What is it? A biopic of Miles Davis directed by and starring Don Cheadle in the title role, about Davis's "silent period" leading up to his 1969 album In A Silent Way. Why is it a major player? It might not be - this one depends on how well Cheadle fares as a director and as a lead actor guided by his own hand. But if Cheadle does even a competent job, he'll be set to be a major awards player in 2016, the reason being that biopics about artists - and struggling, tortured ones at that - still make a big impact on Academy voters. The first image released from the film showed Cheadle looking unrecognisable, and it's here where you should probably be expecting the film's most likely Oscar nom to come from. Cheadle was last nominated for Best Actor in 2005, for Hotel Rwanda, but you can guarantee Cheadle's going to be even more invested in this personal project, with the subject a musical icon the actor's long-revered. If Cheadle gets Miles Davis right, it's going to be the role he's remembered for, and it could be a performance that seriously troubles the Best Actor competition come 2016.
Lover of film, writer of words, pretentious beyond belief. Thinks Scorsese and Kubrick are the kings of cinema, but PT Anderson and David Fincher are the dashing young princes. Follow Brogan on twitter if you can take shameless self-promotion: @BroganMorris1
