Levitt Lin
Winter is over and a lot of great movies have already released, but the year is just getting started. To give you a taste of some of most anticipated films of the year, this list will walk you through what to look forward too. From long awaited sequels to follow ups from promising newcomers and even some questionable remakes. We’ll be covering them all so you don’t have to beat yourself over the head deciding what to watch any given month.
March:
Captain Marvel:
The long teased Captain Marvel is the latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movie looks to be set back in the 1990s, starring Brie Larson as Carol Danvers as the eponymous Captain Marvel. It looks like they’ll be tackling another alien incursion as Earth gets caught up in a war between the shifty Skrull and the apparently noble Kree.
Dumbo:
Another one of Disney’s string of live action adaptations of one of their classic animated properties. This venture at recapturing the magic of the tale of the famous flying elephant falls on directorial talents of Tim Burton. A man know for his macabre, but often fantastical visuals. He is sure to bring an interesting take on this classic.
Us:
Not much has been revealed about this film. But what we do know is that it will be the newest directorial outing by Jordan Peele, the director behind 2017’s Get Out. Us will follow a family on vacation who run into trouble when a group of identical doppelgangers appear suddenly in their driveway.
April:
Shazam:
The trend of big blockbuster superhero films doesn’t just belong to Marvel. Shazam is the newest attempt
from DC to cut further into Marvel slice of the
pie. Shazam follows Billy Batson a street
wise 14 year old who’s granted the ability
to transform into a superhero.
Shazam is looking to be a departure
from DC’s grimmer releases as
trailers have mainly focused on
the shenanigans of a teenager
parading about in a
superheroes body.
Hellboy:
Hellboy is based on series of
graphic novels from Mike
Mignola, which tells the tale of
supernatural superhero tackling
threats based on folklore. This
film will not be follow up to
2008’s Hellboy II: The Golden
Army, instead it will be a reboot
which seems to be retelling the
origin of Hellboy himself.
Avengers: Endgame:
The highly anticipated follow up to Marvel's Infinity War is almost here. After the disastrous finale of the previous Avenger’s it will be quite an uphill battle for the team to pull out a victory against the franchise’s ever present antagonist, Thanos. While the consequences of the previous film have lost some of their sting after the announcement of the new Spiderman film it will be interesting to see the climax that Marvel has been building up for over a decade.
May:
Pokémon Detective Pikachu:
This will be Pokemon’s first big blockbuster movie. Surprisingly it will be a live action/CGI hybrid film with real people interacting with computer generated Pokemon. The movie will follow Tim a young man in search of his missing father with the help of a talking Pikachu, voiced by Ryan Reynolds. The movie seems to be using a darker aesthetic than the games or TV anime, borrowing elements from old detective films. Which is carried by the designs of the Pokemon who look gritty and realistic, which may be a tad worrying but it looks like it will be played with a tongue and cheek attitude which probably means they won’t be taking things very seriously.
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum:
John Wick is back and will now have to face the consequences of breaking a cardinal rule at the end of Chapter 2. The John Wick franchise has made a name for itself with its high octane and well choreographed action sequences,
which showcase Wick’s
brutal and
methodical
assassinations in a
manner that truly exemplifies his
in universe title of Boogeyman. Wick
will have fewer allies than ever in this new
installment and it will likely be quite a thrill ride
watching him overcome the odds in his own unique way.
Aladdin:
Aladdin will be the second live-action interpretation of one of their classic properties coming out this year. Mena Massoud will be playing Aladdin and Will Smith will be playing the Genie.
June
Dark Phoenix:
Dark Phoenix will follow the X-Men as they are forced to fight a friend, Jean Gray. During a mission an accident occurs where Jean is possessed by a cosmic entity, which causes her to become both more powerful and incredibly unstable. Dark Phoenix will not be the first attempt to adapt the story of the Jean and the phoenix, lets just hope for less catastrophic results this time around.
Men in Black International:
Here comes a new entry in the Men in Black f
ranchise, this time starring Chris Hemsworth and
Tessa Thompson (for their roles in Thor: Ragnarok).
No many plot details as of yet, but no doubt the
duo will be working together to prevent major
alien catastrophe as they learn to work together
all while giving management a headache along
the way.
Toy Story 4:
Woody and Buzz have returned to wrap up some loose ends, when Woody gets separated from the others only to run into his old flame Bo Peep. Pixar has made it a habit recently of making sequels to their classic. Finding Dory and Incredibles 2 didn’t quite capture the magic of the originals, which sadly is often the case for sequels let alone unplanned sequels. Toy Story has proven itself an
exception to the rule so far, but Toy
Story 3 will be a tough act to follow
when it fairly wrapped up the story of
Woody and the gang.