Welcome to part one of our massive 7-part Toronto International Film Fest preview series leading right up to the festival kickoff next Thursday. We begin things today with a look at 10 films getting big launches from their distributors at the fest. Tell us below what you're most excited about and check back in tomorrow for a peek at some of the titles making their way to TIFF from across the Pacific.
12 Years a Slave
The stars have really lined up for Steve McQueen's follow-up to 2011's Shame with Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Scoot McNairy, Sarah Paulson, and even Quvenzhané Wallis filling out the cast list. Fox Searchlight's 19th century slave epic is in the can and making its world premiere at TIFF ahead of its October 18 release date.
Gravity
It's been seven years since Alfonso Cuarón impressed audiences with the futuristic Children of Men. Now is his chance to really blow some minds with this Sandra Bullock and George Clooney-starring zero-G tale. It world premiered last week at Venice and WB is bringing it to US screens on October 4.
Dallas Buyers Club
Matthew McConaughey stars with Jennifer Garner and Jared Leto in Jean-Marc Vallee's story of a smuggler-turned AIDS activist who brings medications over the border. Focus will drop the film on limited audiences starting November 1.
Labor Day
Jason Reitman is turning out to be one of Hollywood's most reliable directors with four previous features in '05, '07, '09, and '11. Not only are his release dates consistent but they are consistently very good films with smart writing and strong performances. His latest is based on Joyce Maynard's novel about a mom, a son, and an escaped convict. It stars Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin, Gattlin Griffith, Tobey Maguire, and Clark Gregg. Look for a Paramount release come Christmas time.
Rush
No, it's not the long-promised Geddy Lee bio-pic you've all been waiting for -- but the time period is pretty close. This 1976-set big budget Ron Howard film written by Peter Morgan recreates the rivalry between F1 drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda and stars Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl. Olivia Wilde and Natalie Dormer co-star in the Universal picture set to tear up the track starting September 20.
How I Live Now
Kevin Macdonald's (Last King of Scotland) Young Adult adaptation takes place in a war-wracked near future. Saoirse Ronan (who is Irish) stars as an American girl out of place falling in love in the UK. Magnolia will release the film stateside November 8.
The Fifth Estate
If you think Bill Condon's been pretty busy spending all that money since directing Twilight: Breaking Dawn 1 & 2, you are probably right. But he's also been working on this WikiLeaks drama for Dreamworks which stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Julian Assange. Look for this one to hit US screens on October 11.
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
One of the Weinstein Co.'s big awards movies of the season is this long-awaited bio-pic of the South African leader that stars Idris Elba as the great man and Naomie Harris as his wife. Justin Chadwick (The Other Boleyn Girl) directed the film which comes to US screens in limited release starting November 29.
The Art of the Steal
Jay Baruchel, Matt Dillon, Kurt Russell, and Terrence Stamp star in this rare book caper film from Jonathan Sobol (A Beginner's Guide to Endings) adapted from the 2009 documentary of the same name. RADiUS-TWC will be bringing this to US screens soon.
Dom Hemingway
Richard Shepard has been plenty busy since 2007's The Hunting Party directing four episodes of Girls and executive producing two other TV series (Ringer and Golden Boy). Fox Searchlight scooped him up to direct this Jude Law-starring safe cracker black comedy that co-stars Richard E. Grant, Demian Bichir, and Emilia Clarke and hits US theaters soon.
Other films launching at the fest include Nicole Holofcener's Enough Said starring Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini, Toni Collette, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus; coming Sept 20 from Fox Searchlight, IFC's upcoming Annette Benning, Ed Harris, and Robin Williams starring The Face of Love, and Ralph Fiennes's sophomore directing effort The Invisible Woman starring Fiennes, Felicity Jones, and Kristin Scott Thomas and heading to theater on Christmas from Sony Pictures Classics.