Jackson Murphy

The 99th Academy Awards is still about four months away. But commentator Jackson Murphy has already seen three films that are surefire contenders in major categories.

"This is Halloween! This is Halloween!" Do you recognize that? It's from one of my favorite movies to watch this time of year: the 1993 stop-motion animated classic Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas." It was released by Touchstone Pictures, a division of Disney, so I consider Jack Skellington and Sally one of the best couples ever in a Disney animated movie.

Here's the truth on Jessica Chastain: She isn't afraid to take bold swings, and most of the time, they pay off.

The movie star is not dead. The A-listers of the '80s, '90s and 2000's are still making big theatrical movies - and new stars have emerged as major box office draws.

Sir Ridley Scott's 30th directorial feature, "The Dog Stars," hits theaters on Aug. 28. It's a post-apocalyptic action drama starring Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Allison Janney and "Frankenstein" Oscar nominee Jacob Elordi.

Dafoe's presence always makes a movie a little more interesting, and he's once again great in the new indie "Late Fame" from director Kent Jones (of the documentary "Hitchcock/Truffaut") and writer Samy Burch (who was Oscar nominated for 2023's "May December").

Christopher Nolan is one of the most popular filmmakers of our time. His latest drama, an adaptation of Homer's "The Odyssey," with a star-studded cast led by Matt Damon as Odysseus, opens in theaters on July 17th.

On Wednesday July 1st, Amazon's Prime Video streaming service is debuting the new series "Elle". It's a prequel to the "Legally Blonde" movies, about Reese Witherspoon's character Elle Woods as a high school teen in Seattle in the '90s.

"Toy Story 5" opens June 19th. It's one of the most highly anticipated films of 2026, for movie fans and movie theaters. But it's also one of the most risky. How do you dare continue a franchise that is often considered pretty close to perfect? Wait — why does feel like deja vu?

Commentator Jackson Murphy says it'll be a big season for family films, but there will be plenty of blockbusters for adults too. He also says that, so far, theaters seem primed to have the most anticipated releases rather than streaming services.