It’s business as usual in the movie side of things in 2024. Anticipations are running high for some of the upcoming blockbusters like “Dune: Part Two”, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” and “Deadpool 3”. So, from the spy comedy “Argylle” to the videogame threequel “Sonic the Hedgehog 3”, here are the 20 most anticipated movies of 2024.
1) Argylle (February 1)
The prospect of having “Kingsman” director Matthew Vaughn onboard to take another spin on the espionage genre sure feels like a surefire hit. “Argylle” refers to the titular super-spy character played by Henry Cavill in a retro ’80s Schwarzenegger-like hairdo and Bryce Dallas Howard plays the introverted novelist, who finds herself entangled in the dangerous world of espionage. Cue the moments of action-adventure, comedy and more. “Argylle” also features Samuel L. Jackson, Sam Rockwell, John Cena and singer Dua Lipa.
2) Dune: Part Two (February 29)
If it wasn’t for the dual writer’s and actor’s strikes, we would have had “Dune: Part Two” screening last November. The first half of Denis Villeneuve’s two-part saga showcased his directorial prowess in putting together a mesmerisingly epic and immersive blockbuster. The director has promised more action in “Dune: Part Two” and to make things more epic, the follow-up is filmed entirely with IMAX cameras.
3) Kung Fu Panda 4 (March 7)
Eight years! That’s how long it has been since we last saw “Kung Fu Panda 3”. But those who missed the chubby but agile Po (voiced by Jack Black) and his gang can finally rejoice with the long-awaited “Kung Fu Panda 4”. The story? Po is facing a new challenger — a shapeshifting chameleon sorceress known as The Chameleon (Viola Davis).
4) Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (April 11)
If “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” feels like a nostalgic comfort food mixing new and old, then “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” is equivalent to a big leap in a fresh direction. The follow-up reunites the current and old generations of the Ghostbusters team but what makes “Frozen Empire” fascinating is the gang faces a new threat known as Death Chill. Plus, the premise revolves around New York City turning into a second Ice Age-like metropolis sounds like a thrilling cinematic experience.
5) Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (April 11)
The 2021 entry of “Godzilla vs Kong” was a solid, battle-of-the-titans blockbuster. The much-anticipated follow-up returns with Godzilla and Kong join forces to fight a new threat. With Adam Wingard returning to direct “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire”, audiences can expect more go-big-or-go-home monster smackdowns and big special-effect galore. The kind that demands you to enjoy on the biggest screen possible.
6) The Fall Guy (May 2)
Hot off the now-iconic role as Ken in last year’s mega-hit “Barbie”, Ryan Gosling might score another winner in the upcoming action comedy, “The Fall Guy”. The movie, directed by “Atomic Blonde” and “Deadpool 2” David Leitch, centres on Gosling’s Colt Seavers as an ageing stuntman investigating his missing ex-girlfriend Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt). Given Leitch’s stunt background, it would be interesting to see how he depicts the industry itself along with the entertaining combination of action, romance and comedy.
7) Deadpool 3 (May 2)
2023 wasn’t exactly a good year for Disney’s MCU with “The Marvels” hitting rock-bottom as the (unexpectedly) lowest-grossing movie in the franchise. But this year might reverse the MCU’s ill-fated misfortune with the highly-anticipated “Deadpool 3”. Ryan Reynolds, who immortalised the titular merc with a mouth, is back and the bonus point? We have Hugh Jackman reprising his role as Wolverine. And that is not all as we get to see Jennifer Garner returning to her Elektra role.
8) Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes (May 9)
Matt Reeves’ “Planet of the Apes” reboot trilogy has certainly left a positive mark on the franchise. The fourth instalment, however, lacks the involvement of Matt Reeves in the director’s chair as Wes Ball of “The Maze Runner” trilogy is put in charge instead. The story will take place after the events of “War for the Planet of the Apes”, where it features a new ape protagonist in the form of Noa (Owen Teague).
9) Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (May 23)
Charlize Theron immortalised the role of Imperator Furiosa and even stole Tom Hardy’s show in “Mad Max: Fury Road”. Too bad she didn’t get to return for the prequel as George Miller (obviously) went for a younger actress in the form of Anya Taylor-Joy. The latter has already made her mark in both movies and TV series, covering “The Witch” to “Split”, “The Menu” and “The Queen’s Gambit”. So, there’s no question she has the acting prowess to carry the torch previously played by Charlize Theron. The prequel also features Chris Hemsworth in a rare villain role as Dementus.
10) The Garfield Movie (May 30)
The early and mid-2000s era gave us two live-action “Garfield” movies with Bill Murray voicing the titular lazy orange cat. The world-famous character finally made a big-screen comeback in the form of an animated feature and this time, it’s Chris Pratt voiced the character. “The Garfield Movie” will explore the origin when the titular cat is just a cute, little kitten and get this — Garfield’s long-lost father Vic voiced by Samuel L. Jackson.
11) Inside Out 2 (June 13)
The first “Inside Out” made its mark as one of the most successful Pixar animated films ever made. The novelty factor of giving us visual representations of different emotions certainly paid off with its innovative storytelling. So, it would be interesting how the sequel going to live up to its acclaimed original. “Inside Out 2” not only continues the story of Riley, who is now a teenager but also introduces four new emotions. This includes Anxiety (voiced by Maya Hawke), Ennui, Embarrassment and Envy.
12) Despicable Me 4 (July 4)
Do we really need a reason why “Despicable Me 4” ends up as one of our most anticipated movies of 2024? Well, the return of Steve Carell voicing the iconic Gru and of course, the Minions. Those little yellow, bickering creatures are more than enough to convince audiences of all ages to check out the sequel.
13) Twisters (July 19)
The flying cow, the memorable chemistry between Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton and the then-groundbreaking tornado effects — the first “Twister” back in 1996 was the prime example of how to make a thrilling popcorn-movie blockbuster. Not sure another movie is needed since disaster movies like “Twister” suit better as a one-off. Then again, the upcoming “Twisters” has the promising calibre of “Minari” director Lee Isaac Chung and “The Revenant” writer Mark L. Smith.
14) Alien: Romulus (August 15)
Instead of wrapping up Ridley Scott’s prequel trilogy with a third movie after “Alien: Covenant” (read: it didn’t do well at the box office), Disney-owned 20th Century Studios feels the need to make a standalone effort. So, the upcoming “Alien: Romulus” may sound like a desperate attempt to keep the franchise alive. But the prospect of having Fede Alvarez of “Evil Dead” reboot and “Don’t Breathe” fame onboard as the director looks like there’s hope after all. Interestingly, the movie will take place between the events of “Alien” and “Aliens”.
15) Beetlejuice 2 (September 5)
One of the long-gestating projects that struggled to get off the ground has to be the “Beetlejuice” sequel. Years after years have passed and now, we finally have “Beetlejuice 2” out in cinemas this September. Tim Burton returns to direct with Michael Keaton reprising his iconic titular role and not to forget, Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz.
16) Transformers One (September 12)
Last year’s “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” may have underperformed but the upcoming animated prequel looks promising. “Transformers One” benefits from Josh Cooley of “Toy Story 4” fame calling the shots and the story is something that fans have been clamouring all this while. And that is, a story takes place on Cybertron. “Transformers One” also features who’s who of voice talents including Chris Hemsworth as Optimus Prime, Scarlett Johansson as Elita and Brian Tyree Henry as Megatron.
17) Smile 2 (October 17)
The ultra-creepy “Smile” smiled wickedly right up to its unexpected box-office success. So, it comes as no surprise a sequel got greenlit. Plot details remain unknown but with Parker Finn returning to direct the sequel, expect more sinister moments and lots of jump scares.
18) Alto Knights (November 14)
Barry Levinson, who gave us notable movies such as “Rain Man” and “Disclosure”, may look as if he’s been laying low with largely under-the-radar, small-scale films these days. But “Alto Knights”, previously “Wise Guys” may give him a much-needed comeback to the A-list mainstream cinema. The upcoming gangster film stars Robert De Niro in — guess what — dual roles as Italian-American mobsters, Vito Genovese and Frank Costello. The icing on the cake? Nicholas Pileggi, who famously wrote “Goodfellas” and “Casino”, is responsible for the screenplay.
19) Gladiator 2 (November 21)
A sequel to the Oscar-winning “Gladiator”? Really? With Russell Crowe’s Maximus character already dead in the first movie, a follow-up seems like a desperate cash grab. And yet, it remains an interesting move for returning director Ridley Scott to continue the story which focuses on Lucius (Paul Mescal of “Normal People” fame), the nephew of Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix played the role in the first film) growing up as an adult. The sequel also sees the return of Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi, who played Lucius’s mother and Senator Gracchus respectively. And interestingly, Denzel Washington is added to the cast, reuniting with Ridley Scott after “American Gangster”.
20) Sonic The Hedgehog 3 (December 26)
At the time of writing, the plot for “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” remains under wraps. But what we do know is fans can look forward to the appearance of Shadow, the anti-hero in the Sonic universe. Jeff Fowler returns to the director’s chair for the third time around. The gang’s back too notably, Ben Schwartz voicing the titular character and James Marsden reprising his role as Tom Wachowski.
