Mike Mills’ ’20th Century Women’ Gets a Christmas Day Release

Now that studios are finalizing their late-year bookings, we can see just how insane the Christmas release season will be.

Paramount slotted Martin Scorsese‘s “Silence” on December 23—he was always expected to hand in the film, as he did with “Wolf of Wall Street,” just before year’s end—while A24 chose December 25 as a limited launch for Mike Mills‘ “20th Century Women,” which will make its world premiere October 8 at the New York Film Festival. His last film, 2010’s “Beginners,” scored an Oscar win for Christopher Plummer.

Both movies will widen in the less-competitive January time frame, and are expected to compete for awards. “Silence” offers the second high-profile performance of the year from Andrew Garfield. (The other is Mel Gibson’s well-reviewed Venice title, World War II drama “Hacksaw Ridge.”) “20th Century Women” is a ’70s family dramedy starring Oscar perennial Annette Bening (who is overdue with four nominations to date) as a mother who raises a teenage boy with help from two women (Greta Gerwig and Elle Fanning).

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Also braving the insanely busy holiday time frame for awards-season consideration are “The Founder,” starring Michael Keaton (TWC, December 16); Pedro Almodovar’s Spanish Oscar entry “Julieta” (SPC, December 21); Peter Berg’s “Patriot’s Day” (Lionsgate/CBS Films, December 21), which features “Deepwater Horizon” star Mark Wahlberg in yet another true-life disaster; J.A. Bayona’s festival hit “A Monster Calls” (Focus Features, December 23) starring Felicity Jones; Denzel Washington’s and August Wilson’s adaptation “Fences” (Paramount, December 25), starring Washington and Viola Davis; Maron Ade’s Cannes hit “Toni Erdmann” (SPC, December 25)’ and Jim Jarmusch’s Cannes film “Paterson” (Amazon/Bleecker Street) starring Adam Driver (December 28).

Reginald Hudlin’s “Marshall” (Open Road) starring Chadwick Boseman will open in 2017. Still waiting to hear if Warner Bros. will slot Ben Affleck’s Dennis Lehane adaptation “Live By Night” by year’s end for Oscar qualification.