Fall Movie Preview: Fantastic Realms, Courageous Voyages, and Venomous Kickstarters!

With another blazing summer season at its finale, as a few hopeful releases seek to close out a summer chock full of superhero feats and thrilling franchise fodder, the autumn is already in full swing as a collection of fascinating projects seek to steal the spotlight. From bold, new chapters that aim to dredge up the past to a slew of riveting biographical dramas, awards season is where some of the best and brightest of the year yearn to dominate. Still, while more prestige films lurk in the shadows, the fall season is teeming with as much excitement and anticipation as always. To get yourself properly prepared, here are the biggest releases set to shake up theaters this fall.

Rehashed & Rebooted - The Dead Shall Rise Again:

Venom - After a slew of successful turns at bringing teenage hero Spider-Man to the big screen (as well as a few bad ones in between), Sony Pictures seeks to scrape something away from their deal with Marvel Studios with its latest project Venom. While Marvel might be wringing out the character of Peter Parker in their own films -- from his bold entry in 2016's Captain America: Civil War to his 2017 solo outing -- Sony continues to pitch their own universe adjacent to the billion-dollar franchise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With October's Venom reintroducing us to journalist Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy), who gains immense power when he bonds with a dangerous alien symbiote, the small-scale outing for the anti-hero could promise a bright future for Sony's troubled past in the superhero game.

The Predator - While Venom seeks to debut its latest version of the vicious Spider-Man foe, this fall also yearns to revive the blood-thirsty franchise of hunters and hunted with The Predator. From director Shane Black, a long-time fan of the franchise that began with the 1987 classic, the latest chapter in the battle between the humans of Earth and a pack of deadly alien mercenaries aims to send up the classic horror thrills of the original. While the new sequel might not have the star appeal of someone like Arnold Schwarzenegger at its forefront, Black's past with balancing campy and complex storytelling could work in the latest Predator's favor.

Robin Hood - Swinging in just eight years after director Ridley Scott pursued the tale in his grim interpretation starring Russell Crowe, the legacy of Robin Hood returns the big screen once more this fall with the aptly-titled Robin Hood. With Kingsman star Taron Egerton snatching up the role, seeking to bring a spry, arrogant outlaw to the classic story, the November film yearns to inject new life into the folklore hero. While the film so far might come off like last year's dismal King Arthur take, with its heavy stylization and attractive cast, Robin Hood could expand the legacy of the classic outlaw with a fun, lightweight adventure.

  


Mystical Realms of Merriment & Marvel:

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - Acting as the sequel to 2016's entertaining Harry Potter off-shoot Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the latest chapter in the prequel franchise yearns to uncover even more from author J. K. Rowling's mystical Wizarding World. With actor Eddie Redmayne stepping back into the shoes of naive yet ambitious wizard Newt Scamander, the film finds Newt and his allies uniting once more to prevent the powerful dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) from exacting his long-awaited agenda. Also in the mix, there is Professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law), who seeks to thwart Grindelwald once and for all. Looking to be just as compelling an adventure as the first film, the deeper we traverse into Rowling's expansive narrative, the more intriguing the world becomes.

The House with a Clock in Its Walls - Another mystical adaptation in the pipeline arrives in September's The House with a Clock in Its Walls. Following a young boy who discovers a treacherous, magical world after he goes to live with his flamboyant uncle (Jack Black), the fantasy adventure seeks to blend the imaginative qualities of the 1973 novel with a slew of lightweight performances from Black and Cate Blanchett. While the film might look as memorable as the new Goosebumps films, with enough computer-generated thrills to go around, the fantasy adaptation could make for a worthy trip for fans of the novel.

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms - Adding to the expansive legacy of The Nutcracker, which has matured from the 1816 story by author E. T. A. Hoffman to a range of animated and theatrical adaptations, November's The Nutcracker and the Four Realms looks to lean heavily on the fantastical as it spins a vast story of a young girl's journey across a realm of colorful characters. As we follow young star Mackenzie Foy as Clara, who finds a nutcracker doll and quickly unveils a marvelous and dangerous new world outside her own, the film looks to recapture the legacy of the classic tale, all while delivering a grand new take all its own.


Iconic & Infamous - Planetary Voyagers & Pioneering Legends

First Man - From the acclaimed director behind Whiplash and La La Land, one of the biggest biographical dramas arriving this season comes in Damien Chazelle's First Man. Detailing the revolutionary experiences of astronaut Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling), the October drama takes its focus in the missions leading up to the iconic Apollo 11 voyage to the Moon in 1969. Already garnering plenty of acclaim for not only its bold visuals and direction by Chazelle, but by the performances of Gosling and costar Claire Foy as well, First Man aims to shoot for the stars as a top player this awards season.

White Boy Rick - In the vein of other recent gritty crime biopics like Black Mass and The Infiltrator, this fall's latest feature to delve into the seedy realm of gangsters and FBI informants finds itself in the Yann Demange-directed White Boy Rick. With a killer cast in Matthew McConaughey, Bruce Dern, and Jennifer Jason Leigh, the story of the youngest informant to infiltrate the drug business unfolds in the riveting tale of Richard Wershe Jr. Looking to be an at least partially-compelling balance of father-son relationships and further explorations into just how Wershe Jr. became so infamous, White Boy Rick should be worthy crime drama fodder for the fall season.

Bohemian Rhapsody - Another iconic name set to debut on the big screen this fall is the legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in November's Bohemian Rhapsody. Acting as an origin for both Mercury and the renowned British rock band he forms with his fellow bandmates, the film looks to be a rollicking voyage through the group's sensational discography. Grounded by the performances of its leading cast, headed up by Mr. Robot's Rami Malek as the flamboyant Mercury, Bohemian Rhapsody should be a delight for fans of the band and the voice at its core.

Sequels & Resets - Returning to the Ring:

Creed II - After Thanksgiving 2015 saw the return to the ring for Sylvester Stallone's boxing legend Rocky Balboa, as he trained young fighter Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) to stake his claim apart from his father Apollo, this fall finds Creed continuing to battle his muddled legacy in November's Creed II. This time taking on the son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), the vicious boxer who killed  his father in the ring more than thirty years ago, Adonis must move beyond his past to defeat one of his greatest opponents yet. Seeking to garner the same emotional acclaim as its predecessor, Creed II should be another knock-out chapter tethered to the legacy of Rocky. 
  

The Girl in the Spider's Web - After missing out on director David Fincher's take on the Stieg Larsson novel in 2011's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the seedy, complex realm of hackers and swift vengeance returns the big screen this year with The Girl in the Spider's Web. Acting as a soft-reboot to Fincher's hit, as well as an adaptation of David Lagercrantz's novel of the same name, the film finds expert hacker Lisbeth Salander (Claire Foy, taking over for Rooney Mara) and journalist Mikael Blomkvist caught in a web of deceit as they investigate a string of domestic violence incidents. From a strong director in Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead, Don't Breathe), and a promising lead in Foy, the cyber-thriller may not land as a sure-fire hit for the fall, but it could still make for a compelling new chapter in the Millennium film series.

Suspiria - Easily one of my most-anticipated adaptations set to hit theaters this fall, the startling "homage" to Dario Argento's 1977 classic arrives in director Luca Guadagnino's Suspiria. Telling of a young dancer (Dakota Johnson) who enrolls at a prestigious academy plagued by supernatural occurrences, Argento's seething horror narrative plans to be unspooled and stitched back together as Guadagnino's keen eye for erotic aesthetic slowly inks in. With Guadagnino on the rise after a slew of his projects, including last year's Call Me by Your Name, gained critical acclaim, the suspenseful mystery of Suspiria gets an engrossing update this fall.


Holiday Thieves & Internet Surfing - Anticipated Animation:

Dr. Seuss' The Grinch - While many nowadays might be wary of a third big-screen adaptation of Dr. Seuss' classic tale featuring the Grinch, this November sets the return to Whoville as thoughts of Christmas begin to steadily creep in. With Benedict Cumberbatch rolling out his versatile lungs to play the titular scrooge who hates all things Christmas, the animated endeavor seeks to inch somewhere past incarnations of the Seuss tale haven't. While the 2000 live-action feature might have placed the enigmatic Jim Carrey in a far-too-lengthy spin on the classic story, this film looks to be a bit lighter on narrative, but heavy on selling its crisp, vibrant animation to a new generation.

Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 - Seeking to spar with The Grinch this November, there's the upcoming sequel to 2012's Wreck-It Ralph. Sending its leading hero in John C. Reilly's Wreck-It Ralph into the vast realm of the Internet, the follow-up aims to tell a coherent continuation from the video-game-infused original, all while subtly flashing any Disney memorabilia it can toss at the screen. With its first trailer flaunting everything from Disney princesses to the likes of Star Wars and Marvel, while the sequel might mirror as a marketing ploy, it should still make for a sufficient sophomore chapter for the Disney property.

Smallfoot - Another animated feature hitting theaters this fall finds itself in the odd mix between Ice Age and Hotel Transylvania in September's Smallfoot. With a decent cast led by Channing Tatum, James Corden, and Gina Rodriguez, the tale follows a group of Yeti who venture outside their seclusive highlands to find a human, a species they always thought to be a myth. With a somewhat-clever twist on the mythology of "Bigfoot", while the project might not look too memorable for the autumn season, it could still hold a draw with the younger audiences.

The Cryptic & the Criminal - Ambitious Action-Thrillers:

Bad Times at the El Royale - From the screenwriter behind The Martian, the sci-fi thriller that pit actor Matt Damon against a whirlwind of trouble among the stars back in 2015, comes Drew Goddard's latest in Bad Times at the El Royale. In the vein of Murder on the Orient Express, as it finds seven strangers harboring dark secrets that may or may not lead to their demise, El Royale packs a hefty cast into a seedy plot of murder, mystery, and misguided souls. Looking to be a violent, volatile, and viciously entertaining ensemble feature, October's El Royale might end up as the sleeper hit of the season.

Peppermint - Rolling somewhat out of the success of the John Wick films (and possibly the Taken franchise as well), September holds its own powerful revenge premise in Peppermint. As actress Jennifer Garner returns to her past as a leading action star after pushing out similar projects in both the 2001 Alias TV series and 2005's Elektra, the film pits her newest character against deadly cartels as she seeks revenge for the death of her family. While not as stylized as John Wick, and not nearly as campy as Taken, Peppermint may beckon to fans of the genre, but most likely won't survive past that.


Serial Killers & Zombie Nazis - Horror from the Past:

Halloween - While films like The Predator and Robin Hood seek to dig up the past with familiar franchise fodder, one of the more promising series set to return to theaters is Halloween. After a slew of mixed sequels following the 1978 original, the October film aims to recapture the past as it sends Jamie Lee Curtis' Laurie Strode back into the ring with serial killer Michael Myers. As Strode returns forty years after the original slasher that started it all, the newest Halloween promises to be the definitive chapter of the horror franchise. As I inch my way further into more and more horror projects, this one, despite being a sequel, could be at the top of my watchlist.

The Nun - After the 2013 film The Conjuring sparked its own cinematic universe set to rival that of Marvel and Disney, albeit far more deranged and supernatural, the latest feature to run along the events of that film finds itself in The Nun. Based on a character teased in The Conjuring's 2016 sequel, the film sees young nun Irene (Taissa Farmiga) embarking upon a mysterious monastery plagued by an ancient supernatural threat. As the film seeks to further expand the legacy of The Conjuring (following the likes of Annabelle and its own sequel), The Nun promises to be a frightening endeavor based in a fascinating historical narrative. The pay-off from the thrills of the film, however, will decide if it belongs among the growing universe of modern horror.   

Overlord - After February's The Cloverfield Paradox stunned audiences as it tossed another worth-while installment into the Cloverfield film series, following 2016's 10 Cloverfield Lane, the prospects of another addition arriving this year came in the cryptic World War II thriller Overlord. While originally thought to be tethered to the original 2008 Cloverfield film, sending up an off-beat narrative that would undoubtably connect to the over-arching alien-invasion premise, Overlord was later confirmed to be a whole different beast all its own. As it finds a group of American paratroopers caught in a battle with an army of horrifying, mutated Nazi soldiers, the J.J. Abrams-produced horror flick looks to be mostly set apart from the other sci-fi horror franchise. Despite this, November's Overlord looks INSANE, and will surely be an effective action-horror piece for the fall.

   


Revivals & Debuts - Absorbing & Nostalgic Dramas: 

A Star Is Born - The third remake to spawn from the 1937 film of the same name, actor Bradley Cooper's directorial debut arrives this fall in A Star Is Born. While its premise might be painstakingly familiar, telling of a hard-drinking musician who falls for a young starlet, the chemistry between the leading duo of Cooper and Lady Gaga is undeniably the main draw for the newest remake. Already making waves with its sensational music, aiding to the stars' attraction even more, A Star Is Born seeks to be the top musical player this awards season. While its plot might be commonplace, especially as the third remake of its title, the absorbing musical debut could still fare well at the theater.

Beautiful Boy - After quickly becoming the stand-out feature in two 2017 projects, Luca Guadagnino's Call Me by Your Name and Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird, young actor Timothée Chalamet has garnered a number of intriguing projects as he strides his way across 2018. While he slid by silently in pictures like Hostiles and the off-beat sleeper Hot Summer Nights, he plans to make his return to the big screen in October's Beautiful Boy. As his naive passion squares off with the melancholic dry humor of Steve Carell, the two playing father and son, the project looks to peel away the complicated layers of drug addiction through the eyes of two broken souls. As it packs in a slew of compelling and emotional performances, Beautiful Boy should make for an resonant powerhouse when it hits theaters.

Mid90s - It wouldn't be the fall season without either a nostalgic portrait of coming-of-age, or a stunning new release from the production company A24. After 2017 gave us not only the wonderful Lady Bird, but also the stark journey through youth in The Florida Project, this year has tossed us plenty of offerings from the growing company. While other films distributed by the company sought to rule the year, like June's Hereditary and the equally-nostalgic Eighth Grade, the anticipated debut of Jonah Hill's Mid90s seems primed to become a sleeper hit for the year's end. Much like Bradley Cooper's own debut, it will be interesting to see just how the fellow comedic actor in Hill performs behind the camera.


From startling reboots and returns to a handful of engrossing dramas and thrillers, the fall season holds plenty of promise in the films laid out here. As some yearn to dominate in the mainstream box-office, others seek to slip in and snatch up as much acclaim as they can grab on their way towards award season. So before the weather cools off, as the prestige features of the winter begin to seep in, be sure to catch up on the biggest films of the autumn season before it's too late.