Summer’s here with a mix of blockbuster, school holiday fare, and even something for grownups.
Avatar: The Way of Water
December sees the return of one of the greatest directors of all time—mid-month we’ll find out if James Cameron do it all over again, with this sequel to 2009’s smash. The first of four planned sequels, as the title (and the underwater filming) suggests, Avatar: The Way of Water explores the oceans of Pandora. Zoe Saldaña, Sam Worthington, Stephen Lang and Sigourney Weaver all return, joined by Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis and Jemaine Clement.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Eleven years after the unexpectedly watchable Shrek spinoff Puss in Boots comes a sequel that looks good in all senses of the word—with a pleasing painterly animation style bringing an interesting visual element to the welcome return of voices Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek. Down to the last of his nine lives, Puss sets off on a quest to reset the count, crossing paths with storybook characters like Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) and the three bears (Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Samson Kayo).
The Banshees of Inisherin
In Bruges trio Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, and filmmaker Martin McDonagh reunite almost 15 years later for this dark anti-buddy comedy. The leading pair play lifelong pals, but when one (Gleeson) suddenly wants the other (Farrell) out of his life with no explanation, it sends the scorned friend on an obsessive (and potentially dangerous) mission to find out why. “Feels like a return to In Bruges with its quiet philosophising amongst loud banter, as well as using the same two stars,” says Rory Doherty’s Flicks review.
I Wanna Dance With Somebody
Naomi Ackie (The End of the F***ing World) plays the one and only Whitney Houston in this career-spanning biopic of the R&B pop legend. Stanley Tucci plays record mogul Clive Davis, The Wire‘s Clarke Peters is Whitney’s father, and Moonlight‘s Ashton Sanders is Bobby Brown. From Kasi Lemmons, director of Oscar-nominated biopic Harriet and BAFTA-winning Kiwi Anthony McCarten, writer of Bohemian Rhapsody (and a two-time Oscar nominee for The Theory of Everything and The Two Popes).
The Lost King
Director Stephen Frears reunites with Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope, writers of the Oscar-nominated Philomena, for another true story—this time, the search for Richard III’s remains under a Leicester carpark. Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water) stars as Richard III obsessive Philippa Langley, determined to solve the mystery of what happened to the former king’s body after being slain in Henry Tudor’s rebellion. Steve Coogan co-stars as Philippa’s ex-husband.
