Movie Trip 9/16

Paul McGuire Grimes, creator of Paul’s Trip to the Movies, takes us through upcoming movies to keep an eye out for!

HOCUS POCUS 2 (September 30)

Official synopsis, “It’s been 29 years since someone lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the 17th-century sisters, and they are looking for revenge. Now it is up to three high-school students to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on Salem before dawn on All Hallow’s Eve.”

Starring: Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, Sarah Jessica Parker back as the Sanderson Sisters, Doug Jones as Billy Butcherson with Sam Richardson and Hannah Waddingham joining the Hocus Pocus world.

• The chemistry between Midler, Najimy, and Parker is back as if no time has passed. It looks to have some of their classic catch phrases and some brand new musical numbers.
• The trailer looks super promising without totally relying on the old cast for nostalgia purposes. This will be focused on the new characters and their antics with the Sanderson Sisters.
• Will be streaming exclusively on Disney+

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER (November 11)

Official Synopsis “In Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba), fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.”

• Last movie of “Phase 4” with Black Panther director Ryan Coogler returning for the sequel.
• Like many sequels, the action is elevated, the stakes are higher, and it looks just as gorgeous and breathtaking as the first with its costumes and production design.
• Starring: Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, Angela Bassett, Winston Duke, Lupita N’yongo, Michaela Coel, and Martin Freeman
• The trailer looks incredible and should be an emotional goodbye to Chadwick Boseman as these characters and the audience mourn the passing of the actor and the character of T’Challa.

THE FABELMANS (November 23)

From the official synopsis, “The film stars Gabriel LaBelle as 16-year-old aspiring filmmaker Sammy Fabelman (loosely based on Steven Spielberg) along with four-time Oscar nominee Michelle Williams as his artistic mother, Mitzi; Paul Dano as his successful, scientific father, Burt; Seth Rogen (as Bennie Loewy, Burt’s best friend and honorary “uncle” to the Fabelman children), and Judd Hirsch as Mitzi’s Uncle Boris.”

• Starring: Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Judd Hirsch,
• It just had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and received rave reviews.
• Written and directed by Steven Spielberg who looks to have one of his most personal and emotional films to date as he’s drawing on his own childhood, family, and love of cinema for this memory piece.
• The trailer looks incredibly moving. Try not to have an emotional reaction to it. It’s in select theaters November 11 and opens everywhere November 23.
• Look for it to be a powerhouse come award season. I am already rooting for Michelle Williams turn as Spielberg’s mother.

GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY (December 23)

Writer/director Rian Johnson had a huge hit on his hand with the murder mystery comedy Knives Out. He reignited this under-used genre and is now back with Daniel Craig as Detective Benoit Blanc for an all-new mystery. Blanc heads to Greece with an assortment of sketchy characters for this twisty whodunnit.

• Starring: Daniel Craig, Kathryn Hahn, Janelle Monáe, Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, Leslie Odom Jr, Dave Bautista
• Will be streaming on Netflix and select theaters
• Premiered last weekend at the Toronto International Film Festival to glowing reviews with many declaring it better than the original and that Johnson knocked it out of the park with a sequel that was worthy of the original.

BABYLON (limited release December 25, wide January 6)

From the official synopsis, “an original epic set in 1920s Los Angeles…a tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.”

• from Oscar winning writer/director Damian Chazelle (Whiplash, La La Land, First Man)
• HUGE ensemble with Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, Tobey Maguire, Max Minghella, Flea, Eric Roberts, Ethan Suplee, Samara Weaving, Olivia Wilde
• The trailer is pure wild wackiness and it’s fun to see Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie playing such unhinged characters. I anticipate this to be divisive with audiences.
• Expect this to be a big award season contender given the cast and how Hollywood loves awarding movies about the industry.