15 Most anticipated movies fans can’t wait to see in 2024

While most of Hollywood was involved in strikes by the Writers Guild of America and the American actors’ union SAG-AFTRA for the better half of the year, the world of cinema was not at a complete standstill. All things considered, 2023 was still a relatively good year for movies (no, I didn’t forget the flops): we had a satisfying end to the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy; the billion-dollar grossing hit The Super Mario Bros. Movie based on the iconic video game; and the pop culture canon event of the year, Barbenheimer (the former also raking in $1 billion no less!).

For cinephiles, 2024 is looking very exciting and with four months left to the year, there are still several thrilling movies to look forward to, from Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of Wicked featuring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo to a Lion King live-action prequel.

Ahead, here are our picks for the biggest movies coming to the cinemas in 2024.

 

JANUARY

Mean Girls

Get in, loser, we’re going to have another Mean Girls movie—and it’s a musical! Yes, we didn’t forget the atrocity that was Mean Girls 2, but we have much higher hopes for this upcoming Mean Girls as screenwriter Tina Fey has returned to pen and co-star in her iconic pop culture artefact. From the trailer, it looks like it has everything we love about the original Mean Girls film, but with an updated Gen-Z sensibility that makes the movie trendy and relevant even after 20 years.  

Release date: 12 January 2024

 

FEBRUARY 

Argylle 

Dua Lipa and John Cena star alongside Henry Cavill in this campy espionage film. That’s usually enough to get anyone hooked to tuning in but in case that hasn’t converted you yet, we should also mention there’s an adorable cat in a backpack. 

Directed by Matthew Vaughn, Argylle follows a shy author (played by Bryce Dallas Howard) who finds herself at the centre of an actual criminal conspiracy when her spy novels mysteriously start to predict real live events. If Vaughn’s success in directing the Kingsman franchise and action films such as X-Men: Days of Future Past and Kick-Ass are anything to go by, we’re expecting Argylle to capture that same charm. 

Release date: 2 February 2024

 

MARCH

Dune: Part 2

Arguably at the top of everyone’s list is the sequel of Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic, Dune. It proved to be a remarkably successful adaption of Frank Herbert’s iconic book series, earning critical acclaim for its visual effects, scriptwriting and magnetic performances. While the strikes did delay the release of the sequel from 2023 to 2024, the anticipation for the Timothée Chalamet-led film only grew stronger. 

The sequel has a lot going for it already: we’ll be seeing much more of Zendaya’s character as well as new additions such as Florence Pugh and Austin Butler. Not to mention, a deeper exploration into the world of Arrakis as Paul Atreides learns to tame the sandworms and fight against revolutionaries aiming to take over the spice-rich planet. 

Release date: 1 March 2024

 

Kung Fu Panda 4 

Jack Black returns in almost a decade to reprise his role as Po, the world’s unlikeliest kung fu master, in a hilarious new butt-kicking chapter of the beloved action-comedy franchise. We’ve seen Po defeat the most powerful of villains as the Dragon Warrior and in Kung Fu Panda 4, he’s called upon his new destiny: to be the new Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace. Uh, say what now? 

Not only does Po know next to nothing about spiritual leadership, but he must also quickly find and train the next Dragon Warrior. Did we mention there’s a chameleon who can shape-shift into any creature and is eyeing Po’s Staff of Wisdom? It’s all a little too much for Po to handle but if there’s anything these movies have taught us, it’s that the loveable panda always surprises us!

Release date: 7 March 2024 

 

Mickey 17

After the remarkable success of Parasite in 2019, director Bong Joon Ho took a long break and had us all excitedly anticipating his next big project. The wait is over because the filmmaker is back this year with an English-language sci-fi film! Based on Edward Ashton’s novel, Mickey 7, it tells the story of an expandable space traveller (played by Robert Pattinson) who is sent on a dangerous mission of colonisation. When one version of Mickey dies, it is cloned with most of his memory intact, rendering him immortal. We’ve seen how Bong expertly weaves social commentary with expert storytelling in Okja and Snowpiercer, so we can’t wait to see how Bong tackles this cerebral sci-fi genre through his lens.

Release date: 29 March 2024

 

APRIL

Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire 

If there’s one thing that 2023 showed us, it’s that the superhero fatigue has settled in. As seen in lacklustre performances from Marvel and DC, audiences are leaning away from the superhero genre and are seeking fun action-packed films in other things: namely, monsters. Godzilla has been everywhere in 2023, appearing in Apple TV’s spin-off series, which topped the streaming platform, and Japan’s critically acclaimed Godzilla: Minus One, showing that its IP is consistently drawing crowds and the momentum isn’t going to stop anytime soon.

Over the years, Legendary has been building its Monsterverse towards a crossover with its two iconic beasts. With Godzilla X Kong, the latest instalment will see the giant lizard and ape teaming up to defeat a new foe. Not much else is known about the plot but do we need to say more?

Release date: 12 April 2024

 

Challengers 

2024 is Zendaya’s year! Apart from Dune, the actress is poised to star in Luca Guadagnino’s sexy tennis telling, Challengers. Full of tension on and off the court, the film follows Tashi, a tennis player turned coach, who manages to transform her husband, Art, into a world-famous Grand Slam champion. To shake off his losing streak, she signs him up to play at a challenger event and soon finds himself facing off against Patrick, his former best friend and Tashi’s ex-boyfriend. From the onset, it looks like a salacious love triangle, but knowing it’s a Guadagnino film makes us more inclined to expect Challengers to surprise us in more ways than one.

Release date: 26 April 2024

 

MAY

The Fall Guy

Ryan Gosling dominated 2023 with Ken Fever and we have a feeling he’s going to be the talk of the town again this year with The Fall Guy. In the upcoming action movie, Gosling plays a battle-scarred stuntman who left the industry to focus on his physical and mental health. However, when the main star of a big studio movie goes missing (which is directed by his ex, played by Emily Blunt), he springs back into action. Soon, he finds himself caught in the middle of a sinister plot that’s far more dangerous than any stunt he’s ever pulled. The Fall Guy is directed by David Leitch who was behind John Wick and Atomic Blonde, so it’s a certified good time.

Release date: 3 May 2024

 

IF 

What if the imaginary friend you had was real? Moving away from horror, John Krasinski’s directorial follow-up to A Quiet Place is a heartwarming tale of friendship and the power of imagination. In IF, a young girl discovers that she can see the imaginary friends of other children and goes on a quest to save these creatures before it’s too late. Krasinski has also brought in Ryan Reynolds as the co-protagonist to impart his expert comedic timing, which makes us all the more thrilled for the movie.

Release date: 17 May 2024

 

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

For fans who remember how jaw-droppingly amazing Mad Max: Fury Road is, this is a treat! From the high-octane desert car chases to the atmospheric worldbuilding, the film was memorable in many ways. But one character that stood out from the rest was that of Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron. 

In Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, we travel back to her origin and witness her odyssey to become the fiery leader fans know and love. Anya Taylor-Joy stars as the eponymous character and Chris Hemsworth will also have a part, which is always exciting. With George Miller once again helming the project, we have high expectations for this prequel film.

Release date: 23 May 2024

 

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 

The Planet of the Apes franchise is getting a revival in 2024 and honestly, we’re here for it. Rupert Wyatt did an excellent job with the trilogy and gave it a satisfying resolution. Now, filmmaker Wes Ball will give the franchise a fresh new spin. Following several generations after Caesar’s reign, a young chimp must rise to the occasion when an oppressive dictator seeks to take power. As Ball first started in visual effects, the trailer has already captured our attention for looking absolutely stunning.

Release date: 24 May 2024

 

JUNE

Inside Out 2

It’s not common for Pixar to serialise their animations but when it comes to Inside Out, we couldn’t be happier with this decision. This summer, head back into the chaotic mind of Riley, who now has to deal with the throes of adolescence with brand-new emotions. One of them is Anxiety (voiced by Maya Hawke) which pretty much plagues the mind of every teenager (and adults *cough* yours truly *cough*). 

Release date: 14 June 2024

 

JULY

Deadpool & Wolverine

While the Marvel Studio roster for 2024 is looking pretty thin, Deadpool 3 has everyone’s eyes on the foul-mouthed superhero. For one, it will be interesting to see how Deadpool will fit into the MCU now that Disney has officially acquired Fox. And no, don’t worry, director Shawn Levy has assured us that the film will still be rated R! 

From the teasers, we also already know that Hugh Jackman is returning to play the iconic role of Wolverine, and we’ll take any reason to see Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman on screen in spandex together. (Psst, read our review here)!

Release date: 26 July 2024

 

OCTOBER

Joker: Folie à Deux

In the highly anticipated sequel to 2019’s Joker, Joaquin Phoenix reprises his role as the iconic clown-faced antagonist—this time, with a familiar beau on his side. For the Todd Phillips film, Lady Gaga will take on the role of Harley Quinn, a character that has largely been defined by Margot Robbie. No, we’re not going to get cameos from her, Robert Pattinson or Ben Affleck as Phillips has stated that his Joker films are self-contained and not connected to any DC projects. However, the fact that Joker: Folie à Deux is described as a musical thriller starring the Lady Gaga gives us plenty of reason to be maniacally laughing in glee.

Release date: 4 October 2024

 

Smile 2

October is also the season of spooks and scares, which is why it’s the perfect time to watch Smile 2. Following the sleeper success of 2022’s Smile, the sequel will follow global pop star Skye Riley who is about to embark on a world tour. However, she begins to experience increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, she must face her dark past and find a way to stop the curse before she spirals out of control.

Release date: 18 October 2024

 

Watch: Psychologist reacts to mental health portrayals as seen in Joker, Split and more

 

NOVEMBER

Gladiator 2

Come November, everyone’s Roman Empire will actually be the Roman Empire. Not the real one, we’re talking about Ridley Scott’s iconic and fictitious Ancient Rome that has the likes of Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn and Denzel Washington walking around. As the sequel to Scott’s legendary Oscar-winning historical epic, expectations are sky-high. In the sequel, Paul Mescal stars as Lucius, who goes from heir to the Roman Empire to a gladiator when powerful emperors conquer his home. The trailer has revealed some jaw-dropping action sequences, including rhino fights and water filling the Colosseum (which actually happened, by the way) with sharks!

Release date: 22 November 2024

 

Wicked

Ready to return to the Land of Oz? Directed by Jon M. Chu, this highly anticipated prequel will be a vibrant and stylised interpretation of the famed classic with original music performed by Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and more!  The musical will follow how two unlikely friends become the iconic figures of Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West. The second part will premiere a year later on 26 November 2025.

Release date: 28 November 2024

 

DECEMBER

Mufasa: The Lion King

It’s safe to say that everyone who loved Disney’s 1994 iconic The Lion King animation also loved the character of Mufasa. This December, audiences will get to discover the origins of Mufasa’s backstory, and how he went from orphaned cub to the king of the Pride Lands. Following the success of 2019’s The Lion King live-action adaptation, Mufasa will also feature photorealistic animation and an original song by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The trailer revealed at D23 already looks touching!

Release date: 20 December 2024 

 

 

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