As we approach the September kick-off date, the Toronto International Film Festival is beginning to round out its already-stacked lineup with new high-profile, awards-caliber films. Earlier today, we reported that new films starring Chris Pine, Laura Dern, and Kristen Stewart were opening and closing the fest, but now we know some of the other big projects that are joining them.
READ MORE: Chris Pine, Laura Dern, & Kristen Stewart Headline TIFF’s 2018 Opening And Closing Films
Leading the way is the international premiere of the Joel Edgerton film “Boy Erased.” That film, which stars Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, and Lucas Hedges, is getting plenty of awards-season buzz. Clearly, all eyes will be on its fall festival debuts to see how well Edgerton follows up his severely-underrated debut film “The Gift.”
Joining “Boy Erased” is a lineup of some big filmmaking names like Jeremy Saulnier, Paul Greengrass, Jonah Hill, and Sam Taylor-Johnson. Saulnier’s “Hold the Dark” is a film that has been a long time coming, as the project was potentially going to be included in this year’s Cannes Film Festival, but after the festival’s feud with Netflix, ‘Dark’ sees its premiere at TIFF. Not a bad rebound, at all.
Greengrass is another victim of the Cannes/Netflix battle. His upcoming film “22 July,” which was set to premiere earlier this year, will join Saulnier’s “Hold the Dark” at TIFF, where it will have its North American premiere. Jonah Hill’s upcoming 16mm coming-of-age film “Mid90s” is also going to be at TIFF, where the film will see its world premiere. If the first trailer is any indication, Hill could be joining the likes of John Krasinski and Jordan Peele as actors that might have an even better career behind the camera.
READ MORE: ‘Mid90s’ Trailer: Jonah Hill’s Directorial Debut Evokes The Skate Or Die Life Of ‘Kids’
And lastly, even though her record is spotty-at-best, filmmaker Sam Taylor-Johnson joins the stacked lineup with her highly-anticipated “A Million Little Pieces.” The film, which stars the filmmaker’s husband Aaron Taylor-Johnson, adapts the controversial “memoir” of author James Frey. This film has snuck under the radar this year and could end up being a return to form for the filmmaker and the actor, who is sadly probably best known as being the lesser Quicksilver.
TIFF kicks off on September 6.
Here are some first look pictures at these upcoming festival films:
