Fall movie preview: Uneasy season thanks to Hollywood halt

Sep. 1—The fall movie season looked a little more robust before Warner Bros. Pictures pushed back the release of director Denis Villeneuve's "Dune Part Two" from Nov. 3 to March 15 so its star-packed cast could promote the big-budget film in the weeks leading up to it.

Actors are forbidden by union rules from promoting a project while the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists strike rages on.

And rage on it has.

It and the simultaneous Writers Guild of America strike essentially have halted the U.S. movie and TV industries to a halt.

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We can't help but wonder when the next movie in the can will be delayed or — worse — when the slate of releases may start to dry up without the resumption of productions.

So as we offer a quick look at many of the scripted movies hitting theaters and streaming service from the first full weekend in September through the Friday before Thanksgiving, we remind you that all dates are subject to change.

"My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3" — Sept. 8 — Theaters >> Writer-director Nia Vardalos tries once again to recapture the magic of 2002 hit "My Greek Fat Greek Wedding," following the lukewarm response to 2016's "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2." Vardalos stars again alongside John Corbett, with the Portokalos family on a trip to Greece.

"The Nun 2" — Sept. 8 — Theaters >> Taissa Farmiga returns as Sister Irene in this sequel to 2018 "Conjuring" Universe entry "The Nun." Michael Chaves, a veteran of said 'verse, directs.

"Sitting in Bars With Cake" — Sept. 8 — Prime Video >> Based on true events, this dramedy sees a baker (Yara Shahidi of "Grown-ish") develop an unusual niche for her business while also trying to care for an ill friend (Odessa A'zion, "Hellraiser"). The supporting cast includes Bette Midler, and Trish Sie ("Pitch Perfect 3") directs.

"A Haunting in Venice" — Sept. 15 — Theaters >> If you don't keep an eye on Kenneth Branagh, the actor-director is likely to crank out another Agatha Christie novel adaptation, this one based on 1969's "Hallowe'en Party." The follow-up to last year's "Death on the Nile" — it a sequel to Branagh's 2017 take on "Murder on the Orient Express" — sees Branagh again inhabiting mustachioed detective Hercule Poirot. Experiencing this haunting along with him will be characters portrayed by Kyle Allen, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Camille Cottin and others. Michael Green, the screenwriter of the previous two films, returns.

"Love at First Sight" — Sept. 15 — Netflix >> Haley Lu Richardson ("The White Lotus") and Ben Hardy ("Bohemian Rhapsody") star in this rom-com about two people who meet before a long flight and connect during it, only to be separated after they reach their destination.

"The Creator" — Sept. 22 — Theaters >> Director Garth Edwards ("Rogue One: A Star Wars Story") co-wrote the screenplay for this post-apocalyptic action thriller with Chris Weitz ("About a Boy"). John David Washington portrays a formal special forces agent trying to stop an artificial intelligence from ending humankind. Young Madeleine Yuna Voyles portrays Alphie, a being who seems to be very key in this conflict.

"Dumb Money" — Sept. 22 — Theaters >> Based on Ben Mezrich's nonfiction book "The Antisocial Network," this film from "I, Tonya" and "Cruella" director Craig Gillespie will take us back to the wild period of investing in early 2021 centered GameStop stock. Led by Paul Dano, the cast also features Pete Davidson, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman and Vincent D'Onofrio.

"Expend4bles" — Sept. 22 — Theaters >> The "Expendables" movie franchise, which dates to 2010's "The Expendables," sees Sylvester Stallone teamed with other veterans of the action genre. For this fourth shoot-em-up, he is joined by Jason Statham, Dolf Lundgren and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. The cast also features Megan Fox and Andy Garcia. Scott Waugh ("Act of Valor") mans the director's chair for this one.

"A Million Miles Away" — Sept. 22 — Prime Video >> "Inspired by the real-life story of NASA flight engineer José Hernández," this film features Michael Pena as a man who works for decades for a job in space, a journey that begins in a rural Mexican village. Alejandra Márquez Abella ("Northern Skies Over Empty Space") directs.

"No One Will Save You" — Sept. 22 — Hulu >> Katilyn ("Ticket to Paradise") plays a young woman who encounters aliens who "threaten her future while forcing her to deal with her past" in what's billed a sci-fi psychological thriller.

"Spy Kids: Armageddon" — Sept. 22 — Netflix >> Writer-director Robert Rodriguez is said to be rebooting his enduring family-friendly action franchise with this tale involving the offspring of the worlds greatest secret agents unintentionally helping a villain take control of all tech. The cast features adults portrayed by Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi and Billy Magnussen, with Everyly Carganilla and Connor Esterson playing young spies Patty Tango-Torrez and Tony Tango-Torrez, respectively.

"Flora and Son" — Sept. 22 — Select theaters and Apple TV+ >> A mother (Eve Hewson) and son (Orén Kinlan) bond while making music together in the latest effort from writer-director John Carney ("Once," "Sing Street"), who knows a thing or two about making a movie with a musical component. He collaborated on the music with Gary Clark of the 1980s band Danny Wilson. The charming-looking endeavor's cast also includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Jack Reynor.

"The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar" — Sept. 27 — Netflix >> Hot on the heels of this year's "Asteroid City," quirky and clever filmmaker Wes Anderson returns with an adaptation of "a Roald Dahl story about a rich man who learns about a guru who can see without using his eyes and then sets out to master the skill in order to cheat at gambling." Anderson always brings together a topnotch cast, this one headlined by Richard Ayoade. The movie is slated to hit select theaters a week prior to its streaming debut.

"PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie" — Sept. 29 — Theaters >> The heroic pups from the digital-animation TV series get their second big-screen adventure, following 2021's "PAW Patrol: The Movie," with director Cal Brunker again holding the leash.

"Saw X" — Sept. 29 — Theaters >> Wow, 10 "Saw" movies. That is a LOT of blood and torture. This milestone has franchise veterans Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith — as Jigsaw, and Amanda Young — back for more, um, fun. Kevin Greutart, who directed 2009's "Saw VI" and 2010's "Saw 3D" — returns to orchestrate more horror.

"The Exorcist: Believer" — Oct. 6 — Theaters >> Having already made a direct sequel to 1978's "Halloween" with an identically titled movie in 2018, director David Gordon Green is at the helm of this direct sequel to 1973's "The Exorcist," arguably one of the best scary movies of all time. (In actuality, it will be the sixth "Exorcist" entry.) The cast is led by "Hamilton" star Leslie Odom Jr. and also features Ann Dowd ("The Handmaid's Tale") and singer-songwriter Jennifer Nettles.

"FOE" — Oct. 6 — Theaters >> Based on the 2018 novel by Iain Reid, this psychological thriller with a science-fiction bent from Amazon Studios will hit theaters before landing on streaming service Prime Video. "Aftersun" star Paul Mescal portrays a man who's being sent to a space station while his wife (Saoirse Ronan) will be left in the company of an artificial being. Reid ("I'm Thinking of Ending Things") co-wrote the screenplay with director Garth Davis ("Lion").

"The Marsh King's Daughter" — Oct. 6 — Theaters >> Daisy Ridley — best known for portraying Rey in the "Star Wars" sequel trilogy, a role she is set to reprise in the next few years — portrays a young mother trying live a life that has nothing to do with her infamous kidnapper (fellow "Star Wars" alum Ben Mendelsohn). Neil Burger ("Limitless," "Divergent") directs the drama, based on Karen Dionne's 2017 novel.

"Reptile" — Oct. 6 — Netflix >> Benecio del Toro stars as a veteran detective being tested by a complex case in the feature-film debut from music video and commercial director Grant Singer. The supporting cast boasts Justin Timberlake, Michael Pitt and Alicia Silverstone.

"Totally Killer" — Oct. 6 — Prime Video >> Kiernan Shipka ("Mad Men") and Julie Bowen "Modern Family") star in this time-traveling horror comedy. It also features actor Randall Park, who, like director Nahnatchka Khan, is a "Fresh off the Boat" alum.

"Ordinary Angels" — Oct. 13 — Theaters >> Hilary Swank stars as a spunky hairdresser who sets out to help a widowed father (Alan Ritchson of "Reacher") doing the best for his ill daughter in this based-on-a-true-story affair.

"Killers of the Flower Moon" — Oct. 20 — Theaters >> After working with Netflix to make his three-hour-plus film "The Irishman" a reality in 2019, acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese partner's with Apple for the similarly lengthy adaptation of David Grann's 2017 nonfiction book, "Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI." A blending of the Western and crime genres co-written by Scorsese and Eric Roth ("The Insider," "Dune"), "Killers" tells the story of murders in 1920s Oklahoma committed on the land of the Osage Nation, where oil had been discovered. The cast boasts two longtime Scorsese favorites, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro — who first shared the screen in 1993's "This Boy's Life" — as well as Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Brendan Fraser, John Lithgow and others. The movie will hit Apple's streaming platform sometime after its theatrical release.

"Old Dads" — Oct. 20 — Netflix >> Comedian Bill Burr stars in and makes his directorial debut in this comedy about men who feel they don't fit into today's world that also features Bobby Cannavale.

"Five Nights at Freddy's" — Oct. 27 — Theaters and Peacock >> Imagine you were trapped inside a Chuck E. Cheese and the animatronic characters were trying to kill you — that's basically the gist of this horror flick adapted from a video game series. Josh Hutcherson ("The Hunger Games") and Elizabeth Lail ("You") star in this Universal Pictures release from Blumhouse Productions, the financially efficient maker of frequently successful scary movies including "Get Out" and "Happy Death Day."

"Pain Hustlers" — Oct. 27 — Netflix >> Having recently visited the topic of the potential dangers of pharmaceuticals with the limited series "Painkiller," Netflix offers this tale of a woman who takes a job at a struggling drug company in a Florida strip mall and finds herself at the center of a criminal enterprise. It boasts a major director — David Yates, of many a "Harry Potter"-related movie — and big-time stars in Emily Blunt and Chris Evans. After debuting soon at the Toronto International Film Festival, the film — based on journalist Evan Hughes' 2002 book — is slated to be in select theaters a week before its streaming date.

"American Fiction" — Nov. 3 — Theaters >> The consistently excellent Jeffrey Wright stars in this drama based on Percival Everatt's 2001 novel "Erasure," which offered commentary on the world of African-American literature. Look for the movie to get a wider release on Nov. 17.

"Fingernails" — Nov. 3 — Select theaters and Apple TV+ >> Did the spicy yet balanced second season of "The Bear" leave you wanting more of Jeremy Allen White? He's a key ingredient in the recipe for this film, along with two other first-rate actors, Jessie Buckley and Riz Ahmed. Buckley's Anna and White's Ryan are in love — so says a controversial new technology. Anna isn't sure, though, especially after she meet's Ahmed's Amir at a love-testing institute in this weird yet intriguing drama directed and co-written by Christos Nikou.

"Nyad" — Nov. 3 — Netflix >> Annette Bening stars as swimmer Diana Nyad in this biographical sports film oc-directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin

"Quiz Lady" — Nov. 3 — Hulu >> Awkwafina and Sandra Oh portray sisters Anne and Jenny, respectively, who team up to turn Anne into a first-rate game show contestant to try to pay off their mom's gambling debts. After its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival this month, the 20th Century Studio product will go right to Hulu.

"Journey to Bethlehem" — Nov. 10 — Theaters >> This Christmas-season musical featuring contemporary-sounding songs is the latest from Affirm Films, a Christian film studio that's under the Sony Pictures umbrella that also made this year's "Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World." Milo Manheim ("Zombies") stars as Joseph, and Fiona Palomo ("Outer Banks") is Mary, while Antonio Banderas portrays the jealous Herod.

"The Killer" — Nov. 10 — Netflix >> The deal between acclaimed director David Fincher ("Fight Club," "Gone Girl") and streaming giant Netflix continues with this film based on a comic book of the same name by Matz French. The cast is led by Michael Fassbender, playing the titular assassin. ("Stick to the plan," we hear the character say repeatedly in the recently released trailer.) The film will see a limited theatrical run that begins on Oct. 27.

"The Marvels" — Nov. 10 — Theaters >> This next entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe should be a real party. It will bring together Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) from the 2019 big-screen adventure "Captain Marvel" with Iman Vellani's delightful young Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan from the 2022 Disney+ series "Ms. Marvel" for a tale in which all of their powers become interwoven. That should prove to be inconvenient as they take on Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), a powerful Kree warrior revolutionary. Oh, and this get-together also will feature "Captain Marvel" supporting player Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), fresh off "Secret Invasion," which — like some other Disney+ Marvel series, including "Ms. Marvel" — started strong before falling flat.

"Best. Christmas. Ever." — Nov. 16 — Netflix >> Heather Graham, Brandy, Jason Biggs and Matt Cedeño portray friends in what appears to be a holiday comedy based on envy and insecurity. (Ah, the holidays.)

"The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" — Nov. 17 — Theaters >> Returning to the subject of delays, this one has seen its fair share. However, it looks like we will finally see the adaptation of "The Hunger Games" prequel novel by series author Suzanne Collins. Francis Lawrence, who directed three of the "Hunger Games" movies, is at the helm. The cast boasts Tom Blyth, as Coriolanus "Coryo" Snow, the future president of Panem; Rachel Zegler, as Lucy Gray Baird, a tribute from District 12; "Game of Thrones" alum Peter Dinklage, as Casca "Cas" Highbottom, creator of the games; and Viola Davis as Dr. Volumnia Gaul, head gamemaker of the 10th Hunger Games.

"Next Goal Wins" — Nov. 17 — Theaters >> Director Taika Waititi, who's had a hand in beloved projects ranging from films including "Thor: Ragnarok" and "Jojo Rabbit" to TV projects such as "What We Do in the Shadows" and "Reservation Dogs," next helms this adaptation of the 2014 documentary of the same name. The sports comedy-drama sees Michael Fassbender portraying the coach of the American Samoa national football team. The supporting cast includes Elizabeth Moss.

"Rustin" — Nov. 17 — Theaters >> Colman Domingo ("Candyman," "Fear the Walking Dead") portrays Bayard Rustin, the architect of 1963's March on Washington, in this biographical drama helmed by Tony Award-winning theater veteran George C. Wolfe. (Wolfe directed Domingo in the excellent 2020 film adaptation of August Wilson's "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.")

"Thanksgiving" — Nov. 17 — Theaters >> You'd be forgiven for assuming this is one of those easy-to-digest movies named after a holiday. Nope. It's a slasher movie from Eli Roth ("Hostel"), based on the fake trailer he made for 2007's "Grindhouse." If you want to keep your turkey down, maybe don't see this one after the big feast.

"Trolls Band Together" — Nov. 17 — Theaters >> Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake are back to voice Poppy and Branch, now a couple in this third big-screen computer-animated musical comedy.