Holiday movie preview: 16 big-screen stars who belong on your radar this season

Movie buffs should get ready to know what New York theater audiences (and fans of Ryan Murphy’s Hollywood miniseries) already know: Jeremy Pope is a star. A24’s , Elegance Bratton’s autobiographical depiction of his enrollment in the Marines, capitalizes on Pope’s star power, letting him work both emotionally impactful moments and deliciously subtle ones.

Zoe Kazan is by no means an unknown Hollywood entity, but considering how low-key wonderful she’s been in everything from The Big Sick to Olive Kitteridge, it’s about time she got a splashy lead film role like . Kazan is allegedly being submitted for Oscar consideration as leading actress, while co-lead Carey Mulligan will get a supporting actress push. Directed by Maria Schrader and adapted by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, this retelling of New York Times journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey has preview audiences raving.

Hong Chau’s pronunciation of the word “tortillas” in the ensemble thriller isn’t just worth the price of admission; it’s worth an Oscar nomination. After her performances in Downsizing, Driveways, and Watchmen, she’s a bonafide star with a proven track record of elevating material. But The Menu won’t be your only chance to see Chau this season: she’s already earned a Gotham Award nomination for A24’s , which arrives in theaters December 9.

The marquee news around has been the reunion of Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino and star Timothée Chalamet. But leading this cannibal romance coming-of-age road drama (yes, you read that right) is Taylor Russell, who took home the Marcello Mastroianni Award at this year’s Venice Film Festival. Already a rising star thanks to Waves and Lost In Space, this Canadian actor will surely be able to turn her awe-inspiring Bones And All performance into more juicy leading roles.

Controversial yet brave opinion: Amy Adams should have been Oscar-nominated for Enchanted, and maybe should have even won. Disney+’s , the long-awaited sequel to that animated-and-live-action musical mashup, confirms that sending up Disney princess tropes is one of the actor’s many strengths. (And it’s a warm-up for her next project: Marielle Heller’s epically titled Nightbitch, where Adams will be playing a mom who believes she’s turning into a dog.)

“When a group of mercenaries attack the estate of a wealthy family on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus must step in to save the day,” reads the for . Is there a more perfect alignment of actor and role this year than David Harbour as a curmudgeonly, violent, beer-swilling Santa Claus?

The writer-director behind one of awards season’s most anticipated titles, Sarah Polley is on her way to making more of a name for herself behind the camera than she did on camera. If her previous films Away From Her and Take This Waltz are anything to go by, will get Hollywood, well, talking. This tale of Mennonite women grappling with abuse and faith in their community has already earned recognition at the Gotham Awards for Polley and supporting stars Jessie Buckley and Ben Whishaw.

What a treat to finally put Brendan Fraser back on a list of film stars having a grand career moment. The 2022–23 awards season may be remembered as the actor’s big comeback; his stunning performance in A24’s adaptation of has already earned him a tribute honor at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival and a Gotham nod. Awards voters love a comeback narrative—could Fraser be looking at a season-long sweep of leading actor honors?

There are, of course, any number of buzzy names we could single out as stars to watch in James Cameron’s upcoming . But given the recent revelation that Kate Winslet, who plays a diver in the aquatic-heavy installment, bested co-stars Sigourney Weaver and Zoe Saldaña in setting a new record for , we have no choice but to preemptively name her this film’s highlight.

If any film can crash awards season late in the game and shake up the leading actress race, it’s a Whitney Houston biopic. is written by Anthony McCarten and directed by Kasi Lemmons, and stars brilliant British actor Naomi Ackie as Houston—the kind of cultural icon that practically demands the Hollywood-retelling treatment. Audiences, and likely awards nominators, will definitely be checking this one out.

Wisecracking cat. Iconic boots. Antonio Banderas. It’s a winning combination, as many Shrek installments and 2011’s Puss In Boots have proven. The incomparable Banderas leads an all-star voiceover cast in —he’s joined by Salma Hayek, Olivia Colman, Harvey Guillén, John Mulaney, Florence Pugh, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph—making it a must-see animated adventure for kids and parents alike.

Jonathan Majors may be the quintessential star to watch at the moment, a trend that will continue well into 2023. , co-starring Glen Powell, casts Majors as a trailblazing U.S. Navy fighter pilot, but it’s a mere warm-up for his films that arrive early next year. In February, Majors squares off against Paul Rudd in , and in March, he steps into the ring with Michael B. Jordan in . The man positively exudes charisma and has the talent to match, so it’s fitting that Hollywood has fully caught on.

The less revealed about Rian Johnson’s Knives Out sequel, the better. But suffice it to say that the star-studded ensemble of features a remarkable turn from musician-actor-all-around-powerhouse Janelle Monáe. Upstaging Daniel Craig’s now-iconic Benoit Blanc is no easy task, but if anyone can do it, it’s them.

When is Margot Robbie not a star to watch? She currently belongs on our radar for Damien Chazelle’s bombastic awards contender , what feels like her umpteenth starring role in this golden age of Robbie. But her producing work is keeping pace with her acting; the coming years will bring Greta Gerwig’s eagerly awaited , of course, plus Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn and an Ocean’s Eleven project.

There’s a reason indie and international film buffs often name Vicky Krieps as their favorite actor. The Luxembourgish star wowed audiences in Phantom Thread and Bergman Island, and turns in compelling work once again in , Marie Kreutzer’s irreverent depiction of the 19th century Empress Elisabeth of Austria. Critics are raving, which is par for the course with Krieps.

You may have heard of this star to watch, for he’s the starriest star of them all. But Tom Hanks is not making this list for prestige holiday-season Oscar bait, nor his eyebrow-raising work in . As a widower grumpily contending with less-grumpy neighbors in , Hanks is poised to play to one of his strengths: cinematic fun for the whole family.