TAGGED AS: movies
(Photo by Jay Maidment/©Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, ©Universal Pictures, Warner Bros., Phil Bray/©Dimension Film)
While the coronavirus pandemic continues to have a massive impact on the movie industry, Hollywood continues to press on in 2022. With that in mind, we look ahead to the films we expect to see gracing cineplex marquees in the coming year. And boy, do we have some great titles lined up, with superhero fare like The Batman, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One); action and adventure with Uncharted and The Lost City; rousing family films like Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and The Bob’s Burgers Movie; and even some horror, with Scream and Halloween Ends. As more dates are confirmed and trailers are released for all of these 2022 movies, we’ll continue to update this page, so check back often! [Updated 8/24/22]
Minions: The Rise of Gru
(2022)
Directed by: Kyle Balda, Brad Abelson
Starring: Pierre Coffin
Opening on: July 1, 2022 (formerly July 2, 2021)
We last saw the minions wreaking havoc in 1960s England before they met up with a young Gru. Perhaps their next adventure will be their first with him. Whatever shenanigans the yellow ones, voiced by Pierre Coffin, get up to, expect them to be at it again for Minions 3 and Minions 4 and so on: the first Minions movie made more than $1.5 billion globally and helped the Despicable Me franchise become the highest grossing animated franchise of all time.
Thor: Love and Thunder
(2022)
Directed by: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff
Opening on: July 8, 2022
Marvel’s second film of 2022 is the highly anticipated follow-up to Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok, which reinvented the character to the delight of critics and audiences alike. Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster will return to the franchise, and it’s been teased that she will wield Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, at some point. We also know that Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie will be back, and Thor will meet up with the Guardians of the Galaxy to face Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher. So, you know, good times all around.
Nope
(2022)
Directed by: Jordan Peele
Starring: Keke Palmer, Daniel Kaluuya, Steven Yeun
Opening on: July 22, 2022
After the runaway success of Get Out and Us, Jordan Peele got real busy real fast, but he’s finally getting around to making his third feature. As to be expected, we don’t know much about the film, though its first trailer reveals that it will be set somewhere in the American Southwest and center on a small town whose residents experience a supernatural event in the skies above.
The Gray Man
(2022)
Directed by: Joe Russo, Anthony Russo
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jessica Henwick, Wagner Moura, Billy Bob Thornton, Regé-Jean Page
Opening on: July 22, 2022 on Netflix
Based on the 2009 novel of the same name, this action thriller stars Ryan Gosling as a CIA mercenary who is forced on the run when he discovers some unsavory things about his agency and a rival agent (played by Chris Evans) is sent after him. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo (Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame) are at the helm, and the impressive supporting cast includes Ana de Armas, Billy Bob Thornton, and Jessica Henwick, among .
DC League of Super-Pets
(2022)
Directed by: Jared Stern
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Natasha Lyonne, Vanessa Bayer, Diego Luna, John Krasinski, Keanu Reeves
Opening on: July 29, 2022
This animated film boasts an all-star cast who lend their voices not just to iconic DC Comics characters like Batman (Keanu Reeves), Superman (John Krasinski), and Wonder Woman (Jameela Jamil), but also… their pets, who must rally to save the day when their superpowered owners are kidnapped.
Bodies Bodies Bodies
(2022)
Directed by: Halina Reijn
Starring: Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Pete Davidson, Myha’la Herrold, Chase Sui Wonders, Rachel Sennott, Lee Pace
Opening on: August 5, 2022
This horror/dark comedy from A24 centers on a group of young friends who gather for a party and play a murder mystery game called “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” only to discover that one of them has been killed, and they must now discover who the real murderer is.
Bullet Train
(2022)
Directed by: David Leitch
Starring: Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Joey King, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Bad Bunny, Zazie Beetz
Opening on: August 5, 2022
This cheeky, stylish action thriller based on a novel by Japanese writer Kōtarō Isaka follows an assassin (Brad Pitt) trying to give up his life of killing who is tasked with retrieving a mysterious briefcase on, yes, a bullet train full of other assassins looking to do the same. The film is directed by David Leitch (Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2) and features an all-star cast.
Three Thousand Years of Longing
(2022)
Directed by: George Miller
Starring: Idris Elba, Tilda Swinton
Opening on: August 31, 2022
It’s been seven years since George Miller released Mad Max: Fury Road, but he’s finally back with… a romantic fantasy. The story centers around a scholar in Instanbul who encounters a djinn who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom, with unexpected consequences.
Pinocchio
(2022)
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Tom Hanks, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Cynthia Erivo, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Keegan-Michael Key, Luke Evans, Lorraine Bracco
Opening on: September 8, 2022
The first of two high-profile Pinocchio movies debuting in 2022 (the other being Guillermo del Toro’s stop-motion animated film, premiering on Netflix in December) is Disney’s “live-action” remake of their classic animated adaptation of the story of a wooden boy who comes to life and seeks a way to become a real boy. Tom Hanks takes on the role of Geppetto and Cynthia Erivo plays the Blue Fairy in this Disney+ exclusive.
Pearl
(2022)
Directed by: Ti West
Starring: Mia Goth, David Corenswet, Tandi Wright
Opening on: September 16, 2022
Ti West and A24 released one of 2022’s most critically acclaimed horror films, X, back in March, but it was shot back-to-back with a prequel origin story for one of that film’s characters, namely Pearl. We’ll just leave it at that to avoid spoilers, but feel free to check out the trailer for more context.
The Woman King
(2022)
Directed by: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Starring: Viola Davis, Lashana Lynch, John Boyega, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim
Opening on: September 16, 2022
Viola Davis headlines this historical drama about the Dahomey Agojie, the only all-female military ever documented. Davis stars as General Nanisca, who takes on a new recruit played by Thuso Mbedu as they struggle to keep their people safe from malevolent outside forces.
Don't Worry Darling
(2022)
Directed by: Olivia Wilde
Starring: Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Chris Pine, Olivia Wilde, Gemma Chan, Kiki Layne, Nick Kroll
Opening on: September 23, 2022
Director Olivia Wilde follows up her critically acclaimed feature debut Booksmart with this period thriller about a 1950s housewife (Florence Pugh) who begins to suspect that the perfect suburban life her husband’s mysterious job provides for her — and her husband’s mysterious job itself — may hide a sinister truth.
Blonde
(2022)
Directed by: Andrew Dominik
Starring: Ana de Armas, Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale
Opening on: September 16 (limited release) and streaming September 23, 2022 on Netflix
Based on the Joyce Carol Oates novel of the same name, this biographical drama directed by Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James) offers a fictionalized look at the private life of Marilyn Monroe during the 1950s and 1960s, with Ana de Armas (Blade Runner 2049) taking the lead as the iconic model, singer, and actress.
Hocus Pocus 2
(2022)
Directed by: Anne Fletcher
Starring: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy
Opening on: September 30, 2022 on Disney+
Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy reprise their roles as the sinister Sanderson sisters in this sequel to the 1993 Halloween cult favorite. This time around, three young women accidentally bring the witches to modern-day Salem and must figure out how to stop them. The film is being produced exclusively for Disney+.
Amsterdam
(2022)
Directed by: David O. Russell
Starring: Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Rami Malek, Zoe Saldaña, Anya Taylor-Joy, Michael Shannon, Taylor Swift, Mike Myers, Robert De Niro
Opening on: October 7, 2022
David O. Rusell’s latest is a ridiculously star-studded affair that takes place in the 1930s and centers on a trio of old friends — Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and John David Washington — who become prime suspects in a murder case and must work together to discover the truth.
Halloween Ends
(2022)
Directed by: David Gordon Green
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Nick Castle
Opening on: October 14, 2022
Director David Gordon Green and writers Danny McBride and Scott Teems successfully sequel-booted (is that a word now? reboot-queled, maybe?) the Halloween franchise with 2018’s Halloween, and based on its reception, they decided to go ahead and give us all a full trilogy. That trilogy ends with the appropriately titled Halloween Ends, in which Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode will presumably defeat Michael Myers forever.
The Banshees of Inisherin
(2022)
Directed by: Martin McDonagh
Starring: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan
Opening on: October 21, 2022
In what amounts to an In Bruges reunion, writer-director Martin McDonagh has enlisted Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson to star in his dark comedy about the conflicts that arise between two friends when one of them suddenly decides to end the friendship.
Black Adam
(2022)
Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra
Starring: Dwayne Johnson
Opening on: October 21, 2022
Dwayne Johnson stars as the all-powerful antihero (and traditionally a nemesis to Zachary Levi‘s Shazam), who is freed from his prison of 5,000 years and, after encountering the Society of America, must decide whether to play nice or be a jerk.
Armageddon Time
(2022)
Directed by: James Gray
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Strong, Anthony Hopkins, Banks Repeta
Opening on: October 28, 2022
In the vein of something like Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast or even Steven Spielberg’s upcoming The Fabelmans, James Gray takes inspiration from his own childhood growing up in Queens, New York in the 1980s to fashion this period coming-of-age drama.
Enola Holmes 2
(2022)
Directed by: Harry Bradbeer
Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Helena Bonham Carter, David Thewlis, Louis Patridge
Opening on: November 4, 2022 on Netflix
Releasing smack-dab in the middle of the pandemic, 2020’s Enola Holmes was a surprise hit with critics, and audiences loved it so much that Netflix decided to give it another go. Star Millie Bobby Brown returns in the title role, as Enola takes on her first official case as a detective and stumbles into a conspiracy so big that she turns to big brother Sherlock (Henry Cavill) for help.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
(2022)
Directed by: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett, Winston Duke, Martin Freeman, Tenoch Huerta
Opening on: November 11, 2022
We finally got our first look at Wakanda Forever at Comic-Con in 2022, revealing that the film will focus on the titular kingdom attempting to move past the death of its beloved leader (the late Chadwick Boseman’s King T’Challa) and fend off a threat in the form of Namor (Tenoch Huerta), the ruler of an ancient underwater civilization. We also got a few other significant teases in the trailer, but we won’t spoil those here.
The Menu
(2022)
Directed by: Mark Mylod
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Fiennes, Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau, Janet McTeer, John Leguizamo
Opening on: November 18, 2022
This ghoulish dark comedy stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult as a married couple who travel to an exclusive island restaurant where a famous chef (Ralph Fiennes) prepares a special menu for his guests. The evening becomes progressively treacherous for everyone as secrets are revealed and violence erupts.
Devotion
(2022)
Directed by: J.D. Dillard
Starring: Jonathan Majors, Glen Powell, Joe Jonas
Opening on: November 23, 2022
Based on a 2017 non-fiction book, this historical war drama focuses on Jesse Brown, the first Black pilot in the US Navy, and his wingman Tom Hudner, who became two of the Navy’s most celebrated pilots for their heroics during the Korean War.
The Fabelmans
(2022)
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Paul Dano, Gabriel LaBelle, Julia Butters, Oakes Fegley, Judd Hirsch
Opening on: November 23, 2022
Steven Spielberg’s latest is a semi-autobiographical — but still fictional — coming-of-age story that charts the adolescent life of a young boy living in post-war Arizona who aspires to become a filmmaker and, after discovering a family secret, learns to cope via his love for the medium.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
(2022)
Directed by: Rian Johnson
Starring: Daniel Craig, Ed Norton, Janelle Monáe, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Kate Hudson
Opening on: November 23-29, 2022, then streaming December 23, 2022 on Netflix
Just a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic went full-blown around the world, Rian Johnson delivered a crackerjack whodunit in Knives Out and introduced the world to Daniel Craig’s eccentric detective Benoit Blanc. Following in the footsteps of other murder mystery series, Knives Out 2 will see Benoit Blanc investigating an entirely new case with new suspects, this time in Greece.
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
(2022)
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson
Starring: Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Tilda Swinton, Christoph Waltz, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, Ron Perlman
Opening on: December 9, 2022 on Netflix
The classic children’s tale gets a fresh take, thanks to Guillermo del Toro, who has wanted to make this film for quite some time. The musical film will be del Toro’s first stop-motion animated feature, and it will be somewhat darker than Disney’s version of the story, as evidenced by the melancholy first trailer.
The Whale
(2022)
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Samantha Morton
Opening on: December 9, 2022 on Netflix
Darren Aronofsky’s latest boundary-pushing film is being hailed as a triumphant return for Brendan Fraser, who stars as a severely overweight recluse who seeks redemption from his estranged teenage daughter. Though there has been some controversy regarding the content and themes of the film, virtually everyone so far is singing the praises of Fraser’s performance.
Avatar: The Way of Water
(2022)
Directed by: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Lang
Opening on: December 16, 2022
It’s taken almost a decade and a half, but we’re finally getting the long-ago-promised follow-up to James Cameron’s box office ruler, Avatar. Sam Worthington’s Jake Sully and Zoe Saldana’s Neytiri now have a family on Pandora, but when old enemies return, they’re forced to evacuate and find a new home. Kate Winslet, Michelle Yeoh, and Edie Falco are among the new additions to the cast.
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody
(2022)
Directed by: Kasi Lemmons
Starring: Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders, Clarke Peters
Opening on: December 21, 2022
Naomie Ackie stars as the late Whitney Houston in this biographical drama about the iconic pop star’s life, charting her rise to fame. The film was written by Anthony McCarten, who also wrote Bohemian Rhapsody, which should offer some idea what kind of film it will be.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
(2022)
Directed by: Joel Crawford, Januel Mercado
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Harvey Guillen, Florence Pugh, John Mulaney, Ray Winstone, Olivia Colman, Wagner Moura
Opening on: December 21, 2022
Antonio Banderas is back as the swashbuckling kitty who, having lived out eight of his nine , reluctantly resigns himself to a domesticated life until Goldilocks and the Three Bears come looking for him, forcing him to take up the sword again.
The Pale Blue Eye
(2022)
Directed by: Scott Cooper
Starring: Christian Bale, Gillian Anderson, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Harry Melling, Lucy Boynton, Toby Jones
Opening on: December 23, 2022 (limited release) and January 6, 2023 on Netflix
Speaking of whodunits, Scott Cooper’s (Crazy Heart, Antlers) next film centers on a series of murders at West Point in 1830, where a certain man named Edgar Allan Poe was a young cadet. The fictional story is based on a 2006 novel of the same name and reunites Cooper with his Hostiles star Christian Bale.
Babylon
(2022)
Directed by: Damien Chazelle
Starring: Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Olivia Wilde, Samara Weaving, Jean Smart, Tobey Maguire, Chloe Fineman, Katherine Waterston
Opening on: December 25, 2022
Writer-director Damien Chazelle (La La Land) drops a Christmas Day treat for fans of old Hollywood, as his latest centers on the era when the industry transitioned from silent films to talkies. The impressive all-star cast includes people like Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Olivia Wilde, Jean Smart, and more playing a variety of both real and fictional characters from Hollywood’s past.
