Which Films Are Missing From the Fall Fests? ‘The Actor,' ‘In the Blink of An Eye,' and More [Updated]

With Venice, Telluride, TIFF and NYFF lineups locked in and screening, these are the films we haven’t heard much about. They’ve all been shot and completed; some were even supposed to come out last year.

Duke Johnson’s “The Actor”
Andrew Patterson’s “Rivals of Amziah King”
Gareth Evans’ “Havoc”
Trey Edward Schults/The Weeknd Untitled
Mimi Cave’s “Holland, Michigan”
Andrew Stanton’s “In the Blink of An Eye”
David Michôd’s “Wizards!”
Scott Derickson’s “The Gorge”
Daniel Goldhaber’s “Faces of Death”
Julian Schnabel’s “In the Hands of Dante”
Geremy Jasper’s “Odessa”

I will say, Gareth Evans’ “Havoc” is most likely coming out in early 2025. Evans recently went on his Instagram to announce that reshoots had been completed on his Tom Hardy starring movie and that “5-6 months” of post-production work was about to occur. It’s been a long time coming for this one, and hopefully we get to see it soon.

Where is Duke Johnson’s “The Actor”? This one should be prime meat for the fall fests. Johnson (“Anomalisa”) wrapped filming back in April 2023. Neon is distributing the film. Last year, we thought it might make the fall fests, but it was a no-show. Same thing is happening again this year.

Interesting update on Daniel Goldhaber’s “Faces of Death”: it still has no U.S. distribution. I posted a test screening reaction in March. The film has been rated R for “strong bloody violence and gore, sexual content, nudity, language and drug use.” It’s going to be a tough sell, but Goldhaber is coming off the well-reviewed “How to Blow Up A Pipeline,” so hopefully someone bites and picks this one up.

It also looks like Apple TV might be holding off on Scott Derickson’s “The Gorge,” starring Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy and Sigourney Weaver. We haven’t heard much of an update about this film. If I had to bet, it’ll most likely be coming out in 2025.

A24 and David Michod’s “Wizards!,” starring Franz Rogowski and Pete Davidson, was shot in 2022, tested terribly in 2023, went through reshoots, and Michod is said to have been working on editing a new version. I presume he’s completed the editing process since he’s about to shoot his next film in August.

What to make of Andrew Stanton’s “In the Blink of An Eye”? The film was put in the can back in April, and is ready to go. I’m not sure what Searchlight is waiting for when it comes to this film, which was recently listed as a HULU exclusive. So far, it hasn’t appeared in any fall festival lineup, maybe AFI?

Last month, Mimi Cave’s “Holland, Michigan,” starring Nicole Kidman, got an R rating from the MPA. This means that it’s ready to go. Still, no festival appearances, which is concerning. Amazon/MGM are backing this one which tells the story of a woman in a small midwestern town who suspects her husband of living a double life. The film completed production in the summer of 2023.

As for Andrew Patterson’s “Rivals of the Amziah King.” I honestly have no idea what’s going on with that film. It wrapped production in August 2023. Starring Matthew McConnaughey and Kurt Russell, this is Patterson’s sophomore effort after his micro-budgeted, and acclaimed, debut “The Vast of Night.” It’s possible there have been reshoots since McConaughey recently posted a viral image of a bee sting got on the set of the film.

I’ll be updating this list when we know more. In the meantime, what other titles seem to be missing this fall? I’m sure there are more.