25 Most Anticipated Films Of 2019
Universal
2018 was a lukewarm year for film overall in my opinion, but 2019 looks to be an improvement for fans of just about every genre.
With 2018’s award season upon us, I’m gonna take this time to countdown my 25 most anticipated films of the new year.
25.) Toy Story 4 (June 21)
As a kid, I thoroughly enjoyed the first two Toy Story films. As an adult, I damn near cried watching the third, and what I assumed at the time was the final installment of the franchise. To my confusion and surprise, there’s apparently more story to be told regarding these toys.
While Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and a bunch of other familiar faces reprise their roles, this latest installment will also feature voice acting from the likes of Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key, Patricia Arquette, Michael Keaton, and Keanu Reeves. Not to mention Tony Hale’s “Forky,” who looks to play a very integral role in the plot.
I’m not sure what to expect, but it’s typically a bad idea to second guess the creative decisions of Disney•Pixar.
24.) Aladdin (May 24)
Disney is looking to have a massive year - though, I guess that can be said for pretty much any year since 1923.
Still, this is one of several live-action retellings the mouse has slated for 2019.
Mena Massoud plays the title character, Naomi Scott is Jasmine, and Will Smith is set to don the blue body paint and fill the role of Genie. It’s an interesting casting choice to say the least, but once again, doubt Disney at your peril.
23.) Captain Marvel (March 8)
Yep, I’m keeping it in the Disney family still, as Marvel Studios is owned by them. I told you they were gonna have a big year.
Captain Marvel is set in the 90s, so I’m on board just for that fact alone, but more importantly, it’s supposed to play a big role in bridging the gap between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
22.) Shazam! (April 5)
I must admit, as big of a comic book nerd as I am, I’m not familiar with Shazam. Though interesting tidbit for the uninitiated - Shazam’s original name was Captain Marvel, but once the original publishers of the comic stopped making them, their rights to the name expired, and it was trademarked by Marvel. So, technically speaking, my 23rd and 22nd most anticipated films of 2019 are both “Captain Marvel.”
Regardless, the trailer is pretty funny, and it looks to be a breath of fresh air from the typical superhero genre formula we’ve come to expect.
21.) Glass (January 18)
M. Night Shyamalan’s career has had an interesting journey, to say the least. He burst onto the scene with films like The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs, and at that time, looked to be one of the freshest directors of the new millennium; only to have one critical bomb after another in the years that followed.
That changed recently with the critical success of Split, and now here we are, with Glass serving as the third film in a series nobody saw coming.
Glass is the continuation of the universe Unbreakable and Split created. It’s slated to drop in less than two weeks, so reviews for it should start coming in soon. Hopefully it’s as good as the trailers indicate.
20.) Hellboy (April 12)
I was a fan of the original Hellboy films, so I’m excited to see how the reboot is handled. I know the industry in general is suffering from a lack of originality at the moment, but at the same time, an enjoyable film is an enjoyable film. And hopefully David Harbour’s portrayal as the hornless demon is just that.
19.) Kingsman 3 (November 8)
Not much is known about this film yet, but they’re slated to begin production this month - so they’re in the very early stages of filming. But they have a release date of November 8th, and since I found the first two films of the franchise refreshing and enjoyable, I’m looking forward to whatever this next one brings.
18.) Joker (October 4)
I feel like this film will either be very good, or very bad. It’s tough to say given just the teaser. I learned my lesson expressing doubts over casting when I bemoaned the choice of Heath Ledger to play the Crown Prince Of Crime in The Dark Knight before I so much as saw a single picture of him in costume - so I won’t say anything negative about Joaquin Phoenix (who, like Ledger, is another great actor) donning the clown makeup. Still though, I don’t know how this movie will fare overall, but fingers crossed.
17.) Her Smell (March 29)
I’m an indie snob, but it’s difficult putting indie films on this list, because so many of them sit in development hell, a lot of them get shelved or are physically hard to watch because so few theaters show them, and streaming services take a while to acquire them, if they acquire them at all.
That being said, Her Smell looks and sounds intriguing and I hope it’s one of those indie films that I’m able to watch in theaters. It stars Elizabeth Moss in what critics are calling a pretty inspiring role.
The plot, per IMDb: A self-destructive punk rocker struggles with sobriety while trying to recapture the creative inspiration that led her band to success.
16.) High Life (April 12)
Another indie pick. This one starring Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, and Andre Benjamin (of Outkast fame).
Per IMDb: Takes place beyond the solar system in a future that seems like the present. About a group of criminals who accept a mission in space to become the subjects of a human reproduction experiment. They find themselves in the most unimaginable situation after a storm of cosmic rays hit the ship.
15.) Ford v. Ferrari (June 28)
Directed by James Mangold (Logan), and starring Christian Bale and Matt Damon, Ford v. Ferrari is the story of Ford and Ferrari’s battle at the 1966 Le Mans automobile race in France.
A summer flick with classic cars battling it out? I’m in.
14.) Captive State (March 29)
From director Rupert Wyatt (Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes), a sci-fi thriller set in Chicago about extra-terrestrials occupying Earth.
13.) Climax (March 1)
Gasper Noe’s fever dream of a horror involving a dance crew tripping on LSD. It’s an A24 film so just assume it’s gonna be amazing.
12.) The New Mutants (August 2)
One of two new X-men films slated for this year. The New Mutants plays more like a horror than a typical superhero/comic book film, which is a big reason why I’m looking forward to it.
11.) Pet Sematary (April 5)
Stephen King has seen a resurgence of his work on screen these past few years. Most of them have been critical successes. Pet Sematary looks like another hit, if the trailer is anything to go by.
10.) Zombieland 2 (October 11)
We’re finally in top 10 territory. The sequel to my favorite zombie movie ever is finally coming out. It only took a decade. The wait will hopefully be worth it, as everyone in the first film is expected to reprise their roles in this one.
9.) Godzilla: King Of The Monsters (May 31)
There’s really not much to say about this one. It’s Godzilla, it’s other monsters, it’s gonna be kick ass. I’ll let the trailer do the talking.
8.) Dark Phoenix (June 7)
The second of the two X-men films coming out this year. It was supposed to come out last year, but got pushed back. I’m happy it’s finally coming out, as X-men (my second favorite comic book franchise next to Batman) plus 90s (my favorite era of all time) equals a very happy Dave.
7.) It: Chapter Two (September 6)
I mentioned earlier how Stephen King’s literary properties are having a renaissance at the moment. The It franchise is a big reason why. The casting is stacked, and it feels like the studio looked at every movie forum on the internet and based their decisions
on the collective dream picks of the fans. James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader - they’re all here. It’s the third best casting in a film this year, with the other two coming up further down this list.
6.) Midsommar (August 9)
Ari Aster of Hereditary fame is back with another horror. According to the Independent, “Aster's film is described as a summer road-trip movie enjoyed by a young woman and her boyfriend until they fall prey to a local pagan cult in Sweden.”
Not to mention it’s another A24 film. Count me in.
5.) Star Wars Episode IX (December 20)
The Last Jedi was arguably the most polarizing film of the Star Wars canon. I consider it tied with The Empire Strikes Back as my favorite Star Wars film, but that’s just me.
No matter how you felt about The Last Jedi, all fans can agree, there’s a lot riding on this next installment - the final installment of the Skywalker saga. Here’s hoping director J.J. Abrams sticks the landing.
4.) The Lion King (July 19)
Another Disney live-action film. Another billion dollar winner. Book it. This will be somewhere in the top 3 highest grossing films of the year, along with the next Avengers film, and the previously mentioned Star Wars: Episode IX. And all three of those films are Disney properties. I told you, the mouse is looking to have a big year. Bigger than usual.
The casting for this film is comically good, and it’s a toss up between this one and a film that will be mentioned pretty soon as to the best casting of the year. Donald Glover as Simba, Beyonce as Nala, Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen as Timon and Pumbaa respectively. Keegan-Michael Key and Eric Andre as hyenas, John Oliver as Zazu, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, and James Earl Jones reprising his role as Mufasa. This is an absolute can’t miss. It’s gonna make over a billion dollars and sport a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. For a film most of us already know the plot to. It’s the surest bet you’ll make all year.
3.) Us (March 22)
Get Out was a cultural phenomenon. A watershed moment for horror and Hollywood in general. Jordan Peele is back with a followup that looks to be just as visceral and culturally relevant. Thankfully we’re only a little over two months away from the release date.
2.) Avengers: Endgame (April 26)
It’s hard to believe we’re a little over 100 days from the official start of summer blockbuster season, but here we are.
Despite having a handful of comic book films on this list, I’ve soured on the genre overall these past few years. There’s been too many Marvel movies to keep up with, not to mention the litany of Netflix shows that supposedly take place in the same universe. It’s too much. I’m burnt out. Especially when so few films of the genre do anything different. The formula is almost always the same. You’ve seen one superhero film the past 10 years, you’ve seen them all.
Having said that - Avengers: Endgame is different. At least for me. It’s spectacle of the highest order.
Sure, Star Wars is probably the biggest blockbuster franchise of all time - but a lot of the characters in those films simply don’t have the marquee draw that the leads in Avengers do.
Sure, Disney is gonna try giving characters like Han Solo and Boba Fett their own franchises - but they pale in comparison to the likes of Spider-man, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Black Panther, and a whole host of other characters with decades of history, popularity, and canon material to their names.
These past two films - Infinity War, and now Endgame, are a blockbuster’s blockbuster. And kudos to directors Anthony and Joe Russo, as well as writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely for being able to balance the screen time and storylines for dozens of huge characters in a way that feels digestible and coherent. That’s no easy task.
Just from that technical standpoint, I’m beyond excited to see how the original phase in Marvel’s extravagant 4-phase film plan comes to a close.
1.) Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (August 9)
Photo by Andrew Cooper - © 2018 CTMG, Inc.
Leonardo DiCaprio. Brad Pitt. Al Pacino. Margot Robbie. Dakota Fanning. Kurt Russell. Tarantino alums Michael Madsen and Tim Roth. It’s a cast lacking in diversity, for sure, but it’s also a cast undeniably packed with star power. It’s why I consider this cast and The Lion King’s cast to be the most lethal of the year. All killer, no filler.
Tarantino’s 9th and supposedly second to last film (he says he only plans to make 10) takes place in 1969 California, during the Manson murders.
According to Tarantino himself, it’s "probably the closest to Pulp Fiction that I have done.”
As someone whose favorite director of all time is Quentin Tarantino, and whose favorite film of all time is Pulp Fiction, excited doesn’t being to describe how I feel.
According to Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman: “It's the best screenplay that I have had the privilege to read.”
Sure, that may be fluff talk from a man who has a direct financial interest in the success of this film, but when we’re talking about the best dialogue writer of modern time and possibly ever (in my opinion) - I believe it.