Fall has arrived, and so far 2018 has been a mix of huge hits, critical smashes, and inevitably, a few disappointments. Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Deadpool 2, Incredibles 2, and Mission Impossible: Fallout have smashed records, and while Solo: A Star Wars Story proved to be a commercial disappointment, there's still plenty of excitement for next year's Episode IX, which is now in production.
All the big summer movies might have been released, but there's still loads to look forward to in the rest of 2018. There DC's Aquaman and the Transformers spin-off Bumblebee, plus the return of Lisbeth Salander in The Girl in the Spider's Web. The first of Sony’s Spider-Man spin-offs arrives next week in the shape of Venom and the classic Halloween series returns just in time for, well, Halloween. Once we hit the fall, the big awards-season movies start arriving too, with films such as First Man, Widows, and If Beale Street Could Talk sure to get plenty of Oscar buzz. So here's what you can look forward to over the rest of the year...
Venom
Although the deal between Disney and Sony has ensured that Spider-Man is currently part of the former's Marvel Cinematic Universe, the movie right to the character ultimately remain with Sony. As a result, the studio is launching its own interconnected universe of characters from the canon of Spidey comic-books. Venom is first up; it stars Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, a photographer who ends up with superpowers after he is taken over by the alien parasite of title. It's directed by Zombieland's Ruben Fleischer, and the impressive supporting cast includes Michelle Williams, Woody Harrelson, and Riz Ahmed.
Release date: October 4
First Man
Given Neil Armstrong is the most famous astronaut ever, it's surprising that he's never had his own biopic until now. First Man is set between 1961 and 1969 and tells the story of Armstrong's preparations for his history-changing journey to the moon. It stars Ryan Gosling as the man himself and is helmed by Gosling's La La Land director Damien Chazelle. The impressive cast also includes Claire Foy, Kyle Chandler, Jon Bernthal, and Pablo Schreiber.
Release date: October 12
Bad Times at Le Royale
As a writer and director, Drew Goddard is best known for his work in sci-fi and fantasy, with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Cloverfield, The Martian, and The Cabin in the Woods all part of his impressive CV. Bad Times at the El Royale sees Goddard stretching out into thriller territory. It focuses on seven strangers who gather one night at a shady motel, and the impressive cast includes Jeff Bridges, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, and Chris Hemsworth. The movie has been compared to the wave of funny, violent thrillers that followed in the wake of Pulp Fiction back in the '90s and should deliver some slick thrills.
Release date: October 12
Johnny English Strikes Again
While it's unlikely that a third Johnny English film was high on anyone's most-anticipated movies list for 2018, the previous two spy spoofs were major box office hits, earning more than $320 million worldwide. Johnny English Strikes Again sees Mr. Bean actor Rowan Atkinson return as the inept superspy, who this time must thwart a master hacker. As the first trailer reveals, English travels to France with his loyal sidekick Bough to track his enemy down--and also launch missiles at French cyclists. Oscar winning actress Emma Thompson co-stars, alongside Olga Kurylenko, who appears to be parodying her role in the 2008 James Bond movie Quantum of Solace.
Release date: Fall 208.
Halloween
The Halloween series might be one of longest-running and most profitable horror franchises in movie history, but most fans would agree that every entry hasn't necessarily been a good one. The last time Michael Myers stalked the screen was in Rob Zombie's hugely divisive remakes a decade ago, but now, on the 40th anniversary of John Carpenter's original movie, the killer also known as The Shape is back. Plot details for this latest Halloween are under wraps, but it's got an impressive pedigree. It's directed by acclaimed indie auteur David Gordon Green and produced by Blumhouse Films, which has scored major successes in recent years with the likes of Get Out, Paranormal Activity, and the Purge movies. Original star Jamie Lee Curtis returns, and if that wasn't enough, Carpenter himself is creatively involved and providing another iconic soundtrack. Could this be the Halloween reboot that finally gets it right?
Release date: October 19
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
Disney's series of live-action fairy tale adaptations has proved to be box office gold over the past few years, and this is the studio's latest offering. While the title might not be as recognisable as The Jungle Book or Beauty and the Beast, expect it to make serious money this fall. It's based on the classic 19th century fairytale and stars Keira Knightley, Helen Mirren, and Morgan Freeman, with Mackenzie Foy in the lead role as Clara, a young girl who is pulled into a mysterious, magical world on Christmas Eve.
Release date: November 2
Bohemian Rhapsody
This biopic of Queen legend Freddie Mercury has been in development for many years, with various directors and stars attached to the project. Even when the cameras started rolling the problems didn't stop--director Bryan Singer was fired by the studio during production, to be replaced by British filmmaker Dexter Fletcher. But the movie is now finished and set for release in November. Mr. Robot star Remi Malek takes on the role of the iconic frontman, and it charts the rise of the band through the '70s to their world-conquering success in the '80s. It's produced by the band, and the trailer suggests that it might be more a celebration of the music than a look at the darker side of Mercury's life. But it looks like an absolute must-see for Queen fans.
Release date: November 2
Suspiria
David Gordon Green’s upcoming Halloween reboot/sequel isn't the only late-70s horror classic getting a remake from an acclaimed director in 2018. Dario Argento's supernatural masterpiece Suspiria has been updated by Luca Guadagnino, the Italian filmmaker behind last year’s Oscar-nominated Call Me By Your Name. This is a tale of a ballet school run by ancient, evil witches, and it stars Dakota Johnson and Chloë Grace Moretz as students who uncover the school's dark secrets. Argento's original movie is noted for its incredible visual style and thunderous soundtrack; Radiohead's Thom Yorke is providing the score for the remake, and hopefully Guadagnino will deliver something just as stylish.
Release date: November 2
Overlord
There were rumours earlier this year that this JJ Abrams-produced World War II horror film would form the next part of the Cloverfield universe. After all, 10 Cloverfield Lane and this year's The Cloverfield Paradox started life as unconnected movies with different titles before being rewritten to form part of Abrams' loose sci-fi series, so it wouldn't be surprising if he had the same thing in mind for Overlord. Abrams has subsequently denied this is the case, and the first trailer revealed last week certainly seems to point to this being a standalone movie. Either way, it looks like a suitably scary movie in which a squad of US soldiers are forced to parachute into occupied France, where they encounter a group of Nazis performing some terrifying experiments.
Release date: November 9
The Grinch
The classic Dr. Seuss story How the Grinch Saved Christmas was adapted into a hit Jim Carrey movie 18 years ago, and a new animated version hits the screen in November. Doctor Strange and Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch will provide the voice of the Holiday-hating title character, and the first trailer arrived last week. The movie was actually meant to be released last year, but the trailer is colourful and fun and the movie will hopefully be worth the wait.
Release date: November 9
The Girl in the Spider's Web
Although David Fincher's 2011 adaptation of Stieg Larsson's novel The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo was a commercial disappointment, the lead character, Lisbeth Salander, is returning to the screen. The Girl in the Spider's Web is based on the first Salander novel written by another author (Larson died in 2004), and stars The Crown's Claire Foy as the iconic hacker, taking over from Rooney Mara. Despite the change of actress, the movie is set to be a similarly dark tale of crime and revenge. Salander is described as "the girl who hurts men who hurt women," and the recent first trailer gives us a brutal taste of what to expect when it arrives in November.
Release date: November 9
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
The Harry Potter series might have finished in 2011, but the wider movie universe goes from strength to strength. The success of 2016's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them led to the announcement of a further four movies, the first of which arrives in November. Eddie Redmayne returns as Newt Scamander, with Jude Law as the young Dumbledore, who enlists the help of Newt to help defeat the dark wizard Grindelwald (Johnny Depp). David Yates directs once more, from a screenplay by Potter creator JK Rowling.
Release date: November 16
Instant Family
Mark Wahlberg was last seen running, jumping, and shooting people in the action thriller Mile 22, but his next movie is a lot more light-hearted. It's a comedy in which he and Rose Byrne (Insidious, Bridesmaids) play a couple who decide to foster three siblings, with predictably chaotic results. The movie reunites Wahlberg with his Transformers: The Last Knight co-star Isabela Moner, who will next be seen playing Dora the Explorer.
Release date: November 16
Widows
Ocean's Eight isn't the only high-profile heist movie coming our way in 2018. Widows is the latest film from Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen (12 Years A Slave) and is written by Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn. The movies focuses on four women whose husbands are killed in a failed heist, who then decide to finish the job themselves. It's based on a British TV show of the same name from the 1980s, and the star-studded cast includes Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Colin Farrell, Liam Neeson, and Get Out's Daniel Kaluuya. Films like 12 Years and Shame proved that McQueen can deliver prestigious, acclaimed dramas, so hopes are high that he is equally adept at making edgy crime thrillers.
Release date: November 18
Creed 2
While most thought that the legendary movie boxer Rocky Balboa had finally hung up his gloves, the 2015 spin-off Creed not only gave the character one of his finest movies, it paved the way for director Ryan Coogler to get the job of directing Marvel's wildly successful Black Panther. Coogler won’t be back for the sequel, but star Michael B. Jordan is, once again playing the son of the original movies' Apollo Creed. Rocky creator and star Sylvester Stallone is back too, as both co-star and co-writer. Steven Caple Jr. directs this time, and it's rumoured that Creed 2 will bring back another iconic character from the original series--Rocky IV's Russian powerhouse Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren).
Release date: November 21
Robin Hood
Ridley Scott's 2010 version of the the Robin Hood myth wasn't a critical or commercial success, but that hasn't stopped yet another version of the story heading to screens in 2018. This time we have a younger Robin, with Kingsman star Taron Egerton in the lead role. The cast also includes Jamie Foxx as Little John and Rogue One's Ben Mendelsohn as the Sheriff of Nottingham, and it's directed by TV director Otto Bathurst (Peaky Blinders, Black Mirror). The first trailer is suitably action-packed, but we'll find out in November if this Hood is any good.
Release date: November 21
Ralph Breaks the Internet
The 2012 animated comedy Wreck-It Ralph was a critical and commercial hit, and the sequel arrives in November. It focuses on the arcade game villain-turned-hero of the title, who this time enters the internet after the arcade his game lives in goes online. John C. Reilly is the voice of Ralph, with Sarah Silverman, Jane Lynch, Alan Tudyk, Taraji P. Henson, and James Corden also part of the voice cast.
Release date: November 21
If Beale Street Could Talk
It was always going to be hard for director Barry Jenkins to follow his acclaimed, Oscar-winning drama Moonlight, but If Beale Street Could Talk looks like he might have made something just as good. Based on the classic novel by James Baldwin, the film is set in Harlem of the early '70s, and focuses on a pregnant woman who must race against time to free her wrongly-imprisoned boyfriend from jail. The fantastic first trailer was recently released, and the movie looks every bit as powerful and stylish as Moonlight. Expect lots of awards buzz for this one.
Release date: November 30
Mortal Engines
While Peter Jackson's first post-Hobbit directorial effort is yet to be revealed, he is heavily involved with this upcoming sci-fi adventure. Jackson produces and co-writes alongside his regular collaborator Fran Walsh, while Christian Rivers--who has worked with Jackson since his early horror days--makes his directorial debut. Mortal Engines is an adaptation of the first of four YA novels written by Philip Reeve and is set in a post apocalyptic steampunk world where motorised cities-on-wheels are at war with one another. As you'd expect from Jackson, it all looks truly spectacular, and if the storytelling matches the level of visual invention, it should make a lavish treat this Christmas.
Release date: December 14
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is easily one of our most anticipated films of the year. Produced by Lord and Miller of The Lego Movie fame, and starring Shameik Moore as Miles Morales, Jake Johnson as Peter Parker, and Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy, Spider-Verse will take us into the, well, spider-verse. That means Spider-folks from various parallel universes will make appearances, from Spider-Man Noir (played by Nicholas Cage) to Spider-Ham, a cartoon pig in a Spider-Man outfit, voiced by comedian John Mulaney. It's not just the humorous cameos we're looking forward to, though, as Into the Spider-Verse overall looks like one of the coolest Spider-Man movies ever made.
Release date: December 14
Mary Poppins Returns
In what must be one of the longest gaps between an original movie and its sequel, the follow-up to the 1964 family classic Mary Poppins arrives just in time for Christmas. Set in 1935, 25 years after the first movie, it sees the much-loved magical nanny return to London for another adventure. Emily Blunt takes over from Julie Andrews in the title role, while the cast also includes Colin Firth, Emily Mortimer, Ben Whishaw, and Meryl Streep. There's also a role for Dick Van Dyke, who co-starred with Andrews in the original. It might have been 54 since the original movie, but the perennial popularity of that Disney classic ensures that the sequel is a guaranteed hit.
Release date: December 19
Aquaman
The DC universe has had a bumpy ride so far, with only Wonder Woman connecting with both audiences and critics. But there's every reason to be hopeful that Aquaman could do the same. Director James Wan is a skilled genre operator, whether delivering crowd-pleasing horror (Saw, The Conjuring) or blockbuster action (Furious 7), and there's a killer cast that includes Patrick Wilson, Willem Defoe, Nicole Kidman, and '80s action icon Dolph Lungren, plus Jason Momoa as Aquaman and Amber Heard as Mera. Wan recently debunked the rumour that the film would be overstuffed with multiple villains, and promises an "emotional and powerful" origin movie.
Release date: December 21
Bumblebee
The future of the Transformers franchise might be uncertain, but we're definitely getting at least one more movie. The spin-off Bumblebee arrives in December and will focus on the earlier adventures of the much-loved yellow VW Autobot. It's set in California in the 1980s and stars Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) as a young woman who finds Bumblebee in a trash heap. WWE star John Cena also features in the cast, and the recent trailer suggests that this is going to be a more family-orientated movie than the main Transformers series. It's directed by Travis Knight, who previously helmed the Oscar-nominated animated movie Kubo And The Two Strings.
Release date: December 21
No comments:
Post a Comment