(This article first appeared in the November print edition of the Hendersonian.)
There’s no way around the fact that October’s lackluster box office performance (highlighted by the abysmal result of Joker: Folie à Deux) has created the potential for the month to join January and February (which is typical) as the only months not to have a film gross over $100 million. The only hope of this not occurring rests in the symbiotic hands of “Venom: The Last Dance” (which has yet to open as of this writing), which can rescue the month with a strong showing in its first week. Despite this setback, we’re now entering the traditional release window for awards films and holiday releases, normally a time that studios hope that audiences get excited about heading to the cinema as the year ends. Here are a handful of titles to keep an eye out for this November. As always, check the showtimes at your favorite Showplace Cinemas and AMC Theaters locations before heading out the door.
Anora (Early to mid-November) – After winning the coveted Palm d’or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, playing to rave reviews for critics and audiences at a slew of well-respected fall film fests, and having one of the highest per-screen grosses for a limited release this year, this Cinderella-style rom-com by writer/director Sean Baker (Red Rocket, The Florida Project) follows a sex worker (Mickey Madison) who impulsively marries the young son of a Russian oligarch (Mark Eydelshteyn), forcing his parents to come to America and convince him to annul the union. I’m told this apparently plays as a grittier, more explicit version of Pretty Woman, and is already being tipped as a Best Picture nominee. As of this writing, no wide release date has been set by its studio, NEON.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (November 8) – The polar opposite of Anora is this film adaptation of the beloved 1972 novel turned stage play by Barbara Robinson, from the creator of the hit religious series The Chosen (Dallas Jenkins). The movie tells the story of the Herdmans, a group of six unruly kids, who wreak havoc on their town’s annual Christmas pageant. Lauren Graham (Bad Santa, Gilmore Girls) narrates, with character actress extraordinaire Judy Greer (Jurassic World, 13 Going on 30) and stand-up comedian Pete Holmes (Crashing) co-starring.
Heretic (November 8) – The writing/producing/directing duo of Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (65, A Quiet Place) are back with a sinister tale of a strange man (played by Hugh Grant) who lures two religiously devout young women (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) into a thrilling and horrific game of cat and mouse. Being an A24 release, expect the slow burn/big climax type of narrative experience.
Here (November 15) – Director Rober Zemeckis, stars Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, and screenwriter Eric Roth are hoping to rekindle the same level of success they had 30 years ago with the classic film Forrest Gump by teaming up once again on this simple yet highly experimental film. This tale depicts several generations in the life of a single spot of land’s past, present, and future. This plot may sound complicated, but the production techniques, special effects and sound design will be on full display in theaters.
Red One (November 15) – What if the guy who directed the two new Jumanji movies (Jake Kasdan) got the guy who wrote seven of the Fast and Furious movies (Chris Morgan) and made a movie about Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons) getting kidnapped by a lethal martial artist (Lucy Liu), which forces the North Pole’s Head of Security (Dwayne Johnson) to team up with a notorious bounty hunter (Chris Evans) to save Christmas? You’d get this big-budget action-adventure that Amazon/MGM Studios hope makes you take a break from Prime shopping long enough to go see on the big screen (before it inevitably arrives on Prime Video)!
Wicked (November 22) – While not taking as long to get adapted from the stage to the screen as Cats, Universal Studios and Marc Platt are hoping that this coveted musical takes the audience, and the box office, to an exciting new world! In the first part of a planned two-part series, Academy Award nominee Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Widows) and global recording star Ariana Grande play Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glina the Good Witch, before the events of The Wizard of Oz take place.
Gladiator II (November 22) – Apparently, after 24 years, we are no longer entertained with the Oscar-winning 2000 original enough to not want a sequel. Producer/Director Ridley Scott returns to the helm, bringing rising star Paul Mescal (Aftersun, All of Us Strangers), Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian, The Last of Us), Denzel Washington (you know who Denzel is), and returning cast members Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi back to the Colosseum for another epic battle.
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Henderson resident McManus Woodend is an Assistant Professor of Digital Media at the University of Southern Indiana and has worked in film, television and commercials for more than 20 years. To see some of his work, visit www.mcmanuswoodend.com.
