The number of films tied to geek culture has expanded rapidly in recent years, accounting for a bigger and bigger percentage of Hollywood releases.  "Best in Shows" is the ICv2 list of geek films, arranged by quarter, with some context for each.  Dates and other information are updated until release with new info as we get it.  To see all the periods we’re covering, see the "Best in Shows Index."

Joker (origin movie)
October 4
Warner Bros. has chosen an October opening for its DC Comics Joker origins movie. Joaquin Phoenix will star as the title character, and Todd Phillips will direct. Phillips co-wrote the script with Scott Silver.

The Addams Family
October 11
MGM Pictures is releasing an animated version of the enduring eccentric cartoon family created by Charles Addams that have appeared in The New Yorker and have appeared in numerous other media including TV shows and feature films. This new movie is directed by Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan. The voice cast includes Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloe Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Bette Midler and Allison Janney.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
October 18
Disney announced plans for a sequel to the Angelina Jolie-starring Maleficent. Originally scheduled to open May 29, 2020, in March 2019 Walt Disney Studios moved the release to this date.

Terminator: Dark Fate
November 1
James Cameron is returning to shepherd this sequel, which will be directed by Tim Miller (Deadpool) and see the return of franchise stars Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film has been bumped from several release dates. There have been several comic book adaptations of the property over the years, and more recently, board games based on individual movies.

Charlie's Angels
November 15
Sony Pictures moved this reboot of the 1970s TV series from, then to september, and now november. The film is directed by Elizabeth Banks, and will star Kristen Steward, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska as the highly trained fearless female security agents of the Townsend Agency. Dynamite currently has the comic license. 

Frozen 2
November 22
Disney is hoping for a big Thanksgiving Week opening with this sequel.

Star Wars Episode IX : The Rise of Skywalker
December 20
This date was announced in September 2017 for the third film in in the latest “Skywalker Trilogy,”  which will be written and directed by J.J. Abrams (see “'Star Wars: Episode IX' Finds Director / Writer”).

Spies in Disguise
December 25
Walt Disney Studios claimed this date, along with several others, on May 7, 2019 as part of an extensive scheduling slate for Marvel Studios, 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, and Star Wars films (see “Disney Reserves Dates for Three New 'Star Wars' Features”). This way, none of its extensive portfolio of studios cannibalize their siblings’ time in the spotlight.This date was chosen for the animated Fox film about a spy who is turned into a pigeon.

Click here for Best in Shows, Q1 2020.