One thing I like to do each December is look ahead at what movies are set to be released the following year. There are obviously far too many to be able to go over each one. I picked out a few that either: A) I’m particularly excited/anxious about B) I think could be better-than-expected or C) Is a movie that has simply piqued my curiosity.
Den of Thieves (January 19)
Starring Gerard Butler, Curtis Jackson (perhaps better known as 50 Cent), and O’Shea Jackson, Jr. (of Straight Outta Compton fame), Den of Thieves is a Los Angeles crime drama about an elite unite of the LA County Sheriff’s Department and one the state’s most successful bank robbery crews planning a seemingly-impossible job of robbing the Federal Reserve Bank. The trailer makes it look promising and with the cast it has, I’m hoping for big things from this one. And on top of it all, if the trailer is any indication, it will also have a killer soundtrack.
Maze Runner: The Death Cure (January 26)
I’m cautiously excited for this movie, the final installment in the Maze Runner trilogy, based on the popular young adult book trilogy. The first Maze Runner was very solid, nothing great, but it was perfectly fine for a book adaptation. The second in the series, Scorch Trials, was extremely disappointing. Even more so when you consider it was the best book in the series. I’m hoping they can get back on track and finish on a strong note. If nothing else, at least they’re not falling into the over-used method of splitting a short final book into two movies when there is clearly not enough material.
Black Panther (February 16)
One of the movies I’m most looking forward to. Black Panther was my favorite part of Captain America: Civil War and I cannot wait to see what we get with a stand-alone Black Panther movie. I’m not a big comics guy, so he is a character I don’t know too much about. Everything I’ve seen or learned so far makes him out to be potentially one of Marvel’s most interesting heroes. And Wakanda could and should provide some breathtaking visuals. Black Panther should make for a fantastic lead-in for the highly-anticipated Avengers: Infinity War.
You Were Never Really Here (April 6)
I’ll be honest on this one. I had never even heard of this movie until I started looking at which movies to include for this post. But the plot intrigued me and it has so far gotten mostly outstanding reviews so it seemed only right to include it. Joaquin Phoenix plays a hitman? enforcer? (it’s not exactly) some kind of bad-ass tasked with locating missing/kidnapped girl. The trailer depicts a dark and grisly tale that will be intense from start to finish. This has quickly jumped up on my list of most anticipated movies for 2018.
The New Mutants (April 13)
Expected to be a darker entry in the X-Men series, New Mutants focuses on five mutants just discovering their powers, being held in a secret facility. The trailer doesn’t give away much in the way of plot, but hey, it’s got Arya Stark, so I’m all in.
Super Troopers 2 (April 20)
Comedy sequels are hard to trust, but if there’s anyone to have faith in, it’s these guys. The first was so good and the cast is so funny, I’m hopeful for another hit.
Avengers: Infinity War (May 4)
This is it, this is the big one. Everything Marvel has been working towards. First teased in a post-credits scene in the first Avengers movie, we finally get a full-on Thanos movie. It’s going to be a star-studded movie, with every hero we’ve seen up until now making an appearance. It will be the toughest test yet for the Marvel heroes yet, and there is lots of speculation that at least one won’t make it out alive. Not that I’m rooting for any character to die, but with a movie with these kinds of stakes, it’s only reasonable that at least one of the good guys would die. And if the Russo brothers do go that route, let’s hope it’s a permanent demise. Resurrecting dead characters is an over-used trope in superhero movies. This is one I’ll be marking down to see opening weekend.
Deadpool 2 (June 1)
Ryan Reynolds returns as the title character in the sequel to the wildly popular 2016 movie. Not much is known about the plot of the movie yet, so we will just have to wait with bated breath for more details to come out. But with Reynolds’ commitment to the role and the character, I’m expecting another smash hit.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (June 22)
Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are back as Owen Grady and Claire Dearing, respectively. They will be tasked with leading a rescue mission as the island’s suddenly-active volcano threatens the existence of the dinosaurs. Seems to be clearly setting up the third movie with the rescued dinos causing havoc on the mainland somewhere (note that this is just speculation; nothing has been confirmed for the third movie as far as I know). But if nothing else, it should still be a fun movie, especially with the news that Kingdom is reported to have an amazing opening scene along with the biggest action scene in the franchise’s history.
Ant-Man and the Wasp (July 6)
Sequel to the surprise hit, Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly star as the title characters. This will be the first MCU movie after Infinity War and I think it’s a smart choice. The first Ant-Man was more of a straight comedy and I would expect the sequel to follow suit. It will be a lighter movie for audiences to digest after what is expected to be a heavy movie in Infinity War. There may be some unfair pressure as the immediate follow up but I like Marvel going with a soft landing for this release spot.
Mission: Impossible 6 (July 27)
The newest entry in the Tom Cruise series. We kind of know what to expect with these movies and there’s no reason to think we’ll be getting anything different with the next one. But that’s not a knock. They’ve been fun, entertaining films. We’ll have to wait for the first footage but the safe assumption would be more of the same.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix (November 2)
Based on the popular Dark Phoenix comic saga, Jean Gray (Sophie Turner) begins to fully realize the true potential of her powers. If done right, this could be the best in ever-growing universe of X-Men movies.
Holmes and Watson (November 9)
A comedic take on the classic character, with Will Ferrell starring as Holmes and John C. Reilly as John Watson. No plot details have been released yet but that almost seems irrelevant. Everyone is familiar with these characters and Ferrell and Reilly are top-tier comedic actors. Which means we pretty much know what to expect and in this case, that’s a great thing.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindewald (November 16)
After Infinity War and Black Panther, this is my personal next most anticipated movie. I’m a HUGE Harry Potter guy so any chance at more Potter universe material is great for me. I loved the first movie and with the darker direction the series seems to be taking, I think big things are to come. The films are inevitably working towards the famed duel between Dumbledore and Grindewald and I’m more than excited to see the first steps.
Aquaman (December 21)
While no footage has been publicly released (there was a teaser shown at Comic-Con in July) viewers got their first look at Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry in Justice League. He was a bright spot in the movie so the hope is that will carry over into the solo effort. Curry must deal with the brewing potential threat between the land-dwellers who continuously pollute the oceans, and the native Atlanteans, who are growing restless and are wanting to plan an invasion of the surface.
Brief notes on other films to keep in mind or ones with little to information available at this time.
Game Night (February 23)
A group of friends meet regularly for game night. But one night, something goes terribly wrong and they end up being involved in an actual, real life murder mystery. The trailer is only okay, but look at the cast: Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Kyle Chandler, Lamorne Morris, Jeffrey Wright, Jesse Plemons, Michael C. Hall, Chelsea Peretti. With a collection of actors like that, this movie will definitely be worth a shot.
A Quiet Place (April 6)
Just watch the trailer. I’m usually not into horror movies, but it has an interesting plot and I like seeing how actors adapt and perform when they don’t have something so normal as speech to rely on.
Ocean’s 8 (June 8)
An all-female spin on the popular Clooney Ocean’s series. I’m skeptical of this right now. But it has a very talented cast, led my Sandra Bullock, so the potential is definitely there. Hopefully this movie will try to go its own way and not try to follow too closely in the steps of its predecessors.
Skyscraper (July 13)
Dwayne Johnson stars in a movie called Skyscraper. It doesn’t take too much brainpower to make a good guess as to its plot. Which means we should be getting something similar to the recent Fast and Furious films. Which means some good, dumb fun and over-the-top action.
Three Seconds (August 17)
From IMDB, “An ex-convict working undercover intentionally gets himself incarcerated again in order to infiltrate the mob at a maximum security prison.” I’m a sucker for this kind of movie so I’m sure it’s one I’ll be seeing. Not much more is known about it yet, so I’ll be sure to stay up to date with trailers and reports, see what the hype is like.
Robin Hood (September 21)
Starring Taron Egerton, I’m hoping it’s similar in style to his Kingsman films. The fun, stylized action made great entertainment and between both movies there were a few outstanding action sequences. The tone and style seem to fit Egerton’s abilities. Following that same general formula could help produce a hit.
Venom (October 5)
Comic fans have long been clamoring for a Venom film (and no, I’m not counting the train wreck that was Spider-Man 3) and it’s finally coming. There’s no trailer yet and very little (nothing?) is known about the plot, but expect the hype train to come on fast and strong for this one.
First Man (October 12)
The title refers to the first man to walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong. The film will focus on Armstrong’s life in the years 1961-1969.
The Grinch (November 9)
I’m hesitant on remakes of classics like this, but it stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the Grinch so it’s at least off to a good start.
Widows (November 16)
Four criminals are killed during a heist job. Their wives decide to take it upon themselves to finish the job. On the surface it sounds like a fun twist on what could have otherwise been a by-the-book heist movie. I’ll be looking forward to the first footage being released.
