In Santa’s sleigh: Jedi, Oscar leaders
Usually, we get stuffed on Thanksgiving, not before.
But it turns out the movies’ pre-Thanksgiving binge — in which more than a dozen new titles hit Milwaukee theaters in a six-day stretch — was just an appetizer.
There are plenty more Oscar contenders and blockbuster wannabes coming to a theater near you between now and the end of 2017. Here’s what’s opening in Milwaukee movie theaters over the next six weeks, along with a look at some contenders that will be coming soon after.
As always with movie openings, dates are subject to change.
Dec. 8
“BPM (Beats Per Minute)”: A drama set against the rise of HIV/ AIDS activism in Paris in the early 1990s; the film was the centerpiece of this year’s Milwaukee LGBT Film/Video Festival, and is France’s entry for the Oscar for best foreign-language film.
“The Disaster Artist”: James Franco directed and stars in this critical hit about an inept movie star wannabe and his surreally bad cinematic debut, “The Room.” (How bad? “The Room” itself has become a midnight-movie staple; The Oriental Theatre, 2230 N. Farwell Ave., is showing it again at midnight on Dec. 16.)
“Just Getting Started”: Action comedy with Morgan Freeman as a former mob lawyer turned life-of-the-party guy in an assisted-living facility who teams up with a former FBI agent (Tommy Lee Jones) to fend off a mob hit.
Dec. 15
“Ferdinand”: Animated take on the beloved children’s story “Ferdinand the Bull,” with wrestler-actor John Cena as the voice of the title bovine.
“The Shape of Water”: Guillermo del Toro’s tender fable about a mute woman, played by Oscar contender Sally Hawkins, who befriends a powerful aquatic creature imprisoned in a lab. With Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon.
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi”: Rey (Daisy Ridley) seeks out Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) as the uprising intensifies in Chapter VIII of the saga, written and directed by Rian Johnson.
“Wonder Wheel”: Woody Allen goes back to 1950s New York in his latest, with Kate Winslet drawing Oscar attention as the dissatisfied wife of a carousel operator (James Belushi) attracted to the new guy on the beach (Justin Timberlake).
Dec. 20
“The Greatest Showman”: The movie musical may or may not be back, but the makers of this original musical — starring Hugh Jackman as showman P.T. Barnum, with a cast that includes Michelle Williams, Zac Efron and Zendaya — are doing their best to force the issue.
“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”: A high school foursome is sucked into a videogame version of the dangerously realistic board game, taking on the lives of avatars in the game. With Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan.
Dec. 22
“All the Money in the World”: What was a gritty, 1970s drama about the notorious kidnapping of billionaire J. Paul Getty’s grandson has become the biggest movie mystery of the holiday season. Can Christopher Plummer really reshoot all of the banished Kevin Spacey’s reportedly Oscar-worthy performance as the evil billionaire in just a few weeks?
“Call Me by Your Name”: Plenty of awards-season buzz humming around this coming-of-age drama, about a 17-year-old boy in 1983 Italy who forms a relationship with his father’s research assistant (Armie Hammer).
“Darkest Hour”: If there’s a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination this year, it’s Gary Oldman, for his stunning transformation into Winston Churchill with Britain on the brink of defeat during World War II.
“Downsizing”: Matt Damon plays a man who has himself shrunken down to just 5 inches tall to start a new life where his cares aren’t so, well, big. Directed by Alexander Payne (”The Descendants,” “Sideways”).
“Father Figures”: Brothers (Ed Helms, Owen Wilson) take a road trip to find their birth father, with Christopher Walken, J.K. Simmons and Terry Bradshaw among the suspects.
“Pitch Perfect 3”: The Bellas (Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, et. al) reunite their a cappella group one last time to win an overseas USO competition.
Dec. 25
“Molly’s Game”: Jessica Chastain plays a former Olympic-class skier who becomes a target of the FBI when she runs a high-stakes poker game with intriguing clientele. Based-on-a-true-story drama is writer Aaron Sorkin’s (”The West Wing”) directorial debut.