Movie preview! 19 films to see this holiday season

Hello! Canada raises the curtain on some of the season's most anticipated big-screen releases, from royal drama <em>Mary Queen of Scots</em> and musical <em>Mary Poppins Returns</em> to live-action adaptation <em>Mowgli</em> and <em>Moonlight</em> director Barry Jenkin's latest, <em>If Beale Street Could Talk</em>. <p><strong>Click through for 19 amazing new releases to check out this holiday season!</strong>
<h2>ON THE BASIS OF SEX</h2> <strong>WHO</strong> Felicity Jones, Justin Theroux <strong>WHAT</strong> <em>The Theory of Everything</em>’s Felicity stars as future Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in this biopic of her formative years, including as a Harvard Law School student pushing back against gender bias in the 1950s and working on her first big case for the American Civil Liberties Union, led by a nearly unrecognizable Justin (left, with Felicity) as its colourful director Mel Wulf. <strong>WHEN</strong> Dec. 25
<h2>MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS</h2> <strong>WHO</strong> Margot Robbie, Saoirse Ronan <strong>WHAT</strong> A must for royal history fans! Based on true events, the period drama follows the turbulent life of Mary Stuart, or Mary I of Scotland (played by <em>Lady Bird</em>’s Saoirse Ronan), who after becoming the widowed Queen of France returns to her native Scotland to claim the throne – and finds herself in a wicked rivalry with Queen Elizabeth I of England (Margot Robbie), ruler of the land. <strong>WHEN</strong> Dec. 7
<h2>AQUAMAN</h2> <strong>WHO</strong> Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson <strong>WHAT</strong> The DC superhero (Jason) fights to take his place as king of Atlantis from his half-brother (Patrick, cast against type). With a rumoured $160-million budget, expect jaw-dropping visuals and deep-sea battles in this origin story of half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry. <strong>WHEN</strong> Dec. 21
<h2>MARY POPPINS RETURNS</h2> <strong>WHO</strong> Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda <strong>WHAT</strong> Just in time for the holidays, magical Mary Poppins returns to the big screen, with Emily taking flight as the quirky but lovable English nanny who returns to help the next generation of Banks children find some magic in their lives - with help from her lamplighter friend Jack, played by Lin-Manuel. With a completely original score, the musical is sure to ignite the wonder of a new generation of children. <strong>WHEN</strong> Dec. 19
<h2>BEN IS BACK</h2> <strong>WHO</strong> Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges <strong>WHAT</strong> Julia will leave you speechless with her portrayal of Holly Burns, a loving mother who goes to the ends of the earth for her troubled son (played by Lucas Hedges) - a nineteen-year-old addict who returns from rehab unexpectedly on Christmas eve - and the rest of her family. The powerful plot unfolds over 24 hours. <strong>WHEN</strong> Dec. 7
<h2>DESTROYER</h2> <strong>WHO</strong> Nicole Kidman, Sebastian Stan, Tatiana Maslany <strong>WHAT</strong> Years after an undercover job went horribly wrong, L.A. cop Erin Bell is presented an opportunity to revisit the life-changing chapter of her life – and possibly find closure. Dark and violent, the film has screened at multiple festivals and is already generating Academy Award buzz for Nicole, who transforms to play the world-weary police officer. <strong>WHEN</strong> Dec. 25
<h2>IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK</h2> <strong>WHO</strong> Teyonah Parris, KiKi Layne, Regina King <strong>WHAT</strong> The moving love story, based on the 1974 James Baldwin novel of the same name, sees a young mother-to-be from Harlem (newcomer KiKi) scrambling to support her artist fiancé (Canadian Stephan James), who has been locked up for a crime he didn’t commit. Directed by Barry Jenkins, whose film <em>Moonlight</em> won the Best Picture Oscar. <strong>WHEN</strong> Dec. 25
<h2>THE FAVOURITE</h2> <strong>WHO</strong> Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Olivia Coleman <strong>WHAT</strong> We have to wait until next year to see her play Queen Elizabeth in Season 3 of <em>The Crown</em>, but in the meantime, Olivia is dabbling in another royal tale. In this witty drama set in the 1700s, she is Queen Anne, a frail monarch who relies on friend Lady Sarah (Rachel) for governing assistance. But can their bond endure after a servant (Emma) enters the scene determined to ingratiate herself to the Queen? <strong>WHEN</strong> Nov. 23
<h2>MOWGLI: LEGEND OF THE JUNGLE</h2> <strong>WHO</strong> Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett <strong>WHAT</strong> Andy Serkis (known for his role as Gollum in <em>The Lord of the Rings</em> franchise) makes his feature directorial debut with this live-action adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s <em>The Jungle Book</em>, which follows the life of a child (played by Rohan Chand) who has been raised by wolves. <strong>WHEN</strong> Dec. 7
<h2>HOLMES & WATSON</h2> <strong>WHO</strong> Will Ferrell, Pam Ferris, John C. Reilly <strong>WHAT</strong> Comedy prevails in this mystery inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic characters: Sherlock Holmes (Will) and Doctor Watson (John). Here, the sleuths join forces to investigate a murder at Buckingham Palace and foil a plot to assassinate Queen Victoria. Hugh Laurie and Ralph Fiennes also star in the period piece. <strong>WHEN</strong> Dec. 21
<h2>BUMBLEBEE</h2> <strong>WHO</strong> Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena <strong>WHAT</strong> Hailee takes the lead as Charlie Watson in the action-packed prequel to the five Transformers films. This one, set in 1987, introduces us to the titular autobot, a battered beast with transformative powers hiding on Earth as a VW bug (!) – until he’s found by teen Charlie and becomes the focus of an interplanetary battle. <strong>WHEN</strong> Dec. 21
<h2>VOX LUX</h2> <strong>WHO</strong> Natalie Portman <strong>WHAT</strong> Celeste (played by Natalie) is a pop star who uses a tragedy she experiences as a teen to catapult her musical career. Before long, she’s America’s sweetheart. But can fame endure? And at what cost? The film – which looks at Celeste’s life as a girl and then as a grown woman still hungry for the spotlight – won acclaim at the Toronto International Film Festival. <strong>WHEN</strong> Dec. 7
<h2>ONCE UPON A DEADPOOL</h2> <strong>WHO</strong> Ryan Reynolds, Fred Savage <strong>WHAT</strong> Tis the season for a good guy in a red suit! But it isn’t Santa Claus who stars in this PG remix of <em>Deadpool 2</em>. Instead we are reacquainted with smart-alec superhero Deadpool, in a more family friendly edit of the film, complete with additional scenes featuring Fred Savage. In the spirit of the holidays, a portion of tickets sales will benefit cancer research. <strong>WHEN</strong> Dec. 12
<h2>VICE</h2> <strong>WHO</strong> Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell <strong>WHAT</strong> A look at the rise of Washington insider Dick Cheney, who became one of the most powerful men in the world as vice-president to George Bush. Famous for his ability to transform for his roles, Christian Bale – who drastically shed weight for <em>The Machinist</em> and gained to play <em>Batman</em> – shaved his head and put on 40 lb. to embody the politician. <strong>WHEN</strong> Dec. 25
<h2>SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE</h2> <strong>WHO</strong> Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld <strong>WHAT</strong> Different iterations of your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, from the classic (Jake) to the noir (Nicolas Cage), team up to battle Kingpin (Liev Schreiber). Watch for the late Stan Lee in animated form. <strong>WHEN</strong> Dec. 14
<h2>SECOND ACT</h2> <strong>WHO</strong> Jennifer Lopez, Vanessa Hudgens, Milo Ventimiglia <strong>WHAT</strong> With the help of a hilariously doctored Facebook profile, a 40-something woman (Jennifer) checks out of her cashier job for a fancy gig on Madison Avenue. With the help of her hubby (Milo) and daughter (Vanessa, pictured with Jennifer) plus best friend (Jennifer’s real-life bestie, Leah Remini), our underdog heroine looks to make the most of her second chance. <strong>WHEN</strong> Dec. 21
<h2>WELCOME TO MARWEN</h2> <strong>WHO</strong> Steve Carell, Diane Kruger <strong>WHAT</strong> Following a brutal attack that leaves him with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, an artist (Steve) builds a miniature town of dolls as a therapeutic outlet. It’s a fantasy world that comes to life in the fact-based film – from <em>Forrest Gump</em> director Robert Zemeckis – that jumps from fiction to reality as Mark fights for his recovery. <strong>WHEN</strong> Dec. 21
<h2>THE MULE</h2> <strong>WHO</strong> Clint Eastwood, Bradley Cooper, Dianne Wiest <strong>WHAT</strong> In his first role since 2012’s <em>Trouble With the Curve</em>, the Academy Award winner plays Earl Stone, a 90-year-old man who is broke and whose business is facing foreclosure when he is offered a job as a drug courier for a Mexican cartel. Directed by Clint, the film is based on a true story. <strong>WHEN</strong> Dec. 14
<h2>CLARA</h2> <strong>WHO</strong> Patrick J. Adams, Troian Bellisario <strong>WHAT</strong> Canadian actor Patrick – best known as Meghan Markle’s on-screen husband in <em>Suits</em> – is an astronomer obsessed with proving that life exists beyond Earth. A free-spirited research assistant (Patrick’s real-life wife Troian) aids in his search, leading to a shocking scientific discovery in this contemplative drama. <strong>WHEN</strong> Nov. 30
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