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How can you not love going to the movies?
Look at the dazzling variety in these three films alone – a gripping if fantastical thriller, a garrulously chaotic animated delight based on an iconic Dr Seuss book and some seriously Halloween adjacent supernatural goings-on in an otherwise ordinary Canadian town.
It’s this sort of variety that excites and enthralls me and it’s making the run down to Christmas, and beyond, look like a lot of cinematic fun indeed …
(courtesy IMP Awards)
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The odds of being swallowed alive by a whale are not zero. Following the death of his father (Josh Brolin), Jay Gardiner (Austin Abrams) goes diving off the central Coast of California in search of his remains, but is swallowed by a massive sperm whale. While trapped inside its belly with only one hour of oxygen left, Jay comes to realize that the hard-earned lessons that his father imparted may be the key to his escape. Whalefall is directed by American writer / filmmaker Brian Duffield, director of the movies Spontaneous and No One Will Save You previously. The screenplay is written by Brian Duffield & Daniel Kraus; adapted from the book of the same name written by Daniel Kraus, first published in 2023. Produced by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Brian Duffield, Jeb Brody, and Allan Mandelbaum. (courtesy First Showing)
Whalefall releases 15 October in Australia and 16 October in USA.
(courtesy IMP Awards)
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“Today is going to be THE. BEST. DAY. EVER!” Meet the Cat in the Hat you don’t know! In the whimsical tradition of Dr. Seuss, The Cat in the Hat comes to the big screen in his animated theatrical feature film debut, an all-new, epic adventure with an edge, where mischief, magic and mayhem reign supreme. Doing what he does best, the Cat—as voiced by Bill Hader—spreads joy to kids in his hilarious, signature and singularly irreverent way, transporting them and audiences on a fantastical journey through a world they’ve never seen before. The Cat in the Hat is co-directed by animation filmmakers Alessandro Carloni (director of Kung Fu Panda 3) & Erica Rivinoja (writer on Trolls, The Addams Family, Clone High). It’s also written by Carloni & Rivinoja, adapted from the iconic Dr. Seuss book first published in 1957. Produced by Daniela Mazzucato and Jared Stern. Made by Warner Bros Animation. (courtesy First Showing)
The Cat in the Hat releases 6 November in USA and 31 December 2026 in Australia.
(courtesy First Showing)
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Calvin Penney (Hartnett) is a big‑hearted but stubborn fisherman living in a small Newfoundland town, who’s still haunted by his father’s mysterious death from decades ago. When an unidentified sea creature begins terrorizing his hometown, Calvin must fight to hold his close-knit community together. Determined to keep his son Wade and the rest of his family safe, he teams up with a visiting marine researcher (Davis) to confront the creature and reveal the island’s buried secrets before it’s too late. Below is a series created and showrun by screenwriter Jesse McKeown (Robson Arms, The Romeo Section, The Sinner, The Umbrella Academy). With writing by Perry Chafe, Karen Walton, Natty Zavitz, Jesse McKeown. And eps directed by Jamie Childs, Stephen Dunn, Helen Shaver. Made by Pacesetter Productions. Exec produced by Jessica Rhoades, Chris Hatcher, Josh Hartnett, Jamie Childs, Louise Sutton, Sharon Hall, Jesse McKeown. (courtesy First Showing)
Below premieres as a six-episode limited series on Netflix on 8 October.