Development on a follow-up to Moana originally began as a long-form limited streaming series for Disney+,[7] before it was reworked into a theatrical sequel by February 2024, with Derrick confirmed as both writer and director. The involvement of Hand, Miller, Chen, and Merino was confirmed in May; a month later, Bush was confirmed to be returning as a writer. Miller later replaced Derrick as a co-writer in August. Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa’i, the composers and co-songwriters of the first film, returned to score and write the songs, while Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear replace Lin-Manuel Miranda as additional songwriters.
Moana 2 had its world premiere at the Lanikuhonua Cultural Institute in Kapolei, Hawaii on November 21, 2024,[8] and is scheduled to be released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in the United States on November 27, 2024. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, who felt that it was considered inferior to the first film; however, the voice acting was praised.[9][10]
Premise
Three years after the events of the first film, Moana receives an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors and forms her own crew, reuniting with her friend, the demigod Maui. As they journey to the far seas of Oceania to break the god Nalo’s curse on the hidden island of Motufetu, which once connected the people of the ocean, they confront old and new foes, including the Kakamora and underworld goddess Matangi.[11]
Cast and characters
Auliʻi Cravalho as Moana,[12][13] the curious daughter of village chief Tui and his wife Sina, who is chosen by the ocean to break the curse on the island of Motufetu
Additionally, Johnson’s daughters Jasmine and Tiana provide voices for members of Moana’s fan club “MOANA-BE’s”.[19]Tofiga Fepulea’i voices the god Nalo in the mid-credits scene, which also features Tamatoa from the first film, again voiced by Jermaine Clement.
Set in 1950s Mexico City, it follows Lee who, after fleeing from a drug bust in New Orleans, wanders around the city’s clubs and becomes infatuated with drug user Allerton, a discharged American Navy serviceman.[5]
The film premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on August 29, 2024, where it competed for the Golden Lion and received generally positive reviews from critics, who singled out Jolie’s performance for praise. It will be released in select theaters in the United States on November 27, 2024, before streaming on Netflix on December 11. It will later be theatrically released in Italy by 01 Distribution on January 1, 2025, and in Germany by StudioCanal on February 6.
Premise
The film is reportedly set during Callas’ final years in the 1970s when she was living in Paris.[1]
That Christmas follows a series of entwined tales about love and loneliness, family and friends, and Santa Claus making a big mistake, not to mention an enormous number of turkeys!
Jordan North and Dermot O’Leary also do all the additional voices in the film with Isabella Hopkins, Luke Jameson, Mary Moss and the film’s director Simon Otto
Universal Pictures and Marc Platt, who produced the stage musical, announced the film adaptation in 2012. After a long development and multiple delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chu was hired to direct, with Erivo and Grande cast in their respective roles in 2021. It was also decided to split the film into two parts to meet the demands of the story’s epic scope and to expand upon the journeys of and relationships between the characters without cutting any songs and major plot points. Principal photography on both films began in December 2022 in England but was disrupted in July 2023 due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, concluding in January 2024.
Wicked premiered at the State Theatre in Sydney, Australia, on November 3, 2024, and is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on November 22, 2024. The sequel, Wicked Part Two, is scheduled to be released on November 21, 2025.
Sharon D. Clarke as the voice of the Midwife, a bear who helps deliver Elphaba during her birth
Jenna Boyd will appear in an undisclosed role.[17] Additionally, the lion makes an appearance as a Lion cub. Dorothy Gale, a Kansas farm girl who is accidentally transported to the Land of Oz by a tornado with her dog Toto, will also be featured alongside the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and an adult version of the Cowardly Lion in a brief cameo early in the film. Ama Clutch, a character from the Wicked novels but not present in the musical, will also appear. [18]Composer Stephen Schwartz cameos as the Emerald City guard who announces to Elphaba and Glinda that “the wizard will see them now” during the “One Short Day” sequence. [19]Various notable West End actors appear in the film, including Kerry Ellis,[20]Luke Bayer, Georgina Onuorah, andDianne Pilkington.[21]
A sequel to Gladiator was discussed as early as June 2001, with David Franzoni and John Logan set to return as screenwriters. Over the next few years, Scott offered occasional updates, including the possible involvement of the original film’s lead actor, Russell Crowe, along with plot ideas about the Roman afterlife and different historical time periods. Development was halted when DreamWorks sold the rights to the property to Paramount in 2006. The film was finally announced in 2018, and Mescal was cast in the lead role in January 2023, with a script by Scarpa. The rest of the cast signed on over the next several months. Filming occurred between June 2023 and January 2024, with a five-month hiatus due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes.
Gladiator II had its world premiere in Sydney, Australia on October 30, 2024, and was released in the United Kingdom on November 15, and will be released in the United States on November 22. It received generally positive reviews from critics and has grossed $87 million. Another sequel, Gladiator III, is in early stages of development.
Plot
Sixteen years after the death of Maximus,[a] Lucius Verus lives with his wife, Arishat, in Numidia under the name “Hanno”. The Roman army, led by General Marcus Acacius, invaded the city. Arishat is killed, and Lucius is taken into slavery. He is forced to fight baboons in the local arena as a test for dealers who wish to buy slaves as gladiators. Many slaves are killed, including his friend King Jubartha, but Lucius defeats the baboons and earns the crowd’s support.
Macrinus, an arms dealer, buys Lucius. Viggo, Macrinus’s assistant, trains Lucius to become a gladiator in Rome‘s Colosseum. Macrinus notices Lucius’s skill and anger, promising him revenge against Acacius if he remains his gladiator. Acacius returns to Rome as a war hero and meets the twin emperors Geta and Caracalla, who have been neglecting the people of Rome. They arrange games in the Colosseum to celebrate Acacius’s victory. Acacius requests respite from war to spend time with his wife, Lucilla. The emperors refuse and order Acacius to conquer Persia and India.
Macrinus brings Lucius to a party at senator Thraex’s house, where Lucius fights and kills Thraex’s famed gladiator champion in the emperor’s presence. Geta greets Lucius for his victory. After initially refusing to speak, an enraged Lucius recites lines of Virgilian poetry, which intimidates Geta. Macrinus defuses the situation, and Lucius is taken away to heal. The gladiators’ doctor, Ravi, treats Lucius’s injuries and befriends him.
Acacius and Lucilla conspire to overthrow the emperors and restore Rome to its former state.
Cast
Paul Mescal as Lucius “Hanno” Verus: The former heir to the Roman Empire and son of Maximus Decimus Meridius, the main character in Gladiator (2000).[6] He has had no connection with his mother, Lucilla, for around 15 years.[7] Lucius lives with his wife in Numidia but is taken prisoner by the Roman army after they invade his home and kill his wife. He becomes a gladiator and seeks revenge against the Romans. He was portrayed by Spencer Treat Clark in Gladiator, who appears in the film through archive footage in flashbacks.
Pedro Pascal as Marcus Acacius: A Roman general who trained under Maximus. He leads an army to take over North Africa and invades Lucius’s home, but refuses to send more men to war for the emperors.[8] He associates with Lucilla and is reduced to fighting as a gladiator in the Colosseum. According to Pascal, he is “a very, very good general, which can mean a very good killer”, serving as a symbol to Lucius of everything he hates.[9]
Connie Nielsen as Lucilla (based on the historical figure Lucilla): Lucius’s mother, who sent Lucius to Numidia after the death of Maximus to protect him from Rome’s corruption. She associates with Acacius and watches Lucius fight in the Colosseum but initially does not recognize him as her son.[9] She is feared and exploited by those in power, such as the emperors.[10] Nielsen reprises her role from the original film.[9]
Denzel Washington as Macrinus: A former slave who plans to control Rome.[8] He keeps a stable of gladiators and mentors Lucius. He also works as an arms dealer, providing food and oil to the armies in Europe. Scott described him as “pretty fucking cruel” to the arena fighters,[9] with Washington adding that he “wants to be Emperor and he’s willing to do anything to get there”.[11] Scott also noted that Macrinus has a “twinkle” of bisexuality, describing him as a gangster who started as a prisoner of war, became a gladiator, and earned his freedom.[12] A scene involving Macrinus kissing another man was deleted from the film.[13]
Fred Hechinger as Emperor Caracalla (based on the historical figure Caracalla): The co-emperor of Rome alongside his brother, Geta. He has a pet monkey and is less stable than his brother due to cognitive erosion in his brain.[16] Hechinger discussed with Scott about finding inspirations to build Caracalla’s look from Sid Vicious,[17] with the monkey serving as another inspiration for the character’s “crazed behavior”.[16]
Lior Raz as Viggo: The trainer of gladiators for Macrinus. A former gladiator, Viggo is a “tough guy” who escorts the gladiators to their fights.[18]
Sir Derek Jacobi as Senator Gracchus: A member of the Roman Senate who opposes the growing corruption of the Imperial Court. Jacobi reprises his role from the original film.[10]
Peter Mensah as Jubartha: A black Numidian chieftain who mentored Lucius, with whom he is later enslaved and forced to become a gladiator.[19]
The original film uses archival footage of Russell Crowe as Maximus, Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus, Tomas Arana as Quintus, and Djimon Hounsou as Juba.[citation needed]May Calamawy, who was originally set to play an important character according to Deadline Hollywood,[20] appears in the final film in an uncredited, non-speaking background role as Macrinus’s companion.[21][22]
Initially titled Split, the project was announced in July 2017, shortly after Skydance Animation was formed in March 2017, with Paramount Pictures scheduling distribution for 2019. The film subsequently underwent changes, such as release dates, with Jenson later announced as the director, and the film’s title changed to The Unbreakable Spell [3] before eventually getting to its current title. Apple TV+ acquired the film in December 2020 before Netflix took over the rights in October 2023. Much of the main voice cast signed in June 2022, following Zegler’s casting in April 2022. Production was done remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spellbound is scheduled for release on Netflix on November 22, 2024.
Premise
The story is set in Lumbria, a world of magic where a young girl named Ellian must break a spell that has split her kingdom in two and transformed her parents into monsters.[4]
Voice cast
Rachel Zegler as Ellian, Princess of the Lumbria kingdom
In April 2020, composer Alan Menken announced that he was working on the project with Lasseter,[10] which was renamed to The Unbreakable Spell before it became Spellbound.[1] The film would be directed by Vicky Jenson, from a screenplay by Woolverton and the writing team of Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin, with songs by Menken and longtime collaborator Glenn Slater.[4] In July 2020, it was announced that Spellbound was still going to be released by Paramount Pictures without Paramount Animation[11] until Apple TV+ acquired the distribution rights in December 2020 as part of a larger pact with Skydance Animation.[12]Apple Studios would replace Paramount as a production company. However, in October 2023, Skydance Animation ended its deal with Apple, and later signed a multi-year deal with Netflix, which would take over distribution of the studio’s future films in production, including Spellbound.[13] In February 2024, Julia Miranda was revealed to have joined the writing staff. In June 2024, Woolverton was confirmed to be a producer on the film.[14]
Casting
In April 2022, Rachel Zegler was cast as the lead character.[15] Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, John Lithgow, Nathan Lane, Jenifer Lewis, André De Shields, and Jordan Fisher were added to the cast in June.[16] In June 2023, Tituss Burgess joined the cast, replacing De Shields.[17][18]
Animation
Skydance Animation Madrid has provided animation with portions of production done remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.[19]
A black cat wanders through a forest when a pack of dogs arrive by the river to catch fish. When two of the dogs fight over a fish, the cat takes the fish and is immediately chased by the dogs. The cat loses the dogs, but notices a deer stampede before a massive tidal wave catches it. The cat and the dogs survive the flood by reaching higher ground. A yellow Labrador Retriever follows the cat to an abandoned house decorated with wooden cat sculptures before they both notice the water level rising rapidly, and the Labrador joins the other dogs on a boat. With the house consumed by the flood, the cat climbs atop a giant cat statue until the waters reach the top of the statue’s head. Before completely submerging the statue, the cat jumps into an approaching sailboat with a capybara aboard.
Red One was released internationally by Warner Bros. Pictures on November 6 and is scheduled to be released in the United States by Amazon MGM Studios through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on November 15, 2024.[7] The film received negative reviews from critics.
Plot
Callum Drift, head of Santa Claus‘s security, requests to retire after one last Christmas run, as he has become disillusioned with increased bad behavior in the world, exemplified by the growth of Santa’s Naughty List. On Christmas Eve, an infiltration team breaks into the North Pole complex and kidnaps Santa. Callum notifies Director Zoe Harlow of MORA (Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority) about the kidnapping, and her team discovers that the North Pole’s secret location was found by Jack O’Malley, a mercenary hacker who claims to be able to find anything in the world.
Cast
Dwayne Johnson as Callum Drift, head of North Pole security for Saint Nicholas.
Chris Evans as Jack O’Malley, a hacker and bounty hunter.
All We Imagine as Light premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on 23 May 2024.[2][3] It was the first film from India to compete in the main competition since 1994, and it won the Grand Prix.
Plot
Prabha and Anu are Malayali nurses living together in Mumbai. Prabha is straight-laced and upright and yearns for her husband, who migrated to Germany soon after marriage. Anu is more outgoing and has a secret affair with a Muslim man named Shiaz. A doctor, Manoj, tries to woo Prabha, but she rejects his advances, claiming her marital status. One day, Prabha and Anu receive a modern rice cooker from an unknown sender.
Prabha tries to help Parvaty, the cook at their hospital, fight against a capitalistic builder who wants to demolish Parvaty’s chawl to build a high-rise. Unable to claim ownership of land, Parvarty decides to quit her job and move back to her village in Ratnagiri. Prabha and Anu travel with her to help her relocate.
Elton John: Never Too Late is a 2024 documentary film directed by R. J. Cutler and David Furnish.[2] A co-production of Walt Disney Pictures and Rocket Entertainment, it profiles Elton John on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road concert tour and integrates historic performance footage, excerpts from his private journals, and personal footage of his family life behind the scenes.
The film’s production was announced in 2022, originally titled Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances and the Years That Made His Legend.[4] Disney acquired the rights for the film for reportedly $30 million.
Documentary – Songwriter/artist Allee Willis began filming her life as a kid in 1950s Detroit and never stopped. She pursued creative expression at all costs while struggling to fit established gender and sexual norms – until she found a path to love.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is an upcoming American Christmas comedy-drama film directed by Dallas Jenkins. It is based on the 1972 novel by Barbara Robinson and centers around the Herdmans, a group of juvenile delinquent siblings who inadvertently find themselves starring in the town’s Christmas pageant. The film stars Judy Greer, Pete Holmes, Molly Belle Wright, and Lauren Graham.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is scheduled to be released theatrically by Lionsgate on November 8, 2024.
Premise
The Herdmans are six siblings with a reputation for being the worst kids in the world. However, when they take over the local church pageant during the holidays, they just might teach a shocked community the true meaning of Christmas.[1]
Renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli is celebrating his 30th anniversary with a three-day concert event in his Tuscan hometown. The event will feature duets with Ed Sheeran, Shania Twain, Will Smith, and others.
The Piano Lesson premiered at the 51st Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2024. It is scheduled to be released in select theaters in the United States on November 8, 2024, and then streamed on Netflix on November 22.
Premise
Set in 1936 Pittsburgh during the aftermath of the Great Depression, The Piano Lesson follows the lives of the Charles family in the Doaker Charles household and an heirloom, the family piano, which is decorated with designs carved by an enslaved ancestor.
The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2024, and will be released in the United States by A24 on November 8, 2024.
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