With September upon us, Hollywood bids farewell to the summer blockbuster season. After a disappointing May, the summer season took off at the theater with massive hits, including Inside Out 2, Despicable Me 2, Twisters, and Alien: Romulus.
Starting this month, the attention shifts to award season, as many films will have splashy debuts at film festivals. Every film on this list will hope to achieve financial and critical success. Could one of these films be the next Best Picture winner? Below are our rankings for the seven most anticipated movies of fall 2024.
7. Saturday Night (2024)
For five years, Jason Reitman has played in the supernatural world for 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife and 2024’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Later this fall, Reitman trades in his proton pack for some cue cards in Saturday Night, the highly anticipated dramedy about Saturday Night Live. The film chronicles the chaotic first night of NBC’s Saturday Night Live beginning at 10 p.m. ET on October 11, 1975, 90 minutes before the show hits the air.
The Fabelmans‘ Gabriel LaBelle stars as SNL visionary Lorne Michaels, Cooper Hoffman as NBC executive Dick Ebersol, and Rachel Sennott as Rosie Shuster, an SNL writer and Michaels’ wife. The movie premiered to a positive reception at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival. Saturday Night coincides with SNL’s 50th season, which begins on September 28, 2024.
Saturday Night opens in theaters on October 11, 2024.
6. Megalopolis (2024)
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola has not directed a film since 2011’s Twixt. In 2024, he returns to the director’s chair with the biggest gamble of his life: Megalopolis. The epic sci-fi film is Coppola’s dream project, with the filmmaker selling his wineries to self-finance the $120 million budget.
Megalopolis stars Adam Driver as Cesar Catalina, a gifted architect who seeks to rebuild the city of New Rome in an imagined Modern America. Standing in Caesar’s way is Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), the corrupt mayor who thrives on greed and partisan warfare. Megalopolis premiered to mixed reviews at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Only time will tell if Megalopolis becomes a misunderstood masterpiece or a severe misfire.
Megalopolis opens in theaters on September 27, 2024.
5. Anora (2024)
This year, Neon’s big Oscar play is Anora, the latest film from writer-director Sean Baker (The Florida Project, Red Rocket). Ani (Mikey Madison) is a Brooklyn sex worker who meets Vanya, the son of a Russian oligarch. The two fall in love and quickly get married. The fairytale saga is interrupted by Vanya’s Russian parents, who want the marriage annulled.
Early reviews of Anora have described it as Pretty Woman meets Uncut Gems. Anora became the first American film to win the Palme d’Or since 2011’s The Tree of Life. Madison has garnered serious Oscar buzz, with many pundits believing she will receive a nomination for Best Actress.
Anora opens in theaters on October 18, 2024.
4. Wicked (2024)
Can a feature film adaptation of a famous musical become a billion-dollar grosser? Universal hopes so, as Wicked hits theaters in November. Based on the Tony-winning musical, Wicked depicts the friendship between Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) and Galinda Upland (Ariana Grande).
Wicked is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, as Elphaba and Galinda will eventually become the Wicked Witch of the West and Galinda the Good, respectively. Jon M. Chu, the director of Crazy Rich Asians and In The Heights, helms Wicked, which is the first of a two-part adaptation. If Wicked garners a positive reception and strong word of mouth, the musical will become one of the highest-grossing films of 2024.
Wicked opens in theaters on November 22, 2024.
3. Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
2019’s Joker defied expectations and then some. The origin story became the first R-rated film to gross over $1 billion worldwide. Joker received 11 Oscar nominations, winning two for Best Actor and Best Original Score. In 2024, Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix are returning to the DC world for the sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux.
Set two years after the events of Joker, Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) is institutionalized at Arkham State Hospital. While awaiting trial for his crimes, Arthur falls in love with Harleen “Lee” Quinzel (Lady Gaga), the woman who will eventually become Harley Quinn. Joker: Folie à Deux is another risky proposition, as the film features multiple musical numbers. If Joker: Folie à Deux comes out of the 2024 Venice International Film Festival with good buzz, expect the sequel to be another success story for Warner Bros.
Joker: Folie à Deux opens in theaters on October 4, 2024.
2. Blitz (2024)
The biggest wild card in the Best Picture race is Blitz, Steve McQueen’s upcoming historical drama. The World War II film follows George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in London sent to the English countryside by his mother, Rita (Saoirse Ronan). When George sets out on a dangerous adventure in East London, Rita begins her search to reunite with her son.
McQueen has a proven track record with the Academy, winning Best Picture for 12 Years a Slave in 2014. Ronan, who has garnered Oscar buzz for her performance in The Outrun, could be a double nominee with a supporting nod for Blitz. The British war film has Apple behind it, so expect an expensive awards season campaign.
Blitz opens in select theaters on November 1, 2024, before streaming to Apple TV+ on November 22.
1. Gladiator II (2024)
Twenty-four years ago, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator wowed audiences on its way to winning Best Picture. Scott will try to re-channel that Roman magic for his long-awaited sequel, Gladiator II. Paul Mescal stars as Lucius Verus, the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielson), who lives in the coastal town of Numidia with his wife and child. Roman soldiers invade Numidia and enslave Lucius.
Trained by Macrinus (Denzel Washington), Lucius becomes a gladiator intent on exacting his revenge on the Roman empire. The initial footage looks sensational, as Scott may have another gigantic hit on his hands. Can Gladiator II run the table and become a contender at the Oscars? I wouldn’t bet against it.
Gladiator II opens in theaters on November 22, 2024.
