In the first part of our Winter preview, we take a look at the array of movies coming our way this October.*
Editor's picks:
Gone Girl sees director David Fincher make an eagerly awaited return to the big screen after dabbling in the Netflix original series House of Cards. The movie is adapted from the novel by Gillian Flynn, who serves as screenwriter, but the plot is set to deviate from that of the source material so as to keep it interesting for those who have read the novel. Let's hope it's more Zodiac and Seven, less Dragon Tattoo and Benjamin Button.
As director, Tommy Lee Jones follows up his 2005 contemporary western Three Burials with a traditional western: The Homesman. Marking an overdue return to the big screen for Hilary Swank, Jones' movie is the tale of an outlaw, played by the director, who is roped into helping Swank escort three insane women from Nebraska to Iowa.
Nightcrawler sees Jake Gyllenhaal continue to pick interesting projects. Here, he's a freelance crime journalist exploring LA's after hours underbelly. With its neon sheen, this one looks like the bastard lovechild of Michael Mann and Steve De Jarnatt.
Aussie horror flick The Babadook has been receiving much acclaim across the festival circuit. The directorial debut of Jennifer Kent, it's the story of a widowed mother whose son is terrorised by the title creature.
Would be blockbusters:
A quickly churned out spin-off from last year's horror hit The Conjuring, Annabelle focuses on that movie's creepy doll of the same name, now residing with a blissfully ignorant family. With audiences thirsty for horror in October, we're expecting this to repeat the success of The Conjuring.
The latest adaptation of a Young Adult dystopian sci-fi novel, The Maze Runner will hope to cash in on the phenomenal success of The Hunger Games. In this particular dystopian future, a group of boys must negotiate their way out of a giant maze. Expect Kaya Scodelario to become the latest young English actress to conquer Hollywood.
Taking a surprising amount of money during its US release in August, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hits European cinemas in mid-October, and there's no reason to believe it won't repeat its Stateside success.
World cinema:
Violette examines the relationship between novelist Violette Leduc and Simone de Beauvoir in post-war Paris. Emmanuelle Devos, oustanding in last year's Just a Sigh, plays the title role.
Eric Cantona continues his transition from eccentric footballer to eccentric actor with a leading role in You and the Night, a French sex comedy that takes place during an orgy organised by a wealthy young couple looking for excitement.
French fashion designer Agnes B makes her cinematic debut with My Name is Hmmm, the story of a young girl who flees her abusive father with a Scottish truck driver.
Brazilian Daniel Ribeiro's directorial debut The Way He Looks is a coming of age tale with a blind teenage protagonist.
Also opening:
Dracula Untold is the latest reboot of the horror genre's most iconic character. This version recounts the origin story of everyone's favourite bloodsucker.
Opening in the US under the title Laggies, Say When is the latest comedy drama from director Lynn Shelton. Kiera Knightley stars as a 28 year old who befirends 16 year old Chloe Moretz during a return home for a high school reunion.
The annual Nicholas Sparks adaptation this year is The Best of Me, based on the prolific author's 2001 novel of the same name. James Marsden and Michelle Monaghan are two former high school sweethearts reunited by a friend's funeral.
Robert Downey Jnr hangs up his Iron Man costume for legal thriller The Judge. He plays a successful lawyer who returns to his hometown for his mother's funeral (wait, there's a pattern emerging here). Twist is the suspected murderer is his father, played by Robert Duvall.
James Franco stars in Palo Alto, adapted from his own short story collection. The movie details the lives of a group of high school students, with Franco as a soccer coach who attracts the unwanted attention of female student Emma Roberts.
Adapted from Cecilia Ahern's bestselling novel Where Rainbows End, Love, Rosie stars Lily Collins and Sam Claflin as childhood friends in a will they, won't they romantic drama.
Writer/director David Ayer moves away from his comfort zone of Los Angeles set cop thrillers to deliver Fury, a WWII drama following Brad Pitt's American tank crew. If his claims are to be believed, this will be Shia LeBeouf's final screen appearance.
Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper reteam once more for Serena. Originally meant to be helmed by Darren Aronofsky, Denmark's Susanne Bier steps in to direct this depression era drama.
Timothy Spall picked up the Best Actor award at this year's Cannes festival for the title role of Mike Leigh's Mr Turner, a biopic of the British painter JMW Turner. Rumour has it this may be Leigh's final film.
Dracula Untold is the latest reboot of the horror genre's most iconic character. This version recounts the origin story of everyone's favourite bloodsucker.
Daniel Radcliffe continues his post Harry Potter career reinvention with Horns, based on Joe Hill's novel. Radcliffe is a young man who grows the title appendages after being accused of murdering his girlfriend. Alexandre Aja directs.
*Based on UK/ROI release dates