The seasonal differences of the movie calendar have eroded a little bit with time. Neither of the last two Oscar juggernauts 鈥� 鈥淥ppenheimer,鈥� 鈥淓verything Everywhere All at Once鈥� 鈥� opened in the fall, the traditional launching pad of Academy Awards hopefuls.
And just the same, as summer is with sequels, horror thrillers and would-be blockbusters. Still, some of the old rules still apply. A large percentage of 2024's best are set to unspool in the coming months.
So with that in mind, here are some of the most anticipated films of this fall, from large to small and everything in between.
鈥楳y Old Ass鈥�
A psychedelic trip makes for an unusual meeting in the latest from director Megan Park (鈥淭he Fallout鈥�). After sipping some mushroom-infused tea, 18-year-old Elliott (Maisy Stella) finds herself joined by her future self, played by Aubrey Plaza, on a camping trip on the lakes of Muskoka, outside Toronto. (Sept. 13, in theaters)
鈥榃ill & Harper鈥�
When former 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� writer Harper Steele came out as trans, she sent an email to friends and family. An old friend and 鈥淪NL鈥� colleague, Will Ferrell, responded with the suggestion that they travel the country together. The result is this tender and contemplative documentary, by 鈥淏arb and Star Go to Del Mar鈥� director Josh Greenbaum, about their 16-day road trip. (Sept. 13; on Netflix Sept. 27)
鈥楽peak No Evil鈥�
Christian Tafdrup鈥檚 2022 Danish horror film was potent enough that it led to this Blumhouse remake just two years later. James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis and Aisling Franciosi star in a thriller about how much can go wrong on a idyllic countryside vacation. (Sept. 13, in theaters)
鈥楢 Different Man'
an actor with neurofibromatosis who, after experimental surgery, is cured of his facial disfigurement. But the changes for Edward, who lives next to a friendly playwright (Renate Reinsve of 鈥淭he Worst Person in the World鈥�), turn out to be a mixed blessing. With a compelling co-starring turn by actor Adam Pearson, who has neurofibromatosis. (Sept. 20, in theaters)
鈥楬is Three Daughters鈥�
Writer-director Azazel Jacobs鈥� latest stars Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne and Elizabeth Olsen as sisters who gather in the New York apartment of their dying father. A highlight of the season, 鈥淗is Three Daughters鈥� is one of the most memorable tales of siblinghood, and of a death in the family, in recent memory. (Sept. 20 on Netflix)
'The Substance'
A hit out of the Cannes Film Festival, stars Demi Moore as a TV star who鈥檚 deemed too old by male producers. A mysterious service, though, offers her the ability to change into a younger twin (Margaret Qualley) 鈥� so long as she doesn鈥檛 remain so for too long. seems sure to go down as a classic satire of Hollywood ageism and youth obsession. (Sept. 20, in theaters)
鈥榃辞濒蹿蝉鈥�
Brad Pitt and George Clooney who discover they鈥檝e been hired for the same job in Jon Watts鈥� comic caper. Presumably more charming actors weren鈥檛 available, so Watts had to suffice with (Sept. 20, in theaters; Apple TV+ on Sept. 27)
'Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story'
Ian Bonh么te and Peter Ettedgui鈥檚 documentary from the massive stardom that followed 1978鈥檚 鈥淪uperman鈥� to his resiliency following an accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down in 1995. (Sept. 21, in theaters)
鈥楾he Wild Robot鈥�
This DreamWorks Animation release, adapted from Peter Brown鈥檚 popular book series, follows a robot (voiced by Lupita Nyong鈥檕) where it, seeking a task, raises a runt goose (Kit Connor) until it's able to fly. (Sept. 27, in theaters)
'Megalopolis'
in 13 years stars Adam Driver as Caesar, a visionary with dreams of a utopian New York. Giancarlo Esposito, Aubrey Plaza, Laurence Fishburne and Shia LeBeouf co-star in this wildly ambitious epic that has already earned a wide spectrum of reaction. (Sept. 27, in theaters)
'Joker: Folie 脿 Deux'
Five years after their rabble-rousing Oscar nominated DC Comics blockbuster, for more antihero fun. This time, it鈥檚 a musical, and Lady Gaga is playing Harley Quinn. (Oct. 4, in theaters)
'The Outrun'
Saoirse Ronan stars in Nora Fingscheidt鈥檚 adaptation of Amy Liptrot鈥檚 memoir of addiction. and returning home to the Orkney Islands in Scotland. (Oct. 4, in theaters)
'The Apprentice'
Opening just weeks before the U.S. election is (Sebastian Stan) under the tutelage of Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong). which the has called 鈥減ure malicious defamation,鈥� is made with some of the 鈥�80s aesthetics of its setting. (Oct. 11, in theaters)
鈥楶iece by Piece鈥�
What鈥檚 cooler than a documentary about your life? What about a documentary made with Lego? In this film, directed by (鈥淲on鈥檛 You Be My Neighbor?鈥�), Pharrell Williams tells his life story brick by brick. (Oct. 11, in theaters)
鈥楽aturday Night鈥�
While all eyes will be on 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� on the small screen this fall, the sketch comedy show will also have an origin story in theaters. Director Jason Reitman (鈥淛uno,鈥� 鈥淯p in the Air鈥�) directs this mid-鈥�70s dramatization of the chaotic infancy of the NBC institution, with Gabrielle LaBelle as creator Lorne Michaels. (Oct. 11, in theaters)
鈥榃e Live in Time鈥�
Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield star in this human-scaled drama, directed by John Crowley (鈥淏rooklyn,鈥� 鈥淭he Goldfinch鈥�) about a through romance, sickness and parenthood. Tissues are recommended. (Oct. 11, in theaters)
鈥楢苍辞谤补鈥�
Sean Baker (鈥淭he Florida Project,鈥� 鈥淩ed Rocket鈥�) has long been one of most vital American independent directors. But he takes a step further with at this year鈥檚 Cannes Film Festival. It whose Vegas marriage to the son of a Russian oligarch prompts a farcical effort by his family鈥檚 henchmen to have it annulled. (Oct. 18, in theaters)
鈥楴ickel Boys鈥�
RaMell Ross鈥� feature directorial debut, selected as the opening night film at the New York Film Festival, adapts about two Black teens (Ethan Harisse, Brandon Wilson) who become wards of juvenile reform school in 1960s Florida. Ross previously directed the Oscar-nominated documentary 鈥淗ale County This Morning, This Evening.鈥� (Oct. 25, in theaters)
'Venom: The Last Dance'
Tom Hardy is back as the most volatile split-personality superhuman: Eddie Brock and his symbiote Venom 鈥� arguably the most captivating double act in comic book movies. In this, the third in the series following 2018鈥檚 鈥淰enom鈥� and 2021鈥檚 鈥淰enom: Let There Be Carnage,鈥� both are on the run. (Oct. 25, in theaters)
'Dahomey'
(鈥淎tlantics鈥�) creates testimonials for a few dozen African artworks taken from the West African kingdom of Dahomey during France鈥檚 colonial rule in this, the winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. Diop dramatizes the artworks鈥� stories through what she鈥檚 called 鈥渕agical documentary.鈥� (Oct. 25, theaters)
'Memoir of a Snail'
Adam Elliot鈥檚 stop-motion drama, some 10 years in the making, follows the life of Grace Puddle (voiced by Sarah Snook), who begins collecting snails after her mother鈥檚 death. After her father dies, too, she and her twin brother (Kodi Smit-McPhee) are separated. (Oct. 25, theaters)
鈥楤濒颈迟锄鈥�
Director Steve McQueen (鈥�12 Years a Slave鈥�) returns to World War II for this drama set in a London under siege from Nazi bombs. Saoirse Ronan plays a single mother trying to protect her young son (Elliott Heffernan). (Nov. 1, theaters)
'Conclave'
A new Pope is needed. Enter Ralph Fiennes. In director Edward Berger鈥檚 follow-up to Fiennes stars as Cardinal Lawrence, one of the Vatican figures who gather for a conclave to choose a new pontiff. When Lawrence uncovers a secret that others would rather stay hidden, the conclave teeters toward going up in smoke. (Nov. 1, theaters)
'Emilia P茅rez'
It鈥檚 not every day we get a into a woman. Even more surprising is that French director Jacques Audiard pulls it off. Zoe Salda帽a, Karla Sof铆a Gasc贸n and Selena Gomez star in one of the more audacious movies of the year. (Nov. 1 in theaters; on Netflix Nov. 13th)
鈥楬别谤别鈥�
Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks have a long and fruitful history together dating back to 鈥淔orrest Gump鈥� and 鈥淐ast Away.鈥� Less good was 2022鈥檚 鈥淧inocchio,鈥� so hopefully the pair are back on track in 鈥淗ere.鈥� Appearing to be filmed in one take, Zemeckis鈥� latest chronicles a single spot of land through history. After a home is built on it, Hanks and Robin Wright move in and raise a family. (Nov. 1, in theaters)
'A Real Pain'
Jesse Eisenberg wrote, directed and stars in this buddy dramedy about two cousins (the other is played by Kieran Culkin) who travel to Poland to honor their grandmother. The two are near opposites played to type: Eisenberg is a sensitive neurotic, Culkin a charismatic idler. Together, they create a funny, poignant two-hander. (Nov. 1, in theaters)
鈥楤颈谤诲鈥�
British filmmaker Andrea Arnold has dabbled in TV and documentary in recent years, which makes 鈥淏ird鈥� her first film since 2016鈥檚 鈥淎merican Honey.鈥� Here, she returns to a working-class English backdrop for a gritty story laced with fable. A 12-year-old girl (Nykia Adams) who lives with her father (Barry Keoghan) is visited by a peculiar stranger (Franz Rogowski). (Nov. 8, in theaters)
鈥楬别谤别迟颈肠鈥�
The distance Hugh Grant has traveled from rom-com protagonist seems likely to reach a new peak in this A24 horror thriller from 鈥淎 Quiet Place鈥� co-writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East play a pair of proselytizing Mormon missionaries who knock on the wrong door. (Nov. 15, in theaters)
'All We Imagine as Light'
Payal Kapadia鈥檚 ode to female friendship, a prize-winner at Cannes, is about two Mumbai nurses (Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha) striving for love and happiness while working and commuting long hours in the Indian metropolis. (Nov. 15, in theaters)
'Gladiator II'
Twenty-four years after 鈥淕ladiator,鈥� Ridley Scott is back with more swords, sandals and 鈥� a rhino. Yes, that horned mammal makes its way into the Colosseum this time, but it鈥檚 far from the only new addition. Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal set several decades following the events of the original movie. (Nov. 22, in theaters)
'Wicked'
Before was a Broadway smash, it was a 1995 book and nearly a movie. The big-screen was, perhaps, always the most fitting medium for a 鈥淲izard of the Oz鈥� riff. In this Jon M. Chu-directed film, Cynthia Erivo plays the woman who鈥檒l become the Wicked Witch of the West, while Ariana Grande plays Glinda. This 鈥淲颈肠办别诲鈥� will be split in two, with part two arriving in late 2025. (Nov. 22, in theaters)
鈥楾he Piano Lesson鈥�
Washington has set himself the task of bringing August Wilson's plays to the big screen. In this adaptation of Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winner, he produces while son Malcolm Washington directs, and son stars. Led by a powerhouse performance by 鈥淭he Piano Lesson鈥� depicts a Pittsburgh family in 1936 reckoning with a family heirloom, a piano, which doubles as a metaphor for the legacy of slavery. (Nov. 22, on Netflix)
鈥楳oana 2鈥�
A little 鈥淢oana鈥� confusion would be understandable. There's a separate live-action 鈥淢oana鈥� in development and this film was originally planned as a series. But ultimately, came together as a big-screen sequel to the 2016 original. Lin-Manuel Miranda isn't returning on the music front, but most everyone else is, including voice actors Auli驶i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson. The film, set about three years after the original, finds Moana heading back on an ocean adventure, this time with her sister (voiced by Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda) aboard, as well as several others. (Nov. 27, in theaters)
The Associated Press
