This fall, Hollywood tries to balance box office with the ballot box

NEW YORK (AP) — Three weeks after the U.S. presidential election in November, Ridley Scott will present his latest big-screen opus. “Gladiator II” returns the prodigious filmmaker to ancient Rome for a story about a power, the survival of Rome and the fate of democracy.

“Hopefully,” Scott says, “it will be a good omen.”

This fall, Hollywood will be trying — with everything from swaggering historical epics like “Gladiator II” to the high-seas adventure of “Moana 2” — to capture the nation’s attention at a time when much of it will be directed at the polls.

Already, Hollywood has played a co-starring role in the election. The Democratic Convention in August was packed with stars like Oprah Winfrey. Republican vice-presidential candidate, JD Vance, was first introduced to many by the 2020 big-screen adaptation of his “Hillbilly Elegy.” And it was George Clooney, who this month stars in the Apple Studios film “Wolfs” alongside Brad Pitt, who was one of the most prominent voices to urge President Joe Biden to step down from the race.

Hollywood, famously progressive, has always had to strike a balance between the liberal leanings of the majority of its creatives with the big-tent demands of pop culture. In recent years, that’s grown increasingly tricky.

At the same time, the movie industry, after several years hobbled by pandemic and strikes, is striving to recapture its all-audiences populism — and all the billions that can come with it. Disney chief Robert A. Iger last year signaled the need “to entertain first,” adding “it’s not about messages.”

This past summer, Disney led Hollywood out of a box-office slump with a pair of billion-earners in “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool vs. Wolverine.” Ticket sales for the summer rose to $3.7 billion, according to Comscore — less than the traditional $4 billion benchmark but significantly better than initially feared after a painfully slow start.

One of the fall’s likeliest candidates to continue the trend is “Moana 2.” Dwayne Johnson, who returns as the voice of Maui, earlier this year said he wouldn’t endorse a candidate in the election out of concern for the division it would cause.

Like many of the films opening this fall, “Moana 2” (opening Nov. 27), as a story about a strong female protagonist and a celebration of Pacific Islander culture, could resonate very differently, depending on the outcome of the election.

“If it resonates for people in a different way, I can’t control that,” says Dana Ledoux Miller, who directed “Moana 2” with David Derrick Jr. and Jason Hand. “I’m so excited about what this story is and what it means to be a person in a community who wants something more for the world they live in and for the future. We’ll see what happens, but the movie is what it is.”

Movies this year have largely only approached political themes from a distance. “Civil War,” by Alex Garland, imagined the U.S. in all-out warfare. “War Game,” directed by Tony Gerber and Jesse Moss, gathered real political figures for an insurrection simulation.

But “The Apprentice ” will offer the movie version of an October surprise. The film, the release of which was announced just last week, stars Sebastian Stan as a young Donald Trump under the tutelage of Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong). The Trump campaign has called it “election interference by Hollywood elites.” Its director, Ali Abbasi, argues filmmakers have a responsibility to face current politics head-on.

“I’ve been hearing a lot: Let’s make a movie about the Second World War or the Civil War — just go back in time,” says Abbasi. “They say a Civil War movie is a good metaphor for the way our society is now. I’m like: Our society is extremely exciting, complex, complicated, has huge problems and opportunities. Why not address them? We have a (expletive) responsibility.”

As usual this fall, studios will trot out a new wave of awards contenders. Unlike last year, when Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” came into the season the clear favorite, no such frontrunner has yet emerged. At the Venice, Telluride, Toronto and New York film festivals, notable premieres include Todd Phillips’ anticipated sequel “Joker: Folie à Deux,” Edward Berger’s “Conclave,” Marielle Heller’s “Nightbitch,” Malcolm Washington’s “The Piano Lesson,” Steve McQueen’s “Blitz” and LaMell Ross’s “Nickel Boys.”

Standouts from earlier festivals will also mix in, like Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or-winning “Anora” and Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez.” But, at least for now, the Oscar race appears wide open.

“Emilia Pérez,” about a Mexican drug lord who transitions into a woman, is just one of the many musicals landing in theaters. Some studios have recently run from the label of “musical”; last December’s “Wonka” wasn’t advertised as such. But this fall, no matter what’s happening on the news, it won’t be hard to find song and dance on the big screen.

That includes “Joker: Folie à Deux,” “Moana 2” and the two-part adaptation of the Broadway show “Wicked!” — not to mention biopics on Robbie Williams (“Better Man") and Bob Dylan (“A Complete Unknown,” with Timothée Chalamet).

“Wicked” director Jon M. Chu and producer Marc Platt were confident enough in their film, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, that they opted to split it into two. (Part two will release in November 2025.) “Wicked,” opening Nov. 22, will open against “Gladiator II” in the fall’s most “Barbeheimer” -like weekend matchup.

“I love at this time, at this moment, we can root for all movies, all the time,” says Chu. “It’s getting to tell people: Come to the movies. Everyone come.”

In “Wicked,” which imagines the story behind the opposing witches of “The Wizard of Oz,” Platt sees a story with plenty of relevance to the current political climate.

“It’s a significant election for both of us," says Platt. “But our story aspires to be about the distance people travel to connect with each other, about seeing the other as not the other, about living in a world where sometimes the truth is not real.”

Some films are taking some novel approaches to storytelling. Morgan Neville’s “Piece by Piece” tells Pharrell Williams’ story with Lego bricks. Robert Zemeckis’ “Here,” starring Tom Hanks, has the appearance of a film shot in one take. In “Better Man,” Williams is portrayed by computer-generated monkey.

In festival screenings of Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis,” midway through the movie a man has walked on stage and addressed a question to the screen. Coppola, who financed the film himself, spent years steadily building “Megalopolis,” a future-set epic about a visionary (Adam Driver). In cynical times, it’s brashly optimistic, even utopian.

“You never turn on CNN or open the newspaper to: ‘Human Being Is an Unbelievable Genius.’ But it’s true. How can you deny it?” Coppola said after the film’s premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. “Think of what we can do. A hundred years ago they said man will never fly. Now we’re zooming around. So I ask myself: Why is it that no one dare say how great we are? There’s no problem that we’re facing that we’re not ingenious enough to solve.”

While Coppola was making his conception of a modern-day Roman epic, Scott was a making the genuine article. During the making of “Gladiator II,” Scott — a self-professed news junkie — continually felt that his film was far from ancient history. Russia's war in Ukraine unspooled during the film's making, the director noted.

“You are living during what I call democracy against tyrants, tyranny,” says Scott. “We’re looking in this film as about tyrannical leadership against people who try to rectify that. When is history not about that?”

This image released by Netflix shows Harper Steele, right, and Will Ferrell in a scene from "Will & Harper." (Netflix via AP)

This image released by A24 shows Adam Pearson in a scene from "A Different Man." (Matt Infante/A24 via AP)

This image released by Netflix shows Natasha Lyonne, from left, Elizabeth Olsen, and Carrie Coon in a scene from "His Three Daughters." (Netflix via AP)

This image released by Lionsgate shows Orlando Schwerdt, left, and Ariella Glaser in a scene from "White Bird." (Larry Horricks/Lionsgate via AP)

This image released by Lionsgate shows Ariella Glaser in a scene from "White Bird." (Larry Horricks/Lionsgate via AP)

This image released by A24 shows Florence Pugh, left, and Andrew Garfield in a scene from "We Live In Time." (A24 via AP)

This image released by A24 shows Andrew Garfield, left, and Florence Pugh in a scene from "We Live In Time." (A24 via AP)

This image released by Sony Pictures shows, from left, Kim Matula, as Jane Curtain, Emily Fairn, as Laraine Newman, Gabriel LaBelle, as Lorne Michaels, Rachel Sennott, as Rosie Shuster, and Matt Wood, as John Belushi. (Hopper Stone/Sony Pictures Entertainment via AP)

This image released by Neon shows Mikey Madison in a scene from "Anora." (Neon via AP)

This image released by Lionsgate shows Michelle Dockery, left, and Mark Wahlberg in a scene from "Flight Risk." (Lionsgate via AP)

This image released by Sony Pictures Entertainment shows Tom Hanks, left, and Robin Wright in a scene from "Here." (Sony Pictures via AP)

This image released by Sony Pictures Entertainment shows Tom Hanks, left, and Robin Wright in a scene from "Here." (Sony Pictures via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows James McEvoy in a scene from "Speak No Evil." (Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Roz, voiced by Lupita N'yongo, left, and Brightbill, voiced by Kit Connor, in a scene from DreamWorks Animation's "Wild Robot." (DreamWorks Animation/Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Ariana Granda as Glinda in the film "Wicked." (Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Kieran Culkin, left, and Jesse Eisenberg in a scene from "A Real Pain." (Searchlight Pictures via AP)

This image released by Focus Features shows Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence in a scene from "Conclave." (Focus Features via AP)

This image released by Focus Features shows Sergio Castellitto as Cardinal Tedesco, center, in a scene from "Conclave." (Focus Features via AP)

This image released by A24 shows a scene from "Heretic." (A24 via AP)

This image released by Amazon shows Maisy Stella, left, and Aubrey Plaza in a scene from "My Old Ass." (Amazon via AP)

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This cover image released by Lionsgate shows Dave Bautista, left, and Sofia Boutella in a scene from "The Killer's Game." (Lionsgate via AP)

This image released by A24 shows Andrew Burnap, left, and Brandy Norwood in a scene from "The Front Room." (A24 via AP)

This image released by Apple TV+ shows Saoirse Ronan, left, and Elliott Heffernan in a scene from "Blitz." (Apple TV+ via AP)

This image released by A24 shows Andrew Burnap, from left, Brandy Norwood, and Kathryn Hunter in a scene from "The Front Room." (A24 via AP)

This cover image released by Lionsgate shows Dave Bautista in a scene from "The Killer's Game." (Lionsgate via AP)

This image released by Disney shows characters Mufasa, voiced by Aaron Pierre, center, and Rafiki, voiced by Kagiso Lediga, right, in a scene from "Mufasa: The Lion King." (Disney via AP)

This image released by Briarcliff Entertainment shows Maria Bakalova, left, and Sebastian Stan in a scene from the film "The Apprentice." (Pief Weyman/Briarcliff Entertainment via AP)

This image released by A24 shows Renate Reinsve, left, and Adam Pearson in a scene from "A Different Man." (Matt Infante/A24 via AP)

This image released by Focus Features shows a scene from "Piece By Piece." (Focus Features via AP)

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Joaquin Phoenix, left, and Lady Gaga in a scene from "Joker: Folie à Deux." (Niko Tavernise/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

This image released by Focus Features shows lego characters Pharrell Williams, left, and Gwen Stefani in a scene from "Piece By Piece." (Focus Features via AP)

This image released by Lionsgate shows writer/director Francis Ford Coppola, left, and actor Adam Driver on the set of "Megalopolis." (Phil Caruso/Lionsgate via AP)

This image released by Paramount Pictures shows director Ridley Scott, center, Paul Mescal on the set of "Gladiator II." (Aidan Monaghan/Paramount Pictures via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows director Jon M. Chu, center, on the set of "Wicked." (Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Apple TV+ shows Brad Pitt, left, and George Clooney in a scene from "Wolfs." (Scott Garfield/Apple TV+ via AP)

This image released by Lionsgate shows Adam Driver, left, and Nathalie Emmanuel in a scene from "Megalopolis." (Lionsgate via AP)

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Joaquin Phoenix, left, and Lady Gaga in a scene from "Joker: Folie à Deux." (Niko Tavernise/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in the film "Wicked." (Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Walt Disney Animation Studios shows a scene from "Moana 2," expected in theaters November 2024. (Walt Disney Animation Studios via AP)

This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Paul Mescal in a scene from "Gladiator II." (Aidan Monaghan/Paramount Pictures via AP)

LA PORTE, Texas (AP) — A massive pipeline fire in suburban Houston was shooting a giant plume of fire into the air for more than two hours on Monday as first-responders evacuated a surrounding neighborhood where some homes have caught fire.

The fire began at 9:55 a.m. with an explosion that rattled nearby homes in Deer Park and La Porte, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of downtown Houston, long the energy capital of the U.S.

“All of a sudden we hear this loud bang and then I see something bright, like orange, coming from our back door that’s outside,” said Geselle Melina Guerra, 25, a La Porte resident. She and her boyfriend live in a mobile home within the evacuation area. They were having breakfast when they heard the explosion close to 9:30 a.m. Guerra’s boyfriend, Jairo Sanchez, 26, woke up his brother and they ran to their car.

“I was just freaking out, pacing around the living room, not really knowing what to do or what was happening. I thought maybe it was an airplane that had crashed down by our house,” Guerra said.

La Porte city spokesperson Lee Woodward told KTRK-TV that they don’t yet know what flows through the pipeline or how it will be shut down. People in nearby schools were told to shelter in place as law enforcement blocked off a wide area.

It wasn't immediately clear what companies operate the infrastructure involved. At least one gas transmission pipeline and one hazardous liquid pipeline run through the area on fire, according to U.S. Department of Transportation geographic data from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Another gas transmission pipeline cuts diagonally through a nearby residential neighborhood along Spencer Highway, which runs through the suburbs of Deer Park and La Porte.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Houston is the nation’s petrochemical heartland and is home to a cluster of refineries, plants and thousands of miles of pipelines. Explosions and fires are a familiar sight to residents in Texas’ largest city, including some that have been deadly. The blasts have raised recurring questions about the adequacy of the industry’s plans to protect the public and the impacts of environmental damage.

Video images from KTRK showed a park near the fire had been damaged and firefighters pouring water on adjacent homes. By noon, at least a couple of homes appeared to have caught fire, with smoke pouring from their roofs. There are also several businesses nearby, including a Walmart.

Sanchez said they’re used to evacuations because they live close to other plants near the highway. But in the 10 years Sanchez has lived there, he had not witnessed an explosion.

“We just drove as far as we could because we didn’t know what was happening,” Sanchez said from a parked car at a gas station near his college.

Officials have ordered residents in the Brookglen neighborhood area near the fire to evacuate, Woodward said in an email.

“Please avoid the area and follow law enforcement direction. Further details will be released as available,” Woodward said.

There are several high voltage power lines near the fire. The website PowerOutage.us said several thousand customers were without power in Harris County.

CenterPoint Energy said it is monitoring the fire, which is near Spencer Highway in LaPorte. The company said the fire “is unrelated to the company’s natural gas operations or equipment.”

“We are also cooperating with first responders. Putting safety first, the public should avoid this area until further notice from local emergency officials. When it is safe to do so, our electric crews will go into the area to assess the damage to our transmission and distribution power lines, poles and equipment and begin restoring service to impacted customers as safely and quickly as possible.”

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AP reporter Christopher L. Keller contributed to this report from Albuquerque, New Mexico

A pipeline fire in La Porte, Texas, sparks grass fires and burns power poles on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, forcing people in the surrounding neighborhood to evacuate. (KTRK via AP)

Firefighters work on the scene of a pipeline fire in La Porte, Texas, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (KTRK via AP)

A burned vehicle sits near a pipeline fire in La Porte, Texas, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (KTRK via AP)

A pipeline fire in La Porte, Texas, sparks grass fires and burns power poles on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, forcing people in the surrounding neighborhood to evacuate. (KTRK via AP)