10 holiday season movies that could be awesome, and also ‘Cats’

Richard Roeper can’t wait to see the new ‘Star Wars,’ the new ‘Little Women’ and the new ‘Frozen.’

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Judi Dench plays a feline wearing fur over her own fur in “Cats.”

Universal Pictures

Here at Preview Central, we never base our enthusiasm or (lack thereof) about upcoming movies solely on the trailers.

Movie trailers can be like the online profiles on those dating apps where the kids swipe left or right or up or down or diagonally or whatever: Sometimes they write a check you won’t want to cash.

The director, the source material, the cast, the nature of the project — these are equally if not more important factors than the snippets of scenes we see on the advertising reel.

So it goes with my chronological list of the 2019 holiday season movies I’m most excited about, with one exception that proves the rule.

“Cats.”

My decision to include “Cats” was based almost entirely on the trailer that dropped last July, sending the internet into a frenzy and sending yours truly to the bar for a quick shot of reality.

The trailer is … insane. Creepy. Strange. Captivating.

Humans in skintight cat suits and makeup have long tails protruding from the tops of their buttocks. Taylor Swift’s cat character has a visible bust line. There’s a scene in which a trio of cats dance and celebrate on an enormous bed with feathers falling all about, as if they’ve just enjoyed a hearty meal of Pet Canary.

Dame Judi Dench looks like she’s the victim of a mad scientific experiment to breed a legendary actor with a giant feline — plus she’s wearing a fur coat OVER HER OWN CAT FUR.

What in the name of T.S. Eliot is happening here???

Based on the Eliot-inspired Andrew Lloyd Webber musical that premiered in London some 38 years ago and will never stop playing somewhere for the rest of eternity, “Cats” debuts in Chicago on Dec. 20 — the same day as the premiere of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.”

Talk about a movie day sure to have the internet howling.

The movies I’m most looking forward to seeing this holiday season:

‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’ (Nov. 22)

In direct opposition to the reaction to the “Cats” trailer, most of the known universe cheered the casting of Tom Hanks as the beloved children’s television host Fred Rogers. About the harshest criticism I’ve heard is along the lines of, “Too obvious!”

Hanks is a heavy favorite to garner his first best actor Oscar nomination since “Cast Away” in 2001 — which is crazy considering his work in “Road to Perdition,” “The Terminal,” “Captain Phillips” and “Sully,” and I’ll stop there.

‘Frozen II’ (Nov. 22)

Consider a family with two children, ages 12 and 6. The first “Frozen” — a wonderful, sweet, lovely film — was released in 2013.

That means the oldest child who wore out the family DVD player with the home video copy; dressed up as Elsa or Anna or Olaf for Halloween, and made “Let It Go” the unofficial family anthem, has outgrown the infatuation by now.

So here comes “Frozen 2,” which is set three years after the events of the first film and will unlock the origin of Elsa’s magical powers.

Just in time to rope in the next generation of kids!

‘Knives Out’ (Nov. 27)

Director Rian Johnson’s modern-day spin on the classic whodunit genre is clocking in at 98% on the Tomatometer and features the obligatory star-studded ensemble cast required for this sort of tale: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette and yes, Christopher Plummer!

‘The Banker’ (Dec. 6)

George Nolfi, who did such a splendid job of adapting “The Adjustment Bureau” and turning it into one of the great romantic films of the 2010s, is behind the camera for this based-on-true-events story starring Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie as African American businessmen in the 1950s who posed as service industry employees and hired a working-class white man (Nicholas Hoult) to pose as the head of their company.

‘Richard Jewell’ (Dec. 13)

“Mystic River.” “Million Dollar Baby.” “Flags of Our Fathers” and “Letters From Iwo Jima.” “Jersey Boys.” “American Sniper.” “Sully.” “The Mule.”

That’s a PARTIAL list of films Clint Eastwood has directed since turning 70. The 89-year-old marvel returns to the true-story well with “Richard Jewell,” with Paul Walter Hauser as the security guard who was accused — and virtually convicted in the public eye without trial — of planting a bomb at the 1996 Olympics.

We all thought Jewell did it. All of us were wrong.

‘Bombshell’ (Dec. 20)

On the heels of the Showtime limited series “The Loudest Voice,” with Russell Crowe’s magnificent performance as Fox News creator and notorious predator Roger Ailes, the story is told mainly through the eyes of two high-profile on-air personalities — Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) and Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) — and one fictional composite character, an associate producer played by Margot Robbie.

‘Cats’ (12/20)

Did I mention Dame Judi Dench plays a cat with a fur coat?!?

‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ (Dec. 20)

Full disclosure: From the time I saw “Star Wars” at the River Oaks Theater in Calumet City as a teenager, I’ve been a big fan of the franchise, and I truly appreciate its standing as one of the dominant global pop culture phenomena of the last half-century.

However, I am not a FANATIC. I don’t analyze every trailer and still photo for clues within clues within clues. I don’t wear out my fingertips typing hysterical reactions to some bit of casting news. I don’t troll this director or that actor because they created something that didn’t match my expectations or hopes or mom-can-you-please-leave-the-nightlight-on dreams.

I’m excited, really I am, to see what happens in the third installment of the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy.

But if it’s not great, I’m still gonna go ahead with my Christmas plans.

‘Uncut Gems’ (Dec. 25)

From “Punch-Drunk Love” to “Spanglish” to “Funny People” to “The Meyerowitz Stories,” Adam Sandler has repeatedly demonstrated he has legitimate acting chops and can pull off a serious role. Film festival buzz says Sandler gives what might be his most impressive performance yet in “Uncut Gems” as a compulsive gambler who makes a series of high-stakes bets that could either be his salvation or end.

‘1917’ (Dec. 25)

The versatile director Sam Mendes (“American Beauty,” “Road to Perdition,” “Skyfall”) helms this epic set at the height of World War I in northern France. Benedict Cumberbatch headlines the outstanding ensemble cast, and the legendary Roger Deakins (“The Shawshank Redemption,” “A Beautiful Mind,” “No Country For Old Men,” et al.) is the cinematographer, virtually ensuing this will be a visually stunning piece of work.  

‘Little Women’ (Dec. 25)

Do we really need an eighth big-screen adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 classic?

Answer: Yes.

Yes, because the film stars Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Laura Dern, Timothee Chalamet, Meryl Streep, Bob Odenkirk, Chris Cooper and my current favorite working character actor in the world: Steppenwolf Theatre great Tracy Letts.

Yes, because actor-filmmaker Greta Gerwig is the writer-director this time around, and based on Gerwig’s solo directorial debut “Lady Bird,” this latest iteration could be something special.

Also, I hear there are no singing cats in this movie.

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