Coming attractions: Our Big guide to winter films
From Oscar bait to blockbusters, we’ll help you navigate upcoming movies hitting the screen in the next few months. The list includes cash-grabbing sequels (“Mary Poppins Returns”), prestige period dramas (“Roma and “The Favourite”) and feel-good frothiness (“Welcome to Marwen”).
From Oscar bait to blockbusters, the winter months are chock-full of options for moviegoers looking for entertainment at theaters and at home. ♦ There’s hotly anticipated sequels and cash-grabs (“Mary Poppins Returns”) prestige period dramas (“Roma” and “The Favourite”) and feel-good frothiness (“Welcome to Marwen”). ♦ Here’s a guide to navigating all the upcoming movies spanning from November to early next year. Remember to check listings as some dates may change.
Nov. 30
“The Favourite” (R): Two ladies-in-waiting (Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz) attempt to yield power and privilege from Queen Anne (Olivia Colman, in an Oscar-worthy portrayal) in this humorous glimpse at 18th century English aristocracy.
“The Possession of Hannah Grace” (R): An exorcism that kills a young woman precedes a series of terrifying and uncanny visions that plague a morgue worker locked in a basement with a disfigured cadaver. Sounds like Thanksgiving at Shady Pines.
Dec. 7
“Mary Queen of Scots” (R): Saorise Ronan and Margot Robbie star in this vivid retelling of rival royal cousins whose alliance swiftly turns bloody.
“Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle” (PG-13): Yet another adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s 1894 “Jungle Book,” this slightly darker, non-Disney’fied take from Andy Serkis follows conflicted man-cub Mowgli bridge the worlds of civilization and wilderness.
Dec. 12
“Once Upon A Deadpool” (PG-13): Re-edited footage from the R-rated “Deadpool 2” starring Ryan Reynolds as the mischievous and wisecracking Marvel superhero is tied together with a seasonal “Princess Bride” twist that includes a cameo from Fred Savage.
Dec. 14
“Mortal Engines” (PG-13): Peter Jackson and his “Lord of the Rings” compatriots reunite for this postapocalyptic epic in which motorized cities roam the world destroying the destitute.
“The Mule” (R): Scowl-tastic Clint Eastwood does double duty for the first time since 2009’s “Gran Torino” in this drama of a financially troubled octogenarian who works as a drug mule for the cartel.
“Roma” (R): “Gravity” director Alfonso Cuarón returns in his most personal work: an artful and gripping black-and-white glimpse at a bourgeois family’s housekeeper set in the backdrop of 1970’s Mexico City.
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (TBD): Miles Morales fans, rejoice: The Brooklyn webslinger takes center stage in this animated take that shows there’s more than one “friendly neighborhood SpiderMan.”
Dec. 19
“Mary Poppins Returns” (PG): Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda breathe new life in this “practically perfect in every way” sequel set long after the Banks children forgot how to spell “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”
Dec. 21
“Aquaman” (PG-13): Once the clownfish of the Justice League, this half-human, half-Atlantean (Jason Momoa) dives deep into his origin underneath the sea.
“Bird Box” (TBD): “Ocean’s 8” stars Sandra Bullock and Sarah Paulson play sisters in this “Quiet Place”-esque thriller about a blindfolded family facing a mysterious unseen force that drives people to kill themselves upon opening their eyes to its horror.
“Bumblebee” (PG-13): This 1980’s -set prequel to “Transformers” explores the origins of a canary yellow machine Hailee Steinfeld discovers is no ordinary VW bug.
“Second Act” (PG-13): A downtrodden but quickwitted Jennifer Lopez aims to prove street smarts are as valuable as book smarts after fudging her education background to score a powerful job.
“Welcome to Marwen” (PG-13): Inspired by the life of artist and photographer Mark Hogancamp (Steve Carell), this entry from “Forrest Gump” director Robert Zemeckis brings to life Hogancamp’s therapeutic hobby of constructing a miniature World War II village following a violent assault.
Dec. 25
“If Beale Street Could Talk” (R): “Moonlight” filmmaker Barry Jenkins adapts James Baldwin’s 1974 novel about a freshly engaged woman (KiKi Layne) who attempts to prove her jailed lover’s innocence while carrying their baby.
“Holmes and Watson” (TBD): With Arthur Conan Doyle’s master detective in the public domain, we’ve seen a prestige TV drama, an action series and now a broad comedy by the guys from “Step Brothers” as two bumbling but brilliant sleuths (Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly) attempting to stop an attempt on the queen’s life.
“On the Basis of Sex” (PG-13): Marvel at the early life of the “Notorious RBG,” Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg (Felicity Jones), as she overturns a century of sex discrimination.
“Vice” (R): Chameleon Christian Bale transforms into a slippery, powerful Dick Cheney as he assumes the vice presidency in this send-up of the Bush administration.
Dec. 28
“Destroyer” (R): A disheveled and furious Nicole Kidman roams the desert as a burned-out detective looking for decades-long revenge in this twisty neonoir.
Jan. 4
“Escape Room” (TBD): This isn’t your co-working retreat’s escape room. Six trapped strangers must find clues or die in a slightly too immersive bonding experience.
Jan. 11
“A Dog’s Way Home” (TBD): Part “Homeward Bound,” part “Toy Story 3,” this canine escapade follows a dog, Bella (voiced by Bryce Dallas Howard) on her 400-mile journey to reunite with her beloved owner.
“The Upside” (TBD): A gruff but charming parolee (Kevin Hart) warms the heart of his new employer, a quadriplegic billionaire (Bryan Cranston), in this buddy comedy that would have sounded groundbreaking in 2003.
Jan. 25
“The Kid Who Would Be King” (PG): Taking on the timeless King Arthur legend, a bullied teen finds the mythical Excalibur and embarks on a journey with the wizard Merlin (the always charming Patrick Stewart) to challenge a nefarious enchantress.
“Serenity” (R): The shadowy past of a fishing boat captain (Matthew McConaughey) comes to the surface when his ex-wife ensnares him with a desperate request. Jason Clarke co-stars.