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N O M I N E E FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
AMAZON STUDIOS 9:30am – 10:00am
The Aeronauts
Tom Harper (Director/Producer) Todd Lieberman (Producer)
The Report
Scott Z. Burns (Writer/Director/Producer) Tim Blake Nelson (Actor)
Honey Boy
Daniela Taplin Lundberg (Producer) Natasha Braier (Cinematographer) Jc Molina (Production Designer) Monica Salazar (Editor)
UNITED ARTISTS RELEASING 10:03am – 10:13am
Booksmart
Olivia Wilde (Director) Beanie Feldstein (Actor) Kaitlyn Dever (Actor)
FOCUS FEATURES 10:16am – 10:36am
Harriet
Kasi Lemmons (Writer/Director) Debra Martin Chase (Producer) Daniela Taplin Lundberg (Producer) Belinda Anderson (Hair Department Head)
Dark Waters
Todd Haynes (Director) Mark Ruffalo (Producer/Actor) Pamela Koffler (Producer) Christine Vachon (Producer)
UNIVERSAL PICTURES 10:39am – 10:49am
Us
Lupita Nyong’o (Actor)
LIONSGATE 10:52am – 11:12am
Knives Out
Rian Johnson (Writer/Director/Producer) Ram Bergman (Producer)
Bombshell
Charles Randolph (Writer/Producer) Margaret Riley (Producer)
Monos
Alejandro Landes (Writer/Director/Producer) Julianne Nicholson (Actor)
Parasite
Bong Joon Ho (Writer/Director/Producer) Song Kang Ho (Actor)
NEON 11:15am – 11:35am
WARNER BROS. 11:38am – 12:08pm
SONY PICTURES 1:50pm – 2:20pm
NETFLIX 2:23pm – 2:53pm
WALT DISNEY STUDIOS 2:56pm – 3:16pm
Just Mercy
Bryan Stevenson (Author & Executive Producer) Tim Blake Nelson (Actor) Rob Morgan (Actor)
Joker
Todd Phillips (Co-Writer/Director/Producer)
Richard Jewell
Billy Ray (Writer) Paul Walter Hauser (Actor) Kathy Bates (Actor)
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Quentin Tarantino (Writer/Director/Producer)
Little Women
Greta Gerwig (Writer/Director) Saoirse Ronan (Actor) Florence Pugh (Actor) Eliza Scanlen (Actor) Laura Dern (Actor)
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Marielle Heller (Director) Peter Saraf (Producer) Leah Holzer (Producer)
The Two Popes
Jonathan Pryce (Actor) Anthony McCarten (Writer) Jonathan Eirich (Producer)
Marriage Story
Laura Dern (Actor)
Dolemite Is My Name
Scott Alexander (Writer) Larry Karaszewski (Writer) Da’Vine Joy Randolph (Actor) Wesley Snipes (Actor) Ruth E. Carter (Costume Designer)
Toy Story 4
Josh Cooley (Director) Stephany Folsom (Writer)
Frozen 2
Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Songwriter) Robert Lopez (Songwriter)
Saoirse Ronan
Lucas Hedges and Alma Har’el
George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman
Laura Dern
Willem Dafoe
Shia LaBeouf
Jennifer Fox
Contenders London OCTOBER 5, 2019 A host of talent attended Deadline’s third annual Contenders London event at the Ham Yard Hotel.
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See more photos at Deadline.com
Kristen Stewart
Jamie Bell, Taron Egerton and Dexter Fletcher
Thomasin McKenzie
Taika Waititi
DREAMWORKS ANIMATION 3:19pm – 3:39pm
Abominable
Jill Culton (Writer/Director)
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Dean DeBlois (Writer/Director) F. Murray Abraham (Actor)
20TH CENTURY FOX 3:42pm – 4:02pm
Ford v Ferrari
Phedon Papamichael (Cinematographer)
Spies in Disguise
Michael Knapp (Production Designer)
Uncut Gems
Josh & Benny Safdie (Writers/Directors) Ronald Bronstein (Writer/Editor)
A24 4:05pm – 4:15pm
SCHEDULE AND PRESENTERS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
8:00am – 9:20am
12:10pm – 1:40pm
B R E A K FA S T S P O N S O R E D BY
LU NC H S P O N S O R E D BY
SPONSORS
PA R T N E R S
FLASH MOB
Nicole Kidman
Jordan Peele
Rob Morgan, Onnalee Blank and Jamie Foxx
Quentin Tarantino
Contenders Los Angeles NOVEMBER 2, 2019 The stars aligned in the place it all began for our biggest Contenders event ever, showcasing 38 films and 20 studios. See more photos at Deadline.com
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Lulu Wang
Awkwafina
Noah Jupe
Dean DeBlois
Bong Joon Ho
Nia Long
Margot Robbie
Noah Baumbach and Adam Driver
Zack Gottsagen and Shia LaBeouf
The trend for truth is a stand-out in this season’s line-up BY A N T O N I A B LY T H
THEY SAY THE TRUTH WILL OUT, AND THIS YEAR’S CONTENDERS NEW YORK SCHEDULE IS SURELY PROOF OF THAT. Our event features no fewer than 15 films based on some version of a real-life story, and since we’re in the business of giving you a taste of the season’s top picks, and helping you sift through that pile of screeners, we’re simply reflecting the growing industry love for tales born out of headlines, memoir and history. Plus, we all know that great, true storytelling gets Oscar nominations. Not only did Green Book take home the Best Picture prize last year, but historically the Academy has always relished a well-made biopic. And we’re showcasing a healthy chunk of truth at Contenders, with a selection ranging from the historical through to the personal. On the historical end, there’s Harriet, which looks at the heroism of abolitionist Harriet Tubman, while
the personal includes such heartfelt films as Shia LaBoeuf’s autobiographical Honey Boy, and Marriage Story, Noah Baumbach’s close-tohome dig into the divorce process. Scott Z. Burns brings his true-story political piece, The Report, while Todd Haynes is here to discuss Dark Waters’ deep dive into an all-too-real industrial cover-up. Screenwriter Charles Randolph will also be on hand to present his headline-grabbing Fox News exposé Bombshell—a film that in itself generated more news. History lives on too, in Just Mercy’s harrowing look at a heavily-prejudiced justice system, Richard Jewell’s true tale of a hero-turned-pariah, A
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Reality Bites
“A waking dream…
saturated in sound, music and color”
“Seductive and sorrowful, tender and raw”
NOMINEE
FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS
B E S T I N T E R N AT I O N A L F I L M
Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’s fresh look at TV icon Fred Rogers, Ford v Ferrari’s genesis story of the American-made race car, The Aeronauts, loosely based on meteorologist James Glaisher, and Dolemite Is My Name—a look back at Rudy Ray Moore’s iconic alter-ego. And still, there’s more. Giving us a peek behind the Vatican’s impenetrable curtain is The Two Popes. Screenwriter Anthony McCarten will take the Contenders stage to discuss his philosophical, and at times comedic, imagining of a real-life meeting between the conservative Pope Benedict (Anthony Hopkins) and liberal Pope Francis. The latter is played by legend Jonathan Pryce who’ll also grace our stage today. Then we go from the reimagined reality to the revisionist history, as Quentin Tarantino will be here to talk about his Sharon Tate story,
Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood. Just in case it all gets a bit too real, there’s some flat-out fictional comedy too, like the Olivia Wildedirected Booksmart, with Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever’s BFFs taking a last-ditch romp through high school. Then there’s Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite—a razor-sharp satire of class and the filthy rich. And in a very different way, Rian Johnson brings pithy humor to the life-threatening perils of excess wealth in Knives Out. There’s some animated escapist fantasy on hand too, including heroic dragons, powerful ice princesses and wily stuffed toys. For fans of fictional thrillers, among the talented filmmakers taking our stage will be Todd Phillips with Joker, his origin story of an iconic villain, while the Safdie brothers are bringing their Uncut Gems, about
a very different sort of man lost—errant jeweller Howard Ratner. Speaking of talent, we certainly have a plethora. Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o will be here to discuss Jordan Peele’s Us, and there will be Dolemite Is My Name’s Wesley Snipes, and Tim Blake Nelson with both The Report and Just Mercy. Greta Gerwig’s bringing her fresh take on Little Women—another almost-true story—and she’s joined by a cast that includes repeat nominees Laura Dern and Saoirse Ronan. Not to mention three-time nominee Mark Ruffalo, who followed his environmental activist passion to both perform in and produce Dark Waters. If this seems like a lot to take in, get ready for some more, with Amazon’s hearty kick-off breakfast, and a delicious lunch courtesy of Sony Pictures. Now, sit back, relax and enjoy Contenders New York. ★
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TRUE STORY Spike Lee, John David Washington and Adam Driver at Contenders before BlacKkKlansman’s Oscar success.
VIDEO SERIES
Intriguing one-on-one conversations between Deadline’s awards editor and leading actors of film & television
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The Films
The Aeronauts
AMAZON STUDIOS The Aeronauts The Theory of Everything co-stars Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones return to the world of science in this 19th-century adventure film, directed by Tom Harper from a script by Jack Thorne. Based loosely on the story of pioneering English meteorologist James Glaisher (Redmayne), the drama centers on a pilot and a scientist who make history by ascending to unprecedented heights in a hot-air balloon, after getting caught up in a fight for their lives in the skies.
The Report
The Report Adam Driver stars as real-life Senate staffer Daniel J. Jones in Scott Z. Burns’ political thriller. Celebrating truth tellers, it’s a timely exposé of U.S. government abuses, in which Jones investigates the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques”—otherwise known as torture— after 9/11. Supervised by Senator Dianne Feinstein (Annette Bening), he uncovers shocking secrets regarding the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program, which result in the titular 6,700-page report. Also starring Tim Blake Nelson, the Sundance title serves as a clear call for government accountability.
Honey Boy
Honey Boy With his first feature script, Shia LaBeouf opens a window into his turbulent childhood and early adult years. Helmed by Alma Har’el, the story centers on a young actor’s complicated relationship with his father (played by LaBeouf himself), a war veteran, exrodeo clown and recovering alcoholic who emotionally and physically abuses his son, while at the same time giving him the title’s sentimental nickname. Noah Jupe and Lucas Hedges both play Otis, the fictional version of LaBeouf, at ages 12 and 22.
UNITED ARTISTS RELEASING Booksmart Olivia Wilde makes her feature directorial debut with this acclaimed comedy, starring Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein. Premiering at South by South West in March, the coming-of-age film follows two high school students who have always played by the rules, prioritizing their grades above all else. Recognizing all the teenage fun they have missed out on, the best friends decide to cram four years of partying into one crazy night, on the eve of their graduation. Also bringing their comedic chops to the film are Jessica Williams, Jason Sudeikis, Lisa Kudrow and Will Forte. FOCUS FEATURES Harriet Following up on her breakout screen role in Steve McQueen’s Widows, Tony winner Cynthia Erivo taps into the courage and determination of a legendary American hero for this stirring Harriet Tubman biopic. Directed by Kasi Lemmons, from a script she penned with Gregory Allen Howard, the drama tells the story of a slave-turned-abolitionist, who risked her life to free hundreds of slaves, leading them through a network of safehouses called the Underground Railroad. Powerfully scored by 2019 Oscar nominee Terence Blanchard, the film features stand-out supporting turns from Leslie Odom Jr., Joe Alwyn and Janelle Monáe. Dark Waters Based on a New York Times article by Nathaniel Rich, Todd Haynes’ latest is a psychological thriller,
centered on corporate defense attorney Robert Bilott (Mark Ruffalo). Uncovering a connection between a series of mysterious deaths and the powerful American chemical company DuPont, the attorney fights tirelessly to bring the truth to the public, bringing a class action lawsuit against the company. This eventually results in a payout of over $600 million. Written by Matthew Michael Carnahan and Mario Correa, the film’s heavyweight ensemble includes Anne Hathaway, Bill Pullman and Tim Robbins. UNIVERSAL PICTURES Us Writer/director Jordan Peele’s followup to Get Out, which earned him an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, centers on Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong’o) and her family, who arrive at their Santa Cruz summer home for vacation, only to be attacked by frightening intruders that look just like them. Opening this year’s South by Southwest Film Festival, the horror thriller has grossed over $255 million worldwide. Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph and Evan Alex play the other members of the Wilson family (and their disturbing doppelgängers), while Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker and Yahya Abdul-Mateeen II round out the cast. LIONSGATE Knives Out Between outings in the Star Wars universe, Rian Johnson returns to the whodunnit genre with an original story à la Agatha Christie. When wealthy crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead a day after his 85th birthday, famed detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) arrives at his estate
to investigate its occupants—an idiosyncratic group of family members and staff. He suspects foul play and is mistrustful of the whole group from day one. The energetic puzzler’s starry ensemble includes Michael Shannon, Toni Colette, Chris Evans, Don Johnson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ana de Armas and Jaeden Martell. Bombshell Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman channel Fox News personalities Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson in this timely drama from director Jay Roach. Written by Charles Randolph, the film examines the toxic atmosphere Roger Ailes (John Lithgow) created at his network, and the group of women who decided to take the powerful executive on. With Malcolm McDowell cast as notorious media magnate Rupert Murdoch, the film is bolstered by the performances of Margot Robbie, Allison Janney, Kate McKinnon and more, and is set for a December 13 debut. NEON Monos Eight wild teenage commandos supervise a hostage and a cow, while partying late into the night, in this second narrative feature from Alejandro Landes. Colombia’s Oscar entry for Best International Feature, it also won the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award upon its Sundance Premiere. The film examines the way in which bonds between the group begin to fray after an ambush drives them deep into the jungle. Shot in spectacular areas of Colombia never before captured on film, the war drama features turns from Moisés Arias and Julianne Nicholson.
Booksmart
Dark Waters
Knives Out
Monos
Us
Harriet
Bombshell
Parasite
Just Mercy
Joker
Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Richard Jewell
Little Women
Parasite The first Korean winner of the Palme d’Or centers on Kim Ki-taek and his family—an unemployed, hopeless bunch living in squalor. With this deeply dark comedy, Bong Joon Ho sees the lower-class family entangle themselves in the lives of a much wealthier one by way of a long con, which has unexpected and powerfully disturbing consequences. Next year, this satiricial, thought-provoking exploration of class division will contend as South Korea’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature. Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Jo Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik and Park So-dam star. WARNER BROS. Just Mercy Michael B. Jordan executive produces and stars in Just Mercy— the first film he was able to make with an Inclusion Rider through his company, Outlier Society Productions. Based on Bryan Stevenson’s memoir, the legal drama follows a civil rights defense attorney who’s made it his life’s mission to fight for justice. Appealing the murder conviction of death row inmate Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), Stevenson finds himself battling within a labyrinthine legal system. The film also stars Tim Blake Nelson, Rob Morgan and Brie Larson, a frequent collaborator with director Destin Daniel Cretton, who wrote the script with Andrew Lanham. Joker Director Todd Phillips and Oscar nominee Joaquin Phoenix make their entrées into superhero storytelling with this gritty, standalone
origin story of the iconic Batman villain. Scripted by Phillips and Scott Silver, who drew inspiration from ’70s character studies and the films of Martin Scorsese, the thriller centers on Arthur Fleck, a failed stand-up comedian who turns toward crime and chaos, out of contempt for the society that he feels has disregarded him. Featuring a memorable turn from Robert De Niro, the film earned Phillips the Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion. Richard Jewell I, Tonya breakout Paul Walter Hauser is director Clint Eastwood’s leading man in this drama, based on a Vanity Fair article by Marie Brenner. The actor plays the titular Richard Jewell, an American security guard, who saved thousands of people from an exploding bomb at the 1996 Olympics, only to be vilified by journalists, and falsely labeled a terrorist. Premiering at AFI Fest just two weeks ago, the film was scripted by Billy Ray, with Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Jon Hamm and Kathy Bates amongst the cast. SONY PICTURES Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt share the screen for the first time in Quentin Tarantino’s ninth film. A love letter to ’60s LA and the cinema culture that birthed the auteur, the feature focuses on the friendship between a faded television actor and his stunt double, as they navigate an industry they no longer recognize. Featuring Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate, narration from Kurt Russell and
a stacked cast that includes Al Pacino and Bruce Dern, the film drew a seven-minute standing ovation at its Cannes premiere. Little Women The eighth film adaptation of a classic 1868 novel by Louisa May Alcott marks Greta Gerwig’s highly-anticipated follow-up to her 2017 directorial debut, Lady Bird, which earned her Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Achievement in Directing. Prominently featuring several members of the Lady Bird cast, including Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet and Tracy Letts, the drama follows the March sisters, four women coming of age in the wake of the Civil War. Set for release later this month, the film’s cast includes Meryl Streep, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Emma Watson, Chris Cooper, Laura Dern and Bob Odenkirk. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Following up on last year’s Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Marielle Heller casts two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks as a singular American treasure, in this portrait of children’s television host Fred Rogers. Based on a true story, the film pits Rogers against an Esquire journalist (Matthew Rhys), who reluctantly sets out to profile him. Wary at first of Rogers’ intentions and his innate good-heartedness, the writer’s life is forever changed through his exposure to an icon and a worldview counter to his own. Susan Kelechi Watson and Chris Cooper round out the cast.
NETFLIX The Two Popes Two men of God with two radically different worldviews collide in Fernando Meirelles’ feature, scripted by Anthony McCarten. Set in 2013, the drama imagines an encounter behind Vatican walls between the progressive, soon-to-be Pope Francis (Jonathan Pryce) and the conservative Pope Benedict (Anthony Hopkins), men with vastly different approaches to the papacy, and contrasting visions for the future of the Catholic Church. The men debate tradition and innovation in scenes that include a recreated Sistine Chapel, and Hopkins himself expertly playing the piano. Marriage Story Dissecting a child’s experience of divorce in his 2005 film The Squid and The Whale, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay, Noah Baumbach crafts a more expansive portrait of the same subject in Marriage Story. Starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson as a playwright and an actor going through a messy, bicoastal divorce, the drama also takes a close look at the legal system surrounding the couple. Delving into dark comedy, with musical moments in the mix, the cast includes Laura Dern, Ray Liotta and Alan Alda. Dolemite Is My Name Eddie Murphy returns to the big screen to portray guerilla filmmaker Rudy Ray Moore, realizing a longtime dream project, alongside writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszweski, and director Craig Brewer. A comedy centered on the real-life icon, who rose to fame in the 1970s, with his stand-up and a series of memo-
The Two Popes
Marriage Story
Toy Story 4
rable blaxploitation films, the film’s title refers to Moore’s most famous and enduring character, Dolemite—a dandy pimp. Featuring costumes by Oscar winner Ruth E. Carter, the cast includes Wesley Snipes, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Keegan-Michael Key, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Snoop Dogg and Tituss Burgess. WALT DISNEY STUDIOS Toy Story 4 The highest-grossing installment of this classic franchise, the animated comedy catches up with Sheriff Woody, Buzz Lightyear and their other toy friends, who are now living a happy life with toddler Bonnie. Joined by Forky—a spork that the child made into a toy, which has subsequently come to life—the whole gang embarks on a daring road trip adventure, which ultimately proves their loyalty and solidarity. Scripted by Stephany Folsom and Andrew Stanton, Josh Cooley’s feature directorial debut delivers a powerful and poignant send-off for Woody, one of the series’ most beloved characters. Dolemite Is My Name
Frozen 2
Frozen 2 The long-anticipated sequel to a box office smash, which won two Academy Awards, this musical fantasy film picks up with Queen Elsa (Idina Menzel) of Arendelle and her sister Anna (Kristen Bell) three years after the events of Frozen. Joining forces with rugged mountaineer Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), loveable snowman Olaf (Josh Gad) and reindeer Sven, the royals travel to an ancient forest, to discover the origins of Elsa’s wintry powers, with the aim of saving their kingdom. Returning to write seven new original songs for the sequel are two-time Oscar winners Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.
DREAMWORKS ANIMATION Abominable In this animated adventure, a bright teenage girl named Yi (Chloe Bennet) comes face-to-face with a juvenile yeti, which is frantically on the run from its evil scientist captors. Naming the creature Everest, Yi travels with it from Shanghai to the mystical Himalayas, along with her two cousins, and is steadfast in her mission to set Everest free. Aiming to reunite the yeti with his family, she processes the loss of her father along the way. Mounted by Jill Culton and co-director Todd Wilderman, the magical and musically-oriented feature’s voice cast includes Eddie Izzard, Sarah Paulson and Albert Tsai. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Released on February 22nd, this animated adventure wraps up writer/ director Dean DeBlois’ How To Train Your Dragon trilogy, based on a book series by Cressida Cowell. The franchise’s third installment follows Viking chief Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), as he learns that his dragon Toothless is not the only one of his kind, which leads them on a quest to find dragon utopia ‘The Hidden World’ before a hunter named Grimmel (F. Murray Abraham) can do the same. Kit Harington and Cate Blanchett also lend their voices to this family film. 20TH CENTURY FOX Ford v Ferrari Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) hires American car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and maverick driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) to build a state-of-the-art race car and defeat Ferrari at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, in James Mangold’s latest
critically acclaimed feature. Contending with a corporate meddler, extreme danger, and their own odd couple dynamic, the driven, hotheaded visionaries pit themselves against an automotive titan in a David-andGoliath tale for the ages. Visually and sonically immersive, the fast-paced drama’s cast also includes Jon Berthal, Josh Lucas, Caitriona Balfe and Noah Jupe. Spies in Disguise The world’s most exceptional spy is turned into a pigeon, and must rely on a nerdy tech officer to save the world, in this first animated feature from directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane. Produced by Blue Sky Studios, and written by Brad Copeland and Lloyd Taylor, the pic is loosely based on the 2009 animated short Pigeon: Impossible, directed by Lucas Martell. Will Smith, Tom Holland, Karen Gillan, Ben Mendelsohn, Rashida Jones and Rachel Brosnahan lend their voices to the comedy, which is set for release on Christmas Day. A24 Uncut Gems In the latest film from writer/directors Josh and Benny Safdie, Adam Sandler is Howard Ratner, a charismatic and relentlessly ambitious New York jeweler always on the lookout for his next big score. Making a number of high-stakes bets that could result in either a huge windfall or violence at the hands of local mob types, Ratner finds his life becoming an increasingly stressful high-wire act, as he goes about his hustle. Set for release on December 13, the tense New York thriller features notable turns from Julia Fox, Idina Menzel, LaKeith Stanfield, Eric Bogosian, and former NBA player Kevin Garnett. ★
Abominable
How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Spies in Disguise
Ford v Ferrari
Uncut Gems