Ready for a bunch more superhero movies? No? Me neither. Good thing the fall movie season is here.
The cooler weather brings a spate of new movies for grownups (and a few more for the youngsters). Oscar campaigning commences. The festival season starts in earnest, with several big-ticket items premiering next month in Venice and Toronto.
As always, we're here to guide you along your path to the multiplex. Here are the five burning questions for fall 2015. Caution: Oven mitts advised.
Which stars have major releases on the way?
You'll see lots of familiar faces and bold names in the coming months. For starters: Johnny Depp returns to Donnie Brasco territory as notorious Boston gangster Whitey Bulger in Black Mass (opening Sept. 18). Matt Damon, who coincidentally starred in the Whitey Bulger movie The Departed, gets stranded on the red planet in The Martian (Oct. 2). Steven Spielberg directs Tom Hanks in the Cold War story Bridge of Spies (Oct. 16). Michael Fassbender plays Steve Jobs in Danny Boyle and Aaron Sorkin's Steve Jobs (Oct. 9). Robert De Niro works for Anne Hathaway in the workplace comedy The Intern (Sept. 25). Emily Blunt and Benicio Del Toro wade into the land of the drug cartels in Sicario (Sept. 25). Carey Mulligan and Meryl Streep fight for the vote in the period piece Suffragette (Nov. 6).
Sandra Bullock stars in Our Brand Is Crisis (Oct. 30), directed by Richardson's David Gordon Green. Cate Blanchett is former Dallas TV news producer Mary Mapes, alongside Robert Redford's Dan Rather, in Truth (Oct. 16); Blanchett also stars in Todd Haynes' latest, Carol (Nov. 20). Tom Hardy ventures back to his star-making Bronson turf in the English crime drama Legend (Oct. 2).
Bradley Cooper is a chef looking to rebound from a career flameout in Burnt (Oct. 23). Sly Stallone is still alive and Rocky in Creed (Nov. 25). Brangelina goes art house in the 1970s romance By the Sea (Nov. 13). Daniel Craig is still Bond, James Bond, in Spectre (Nov. 6). And, of course, Jennifer Lawrence puts a ribbon on a cash cow in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (Nov. 20).
Critic's choice: Which five movies is culture critic Chris Vognar looking forward to most?
Just like me to put me on the spot. I'll go with Trumbo (Nov. 6), starring Breaking Bad'sBryan Cranston as blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo; The Good Dinosaur (Nov. 25), because I want to see if Pixar can go 2-for-2015; Carol, because Blanchett and Haynes made magic in I'm Not There; Netflix's Beasts of No Nation (Oct. 16), which boasts the HBO pedigree of The Wire star Idris Elba and original True Detective director Cary Fukunaga; and The Walk (Sept. 30), which is garnering crazy buzz for Robert Zemeckis' re-conjuring of the Twin Towers.
What about the kids, man? What about the kids?
Fall doesn't have quite as much for the crumb snatchers as summer, but here's some stuff to tide them over. The aforementioned Good Dinosaur pairs the formidable combination of dinosaurs and Pixar. Adam Sandler returns as the voice of Drac in Hotel Transylvania 2 (Sept. 25). Jack Black goes for kiddie scares in the big screen adaptation of Goosebumps (Oct. 16). Hugh Jackman goes Blackbeard in the new Peter Pan venture Pan (Oct. 9). There's a live-action version of the 1980s cartoon hit Jem and the Holograms (Oct. 23). And The Peanuts Movie (Nov. 6) tries not to trample the childhood dreams of multiple generations.
What's coming up on the comedy horizon?
Funny you should ask. Get it? Funny? Never mind. Adam Scott, Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis are Sleeping With Other People (Sept. 25). Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson and Alison Pill do battle with cafeteria zombies in Cooties (Sept. 18). Bill Murray's rock manager angles to get a client on the Afghan version of American Idol in Rock the Kasbah (Oct. 23). Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anthony Mackie try to keep a holiday friendship ritual going in The Night Before (Nov. 25).
Are there really two mountain-climbing movies coming out this fall?
Yes, there really are. The big one is Everest (Sept. 18), an adventure drama about the well-chronicled 1996 tragedy atop Mount Everest. Josh Brolin plays a survivor, Dallas' own Dr. Beck Weathers. Then there's Meru (Friday), a documentary that follows a team of climbers at the Shark's Fin of Mount Meru in Northern India. Throw in a few outdoorsy December releases, including The Revenant, Point Break, and In the Heart of the Sea, and you've got some rugged months ahead. But those last three will have to wait for our holiday preview.
The Full Fall Movie List
Here's a look at the movies scheduled to open in the Dallas area through November. Titles and opening dates could change, so keep that in mind when you plan your viewing.
AUG. 26
No Escape — Dallas' Owen Wilson stars as an American businessman in an unnamed Southeast Asian country whose family is endangered when a revolution erupts. With Pierce Brosnan and Lake Bell.
AUG. 28
Mistress America — Noah Baumbach directs this story of a lonely college freshman who gets an education in New York City life from a madcap resident of Times Square (Greta Gerwig).
Z For Zachariah — Chiwetel Ejiofor, Chris Pine and Margot Robbie play the last known survivors - and a love triangle - after most of civilization is destroyed.
Learning To Drive — A Manhattan author (Patricia Clarkson) and an Indian taxi driver (Ben Kingsley) unexpectedly fall for each other.
War Room — Faced with a dissolving marriage, a woman fights to restore her family with a prayer-centered battle plan.
Digging For Fire — A house-sitting couple discovers possible evidence of a murder.
Meru — This documentary follows a team of climbers at the Shark's Fin of Mount Meru, 21,000 feet above the Ganges River in Northern India.
We Are Your Friends — An ambitious Hollywood DJ strays from his course when he gets involved in a complicated relationship with a fellow DJ's girlfriend.
Unsullied — A woman stranded by car trouble is menaced by strangers in the Florida backwoods, then struggles to survive and elude her captors.
Zipper — A high-profile politician risks his career and family with affairs.
Memories of the Sword — Misfortune divides three warriors who fought a bad king.
SEPT. 2
A Walk in the Woods — Robert Redford and Nick Nolte star in the comic adventure of hiking the Appalachian Trail. With Emma Thompson and Mary Steenburgen.
SEPT. 4
Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine — A documentary on the late Apple leader, from Alex Gibney.
The Transporter Refueled - A special-ops mercenary is enlisted to mastermind a bank heist while also trying to elude a sinister Russian kingpin and several revenge-minded women.
Break Point — Jeremy Sisto plays a one-time tennis star who tries for a comeback with the help of his estranged brother, who was his childhood doubles partner.
Grandma — Lily Tomlin stars in this comedy about a lovable crank who helps her teenage granddaughter get an abortion.
Bloodsucking Bastards — Fear of vampires overtakes the usual office-politics concerns in this workplace comedy.
Before We Go — Two strangers thrown together in New York City bond over a night of adventure.
SEPT. 9
Time Out of Mind — Richard Gere plays a homeless man trying to reconnect with his daughter and fight his personal demons.
SEPT. 11
The Perfect Guy — Sanaa Lathan stars as a woman who doesn't know whom to trust: her ex-boyfriend or a new flame. With Michael Ealy and Morris Chestnut.
90 Minutes in Heaven — Based on a true Texas story, an injured man returns from the dead with visions of heaven, then relies on his faith to regain his previous life.
The Visit — M. Night Shyamalan directs this story of kids who make a terrible discovery during a trip to their grandparents' remote Pennsylvania farm.
SEPT. 18
Everest — Climbers hiking Mount Everest in 1996 get caught in a freak blizzard and have to fight to survive. The group included Dallas' Beck Weathers, played in the film by Josh Brolin.
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trails — This sequel to 2014's The Maze Runner followsthe Gladers after escaping the maze. Their target: the corporation that controls everything, named WCKD.
Black Mass — Johnny Depp stars in this film based on the true story of Whitey Bulger, an Irish mobster in South Boston who became an FBI informant to take down another mafia family.
About Ray — Three generations of a family deal with the life-changing decisions of Ray (Elle Fanning), a teen who is transitioning from female to male.
Cooties — Teachers fight for their lives against the little monsters in this zombie comedy.
Captive — A woman who's held hostage in her apartment uses Rick Warren's inspirational book, The Purpose Driven Life, to gain her freedom in this true-life story.
Pawn Sacrifice — Tobey Maguire plays American chess prodigy Bobby Fischer in a clash of two superpowers when his success challenges the Soviet empire. With Liev Schreiber and Peter Sarsgaard.
Rosenwald — This biopic tells the story of Julius Rosenwald, a Jewish philanthropist who became a civil rights pioneer after he was inspired by writings of Booker T. Washington.
Some Kind of Hate — A vengeful spirit comes to a bullied boy's aid.
SEPT. 25
The Intern — Anne Hathaway is the successful website boss who still can learn a few things from her old-school intern (Robert De Niro).
Stonewall — Jeremy Irvine plays a young man caught up in the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City.
Sicario - Emily Blunt plays an idealistic FBI agent who joins an elite government task force to battle drug lords on the U.S.-Mexico border. With Jon Bernthal and Josh Brolin.
Sleeping With Other People — Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie play New Yorkers wrestling with the divide between friendship and romance.
99 Homes — A man evicted from his home gets a chance for payback when he works for a real estate shark.
Before I Wake — A boy's dreams are nightmarishly real.
Hotel Transylvania 2 — This sequel again features Adam Sandler as Daddy Dracula.
The New Girlfriend — A widower steps into a female persona and gets closer to his dead wife's best friend.
A Brilliant Young Mind — Asa Butterfield plays a boy with Asperger's syndrome who shows his genius in a math competition.
Meet the Patels — This comic documentary follows Indian-American Ravi Patel - and his parents -as he searches for love.
Coming Home — A couple separated during China's Cultural Revolution deal with tragic circumstances when they are reunited.
SEPT. 30
The Walk — Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Philippe Petit, who made an illegal wire walk between the World Trade Center towers in the 1970s. With Ben Kingsley.
Hillsong: Let Hope Rise — This documentary chronicles the rise to prominence of the Australian-based Christian band Hillsong United.
OCTOBER (date note set)
Labyrinth of Lies — A journalist (André Szymanski) pursues the case of a teacher identified as a former guard from Auschwitz.
OCT. 2
The Martian — Matt Damon stars as Mark Watney, an astronaut whose crew mistakenly leaves him behind on Mars after a freak storm. He has to find a way to survive until another Mars mission can retrieve him.
Legend — Tom Hardy plays notorious twin gangsters Reggie and Ron Kray in 1960s London.
He Named Me Malala — This documentary profiles Malala Yousafzai, who was targeted by the Taliban in Pakistan and won a Nobel Peace Prize for her crusade for girls' education.
The Keeping Room — Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld and Muna Otaru portray a trio of women defending themselves and their home from marauding soldiers near the Civil War's end.
Mississippi Grind — A legendary high-stakes poker game in New Orleans is the destination for a gambler (Ben Mendelsohn) and a man who joins him for the trip (Ryan Reynolds).
Goodnight Mommy — Twin boys start to doubt the identity of the woman claiming to be their mother in this horror film.
Finders Keepers — This stranger-than-fiction tale involves a man trying to cash in on the fame created when his amputated leg is found in a grill sold at a North Carolina auction.
OCT. 9
Steve Jobs — Michael Fassbender stars in the second biopic about the Apple founder since his death in 2011. Seth Rogen plays Steve Wozniak.
Freeheld — Julianne Moore and Ellen Page star in this true story of a lesbian couple fighting for equal rights when one of them gets a terminal illness.
Pan — Hugh Jackman, Amanda Seyfried and Rooney Mara star in this live-action version of the Peter Pan story.
OCT. 16
Bridge of Spies — Steven Spielberg's Cold War spy thriller stars Tom Hanks as a Brooklyn lawyer negotiating the release of a captured pilot.
Truth — Former Dallas-based CBS News producer Mary Mapes' book is the source for this film on the 2004 scandal involving Dan Rather and documents that concerned George W. Bush's military service. Robert Redford and Cate Blanchett star.
Beasts of No Nation — Netflix gets into the feature film business with this West Africa-set story of child soldiers in a mercenary unit led by a sadistic commandant (Idris Elba).
Crimson Peak — Guillermo del Toro directs Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska and Charlie Hunnam in this supernatural mystery set in a secret-filled house.
Goosebumps — Jack Black stars as R.L. Stine, the author of the best-selling Goosebumps series, telling the story of the real monsters that are the basis of his stories.
OCT. 23
Burnt — Bradley Cooper plays a fallen-star chef looking for a second chance in the kitchen.
Jem and the Holograms — This live-action version of the 1980s cartoon series stars Aubrey Peeples (Layla Grant in Nashville).
The Last Witch Hunter — Vin Diesel stars as the immortal Kaulder, who's determined to destroy the world's most powerful witches.
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension — Yet another entry in the horror franchise.
The Dressmaker — Kate Winslet plays an Australian woman returning to the small town that shunned her and using her sewing talents to gain revenge.
Rock the Kasbah — Bill Murray stars as the talent manager behind a contestant on Afghan Star.
Room — A mother and her young son who've been trapped in a 10-by-10-foot room for years plot their escape to the outside world.
OCT. 30
Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse — An invasion of zombies puts scouting skills to the test.
Our Brand is Crisis — Richardson's David Gordon Green directs this political comedy-drama, with Sandra Bullock as a consultant in a re-election campaign in South America.
NOV. 6
Spectre — Daniel Craig has another outing as James Bond. This time, a message from the past propels him toward a mysterious criminal organization.
Suffragette — Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter and Meryl Streep play activists fighting for the vote in early-20th-century Britain.
The Peanuts Movie — The comic-strip gang is all here for their big-screen debut in 3-D.
Trumbo — Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, blacklisted for political beliefs, battles government and studios.
Brooklyn — In this period piece, a young Irish immigrant struggles to choose between the comforts of home and the excitement of a new romance in 1950s New York City.
Spotlight — A team of journalists from the Boston Globe uncovers the local Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandal in this true story. With Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber and Stanley Tucci.
NOV. 13
My All American — This drama about University of Texas football great Freddie Steinmark was filmed at Dallas' Cotton Bowl and on the Texas Christian University campus in Fort Worth.
The 33 — Antonio Banderas and Juliette Binoche star in this true story of 33 Chilean miners trapped by a cave-in and efforts to free them.
By the Sea — Real-life spouses Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie star in this 1970s-set story of a struggling marriage, which was filmed in Malta during the couple's honeymoon.
Love the Coopers — An annual Christmas Eve celebration brings together four generations and a series of unexpected visitors. With Diane Keaton, John Goodman and Marisa Tomei.
Rings — The curse that wreaked havoc in 2002's The Ring continues.
NOV. 20
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 — The final installment of The Hunger Games movie series follows Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and her comrades as they invade the Capitol and confront President Snow.
Carol — Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara star in Todd Haynes' 1950s lesbian love story, from a novel by Patricia Highsmith.
The Secret in Their Eyes — A team of FBI agents investigates the murders of teenage girls. With Chiwetel Ejiofor, Julia Roberts and Nicole Kidman.
NOV. 25
Victor Frankenstein — This twist on the familiar story puts Igor (Daniel Radcliffe) on equal footing with Dr. Frankenstein (James McAvoy) as they deal with their monstrous experiment.
The Good Dinosaur — Dinosaurs evade extinction in this animated tale, in which an apatosaurus befriends a young boy.
The Night Before - Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen and Anthony Mackie try to keep their guys' night holiday tradition alive.
Creed— Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) trains up-and-coming fighter Adonis (Michael B. Jordan), son of his nemesis Apollo Creed.
List compiled by Leslie Snyder from staff and wire reports.
