Hollywood is gearing up for a promising fall movie season after a summer box office that, while showing slight improvement over last year, fell short of pre-pandemic expectations. Between May and Labor Day, earnings reached approximately $3.75 billion, a modest increase from the $3.68 billion earned in the same period last year, but shy of the $4 billion benchmark achieved before the COVID-19 pandemic. With a diverse array of premieres on the horizon, the fall season aims to captivate audiences with a range of genres and compelling stories.
Among the highly anticipated releases is “The Long Walk,” a dystopian thriller adapted from Stephen King’s novel. Set in a near-future America under totalitarian rule, the film depicts a televised competition where young men must keep walking to survive. Paul Thomas Anderson’s untitled thriller, loosely inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s “Vineland,” features Leonardo DiCaprio as a former revolutionary attempting to rescue his kidnapped daughter. The film promises a blend of action and dark humor.
Dwayne Johnson undergoes a transformation in “The Smashing Machine,” a biographical sports drama directed by Benny Safdie. Johnson portrays Mark Kerr, a former wrestler and mixed martial arts champion who struggled with addiction. Daniel Day-Lewis returns to the screen in his son Ronan Day-Lewis’ directorial debut, exploring the complex relationships between fathers, sons, and brothers. The film marks Day-Lewis’ first appearance since 2017’s “Phantom Thread.”
The “Tron” franchise continues with its third installment, featuring a score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails. Jeff Bridges, who starred in the original 1982 film, makes a cameo appearance. Jafar Panahi’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” winner of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, is an Iranian political thriller that denounces political repression in Iran. Panahi, who has faced imprisonment for his art, made the film secretly without official permission.
Yorgos Lanthimos presents his English-language remake of the South Korean film “Save the Green Planet!,” starring Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone. The film follows two activists who kidnap a pharmaceutical rep they believe to be an alien. Jeremy Allen White stars as Bruce Springsteen in Scott Cooper’s biographical musical drama, “Deliver Me From Nowhere,” chronicling the making of Springsteen’s 1982 album “Nebraska.”
Noah Baumbach’s upcoming Netflix comedy features George Clooney as an aging movie star experiencing an identity crisis. The film boasts a star-studded cast, including Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, and Greta Gerwig. Edgar Wright directs a new adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Running Man,” starring Glen Powell as a contestant who must evade deadly Hunters for 30 days to win a billion dollars.
The “Wicked” saga concludes with “Wicked: For Good,” the second part of the film adaptation of the Broadway musical. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande reprise their roles as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, as they face the consequences of their actions in Oz. The film promises elaborate costumes and musical numbers, concluding John M. Chu’s adaptation of the beloved musical.
