After a wonderful (by British standards) Summer, we have to admit that Britain is hurtling towards the end of the year at breakneck speed. The nights are drawing in, the temperature is dropping, and we have to find constant reasons to actually venture out from our warm homes. The sunny days are few and far between, and a quick peek out of the window shows more clouds than we would like.
However, all is not lost! There are reasons to go out! And they involve going to warm, dry places! Here are five must-see films coming to the UK during the Autumn that should tempt you out of your homes.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Release: 18th November
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is the first in a trilogy of films set in J.K. Rowling‘s Harry Potter universe. The film (and its planned sequels) will follow the story of Magizoologist Newt Scamander some 70 years before Harry’s adventures at Hogwarts. Newt arrives in the United States in 1926 with a case of magical creatures that inevitably get loose and threaten to expose the hidden American Wizarding World to the general public.
David Yates, who helmed the last four Harry Potter movies returns to the Wizarding World to direct Fantastic Beasts. J.K. Rowling makes her screenwriting debut and the film stars Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, alongside Colin Farrell, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, and Alison Sudol. Fantastic Beasts is loosely based on the book of the same name, an in-universe textbook that is required reading for Hogwarts students.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Release: 16th December
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is the first of the three planned standalone spin-off films set in the Star Wars universe. Rogue One will show how a ragtag group of Rebels fought against the Empire and stole the Death Star plans shortly before Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. Of course, we know how that will pan out – the delivery of the plans to the Rebel base was one of the main plot points of the original film.
Gareth Edwards directs from a screenplay written by Gary Whitta, and the film stars Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso, Diego Luna as Captain Cassian Andor, and Ben Mendelsohn as Director Orson Krennic. Forest Whittaker will portray the role of Saw Gerrera, a character who originated in episodes of The Clone Wars animated series. Unlike the main Star Wars films, Rogue One evokes the feel of a war movie, where the stakes are high and no one is guaranteed to walk away alive.
Doctor Strange
Release: 25th October
Marvel Comics continues to dominate the superhero film genre with the latest film in their Cinematic Universe, Doctor Strange. Doctor Stephen Strange is a brilliant but arrogant neurosurgeon who suffers massive damage to his hands in a car accident leaving him unable to perform surgery. Desperate to heal his injuries, he travels to Far East and encounters the Ancient One who teaches him about magic, alternate dimensions, and forces beyond his imagination. Strange must become Earth’s protector as the Sorcerer Supreme.
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Doctor Strange, with Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Baron Mordo. As the Marvel Cinematic Universe expands beyond the purview of super-soldiers, green gamma monsters, and alien gods, Doctor Strange will introduce the world of magic and mysticism into the franchise. Doctor Strange looks set to continue Marvel’s run of successfully introducing obscure characters to the general public.
Assassin’s Creed
Release: 1st January
For almost a decade, the Assassin’s Creed franchise has presented us with an enthralling (and sometimes confusing) alternate history of the world as seen through the eyes of the immortal enemies of the Assassin Brotherhood and the Templar Order. Now, for the first time, Assassin’s Creed brings their story to the cinema. Assassin’s Creed will not adapt any of the original games, but will be an entirely new story in the Assassin’s Creed universe.
Michael Fassbender pulls double duty in the film. He stars as Callum Lynch, who is subjected to the Animus, a device that is capable of allowing him to relive the lives of his genetic ancestors. Fassbender also portrays Aguilar, Lynch’s Assassin ancestor in 15th-Century Spain. Assassin’s Creed will explore both characters as in both the present and the past as Fassbender takes on the Templar Order, presumably using multiple hidden blades, incredible parkour feats, and death-defying falls off high towers.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
Release: In Cinemas Now
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is based on the book of the same name by American author Ransom Riggs. Miss Peregrine runs an orphanage for “Peculiars,” children with special abilities that set them apart from the world. They are hunted by the Hollows who seek to consume them. A dark children’s fantasy, the film is directed by Tim Burton and stars Eva Green as the titular Miss Peregrine, with a cast that includes Asa Butterfield, Samuel L. Jackson, and Judi Dench.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children can be seen as a cross between Harry Potter and the X-Men in the sense that they both deal with schools inhabited by children with unique abilities. The original book uses vintage photography to portray the story and characters, giving the series a unique feel that is enhanced by Tim Burton’s unique visual style.
Watch all this and more on Virgin TV. The TV you love, brilliantly brought together. Find out more at virginmedia.com/virgintv.
