Buried in today’s news that we are getting more Star Wars movies, which I’m not sure anybody really asked for, as well as more Avatar movies, which I absolutely know nobody asked for, is something far more interesting for car enthusiasts. It’s the release date for Ford V. Ferrari, a dramatization of the famed battle between those two marques at Le Mans in 1966. You’ll be able to see it in theaters Nov. 15.
This is one to get excited about. First, it’s directed by James Mangold, who brought us the utterly excellent X-Men final chapter Logan. Second, it’s got a pretty stellar cast: Christian Bale (presumably on another insane post-Dick Cheney workout plan) as driver Ken Miles, The Punisher and The Walking Dead’s Jon Bernthal as Lee Iacocca, and Matt Damon as American hero of speed Carroll Shelby.
The 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, in case you don’t know, is one of the most celebrated races in motorsports history. It was the first overall win at Le Mans for the Ford GT40; the car also finished second and third, vanquishing dominant Ferrari after a bitter on- and off-track feud between that Italian racing titan and the upstarts at Ford.
Mark your calendars for Nov. 15! Hopefully people go see it, unlike Rush, which was also good but only seen by me and approximately four other people.
The full press release from Disney-Fox is below.
The Walt Disney Studios has unveiled its upcoming slate following the recent acquisition of the Fox film studios, including changes to previously dated films and a number of major additions.
After kicking off with the record-setting success of Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame, The Walt Disney Studios’ 2019 summer slate includes Disney’s Aladdin on May 24, Fox’s Dark Phoenix on June 7, Pixar’s Toy Story 4 on June 21, Fox’s Stuber on July 12, and Disney’s The Lion King on July 19. Fox 2000’s The Art of Racing in the Rain moves up to Aug. 9, and Fox Searchlight’s Ready or Not will release on Aug. 23, while three films move to later dates: Ad Astra (9/20/19), The New Mutants (4/3/20), and Artemis Fowl (5/29/20).
The Studios’ 2019 slate rounds out with Fox’s The Woman in the Window on Oct. 4 and Ford V. Ferrari on Nov. 15, Disney’s Maleficent: Mistress of Evil on Oct. 18 and Disney Animation’s Frozen 2 on Nov. 22, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalkeron Dec. 20, and Blue Sky Studios’ Spies in Disguise, moving from September to Christmas. Among early 2020 titles are Fox’s Underwater on Jan. 10, a new Kingsman movie on Feb. 14, and Call of the Wild on Feb. 21, followed by Pixar’s Onward on March 6 and Disney’s Mulan on March 27.
The updated calendar also sets release dates for major franchises Avatar and Star Wars. With Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker bringing the original Skywalker Saga to its conclusion, three new as-yet-untitled Star Wars films will release on the pre-Christmas weekend every other year beginning in 2022. Four forthcoming Avatar films, expanding the vibrant world of Pandora, will release on the pre-Christmas weekend every other year beginning in 2021. In the holiday corridor for 2020, Fox’s West Side Story adaptation, directed by Steven Spielberg, will debut Dec. 18 in the pre-Christmas slot, with Disney’s Cruella opening Wednesday, Dec. 23, for the long holiday weekend.
“We’re excited to put in place a robust and diverse slate that lays the foundation of our long-term strategy, bringing together a breadth of films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Fox, Fox Searchlight, and Blue Sky Studios to create an extraordinary collection of cinematic experiences for audiences around the world,” said Cathleen Taff, President, Theatrical Distribution, Franchise Management, and Business & Audience Insights, The Walt Disney Studios. “With a strong summer already in place, we are eager to carry that momentum forward over the coming years thanks to a creative wellspring of bold and imaginative stories coming from our world-class studios – including several new chapters of two revered franchises, Avatar and Star Wars.”
It’s gotta be better than another Avatar movie, right?