HOLLYWOOD—Summer is over, and it’s officially the time to usher in fall fare including Oscar-bait, adult-dramas and what many studios consider the best of the best. It looks like Fall 2017 is full of genre diversity with plenty of comedy, drama, action, science-fiction and horror to accommodate all tastes. The biggest flick of the hour that has been touted heavily is the remake of Stephen King’s classic “It.” Yup, that creepy clown is back, this time in the form of Bill Skarsgard, but this version looks 10 times spookier, scarier and is rated-R. Why is that important? The realm of the narrative is not limited in scope and based on early screenings, “It” is one of the scariest films in recent years; it hits theaters on September 8.
Continuing with the trend of psychological torment, Darren Aronofsky returns to the big screen with “mother!” starring Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem. They portray a married couple who allow complete strangers played by Michelle Pfeiffer and Ed Harris into their home and utter chaos explodes. I’m eager for this one, but hoping it’s not a ploy on “Black Swan” which I absolutely hated. The film arrives on September 15. Let’s just say September 22 has plenty to offer to movie lovers with the animated spin-off, “The Lego Ninjago Movie,” the biopic “Stronger” starring Jake Gyllenhaal and the sequel “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” all arriving in theaters. Gyllenhaal is getting potential Oscar buzz for his performance, while “The Golden Circle” enlists an all-star cast including a villainess Julianne Moore, Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges and Halle Berry.
More dramatic flicks in the month of September include “Battle of the Sexes” starring Steve Carell and Oscar-winner Emma Stone chronicling that rivalry between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King. There is also “American Made” with Tom Cruise taking on the role of Barry Seal, whose skills as a pilot has him dabbling with the drug cartel. It’s a role that could land Cruise an Oscar nomination especially if the audience and critics adore the narrative.
Good ole October, it’s the month where all things spooky come front and center. Before we get to things all horror, we have to talk about the highly anticipated sequel “Blade Runner 2049” starring Ryan Gosling and the return of Harrison Ford in his iconic role. The sci-fi flick arrives on October 6 and looks to be a mind-bender. For those looking to entertain the kiddies, “My Little Pony: The Movie” arrives on the same day. If drama is what you crave, the biopic “Marshall” chronicling the life of US Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall arrives on October 13, which also happens to be Friday the 13th.
No, Jason Voorhees is not back in theaters, but the thriller “Happy Death Day” where a college co-ed relieves her death over and over again seems interesting. One week later, Tyler Perry returns for more laughs with his sequel “Boo! 2: A Madea Halloween,” just as Michael Fassbender tracks down a serial killer known as “The Snowman. If you have yet to see that trailer, check it out as it’s extremely unnerving to say the least. Audiences will see the world come to an end yet again, as weather related phenomenon explodes in “Geostorm.” George Clooney returns to the screen with his satire “Suburbicon” starring Matt Damon and the doll that loves to torture his victims in violent traps is back with “Jigsaw.” Hmm, I thought this character died like 10 years ago?
As we usher in the month of November, a bit of Oscar bait arrives with “Wonder” starring Julia Roberts and Jacob Tremblay looks like the type of flick that Oscar voters salivate over. The drama about a kid with a facial deformity who attends public school hits theaters on November 17. An all-star cast leads the mystery “Murder on the Orient Express” including Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer and Penelope Cruz arriving at the multiplex on November 10. A film that made waves during the Sundance Film Festival that is generating massive awards contention is the drama “Mudbound” starring Carey Mulligan, Jason Mitchell and Mary J. Blige. Major kudos are being thrown at the direction of many of the players in the film notably, Mulligan, Mitchell and Blige.
Jessica Chastain proves to be a master poker player in the thriller “Molly’s Game” where she portrays an Olympic powerhouse who happens to moonlight as the head of a high-stakes poker world. Another remake arrives this time in “Death Wish” with Bruce Willis taking on the role made famous by Charles Bronson. The revenge flick arrives just in time for Thanksgiving on November 22.
If you’re looking for comedy two sequels sure to salivate audience’s interest include “A Bad Mom’s Christmas” and “Daddy’s Home 2.” Both were big hits at the box-office, and it looks like their sequels will be just as big. “A Bad Mom’s Christmas” arrives on November 3, while “Daddy’s Home 2” arrives on November 10. If you’re looking for superheroes, two big ones arrive in the month of November. “Justice League” unites all those DC superheroes to do battle on November 17, while Thor is back and with a new look in “Thor: Ragnarok” on November 3. Never been a fan of Thor, but I’m hoping this third chapter delivers on the narrative.
The month of December results in the bigger of the Oscar fair hitting the multiplex just before awards season emerges in full-force. Fans should be on the lookout for the drama “The Shape of Water” starring Guillermo Del Toro that looks visually stunning and starring Octavia Spencer and Sally Hawkings. Ridley Scott directs Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Spacey and Michelle Williams in “All the Money in the World” that takes a look at the kidnapping of J. Paul Getty’s grandson back in the early 1970s. Both films hit theaters on December 8.
Steven Spielberg helms the camera for the drama “The Post” taking an inside look at The Washington Post, Richard Nixon and the Pentagon Papers. The film has Oscar written all over it with Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep in the driver seat on December 22. Another drama worth taking a look at is John Travolta taking on the iconic role of mobster John Gotti in “Gotti.” The actor absolutely looks the part, and rather the narrative will appease audiences will be determined on December 15.
If you’ve been craving a musical, look no further than Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron and Zendaya in the “The Greatest Showman” arriving in theaters on Christmas Day. If families are looking for something lighter, the remake of the 1995 classic “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” starring Kevin Hart and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson will entertain on December 20. The singing bellas are back for a third time in “Pitch Perfect 3” which is set to conclude the franchise on December 22.
Well the time has come to talk about what is certain to be the biggest film of 2017, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” which will hit theaters on December 15. The question everyone wants to know is just WHO is The Last Jedi and what role will Luke Skywalker play in this big mystery. Rumors have been floating for some time that Luke could be Rey’s (Daisy Ridley) father. Audiences will have to wait to see what unfolds. With summer 2017 being such a bust at the box-office, here’s hoping fall 2017 came make up for all the disasters movie fanatics were forced to indulge in.
