“Aquaman”
Cast: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren
Synopsis: Arthur Curry learns that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, and must step forward to lead his people and be a hero to the world.
What You Need to Know: Prior to buzz that both alarmingly and excitingly compared “Aquaman” to a mix between “Jupiter Ascending” and “Avatar,” the two best things going for it was the inclusion of director James Wan (“The Conjuring”) and star Jason Momoa who, on all accounts, is having the time of his life as the superhero. By his very nature, the Aquaman character is inherently silly and to picture any filmmaker trying to emulate the exhausting, self-serious tone of the majority of the rest of the current DC cinematic canon was ludicrous. Reactions pointing in the direction of talent understanding that grants weight to those calling it the best DC movie to date because it means the team behind it knew what character they were dealing with.
Release Date: December 21st
“Bumblebee”
Cast: Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Stephen Schneider
Synopsis: On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small California beach town. Charlie, on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns this is no ordinary, yellow VW bug.
What You Need to Know: We didn’t need another “Transformers” film. For all of the talk of franchises that need to die, I’d put “Transformers” at the top of the list. That being said, following the release of “Kubo and the Two Strings”, anything that has director Travis Knight’s name attached makes it worth keeping an eye on making it all the more punishing that he would sign on to “Bumblebee.” Additionally, Hailee Steinfeld makes for a much more intriguing and much less punchable lead than either Shia Labeouf or Mark Wahlberg. With trailers that manage the impossible and promise something bordering on fun and script from future “Birds of Prey” scribe Christina Hodson, “Bumblebee’s” greatest hurdle will be the numerous other blockbuster events coming out around the same time.
Release Date: December 21st
“Welcome to Marwen”
Cast: Steve Carell, Leslie Mann, Diane Kruger, Merritt Wever, Janelle Monae, Eiza Gonzalez, Gwendoline Christie
Synopsis: When a devastating attack shatters Mark Hogancamp and wipes away all memories, no one expected recovery. Putting together pieces from his old and new life, Mark meticulously creates a wondrous town where he can heal and be heroic.
What You Need to Know: A head-scratcher of a film with an unsettling tonal dissonance, the persistent pushing back of “Welcome to Marwen” can’t help but make us wary of the film’s quality. Steve Carrell will have another showy vehicle with “Vice” but “Marwen” teams him up with legendary director Robert Zemeckis whose last few films “Allied” and “The Walk” arrived to muted reactions. The cast is wonderfully eclectic and inspired by the 2010 documentary “Marwencol” it remains one of the year’s biggest question marks. But with the cast and crew involved, we’re cautiously optimistic.
Release Date: December 21st
“Cold War”
Cast: Joanna Kulig, Tomasz Kot, Borys Szyc
Synopsis: “Cold War” is a passionate love story between a man and a woman who meet in the ruins of post-war Poland. With vastly different backgrounds and temperaments, they are fatefully mismatched and yet condemned to each other. Set against the background of the Cold War in 1950s Poland, Berlin, Yugoslavia and Paris, it’s the tale of a couple separated by politics, character flaws and unfortunate twists of fate – an impossible love story in impossible times.
What You Need to Know: Pawel Pawlikowski stunned with his last film “Ida” making his return with the similarly beautiful “Cold War,” also shot in black and white, hotly anticipated. A tragic love story about two destructive souls who can only love one another when they’re apart, the film debuted at 2018 Cannes Film Festival. Our critic said that the “…minute-to-minute detail is absolutely stunning, from the period costumes to the on-set locations, there’s a searing authenticity to the time period that is undeniably absorbing.”
Release Date: December 21st
