Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Spacey, and Michelle Williams Join Year-End Oscar Fray

Mid-summer is a crucial time in the life of movies in production. Distributors have to figure out where they belong. Will they pass muster for the crazy competitive primetime award season, when scrutiny and costs are exponentially higher? Already, many movies that need a wider berth are moving into 2018. Some fortunates will be finished in time for the fall festival crucible. And others will just make it into theaters by the end of the year.

That list now includes drama “All The Money In The World” (December 8, Sony), four-time Oscar nominee Ridley Scott‘s starry follow-up to “Alien: Covenant.”

Written by David Scarpa  (“The Last Castle,” “The Day The Earth Stood Still”) from the true story of the kidnapping of Getty Oil scion John Paul Getty III, the biopic stars Oscar perennial Michelle Williams (four nominations), two-time Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey, and Mark Wahlberg (two nominations). Oscar bait indeed.

Sony also needs to get ahead of a high-profile TV series on the same subject, Danny Boyle‘s “Trust” (January, FX), starring Hilary Swank, Donald Sutherland, and Brendan Fraser.

Also added to Sony’s late-year docket is Dan Gilroy‘s “Roman Israel, Esq.” (November 3) starring last year’s “Fences” Oscar nominee Denzel Washington (seven nominations, two wins) as a 70s-era Liberal LA lawyer who loses his long-time partner and faces an ethical crisis as he pursues a major case. Colin Farrell and “Moonlight” discovery Ashton Sanders costar.

Gilroy landed an Oscar nomination for Original Screenplay for his directorial debut “Nightcrawler.” This one might be ready for Toronto.

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