Goodbye to the movies of 2023; you gave us superhero blockbusters, sequels, remakes, biopics, videogame adaptations, a smattering of auteur-driven masterpieces, some swing-and-a-miss epics, and a number of left-field surprises. Hello to the movies of 2024 — a collection of superhero blockbusters, sequels, remakes, biopics, videogame and Broadway musical adaptations, and Lady Gaga kicking ass as a supervillian clown.
We kid, because we love. Looking at the calendar of upcoming theatrical releases and streaming features over the next 12 months or so, we’re actually excited by a lot of what’s heading our way. Who wouldn’t want to check out George Miller’s follow-up to Fury Road? Or watch Ex Machina‘s Alex Garland imagine what the actual civil breakdown of our country would be like, assuming it’s not just a preview of what awaits us after November? Or hear Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo sing “Defying Gravity?” Or see Bob Marley’s legendary four-night run at London’s Rainbow Theatre get the same lavish recreation treatment as Queen’s Live-Aid performance in Bohemian Rhapsody? There’s plenty for film fanatics to look forward to catching over the next year. Here are the 50 movies we can’t wait to see in 2024. (Dates are subject to change.)
‘The Book of Clarence’ (January 12)
Director Jeymes Samuel aims to do for the biblical epic what he did for Westerns with 2021’s The Harder They Fall, giving us the tale of Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield), a part-time gladiator who witnesses Jesus preaching peace and performing miracles. He decides to fashion himself as a messiah as well, which puts him in hot water when a Roman officer (James McAvoy) begins cracking down on possible threats to the Empire. The supporting cast here is stacked: David Oyelowo, Teyana Taylor, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alfre Woodard, Lupin‘s Omar Sy, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and RJ Cyler.
‘Mean Girls’ (January 12)
Because why should Mean Girls just be that comedy from 2004 when, 20 years later, there’s also a Broadway musical version of it to bring to the big screen! Tina Fey wrote the script for this song-and-dance update of the story of Cady Heron (Angourie Rice), who falls in with Regina George (Renée Rapp) and her gang of “Plastics, then wreaks havoc when her Burn Book goes viral on social media. Fey, Jon Hamm, Jenna Fischer, Ashley Park, Busy Phillips and M.G. O.G. Tim Meadows lend their talents to the party. If “fetch” is ever going to truly happen, it’s now.
‘The Kitchen’ (January 19)
Daniel Kaluuya co-directed (with Kibwe Tavares) this dystopian social thriller about a government-condemned London housing estate known as “the Kitchen.” A longtime resident (Kane Robinson) is close to leaving what has become a warzone between displaced residents and fascist riot police for so-called greener pastures, until an orphaned teen (Jedaiah Bannerman) gives him a reason to stay and fight.
‘Argylle’ (February 2)
A writer named Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) has been churning out bestselling novels about a superspy named Agent Argylle (Henry Cavill) who makes James Bond seem like an amateur. It turns out her latest book happens to mirror a real-life espionage situation a little too closely, however, which puts this woman of letters in the crosshairs of various intelligence agencies. Kingsman series director Matthew Vaughn fills this action comedy with an A-list who’s who: Dua Lipa, Samuel L. Jackson, Bryan Cranston, Sam Rockwell, Catherine O’Hara, John Cena, Ariana DeBose. The tagline is “once you know the secret, don’t let the cat out of the bag,” which means there’s apparently a big reveal here — something that a certain contingent of superfans have some very intense thoughts about.
‘The Promised Land’ (February 2)
The year is 1755. The place is a rural moorland in Danish countryside. The man is Mads Mikkelsen, playing a former military officer who decides to buy a piece of property and establish a settlement that will grant him a lordly title from the crown. The obstacles in his way: a rough terrain initially unfriendly to farming, a lack of abundant hired help to enlist in his cause, and most significantly, a sadistic nobleman (Simon Bennebjerg) who wants ownership of the land for himself and is prepared to do everything to crush his new neighbor’s spirit. Director Nikolaj Arcel (Riders of Justice) doesn’t just give you a movie that feels like it was made 30 years ago, when multiplexes were filled with violent, bloody historical epics. He also gives you a star vehicle that reminds you: Do not ever fuck with Mads Mikkelsen.
‘Lisa Frankenstein’ (February 9)
A good man is hard to find — which is why late 1980s Goth chick Lisa Swallows (Kathyrn Newton) has decided to just make one, courtesy of a corpse (Cole Sprouse) she’s just dug up from her local graveyard hangout and a few spare parts she’s stashed away. True love may mean never having to say you’re sorry, but it unfortunately does mean you have to occasionally murder folks to keep your reanimated soul mate alive and intact. Screenwriter Diablo Cody (Juno, Young Adult, Jennifer’s Body) penned the script, so there may be some snark involved.
‘Bob Marley: One Love’ (February 14)
Seriously, how has it taken this long to give Bob Marley his own biopic?! Kingsley Ben-Adir plays the Jamaican singer who became a global ambassador for reggae music, pissed off the powers that be with his rebel songs, survived an assassination attempt, helped to unite the political factions of his country, passed away at the age of 36 and is one of maybe five human beings who can rightfully be called “icons.” The great Lashana Lynch plays Rita Marley, his wife and confidant. Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard) directs.
‘Madame Web’ (February 14)
Sony adds another notch on its Spiderverse belt with this story of a paramedic (Dakota Johnson) who suddenly discovers she has clairvoyant powers. She also herself connected to three young women (Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O’Connor and Isabela Merced), as well as a mysterious villain (Tahar Rahim) who looks a lot like your friendly neighborhood’s Spider-Man’s evil twin.
‘Drive-Away Dolls’ (February 23)
Ethan Coen goes solo with this, well, very Coen-esque comedy about two friends (Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan) on a road trip who accidentally take off with some stolen loot. Naturally, some criminals would like it back. The cast is stacked: Pedro Pascal, Matt Damon, Beanie Feldstein, Colman Domingo.
‘Dune: Part Two’ (March 1)
Because he who controls the two-part I.P. saga controls the world! Denis Villeneuve finishes what he started with this second chapter of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi epic, in which Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet save the universe, and a hairless, feral-looking Austin Butler (as the evil Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen) freaks everybody out. A bunch of familiar faces, including Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgard and Charlotte Rampling, are back for a second round. Also joining the Dune-iverse: Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, and Léa Seydoux.
‘Love Lies Bleeding’ (March 8)
British filmmaker Rose Glass follows up her brilliant 2019 debut Saint Maud with this torrid tale of love, sex and crime, possibly in that order. Lou (Kristen Stewart) runs a gym in New Mexico and falls hard for Jackie (Katy O’Brian), a bodybuilder hoping to make it big on the competitive circuit in Las Vegas. Their romance is threatened by the fact that Lou’s dad (a terrifying looking Ed Harris) has connections to the underworld, which ends up dragging these two lovebirds into some dangerous situations. We get the sense that the “bleeding” part of the title is well-earned.
‘Road House’ (March 21)
Look, if we must have a remake of the 1980s cinema du Patrick Swayze shit-kicking classic about a bouncer taking on a small town bigwig one ripped-out-throat at a time, we may as well have a ripped-to-shreds Jake Gyllenhaal playing this generation’s pain-don’t-hurt hero. He’s Elwood Dalton — perhaps he’s related to Swayze’s James Dalton? — who transitions from UFC fighter to “cooler” in the Florida Keys. Director Doug Liman is around the make sure this Dalton follows three simple rules….
‘The American Society of Magical Negroes’ (March 22)
Let’s assume you’re aware of the regrettably popular film trope revolving around a Black character whose sole purpose in a film is to teach white people valuable life lessons. Actor-turned-writer-director Kobi Libii takes that notion one step further by imagining an actual secret society of Black people who magically help make white people feel more comfortable — and are thus less volatile — in real life. When a young man (Justice Smith) with a gift for such niceties is recruited to join by an older member (David Alan Grier), he’s assigned to a uptight tech bro (The Other Two‘s Drew Carver). Complications ensure when he falls in love with a coworker (An-Li Bogan) who his client also likes. Uh-oh.
‘Shirley’ (March 22)
Oscar-winning writer-director John Ridley brings us the story of Shirley Chisholm, the Brooklyn-born firebrand who became the first Black woman elected to Congress and ran for President in 1972. Regina King plays the great American hero; Terence Howard, Luca Hedges, André Holland, Thomas Mitchell Stokes and — in one of his final screen appearances — Lance Reddick round out the biopic’s ensemble.
‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ (March 29)
When some supernatural forces unleash something known as the “Death Chill,” which scares people to death and threatens to unleash a new ice age in New York City, well — who ya gonna call? Jason Reitman’s sequel to his 2021 reboot/requel Ghostbusters: Afterlife brings back the film’s next-gen paranormal investigators (Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace) and some franchise OG’s (Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts) for another round of busting ghosts. Patton Oswalt and Kumail Nanjiani drop by as well.
‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ (March 29)
One’s a big ol’ lizard who occasionally rises out of the sea and breathes fire, the other is a huge ape chillin’ on Skull Island. Normally, these two “Titans” hate each other with a passion, but when a new threat arises and threatens to destroy the planet, Godzilla and Kong team up and get ready to issue a two-monster beatdown. Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard returns to keep this corporate I.P. saga going; Dan Stevens, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Rebecca House and Kaylee Hottle are the token human characters. Also, if you’ve been anxiously awaiting for the son of Kong to show up — and who hasn’t been? — it’s your lucky day.
‘Housekeeping for Beginners’ (April 5)
A left-field hit on the festival circuit and Macedonia’s submission for the Best International Film Oscar, writer-director Goran Stolevski’s drama centers on a healthcare worker (played by 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days‘ Anamaria Marinca) who shares a house with her girlfriend (Alina Serban) and her two daughters, as well as an old friend (Vladimir Tintor) and his young new boyfriend (Samson Selim). Then this den mother suddenly finds herself forced to become an actual mother when her partner falls terminally ill and she’s asked to adopt the girls. Let’s just say this decision does not sit well with everybody — least of all the homophobic authorities looking into this impromptu family situation.
‘Challengers’ (April 26)
Tashi Duncan (Zendaya) is the next big teen tennis phenom; she’s also one corner of a love triangle between two male players (Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor) that only gets more complicated as the trio get older, people get married, and injuries sideline once-promising careers. It’s been a while since we’ve had a good tennis drama, and Luca Guadagnino’s sports movie promises what looks like a several steamy threesomes and a whole new meaning to the term “ground stroke.”
‘Civil War’ (April 26)
Filmmaker Alex Garland specializes in science fiction (Ex Machina, Annihilation) and allegorical nightmare scenarios (Men) — but we’re not quite sure which category his latest film falls into, given its premise: After 19 states secede from the union, America breaks out into a modern-day civil war. The President (Nick Offerman) seems to be stoking the flames of dissent, the two camps seem to be on very different side of the ideological defense, and a photographer (Kirsten Dunst) finds herself caught in warzones that used to be major U.S. cities. It sounds like speculative fiction. We fear it will soon look more like a documentary.
‘The Fall Guy’ (May 3)
Remember that TV show from the 1980s, the one where Lee Majors was a Hollywood stuntman who had an ongoing side hustle as a bounty hunter? This action comedy from David Leitch (John Wick, Atomic Blonde) is a big-screen take on the series, with Ryan Gosling taking on the role of Colt Seavers, the “fall guy” investigating the disappearance of movie star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). It turns out that the A-lister was involved with some shady characters, so there’s some car chases and shootouts and bar fights and such in Seavers’ future. Emily Blunt is the director who Gosling has goo-goo eyes for; Winston Duke, Stephanie Hsu, Hannah Waddingham, and Teresa Palmer round out the cast.
‘Back to Black’ (May 10)
Industry‘s Marisa Abela takes on the role of Amy Winehouse for this look at the up and downs that led to the London-born singer recording her landmark 2006 album Back to Black and becoming one of the world’s most famous musicians almost overnight. Eddie Marsan plays her dad, Mitch Winehouse; Jack O’Connell is Blake Civil-Fielder, her husband; The Crown‘s Lesley Manville is her grandmother, Cynthia Winehouse; and Jeff Tunke is producer Mark Ronson. This is the one music biopic we’ve been looking forward to for a long time.
‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ (May 10)
We’re starting to think that this new Planet of the Apes series is determined to outdo the original’s run — this sequel to 2017’s War of the Planet of the Apes is number four in the franchise-reboot version, which means they’re only two away now from beating the five-movie run that began back in 1968. Some three centuries after the era of Andy Serkis’ alpha simian Caesar, a new head-ape-in-town (Kevin Durand) bearing his name has begun to search for weapons and tech that will give him the edge as a clan leader. Only Noa (Owen Teague), a chimp, and Mae (Freya Allen), a human, can keep him from becoming a full-on ape dictator.
‘IF’ (May 17)
No, it’s not the origin story of the English-language conjunction, nor is it a redo of Lindsay Anderson’s 1968 boarding-school drama — it’s short for “Imaginary Friend,” as in those buddies you dreamed up to keep you from being lonely when you were youngsters. Director John Krasinski’s kid-friendly fantasy suggests that these pals don’t go away once their underage creators no longer need them around; they’re just hanging around, invisible to the naked eye. Only it turns out that both an adult (Ryan Reynolds) and a girl (Cailey Fleming) can actually see them, which… presents more than a few problems for this duo. Krasinski apparently called in some favors in terms of casting voice actors for these IFs: his old Office mate Steve Carell, Phoebe Waller-Bridges, Maya Rudolph, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Meloni, and Awkwafina all lend their golden pipes to this endeavor. Not to mention Matt Damon and Emily Blunt are in this as well.
‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ (May 24)
She was the one-armed savior who helped Mad Max survive Fury Road — now find out how Imperator Furiosa became the badass rebel of George Miller’s post-apocalyptic franchise. Finally, an origin story prequel we can get behind! Anya Taylor-Joy steps into the battered boots once filled by Charlize Theron. Chris Hemsworth and Tom Burke costar. Expect lots of old-school stunts.
‘Ballerina’ (June 7)
Attention, fellow die-hard John Wick fans (we guess you’d call us Wickheads?): The storyline of this franchise spin-off, about a dancer-assassin named Rooney (Ana de Armas) seeking vengeance for the murder of her family, takes places between the third and fourth Wick movies, which means that Keanu Reeves will be showing up as everyone’s favorite killer on the run. Ditto series regulars Ian MacShane, Angelica Huston and (RIP) Lance Reddick. Expect well-choreographed mayhem.
‘Hit Man’ (June 7)
If you’re like us, you probably first clocked Glenn Powell when Richard Linklater cast him in his 2016 comedy Everybody Wants Some!! Thankfully, the handsome actor who everybody now wants to work with has reunited with Linklater for this story, loosely based on a Texas Monthly article, about a tech nerd who helps the police record undercover sting operations. When a colleague who’s supposed to impersonate a professional killer can’t play the part, he’s forced to step in — and immediately falls for the client, a woman (Adria Arjona) fleeing an abusive relationship. Guess who keeps pretending he’s a hit man even after the operation is over?
‘Bad Boys 4’ (June 14)
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reunite one more (one last?) time as Detectives Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett, the loose cannons of Miami’s police department. No word on the what these two cops are up to in this new one, though we’re going to go out on a limb and say there will be jokes, shoot-outs, car chases, sleazy bad guys (not to be confused with the “bad boys” of the title), the precinct higher-ups saying that their getting heat from City Hall because of this pair’s shenanigans, more than a few movie star poses, a Miami-based montage featuring a flamingo, and at least one needle-drop of the Inner Circle song. We’d say that this is likely to be a hit, but we have to be careful how we use that last word around one of these performers. Bad Boys For Life‘s directing team Adil & Bilall are back for this one as well.
‘Inside Out 2’ (June 14)
When we last saw Riley, the 11-year-old at the center of Pixar’s all-the-feels masterpiece, she was dealing with the fallout of moving to a new city and starting over — something that put her emotions, led by Joy (Amy Poehler), into a free fall. Fast-forward to many years later: She’s now a young woman, which means she’s dealing with a host of new emotions setting up shop in her mind, including Anxiety (Maya Hawke). Suddenly, the old gang has to deal with a lot of new roommates up in that noggin of hers. Poehler, Phyllis Smith and Lewis Black return as Joy, Sadness and Anger, respectively; Hawke, Tony Hale and Liza Lapira join the party as Anxiety, Fear and Disgust.
‘The Bikeriders’ (June 21)
Word on the street is that writer-director Jeff Nichols’s tale of a Chicago motorcycle gang in the late 1960s is something like “the Godfather of biker movies,” which is a.) huge if true, and b.) you have our complete and undivided attention. Inspired by photographer Danny Lyons’ book on a real-life club — the shutterbug himself is a character, played by West Side Story‘s Mike Faist — this drama centers on both the gang’s capo (Tom Hardy, how we’ve missed you!) as he struggles and schemes to keep their enemies at bay, and the relationship between a younger biker (Austin Butler) and his old lady (Jodie Comer). Nichols’ longtime muse Michael Shannon, along with Norman Reedus, Boyd Holbrook, Damon Herriman, Emory Cohen and Toby Walllace, suit up to hit the road as well.
‘Horizon: Chapter 1’ (June 28)
Fresh off his five-season run on Yellowstone, Kevin Costner once again steps behind the camera for this two-part Western — a project the director-star has had in his back pocket since the late 1980s. Subtitled “An American Saga,” it’s set around Costner’s grizzled frontier man helping to tame the wild, wild West after the Civil War and the expansion of territories reshape the country. That’s all the info we currently have, but come on: It’s the Dances With Wolves guy directing another epic horse opera! You know what to expect. Sienna Miller, Avatar‘s Sam Worthington, Luke Wilson, Jena Malone, Giovanni Ribisi, Glynn Turman, Will Patton, Dale Dickey and a host of others costar. The first chapter drops on June 28; Part 2 hits theaters on August 16th.
‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ (June 28)
Let’s go back to ground zero of that alien invasion and see how it all began, shall we? The prequel to John Krasinski’s surprisingly durable postapocalyptic-thriller series teases out the immediate aftermath of those creepy-crawly space bugs taking over our planet, resulting in what we assume will be confusion, panic and a decent amount of carnage. We don’t know much about this latest entry other than the fact that Lupita Nyong’o and Alex Wolff are onboard; Djimon Hounsou will likely be reprising his character from Part II; and Michael Sarnoski, who did the amazing 2021 Nicolas Cage thriller Pig, is the director this time around.
‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.’ (July 3)
Given how Eddie Murphy had revisited his Coming to America role a few years back, it was probably on only a matter of time before he circled back to what’s arguably still his best-known character. Detroit’s finest streetwise detective Axel Foley returns to that ritziest of L.A. neighborhoods, investigating the death of an old friend. Once he’s back in the city of angels, he finds that corruption is running more rampant than ever within the local police ranks. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, and Kevin Bacon join what seems to be a host of familiar franchise faces for another fish-outta-water adventure. Cue that synthesizer riff!
‘Twisters’ (July 9)
Yes, it is indeed the belated sequel to the 1996 disaster movie, with a whole other group of tornado chaser doing what they do best. Glenn Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos, Maura Tierney, Kieran Shipka, Sasha Lane, TV on the Radio singer Tunde Adebimpe and Katy M. O’Brian are in the cast; the fact that Minari‘s Lee Isaac Chung is directing makes us think that this won’t be just another whirlwind CGI-sound-and-fury fest.
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ (July 26)
The big news is that this third Deadpool movie will integrate Ryan Reynolds’ Merc With the Mouth into the Marvel Cinematic Universe — as well as Wolverine, with Hugh Jackman returning to play the admantium-clawed mutant one more time. It’s the MCU/X-Men universe crossover fans have been waiting for! Huzzah! Also, Jennifer Garner will apparently be reprising her role as Elektra, which she played in that whole separate Daredevil franchise all those years ago. Is there a story? Who cares! All these superheroes! Now under one corporate roof!
‘Janet Planet’ (2024)
Already a contender for one of the best movies of 2024 — the reception on the festival circuit last year was near-rapturous, and deservedly so — playwright Annie Baker’s directorial debut follows an 11-year-old girl named Lacy (Zoe Ziegler) during the long, hot summer of 1991, who decides to forego the hell of sleepaway camp for hanging around the house with her hippiesh mother, Janet (Julianne Nicholson). She watches as Mom’s lovers come and go, taking in the confusing, complicated adult world as best as she can. Like Baker’s award-winning stage plays, there’s a lot of space and silence, as well as a keen understanding of human relationships and how messy they can get. It’s a truly stunning piece of work.
‘Borderlands’ (August 9)
The popular videogame about a group of misfits on the planet Pandora (no relation to any other Pandoras that might pop into your head) searching for a missing girl gets its own big-screen adaptation. The pedigree is strong: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Jamie Lee Curtis are part of this outlaw band of brothers; and The Last of Us‘s Craig Mazin cowrote the script with director Eli Roth.
‘Alien: Romulus’ (August 16)
There isn’t much known about director Fede Alavarez’s addition to the Alien canon — frankly, we’re happy it has a title, given that it was being referred to simply as Fede Alavarez’s Untitled Alien Movie for months. But according to cast member Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla), this new film takes place between the events of the first film and James Cameron’s action-packed 1986 sequel Aliens, and that the latter’s creature-design team were responsible for developing the look and feel of this movie’s Xenomorphs. Hell, yes!
‘Kraven the Hunter’ (August 30)
Each Spider-Man fan has their own personal favorite archvillain in the Webhead’s universe, and we’ve always been partial to Kraven, one of the original bad guys in Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s early run. Now, we finally get a screen version of the big-game hunter, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson donning the character’s dope animal-print outfit and getting his own solo outing before his inevitable meet-up with Spidey. Ariana DeBose, Russell Crowe, Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott and The White Lotus’ Fred Heichinger have supporting roles. The good news: there’s no way in hell that this can be worse than Morbius.
‘The Piano Lesson’ (2024)
Denzel Washington continues to help bring all 10 plays of August Wilson’s “Pittsburgh Cycle” to the big screen with this latest adaptation of the writer’s work, in which two siblings (John David Washington and Danielle Deadwyler) battle over whether to sell or keep their family’s precious heirloom of a piano. The older Washington is on board as a producer; the younger Washington reprises his role from the recent Broadway revival, as does Samuel L. Jackson as the brother and sister’s uncle; and Malcolm Washington, i.e. David’s brother, directs. Ray Fisher, Corey Hawkins, Stephan James and Erika Badu costar.
‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ (September 6)
Michael Keaton and director Tim Burton reunite for this belated sequel to the duo’s 1988 classic, in which the ghost with the most returns to haunt the Deetzs — Catherine O’Hara and Winona Ryder are back, too! — and cause havoc for a next-gen Burton MVP Jenna “Wednesday” Ortega. Just say his name three times (or in this case, repeat his name twice in lieu of adding a “2” on to the Beetle-end of this next Beetle-chapter…).
‘Wolfs’ (September 20)
Brad Pitt and George Clooney are two professional “fixers” who find that they’ve both been hired to do the same job, leading many moviegoers to wonder: Are we still living in the 1990s? Thank god these two stars remain dedicated to still making these kinds of movies. And as much as we do love writer-director Jon Watts’ recent Spider-Man trilogy, we’re pretty sure a filmmaker can’t keep creatively sustaining themselves on superhero blockbusters alone. Plus the always remarkable Amy Ryan is in this too. We’re honestly psyched about this.
‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ (October 4)
Yes, director Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix return for another round of D.C. I.P.-tweaking featuring God’s lonely clown — but what has us jazzed is Lady Gaga (!) joining these gents to play the Joker’s girlfriend, fellow sociopath and literal partner in crime, Harley Quinn (!!!). Rejoice, Batfans and Little Monsters. You now have at least on thing in common.
‘Maxxxine’ (2024)
Filmmaker Ti West and Mia Goth complete the horror trilogy they began with X and Pearl, as the lone survivor of the inaugural 1970s-slasher entry becomes a porn superstar in the 1980s. Something tells us, however, that her experiences with deranged killers aren’t quite done yet.
‘Venom 3’ (November 8)
Tom Hardy’s Spidey antihero returns for round 3, with what we hope is more of the wonderful growling banter between hapless man and malicious symbiote that characterized the first two movies. Juno Temple and Chiwetel Ejiofor are also playing unspecified roles as well.
‘Alto Knights’ (November 15)
Taking a momentary break from railing against the threat of fascism that currently looms on our political horizon, Robert De Niro stars in Barry Levinson’s Mob drama about Mafia bosses Vito Genovese and Frank Costello vying for the top spot in the nationwide criminal syndicate. The catch is: De Niro is playing both roles. The cast includes Katherine Narducci, Debra Messing and Cosmo Jarvis.
‘Gladiator 2’ (November 22)
Paul Mescal straps on the leather tunic and sandals for Ridley Scott’s long-in-the-works sequel to his 2000 Oscar-winner, playing the now-grown Lucius Verus. (You remember the kid from the first movie, right? The nephew of Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus? Who Russell Crowe’s warrior saves?) Connie Nielsen is his mom, Lucilla. Plus Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal are in this, swinging swords and taking names as well. And should you want some lovely sense of genre continuity: No less than the star of I, Claudius himself, Sir Derek Jacobi, portrays a Roman senator. Are we not be entertained?! Chances are the answer will be a resounding yes.
‘Wicked’ (November 27)
Broadway’s record-breaking, Wizard-of-Oz-revising musical comes to the big screen, with Cynthia Erivo as the woman destined be the Wicked Witch of the West, Ariana Grande as the future Glinda the Good and Jeff Goldblum as the man behind the curtain; Bowen Yang, Michelle Yeoh and Jonathan Bailey follow them down the yellow brick road. (And yes, it’s still being broken up into two separate films: Part 2 drops in late 2025.) Start revving up your broomsticks!
‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ (December 20)
No less than Barry Jenkins is calling the shots on this prequel to 2019’s remake of The Lion King, which puts the focus on Simba’s dad and how he become the true king of the jungle. The Moonlight filmmaker has namechecked Hamlet when talking about the movie; he’s also promised laughs, tears and some wonderful music numbers. Hakuna matata indeed.
‘Nosferatu’ (December 25)
Before he was a well-respected director of horror movies like The Witch and The Lighthouse, Robert Eggers directed a stage production of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent about a vampire wreaking havoc in London. (Any similarities between this German film and another famous story about a bloodsucker in Old Blighty was not coincidental.) Now Eggers comes full circle with his own screen remake of the landmark film, with Bill Skarsgard as the plasma-craving Count Orlok and Lily-Rose Depp as the object of his “affection” Ellen Hutter. Nicolas Hoult, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Simon McBurney costar.
‘Mickey 17’ (2024)
South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning behemoth Parasite stars Robert Pattinson as an astronaut sent to colonize an icy, far-away planet. The mortality rate is high, so our deep-space explorer keeps getting “copied”; his memories remain intact, however, which causes a good old-fashioned existential crisis. Send in the clones!
