Screen Time - November 2024

There's a lot to be excited about this month, be it for cinemagoers or fans of streamers.

The holidays are coming and while for the gaming world that means everything is grinding to a halt, the film and TV sectors continue to crank out plenty of exciting offerings and projects. This November is a big one for a multitude of reasons. We have long awaited new seasons, promising sequels, anticipated spinoffs, and a few creative original works too. Needless to say, this is going to be a busy Screen Time.

Before we get into the picks however, a quick disclaimer. As usual, we've based our selection on a UK release calendar, so be sure to check locally for accurate listings and information.

Anora - November 1

A spicy film to start this month off. Mikey Madison stars in Anora, a flick about a young sex worker who marries the son of a Russian oligarch and soon faces threats from his family when word reaches them back in the Motherland. Directed by Sean Baker, this drama will be looking to end November as one of the leading indie productions.

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Heretic - November 1

The spooky season might be over but A24 has another freaky flick lined up. This time, Hugh Grant will be trading the quirkiness of Notting Hill for the light of the Lord in Heretic, a film where he stars as a strange man playing a game of cat-and-mouse with a pair of young religious women that have shown up on his doorstep. The days of Grant as a rom-com icon couldn't be further away in this unsettling offering.

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Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story - November 1

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No actor more closely resembles that phrase than the late, great Christopher Reeve, star of several Superman films in the 70s and 80s. This entertainment legend is set to be brought back into the spotlight in a detailed documentary that follows his career up until the near-fatal horse-riding accident that left him paralysed from the neck down.

Juror #2 - November 1

Clint Eastwood may be well into his 90s but he still has plenty of filmmaking juice left in him. His next project is Juror #2, a drama that revolves around Nicholas Hoult's juror as he is tasked with overcoming a moral dilemma while serving on the jury of a high-profile murder case. With Zoey Deutch also starring, alongside J.K. Simmons, Toni Collette, Keifer Sutherland, and more, this is set to be a very emotionally-complex film.

Small Things Like These - November 1

Despite Oppenheimer winning him an Academy Award, Cillian Murphy still only appears in movies and films that interest him. The next of which will be the historical drama Small Things Like These, a flick that revolves around father Bill Furlong as he discovers dark and harrowing truths about the local convent and how they are tied to him.

Red One - November 6

There are perhaps no bigger holiday films planned for 2024 than Red One. This movie brings together Chris Evans, Dwayne Johnson, J.K. Simmons, Lucy Liu, and more, all for a story that unpacks what happens when Santa Claus is kidnapped, leaving the North Pole's head of security the challenge of working with an infamous bounty hunter in an effort to find him. Yep, this will be a different holiday story than you are used to.

Piece by Piece - November 8

For starters, we're not sure how many people out there are actually interested in a documentary about Pharrell Williams, especially one that is being told in a brickified form made entirely of Lego. Yep, that's what Piece by Piece is, a re-telling of Williams' life using animated Lego as the medium, and offering plenty of musical numbers.

Paddington in Peru - November 8

One of the most anticipated films of the entire year, everyone's favourite marmalade-loving bear is returning for his third live-action outing in Paddington in Peru. The Ben Whishaw-voiced British icon will be returning to his Peruvian homeland to visit his Aunt Lucy, all before being thrust into an unexpected adventure along with the Brown family. Expect a delightful, charming, and sweet family-friendly story for fans of all ages.

Arcane: Season 2 [Netflix] - November 9

One of the most acclaimed and popular video game adaptations. Riot Games' League of Legends series, Arcane, will be back for its second and final season this month, a season that will conclude the harrowing and unexpected events from the mind-blowing first batch of episodes. Arriving in three acts spread out on a weekly basis, expect episodes that delve into the growing chaos and divide between Piltover and Zaun and sisters Vi and Jinx.

Yellowstone: Season 5B [Paramount+] - November 11

It's been a long time coming, but Yellowstone is soon set to actually conclude its fifth season. Following many production delays and conflicts, the second half of Season 5 will be arriving this November, and with it ending the story of John Dutton and fully seeing the famed ranch handed down and placed into the grasp of his feuding children. This modern western finale will no doubt be one of the biggest hits throughout the entire month.

Conclave - November 15

Ralph Fiennes is taking a crack at portraying a leading Catholic Cardinal tasked with overseeing one of the most secretive and influential events in the entire world: selecting a new Pope. Fiennes' Cardinal Lawrence must navigate intrigue and a conspiracy that could bring down the Church all while ensuring the right individual is selected for the job to overtake and continue the ancient tradition.

Gladiator II - November 15

Perhaps the biggest theatrical film of the month. Ridley Scott's long-awaited historical sequel will pick up after the events of the acclaimed original and see Paul Mescal's Lucius entering the Colosseum following his home being conquered by a tyrannical emperor of Rome. With Connie Nielsen returning to the franchise and Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington also featuring in this stacked cast, expect an action-packed, ambitious follow-up that will no doubt be looking to generate awards buzz.

Cobra Kai: Season 6 - Part 2 [Netflix] - November 15

We're nearly at the end of the road for the Cobra Kai journey. The Karate Kid spinoff series is part ways through its sixth and final season and we'll be getting the second part of that season this month. This batch of episodes will revolve around the global Sekai Taikai tournament, where the best dojos around the world battle it out, including Miyagi-Do and the seemingly immortal Cobra Kai too.

Dune: Prophecy [Max/Sky] - November 18

It's a great time to be a Dune fan, especially one who has been enjoying the universe that Denis Villenueve kicked into action. Dune: Prophecy will take us back to that world, albeit to a much earlier time period, one 10,000 years before the saga of Paul Atreides and revolving around the lives of several powerful women as they look to establish the Bene Gesserit order. Needless to say, this will be a very different Dune experience than the one we've come to know on Arrakis.

Wicked - November 22

We're going to see the Wizard! Not quite actually this time. Wicked isn't another retelling of the Wizard of Oz, rather this is a prequel based on the stage play that explores how Elphaba turned from a kind-hearted soul into the Wicked Witch of the West, while her close-friend is instead raised on a pedestal and crowned Glinda the Good Witch. This adaptation is also just the first part of the musical Wicked film version, with the second planned for autumn 2025.

Spellbound [Netflix] - November 22

Netflix's most-prominent feature-length offering this month is an animated adventure called Spellbound. This project revolves around the princess Ellian as she embarks on a dangerous quest to save her family and the kingdom after a twisted spell turned them into unsettling monsters. With Rachel Zegler leading the cast and John Lithgow, Jennifer Lewis, Javier Bardem, and Nicole Kidman also starring, this is set to be an animated flick you don't want to miss.

Moana 2 - November 29

Yet another animated flick this November. This sequel to one of Disney's modern classics will see Auli'i Cravalho back as the titular heroine Moana as she departs on a grand adventure across the distant waves of Oceania to face new and mystical threats all with the help of the god Maui, voiced by Dwayne Johnson. With plenty of musical numbers planned, this animated sequel is one you won't want to miss.

That's another Screen Time in the books. We have one left for 2024, so be sure to return in a few weeks when we see what the busy holiday period has in store for film and TV fans.