7 Premieres We're Looking Forward To At SXSW
Cr. Searchlight Pictures / Paramount Pictures / Warner Bros. / SXSW.
Festival goeth, festival cometh. With the Sundance film festival having wrapped up, it’s time to look forward to the next festival we’re covering, which will be SXSW (South By Southwest). The schedule has recently expanded with more films that debuted at Sundance continuing their festival circuits and more world premieres added to the “Headliners” section. Here are seven world/US premieres we’re excited to attend at SXSW.
Courtesy of SXSW.
A Disturbance in the Force is a documentary about the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special that aired during Thanksgiving week of ‘78 and never aired again. The doc tells the story of the now-iconic 2-hour Star Wars Special that is known by many, sometimes for the wrong reasons. The doc aims to answer the unanswered questions surrounding the cloudy history of some of the most notorious Star Wars media, and hopes to determine how and why the special was made.
Cr. Aidan Monaghan / Paramount Pictures. © 2023 Par. Pics. TM. Hasbro.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves will finally bring a mainstream adaptation of the iconic tabletop role-play game to theaters. The film introduces us to the world of adventurers and mythical creatures as we go on a quest with a thief and his crew of unlikely associates as they attempt to retrieve a lost treasure while avoiding the bad side of the wrong people. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, and is written by the duo, plus Michael Gilio, and stars Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Chloe Coleman, Daisy Head, and Hugh Grant.
Courtesy of Warner Bros.
It’s been a decade since we’ve seen an Evil Dead movie on the big screen, and it appears that Evil Dead: Rise will be upping the intensity and horror of the franchise while being reminiscent of the original films. While the film isn’t directed by Sam Raimi, he is an executive producer of the film, along with Bruce Campbell executive producing as well. The film sees the reunion of two sisters (Alyssa Sutherland and Lily Sullivan) interrupted by the arrival of flesh-possessing demons. The film is written and directed by Lee Cronin, and additionally stars Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols, and Nell Fisher.
Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures / SXSW.
Flamin’ Hot tells the true story of the Frito Lay janitor who created the recipe for one of the world’s favorite snacks. The film follows Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia) as he channels his heritage and upbringing into a snack that evolved into a global phenomenon and changed the snack industry forever. Flamin’ Hot is directed by Eva Longoria, written by Linda Yvette Chávez and Lewis Colick, and stars Jesse Garcia, Annie Gonzalez, Dennis Haysbert, Emilio Rivera, Tony Shalhoub, Matt Walsh, Pepe Serna, Bobby Soto, Jimmy Gonzales and Brice Gonzalez.
Courtesy of Apple Original Films / SXSW.
Telling the true story of the world’s discovery of the iconic video game, Tetris follows Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton) as he sets out to bring Tetris to the world while uncovering dangerous lies and corruption. The film also stars Nikita Efremov, Sofia Lebedeva, and Anthony Boyle, and is written by Noah Pink and directed by Jon S. Baird.
Courtesy of A24 / SXSW.
Problemista follows Alejandro (Julio Torres), an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador who attempts to bring his ideas to life in New York City. As his work visa is running out, a job assisting an art outcast (Tilda Swinton) may end up as his only way to make his dreams reality. The film is written and directed by its star (Torres), and also stars Swinton, RZA, Isabella Rossellini, and Greta Lee.
Courtesy of Detention Films / SXSW.
Pure O takes a deep dive into the exploration of OCD and its effect of it when the film’s protagonist, Cooper Ganz (Daniel Dorr), is diagnosed with a crippling form of the disease known as “Pure Obsessional.” The film focuses on the misunderstood aspect of the disorder and how it affects someone’s personal identity. Pure O is written and directed by Dillon Tucker, and stars Daniel Dorr, Hope Lauren, Landry Bender, Jeffery A. Baker, Candice Renee, Breon Gorman, Tim Landfield, Isaac Nippert, Devon Martinez, and Clint James.
Are you excited for these films? Keep an eye out on this site and our socials for our reviews of these films + more, as well as interviews with the cast and creators of them when the festival kicks off.
