These preview posts are always going to be very hit-or-miss. Many of these movies have very little information available. Lots won’t have a trailer or other footage that has been released yet. So really, it’s just a fun exercise to get excited for what’s to come.
Most of the info used here is from the 2019 in film Wikipedia page or the specific movie’s Wikipedia or IMDB page. All release dates are from the “2019 in film” Wikipedia page. Some of these dates are sure to change, some may already even be different than what’s listed there. Any plot descriptions will be from IMDB. There will surely be movies left off here for one of a variety of reasons. Maybe they don’t interest me all that much, I don’t believe they will be any good, or it could be as simple as they don’t have a firm release date yet.
January
Escape Room (January 4)
“Six strangers find themselves in circumstances beyond their control, and must use their wits to survive.”
I love escape rooms, so this one is intriguing. Even though it looks to basically be new entry in the Saw series (which I am firmly not a fan of).
The Upside (January 11)
“A comedic look at the relationship between a wealthy man with quadriplegia and an unemployed man with a criminal record who’s hired to help him.”
Glass (January 18)
“Security guard David Dunn uses his supernatural abilities to track Kevin Wendell Crumb, a disturbed man who has twenty-four personalities.”
Yes, I am so here for this. I’m so-so on Unbreakable, but loved Split. This third (and final?) entry in the series seems like it will be more along the lines of Split. Plus, more James McAvoy as The Horde, which you certainly can’t complain about.
The Kid Who Would Be King (January 25)
“A band of kids embark on an epic quest to thwart a medieval menace.”
From strictly a critical standpoint, I don’t see this being very good. But for younger kids (the movie’s intended audience) it should be just fine.
Serenity (January 25)
“The mysterious past of a fishing boat captain comes back to haunt him, when his ex-wife tracks him down with a desperate plea for help, ensnaring his life in a new reality that may not be all that it seems.”
I’m in for anything with Matthew McConaughey (more on him later) so I would be hyped for this no matter what. Though the fact that it’s release has been pushed back twice now does give me some pause.
February
Miss Bala (February 1)
“Gloria finds a power she never knew she had when she is drawn into a dangerous world of cross-border crime. Surviving will require all of her cunning, inventiveness, and strength. Based on the Spanish-language film.”
I thought Gina Rodriguez was great in Annihilation, but I’m not sure I buy her as an action star. Plus, the trailer shows the movie doing that really stupid thing where someone will say a word, phrase, sentence, etc in a non-English language, and then repeat the same thing in English.
The Informer (February 1)
“An ex-convict working undercover intentionally gets himself incarcerated again in order to infiltrate the mob at a maximum security prison.”
I can’t really explain it, but this just has the feel of a movie that’s going to disappoint. I hope I’m wrong though. It has a great cast and has an interesting enough plot. If done right, it could be a solid movie.
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (February 8)
“It’s been five years since everything was awesome and the citizens are facing a huge new threat: LEGO DUPLO® invaders from outer space, wrecking everything faster than they can rebuild.”
What Men Want (February 8)
“A woman is boxed out by the male sports agents in her profession, but gains an unexpected edge over them when she develops the ability to hear their thoughts.”
Cold Pursuit (February 8)
“A snowplow driver seeks revenge against the drug dealers he thinks killed his son.”
Read that plot description again, watch the trailer, and consider the fact that Liam Neeson is the star. This movie should be wild in all the best ways.
Alita: Battle Angel (February 14)
“An action-packed story of one young woman’s journey to discover the truth of who she is and her fight to change the world.”
Isn’t It Romantic? (February 14)
“A young woman disenchanted with love mysteriously finds herself trapped inside a romantic comedy.”
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (February 22)
“As Hiccup fulfills his dream of creating a peaceful dragon utopia, Toothless’ discovery of an untamed, elusive mate draws the Night Fury away. When danger mounts at home and Hiccup’s reign as village chief is tested, both dragon and rider must make impossible decisions to save their kind.”
The Rhythm Section (February 22)
“A woman seeks revenge against those who orchestrated a plane crash that killed her family.”
I’ve always been a Blake Lively fan, but became an even bigger one after A Simple Favor. That was one of my favorite movies of 2018, and she had one of my favorite performances as well. Let’s hope for more of the same.
March
Chaos Walking (March 1)
“A dystopian world where there are no women and all living creatures can hear each others’ thoughts in a stream of images, words, and sounds called Noise.”
Captain Marvel (March 8)
“Carol Danvers becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races.”
Us (March 15)
“A mother and father take their kids to their beach house, expecting to enjoy time with friends, but their serenity turns to tension and chaos when some visitors arrive uninvited.”
Normally not my kind of movie, but Jordan Peele has my complete trust after Get Out.
Wonder Park (March 15)
“Wonder Park tells the story of a magnificent amusement park where the imagination of a wildly creative girl named June comes alive.”
Beach Bum (March 22)
“A rebellious stoner named Moondog lives life by his own rules.”
Matthew McConaughey plays a stoner named Moondog. Do you really need to know anything more than that?
Where’d You Go, Bernadette? (March 22)
“After her anxiety-ridden mother disappears, 15-year-old Bee does everything she can to track her down, discovering her troubled past in the process.”
Has some similar vibes to A Simple Favor. Hopefully it can at least approach the quality of one of 2018’s biggest surprise hits.
Dumbo (March 29)
“A young elephant, whose oversized ears enable him to fly, helps save a struggling circus, but when the circus plans a new venture, Dumbo and his friends discover dark secrets beneath its shiny veneer.”
Pass.
April
Shazam! (April 5)
“We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson’s case, by shouting out one word – SHAZAM! – this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult superhero Shazam.”
I’m being very cautious about Shazam!, the way I am with every DC movie. But with Aquaman being better than expected, it’s worth wondering if DC has maybe turned a corner. This could go a long way in determining if it’s a DC shift as a whole, or just a one-movie exception.
Hellboy (April 12)
“Based on the graphic novels by Mike Mignola, Hellboy, caught between the worlds of the supernatural and human, battles an ancient sorceress bent on revenge.”
Avengers: Endgame (April 26)
“In the aftermath of Thanos wiping out half of all life in the universe, the remaining Avengers must do what’s necessary to undo the Mad Titan’s deed.”
I could have started and ended the list with Endgame. The culmination of more than 10 years and 20+ movies. It doesn’t get much bigger than this.
The Intruder (April 26)
“A psychological thriller about a young married couple who buys a beautiful Napa Valley house on several acres of land only to find that the man they bought it from refuses to let go of the property.”
May
Pokemon: Detective Pikachu (May 10)
“In a world where people collect Pokémon to do battle, a boy comes across an intelligent talking Pikachu who seeks to be a detective.”
It’s Pokemon. It’s got Ryan Reynolds, Kathryn Newton, and Ken Watanabe. Count me in.
The Hustle (May 10)
“A remake of the 1988 comedy, ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’, in which two down-and-out con artists engage in a “loser leaves town” contest.”
John Wick 3: Parabellum (May 17)
“The third installment of the ‘John Wick’ series.”
We may not have any footage yet, but at least we have this already-iconic image. This movie is going to be nuts.
Aladdin (May 24)
“A live-action retelling of the 1992 Disney film of the same name.”
This movie certainly doesn’t need to be made. But since Disney has made it, it does need to be good. This is one they simply can’t mess up. I have faith that it will be good enough. Disney rarely lets you down.
Ad Astra (May 24)
“Astronaut Roy McBride travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father and unravel a mystery that threatens the survival of our planet.”
Based on nothing but that brief plot description, I’m going to say this movie is going to either be really good or really bad; there’s no in between.
Brightburn (May 24)
“What if a child from another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved to be something far more sinister?”
Kind of a “What if Superman was bad?” vibe here. There’s definite potential. But I could also easily see this bombing.
The Kid (May 24)
“The story of a young boy who witnesses Billy the Kid’s encounter with Sheriff Pat Garrett.”
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (May 31)
“The crypto-zoological agency Monarch faces 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.”
I’m just going to come out and say it: this trailer looks incredible. Whether the movie itself lives up to it remains to be seen of course. Nevertheless, I’m cautiously super excited for this one.
Rocketman (May 31)
“The story of Elton John’s life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin.”
June
Dark Phoenix (June 7)
“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.”
Fingers crossed the release date doesn’t get pushed back again.
Men in Black: International (June 14)
“The Men in Black have always protected the Earth from the scum of the universe. In this new adventure, they tackle their biggest threat to date: a mole in the Men in Black organization.”
Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, Kumail Nanjiani, Rebecca Ferguson. Sign me the eff up.
Toy Story 4 (June 21)
“When a new toy called “Forky” joins Woody and the gang, a road trip alongside old and new friends reveals how big the world can be for a toy.”
Like Aladdin, there was no inherent need for a fourth Toy Story (this won’t be the last time you see this sentiment). But it’s a fool’s errand to doubt Pixar. Plus, I’m excited for Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key’s new characters.
Ford v. Ferrari (June 28)
“The true story of the battle between Ford and Ferrari to win Le Mans in 1966.”
Limited Partners (June 28)
“Two female friends with very different ideals decide to start a beauty company together. One is more practical, while the other wants to earn her fortune and live a lavish lifestyle.”
This movie sounds like it’s destined to fail. But it’s strong cast might be enough to make it average or better.
July
Spider-Man: Far From Home (July 5)
“Peter Parker and his friends go on summer vacation to Europe and where Peter finds himself trying to save his friends against a villain known as Mysterio.”
LET’S F***ING GO.
17 Bridges (July 12)
“Follows a disgraced detective in the NYPD who is given a shot at redemption. Thrust into a citywide manhunt for a cop killer, he begins to undercover a massive conspiracy that links his fellow cops to a criminal empire and must decide who he is hunting and who is actually hunting him. During the manhunt, Manhattan is completely locked down for the first time in its history – no exit or entry to the island including all 17 bridges.”
This sounds like a perfect summer blockbuster. And with the great cast, director Brian Kirk (he has three Game of Thrones episodes to his credit), and the Anthony and Joe Russo on as producers, it just might be better than expected.
Stuber (July 12)
“A detective recruits his Uber driver into an unexpected night of adventure.”
Kumail Nanjiani is one of the leads, and that’s always a good start. And with co-stars Dave Bautista and Iko Uwais, we should be in for awesome scenes of over-the-top action.
The Lion King (July 19)
“CGI re-imagining of the 1994 Disney classic.”
This movie didn’t have to be made, so they better do it right (sound familiar?).
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (July 26)
“A faded TV actor and his stunt double 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.”
Release date be damned, this movie has every chance of being a serious Oscar contender. One of my most-anticipated movies for 2019.
August
Hobbs and Shaw (August 2)
“A spinoff of The Fate of the Furious, focusing on Johnson’s US Diplomatic Security Agent Luke Hobbs forming an unlikely alliance with Statham’s Deckard Shaw.”
Some might be growing tired of all these Fast and Furious movies, and I’d find it hard to fault them. But I will always say yes to more movies in this universe. So over the top, so unrealistic, but so much fun.
The New Mutants (August 2)
“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 above trailer was released on October 13, 2017. Like Dark Phoenix, New Mutants has also had its release date moved several times. We’ll see if it doesn’t happen again.
Artemis Fowl (August 9)
“Artemis Fowl II, a young Irish criminal mastermind, kidnaps the fairy LEPrecon officer Holly Short for ransom to fund the search for his missing father in order to restore the family fortune.”
I read the first book in the Artemis Fowl series (Maybe one or two others as well? It’s been so long I can’t remember.) However many I read, I remember liking it well enough. Should be a decent, if not great, movie.
Angel Has Fallen (August 23)
“Secret Service Agent Mike Banning is framed for the attempted assassination of the President and must evade his own agency and the FBI as he tries to uncover the real threat.”
Yes, this is a continuation of the “Has Fallen” universe. Which means more absurd action and wild set pieces. Let’s at least hope it’s fun.
September
It: Chapter 2 (September 6)
“27 years later, the Losers Club have grown up and moved away, until a devastating phone call brings them back.”
Downton Abbey (September 13)
“Plot unknown. Movie based on the popular British television show, Downton Abbey.”
The Kitchen (September 20)
“The wives of New York gangsters in Hell’s Kitchen in the 1970s continue to operate their husbands’ rackets after they’re locked up in prison.”
I’ll see what I think once we see some footage, but initially, I’m in.
October
Gemini Man (October 4)
“An over-the-hill hitman faces off against a younger clone of himself.”
Joker (October 4)
“A failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and becomes a psychopathic murderer.”
Certainly a movie no one was demanding to be made. But Joaquin Phoenix seems like someone who could make a damn good Joker.
The Woman in the Window (October 4)
“An agoraphobic woman living alone in New York begins spying on her new neighbors only to witness a disturbing act of violence.”
The Goldfinch (October 11)
“A boy in New York is taken in by a wealthy Upper East Side family after his mother is killed in a bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.”
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (October 18)
“The story of Fred Rogers, the honored host and creator of the popular children’s television program, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood(1968).”
November
Terminator 6 (November 1)
“Plot unknown.”
Charlie’s Angels (November 1)
“Plot unknown. Reboot of the 2000 action comedy based on the 1970s TV series.”
Sonic the Hedgehog (November 8)
“A cop in rural town of Green Hills will help Sonic escape from the government who is looking to capture him.”
It stars Ben Schwartz, so at least there’s that.
Kingsman: The Great Game (November 8)
“A spin-off of the Kingsman movie series which will look at the spy organization at the turn of the 20th century.”
Colin Firth and Taron Egerton were the best parts of the first two Kingsman movies. With this being a prequel, it’s doubtful we’ll see either of them. You never know, but that doesn’t bode well.
Midway (November 8)
“The story of the battle of Midway, told by the leaders and the soldiers who fought it.”
Last Christmas (November 15)
“Plot unknown. Described as a holiday romance set in London.”
Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Emma Thompson, Michelle Yeoh in a romantic Christmas movie? Yep, give me all of this.
Frozen 2 (November 22)
“Plot unknown. This is the sequel to Walt Disney Pictures’ 53rd full-length animated motion picture, Frozen (2013).”
Knives Out (November 27)
“Plot unknown. Described as a modern murder mystery in a classic whodunit style.”
Another movie with a loaded cast and fun plot.
December
Jumanji 3 (December 13)
“Plot kept under wraps.”
Star Wars: Episode IX (December 20)
“The conclusion of the ‘Star Wars’ sequel trilogy.”
If anything can rival Endgame for fanboy craze, it’s this. It’s no contest for me (Endgame by a mile), but the Endgame vs. Episode IX debate will be a constant of 2019.
Cats (December 20)
“A tribe of cats called the Jellicles must decide yearly which one will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new Jellicle life.”
Super Intelligence (December 25)
“Carol Peters’ life is turned upside down when she is selected for observation by the world’s first superintelligence – a form of artificial intelligence that may or may not take over the world.”
Could be fun?
Little Women (December 25)
“Four sisters come of age in America in the aftermath of the Civil War.”
Let’s run down this all-star movie real quick. Greta Gerwig directing a script she wrote. Meryl Streep, Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Emma Watson, Bob Odenkirk, Chris Cooper. This normally wouldn’t be a movie I would be all that excited about. But you look at those names and you can’t help it.
My Most Anticipated Movies For 2019 (Which will surely change more than a few times)
- Avengers: Endgame
- Spider-Man: Far From Home
- Captain Marvel
- Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
- Us
- Lion King
- John Wick 3: Parabellum
- Aladdin
- Beach Bum
- Toy Story 4
Way Too Early Oscar Watch (based only off movies I listed here, thinking mainly of Best Picture possibilities)
- Us
- Where’d You Go, Bernadette?
- Avengers: Endgame
- Rocketman
- Toy Story 4
- Ford v. Ferrari
- The Lion King
- Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
- Downton Abbey
- The Woman in the Window
- The Goldfinch
- A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
- Midway
- Knives Out
- Little Women
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