From A to Z: Inside Fall 2019’s 26 Must-See Films

Credit: Jessica Miglio; Glen Wilson; David Hindley; Niko Tavernise

From A to Z: Inside Fall 2019's 26 Must-See Films

It's officially that time of the year. Fall movies are underway and many may just be the ones leading awards season. Us Weekly is highlighting 26 must-see films in this week's issue on newsstands now. From Brad Pitt as an astronaut to Jesse Eisenberg as a zombie killer, and everything in between, the films of the fall contain a little bit of everything: family joy in the sequels of Maleficent and Frozen; romance with Last Christmas and Noelle; and meaningful stories with Queen & Slim and Harriet. This season also features multiple films based on true stories, like the biopic of Judy Garland with Renée Zellweger in the leading role in Judy. "I worked with Renée pretty much inclusively, but I really only worked with Judy. I rarely saw Renée out of Judy," says Finn Wittrock, who portrays Garland's fifth husband, Mickey Deans, in the film. "When I would see Renée on rare occasions, like with blonde hair and cut-up jeans, I would forget that I had known her at all. She was always in her transformation." The same goes for Tom Hanks, who completely transformed into Fred Rogers for the biopic. "I’m sure people are bored about hearing how nice Tom is, but sadly that is the truth, but on another level," Hanks' costar Matthew Rhys tells Us. "He is a true hero of mine from my very early days, so when you sit in the same room with him or sit opposite in an act-off with him, regardless of how lovely, charming and relaxed he makes you feel, you’re still looking at Tom Hanks and everything he brings with him, so it took a few days for me to get over my own inhibitions!" As for the Academy Award winner's ability to become Mister Rogers, the 44-year-old winner says it's all because of Hanks' hard work. "I just think it’s the level of preparedness that he does and he’s all encompassing of the process, he takes in everyone and every element and processes it and turns that into this presence," Rhys says. "Every level is taken into consideration. He not only does his own job, but he takes in every part." Scroll through the gallery below for all the inside scoop on the season's must-see movies.

Credit: Jessica Miglio; Glen Wilson; David Hindley; Niko Tavernise

From A to Z: Inside Fall 2019's 26 Must-See Films

It's officially that time of the year. Fall movies are underway and many may just be the ones leading awards season. Us Weekly is highlighting 26 must-see films in this week's issue on newsstands now. From Brad Pitt as an astronaut to Jesse Eisenberg as a zombie killer, and everything in between, the films of the fall contain a little bit of everything: family joy in the sequels of Maleficent and Frozen; romance with Last Christmas and Noelle; and meaningful stories with Queen & Slim and Harriet. This season also features multiple films based on true stories, like the biopic of Judy Garland with Renée Zellweger in the leading role in Judy. "I worked with Renée pretty much inclusively, but I really only worked with Judy. I rarely saw Renée out of Judy," says Finn Wittrock, who portrays Garland's fifth husband, Mickey Deans, in the film. "When I would see Renée on rare occasions, like with blonde hair and cut-up jeans, I would forget that I had known her at all. She was always in her transformation." The same goes for Tom Hanks, who completely transformed into Fred Rogers for the biopic. "I’m sure people are bored about hearing how nice Tom is, but sadly that is the truth, but on another level," Hanks' costar Matthew Rhys tells Us. "He is a true hero of mine from my very early days, so when you sit in the same room with him or sit opposite in an act-off with him, regardless of how lovely, charming and relaxed he makes you feel, you’re still looking at Tom Hanks and everything he brings with him, so it took a few days for me to get over my own inhibitions!" As for the Academy Award winner's ability to become Mister Rogers, the 44-year-old winner says it's all because of Hanks' hard work. "I just think it’s the level of preparedness that he does and he’s all encompassing of the process, he takes in everyone and every element and processes it and turns that into this presence," Rhys says. "Every level is taken into consideration. He not only does his own job, but he takes in every part." Scroll through the gallery below for all the inside scoop on the season's must-see movies.

Credit: Francois Duhamel

A is for 'Ad Astra'

Brad Pitt plays Roy McBride, an astronaut who travels to space to find his missing father (Tommy Lee Jones), a man whose actions threaten the survival of humans on Earth. Director James Gray referenced images from the Apollo missions to ensure an authentic look that has already impressed early audiences. (Sept. 20)

Credit: Lacey Terrell

B is for 'A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood'

Though Mister Rogers is a household name in the States, Welsh actor Matthew Rhys wasn’t familiar with the children’s-TV star. “It was an entirely new revelation for me as I read the script,” he tells Us. Tom Hanks, not surprisingly, embodies Fred Rogers so well, Rhys “forgot it was Tom. I was gobsmacked by him,” the Americans alum says, adding that even though he’d met him before, “I was starstruck!” Get ready for all the feels. (Nov. 22)

Credit: Nadja Klier

C is for 'Charlie’s Angels'

Director, writer and star Elizabeth Banks had a vision for how the latest trio — Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska — should play the girl-power icons: Focus on women building each other up. “It’s very aspirational,” Banks tells Us. “It’s life-affirming on every level, because these are just human beings who are, regardless of their gender, getting to live their best lives.” And when it came to the action, she wanted to show “how real women would fight, and the advantages women need in order to overcome men who are physically bigger and more powerful than they are.” (Nov. 15)

Credit: Jessica Miglio

D is for 'Doctor Sleep'

Here’s ... Ewan McGregor! In a movie that’s set decades after The Shining, McGregor portrays an adult Dan Torrance, who struggles with psychic powers and addiction. (No surprise, with his traumatic childhood!) The Haunting of Hill House creator Mike Flanagan writes and directs. (Nov. 8)

Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

E is for 'El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie'

It’s been six years since Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) escaped the life of cooking. Now the hunt for him is on again, and familiar faces, including Skinny Pete (Charles Baker), may be of some help. (Netflix, Oct. 11)

Credit: Merrick Morton

F is for 'Ford v Ferrari'

Matt Damon and Christian Bale play real-life characters Carroll Shelby, an auto innovator, and Ken Miles, a race car driver, who team up to build a speed machine that can beat the famed Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. In real life, Miles died in a crash two months after the race while testing a new Ford model. “It became about my life and the people, the family and friends, that I’ve lost,” Bale says about relating to his character. (Nov. 15)

Credit: Paramount Pictures

G is for 'Gemini Man'

If you’ve ever thought to yourself, "I love Will Smith so much, I wish there were two of him," you’re in luck! This action flick centers around an elite assassin on the run from a much younger clone of himself. Oscar winner Ang Lee directs Smith and his CGI counterpart! (Oct. 11)

Credit: Glen Wilson

H is for 'Harriet'

The emotional biopic features Cynthia Erivo as abolitionist Harriet Tubman. The story also depicts those who fought against the activist, including Jennifer Nettles’ Eliza, who’s “definitely not a heroine,” she tells Us. “Eliza was desperate. She was a survivalist in her own way.” (Nov. 1)

Credit: Disney

I is for Idina Menzel

Let it go — again! The sequel to Disney’s 2013 blockbuster Frozen features the familiar voices of Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell and Jonathan Groff, but Menzel hopes fans won’t compare the second film to the original. “The characters are evolving and getting richer and deeper,” she tells Us. “They’re learning from their mistakes, and they’re on a quest to find the answers to questions about who they are and what their purpose is.” (Nov. 22)

Credit: David Hindley

J is for 'Judy'

Renée Zellweger transforms into 1968-era Judy Garland, giving audiences a look at her life 30 years after The Wizard of Oz. “You get more details, a lot more depth psychologically,” says Finn Wittrock, who plays Judy’s fifth husband, Mickey Deans. “It shows a side of her that most haven’t seen.” (Sept. 27)

Credit: Claire Folger

K is for 'Knives Out'

A black comedy that’s also a mystery starring Daniel Craig as the detective investigating a murder? Count Us in! Chris Evans is Ransom Drysdale-Thrombey, the grandson of a wealthy crime novelist found dead during his 85th-birthday party in this modern whodunit. (Nov. 27)

Credit: Yana Blajeva

L is for 'Last Blood'

Rambo takes one final bow in the fifth installment of the beloved Rambo franchise. John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) heads to Mexico to try to rescue his niece, who’s been taken by the cartel. (Sept. 20)

Credit: Jaap Buitendijk

M is for 'Maleficent: Mistress of Evil'

Five years after the events of the original, Maleficent’s peaceful life is disturbed by the engagement of Prince Phillip (Harris Dickinson) and Aurora (Elle Fanning). Angelina Jolie, who plays the Mistress of Evil herself, couldn’t wait to get back into costume, but this time around, she was careful not to repeat a mistake from the first film. “When somebody would bring a child on set, I would go say hello, and they’d freeze or be like, ‘Could you get the witch to stop talking to me?’” she jokes to Us. Now that they know who she is, the actress says, “They like me!” (Oct. 18)

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N is for 'Noelle'

What happens when Santa wants to retire? Anna Kendrick’s Noelle Kringle, St. Nick’s daughter, is about to find out. In the Disney+ movie, she’s forced to venture outside the North Pole for the first time to find her brother, Nick (Bill Hader), who fled after learning he was next in line to be Father Christmas. (Nov. 12)

Credit: Niko Tavernise

O is for Origin Story

Before he was a terrifying clown, he was Arthur Fleck. Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker traces the villain’s rise and zeroes in on his one friend, Sophie (Zazie Beetz). “She’s one of very few people who does treat him with kindness,” says Beetz. “I love her connection with him." (Oct. 4)

Credit: Hilary B. Gayle

P is for Portman

Loosely based on the headline-making story of astronaut Lisa Nowak, Lucy in the Sky follows Natalie Portman’s Lucy Cola, who finds life back on Earth difficult after a lengthy stay in space. Jon Hamm stars as the man she has an affair with. (Oct. 4)

Credit: Universal Pictures

Q is for 'Queen & Slim'

Lena Waithe penned this romantic drama, which follows Slim (Daniel Kaluuya) and Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith), who get pulled over on their first date. After the situation escalates, Slim kills a police officer in self-defense and the couple are forced to go on the run. (Nov. 27)

Credit: Atsushi Nishijima

R is for 'Report'

This docudrama follows Senate staffer Daniel J. Jones (Adam Driver), who leads an investigation into the CIA’s torture methods. “It’s incredibly compelling, and it’s about an incredibly important thing,” Hamm, who plays chief of staff Denis McDonough, tells Us. (Nov. 15)

Credit: Courtesy of NetFlix

S is for Scorsese

Hollywood heavyweights Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci team up in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, based on the novel I Heard You Paint Houses. The crime film tells the story of a WWII vet and mob hitman who looks back at his involvement with the Bufalino crime family. (Nov. 27)

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T is for Terminator

After 28 years, Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor is back for one last rodeo. So why return for Terminator: Dark Fate, a direct sequel to the 1984 and 1991 installments? Simple: James Cameron. “I know that he was really the genius be- hind the franchise,” Hamilton says about her ex-husband. “They didn’t work without him.” In the new movie, Sarah is “more of an outsider than ever” and is “very lost and hurt,” which meant Hamilton had to tap into something new. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she says. “It was overwhelming spiritually, emotionally, mentally. The more demanding, the harder, the greater.” (Nov. 1)

Credit: Alan Markfield

U is for U.S. Military

Midway follows U.S. Navy sailors and aviators during the battle of the same name during World War II. Aaron Eckhart, Ed Skrein and Luke Evans star in the film based on real-life events. (Nov. 8)

Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

V is for Henry V

Timothée Chalamet takes on English monarch King Henry V in The King. The film, loosely based on William Shakespeare’s plays, also stars Joel Edgerton (who cowrote the film) as John Falstaff, Henry’s best friend. (Oct. 11)

Credit: Kimberley French

W is for Watiti

Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi is back with the dark comedy Jojo Rabbit, about German boy Jojo “Rabbit” Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis), who finds out his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a young Jewish girl in their attic. Sam Rockwell stars as a Nazi captain who runs a Hitler Youth camp. (Oct. 18)

Credit: Wilson Webb

X is for XO

Or maybe not so much.Driver and Johansson play a seemingly happy husband and wife in Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story. When their lives start to pull them apart, they must decide what they really want. (Nov. 6)

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Y is for Yule Tide

Yes, movies can be inspired by Wham! songs! Last Christmas follows Kate (Emilia Clarke), who works in a Christmas shop and repeatedly runs into Tom (Henry Golding). And the rest is history! “Tom’s a breath of fresh air in this technology-heavy, away-from-being-present kind of world that we live in right now,” Golding tells Us. Something else that drew him to the role? His costar! “The chemistry was natural. She’s incredibly sweet, really pleasant and easy to work with,” he says. Also? He’s a Game of Thrones superfan! (Nov. 8)

Credit: Jessica Miglio

Z is for Zombieland

It’s been 10 years and the gang is officially back together. Abigail Breslin, Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson return for Zombieland: Double Tap. “They love each other more, but they’re also more irritated with each other,” Eisenberg tells Us. “They’re kind of curious about the outside world but incredibly suspicious of it. It’s all the things that happen to a family after you’re stuck with each other for a decade.” Rumors of a sequel had been floating for years; says Eisenberg, it was “just about waiting for the right script.” (Oct. 18)