Fall films: Everything old is new again

Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series. See Part 2 in the Friday, Oct. 12 edition.

Everything old is new again this fall. We have a film being remade a fifth time, another that is the 10th attempt to cover the story, and yet another currently in development that is one of 10 versions of a character!  But the fall box office is also a time in which more prestige pictures are released in time for awards season as well as blockbusters to cash in on the holiday breaks for families. Here’s a guide to some of the more notable titles ready to hit screens:

Oct. 12

Bad Times at the El Royale: In what some are calling “Diet Tarantino,” a disheveled Lake Tahoe hotel sets the scene where seven strangers seeking redemption cross paths. “Bad Times” is flooded with A-list actors such as Jeff Bridges, Chris Hemsworth, Jon Hamm, Cynthia Erivo, Russell Crowe, and Dakota Johnson.

Beautiful Boy: “Call Me By Your Name’s” Timothée Chalamet could be vying for a second Oscar nomination in his role as a young man whose meth addiction complicates his relationship with his father (played by Steve Carell). Based on a true story, the film compiles author David Sheffs’ two best-selling memoirs.

First Man: “La La Land” director Damien Chazelle reteams with that film’s star Ryan Gosling for this Neil Armstrong biopic and the race to be the first man to walk on the moon.

Oct. 19

Can You Ever Forgive Me: Melissa McCarthy lands a dramatic role as real-life journalist Lee Israel, a former writer down on her luck who lands a last-ditch effort for income – as a literary forger.

Mowgli: “The Jungle Book” is adapted yet again, this time directed by Andy Serkis (who co-stars as Baloo, in motion capture) and featuring the voices of Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Naomie Harris.

Halloween: Danny McBride, who usually found comfort in comedy, has penned this latest installment of the Michael Myers saga, which serves as a continuation of the events that took place after “Halloween II.” Jamie Lee Curtis returns as his sister (now a pistol-packing grandma) and has already been earning respect from fans after an early film festival screening.

Nov. 2

Bohemian Rhapsody: Rami Malek (“Mr. Robot”) stars as Freddie Mercury in this long-in-development biopic about the velvet-voiced Queen frontman, following him through the band’s early days to its performance at Live Aid in 1985.

Boy Erased: Garrard Conley’s acclaimed memoir gets tackled by actor/director Joel Edgerton (“The Gift”). Lucas Hedges stars as son of a Baptist preacher who, after being outed to his parents, is pressured into gay conversion therapy.

Suspiria: Luca Guadagnino, director of “Call Me By Your Name,” directs this remake of Dario Argento’s 1977 seminal horror film that follows a young ballet dancer (played by  Dakota Johnson) who joins a prestigious dance academy in Berlin. But when fellow students start dying, she realizes there may be more sinister things behind the curtain.

The Other Side of the Wind: Talk about delays: originally shot between 1970 and 1976, this Orson Welles film was still unfinished at the time of his death in 1985. Considered one of the most troubled productions in Hollywood, the film was plagued by legal and financial woes. Netflix ran to the rescue and provided funding for its completion. Satire stars Peter Bogdanovich and John Huston.

Nov. 9

The Girl in the Spider’s Web: Continuation of “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” “Spider” has a new lead (“The Crown’s” Claire Foy) as Salander, and “Don’t Breathe’s” Fede Alvarez as director.