Matt writes: RogerEbert.com publisher Chaz Ebert was honored last month at the University of Illinois Alumni Awards Gala. “I cannot believe that it was almost 25 years ago that Roger and I started the Roger Ebert Film Festival at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana,” said Ebert. “And I am pleased to be installed as an Honorary Alumnus. Over these years our mission of encouraging empathy through the movies has grown to include all of my FECK Principles: Forgiveness, Empathy, Compassion and Kindness. And we look forward to another exciting year of films at the Virginia Theatre, April 17-20, 2024. Roger said that the University gave him such a great start in life and he would be so proud of my recent honor.”
You can read all about the ceremony here.
Trailers
Fitting In (2024). Written and directed by Molly McGlynn. Starring Maddie Ziegler, Emily Hampshire, Djouliet Amara. Synopsis: A teen girl is diagnosed with a reproductive condition that upends her plans to have a sex life, propelling her to explore unusual methods. Her relationships are challenged with everyone in her life, but most importantly, herself. Debuts in the US on February 3rd, 2024.
American Symphony (2023). Directed by Matthew Heineman. Synopsis: Explores a year in the life of musician Jon Batiste. Debuts on Netflix on November 29th, 2023.
Damsel (2024). Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. Written by Dan Mazeau. Starring Millie Bobby Brown, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Robin Wright. Synopsis: A dutiful damsel agrees to marry a handsome prince, only to find the royal family has recruited her as a sacrifice to repay an ancient debt. Thrown into a cave with a fire-breathing dragon, she must rely on her wits and will to survive. US release date is TBA.
Sometimes I Think About Dying (2024). Directed by Rachel Lambert. Written by Stefanie Abel Horowitz, Kevin Armento and Katy Wright-Mead. Starring Daisy Ridley, Dave Merheje, Parvesh Cheena. Synopsis: Fran, who likes to think about dying, makes the new guy at work laugh, which leads to dating and more. Now the only thing standing in their way is Fran herself. Debuts in the US on January 10th, 2024.
Our Son (2024). Directed by Bill Oliver. Written by Bill Oliver and Peter Nickowitz. Starring Billy Porter, Luke Evans, Andrew Rannells. Synopsis: A divorcing couple fight over the custody of their 8-year-old son. US release date is TBA.
Role Play (2024). Directed by Thomas Vincent. Written by Seth W. Owen. Starring Kaley Cuoco, David Oyelowo, Bill Nighy. Synopsis: Young married couple whose past life’s secrets turn their life upside down. Debuts on Prime Video on January 12th, 2024.
Imaginary (2024). Directed by Jeff Wadlow. Written by Jeff Wadlow, Greg Erb, Bryce McGuire and Jason Oremland. Starring DeWanda Wise, Tom Payne, Betty Buckley. Synopsis: A woman returns to her childhood home to discover that the imaginary friend she left behind is very real and unhappy that she abandoned him. Debuts in the US on March 8th, 2024.
Arthur the King (2024). Directed by Simon Cellan Jones. Written by Michael Brandt (based on the book by Mikael Lindnord). Starring Mark Wahlberg, Nathalie Emmanuel, Simu Liu. Synopsis: An adventure racer adopts a stray dog named Arthur to join him in an epic endurance race. Debuts in the US on March 22nd, 2024.
The Sacrifice Game (2023). Directed by Jenn Wexler. Written by Jenn Wexler and Sean Redlitz. Starring Mena Massoud, Olivia Scott Welch, Chloë Levine. Synopsis: It’s bad enough that boarding school students Samantha and Clara can’t go home for the holidays, but things take a deadly turn when a murderous gang arrives on their doorstep – just in time for Christmass. Debuts on Shudder on December 8th, 2023.
Terrifier 3 (2024). Written and directed by Damien Leone. Starring David Howard Thornton, Lauren LaVera, Samantha Scaffidi. Synopsis: Art the Clown is set to unleash chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve. Debuts in the US on October 25th, 2024.
The Abyss (1989), 4K restoration. Written and directed by James Cameron. Starring Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn. Synopsis: A civilian diving team is enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and faces danger while encountering an alien aquatic species. US release date is TBA.
Rebel Moon—Part One: A Child of Fire (2023). Directed by Zack Snyder. Written by Zack Snyder, Shay Hatten and Kurt Johnstad. Starring Jena Malone, Sofia Boutella, Ed Skrein. Synopsis: When a peaceful settlement on the edge of a distant moon finds itself threatened by the armies of a tyrannical ruling force, a mysterious stranger living among its villagers becomes their best hope for survival. Debuts on Netflix on December 22nd, 2023.
Madame Web (2024). Directed by S.J. Clarkson. Written by S.J. Clarkson, Claire Parker, Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless. Starring Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Emma Roberts. Synopsis: Madame Web tells the standalone origin story of one of Marvel publishing’s most enigmatic heroines. Debuts in the US on February 14th, 2024.
Anyone But You (2023). Directed by Will Gluck. Written by Will Gluck and Ilana Wolpert. Starring Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Alexandra Shipp. Synopsis: After an amazing first date, Bea and Ben’s fiery attraction turns ice cold – until they find themselves unexpectedly reunited at a destination wedding in Australia. So they do what any two mature adults would do: pretend to be a couple. Debuts in the US on December 22nd, 2023.
Migration (2024). Directed by Benjamin Renner and Guylo Homsy. Written by Benjamin Renner and Mike White. Starring Elizabeth Banks, Awkwafina, Danny DeVito. Synopsis: A family of ducks try to convince their overprotective father to go on the vacation of a lifetime. Debuts in the US on December 22nd, 2023.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023). Directed by James Wan. Written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (based on characters created by Mort Weisinger and Paul Norris). Starring Jason Momoa, Ben Affleck, Patrick Wilson. Synopsis: Aquaman balances his duties as king and as a member of the Justice League, all while planning a wedding. Black Manta is on the hunt for Atlantean tech to help rebuild his armor. Orm plots to escape his Atlantean prison. Debuts in the US on December 22nd, 2023.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023). Directed by Sam Fell. Written by Karey Kirkpatrick, John O’Farrell and Rachel Tunnard. Starring Thandiwe Newton, Zachary Levi, Bella Ramsey. Synopsis: Having pulled off an escape from Tweedy’s farm, Ginger has found a peaceful island sanctuary for the whole flock. But back on the mainland the whole of chicken-kind faces a new threat, and Ginger and her team decide to break in. Debuts on Netflix on December 15th, 2023.
The Garfield Movie (2024). Directed by Mark Dindal. Written by Paul A. Kaplan, Mark Torgove and David Reynolds (based on the comic strip by Jim Davis). Starring Chris Pratt, Nicholas Hoult, Hannah Waddingham. Synopsis: Garfield is about to go on a wild outdoor adventure. After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father – the cat Vic – Garfield and Odie are forced to abandon their pampered life to join Vic in a hilarious, high-stakes heist. Debuts in the US on May 24th, 2024.
Emerald Fennell on “Saltburn“
Matt writes: Oscar-winning filmmaker Emerald Fennell (“Promising Young Woman“) recently spoke with Marya E. Gates about her galvanizing, divisive and utterly unforgettable new film, “Saltburn,” which is recommended by our critic Christy Lemire. You can read their chat here.
Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story
Matt writes: I had the pleasure of speaking with co-directors Gelila Bekele and Armani Ortiz about their new documentary, “Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story,” now streaming on Prime Video. You can read our full conversation here.
Free Movies
Sabotage (1936). Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Written by Charles Bennett (based on the novel by Joseph Conrad). Starring Sylvia Sidney, Oscar Homolka, Desmond Tester. Synopsis: A Scotland Yard undercover detective is on the trail of a saboteur who is part of a plot to set off a bomb in London. But when the detective’s cover is blown, the plot begins to unravel.
Watch “Sabotage“
Lady of Burlesque (1943). Directed by William A. Wellman. Written by James Gunn (based on the novel by Gypsy Rose Lee). Starring Barbara Stanwyck, Michael O’Shea, J. Edward Bromberg. Synopsis: After one member of their group is murdered, the performers at a burlesque house must work together to find out who the killer is before he strikes again.
Watch “Lady of Burlesque”
The Bigamist (1953). Directed by Ida Lupino. Written by Collier Young. Starring Joan Fontaine, Edmund Gwenn, Ida Lupino. Synopsis: A man secretly married to two women feels the pressure of his deceit.
