The new Lord of the Rings, the main trash movie of the year, and French movie nights. What not to miss in theaters

On Thursday, December 5, 2024, the next installment of the cult film series "The Lord of the Rings" will be released – the animated film "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirim"; the Ukrainian mystical film "Moraine", which, according to the authors of the film, will completely turn the audience's perception of the traditional genre of thrash horror. And also the Hollywood melodrama Here and Now, where the partners from the cult movie Forrest Gump – Tom Hanks and Robin Wright - will meet on the same screen.

A few more films for the Christmas holidays, which are just around the corner – Nico: Beyond the Northern Lights, A Christmas Wish. And a luxurious gift for Ukrainian viewers - six of this year's French films that have not even been released yet. OBOZ.UA will tell you about the new releases that are already on the big screens.

"The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirim"

The animated film, directed by Japanese filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama (Ultraman: The Final Destination, Blade Runner: Black Lotus), tells a story that takes place almost 200 years before the events of the famous film trilogy. The plot is centered on a drama that unfolds in the kingdom of Helm the Hammer, the legendary King Rogan. The main character of the prequel is the daughter of the monarch named Hera.

Philippa Boyens, a consultant to the film's creative team, said in an interview about the main character as follows: "In the appendices to The Lord of the Rings, writer J.R.R. Tolkien describes King Rohan's daughter, but never mentions her by name. We only know that the girl played a key role in a high-profile conflict. I and the scriptwriters were faced with the task of filling in the gaps. Obviously, the significance of the nameless daughter for the story was great, but who was she? How did she live?"

According to the plot of the movie "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirim", Hera refuses the marriage proposal of her childhood friend Wolf. This event leads to a series of tragic moments, including the death of the unlucky groom's father. Because of this, the ruthless Wulf seeks revenge on Hera's family. He forces King Rogan and his entourage to engage in a risky battle in the ancient fortress of Hornburg, which will later become known as Helm's Deep. As it turns out, Hera has to lead a war against an enemy who wants to destroy them completely.

The Japanese-American co-production The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirim" was supposed to be released in April 2024, but was postponed to December due to the strike of actors and screenwriters in the United States. And now, finally, fantasy fans can enjoy the next adventures of their favorite canine heroes.

"Moraine"

Ukrainian thrash horror is a unique mix of comedy, horror, ethnic thriller, eroticism, and mysticism. The film premiered at the Mykolaichuk Open festival. The viewers who saw Moraine at that time had very different impressions, but they agreed on one thing: it was the first time that Ukrainian cinema had ever seen anything like it.

Actor Ilya Valyansky, who plays the lead role, says: "I have been waiting for this movie to come out for a very long time. In seven years (the film was shot in 2017 - Ed.), not only I have changed, but also the world around me. So I didn't know what I would feel when I saw Moraine. And what I can say is that I haven't heard so much laughter in the audience at a comedy, or even at the last Deadpool. This is an incredible movie. Someone might say that it is "out of date". But I don't know when there was ever a time for something like this. It's a movie out of time, and in this fantastic space things work in a distorted way - what should be serious makes you smile, and what should be scary makes you laugh. Usually there are two types of films: those that "work" and those that "don't work". This movie is different – it works even when it doesn't. You have to see it."

Director Serhiy Alyoshechkin spent many years developing the script, drawing storyboards and makeup, writing detailed instructions for each role, and was also the film's cinematographer. The filming of Morena took place in the Carpathians, where the filmmakers created a mystical atmosphere on rainy nights using special equipment, invented pyrotechnic stunts, filmed on the banks of a mountain river and underwater in a swimming pool, on a dangerous suspension bridge, and even had to dig a hole in a local cemetery to film from it.

"Here and Now"

American director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump) has made a new film that tells the story of several generations of one family living in one room. This is a century-long story of one family and many others who lived, loved, lost, and fought for happiness in this house. The highlight of Here and Now is that the partners from the cult movie Forrest Gump – Tom Hanks and Robin Wright - will meet on the same screen. The script is based on Richard McGuire's 300-page graphic novel Here.

"How to catch a bachelor"

This Canadian film is about a young and rich bachelor who is in search of something new and interesting. One day, he meets the girl of his dreams, who is in no hurry to fall into his arms, and even more so, she is going to marry someone else. Will Werther be able to change himself and his life to win her heart?

"Nico: Beyond the Northern Lights"

A real fairy tale for the whole family, full of Christmas spirit and humor. The protagonist, Nico the reindeer, got a chance to be trained to fulfill his cherished dream of joining his father in Santa's air force, flying through the sky on a huge sleigh, and giving presents to children around the world on Christmas night. This is the dream of every flying reindeer, so another contender, the mysterious Stella, comes to compete for the job. Watch the emotional movie to find out how the rivalry with the competitor will end.

"Christmas Wish"

The main characters Wesley and Cody are brothers, but they are raised in different foster homes. Maddie, Wesley's foster mother, decides to fulfill her son's only Christmas wish - to meet his own brother. However, Cody's father, Paul, a widower, does not want to bring his adopted son back to the past. Circumstances soon bring the two brothers together, and as they get to know each other, a bond develops between their parents.

"Only I will take it to a new level - a re-awakening"

Another installment of the cult Korean bestseller "Only I Will Take It to the Next Level", which tells how one day a portal leading to parallel dimensions opened in the world. This awakens dungeon monsters who want to take over the planet. However, at the same time, some people develop extraordinary abilities that make them capable of resisting the dangerous creatures. These people are called hunters.

Song Jin, the main character of the movie, is considered the weakest hunter of all mankind, and finds himself in a double high-level dungeon hidden inside a low-level dungeon. A mysterious quest window appears in front of the seriously injured Jin. Song decides to go on the quest, which turns him into the only person who can move to the next levels.

"French Movie Nights"

A festival of high-profile French premieres is returning to Ukraine. From December 5 to 11, the audience will see a collection of the latest movie hits from France. The event will be opened by the biographical drama Monsieur Aznavour, which will tell the story of the legendary singer and composer Charles Aznavour.

My Marcello is an unusual look at the legacy of the legendary Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni by director Christophe Honoré. The film stars French cinema legends Catherine Deneuve, Chiara Mastroianni, and Fabrice Luchini. " Balconettes is the directorial debut of actress Noémie Merlan, star of Portrait of a Girl on Fire and Tar, in which she combines comedy, fantasy, and horror in an original way.

Emmanuel Courcol, the director of the best European comedy of 2020, Triumph, has made a new work - the film Fanfare. The plot centers on an unexpected meeting between two brothers: a successful conductor and a failed trombonist who did not know about each other's existence. The brothers are very different, but they are united by one thing - their passion for music. The modern classic of French cinema François Ozon, known for his cult film 8 Women, will present his new film When Autumn Com es . The director Gilles Lellouche will take the audience back to the 1980s and tell the love story between Jackie and Clotaire, who grew up on the same streets but met only in their youth. The film is called Madly in Love.

The French Film Nights festival will take place at the Zhovten Cinema in Kyiv from December 5 to 11. All screenings will be in the original language with Ukrainian subtitles.

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