Escape the cold weather by hitting the warm movie theater, where sunny comedies, strong superheroes and unbelievably true stories can all be seen on the big screen. Many of the award-winning movies are out already as the holiday movie season winds down.
The strength of women in cinema continues to be celebrated in the months ahead, with a smattering of LGBT characters along the way.
December
Sexually fluid actor Lucas Hedges bounces back from Boy Erased with Ben Is Back on Dec. 14; the same weekend the new flick Vox Lox has Natalie Portman singing songs by Sia.
Rob Marshall brings the magical characters back for Mary Poppins Returns with Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Dick Van Dyke opening on Dec. 19. This nanny has audiences divided on whether it will be the worth the wait.
Aquaman swims out solo from The Justice League and Jennifer Lopez struggles as a working woman in Second Act, both out Dec. 21.
On the Basis of Sex shines a spotlight on gender discrimination, as Felicity Jones plays Ruth Bader Ginsburg; the movie is out Christmas Day, Dec. 25. She falls in love with Marty, played by Armie Hammer, who enamored viewers in Call Me By Your Name.
January
Bathtubs Over Broadway opens Jan. 4 with guest stars such as Chita Rivera and Florence Henderson in a documentary about the hidden world of industrial musical theater.
Stan & Ollie finally have their big-screen biopic out Jan. 11, with Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly starring as the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy.
Glass brings together several of M. Night Shyamalan's past projects Jan. 18, with out actress Sarah Paulson leading the cast of quirky characters.
February
What Men Want opens Feb. 8 with Taraji P. Henson as a sports agent who, after being hit in the head, can suddenly hear men's thoughts. The movie is a gender reversal of the 2000 film What Women Want that starred Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt.
On the same release date, Orange Is the New Black's Taylor Schilling plays a mother in Prodigy, trying to save her son's soul.
The week after, a third female leading film is again smacked in the head, this time turning Rebel Wilson's life into a romantic comedy with Isn't It Romantic, also starring the hunky Liam Hemsworth, with Brandon Scott Jones as her gay sidekick. This movie will be out for Valentine's Day on Feb. 14.
March
Tyler Perry's A Madea Family Funeralin which Perry has said is his last film as the title characterwill be out March 1.
Captain Marvel looks marvelous already from the trailer, with Brie Larson joining the Avengers franchise as the character with a mysterious past on March 8.
Unplanned has one of the youngest Planned Parenthood clinic directors in the nation changing her mind after being involved in almost 22,000 abortions. It will be out March 22.
Captive State is set in a Chicago neighborhood taken over by an alien force, and stars John Goodman and Vera Farmiga. It will be out March 29.
The spring brings a whole new crop of films, so be sure to read Windy City Times for upcoming coverage concerning the cinema.