Big new movies to see this fall: ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens,’ ‘The Martian’ and more

As the fall movie season begins, conflict and controversy are the order of the day.

Name an issue, and Hollywood is probably trying to tackle it. We’ll see two films about people changing gender, “The Danish Girl,” starring Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne, and “About Ray,” starring Elle Fanning, both of which have already drawn criticism for casting non-transgender leads. “Truth,” with Robert Redford as Dan Rather, may reignite old arguments about politics and the media, while “Spotlight,” starring Mark Ruffalo as a Boston Globe reporter, will surely open old wounds about the Catholic Church scandal. Things could heat up even further in December, when the football drama “Concussion” and Oliver Stone’s “Snowden” are released. It’s enough to make a movie like “Black Mass,” about murderous Boston mobster Whitey Bulger (Johnny Depp), sound almost tame.

Hollywood has always loved a story ripped from the headlines — especially during awards season — but this year seems jam-packed with them. It could be a response to the popularity of television, which is becoming increasingly topical with shows like “Transparent,” “Homeland” and “Mr. Robot.” Of course, this fall features some purely escapist entertainment, too, including the latest James Bond film, “Spectre,” and the final entry in the “Hunger Games” series.

Here are 30 of the fall’s biggest films.