows brothers Kevin and Kerry Von Erich as they forge their own paths in the world of professional wrestling. Sean Durkin writes and directs and Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney and Lily James star.
____________
Dec. 25
“The Color Purple” (theaters): This film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name chronicles the struggles faced by Southern Black women in the early 20th century. Blitz Bazawule directs and Aunjanue Ellis, Halle Bailey, Corey Hawkins, Taraji P. Henson and Colman Domingo star.
“The Boys in the Boat” (theaters): George Clooney directs this film adaptation of Daniel James Brown’s 2013 book, “The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.” It stars Joel Edgerton, Callum Turner, Jack Mulhern, Hadley Robinson and Chris Diamantopoulos.
“Ferrari” (theaters): Michael Mann directs this biographical drama starring Adam Driver as Italian racer and entrepreneur Enzo Ferrari. It also stars Shailene Woodley, Penelope Cruz, Jack O’Connell and Patrick Dempsey.
____________
December TBD
“The Zone of Interest” (theaters): “Under the Skin” director Jonathan Glazer is back with this German-language period drama about an Auschwitz commandment trying to build a home for his family near the infamous concentration camp. It stars Christian Friedel and Sandra Hüller.
Joshua Axelrod: jaxelrod@post-gazette.com and Twitter @jaxelburgh.
First Published: August 31, 2023, 9:30 a.m.
Updated: August 31, 2023, 2:15 p.m.