The stars are pointed north as the Toronto International Film Festival opens Thursday night in the Canadian metropolis, where hundreds of films seeking awards traction, publicity or buyers will unspool over the next 10 days.
Here are some with big buzz:
‘The Judge’
Robert Downey Jr. doffs his Iron Man suit for the first time in years to play a hotshot city lawyer who returns to his small hometown when his estranged father (Robert Duvall), a judge, is accused of murder. In theaters Oct. 10.
‘The Humbling’
Al Pacino received some of his best notices in years for this adaptation of a Philip Roth novel that premiered at the Venice Film Festival — the film, not so much.
He plays an aged, suicidal actor who becomes involved with a younger woman (Greta Gerwig). No US release date.
‘St. Vincent’
Toronto has declared Friday “Bill Murray Day’’ in honor of the beloved actor, and his latest is a comedy-drama in which he plays a misanthropic veteran who bonds with a young neighbor. In theaters Oct. 24.
‘Foxcatcher’
Direct from rave reviews in Cannes, this heavyweight Oscar contender stars Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo and Channing Tatum in a fact-based drama about a demented du Pont heir and his private wrestling team. In theaters Nov. 14.
‘Men, Women & Children’
The latest from director Jason Reitman (“Up in the Air’’) is a comedy-drama about sexual frustration with Ansel Elgort, Adam Sandler, Emma Thompson, Judy Greer and Jennifer Garner. In theaters Oct. 1.
‘The Good Lie’
Reese Witherspoon adopts a Sudanese refugee in this drama from the producers of “The Blind Side.’’ In theaters Oct. 3.
‘The Theory of Everything’
Eddie Redmayne (“Les Misérables’’) goes for the Oscar gold as disabled genius Stephen Hawking in this biopic based on a memoir by his wife (played by Felicity Jones). In theaters Nov. 7.
‘The Equalizer’
Home Depot employee Denzel Washington is secretly a retired CIA operative — at least until a beaten prostitute (Chloë Grace Moretz) prompts him to go after the Russian mob in Boston.
Rest assured Denzel’s not ready for an easy paycheck in “The Expendables 4’’ after this crackling action thriller that may well launch a franchise. In theaters Oct. 26.
‘This Is Where I Leave You’
All-star (Tina Fey, Jason Bateman, Jane Fonda) black comedy about a dysfunctional family reunited by the death of their patriarch. In theaters Sept. 19.
‘Wild’
Reese Witherspoon’s other comeback attempt has attracted rave reviews — at least for her performance — out of Telluride. She plays a woman who hikes 1,100 miles in a film directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (“Dallas Buyers Club’’). In theaters Dec. 5.
‘The Imitation Game’
The Oscar buzz out of Telluride is already deafening for yet another biopic — this one starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing, the gay math genius who cracked the Nazis’ Enigma Code during World War II. In theaters Oct. 21.