We’ve had the weird films of winter, the offbeat quality films of spring and the blockbusters of summer. We’ve waited long enough: It’s now time for the more serious movies — or at least those movies that studios and distributors expect to be taken seriously during this box-office season that stretches to Thanksgiving.
That being said, all could be overshadowed byTaylor Swift, whoseEras Tour concert filmopens next month and has already set an AMC Theatres record $26 million in presales on the first day tickets became available.
Here are the most notable films due out this fall. Some are on this list because they’re the movies that people will be talking about (“The Marvels,” “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”), whether they’re good or bad. Others are here on the basis of their celebrated directors (“Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Priscilla,” “The Burial”).
Note that because of the Hollywood strikes, which have pushed back several big fall films such as “Dune: Part Two” to 2024, this list is subject to change.
‘A Haunting in Venice’
Kenneth Branaghis having lots of fun playing Hercule Poirot and apparently sees no reason to stop. His third go-round as both Poirot and director finds the Belgian detective in Venice, where he is hired to expose a fake medium (Michelle Yeoh) who is conducting seances. But when someone dies during the séance, the villa becomes a crime scene, with Poirot having to battle at least one murderer while fighting off spirits that might actually be real. How fun is that?
In theaters Friday, Sept. 15
‘Expend4bles’
There were three “Expendables” movies released between 2010 and 2014, and we thought we were rid of them for good. But, no — Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham and Dolph Lundgren are back to save the world. This time they are joined by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Megan Fox and Andy Garcia. Thai martial artist Tony Jaa takes over for retired Jet Li.
In theaters Sept. 22
‘Dumb Money’
Remember that weird Wall Street run on GameStop stock, when shares ballooned to about 1,500% of its original price? Now that story has been turned into a movie, with Paul Dano as the armchair Reddit poster who led the “short squeeze” on the stock, and Shailene Woodley as his wife.
Pete Davidson, Seth Rogen, Vincent D’Onofrio, America Ferrera and Nick Offerman also star.
In theaters Sept. 22
‘The Creator’
In this near-future world, artificial intelligence is at war with humanity. Apparently the AI forces got in the first punch by blowing up Los Angeles, but eventually the human forces are on their way to victory. The only thing that can stop the triumph of humanity is a new superweapon — in the form of a little girl-like AI creature who must either be stopped, killed or converted.
John David WashingtonandGemma Chanco-star.
In theaters Sept. 29
‘The Burial’
Based on a true story reported by Jonathan Harr in the New Yorker, the film is about a funeral director (Tommy Lee Jones) whose family business is getting squeezed out by a corporate conglomerate. Jamie Foxx plays his lawyer.
It’s described as a comedy-drama, but what makes it especially promising is that it’s the second narrative feature by director Maggie Betts. Her first was “Novitiate,” one of the top 10 best films of the century so far.
In theaters Oct. 6; on Prime Video Oct. 13
‘The Exorcist: Believer’
Talk about a head-turner: 50 years after William Friedkin’s original “The Exorcist,” Ellen Burstyn returns to the franchise. Rumors are Linda Blair, the original possessed child, makes an appearance as well.
This is the sixth “Exorcist” film — the first since Paul Schrader’s box-office bomb “Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist” in 2005. (There also was a two-season Fox television series starring Geena Davis in 2016-17.) After resuscitating the “Halloween” franchise in 2018, director David Gordon Green tackles “The Exorcist: Believer,” the first of a planned trilogy.
It was originally set for release on Oct. 13, the same day as “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” concert film, but the studio bumped it up on the calendar.
In theaters Oct. 6
‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’
The biggest blockbuster of the fall season could be the documentary film of Swift’s historic concert tour that descended on Levi’s Stadium on July 28-29, drawing more than 68,500 fans each night.
Box-office analysts believe the film should easily surpass the $100 million mark on its opening weekend, an eye-popping number for a concert film, and it’s even got a “Barbie”-like vibe: just as women wore pink toGretaGerwig’s summer box-office phenomenon, expect Swifties to come in costume.
“Eras attire, friendship bracelets, singing and dancing encouraged,” Swift said onInstagram.
In theaters Oct. 13
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’
The running time of 3 hours and 26 minutes is daunting, but the advance word on this latest film from director Martin Scorsese is so positive that we must give it the benefit of the doubt.
Based on the nonfiction book of the same name byDavid Grann, it’s the story of a series of murders committed against the Osage people in the 1920s, after oil is discovered on their land.
Leonardo DiCaprio plays a white man sympathetic to the Osage people. Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Brendan Fraser and Jesse Plemons co-star.
In theaters Oct. 20
‘Priscilla’
Last year,BazLuhrmann’s “Elvis” was a surprise box-office hit and awards contender. Now we have “Priscilla,” Sofia Coppola’s biopic ofPriscilla Presley, portrayed by rising star Cailee Spaeny (“Pacific Rim Uprising,” “The Craft: Legacy”).
Coppola, a Mills College alum raised in Napa County, focuses on Presley from age 15 to 27 and her relationship with Elvis (Jacob Elordi, “Euphoria”).
In theaters Oct. 27
‘The Killer’
Michael Fassbender is an assassin on the run after a hit goes bad in the 12th film by director David Fincher (“Zodiac,” “The Social Network”), who grew up in San Anselmo. Tilda Swinton co-stars in the film based on a French graphic novel series.
In theaters Oct. 27; on Netflix Nov. 10
“后来会发生什么”
Meg Ryan stars in her first rom-com since 2009’s “Serious Moonlight” — and she also co-writes and directs.
In the adaptation of Steven Dietz’s play “Shooting Star,” Ryan and David Duchovny are former lovers who meet years later at an airport when their flights are snowed in. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ryan compared the film’s vibe to the classic screwball comedy “Bringing Up Baby.”
In theaters Niv. 3
‘The Marvels’
This looks to be the superhero extravaganza of this season, though that’s not necessarily a good thing.
Nia DaCosta, who started her career with a terrific independent film called “Little Woods,” goes commercial in a big way this time out. It appears thatCaptain Marvel(Brie Larson) must team with fellow superheroes Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) to fight an all-powerful evil entity that wants to wreck the universe. Sounds original, doesn’t it? Expect this jolly crew to spend well over two hours losing every battle but the last one.
In theaters Nov. 10
‘The Holdovers’
现在,“裁员”(2017)的恶臭鳍ally faded, it’s worth remembering that before that disaster, director Alexander Payne (“Citizen Ruth,” “Election”) was batting 1.000. His newest picture stars Paul Giamatti as a universally disliked teacher at a prep boarding school who is assigned to watch the “holdover” students — the ones who either don’t have homes or can’t go home — over the Christmas-New Year’s holidays.
Payne has worked well with Giamatti before (“Sideways”), and the trailer suggests another winning collaboration.
In theaters Nov. 10
‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’
In 2020, Suzanne Collins published a spinoff to her “Hunger Games” series, with a novel set 64 years before the events of the original “Hunger Games” movie. This film adaptation of that new novel tells the story of the 10th annual games, in which two people from each “district” are forced into a battle to the death with their fellow contestants. Rachel Zegler (“West Side Story”), one of the participants, apparently gets into a relationship with the young Cornelius Snow (Tom Blyth), but considering we know Cornelius ends up a twisted, perverse sadist in later years — so evil that Donald Sutherland played him — it’s hard to believe that romance is for the long haul.
In theaters Nov. 17
‘Next Goal Wins’
Taika Waititi, who joined the massive Marvel Cinematic Universe with 2017’s “Thor: Ragnarok,” goes back to making a small-scale movie, with this story based on a British documentary.
Michael Fassbender plays Thomas Rongen, an American soccer coach who takes a job leading the famously bad American Samoan team.
In theaters Nov. 17
‘Napoleon’
With his back-to-back 2021 releases “The Last Duel” and “House of Gucci,” 85-year-old director Ridley Scott is already on track for the best 80s of any film director in history. His upcoming movie, about Napoleon Bonaparte’s rise from soldier to emperor, is likely to only add to his luster. It starsJoaquin Phoenixin the title role and a superbly castVanessa Kirbyas Josephine, the woman who became his wife and empress.
In theaters Nov. 22
‘Wish’
Featuring a title song sung by Oscar winner Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story”), who also voices the lead role of Asha, this animated film looks to be very much in the spirit of 1990s Disney films, with its story of a brave princess who sets out to save her community. Apparently, this is a place where, if you wish upon a star, good things happen, despite the evil king (the voice of Chris Pine) who is trying to prevent them from coming true.
In theaters Nov. 22
‘Maestro’
Bradley Cooper directs and stars as legendary composer Leonard Bernstein in one of the most anticipated films of the year. The movie focuses on Bernstein’s complex marriage to actress and activist Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan).
This is Cooper’s second film as director, after 2017’s “A Star Is Born.”
In theaters Nov. 22
‘The Boy and the Heron’
Master animator Hayao Miyazaki, 82, is back with his first movie in 10 years, another transportive, meditative tale centered around a child. Here it’s 12-year-old Mahito, who struggles to accept his mother’s death. But when a talking heron tells Mahito that his mother is still alive, the boy searches for her in an abandoned tower and is transported to another world.
In theaters Nov. 22
Reach Mick LaSalle:mlasalle@sfchronicle.com; Reach G. Allen Johnson:ajohnson@sfchronicle.com