Coming right up, in this year's holiday movie season: a sure-to-be-blockbuster musical, a comedic murder mystery, a return-to-Pandora sequel, a drama involving William Shakespeare and a comedy involving a Neil Diamond tribute band. Something for everyone, to be sure. Read on for more details; note that all dates are for theatrical releases unless otherwise specified, and are subject to change. Pass the popcorn!
"Wicked: For Good"
Will the second half of Jon M. Chu's screen adaptation of the Broadway hit be as good as the first? Will Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande get Oscar nominations this time around? Will any of us ever be able to stop humming "Defying Gravity"? So many questions! (Nov. 21)
"Jay Kelly"
Noah Baumbach's comedy/drama stars George Clooney as a famous actor (now there's a stretch) and Adam Sandler as his manager, which sounds like a potentially interesting pairing. The strong supporting cast includes Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Jim Broadbent and Emily Mortimer. (Now in select theaters, streaming on Netflix Dec. 5)
"Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery"
The third film in the delightful "Knives Out" murder-mystery series brings back Daniel Craig as dapper Southern detective Benoit Blanc, this time investigating a mysterious murder at an old stone church in a small New York town. As always in Rian Johnson's series, the supporting cast is a dream, this time including Josh Brolin, Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington and Andrew Scott. (In theaters Nov. 26, streaming on Netflix Dec. 12)
"Hamnet"
Based on Maggie O'Farrell's heartbreaking 2020 novel, Chloé Zhao's drama follows William and Agnes Shakespeare (Paul Mescal, Jessie Buckley) as they cope with the death of their 11-year-old son. The film won the prestigious People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this fall, often a harbinger of Oscar buzz. (Nov. 26)
"Ella McCay"
James L. Brooks, whose lengthy film and television career encompassed such hits as "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Terms of Endearment" and "Broadcast News," is still making movies at 85. This one's a political comedy, with an idealistic young woman (Emma Mackey) juggling family and work life as she prepares to become her state's governor. Also with Kumail Nanjiani, Jamie Lee Curtis, Woody Harrelson and Rebecca Hall. (Dec. 12)
"The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants"
SpongeBob is back! OK, so the title isn't as good as the 2020 movie "Sponge on the Run," but if you're in the SpongeBob SquarePants demographic, it'll likely be good fun. What else could you ask of a series with a character named Squidward Tentacles? (Dec. 12)
"Avatar: Fire and Ash"
Writer/director James Cameron, whose 2009 science-fiction epic "Avatar" remains the highest-grossing film of all time, returns with the third of a planned five-film saga, following 2022's much-delayed "Avatar: The Way of Water." In the film, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his family are at war with an enemy Na'vi tribe on Pandora; other returning cast members include Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang and Kate Winslet. (Dec. 19)