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The New Mutants (2020) Review

Top 40 Anticipated Movies of 2020

40. Mainstream

Honestly there’s really not much to say about Mainstream, I’m interested in it mainly because of some of the cast involved, and I’m hoping that the movie is pretty good in itself.

Three lovers struggle to preserve their identities as they form an eccentric love triangle within the fast-moving modern world.

I like Andrew Garfield, Maya Hawke, and Jason Schwartzman, and they’re the reason I’m somewhat paying attention to the movie. There’s really nothing more I can say about this movie thus far, I’m not familiar with director Gia Coppola, but with the cast and the premise, at the very least it has potential.

Mainstream hasn’t been given a release date yet.

39. Bad Boys for Life

I’m not a massive fan of the Bad Boys movies, I liked the first one fine enough for what it is, but the second I just really couldn’t get into. People had been talking about a 3rd instalment for quite a while, and it seems like now we’re getting it. I’m still not completely sold on it just yet, but I’m nonetheless paying attention to it.

The once inseparable duo of Marcus Burnett and Michael “Mike” Lowery is coming apart: an aging Burnett has become a police inspector while Lowery, suffering a midlife crisis, is assigned to head up AMMO, a “young guns” group of millennial cops with whom he has nothing in common. Both of them reunite once again when a fierce cartel mob boss, whose brother they defeated years earlier, makes a retaliation effort on Mike just as both he and Marcus are about to officially retire.

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reprise their roles, and their dynamic is the highlight of these movies, I’m looking forward to seeing them again. Outside of that, don’t know what to expect from the rest of the movie. I’m not familiar with the director, this time its not Michael Bay directing the movie, and I can’t tell whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Chances are the story is going to be pretty familiar to the past movies and I’m not expecting much from that front. I’m just hoping for a reasonably fun and entertaining 2 hours in the cinema.

Bad Boys for Life is scheduled to be released on January 17, 2020.

38. The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It

It does feel weird this movie not being higher on my list. I liked James Wan’s The Conjuring, and The Conjuring 2 even more, so I’ve been looking forward to a 3rd movie. However there are some things that I’m legitimately concerned about, they aren’t enough to make me not want to watch this movie.

One of the most sensational cases form the files of real life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga), where a young boy is murdered and the murder suspect claims demonic possession as a defense for the first time in the history of the United States.

First of all the obvious must be addressed, this title is terrible. The Devil Made Me Do It is a silly title, not to mention with the previous movie being just titled The Conjuring 2, it makes you wonder why they made that decision. It’s not enough to justify prematurely declaring that the movie will be terrible, but it does give you pause. The main concern I have however is that it isn’t James Wan who’ll be directing this, that job falls to Michael Chaves. The problem is Chaves directed The Curse of La Llorana, which was a spin off in this Conjuring universe, and from what I’ve heard it’s not that good. I’m not entirely confident that he’ll deliver on a good movie with this. However with a premise that has potential, and Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga returning to reprise their roles, I can’t say I’m at least somewhat interested in checking it out.

The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It is scheduled to be released on September 11, 2020.

37. Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Although I liked the first two movies, I’m not a massive fan of Ghostbusters. Maybe I might need to give them a rewatch, but I generally regard them as fun 80s movies that are pretty decent but that’s it. I wasn’t even expecting another Ghostbusters movie after Sony’s reboot really didn’t work out so well. Normally I wouldn’t be interested, but the fact that this is actually Ghostbusters 3 at least compels me to pay some attention to this movie.

After being evicted from their home, two children and their single mother move to a farm in Summerville, Oklaholma inherited from their late grandfather. When the town experiences a series of unexplained earthquakes, the children discover their family’s link to the original Ghostbusters, who have become something of a myth as many have long-since forgotten the events of the “Manhattan Crossrip of 1984”, and the secret legacy that their grandfather left behind.

There had been talks about a Ghostbusters 3 for the longest time, and after the recent reboot, it seemed like people had given up on it. After the longest time however, they are actually making it. The cast for the new Ghostbusters are great, with McKenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon, and Paul Rudd, that group of actors have quite the talent, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they work out. Additionally Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Sigourney Weaver return to reprise their roles, and the fact that they aren’t just being used for cheap cameos but instead passing the torch onto new actors and characters played a large part in me being sort of interested in this movie. I haven’t seen much from writer and director Jason Reitman, but I liked Juno and Tully, which I’ve seen from him. That’s not to guarantee that because he’s involved, the movie will be fantastic, I liked Paul Feig and his Ghostbusters movie was kind of middle of the road. Nonetheless there’s a lot of talent involved, and I really hope it pays off well.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is scheduled to be released on July 10, 2020.

36. The Way Back

I heard about this movie for a little while, after working on The Accountant (a movie that I thought was rather good), Ben Affleck and director Gavin O’Connor were going to work on another movie together. From the brief glances I’ve had at the movie, and of the trailer, it certainly has some potential.

A former HS basketball phenom (Ben Affleck), struggling with alcoholism, is offered a coaching job at his alma mater. As the team starts to win, he may have a reason to confront his old demons. But will it be enough to set him on the road to redemption?

From director Gavin O’Connor I’ve only seen The Accountant and Warrior, but they were quite good, and so this movie is being handled by someone who is more than capable at carrying this story. Ben Affleck can generally give some good performances, but this almost feels like the role was tailor made for him. From the looks at the trailer, he seems to be playing the role rather well. The two of them are the reason I’m interested in the movie, I’m really not sure how it’s going to turn out beyond that.

The Way Back is scheduled to be released on March 6, 2020.

35. Promising Young Woman

I only heard of the movie more recently, with a new trailer that captured my attention. With a good cast and premise, I’m definitely keeping my eye on Promising Young Woman.

Everyone said Cassie (Carey Mulligan) was a promising young woman, until a mysterious event abruptly derailed her future. But nothing in Cassie’s life is what it appears to be: she’s wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she’s living a secret double life by night. Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie a chance to right to give Cassie a chance to right the wrongs of the past.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Carey Mulligan in a movie, and this seems to be a fantastic role for her. From the trailer, it looks like she’s handling her part quite well. Additionally this movie has Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Adam Brody, and Clancy Brown in supporting roles. Beyond that and the premise, I really don’t know what to expect from it at all. I’m mainly going in for Carey Mulligan, but hopefully the film on the whole is great too.

Promising Young Woman is scheduled to be released on April 17, 2020.

34. Guns Akimbo

I’ve heard about Guns Akimbo for the longest time, ever since the set pictures came out with Daniel Radcliffe in a bathrobe with guns stuck to his hands. I have no idea what’s taking this movie so long to actually come out, but I’m really looking forward to seeing whatever this is supposed to be.

A guy (Daniel Radcliffe) relies on his newly-acquired gladiator skills to save his ex-girlfriend from kidnappers.

I really liked Daniel Radcliffe and Samara Weaving, and the trend of Radcliffe starring in some weird indie films graciously doesn’t seem to be ceasing anytime soon. I don’t know much about the movie beyond the premise and actors, but it seems like it’ll be at the very least something over the top and fun.

Guns Akimbo will probably be released sometime in 2020.

33. The Invisible Man

Leigh Whannell’s last film with Upgrade was one of the biggest surprises of 2018. Naturally I was interested in seeing what his next film would be, and it so happened to be a remake/adaptation of The Invisible Man.

When Cecilia’s (Elisabeth Moss) abusive ex (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) takes his own life and leaves her fortune, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia works to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see.

Leigh Whannell with Upgrade showed himself to be a very impressive filmmaker, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he’ll do with this concept. I’m not familiar with most of the actors, but I do know of Elisabeth Moss, and from what little I’ve seen her in, I know she’s very talented and will no doubt give another good lead performance here. The Invisible Man is a very loose adaptation of the original book, as well as a loose remake of the 1933 movie, so at least it’s trying something new. However it seems to be a stalker/slasher film, but just the antagonist being invisible. It does then feel like this movie might’ve been better not connected to a source material, however it is worth noting that this movie was going to be the Dark Universe Invisible Man movie (connected to 2017’s The Mummy) originally before it was cancelled. If you haven’t seen the trailer, I wouldn’t recommend watching it, as it seems to show most of the movie. There’s a part of me that thinks that this could just be a generic slasher movie. Still, it’s got me curious about it.

The Invisible Man is scheduled to be released on February 28, 2020.

32. Morbius

Morbius is a new entry in Sony’s Spider-Man Villain Universe, the Spider-Man cinematic universe that doesn’t actually have Spider-Man in it (at least for the time being). This time it’ll focus on a character lesser known to the public, Morbius, a vampire who happens to be a Spider-Man villain. I have no idea what to really expect, but I’m at least interested in it.

Biochemist Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) tries to cure himself of a rare blood disease, but inadvertently infects himself with a form a vampirism instead.

Jared Leto is in the lead role as Morbius, and Leto certainly has the potential to give some great performances. I don’t know much about the character of Morbius, but if he’s given the right writing and direction, he could be great in this role. Additionally, you have a supporting cast consisting of Matt Smith, Jared Harris, and Tyrese Gibson, so there’s a lot of talented people involved. The director is Daniel Espinosa, who made Life, which I personally liked. I also know he made Safe House and Child 44, which I’ve heard mixed things about. I honestly don’t know what sort of movie Morbius will be really, but good or bad, it seems like it’ll be something at least somewhat different from a comic book movie, and that’s always good to see.

Morbius is scheduled to be released on July 31, 2020.

31. Candyman

I watched the original Candyman last year, I was really surprised in how much I liked it, it was really well made. The new Candyman movie is something I’m curious about but I’m also unsure about it, mostly because I’m not sure what it’s supposed to be.

A “spiritual sequel” to the 1992 horror film ‘Candyman’ that returns to the now-gentrified Chicago neighborhood where the legend began.

Apparently this new Candyman movie will be a spiritual sequel to the original, which is at least a step above being a remake. Nonetheless, not sure what the movie will be about just yet. The lead will be played by Yahya Abudul-Mateen II, and we also have Tony Todd returning, and I assume that he’s reprising his role as the Candyman. If he is, then that’s great, because he’s fantastic in that role. I’m somewhat curious about this movie, I’m not sure what to expect from it, and I’ll be keeping an eye on it for sure.

Candyman is scheduled to be released on June 12, 2020.

30. Venom 2

2018’s Venom wasn’t the movie I was expecting it to be. It was very over the top and goofy, and in that it was entertaining for what it is. However it also didn’t fully work as that, as it feels like a mash of ideas and tones, that works enough to be fun, but not enough to be that good. With the sequel introducing the character of Carnage to the big screen, I have no idea what kind of movie we’ll be getting this time. However I’m still on board to see what it is.

This time we have Andy Serkis on board to direct the sequel, who is a very interesting pick for this movie. Given his work with motion capture, I’m sure he’ll do something great on that front at least. Tom Hardy and Michelle Williams also reprise their roles from the first movie, and Hardy seems to have committed completely to whatever was written for this character (for better or for worse), so I look forward to seeing him again. Woody Harrelson was revealed to be Cletus Kasady at the end of Venom, the villain who would go on to become Carnage. I do wonder how they’re going to handle him, given that the character is a serial killer and the last movie was a PG-13/M, I’m not sure whether or not they’ll go all the way with this character. As unintentionally funny as his appearance was in the first movie, Harrelson is a talented actor and could actually be great in this role if his character is handled well. Additionally there’s Naomie Harris and Stephen Graham who will also play parts in the movie. I’d be disappointed if it’s another messy yet funny and somewhat entertaining superhero flick, but I got a feeling that Venom 2 will at least be slightly better than that.

Venom 2 is scheduled to be released on October 2, 2020.

29. Black Widow

After Avengers: Endgame, people are starting to drop off out of interest of the MCU, and I’ll admit myself as being one of these people. There have been talks for under a decade of a Black Widow movie ever since her on screen debut in 2010 with Iron Man 2. However, despite appearing frequently in the MCU movies, she’s never gotten her movie, until now that is.

A film about Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) in her quests between the films Civil War and Infinity War.

There’s an undercurrent of feeling that this movie feels too late, and it’s particularly frustrating that it takes place after Civil War, because this just means that it should’ve been made 3/4 years ago (however I suppose it’s better than yet another origin story). What makes matters worse is the fact that Black Widow in the MCU is now dead, so it almost feels in vain. The trailer looked pretty good, rather standard Marvel, but has enough intriguing bits to make me interested. I generally like Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, but I really do feel like she hadn’t been used to her fullest potential in her previous apperarances. While I still don’t feel like the character would be used to her fullest potential, at least this time she’ll be front and center, and not just a co-lead at best. Additionally, you have a supporting cast with Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Rachel Weisz and Ray Winstone. I don’t necessarily know if it’ll be much more than the standard MCU level quality (the trailer certainly makes it look like it’s not much better than that), I can’t deny that I’m interested in it.

Black Widow is scheduled to be released on May 1, 2020.

28. A Quiet Place Part 2

A Quiet Place was one of the biggest surprises of 2018, a very effective horror movie, and it worked well for what it was. Because it was so successful, a sequel was greenlit with the same crew. While a sequel doesn’t seem unnecessary, I’m open to seeing what ideas they have in store for the follow up.

The Abbott family must now face the terrors of the outside world as they fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they realise that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path.

John Krasinski retursn to direct the sequel, he did such a good job with the first movie. Along with the returning main characters with Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe as the family at the centre, you have the additions of Cillian Murphy and Djimon Hounsou, both are very talented actors and I’m looking forward to seeing what they do in the movie. I don’t think A Quiet Place needed a sequel, it was fine as it is, but I’m hoping Part 2 proves me wrong and does something special.

A Quiet Place: Part 2 is scheduled to be released on March 20, 2020.

27. Godzilla vs. Kong

I liked the MonsterVerse movies, with the two Godzilla movies and Kong: Skull Island. Now their incarnations of Godzilla and King Kong will be clashing after years of build up. There are some concerns that I have, but no doubt it’s something that I’m really looking forward to seeing on the big screen.

In a new world where man and monster now coexist, Monarch must lead the way to a prosperous future alongside the Titans, keeping humanity in check. However, rival factions that want to manipulate the Titans for war begin to rise under the guise of a nefarious conspiracy, threatening to wipe out all life on the planet. Meanwhile on Skull Island, strange seismic activity draws the attention of Godzilla and Kong alike.

I’ve not seen any of the older King Kong and Godzilla movies (outside of Peter Jackson’s King Kong), nor have I seen any versions where the two have fought each other, but to see these modern incarnations of these titans clashing with fantastic visuals, I can’t wait. In addition to Millie Bobby Brown and Kyle Chandler returning from Godzilla: King of the Monsters, you have Alexander Skarsgard, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Eiza Gonzalez, Jessica Henwick and Demian Bichir being added to the cast list. I’m aware that the human characters aren’t particularly anything special, but that’s nonetheless a pretty good cast. This movie is directed by Adam Wingard, who made You’re Next, The Guest, and Death Note (the latter of which wasn’t all that good), and I’m interested in seeing what he has planned for this movie. One thing that is a little concerning to me was the amount of release date delays it has, from March 13, to May 22, to May 29, and now November 20. Now at least it’s being kept in the same year, but it’s still a little concerning that they kept pushing it back. Nonetheless, I’m sure it will at least be something spectacular to see on the big screen at the very least.

Godzilla vs. Kong is scheduled to be released on November 20, 2020.

26. The French Dispatch

I will admit I’m not a massive fan of Wes Anderson. While I haven’t seen a lot of his movies, of the few that I have seen, the only one I really loved was The Grand Budapest Hotel. Nonetheless, I definitely appreciate him as a filmmaker, and I’ll for sure check out any future movies he puts out. I’m not exactly sure what The French Dispatch is supposed to be at this time, but I’m getting the feeling that it’ll really surprise me.

A love letter to journalists set in an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional 20th-century French city that brings to life a collection of stories published in “The French Dispatch” magazine.

Whether you love, hate or are indifferent to Wes Anderson, you can’t deny that he makes movies like no other person. So even if his style isn’t exactly my favourite, I’m kind of interested to see what he does. As per typical of Anderson, he has a phenomenal cast, and it’s actually overwhelming how large it is. Frances McDormand, Bill Murray, Timothee Chalamet, Jeffrey Wright, Benicio del Toro, Lea Seydoux, Tilda Swinton, Saoirse Ronan, Kate Winslet, Elisabeth Moss, Willem Dafoe, Christoph Waltz, Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman, and so many more. With that cast and director, I can’t deny I’m somewhat curious about how The French Dispatch will turn out.

The French Dispatch is scheduled to be released sometime in 2020.

25. Top Gun: Maverick

I’ll openly admit that I’m not a big fan of Top Gun. There’s a lot of good in it and it’s certainly an 80s classic, it just wasn’t anything more than that to me. Still, I’m somewhat interested in seeing what the sequel, Maverick, has to offer us.

After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him.

Joseph Kosinski directs this, his work on Tron: Legacy and Oblicion was relatively decent. The trailer for this movie looks impressive, with a lot of stunts, and you know that all of them are practical (with Tom Cruise of course performing all of his own himself). Outside of Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer returning, you have Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, and Ed Harris as part of the new cast. I’m not really sure what to expect from this movie outside of an updated and improved version of the first movie, but I’m sure it’ll be entertaining at the very least.

Top Gun: Maverick is scheduled to be released on June 26, 2020.

24. Eternals

As I said when talking about Black Widow, I’ve been growing less interested in the MCU. While I’m going to watch all of their upcoming movies, it will take some new places and characters to make me particularly interested in their newer instalments. Thankfully, it looks like The Eternals will be just that.

In a story spanning over 7000 years, the Eternals, an immortal alien race created by the Celestials, protect humanity from their evil counterparts the Deviants.

I don’t really know anything about the Eternals, what little I know is that they are a powerful race of cosmic beings who’ve been around for millions of years. Most of the MCU protagonists are human, or at least start as such, so to immediately start off and take place in this kind of world, it sounds exciting. You also have a great cast, with the likes of Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tyree Henry, Salma Hayek, Barry Keoghan, Gemma Chan and Kit Harington. The director is Chloe Zhao, and while I haven’t seen her previous movie The Rider, I’ve heard a lot of great things about it. Most MCU movies are decent at least, and I’m sure that the Eternals will be good too, but I also think it has the opportunity to be one of the most unique entries in the series.

Eternals is scheduled to be released on November 6, 2020.

23. Emma

I’ve never watched a movie based on a Jane Austen novel, and I hadn’t even known about this book until this movie was announced. However actually looking at the trailer and the people, for some reason I’m just really interested to see it when it comes out.

Jane Austen’s beloved comedy about finding your equal and earning your happy ending, is reimagined in this. Handsome, clever, and rich, Emma Woodhouse (Anya Taylor-Joy) is a restless queen bee without rivals in her sleepy little town. In this glittering satire of social class and the pain of growing up, Emma must adventure through misguided matches and romantic missteps to find the love has been there all along.

The reason why I started being interested in this movie was Anya Taylor-Joy’s involvement, she’s one of my favourite recent actresses. She also particularly seems perfect for this role, from how little I know about it. There’s also the addition of the likes of Bill Nighy, Mia Goth, Miranda Hart, Callum Turner and Gemma Whelan in supporting roles. I don’t really know what to expect from the movie, I’m not familiar with the story at all. However based off the trailer, I think it’ll be pretty good at least.

Emma is scheduled to be released on February 14, 2020.

22. Green Knight

I’ve liked the movies I’ve seen from director David Lowery, with Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Pete’s Dragon and especially A Ghost Story. So I’m open to seeing any new movies from him, and indeed Green Knight at least seems like it could be quite good.

A fantasy re-telling of the medieval story of Sir Gawain (Dev Patel) and the Green Knight.

David Lowery is a very talented director as shown in his previous movies, so he’s definitely got a good handle of it. It also has a pretty good cast, with Dev Patel, Barry Keoghan, Ralph Ineson, Alicia Vikander, Kate Dickie, and Sean Harris involved. The story is apparently based of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, which is apparently a classic tale, but I’m not familiar with that. I’m just interested in the movie because of the talent involved. I’m really not sure at this stage what kind of fantasy movie Lowery is intending Green Knight to be, but I’m looking forward to it nonetheless.

Green Knight has no release date at this time.

21. The Woman in the Window

I was looking forward to The Woman in the Window last year, it was certainly meant to come out in 2019. There’s a lot of talent involved, from the director, to the cast, especially Amy Adams. However some of my anticipation was decreased a little, with my biggest concern being the fact that the movie was pushed back an entire year.

An agoraphobic woman (Amy Adams) living alone in New York begins spying on her new neighbors, only to witness a disturbing act of violence.

I’m aware that Joe Wright isn’t always consistent as a director. Pan is by far his worst movie and was really messy (even though I don’t dislike it), and Darkest Hour was a pretty by the numbers biopic. But he’s still a good director, he made Atonement after all. The cast is also good, with Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie, Wyatt Russell, Brian Tyree Henry, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Julianne Moore making up the supporting cast. However it’s Amy Adams in the lead role that has me most excited, she seems to have much to work with in this role, and could very well end up being one of her best performances. Now as I said, the movie was pushed back from 2019 to 2020. This is because Disney (who now owns Fox of course, who originally produced the movie) ‘retoooled’ the movie due to negative test audience response towards the third act. That doesn’t bold well, as either this is a knee jerk reaction to a single reaction and as a result drastically changing the movie, or the movie actually has some significant problems to begin with. This is why the movie isn’t as high up on this list as I would’ve like it to be, I’m not 100% certain that it’ll be good just yet, even though the trailer looks good. However, I’m still very much interested in seeing the movie.

The Woman in the Window is scheduled to be released on May 15, 2020.

20. The New Mutants

This is the third and hopefully last time I put this movie on a most anticipated film of a year list. With plenty of delays, changes and the like abound, there’s definitely reason to be concerned about this movie. I really can’t comment on how the movie is now at this stage. Even if the movie ends up being a little messy, I can’t deny that I’m still very interested in seeing it.

Five young mutants, just discovering their abilities while held in a secret facility against their will, fight to escape their past sins and save themselves.

The cast is pretty great, with Anya Taylor-Joy, Maisie Williams, and Charlie Heaton being part of it. Allegedly, the movie was not filmed to be horror despite director Josh Boone wanting that, and after the positive reaction to the horror movie trailer, they decided to get closer to his vision. I’m not going to commit to believing a behind the scenes story just yet but the things that I’ve heard have me just a little concerned. However I’m still hoping that the end product will be something that is fairly decent at least.

The New Mutants is scheduled to be released on April 3, 2020 (unless it gets pushed back yet again).

19. Death on the Nile

Kenneth Branagh’s Murder on the Orient Express was pretty good, it was nothing great and could’ve been better, but it was somewhat fun, it’s well directed, and the ensemble cast mostly delivered. Although I didn’t know much about them, I was aware that there were more Hercule Poirot stories that could be told, and I was interested in seeing a sequel based off them. We are finally getting that with Death on the Nile, which I’m expecting to be at the very least just as good as the first movie.

Detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) investigates the murder of a young heiress aboard a cruise ship on the Nile River.

Death on the Nile will be in a very different environment compared to Murder on the Orient Express, and I can tell that Branagh will do a great job with it, like how he did with the previous movie. The main issues of that movie for me was some of the pacing and parts of the writing and plot, and I hope the sequel has noticeably improved upon those issues. Along with Kenneth Branagh returning as Hercule Poirot (having done a good job in the previous movie), we have a great new ensemble cast with Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Rose Leslie and Letitia Wright involved. I’m a sucker for whodunits, and it seems like Death on the Nile will be a solid movie at the very least.

Death on the Nile is scheduled to be released on October 9, 2020.

18. Halloween Kills

I liked 2018’s Halloween, it was a good follow up to the original movie. I also thought it was a good conclusion for the series and characters. Unfortunately, they decided that this movie would be the first in a trilogy, with Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends acting as the second and third movies. Even though they should’ve stopped the series at this point, I can’t deny that I’m at least somewhat interested in seeing what they have in store for the next instalments.

The saga of Michael Myers (Nick Castle) and Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) continues in the next thrilling chapter of the Halloween series.

David Gordon Green did a really good job at directing the last movie, it wasn’t that scary to me, but it was handled so well on the whole, so I’m glad that he’s returning for this movie. Additionally you have the main cast from the previous movie returning, with Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak and Nick Castle reprising their roles. Despite my disappointment that the last movie didn’t conclude the whole series after all, there is one thing I’m confident about, and that’s the fact that they actually planned out 2 movies, with the last literally being titled Halloween Ends. This means they actually have a plan for the story arc, it’s much more contained, and aren’t going to just release more sequels (until they inevitably reboot yet again in the future). While I can certainly see how things could go wrong, but I have enough confidence in the people involved to deliver another solid movie.

Halloween Kills is scheduled to be released on October 16, 2020.

17. Deep Water

I’m always interested in a good thriller, and based off the premise and the people involved, Deep Water looks like it could be that.

A well-to-do husband (Ben Affleck) who allows his wife (Ana de Armas) to have affairs in order to avoid a divorce becomes a prime suspect in the disappearance of her lovers.

I’ve only seen Jacob’s Ladder from director Adrian Lyne, but I recognise some of the other movies that he’s worked on, such as Fatal Attraction and Unfaithful. Looking at the premise and some of the details of the book it’s based on, I can see this being right up his alley. Additionally with the duo of Ana de Armas and Ben Affleck, Deep Water certainly has a lot of promise.

Deep Water is scheduled to be released on November 13, 2020.

16. The King’s Man

I’m a big fan of Kingsman: The Secret Service, it was something fresh and entertaining. I even liked The Golden Circle, even though it has its issues and wasn’t as good as I hoped it was. Now director Matthew Vaughn isn’t going straight into the third movie in that series, but instead directing a prequel about how the Kingsman came to be, and that’s actually something I’m willing to see.

As a collection of history’s worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man (Ralph Fiennes) and his protégé (Harris Dickinson) must race against time to stop them.

After some mixed reactions to The Golden Circle (even from those who liked the first movie), the idea of making a prequel was probably the best next move for the series. It’s definitely embracing the time period and seems different from the first two movies, yet you can clearly tell that it’s a Kingsman movie and directed by Matthew Vaughn. The cast is large and great, with Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arteton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander, Daniel Bruhl, Djimon Hounsou, Charles Dance, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Stanley Tucci involved. I am actually more confident in this movie than The Golden Circle, and I’d be surprised if it didn’t end up being fun at the very least.

The King’s Man is scheduled to be released on September 18, 2020.

15. I’m Thinking of Ending Things

I may not know a whole lot about I’m Thinking of Ending Things, but with Charlie Kaufman writing and directing, along with a great cast involved, I’m definitely interested in how it’ll turn out.

A man (Jesse Plemons) takes his girlfriend (Jessie Buckley) to meet with his parents, but they find themselves going in a terrifying detour.

I will admit that I’m not too familiar with Charlie Kaufman’s work. I’ve seen a couple of the movies that he wrote, which was Adaptation and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but that was it. Nor have I seen some of his directed movies like Synecdoche, New York. However his involvement definitely has my interest. The cast is quite talented with the likes of Jesse Plemons, Toni Collette and David Thewlis. As for the story, I know its based off a book I haven’t read, and looking at brief parts of the plot, it seems like a very twisty plot, and I’m looking forward to seeing what Kaufman does with it both in directing and writing.

I’m Thinking of Ending Things is to be released by Netflix, with no date set as of this time.

14. The Last Thing He Wanted

I heard of this movie more recently, mostly because of the talent involved. While I don’t know too much about the movie’s plot, with the cast and director, as well as the little bits I know about the story, it looks quite interesting.

A veteran D.C. journalist (Anne Hathaway) loses the thread of her own narrative when a guilt-propelled errand for her father (Willem Dafoe) thrusts her from byline to unwitting subject in the very story she’s trying to break. Adapted from Joan Didion’s namesake novel.

Although I haven’t seen Mudbound yet, I heard it was good and director Dees Rees’s next film will be this one. As for The Last Thing He Wanted, you have a great cast, with the likes of Anne Hathaway, Willem Dafoe, Ben Affleck, Toby Jones and Rosie Perez. This movie is based off a book of the same name, and from the brief glances I had at the plot of the novel, it actually sounds like it could be something great.

The Last Thing He Wanted is to be released on Netflix, with no date set as of this time.

13. The Gentlemen

Guy Ritchie’s return to crime movies is of course something I’ve been anticipating for quite some time. Add an excellent cast on top of it, and it seems to be a comeback for Ritchie, at least based off the trailers.

The film follows American expat Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey) who has created a highly profitable marijuana empire in London. When word gets out that he is looking to cash out his business, it triggers plots, schemes, bribery and blackmail in an attempt to steal his domain out from under him.

There’s a great cast involved, with Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Eddie Marsan, Colin Farrell, and Hugh Grant. However of course the reason I’m so excited is that it’s Guy Ritchie’s return to crime movies in a while. Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and RocknRolla are among his best movies, he excels at this genre. His most recent movies have been disappointing, so this might be just what he needs. There is one thing I’m a little worried about, and that’s the release date. There’s a reason why I’m uploading this review so early on, the movie comes out for me on the first day of the year. January is where a lot of bad or average new releases are dumped, and for The Gentlemen to be released that month, I’m a little worried about it. Nonetheless, I get that feeling that I’ll like some parts of it at least.

The Gentlemen is scheduled to be released on January 1, 2020.

12. Blonde

While biopics can be very typical and usually end up being just a display of some good acting at best (at worst its failed Oscar bait), the upcoming film about Marilyn Monroe sounds like it’ll be very interesting. The talent involved is difficult to ignore, and the story and movie on the whole seems like it’ll be anything but conventional.

A fictionalized take on the life of Marilyn Monroe (Ana de Armas).

Andrew Dominick is quite a talented filmmaker, Killing Them Softly I remember having a lot of good things to it, but of course he’s known for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, which was masterful. For him to take on this story, I’m definitely intrigued. Ana de Armas has been a rising star these past years, with the likes of War Dogs, Blade Runner 2049 and more recently Knives Out. Now she’s in the lead role as Marilyn Monroe, and just from the set pictures, she at least looks the part, and I have no doubt that she’ll also bring it on the acting side too. You also have Adrien Brody, and Bobby Cannavale in supporting roles. Now a great director and cast are all fine and good, but it still could just end up a typical biopic. However, the source material its based off is quite unique. Blonde is based off the historical novel of the same name, and according to the author, it’s a work of fiction that shouldn’t be regarded as a direct biography of Monroe’s life. I haven’t read the book myself, but it does sound like there’s potential there for an interesting movie. Also, according to Dominik (who wrote the script in addition to directing) “the script contains little dialogue and he has described the film as being an avalanche of images and events”. I’m all for unconventional biopics, and Blonde could end up being a complete surprise.

Blonde has no release date set at this time.

11. Those Who Wish Me Dead

Taylor Sheridan showed himself to be a good writer, and then director with Wind River, so I’m generally interested in what he has next. His next film certainly sounds like it could be another solid film from Sheridan, and there’s a lot of talented people involved.

A female-driven neo-Western set against a wildfire in the Montana wilderness. A teenage murder witness finds himself pursued by twin assassins in the Montana wilderness with a survival expert (Angelina Jolie) tasked with protecting him — and a forest fire threatening to consume them all.

Again, Taylor Sheridan is a big reason why I’m so interested in this movie. This is not the only neo-Western that Sheridan has written with Hell or High Water and Wind River, the latter of which he directed. He’s great at this and so I’m pretty confident that the writing and directing side will be top notch. On top of that it has a talented cast with Angelina Jolie, Nicholas Hoult, Tyler Perry, Jon Bernthal, and Aiden Gillen. My excitement is all just based off the talent involved, and I hope it all pays off well.

Those Who Wish Me Dead is (allegedly) set for release on October 23, 2020.

10. The Trial of the Chicago 7

Aaron Sorkin is a fantastic writer, with his scripts for The Social Network and Steve Jobs being excellent. His directorial debut was pretty solid with Molly’s Game, but he still had some room to grow on the directing side of things, although the script was good as expected. Sorkin’s next film would be taking on a real life event, and everything about the movie and the premise sounds like it’ll be something great.

Based on the story of the Chicago Seven, a group of seven defendants charged by the federal government with conspiracy, inciting to riot, and other charges related to anti-Vietnam and countercultural protests that took place in Chicago, Illinois, on the occasion of the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

First and foremost, you of course have Sorkin at the helm. While his directing is decent, of course what’s most exciting is his writing. This is actually a script that he wrote back in 2007, and now it finally gets to be turned into a movie. I’m looking forward to seeing what he does with this real life event. There’s also an all star cast, with the likes of Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Frank Langella, Mark Rylance, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Michael Keaton, and William Hurt involved. Everything about The Trial of the Chicago 7 sounds excellent, and will no doubt be a massive stand out film in 2020.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 is scheduled to be released on September 25, 2020.

9. Army of the Dead

I know not everyone is a fan of him, but I like Zack Snyder, and I really like his movies. After his absolute hectic experience with Justice League (with the final product not even being his movie at all), it’ll be nice seeing him work on a non comic book movie. Zombie movies don’t excite me immensely, but the prospect of Snyder directing another zombie movie (and with even more experience since 2004), has me greatly excited.

Following a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries takes the ultimate gamble, venturing into the quarantine zone to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted.

People (rather unfairly I might add) heavily dunk on Zack Snyder and his movies, usually over his adaptations of source material or characters. This time it’s not based off anything, no it’s not a sequel to Snyder’s own Dawn of the Dead remake. So it doesn’t have all the in built criticisms that would come with him adapting something. Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead really stood out among modern zombie movies, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he’ll bring to this movie. I’m not expecting it to be groundbreaking, but I get the feeling that it’ll be something fun.

Army of the Dead will be released on Netflix (presumably in 2020).

8. The Devil All the Time

Not a lot of people know about this movie, I really only know about it because of particular actors who signed up for it. Based off that and the premise though, I so hope that this works out because it sounds outstanding.

Set in rural southern Ohio and West Virginia, The Devil All the Time follows a cast of compelling and bizarre characters from the end of World War II to the 1960s. There’s Willard Russell (Bill Skarsgård) , tormented veteran of the carnage in the South Pacific, who can’t save his beautiful wife, Charlotte (Haley Bennett), from an agonizing death by cancer no matter how much sacrificial blood he pours on his “prayer log.” There’s Carl (Jason Clarke) and Sandy Henderson (Riley Keough), a husband-and-wife team of serial killers, who troll America’s highways searching for suitable models to photograph and exterminate. There’s the spider-handling preacher Roy (Harry Melling) and his crippled virtuoso-guitar-playing sidekick, Theodore, running from the law. And caught in the middle of all this is Arvin Eugene Russell (Tom Holland), Willard and Charlotte’s orphaned son, who grows up to be a good but also violent man in his own right.

The cast was a big reason why I’m so interested. Tom Holland, Bill Skarsgard, Sebastian Stan, Robert Pattinson, Riley Keough, Jason Clarke, Mia Wasikowska, Eliza Scanlen and Haley Bennett, this is actually one of the most stacked casts of the year and that’s saying a lot. It’s based off a well praised book, and the premise sounds like it could be something special. Nothing has been released about this movie, no pictures, no trailer, and I’m not familiar with the director’s work, but from the cast and the premise, it’s something that I’ll be keeping my eye on in the lead up to its release.

The Devil All the Time is set to be released by Netflix in 2020.

7. Birds of Prey

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from Birds of Prey, especially given that it has Harley Quinn as a large part of it. However the things that I’ve seen and heard of it sound like it could be something special in the comic book movie genre at least.

A twisted tale told by Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) herself, when Gotham’s most nefariously narcissistic villain, Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor), and his zealous right-hand, Zsasz, put a target on a young girl named Cass (Ella Jay Basco), the city is turned upside down looking for her. Harley, Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and Renee Montoya’s (Rosie Perez) paths collide, and the unlikely foursome have no choice but to team up to take Roman down.

Margot Robbie has already shown herself to be a star as Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad, and this time she’s front and centre as the star, despite Quinn not being part of the Birds of Prey really. The cast that surround her are also great. You have Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress, Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Black Canary, and Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya, making up the cast of the Birds of Prey, and I can’t wait for them and Harley to interact. You also have Ewan McGregor as Black Mask, a DC villain I’ve been waiting to see on the big screen for some time, and the new take on him based off the glimpses I’ve seen of him interests me greatly. From the glimpses we get of the movie, Birds of Prey seemed to have embraced the insanity of it all, and that also goes for the R rating. We know that it’s going to be a hard R movie, and that just interests me even more. I’ve not seen anything from director Cathy Yun, but it looks very well directed and perfect for the film they are going for (it also on a visual level just looks fantastic). I’m still not really sure what to expect from Birds of Prey, but it has the potential to be one of the standout blockbusters from 2020.

Birds of Prey is scheduled to be released on February 7, 2020.

6. Wonder Woman 1984

Wonder Woman was quite the hit when it came out back in 2017, and a sequel had been anticipated for quite some time. I’ll admit that not knowing what the movie will be like, my anticipation for it has been slowly decreasing over time. The trailer however brought back my absolute excitement for this movie.

Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) squares off against the Cheetah (Kristen Wiig), a villainess who possesses superhuman strength and agility.

The time period jumped from World War 1 all the way to the 80s, and from the trailers it looks like it’s completely embracing that time period. Before watching the trailer I wasn’t really sure what the tone of this movie would be, and thankfully the trailer did seem to give some hints towards it. Whether it’ll be going in a darker or lighter direction compared to the first movie, I have 100% faith in director Patty Jenkins, she knows what she’s doing with the character. There’s also glimpses at some exciting sequences (such as Diana in a gold plated suit with wings, and her literally riding the lightning using the lasso), yet seems to hide enough to keep you intrigued and excited for more. Gal Gadot shines as Wonder Woman, and so I’ll know she’ll bring it once again in this movie. Chris Pine is also returning as Steve Trevor, he was fantastic in the first movie, and it’ll be interesting to see how Trevor comes back in this movie. Additionally you have Kristen Wiig as Cheetah and Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord as the villains of the movie, both very talented actors and important characters, and I’m looking forward to see what parts they plan in the movie. From everything I’ve seen and heard, Wonder Woman 1984 will be yet another hit.

Wonder Woman 1984 is scheduled to be released on June 5, 2020.

5. No Time to Die

Normally a James Bond movie wouldn’t be this high on my most anticipated films list, but there’s something about this one. This is the final film with Daniel Craig in the role of James Bond (who is by far my favourite version of the character), so it’s quite a big movie. Add on top of that the talent involved, and it seems like it could be something special.

James Bond (Daniel Craig) has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain (Rami Malek) armed with dangerous new technology.

There is a lot of talent involved with this movie. Along with Daniel Craig, you have returning Bond actors with Lea Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Rory Kinnear and even Christoph Waltz reprising their roles from the past movies. The new cast are also good, with Lashana Lynch, Ana de Armas, Billy Magnussen and Rami Malek, the latter of whom will be playing the main villain. However that’s not all that excites me, the director of this is Cary Fukunaga, I have seen his work on Maniac. While I haven’t seen his work on True Detective Season 1, Beasts of No Nation or Jane Eyre, I’m aware that he’s a very talented filmmaker. For him to take on a James Bond film, I can imagine how incredible it’ll be. The trailer itself certainly indicates that the movie has a lot of promise. I remember having some issues with Spectre, mainly for the mix of old and new Bond. However it seems like No Time to Die has the right level, having the right amount of Bondisms, as well as having a dark, character driven and genuinely great story. From the talent involved to the looks that we had of the movie, it looks great and I can’t wait to see how it turns out.

No Time to Die is scheduled to be released on 2 April 2020.

4. Last Night in Soho

I generally like Edgar Wright, I love his Cornetto trilogy and I liked Scott Pilgrim and Baby Driver a fair bit. However there’s something about the brief descriptions about Last Night in Soho which has me particularly excited for it. From the talent involved and the premise, it looks like it could be something truly special.

A young girl (Thomasin McKenzie), passionate in fashion design, is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters her idol, a dazzling wannabe singer (Anya Taylor-Joy). But 1960s London is not what it seems, and time seems to fall apart with shady consequences.

First of all you have a great cast involved. I’m always interested in anything Anya Taylor-Joy is in, her involvement in a movie is enough to get me thoroughly interested in it (in fact this is the third time a movie of hers is on this list). You also have Thomasin McKenzie, who is becoming a rising star with recently Leave No Trace and Jojo Rabbit. The supporting cast including Matt Smith, Terrence Stamp and Diana Riggs are also good. Edgar Wright has proven to be a very talented filmmaker. Last Night in Soho is something new from him, a psychological horror, and it’s said to be inspired by other British horror films like Don’t Look Now and Repulsion. That excites and intrigues me immensely, and I can’t wait to see it.

Last Night in Soho is scheduled to be released on 25 September 2020.

3. Mank

It’s been 6 years since David Fincher made a film with 2014’s Gone Girl. While I get that he was involved with Mindhunter, I really wanted to see another movie by him, and it seems that with 2020 we’ll finally be getting that. I’m unsure about the premise that he went with, but the talent involved with this movie is undeniable.

Follows screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz’s (Gary Oldman) Tumultuous development of Orson Welles’ iconic 1941 Citizen Kane.

Admittedly, the plot doesn’t sound very interesting. I haven’t seen Citizen Kane, but even if I had I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be that much more interested in it even if I did. It sounds like a standard biopic about the making of a movie, and I’m not sure what you could do with that to make it special. However you have to remember that Fincher made a movie about Facebook one of his all time best films. While I’m not sure what he’d be able to do with this material, I’m sure it’ll be great. You also have a solid cast in the movie, with Gary Oldman as Citizen Kane screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (Mank), and the likes of Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, Charles Dance and more in the supporting cast. I’m not really sure how the movie will turn out on the whole, but I’m sure it’ll be something excellent.

Mank hasn’t been given a release date yet but it’s assumed it’ll be released in 2020.

2. Tenet

I’m always going to be incredibly excited for anything that Christopher Nolan puts out, and Tenet is no exception. Despite the details being kept vague, from the cast, the small things we know about the movie, and Nolan himself, I am excited.

A secret agent (John David Washington) is apparently brought back to life to prevent World War III.

Christopher Nolan’s films are ambitious and large scale, and also rather secretive leading up to its release. I’m not exactly sure what the movie is about, the trailer didn’t give away a lot, but I’m very intrigued. You’ve also got a large and great cast, with the likes of John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Clemence Posey, Michael Caine and Kenneth Branagh. However the trailer establishes Washington as the clear cut protagonist, and more than happy to see that, he’s shown with BlacKKKlansman that he’s an immensely talented actor. I have no doubt that Tenet will be one of the most best films of the year.

Tenet is scheduled to be released on July 17, 2020.

1. Dune

I’m not familiar with the source material, nor have I seen David Lynch’s own attempt at adapting the source material. But from the vague details I know about it, combined with the fact that Denis Villeneuve is directing it, I couldn’t be more excited for it.

A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, “Dune” tells the story of Paul Atreides (Timothée Hal Chalamet), a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence-a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential-only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

You’ve got a truly excellent cast involved, with the likes of Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Dave Bautista, Stellen Skarsgard, Charlotte Rampling, Oscar Isaac, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa, David Dastmalchian and more involved. And let’s not forget that Villeneuve is directing this, he’s one of the best filmmakers working today. Let’s not forget he took on the daunting task of directing a sequel to Blade Runner, one of the most iconic sci-fi movies of all time. Now he is taking on adapting a highly significant and influential sci-fi novel. This movie will cover roughly the first half of the Dune story, which is good as this means that the story gets to be spread across two movies, but will be a problem if this movie doesn’t do well enough to get a follow up. I do sincerely fear that this movie won’t do well with audiences, as most people don’t even know what Dune is. But that’s just a concern about the success of the movie. The prospect of a Denis Villeneuve directed Dune just sounds overwhelmingly amazing, and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us.

Dune is scheduled to be released on December 18, 2020.

What’s your most anticipated movies of 2020?

Top 40 Anticipated Movies of 2019

Honourable Mention: Pokémon: Detective Pikachu

I should probably mention that I am not familiar with Pokémon. I don’t have a dislike for it or anything but I never grew up with it, I don’t really have an opinion on it. I heard about the Pokémon live action movie and how that was somehow going to be a thing, and I didn’t really pay it any mind. No one is more surprised than me that I’m actually looking forward to the movie, mostly coming from the trailer.

The story begins when ace detective Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing, prompting his 21-year-old son Tim (Justice Smith) to find out what happened. Aiding in the investigation is Harry’s former Pokémon partner, Detective Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds): a hilariously wise-cracking, adorable super-sleuth who is a puzzlement even to himself. Finding that they are uniquely equipped to communicate with one another, Tim and Pikachu join forces on a thrilling adventure to unravel the tangled mystery. Chasing clues together through the neon-lit streets of Ryme City–a sprawling, modern metropolis where humans and Pokémon live side by side in a hyper-realistic live-action world–they encounter a diverse cast of Pokémon characters and uncover a shocking plot that could destroy this peaceful co-existence and threaten the whole Pokémon universe.

Ultimately it was the trailer that got me interested in the movie. A live action Pokémon movie sounds really silly but from the trailer, it looks like it’s doing it well. The look of the Pokémon creatures in live action actually looks pretty great, especially Pikachu. Ryan Reynolds was an interesting voice choice for Pikachu, I like Reynolds but when I was watching the trailer I was just hearing Deadpool. I’m not sure if this movie will be any good but it is one that I’m oddly enough interested in.

Pokémon: Detective Pikachu is set for release on May 10, 2019.

40. Spawn

I’m not sure if you’ve seen my review for the 1998 Spawn movie but long story short it is currently the worst comic book movie I’ve ever seen. With that said, there were glimpses of potential, and I always thought that it would’ve been done better in today’s era, when it comes to comic book movies and the technology. 2 decades on, we are getting a new big screen adaptation of the character and while I’m not sure how good it’ll actually be, I am curious about it.

There’s only a couple of actors that we know are attached to the movie. Jamie Foxx is playing Spawn and he seems to be a good pick, Foxx is a good actor. On top of that we also have Jeremy Renner playing a character from the comics named Twitch, I don’t know anything about his character from the comics but apparently he’s quite prominent in the Spawn comics. According to Spawn creator (and the 2018 film’s writer and director) Todd MacFarlane, the film would be more of a horror and thriller movie, not a superhero one. While that’s the kind of things a lot of people say about their superhero movies (that their superhero movies aren’t really superhero movies, but more of a genre movie), McFarlane is partnering with Blumhouse Productions which is interesting and might mean this movie might genuinely end up being a horror superhero movie. There is a concern to be had with the movie and that is McFarlane himself, he hasn’t directed anything before, so I’m not sure how well he’ll do with directing this movie. One thing is for sure though, it’ll definitely be better than the 90s Spawn, no matter how the 2018 film turns out.

39. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile

Extremely Wicked is the movie about Ted Bundy, the infamous serial killer, and is also known because he will be played by Zac Efron. With all the people involved with the movie (especially the cast), it at least has my curiosity and interest.

The story of Ted Bundy (Zac Efron) is shown from the perspective of his girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer (Lily Collins), who struggled to accept the reality of her boyfriend’s nature.

One of the most stand out things about this movie is that Zac Efron is going to play Ted Bundy. Some screenshots and teaser images have been released already with Efron somewhat resembling Ted Bundy. Efron has shown himself recently to actually have some unexplored talent, and I have a feeling that there is even more there that we haven’t seen yet. He’s clearly trying to change his image as an actor, I’m not sure how he’ll actually do as Ted Bundy but I’m willing to give it a chance at least. We also have Lily Collins, John Malkovich, Jim Parsons, Kaya Scodelario, Haley Joel Osment, James Hetfield and others involved. Good cast overall. I’m not familiar with director Joe Berlinger’s work, so I’m not sure how he’ll do with this movie. Admittedly it’s the cast involved that has me interested the most. I’m also not sure how this movie will tell its story, because it does involve a trial so it may be a court case kind of movie with multiple flashbacks to Ted Bundy earlier on. However it turns out, Extremely Wicked is a movie I’m going to be paying attention to.

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2019.

38. Hellboy

I really liked the first two Hellboy movies, Guillermo del Toro did a great job directing them and Ron Perlman was a perfect Hellboy. It’s a real shame that the two won’t return to make a third film and instead we are getting a reboot. With that said, some bits about the reboot sounds like it still could be really good.

Hellboy (David Harbour) prepares to destroy an ancient medieval sorceress (Milla Jovovich) who seeks to destroy all of mankind.

There are some things about the Hellboy reboot that have a lot of potential. I initially thought Ron Perlman would be irreplaceable as Hellboy. However, the casting of David Harbour is also pretty perfect as well, he’s a great actor and easily fits right into the role. The rest of the cast is also good with Ian McShane and Brian Gleeson involved, as well as Milla Jovovich playing the main villain of the movie. While he’s not Guillermo del Toro, Neil Marshall is a pretty solid director, having made The Descent. In terms of style and tone, apparently it was said that this film will also have an R rating, and will be a darker, more gruesome version of Hellboy. While obviously an R rating doesn’t mean absolutely that it’ll be better than if it was PG-13, it could’ve meant that it is making itself different from the previous 2 movies and was being its own thing, which is good. However the recent trailer made Hellboy look incredibly generic and with little style of it’s own. I’m still hoping that it’s good but it’s not looking that great despite the people involved.

Hellboy is set for release on April 12, 2019.

37. Captain Marvel

For a comic book movie and a Marvel movie, I’m actually not that hyped for Captain Marvel (its honestly mostly to do with the trailer). However, it still has some aspects to it that I’m looking forward to seeing, most notably the talented cast involved and the connection to the upcoming Avengers 4.

Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races.

One of the biggest highlights of the Captain Marvel movie is the cast involved. First of all we have Oscar Winner Brie Larson as the titular character. I know nothing about the character but I do know that Larson is very talented. On top of that, Captain Marvel is going to play a big part in Avengers 4, so it’ll be interesting finding out what this character is before that. We also have returning Marvel characters, with Samuel L. Jackson and Clark Gregg returning as 90s Nick Fury (pre eyepatch) and Phil Coulson respectively, as well as Lee Pace as Ronan the Accuser and Djimon Hounsou as Korath, the latter two being villains in the Guardians of the Galaxy, which will no doubt make their characters even better as we get to learn about them before that movie. We also have new cast members, most notably Jude Law as Mar-Vell (Captain Marvel’s mentor) and Ben Mendelsohn as Talos, the villain of the film, both of which are very talented actors and I’m looking forward to seeing them. The villains of the film are the Skrulls, and while I don’t know really much about the Skrulls outside of the fact that they are shapeshifting aliens, I am curious about them and how they could potentially come to play in the rest of the MCU. I’ve not seen many films by directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck but I have seen Mississippi Grind and it was pretty good. Despite all that, both trailers unfortunately were a little lacklustre and generic, even when it comes to comic book movies, and it just really didn’t interest me. However there’s still enough interesting aspects about the film and I know I’m going to watch the movie when it comes out anyway. I get the feeling that it’s going to end up being a mid tier MCU movie but I’m nonetheless slightly interested in seeing it.

Captain Marvel is set for release on March 8, 2019.

36. Ford v. Ferrari

James Mangold is a pretty good director, with Walk the Line, Logan, 3:10 to Yuma, Cop Land, Identity and other films under his belt, I’m always interested to see whatever he’d do next. His next film is a biopic and while the story concept doesn’t really interest me that much, because he (and some of the cast) are involved, I’m reasonably interested in the movie.

The true story of the battle between Ford and Ferrari to win Le Mans in 1966.

Ford v. Ferrari has actually been in the works for a long time, with many actors and directors joining and dropping out before finally Mangold got the directing gig. James Mangold is quite skilled as a filmmaker and his direction will no doubt be really good and be one of the highlights of the film. On top of that we also have Christian Bale, Matt Damon and Jon Bernthal making up some of the cast, all really talented actors who will no doubt be quite good in their roles. As I said, the whole plot doesn’t really sound interesting to me but the cast and the director is enough for me to at least keep an eye out when it comes out.

Ford v. Ferrari is set for release on June 28, 2019.

35. Annabelle 3

The quality of the Annabelle movies have been a bit confused and uneven. The first movie was a prequel to the successful horror film The Conjuring that was apparently not good and the second movie set even further back was actually pretty good. The next Annabelle movie however takes place after the opening of The Conjuring, and with the leads of the Conjuring movies returning, I’m actually somewhat looking forward to it.

As I said, Annabelle 3 is actually set during The Conjuring, which is an interesting place of having the next film with the character, but since Annabelle: Creation tied into the first Annabelle movie, which tied into The Conjuring, I guess there really wasn’t any other time to set it but the somewhat present day. That has me somewhat interested in the movie on its own but not enough for me to be super hyped. What gets me quite interested in it however is the fact that Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson will be reprising their roles as Lorraine and Ed Warren. The two were really great in The Conjuring movies, and seeing them once again is something that I’m really looking forward to. The opening scene of The Conjuring introduced the Annabelle doll and Annabelle 3 will take place soon after that opening scene and before the events of the rest of the movie. As for the director Gary Dauberman, this will be the first film that he’s directed, although he was involved with writing Annabelle, Annabelle: Creation, IT and The Nun, so he is familiar with horror at the very least. I’m not sure what the whole plot of this movie will be about outside of when it takes place, but I am looking forward to seeing more of Ed and Lorraine Warren deal with yet another demonic spirit.

Annabelle 3 is set for release on July 3, 2019.

34. Triple Frontier

Although the concept its pretty straightforward and nothing all that special, I’m quite interested in the action adventure Netflix thriller Triple Frontier because of the talented cast and director involved. I’m not expecting anything groundbreaking but it could be really entertaining.

Five former Special Forces operatives (Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund and Pedro Pascal) reunite to plan a heist in a sparsely populated multi-border zone of South America. For the first time in their prestigious careers these unsung heroes undertake this dangerous mission for self instead of country. But when events take an unexpected turn and threaten to spiral out of control, their skills, their loyalties and their morals are pushed to a breaking point in an epic battle for survival.

First of all the main cast is made up of Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund and Pedro Pascal, all really talented actors who will no doubt all work really well together and give good performances. I’ve seen 2 of the director’s (J.C. Chandor) films, All is Lost which was pretty decent for what it was, and also A Most Violent Year (also with Oscar Isaac) which was really good. This time he’s taking on an action thriller which should hopefully be good. The trailer itself looks pretty good, showcasing the talented cast and the action scenes. The film had a surprisingly long development history, with people being cast and dropping out since 2010, hopefully all the cast and crew changes will be worth it in the end. While not all of their movies have been great, Netflix has been releasing quality films like Roma, Annihilation and Hold the Dark in 2018. So while there’s a bit of a negative stigma around Netflix movies, I’m looking forward to this one (it’s also not the first Netflix movie that’ll be on this list).

Triple Frontier is set for release in 2019.

33. Kingsman: The Great Game

I liked Kingsman: The Secret Service, it was a fun spoof on the spy genre with some entertaining action and director Matthew Vaughn overall did a really good job with it. Despite the sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle being disliked by some people I personally liked it and had fun with it, though I had many problems with it. The next Kingsman movie is coming in 2019 and I am cautiously optimistic about it.

So there’s some confusion as to which Kingsman movie is coming out, they are filming Kingsman 3 and the Kingsman prequel (The Great Game) back to back, recent news came out indicating that the first of the two films to be released won’t necessarily be Kingsman 3. It would make sense that Kingsman: The Great Game might actually be the next Kingsman movie, considering that we have a title and casting for it already, seeming to be in more development than Kingsman 3. Confirmed for the movie is Ralph Fiennes, Daniel Bruhl, Charles Dance, Rhys Ifans and Matthew Goode, all who will definitely will be great additions to the series. With actors like that, and the potential to see something different for the Kingsman Cinematic Universe (I guess this is what we’ll be calling it now), I might be looking forward to this movie more than Kingsman 3. I’m pretty much looking forward to this movie because I liked the previous 2, though since the second movie was a slight disappointment, I’m not as anticipating the next film as I was The Golden Circle in 2017. Hopefully this movie will turn out a lot better though.

Kingsman: The Great Game is set for release on November 8, 2019.

32. Hobbs and Shaw

The Fast and Furious franchise is an entertaining but not very unique action franchise. So I’m mildly interested in the movies but not really enthusiastic about them, they’re fun, but that’s it. One of the best parts of the last film (The Fate of the Furious) however was the dynamic between Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, so much so that even they knew it, during filming they flat out decided to have some scenes hinting at a possible team up. While I was somewhat looking forward to the team up, the additional people being involved started to increase my interest.

A spinoff of The Fate of the Furious, focusing on US Diplomatic Security Agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) forming an unlikely alliance with Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham).

Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham at the moment are the best parts of the Fast and Furious franchise. In the last film they really played off each other really well and so I can see them in their own movie working really well. In addition to those two leading the movie and playing off each other, there are some other actors that have joined the cast. We have Vanessa Kirby (fresh off her scene stealing performance in Mission Impossible Fallout) and Eddie Marsan, with Idris Elba playing the main villain. Making this even better is the fact that David Leitch is directing, Leitch did great with John Wick and Atomic Blonde, so I have a feeling that his direction of the action here will stand apart from the series’ familiar car action and could be something distinct and special. Hobbs and Shaw has potential to be something special for the series and I hope they pull it off.

Hobbs and Shaw is set for release on August 2, 2019.

31. The Tax Collector

David Ayer hasn’t really had the best movies recently. Sabotage was heavily plagued with a bad script (mostly from more Skip Woods than Ayer it seems), Suicide Squad had a mix of bad decisions, studio interference and a script written within 6 weeks, and Bright was written by Max Landis (although is definitely better than the other 2). However Ayer is still a solid filmmaker, Fury and End of Watch are great films and I even liked Street Kings. So although we don’t know too much about his next movie The Tax Collector, its definitely something I’m curious about.

Really the only actor I recognise in the movie is Shia LaBeouf, who seemed to have taken this role incredibly seriously given the only image released for the film at this point in time. Shia had previously worked with David Ayer on Fury and it resulted in both a great film and a great performance, so I’m definitely looking forward to seeing LaBeouf’s performance. Looking at his filmography, Ayer seems to really excel when doing purely gritty crime movies, and with him both writing and directing The Tax Collector, this could be a return to form for him. However we don’t know anything about the plot yet, so we’ll just have to wait and see what the end product is like.

30. Pet Semetary

There always seems to be a lot of Stephen King adaptations recently (it’s not the only Stephen King movie on this list), not that I’m complaining but I’ve been really noticing that there’s a lot of movies and shows based on his stories recently. However, I’m all for the recent Stephen King resurgence that has been happening. Pet Sematary however is one of the stand outs among recent adaptations of King’s books, at least from the trailers, it looks like it could be a surprise hit.

Dr. Louis Creed (Jason Clarke) and his wife, Rachel (Amy Seimetz), relocate from Boston to rural Maine with their two young children. The couple soon discover a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near their new home. When tragedy strikes, Louis turns to his neighbor Jud Crandall (John Lithgow), setting off a perilous chain reaction that unleashes an unspeakable evil with horrific consequences.

I’ve not read the book or watched the first adaptation of the book, I’m not actually too familiar with the story, I’ve only heard about it recently. With that said, the trailer looks great and creepy. Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz and John Lithgow are also good actors, and they and the rest of the cast will no doubt contribute to the movie a lot. I don’t know anything that the directors, Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer, have done in the past, but from what’s on display in the trailer, it looks really great and I’m looking forward to it.

Pet Semetary is set for release on April 5, 2019.

29. Spider-Man: Far From Home

Despite my scepticism about it, Spider-Man Homecoming was a rather solid movie, not one of my favourites from the MCU but actually pretty good. Now we are getting the sequel to it taking place after Avengers 4, so the plot details until that film’s release for Far From Home will probably be limited. The movie itself should be something somewhat decent, I’m not quite sure what to expect from it at this point though.

After the events of the untitled Avengers film Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and his friends go on summer vacation to Europe and there Peter finds himself trying to save his friends against a villain known as Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal).

The idea to move Spider-Man to Europe was certainly an odd choice (he’s no longer the Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man and instead more the Friendly International Spider-Man now), but it does potentially mean they could do some different and interesting things in this different setting, so I’m fine with it. Tom Holland showed in the previous movies that he’s a great Spider-Man/Peter Parker and he’s returning to reprise his role. A lot of the returning cast is returning, with Michael Keaton, Jon Favreau, Zendaya, Marisa Tomei, and others, including actors who weren’t in the previous Spider-Man movie, Cobie Smulders and Samuel L. Jackson as Maria Hill and Nick Fury. The addition of Jake Gyllenhaal as the villain Mysterio adds an intriguing element to the movie, considering that Gyllenhaal is one of the best actors working today. I am a little worried at how Mysterio will be, because from what little I know about the character from the comics he seems way to goofy to be taken seriously. It seems like Gyllenhaal may actually be too overqualified for this cartoonish character. Hopefully they’ll do what they did with the Vulture in Homecoming and reinvent the character and his appearance to make him something great in live action. Jon Watts returns to direct the sequel, while I liked what he did with most of Homecoming, some aspects like the action was a little lacking, and hopefully Spider-Man gets to have more memorable and exciting action sequences and moments. Spider-Man: Far From Home isn’t one of my most anticipated comic book movies of 2019 but I’m interested in it.

Spider-Man: Far From Home is set for release on July 5, 2019.

28. Men in Black: International

It’s been so long since I’ve seen the Men in Black movies but from what I remember they were fun sci-fi comedy action movies, with the trilogy starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. 7 years after the 3rd Men of Black movie, we are getting a spin off movie, and while initially it may sound like the studio is trying to make a vain attempt at squeezing some money out of a pretty much dead franchise, it’s got a lot going for it, mainly the cast, so I’m definitely interested in it.

A London-based team of Men in Black (MIB) secret agents become involved in a murder mystery that sends them traveling the globe.

One of the biggest stand outs about Men in Black: International is that we’ve got a pretty great cast involved. Along with Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson leading the movie, we also have Liam Neeson, Kumail Nanjiani, Emma Thompson, Rafe Spall and Rebecca Fergusson. All are fantastic and I can’t wait to see how they do in the movie. The director of the film, F. Gary Gray has made some pretty solid movies, with The Italian Job remake, Law Abiding Citizen, Straight Outta Compton and The Fate of the Furious. He’s a decent enough director and should pull off a Men in Black movie quite well. Now it’s been a while since I’ve seen the original Men in Black movies but I remember them being quite fun. International however is a spinoff movie, thankfully its not a reboot at this point in time. Hopefully it’ll succeed in being its own thing, while still being a Men in Black movie.

Men in Black: International is set for released on June 14, 2019.

27. Dark Phoenix

Dark Phoenix was on my Most Anticipated Films of 2018 list before it was pushed back. Dark Phoenix now seems to be the last of the X-Men movies as done by Fox (if you don’t count the Deadpool/X-Force movies). This movie was pushed back numerous times because of reshoots (and particularly the scheduling of those reshoots). While I am still looking forward to seeing it, I am a little worried about it.

Jean Grey begins to develop incredible powers that corrupt and turn her into a Dark Phoenix. Now the X-Men will have to decide if the life of a team member is worth more than all the people living in the world.

We get the returning surviving cast from Apocalypse with James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner and more, and we also have Jessica Chastain as apparently the main antagonist of the film. I do have some concerns, one of them is Simon Kinberg as the director. He has written and produced a lot of movies (including most of the X-Men movies) but this is his directional debut, so I have no idea how he’ll do at it. However, Kinberg himself has discussed some of the things that didn’t work in Apocalypse. He said that it became more about visual effects than emotion and character, and that with Dark Phoenix he wanted to focus more on the characters. This give me some hope for Dark Phoenix. Another concern is that its adapting the Dark Phoenix storyline, which X-Men: The Last Stand already did and while I don’t dislike that movie, it did a less than stellar version of the story. From the trailer it looks like it could follow similar beats with that movie as well as familiar beats from other X-Men movies (such as Magneto becoming an opposing force to the X-Men characters). However I can’t help but still anticipate this movie, I’m interested to see how they end the series. I fully admit though that it’s a movie I’m rather concerned about.

Dark Phoenix is set for release on June 7, 2019.

26. The Lighthouse

The Witch is a great horror movie, and if you like horror movies I strongly recommend you check it out sometime. I bring that up because the director of that film, Robert Eggers, has his next film coming out next year titled The Lighthouse. Not much is known about the movie but having seeing The Witch, I’m really looking forward to seeing it, whatever kind of movie and story it turns out to be.

The story of an aging lighthouse keeper named Old (Willem Dafoe) who lives in early 20th-century Maine.

Robert Eggers’s work on The Witch was fantastic, it wasn’t conventionally scary like most horror movies but it is really creepy and unsettling, and all of it was handled very well. At the moment, in terms of the cast of The Lighthouse, we just know that Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson are involved and they are both great actors and will no doubt add a lot to this movie. We are given a very minimalist amount of plot information, basically just the setting, we don’t know the slightest bit of detail of what is supposed to happen during the story. We do know that it’s a dark fantasy horror film and that the film will be shot on black and white 35mm film, which is quite intriguing and I’m interested to see what Eggers does with this. Not much about The Lighthouse is known at the moment but from what little we do know, I’m really looking forward to it.

25. The Woman in the Window

I’m always open for a good mystery movie based on a book (usually one that I’ve never read). It’s even better when you have a great cast and a pretty good director behind it. I don’t really know much about the movie outside the cast, the director and the initial plot summary, but it sounds like it could be something really good, it definitely has potential.

An agoraphobic woman (Amy Adams) living alone in New York begins spying on her new neighbors only to witness a disturbing act of violence.

The cast is really the main reason why I’m really interested in The Woman in the Window. Amy Adams, Julianne Moore and Gary Oldman are in this movie and those three are enough to get me interested, particularly Amy Adams. Adams is always fantastic in everything she’s in, and so I’m sure that this’ll be yet another great performance from her. Joe Wright can be a pretty good director but I know that he can be a little hit or miss at times. Let’s just hope its more Atonement levels of quality and less Pan or Darkest Hour level. If The Woman in the Window ends up being sort of a forgettable thriller, I’m hoping that we’ll at least get some great performances from its talented cast.

The Woman in the Window is set for release on October 4, 2019.

24. Gemini Man

I had been hearing about this movie for a while, and with this concept along with Ang Lee and the cast’s involvement, I’m really quite interested in how it turns out.

Henry Brogen (Will Smith), an aging assassin (Clive Owen) seeking to exit his career finds himself going against a younger clone of himself, who can predict his every move.

There are two main reasons that I’m looking forward to Gemini Man. First of all, the cast here is really great. Along with Will Smith in the lead role, we have Clive Owen, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Benedict Wong as part of the cast, all really talented actors. The other reason I’m looking forward to it is the director, Ang Lee. I’ve only seen a few movies from him, I wasn’t a fan of his Hulk movie, but Life of Pi was a visual experience and Brokeback Mountain was an excellent film. All in all I’m interested in seeing Ang Lee take on this science fiction film and this concept with this very talented cast.

Gemini Man is set for release on October 4, 2019.

23. Zombieland Too

The original Zombieland was quite the hit when it came out, it was a really fun and entertaining zombie movie that people loved. People for the longest time wanted to see a Zombieland 2, and it had been in development for an incredibly long time. A decade after the original’s release however, we are finally getting the much awaited sequel, with the original cast and director returning, and things are looking up for it.

Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Tallahasse (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) move from the White House to the American heartland as they face off against evolved zombies and fellow survivors.

The main cast from the original, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin are returning and I’m glad they are, they all worked together so well in the first movie. Director Ruben Fleischer also returns, so it really feels like a big Zombieland reunion. I’m just wondering whether this movie actually takes place 10 years later or not long after the original movie. Also, I’m wondering whether it will just be more of the same or will they do something very different for the second instalment. Either way, I’m definitely checking out Zombieland Too when it releases.

Zombieland Too is set for release on October 11, 2019.

22. Uncut Gems

Good Time was one of the biggest surprises of 2017, with a great direction, a gritty but simple story and led by an incredible performance by Robert Pattinson. The writers/directors of that film, The Safdie Brothers, have a new movie coming out, Uncut Gems, so naturally I’m interested in it. With Adam Sandler on board as the lead, it’s only increased my curiosity of the movie.

The movie will be set in the diamond district of New York City and follow Howard (Sandler), a jewelry store owner and dealer to the rich and famous who must find a way to pay his debts when his merchandise is taken from one of his top sellers and girlfriend.

Adam Sandler is the lead in the movie, which for a lot of people is a very confusing casting choice but this just makes me more interested in the movie. Sandler is known for his comedies but he’s also done some good dramatic work with Punch Drunk Love and more recently The Meyerowitz Stories. When he’s in dramas, he nails his parts, and I can tell that he’ll be great here. And seeing how Robert Pattinson and The Safdie Brothers collaborated so well on Good Time, I think it’s very likely that Uncut Gems will be among Sandler’s best work. In addition to that, the movie also has Lakeith Stanfield, Idina Menzel, Judd Hirsch and Pom Klementieff as the supporting cast. Like with Good Time, Uncut Gems sounds like it involves its protagonist having to find some money, I’m just wondering how the plot and characters differ from the Safdies’ previous movie outside of it involving jewellery. Uncut Gems from what I can tell from some set photos looks good and I’m looking forward to seeing what they have planned with it.

21. The New Mutants

Originally I had this on my most anticipated movies of 2018 list, until it was pushed back (same with Dark Phoenix). While I’m excited for it, I still have some concerns.

Five young mutants, just discovering their abilities while held in a secret facility against their will, fight to escape their past sins and save themselves.

Here’s the things I’m looking forward to (pretty much copied and pasted from last year’s list). First of all, it has some very talented actors with Anya Taylor-Joy, Maisie Williams and Charlie Heaton being a few notable stars. The director and writer is Josh Boone, who directed and wrote The Fault in Our Stars (I’ve never seen it but I heard its good). With a smaller (but talented) cast and most of the film seeming to taking place in one location, it seems to be a much smaller film which is definitely welcome given some of the more larger than life comic book movies recently. The main point of interest however is that it will be the first horror based comic book movie. Even if it just ends up being a teen horror movie with mutants, it’s something that hasn’t happened in the comic book movie genre, so I’m definitely looking forward to it.
Here’s the big thing, despite the trailer being heavily horror based, the actual movie itself was originally filmed to be less so, despite director Josh Boone wanting to go there, the studio refused. After the trailer (which was edited to look like a horror movie) did so well however, Fox wanted Boone to go back and reshoot it more like a horror movie. On top of that, it’s adding a completely new character, reshooting like half the movie and adjusting the antagonist aspect of it. Let’s just hope that these reshoots improve the movie and aren’t just a reactionary decision by the studio (because we all know too well how that can turn out). At least Josh Boone actually is allowed to write and direct these reshoots, unlike other superhero movies where they just get other directors to fill in for the original directors. Still hoping that this movie turns out great but we’ll just have to see.

The New Mutants is set for release on August 2, 2019.

20. Terminator 6

The Terminator movie series has been running for many years, with really only the first two being held up as classics (or just generally liked). While I don’t dislike the sequels following the second film, they really weren’t anywhere close to the level of the first two movies. I’m sceptical about yet another Terminator movie but some interesting things are being done this time. The 6th instalment is going to pull a Halloween 2018 and disregards all Terminator movies aside from the first 2. Terminator 6 is also going to be a direct sequel to Terminator 2 and along with bringing Arnold Schwarzenegger back to play the Terminator (obviously), we also have Linda Hamilton returning to play Sarah Connor. It actually does have me interested in what they have in mind for this movie.

We don’t really know any plot details at this point in time but I am excited. The cast is pretty good, as mentioned earlier, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton are returning to play The Terminator and Sarah Connor respectably, and we also have additions to the cast including Gabriel Luna and Mackenzie David, which are also exciting. We’ve also got Deadpool director Tim Miller, who’s an interesting and odd choice for a Terminator movie but I guess we’ll just have to see how he goes with it. While the last Terminator movies haven’t exactly been satisfying, there’s still a lot of potential with this one to be something really good.

Terminator 6 is set for release on November 1, 2019.

19. Rocketman

A movie about Elton John is definitely going to have my curiosity, as it could be a really wild and interesting experience. Add on top of that a lot of talented people, and you have my attention and interest.

The story of Elton John’s (Taron Egerton) life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell).

Taron Egerton plays Elton John and from the trailers he’s looking like he’s embodying him really well. Taron has proven his talent in Eddie the Eagle and the Kingsman movies, so he definitely has the talent. Egerton is also singing the songs himself, and apparently he’s a legitimately great singer already. His performance is definitely something I’m looking forward to seeing. We also have Jamie Bell, Richard Madden and Bryce Dallas Howard as part of the cast, all great actors as well. The director Dexter Fletcher has had experience working on biopics, with him directing Eddie the Eagle as well as the reshoots for Bohemian Rhapsody. The trailer is also quite unique and interesting, one of the best trailers of 2018. As indicated in both the trailer and said by Taron Egerton, the film would play off as more of a fantasy musical as opposed to a straightforward biopic. I’m glad to hear this because this will probably prevent the movie from being just another conventional music biopics which some movies can fall into disappointingly. I’m not entirely sure what to expect from Rocketman but I’m looking forward to whatever it is.

Rocketman is set for release on May 31, 2019.

18. Jojo Rabbit

Taika Waititi has proven himself to be a very unique director, recently getting mainstream recognition for Thor Ragnarok. He’s back again making an original movie that sounds really weird and rather hard to pull off. However, knowing how Taika does really well with bizarre and odd plots, I’m looking forward to seeing what he does with this movie.

A World War II satire about a ten-year-old boy (Roman Griffin) who, ridiculed by his peers and misunderstood by his mother (Scarlett Johansson), can’t quite figure out how to fit in. As the naïve young German struggles to understand his place in an increasingly Fascist regime, he resorts to an imaginary friend resembling Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi) who can offer advice and help him cope.

Taika Waititi’s writing (especially when he’s making an independent movie) is great and unique, and really can’t be compared to any other directors/writers. Along with Taika Waititi as the imaginary Hitler (wild concept I know), we have Scarlett Johansson, Rebel Wilson, Sam Rockwell, Alfie Allen and Stephen Merchant in the movie, great cast altogether. All in all with Taika Waititi and the cast, I’m on board with whatever this movie is.

17. Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Admittedly, I actually wasn’t super hyped for this movie at first. Yes, I liked the 2014 Godzilla and the 2017 Kong: Skull Island and I had Godzilla: King of the Monsters on my watchlist. However, I was a tad indifferent to it. Then I saw the trailers and all that changed, it looks like a truly entertaining and visual experience.

The new story follows the heroic efforts of the cryptozoological agency Monarch as its members face off against a battery of god sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient superspecies, thought to be mere myths, rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity’s very existence hanging in the balance.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters looks like its leaning even more heavily into the Godzilla and Kaiju monsters and embracing it completely. It really does seem to be Godzilla vs other large scale monsters, and while the first Godzilla seemed to be that, it looks like it’s going even further with that. We’ve also got a good cast as well, with Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Mille Bobby Brown, Bradley Whitford, Ken Watanabe, Sally Hawkins, and others (with the last two returning from the first Godzilla). I’m only familiar with Krampus in terms of Michael Dougherty’s work (which was okay enough), but the two trailers look like it’ll be something amazing, visually at least. I just hope the movie lives up to the trailer and potential.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is set for release on May 31, 2019.

16. Shazam!

Shazam is introducing a character that most people don’t know. While people may have heard of Aquaman and The Flash (even if they don’t necessarily know a lot about them), they might not have heard about the character of Shazam. However I think that judging by the reactions of the comic con trailer, its going to be a hit with general audiences and die hard comic book fans alike.

We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson’s (Ashley Angel) case, by shouting out one word – SHAZAM! – this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult superhero Shazam (Zachary Levi).

From the trailer that we got, Shazam is looking to be a really fun movie. It very much is on the lighter side of the DC universe and appropriately so. I make it no secret that I prefer much darker comic book movies (and really movies in general) but it’s a good idea for a cinematic universe to have a diverse range of tones and styles. Not to mention, I think it would be straight up impossible to make a Shazam movie dark. Most importantly though, it’s being its own thing, its light and funny but its not too much like an MCU movie (no disrespect to the MCU). Zachary Levi seems to make for a perfect Shazam, a kid in the body of a superhero, and Levi seems to be embodying that excellently. We also have Mark Strong as the villain (who is always great, and its always nice seeing him in the villain role) as well as Jack Dylan Grace, Djimon Hounsou and others making up the cast. Horror director David F. Sandberg was an interesting choice for Shazam but I am loving the vibe that the trailer is giving off and he seems to be doing the character justice. I also love the whole look of the movie, the dynamic colours and lighting looks fantastic and somehow makes it stand apart from other comic book movies. Now I don’t exactly know what the plot is really about in regards to the stakes, but I feel like its going to be a more grounded and personal comic book movie (I could be wrong). From everything we know and have already seen, Shazam looks like its going to be one of the biggest surprise hits of 2019.

Shazam! is set for release on April 5, 2019.

15. Lucy in the Sky

I only learnt about Lucy in the Sky very recently, however from what little I’ve heard about it, it seems like it could be something really great. With the talented cast and director involved, it definitely has my attention and I hope it turns out as great as it sounds.

The film tells the story of a female astronaut (Natalie Portman) who, upon returning to Earth from a life-changing mission in space, begins to slowly unravel and lose touch with reality. Her psychological decline culminates in a fevered cross-country trip with violent intentions in this complex, thrilling and darkly comedic character study.

The story sounds interesting and has a lot of potential to be something special. I’ve not familiar with Noah Hawley’s work but I know that he created and wrote Fargo and Legion, both apparently great tv shows that I have yet to watch. Then there’s also the cast. We have Natalie Portman, one of the best actresses working today (and probably one of the best actresses of all time) leading the movie and the whole film is basically surrounding her character, and usually when we have movies surrounding a character played by Natalie Portman (like Jackie and Black Swan), we get a phenomenal performance from her. And with it apparently being about the protagonist losing touch with reality, it’s definitely going to be an impressive performance and one of the highlights of the film. That’s not all, we also have Jon Hamm, Zazie Beetz, Dan Stevens and Ellen Burstyn. Great cast overall. Lucy in the Sky actually sounds pretty interesting, and that is definitely a movie I will be keeping my eye on as its release date (whenever it is) draws nearer.

14. It Chapter Two

IT was a surprise hit of a horror movie, and it was a huge hit upon its release. I thought it was a really good Stephen King horror movie, with the direction, cast and coming of age aspects being the highlights. However, we only saw the first half of the story with the kids, we still have yet to see the adult half of the story, which is what we are now getting with Chapter Two. With a good cast playing the adult versions of the main characters and a different sort of story compared to the first half (with it focussing on adults instead of children), it will be interesting to see how it all turns out.

27 years later, the Losers Club have grown up and moved away, until a devastating phone call brings them back.

Director Andy Muschietti did a great job with the first IT and I know he’s going to also deliver just as well with part 2 of the story. Bill Skarsgard reprises his role as Pennywise, he was a fantastic screen presence whenever he was on screen and I can’t wait to see what he does in this movie. As for the main cast we have James McAvoy as Bill, Jessica Chastain as Beverly, Jay Ryan as Ben, Bill Hader as Richie, Isaiah Mustafa as Mike, James Ransone as Eddie and Andy Bean as Stanley. Admittedly I don’t know all of these actors but I really like the ones I know (McAvoy, Chastain and Hader), so I can tell that they are all going to be great. We also have the younger actors who played the characters in the first movie returning to reprise their roles in flashbacks. If there’s any concern I have, it’s that the mini series IT’s adult half of the story was very boring and underwhelming and so I feel like Chapter 1 going to be lesser in comparison to Chapter 1. Granted we have better people working on the movie than with the mini series but even people who read the book have found the first half considerably better than the second half. Also, there is a story aspect at the end of the story that I’m worried about, because it is so ridiculous in the book (I haven’t read the book but I’ve heard about it). If they decide to go with it, they are going to have to find a way to execute it well because on paper it sounds absolutely wild and goofy. Aside from those aspects however, I’m really excited to see IT Chapter Two.

IT Chapter 2 is set for release on September 6, 2019.

13. Us

Jordan Peele made a massive impact with Get Out, his horror movie did well with awards and the box office, receiving critical acclaim from critics and audiences alike. It was exciting hearing that Peele wasn’t done with horror, in fact he would be doing more horror movies that were in the ‘social horror’ genre (like with Get Out). Very little is known about his next film but from what little we know, it sounds like it could be exciting.

A mother (Lupita Nyong’o) and a father (Winston Duke) take their kids to their beach house expecting to unplug and unwind with friends (Elizabeth Moss). But as night descends, their serenity turns into tension and chaos when some shocking visitors arrive uninvited.

Not much is known about Peele’s next film, with only a vague plot summary being given. What we do know is that its a horror thriller and will star Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen III and Tom Pelphrey, which is all around a pretty talented cast. Jordan Peele showed himself to be a great director with Get Out, and so I’m looking forward to him doing another horror film. Honestly there’s not much more that can be said about Us, but all the talent involved indicates that it is probably going to be a great movie.

Us is set for release on March 15, 2019.

12. Midsommar

Hereditary was one of the best horror movies of 2018 and also one of the best horror movies in recent years. It was such a well made and disturbing movie that really stayed with me. The writer/director of that film, Ari Aster, has already got another horror movie planned for 2019 and after seeing his last film, I’m looking forward to seeing what he does here. There’s not much about the plot that I know but knowing the people involved is enough.

A couple travels to Sweden to visit their friend’s rural hometown for its fabled mid-summer festival. What begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.

Director and writer Ari Aster is one of the main reasons I’m interested, as I said the reason I’m interested in this movie is because of his work on Hereditary. I do also know that Jack Reynor and Will Poulter will be in it, and I’ve liked them in the movies I’ve seen of them, so they’ll be good as well. I’m not quite sure what to expect from Midsommar plotwise, but knowing the person behind the movie, I have a lot of faith that this movie will be really good.

Midsommar is set for release on August 9, 2019.

11. High Life

High Life was a movie I heard about but was hesitant to put on this list, because it wasn’t that clear whether it was a 2018 or a 2019 release. With it being given a 2019 release date, I decided to add it in. From everything I’ve heard about the movie, I feel like it’s going to be trippy and strange but I’m really intrigued by the concept and trailer.

Monte (Robert Pattinson) and his baby daughter are the last survivors of a damned and dangerous mission to the outer reaches of the solar system.The crew death-row inmates led by a doctor (Juliette Binoche) with sinister motives has vanished. As the mystery of what happened onboard the ship is unraveled, father and daughter must rely on each other to survive as they hurtle toward the oblivion of a black hole. A staggering and primal film about love and intimacy, suffused with anguished memories of a lost Earth, High Life is a haunting, thrilling achievement from visionary director Claire Denis.

Claire Denis is the director of this film, and apparently she’s quite the impactful filmmaker, however I haven’t watched a movie of hers myself yet. The cast is also great, with Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche and Mia Goth all being real talents that are involved. The response to this movie has been good but it’s been described being odd and bizarre. The trailer certainly seems to be backing that up, and that as well as the concept really intrigue me. High Life is probably not going to hit with everyone but I’m really looking forward to it.

High Life is set for release on April 12, 2019.

10. Velvet Buzzsaw

Nightcrawler was one of the best films of 2014, it was such a fantastic debut for writer/director Dan Gilroy. I hadn’t seen his follow up film Roman J. Israel but apparently it was a mixed bag outside of Denzel Washington’s lead performance. His next film however looked interesting and something that I’m not board for. Add on a very talented cast, and Velvet Buzzsaw is one of the most anticipated films of 2019.

Big money artists and mega-collectors pay a high price when art collides with commerce. After a series of paintings by an unknown artist are discovered, a supernatural force enacts revenge on those who have allowed their greed to get in the way of art.

Dan Gilroy at the very least with Nightcrawler has shown that he’s more than capable of writing and directing a film very well. The cast all around for Velvet Buzzsaw is fantastic. Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo were both in Nightcrawler and they reteam with Gilroy for this next film. We also have John Malkovich, Billy Magnussen, Natalia Dyer and Toni Collette making up the cast. Although we don’t know too much about the movie, it’s apparently a psychological thriller, and seeing Gilroy and the cast take on this story is really interesting to me, something I’m very looking forward to seeing.

Velvet Buzzsaw is set for release on February 1, 2019.

9. Ad Astra

People had been hyping Ad Astra up for a little while now, I’ve only recently looked into it and it looks quite interesting. There’s a lot of things here which has a lot of potential to be something great, even though much of the details of the movie haven’t been revealed yet.

Astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father (Tommy Lee Jones) and unravel a mystery that threatens the survival of our planet. His journey will uncover secrets that challenge the nature of human existence and our place in the cosmos.

Not much has been released for Ad Astra, whether that be images or crucial plot details. However there’s something about what little we already know that sounds really intriguing to me. I did hear that director James Gray compared the story of Ad Astra to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (which would later be turned into Apocalypse Now), and he also mentioned that he intends for the film to feature (in his words) “the most realistic depiction of space travel that’s been put in a movie and to basically say, ‘Space is awfully hostile to us’”. This certainly sounds like it could be a very interesting movie and I’m on board with seeing that. Ad Astra also has a great cast, with Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga and Donald Sutherland all involved. I’ve not seen James Gray’s other movies like The Immigrant and Lost City of Z but apparently they are quite good as well. Although we don’t know a ton of information about it yet, Ad Astra certainly seems like could be something special.

Ad Astra is set for release on May 24, 2019.

8. John Wick 3: Parabellum

John Wick was a really surprisingly great action movie, with some entertaining action, an interesting criminal world and gave Keanu Reeves his best role. John Wick Chapter 2 was even better, expanding the world even further and leaving it on a cliffhanger for the titular character. However I have a feeling that John Wick 3 is going to be somehow even better.

Legendary hit man John Wick (Keanu Reeves) must fight his way out of New York when a $14 million contract on his life makes him the target of the world’s top assassins.

John Wick Chapter 3 picks up right where Chapter 2 ended, with Wick on the run from everyone, which is a far cry from the plots of the previous two movies. Chad Stahelski (who directed the other John Wick movies) is again returning to direct, so all the exciting, entertaining and stunning action scenes that we got we can expect to return in the third film as well. Keanu Reeves is back as John Wick, in his best role. Not only is he great in the action scenes, he’s also really good delivering the emotional aspects of the character and I can’t wait to see how this character progresses. Along with Ian McShane, Ruby Rose, Common, Lance Reddick and Laurence Fishburne returning to reprise their roles from the previous movies, we have the addition of more actors, notably Halle Berry and Hiroyuki Sanada, the latter of whom is in the role of the main villain. I can’t wait to see more of this world, the new action sequences happens, and how John Wick’s story (potentially) ends.

John Wick 3: Parabellum is set for release on May 17, 2019.

7. Knives Out

Rian Johnson is a great director, I haven’t seen a whole lot of his movies but I loved the movies of his that I’ve seen. I’m always interested in what he has to direct, and although we don’t know much about his next project, I’m really looking forward to it. With his involvement as writer and director, as well as featuring one of the best casts of the year, and you have a really exciting film.

Very little is known about the plot of Knives Out but there’s already many factors that have me interested in it. First of all, I loved what he did with Looper and Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi, he’s proved himself a really talented writer and director. His next film is a murder mystery and that’s something I’m excited to see him do. There’s also the cast. Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Michael Shannon, Lakeith Stanfield, Ana de Armas, Don Johnson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Christopher Plummer and Jaeden Lieberher are all involved with this movie, such a ridiculously talented cast, and by the time this list is up they’ll probably be even more talented actors attached to this movie. I don’t know really much about what Knives Out is about but I’m really looking forward to it.

Knives Out is set for release on November 27, 2019.

6. Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Infinity War defied all expectations and absolutely delivered the seemingly impossible to reach level of hype. However, the Infinity War story is not over yet, what we got last year was just Part 1 of the story. The ending of Infinity War set up so many things with such a cliffhanger, seemingly killing off at least half of the main characters. Much of that film’s quality will depend on how Avengers: Endgame turns out, so hopefully it delivers really well.

Adrift in space with no food or water, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) sends a message to Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) as his oxygen supply starts to dwindle. Meanwhile, the remaining Avengers – Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Captain America (Chris Evans) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) — must figure out a way to bring back their vanquished allies for an epic showdown with Thanos (Josh Brolin) — the evil demigod who decimated the planet and the universe.

While I loved Infinity War, I am a little worried that it won’t live up to the hype. Once again like Infinity War, it has to deliver on a lot of the things it was setting up for the past movies. Most of all though, we know characters that were killed off like Spider-Man and Black Panther will return, which will no doubt mean that there’s going to be some retconning and undoing a lot of the damage done in Infinity War. I hope that by the end of Endgame it could be said that there was still a massive impact from both this film and Infinity War. However, the Russo Brothers have proven with Infinity War that they have the talent and the ability to deliver on this, and they also proven that they could handle multiple different characters in multiple different locations at once. So I have more confidence in them for Avengers 4 than I did with Infinity War. I hope it turns out great, it certainly has the potential to.

Avengers: Endgame is set for release on May 3, 2019.

5. Joker

This is a really odd movie. From its announcement, the idea of not only a Joker movie but one set outside of the DCEU, written and directed by Todd Phillips has been met with criticism by pretty much everyone. Even I who generally likes comic book movies and the DCEU took some issue with this. But over time as this movie has been developing and set pics and reveals have come out, it has been gaining my interest, and the same with everyone else. With an excellent cast, a strong departure from the comics or cinematic universes, and a very different and potentially fascinating take on a very popular character, Joker looks like it could be something truly special.

As I said, Joker is not tied down to be a comic book movie (its ironic that my most anticipated comic book movie of 2019 is one that’s very loosely a comic book movie), it’s pretty much just a movie with the character of The Joker as the main character, which means that they a lot of freedom to do whatever with this movie that other comic book movies wouldn’t have. Joaquin Phoenix is one of the best actors working today and he will absolutely work wonders with the role of The Joker. The pictures and footage released of him look fascinating. The makeup design is a bit different from the live action versions of Joker that we’re used to but it surprisingly works really well. According to reports, Joker will be a character study like The King of Comedy and Taxi Driver. The idea of a character study of The Joker played by Joaquin Phoenix is extremely exciting, and I’m completely on board for that concept. Add on top of that Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz and you have a really talented cast. I guess the main concern in all of this is director Todd Phillips, who is mostly known for The Hangover trilogy and comedies seems to be the out of place person involved. To be fair to him, he can be a solid director, War Dogs was a pretty good movie and that was slightly less comedic than the comedies he’s most known for. I have a feeling he’s going to really surprise us and show us a side of him that we haven’t seen before. On top of that, I’m curious about the world that this movie exists in, and I’m not talking about the Elseworld universe. Along with The Joker being in this movie, it’ll also have Thomas Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth and Bruce Wayne as characters as well. I don’t know what their roles will be in this movie (outside of Thomas Wayne potentially being mayor and there being a movement against him), but whatever the case, I’m just hoping that it utilises them well to improve the movie. Outside of those parts that I’m not quite sure about yet, Joker really looks like is could be something fantastic and really something different for the comic book movie genre.

Joker is set for release on October 4, 2019

4. Glass

With Split, M. Night Shyamalan showed that he was back at the top of his game, with a smaller scale thriller with lots of twists. The biggest of all the twists in Split was revealed at the end, which was that Split and Unbreakable were in the same universe, and the characters would likely crossover in a future follow up. 2 years later, Shyamalan is bringing the characters in both movies together, to create the oddest ‘superhero’ trilogy in film. With a great cast and M. Night Shyamalan still keeping this a smaller scale movie (which is where he excels at), I am really excited at what he has planned.

Following the conclusion of Split, Glass finds David Dunn (Bruce Willis) pursuing Kevin Wendall Crumb’s (James McAvoy) superhuman figure of The Beast in a series of escalating encounters, while the shadowy presence of Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) emerges as an orchestrator who holds secrets critical to both men.

On top of it being a sequel to Unbreakable and Split (both great films from Shyamalan), there is a lot of talent involved. The movie has Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy reprising their roles from Unbreakable and Split, with all of them gave some of their all time best performances in those movies. From the trailers they all look fantastic as their characters once again, even Willis who hasn’t really given a great performance in some time looks like he’s back at the top of his game. We also have Sarah Paulson and some returning characters from Unbreakable. The two trailers were very intriguing, with it still looking clearly like a grounded movie and not trying to be a large scale superhero movie or anything like that. Everything about Glass looks great, it’s one of my most anticipated films of all time, I can’t wait to see how it all turns out.

Glass is set for release on January 18, 2019

3. Star Wars Episode 9

Star Wars: The Last Jedi proved to be more polarising than I thought it would be, dividing fans and audiences to such an unbelievable degree. I personally thought that The Last Jedi was great and in the top 2 best Star Wars movies to date but that’s just me. We are finally coming to an end to the sequel trilogy, and with director JJ Abrams returning to direct and Argo and Batman v Superman writer Chris Terrio signing on to write, this is definitely going to be an interesting movie and I just hope that it can deliver a satisfying conclusion.

The cast we all know and love from the previous two movies (Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran and Mark Hamill) are all returning to their roles and I can’t wait for them. On top of that we will have Billy Dee Williams returning to the role of Lando Calrissian, who will no doubt be good once again. New actors include Richard E. Grant, Keri Russell and Matt Smith, all great actors who will no doubt be great additions to this movie and the series. The one concern I have in terms of the cast is how they’ll handle the appearance of the late Carrie Fisher as Leia Organa, who will appear in the movie through the use of deleted footage from The Force Awakens. This will technically be the last movie that we’ll be seeing Carrie Fisher in so I hope that this is done well enough. There’s not much plot details available for Episode 9 so there’s not much details to speculate on. One of the most interesting parts to Episode 9 is the fact that you have director JJ Abrams, who directed The Force Awakens which was accused by some as being to nostalgic and being to similar to A New Hope, paired with Chris Terrio, who wrote the most divisive comic book movie of all time (Batman v Superman). The pairing of nostalgia and subversion (for lack of a better word) will be a fascinating thing to see, especially after the mixed reactions towards The Last Jedi because of how different and unexpected it was. After watching and loving The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, I can’t help but be absolutely excited for this.

Star Wars Episode 9 is set for release on December 20, 2019

2. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Any film by Quentin Tarantino is going to get some attention. While it was originally seemed to be known as the Tarantino Charles Manson movie, it should be known by now that it seems like its going to be something much more. With his writing and direction, the absurdly talented cast and the unique setting and story, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood looks to be a truly fantastic film.

A faded TV actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double (Brad Pitt) embark on an odyssey to make a name for themselves in the film industry during the Helter Skelter reign of terror in 1969 Los Angeles.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is set in the late 60s in Hollywood among the Manson killings. From some reports, it’s a little reminiscent of Pulp Fiction with multiple characters and plotlines. Knowing Quentin Tarantino’s love for cinema, this time period and setting will be something fascinating to see him take on. Not to mention Tarantino’s excellent writing and direction will be top notch for sure. I haven’t even gotten to the cast yet, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood has a massive and talented cast, truly the largest and prestigious cast that Tarantino has worked with, and that’s saying a lot. Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, Timothy Olyphant, Tim Roth, Dakota Fanning, James Marsden, Damian Lewis, Michael Madsen, Scoot McNairy, Bruce Dern (playing the part that Burt Reynolds was going to play before his death) and more make up the cast of the movie. It’s absolutely astounding how many talented people are involved with this, and they will no doubt be utilised to their fullest potential. If there is one concern I have it’s how they’ll handle the Manson killing parts, especially as it involves Sharon Tate (played by Margot Robbie) who’s death was particularly brutal and graphic. Quentin Tarantino have covered time periods before with World War 2 in Inglorious Basterds and slavery with Django Unchained, but this is something different, a much more specific event. Handling that aspect tastefully will be really important. Outside of that one concern, everything about this film looks fantastic and will no doubt will be one of 2019’s biggest and most controversial movies.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is set for release on July 26, 2019

1. The Irishman

It’s impossible not to be excited for a Martin Scorsese movie. Not only is he one of the best filmmakers of all time with films like Casino, Taxi Driver, Goodfellas and The Departed, he’s also still one of the best filmmakers working today, with him in the 2010s creating Shutter Island, Hugo, The Wolf of Wall Street and Silence, all truly remarkable. Now he teams up with Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Al Pacino (starring in now two of the biggest movies of the year each with critically acclaimed directors), Harvey Keitel and much more for yet another gangster movie, but it seems like Scorsese is going to give us something truly special.

A mob hitman (Robert De Niro) recalls his possible involvement with the slaying of Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino).

Along with Martin Scorsese directing The Irishman, the cast are an absolute highlight for the movie. Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Anna Paquin, Bobby Cannavale, Harvey Keitel and Ray Romano are all involved, such a massive and talented cast. Writer Steven Zaillian (writer of Schindler’s List, Mission Impossible, American Gangster, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and more) wrote the script to The Irishman. The story that The Irishman is based on is a true story and from what I can tell about the story, it’s not going to be just another Goodfellas or Casino. Scorsese has made really 4 gangster movies in his entire career and all of them are different from each other. The Irishman on the whole seems to be about older men (specifically de Niro’s character of Frank Sheeran) looking back at his life and reflecting, particularly on his regrets. If there is one concern I have, it’s the fact that the film will be using a lot of visual effects to make De Niro, Pesci and Pacino appear decades younger at various points throughout the film. A few films like Blade Runner 2049 and the Ant Man movies utilised the de-aging effects rather well but both used them in one scene each, and The Irishman will likely have the de-aging effects throughout at least half of the movie. In fact, there is so much that the budget had increased to $175 million because of all the effects (making it Scorsese’s most expensive film yet). Aside from the de-aging CGI, I think everything else about The Irishman looks incredible, and will no doubt be one of the highlights of 2019.

What are your most anticipated films of 2018? Comment below and let me know.

Top 25 Anticipated Movies of 2018

1 Reply

I’m currently catching up on the 2017 movies (and by that I mean impatiently waiting for some of them to actually release in New Zealand) and I thought I might as well do my list of movies that I’m most looking forward to. Of course I’m not aware of every single movie that’s coming out in 2018 but I’ve done some searching around in terms of films coming out this year, and this is my personal list.

25. Mary, Queen of Scots

I first heard about this movie with the two leads, Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie being involved. It takes quite a bit for a period piece film to interest me and it seemed that Ronan and Robbie were enough to do that.

Mary Stuart’s (Saoirse Ronan) attempt to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth I, Queen of England (Margot Robbie), finds her condemned to years of imprisonment before facing execution.

I’ll admit, it’s just really the cast that interests me, particularly Saoirse Ronan (Mary, Queen of Scots) and Margot Robbie (Queen Elizabeth I) and also David Tennant and Guy Pearce. I don’t know much about Mary, Queen of Scots or Queen Elizabeth I and I’ve not seen anything from director Josie Rourke. It’s really just the cast that makes me has my interest, I have no doubt that they will be great in it. Whether the film on the whole will be great remains to be seen.

Mary, Queen of Scots is set for release on November 1st 2018

24. Ant Man and the Wasp

I personally liked Ant Man, I wouldn’t call it one of the best of the MCU but it was reasonably entertaining. I didn’t really know how excited I would be for a sequel but there’s enough things here to interest me.

In the aftermath of ‘Captain America: Civil War,’ Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) grapples with the consequences of his choices as both a Super Hero and a father. As he struggles to re-balance his home life with his responsibilities as Ant-Man, he’s confronted by Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) with an urgent new mission. Scott must once again put on the suit and learn to fight alongside The Wasp as the team works together to uncover secrets from their past.

Along with returning actors like Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Pena and Michael Douglas we also have some new actors involved with Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne and Walton Goggins. As for the plot, along with Evangeline Lilly’s character of Hope becoming The Wasp, the film will apparently involve the quantum realm, which was explored briefly in the first film. This allows for more crazy visuals and creativity and I’m completely on board for that. I’m not expecting anything immensely great from Ant Man and the Wasp but it should be something rather good.

Ant Man and the Wasp is set for release on July 5th 2018.

23. Mortal Engines

I first heard about Mortal Engines when I heard that it was going to be a fantasy film produced by Peter Jackson. Although I haven’t read the books that it is based on, the premise is enough to get me at least somewhat interested in it.

Many years after the “Sixty Minute War,” cities survive a now desolate Earth by moving around on giant wheels attacking and devouring smaller towns to replenish their resources.

We got a teaser trailer a little while ago, it looks pretty good but outside of the premise I don’t really know what to expect. The only actors involved that I recognise are Hugo Weaving and Stephen Lang. Because of Peter Jackson’s involvement however, I’m on board with this movie.

Mortal Engines is set for release on December 13th 2018.

22. Mary Magdalene

Normally I’m not interested in biblical stories, however both the cast’s involvement as well as the director got me interested in this movie. There’s a lot of talent involved and that makes me intrigued to see what this movie is like.

Set in the Holy Land in the first century C.E., a young woman (Rooney Mara) leaves her small fishing village and traditional family behind to join a radical new social movement. At its head is a charismatic leader, Jesus of Nazareth (Joaquin Phoenix), who promises that the world is changing. Mary is searching for a new way of living, and an authenticity that is denied her by the rigid hierarchies of the day. As the notoriety of the group spread and more are drawn to follow Jesus’ inspirational message, Mary’s spiritual journey places her at the heart of a story that will lead to the capital city of Jerusalem, where she must confront the reality of Jesus’ destiny and her own place within it.

Garth Davis had previously worked on Lion, so that already has me somewhat curious in checking out the Mary Magdalene movie. Also as I previously mentioned, the cast is excellent. We’ve got Rooney Mara as Mary Magdalene, Joaquin Phoenix as Jesus Christ and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Peter. All of these are very talented actors. As I said, the story didn’t initially interest me and the trailers have done really nothing to elevate my anticipation levels but to see all these talented people involved makes me interested in checking out this movie.

Mary Magdalene will be released in March 29th, 2018.

21. Solo: A Star Wars Story

It’s not usual for a Star Wars movie to be low on my anticipated films lists, it was already low on my anticipated films list because it feels quite unnecessary to do a Han Solo movie. My scepticism of the film was worsened as directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were replaced by Ron Howard halfway during filming (if you haven’t heard about all that drama look into it). However, I can’t deny that I’m still looking forward to it, it’s a Star Wars movie, I can’t help it.

The story is centered on a young Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich), the roguish smuggler who later meets Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker in the Mos Eisley Cantina.

Solo: A Star Wars Story does have some good actors involved like Alden Ehrenreich (as Han Solo), Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson and more. It is also written by Empire Strikes Back writer Lawrence Kasdan and Ron Howard can direct some good things. So there are good elements here for a good movie. The problem is that the whole movie just feels so unnecessary, I honestly have no idea how this film will turn out. But I can guarantee that I’m going to watch this on the day of its release.

Solo: A Star Wars story is set for release on May 24th 2018.

20. Isle of Dogs

I’ve admittedly only seen a few of Wes Anderson movies, that being the Grand Budapest Hotel, Moonlight Kingdom and Fantastic Mr Fox. However I really liked those movies, so I can imagine that I’ll really like his next film, Isle of Dogs.

In the future, an outbreak of canine flu leads the mayor of a Japanese city to banish all dogs to an island that’s a garbage dump. The outcasts must soon embark on an epic journey when a 12-year-old boy arrives on the island to find his beloved pet.

The voice cast is long and includes Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Billy Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Ken Watanabe, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, Harvey Keitel, Live Schreiber, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton and F. Murray Abraham. On top of that, it’s a Wes Anderson movie and while I haven’t seen many of his films, I really dig his unique style and this will be his second animated/stop motion movie after Fantastic Mr Fox. With Isle of Dogs, I’m expecting another quirky and unique film from Wes Anderson that will probably be one of the highlights of 2018.

Isle of Dogs is set for release on May 19th 2018.

19. You Were Never Really Here

I have heard a lot of buzz about this movie. At the Cannes Film Festival it won best screenplay and best actor and those who have seen it have loved it. With that and the trailers, I have to say I’m quite intrigued with this movie.

A contract killer (Joaquin Phoenix) uncovers a conspiracy while trying to save a kidnapped teen from a life of prostitution.

Joaquin Phoenix is a phenomenal actor and he without a doubt has delivered an excellent performance here. Aside from that, all of my hype for this movie came from the trailers and all the hype I’ve heard about it. This film looks very stylised, visually stunning and brutal. I don’t know what to expect at all, even after watching the trailers but it must be something special to be already generating this amount of buzz.

You Were Never Really Here is set for release on April 6th 2018.

18. Halloween

I found it weird that we are getting a Halloween movie now 9 years after the last Halloween movie ( 15 years if we aren’t including the Rob Zombie films). However there’s a lot here that has me interested. First of all, it’s not a remake or reboot, second of all its going to be a direct sequel to the original Halloween that completely disregards the sequels. That in itself has me confident.

Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.

One of the things that has me interested in Halloween 2018 is the director. David Gordon Green (who also wrote the screenplay alongside Danny McBride) is a pretty good director with Pineapple Express, Stronger but especially Joe, so I’m confident that he will do a great job with Halloween. Jamie Lee Curtis also returns to reprise her role as Laurie Strode, this version of Laurie has her confronting Myers 40 years later and so it’ll be interesting to see what direction they will take her character. Honestly, I’m not quite sure what to expect but everything so far looks great and as someone who liked the original film and hasn’t seen the sequels or remakes, I’m looking forward to it.

Halloween is set for release on October 18th 2018

17. Mowgli

In 2016, Disney had their own live action Jungle Book movie, which I liked quite a bit. 2 years later, Warner Brothers have their own take on Jungle Book coming with Andy Serkis directing, this time titled as Mowgli. It seems weird seeing another Jungle Book movie a mere 2 years after the last one but looking at the people involved and most of all how different the take on the story will be, I can’t help but be excited for it.

The story follows the upbringing of the human child Mowgli (Rohan Chand), raised by a wolf pack in the jungles of India. As he learns the often harsh rules of the jungle, under the tutelage of a bear named Baloo (Andy Serkis) and a panther named Bagheera (Christian Bale), Mowgli becomes accepted by the animals of the jungle as one of their own. All but one: the fearsome tiger Shere Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch). But there may be greater dangers lurking in the jungle, as Mowgli comes face to face with his human origins.

First of all there is a lot of talent involved. Andy Serkis directs and along with him, Christian Bale, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hollander, Cate Blanchett, Naomie Harris, Jack Reynor and Eddie Marsan all do motion capture performances. However, the thing that’s most interesting to me at least is the different take its going to have. This version of The Jungle Book story is a more genuine adaptation of the classic novel, and is darker. On top of that it is shot with a mix of motion capture and live locations and knowing Serkis’s familiarity with motion capture, that aspect will undoubtedly be superb. I’m pretty sure that Mowgli is going to end up surprising a lot of people who are just expecting a retread of 2016’s Jungle Book.

Mowgli is set for release on October 18th 2018.

16. God Particle

This film was originally set for release in 2017. So below is pretty much my same thoughts.
Despite being titled God Particle, it is part of the Cloverfield trilogy which for whatever reason don’t really connect to each other but they actually might. However I’m not interested in the movie because of the connection, I’m interested because of the premise and the cast, also JJ Abrams is producing.

Astronauts must fight for their lives after making a terrifying discovery in outer space.

I have no idea how this movie will connect to Cloverfield or 10 Cloverfield Lane, however either way I’m sure this movie will be great on its own. I just hope the ‘terrifying discovery’ is a twist that pays off. This movie also stars Elizabeth Debicki, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Daniel Bruhl, David Oyelowo and many more talented actors. The director, Julius Onah, is someone who haven’t done many movies but then again that’s the case with 10 Cloverfield Lane’s director, so that doesn’t really concern me. It does concern me that God Particle was pushed from 2017 to February 2018, only to be pushed back a further 2 months but hopefully that doesn’t say anything about the movie itself. Overall God Particle is a movie I’m cautiously curious about, and I can only hope it pays off.

God Particle is set for release on April 20th 2018 (unless it gets pushed back again).

15. Mission Impossible 6

The Mission Impossible franchise has been great recently, with 4 and 5 being among the best in the series. Naturally with the same team returning for the sequel, I’m on board.

Christopher McQuarrie returns to direct and write Mission Impossible 6 and while I liked the tradition of each Mission Impossible film having a different director, I loved McQuarrie’s work on Rogue Nation and so I’m happy to see him return. Along with the returning cast with Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Michelle Monaghan, Alec Baldwin and Sean Harris, we also have Henry Cavill and Angela Bassett, who will no doubt prove to be good additions to the movie and franchise. I don’t know yet what the plot will be about but I don’t really need to know, if it’s anything like Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation, then I’m happy.

Mission Impossible 6 is set for release on August 2nd 2018

14. Deadpool 2

While I don’t love Deadpool as much as I did when I first saw it in the cinemas, I still really like it. Along with some notable X-Men characters being introduced for the sequel, John Wick director David Leitch is involved and that instantly increased my interest in the film. Hopefully it’ll try some new things while still feeling like a Deadpool film.

After surviving a near fatal bovine attack, a disfigured cafeteria chef (Wade Wilson) struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Mayberry’s hottest bartender while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste. Searching to regain his spice for life, as well as a flux capacitor, Wade must battle ninjas, the yakuza, and a pack of sexually aggressive canines, as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and flavor – finding a new taste for adventure and earning the coveted coffee mug title of World’s Best Lover.

Along with the returning cast of Ryan Reynolds (who is a perfect Deadpool), Morena Baccarin and Brianna Hildebrand, we have new actors and characters with Josh Brolin as Cable and Zazie Beetz as Domino, although I haven’t read comics involving them, they are a big deal, so it’s going to be interesting to see what parts they are going to play here. Instead of Tim Story who did the first Deadpool, the sequel is directed by David Leitch, who had co-directed John Wick and directed Atomic Blonde, so that makes me quite excited for this film. At the very least the action is going to be something special.

Deadpool 2 is set for release on May 31st 2018.

UPDATE:

Deadpool 2 is now set for release on May 18th 2018.

13. The Predator

I’ve only seen the original Predator, I haven’t seen Predator 2 or Predators but I heard that they weren’t all that great. 8 years after the last attempt at a solo Predator movie, Shane Black is here to direct The Predator. I gotta say, I’m intrigued to see Black has planned for the next Predator movie.

The cast alone is so great, with Boyd Holbrook, Jacob Tremblay, Yvonne Strahovski, Olivia Munn, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen, Trevante Rhodes and more. I’m a big fan of Shane Black, who’s directed Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3 and The Nice Guys, so I’m happy to see him take on the Predator franchise. On top of his credible work, he also starred in the original Predator, so that helps a lot. Whether this is a full on dark and brutal Predator film or a action comedy Predator film, I can’t wait to see what Black has in store for us.

The Predator is set for release on August 2nd 2018.

12. X-Men: Dark Phoenix

Although I gave it a lot of love upon its release, X-Men Apocalypse was a little disappointing (even though I still like it). It could’ve and should’ve been so much more. It’s follow up, Dark Phoenix has the potential to be something good. Admittedly I’m a little worried about some things but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited for it.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix is set for release on November 1st 2018.

11. Thoroughbreds

I’ll be honest, I really only heard of this movie because Anya Taylor-Joy, Olivia Cooke and Anton Yelchin (in one of his last film appearances) are in it, so that had me already interested. After looking at the plot and trailers as well however, it’s one of my most anticipated films of the whole year.

Two upper-class teenage girls (Anya Taylor-Joy, Olivia Cooke) in suburban Connecticut rekindle their unlikely friendship after years of growing apart. Together, they hatch a plan to solve both of their problems — no matter what the cost.

As I said, the cast with Anya Taylor-Joy, Olivia Cooke, Anton Yelchin and Paul Sparks will no doubt give some great performances. I can’t describe why but something about the premise and the style shown in the trailers also has me very intrigued. This is director/writer Cory Finley’s first film but early reactions to Thoroughbreds have also been quite positive, so that has me pretty excited for it.

Thoroughbreds is set for release on March 9th 2018.

10. Sicario 2: Soldado

I was pondering for a while whether I was going to put this on the list. Sicario was one of the best films of 2015 but a sequel really wasn’t that necessary. However there’s enough talent involved with it that I’m willing to give it a chance.

The drug war on the US-Mexico border has escalated as the cartels have begun trafficking terrorists across the US border. To fight the war, federal agent Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) re-teams with the mercurial Alejandro (Benicio del Toro).

Along with the sequel being unnecessary, not only is Sicario lead Emily Blunt not returning, director Denis Villeneuve isn’t returning either and its Stefano Sollima who is in charge. I don’t know anything noteworthy that he’s done. From the original film, Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin return, as well as writer Taylor Sheridan. Sheridan has written a number of great films and del Toro and Brolin were great in the original film (especially del Toro). The trailer also looked pretty good, a little more action oriented than Sicario but nonetheless interesting enough. Despite the sequel being unnecessary and having a terrible title (it should’ve been just called Soldado), I am still cautiously optimistic and am willing to give it a watch, I’m just not expecting it to be at the same level as the original.

Sicario 2: Soldado is set for release on June 28th 2018.

9. The New Mutants

Fox seems to be making a lot of unique comic book movies recently, an R rated comedy with Deadpool, a gritty western with Logan and now we get a horror with The New Mutants. This is unlike any other comic book movie that has come beforehand. I’m always interested in comic book movies and I’m even more interested in comic book movies that try new things, and New Mutants seems to be doing just that.

Five young mutants, just discovering their abilities while held in a secret facility against their will, fight to escape their past sins and save themselves.

First of all it has some very talented actors with Anya Taylor-Joy, Maisie Williams and Charlie Heaton being a few notable stars. The director and writer is Josh Boone, who directed and wrote The Fault in Our Stars (I’ve never seen it but I heard its good), and apparently New Mutants is inspired by the works of Stephen King and John Hughes. With a smaller (but talented) cast and most of the film taking place in one location, it seems to be a much smaller film which is definitely welcome given some of the more larger than life comic book movies recently. The main point of interest however is that it will be the first horror based comic book movie and from the trailer, it seems to be going all in. Even if it just ends up being a teen horror movie with mutants, it’s something that hasn’t happened in the comic book movie genre, so I’m definitely looking forward to it.

The New Mutants is set for release on April 12th 2018.

UPDATE:
As of the 12th of January 2018, The New Mutants has been pushed back an astonishing 10 months to February 22nd 2019.
Apparently, after NEW MUTANTS tested well but not great, the studio decided to actually embrace the film’s horror elements and beef up the scares in the wake of the success of IT and GET OUT last year (I guess the movie didn’t have as much horror elements as much as the trailer suggested. I am definitely concerned seeing as this movie was pushed back 10 months for reshoots, it seems that they are going to be changing a lot. And it is disappointing that we are going to have to wait for pretty much a year before we get to see it. On the other hand, it could potentially lead to a more unique movie, with it being more horror based. Let’s just hope that these reshoots improve the movie and aren’t just a reactionary decision by the studio, Justice League has now made me concerned everytime a studio decides to do reshoots to change a movie.

The New Mutants is now set for release on February 22nd 2019

8. Venom

I’m surprised that this movie is even on this list. The initial idea many months ago sounded like it could have some problems. First of all, it’s Sony who’s creating this (and as evidence by the treatment of some of their franchises, it doesn’t always work out well), second of all Sony seem to be creating their own Spider-Man universe without Spider-Man. However at the same time there is so much things about it that has me intrigued.

It is the first supervillain movie (I’m not quite sure if Suicide Squad counts) and with the R rating (unless they make any changes) it will allow them to go full out dark, kinda like what Fox has been doing with some of their recent Marvel movies with Deadpool and Logan. With Tom Hardy as Venom and a cast that also includes Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Jenny Slate and Woody Harrelson, we’ve got a large amount of talented actors involved. The director, Ruben Fleischer has done Zombieland and Gangster Squad, so I don’t know how it will turn out. That goes for the whole movie honestly, it’s an unusual project and it can turn out many different ways but at the same time, out of all the comic book movies this year it’s probably the one that interests me the most.

Venom is set for release on October 4th 2018.

7. Backseat

Backseat is about Dick Cheney, the Vice President to George W. Bush. A whole film based around Dick Cheney already has a lot of potential but add on top of that the talented cast and director and it has the makings of a great film.

The story of Dick Cheney (Christian Bale), as he goes from CEO of Halliburton to Vice President under George W. Bush, where he was a key supporter of the war in Iraq

Adam McKay proved himself to be not only a good director but a great director with The Big Short. Backseat also has a fantastic cast with Christian Bale as Dick Cheney, Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld, Sam Rockwell as George W. Bush and Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney. Bale particularly seems like he’s going to give an impressive performance, especially in how unrecognisable he is as Dick Cheney just in terms of physical appearance. Although I admittedly don’t know a whole lot about Dick Cheney, from what I can tell Adam McKay got a lot of material to work with and he certainly has a lot of talent to work with. Backseat definitely seems like it could be one of the highlights of 2018 films.

Backseat is set for release in 2018.

6. Avengers: Infinity War

I must preface this with that I know that this movie could fail absolutely horribly. It has so many characters involved with Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk, the Guardians of the Galaxy and seemingly most of the main MCU characters. If it somehow works out well, it will be a remarkable achievement. However I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t excited, and the first trailer does look great.

Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and the rest of the Avengers unite to battle their most powerful enemy yet — the evil Thanos (Josh Brolin). On a mission to collect all six Infinity Stones, Thanos plans to use the artifacts to inflict his twisted will on reality. The fate of the planet and existence itself has never been more uncertain as everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment.

Infinity War is directed by The Russo Brothers, who have already directed 2 MCU films: a surprisingly great film that’s the best of the MCU (The Winter Soldier) and a decent but disappointing movie (Civil War). Their involvement leaves me with mixed feelings, I don’t think they did well in handling multiple characters in Civil War and they are handling even more characters in Infinity War. With that said, there’s another Avengers movie coming out next year, the Infinity Gauntlet story is basically stretched over 2 movies, so it could work. Even though I have many worries, I can’t help but be excited, this is the 10th year for the MCU and Infinity War is ultimately the culmination of the multiple films in the series. I just hope The Russo Brothers can pull it off.

Avengers: Infinity War is set for release on April 25th 2018.

5. Black Panther

Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther was one of, if not the best part of Captain America Civil War, and it made me extremely excited to see what his solo film had in store for us. The trailers have only heightened my anticipation and with all the talent involved, I can’t see this movie not being something magnificent.

Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) springs into action when an old enemy (Michael B. Jordan) threatens the fate of his nation and the world.

Ryan Coogler has done some great work with Creed and Fruitvale Station, so naturally with him helming the movie, its in great hands. Along with Chadwick Boseman returning to the role of Black Panther we have a great supporting cast with Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Martin Freeman, Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, Daniel Kaluuya, Andy Serkis and more. Honestly this film has the potential to be the best MCU film yet, and I mean like Winter Soldier level. At the very least I’m pretty sure it’ll end up being one of the best in the series.

Black Panther is set for release on February 15th 2018.

4. First Man

With First Man featuring a great cast and be a story about Neil Armstrong gets me interests me. But having Damien Chazelle direct this film increases my anticipation level even higher, his involvement was pretty much all I needed for me to be on board for it.

A look at the life of the astronaut, Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling), and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.

There is a great cast involved, with Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong and Claire Foy, Jon Bernthal, Jason Clarke, Corey Stoll, Cory Michael Smith, Kyle Chandler and Pablo Schrieber in supporting roles. This naturally had me interested but its Damien Chazelle’s involvement that really has me pumped. His direction of both Whiplash and La La Land, both excellent films, has me interested in every film he’s involved with. It is strange seeing Chazelle take on a non music film but I have no doubt that First Man will be nothing less than great. Nonetheless I’m excited to see what Chazelle and co. are going to do.

First Man is set for release on October 11th 2018.

3. Annihilation

This is the next film by director Alex Garland, who’s last film was Ex Machina. Some have called the original novel its based on unfilmable, and there was some clashes over distribution of the film due to the potentially odd aspects, leading to it set to be released on Netflix. This has only intrigued me more, movies that have had a divisive and challenging response on people tend to interest me. Add a talented cast on top of that, and you get one of the most anticipated films of the year.

A biologist (Natalie Portman) searches for her missing husband (Oscar Isaac) while on an expedition with a secret agency and discovers a dangerous creature lurking in the wilderness.

Even from the two trailers I don’t have a clear idea what Annihilation is outside of its main premise but the talent involved is good. It’s got some really great actors with Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Oscar Isaac and of course Alex Garland is a very talented director. I have no idea what to expect with Annihilation but I’m board with whatever it is.

Annihilation is set for release on February 22nd 2018.

2. Aquaman

Aquaman is the only DCEU film released in 2018, which in some ways is good as it allows WB to get everything sorted out and sort out everything (which they really need to do as shown with Justice League). I liked Jason Momoa’s Aquaman in Justice League and I’m interested in seeing his own film, with all the talent involved it looks like it could be something special.

Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) learns that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, and must step forward to lead his people and to be a hero to the world.

James Wan has done great films in the past and although most of them are horror, Furious 6 has shown that he can do action as well. Along with Jason Momoa and Amber Heard who return from Justice League we have some more talented actors with Nicole Kidman, Patrick Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Temuera Morrison and Dolph Lungren, and with that cast involved I’m looking forward to what film they are going to give us. My main concern like with any upcoming DCEU film, is that if it will receive studio interference, especially seeing as only 2 of the 5 films in the series didn’t have any kind of interference whatsoever. So as long as WB doesn’t try to mess with Wan’s vision, it should be something great.

Aquaman is set for release on December 20th 2018

1. Widows

Surprisingly, my most anticipated film of 2018 isn’t a comic book movie or a Star Wars movie. With a great director, writer and talented cast, Widows has so much potential. To be honest I’m not really sure what I’m expecting, but I think its going to be something incredible, given the people involved.

Set in contemporary Chicago, amidst a time of turmoil, four women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands’ criminal activities take fate into their own hands and conspire to forge a future on their own terms.

Simply put, the talent involved is what has me most interested. Steve McQueen has directed 12 Years a Slave and Shame, two truly great and impactful films. The screenplay is also written by Gillian Flynn, who wrote and adapted her book Gone Girl into a great film directed by David Fincher. Here, she’s adapting the TV series of the same name (that I’ve never seen). Add on top of that a large and talented cast: yhis cast includes Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Rodriguez, Colin Farrell, Daniel Kaluuya, Liam Neeson, Robert Duvall, Carrie Coon, Jacki Weaver and Jon Bernthal. With that director, that writer and that large and talented cast, I can’t see Widows being anything less than incredible.

Widows is set for release on November 15th 2018.

What are your most anticipated films of 2018? Comment below and let me know.