Key Takeaways
- Holiday box office increased 1%, largely due to "Avatar: Fire and Ash" surpassing $1 billion globally.
- "One Battle After Another" secured Best Picture from the National Society of Film Critics and Critics' Choice Awards.
- Timothy Chalamet won Best Actor at the Critics' Choice, while Paul Thomas Anderson took Best Director.
- DGA, PGA, and SAG nominations are anticipated to provide clearer insights into the Oscar race.
- Hosts previewed 26 anticipated movies for 2026, including sequels, remakes, and original works.
- Major filmmakers like Nolan and Spielberg have high-profile original films scheduled for 2026.
- A diverse slate of genre films, from A24 horror to rom-coms, is expected in the coming year.
- Franchise adaptations, including "Super Mario Galaxy" and "Masters of the Universe," are in production.
Deep Dive
- Amanda Dobbins watched "Star Wars: A New Hope" most frequently, prompted by her child's interest in a Grogu toy.
- Her child engaged with "Star Wars," including unique interpretations of the cantina scene and mispronunciations.
- Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins debated the divisive reception of "Wonka" among cinephiles and general audiences during the break.
- "One Battle After Another" won Best Picture from the National Society of Film Critics, aligning with other major critics' groups.
- This film's sweep follows historical precedents like "Schindler's List" but does not guarantee an Oscar win.
- Hosts anticipate upcoming industry awards like DGA, PGA, and SAG to provide more accurate Oscar predictions.
- The holiday break created a vacuum, shifting the start of awards season campaigning to early events like Palm Springs.
- Timothy Chalamet won Best Actor at the Critics' Choice Awards, thanking co-nominees and Josh Safdie in his acceptance speech.
- Paul Thomas Anderson won Best Director, and "One Battle After Another" secured Best Picture.
- "Sinners" received the award for Original Screenplay, and Paul Thomas Anderson for "One Battle After Another" for Adapted Screenplay.
- Jacob Alordi ("Frankenstein") and Amy Madigan ("Weapons") secured surprise wins in supporting acting categories for horror films.
- "Frankenstein" garnered multiple below-the-line awards, including Best Production Design, Costume Design, and Hair and Makeup, anticipating six Oscar nominations.
- DGA nominees are predicted to include Paul Thomas Anderson, Koogler, Zhao, Panahi, and Trier, with Safdie and del Toro as potential contenders.
- The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, now rebranded as "The Actor Awards," are expected to nominate films like "Sinners" and "Hamnet" for Best Ensemble.
- The National Society of Film Critics recognized "The Secret Agent" with multiple awards, including Best Foreign Language Film and a notable supporting actress mention for Tanya Maria.
- Anticipated films for 2026 include sequels to "The Devil Wears Prada" and "The Social Network."
- A remake of "Sense and Sensibility" starring Daisy Edgar Jones and George Mackay is also on the slate.
- The hosts express anxiety about these new productions potentially damaging the legacies of beloved original films.
- Maggie Gyllenhal's "The Bride," a "Bride of Frankenstein" riff, starring Jesse Buckley and Christian Bale, is set for a March release.
- Ruben Ostlund's "The Entertainment System is Down," starring Keanu Reeves and Kirsten Dunst, is anticipated to premiere at Cannes and satirize the attention economy.
- Alejandro G. Iñárritu directs "Digger," an original film starring Tom Cruise, expected to debut at the Venice Film Festival.
- Danny Boyle's new film, tentatively titled "Inc.," focusing on a younger Rupert Murdoch and starring Guy Pearce, acknowledges Boyle's strength in biopics like "Steve Jobs."
- Lance Oppenheim's "Primetime," a docudrama about "To Catch a Predator" host Chris Hansen starring Robert Pattinson, is highlighted for blurring truth and fiction.
- Jeremy Saulnier's horror action thriller "Rebel Ridge" from A24 stars Corey Michael Smith and Sophie Wilde.
- Henry Dunham's "Enemies," produced by Ari Aster, features Jeremy Allen White and Austin Butler.
- Christian Mungiu's "Fjord," starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve, explores alienation and immigration in a remote Norwegian town.
- Nicolas Winding Refn returns with "Her Private Hell," described as an edgy, hypnotic thriller featuring glitter, sex, and violence, with Sophie Thatcher and Diego Calva.
- Lee Chang Dong's "Possible Love," his first film since "Burning," reportedly explores relationship dynamics between two couples.
- Zach Kreger is directing a new "Resident Evil" film, with anticipation for his auteur take on the video game IP despite previous forgettable adaptations.
- Tony Gilroy's "Behemoth," starring Pedro Pascal, is highly anticipated given Gilroy's directorial track record and previous work like "Duplicity."
- Jane Schoenbrunn's slasher film "Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma" is noted for its transgressive themes and aligns with horror as a genre for emerging auteurs.
- An anticipated film about Sam Altman, written by Simon Rich and starring Andrew Garfield in fleece vests, has set photos released.
- "The Adventures of Cliff Booth," a potential David Fincher film written by Quentin Tarantino, is described as a quasi-sequel to "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."
- Amanda Dobbins watched "Actors on Actors" interviews, including Leonardo DiCaprio/Jennifer Lawrence and Sean Penn/Julia Roberts, discussing "After the Hunt."
- "Project Hail Mary," a big-budget spectacle starring Ryan Gosling, adapts another Andy Weir novel about a man alone in space.
- Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" is revealed as the number one anticipated film, featuring Robert Pattinson, Matt Damon, and Florence Pugh.
- Steven Spielberg's "Disclosure Day," an alien invasion drama, is also highly anticipated as a major blockbuster event.
- Robert Pattinson has a busy year with "The Odyssey," "Dune Part 3," and Netflix's "Here Comes the Flood" with Denzel Washington.
- International features from directors like Nahong Jin, Pavel Pavlikowski, Albert Serra, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, and Asghar Farhadi are noted.
- An Emily Henry novel adaptation, "People We Meet on Vacation," starring Emily Bader and Tom Blythe, is slated for Netflix.
- "The Invite," a swinger comedy directed by and starring Olivia Wilde with Seth Rogen and Penelope Cruz, is previewed.
- Hosts express weariness with blockbuster film disappointment, citing "Thunderbolts" and "Multiverse of Madness."
- Anticipation is building for a Michael Jackson biopic and a new film adaptation of "Wuthering Heights" starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.
- "The Mandalorian and Grogu" and a live-action "Moana" film are in development.
- The "Super Mario Galaxy" movie, set for an April release, will feature Brie Larson voicing Princess Rosalina.
- "Masters of the Universe" will be directed by Travis Knight with a $100 million Amazon investment, starring Nicholas Galatsine as Prince Adam/He-Man.
- The "Masters of the Universe" film is expected to have an "agro-gag comedy" tone, distinct from Marvel properties.