Oscar Season Begins: TIFF Announces 2025 Lineup Featuring McConaughey, Fraser, and a New Knives Out

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Jul 21

TIFF50 brings prestige, premieres, and awards hopefuls—including new films from Chloé Zhao, Paul Greengrass, and Rian Johnson.

Oscar season is officially underway.

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has unveiled the first wave of titles for its 50th anniversary edition, and the early slate signals a strong return to prestige form. Anchored by world premieres, major star vehicles, and awards-season firepower, the 2025 program includes buzzy titles from returning Oscar winners, major studio projects, and hotly anticipated arthouse fare.

Among the most talked-about selections is Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, which will make its Canadian premiere at the festival. Based on Maggie O’Farrell’s acclaimed novel and starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, the film reimagines the life of William Shakespeare through the lens of his wife Agnes. The “Canadian premiere” tag implies Hamnet will debut first at Venice and/or Telluride—two of TIFF’s chief rivals during awards season—and further signals high confidence in Zhao’s post-Nomadland return to prestige filmmaking.

TIFF has struggled in recent years to secure major world premieres, but its 2025 slate suggests a pivot. Paul Greengrass’s The Lost Bus, about the wildfires in Paradise, California, will debut at the festival. The film, produced by Jamie Lee Curtis and starring Matthew McConaughey, positions itself as a timely drama with real-world resonance. Brendan Fraser returns to the spotlight with Rental Family, which will also world premiere at TIFF ahead of its November release via Searchlight. Meanwhile, Rian Johnson’s third Knives Out film—Wake Up Dead Man—will also bow in Toronto before hitting Netflix on December 12. The ensemble cast includes Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Josh Brolin, and the return of Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc.

Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst in *Roofman.* **PHOTO CREDIT: DAVI RUSSO**

Derek Cianfrance is also making a TIFF comeback. After the breakout success of Blue Valentine, his follow-ups didn’t quite capture the same acclaim—but his latest film Roofman marks his return to the director’s chair after nearly a decade. The true-crime drama stars Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst in the story of an ex-Army Ranger turned fast-food robber. Paramount will release the film in October, adding to a growing list of studio-backed titles in competition.

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TIFF’s initial slate also includes Agnieszka Holland’s Franz, a biopic of author Franz Kafka, and Steal Away from Toronto favorite Clement Virgo, starring Angourie Rice and Mallori Johnson.

While last year’s TIFF saw no best picture nominees debut at the festival, this year’s lineup promises a reinvigorated push toward Oscar contention. With more announcements coming in the weeks ahead, TIFF 2025 is shaping up to be a defining stop on the awards circuit once again.