TAGGED AS: blockbusters, movies
[Updated 4/26/2024]
Just as Hollywood seemed to be recovering from its pandemic woes, the industry had to contend with both a WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which caused production delays and shifted big release dates. But we’ve finally moved past that, and 2024 is nigh upon us, bringing with it exciting superhero movies, a highly anticipated musical adaptation, George Miller’s return to Mad Max, a third Avatar, and much, much, more. See below for the movies we’re most looking forward to in 2024, and check back regularly as we make more updates to the list!
The Fall Guy
(2024)
Directed by: David Leitch
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt
Opening on: May 3, 2024
Is there a better action director than David Leitch these days? Leitch, a former stuntman who previously helmed John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, and Hobbs & Shaw, is tackling a film adaptation of an ‘80s TV show about a stuntman who moonlights as a bounty hunter. Sounds right up his alley. Ryan Gosling will play the lead alongside Emily Blunt.
Back to Black
(2024)
Directed by: Sam Taylor-Johnson
Starring: Marisa Abela, Jack O’Connell, Lesley Manville, Eddie Marsan
Opening on: May 10, 2024
This biopic of jazz singer-turned pop star Amy Winehouse traces her life and rise to fame leading up to the release of her studio album, Back to Black. Sam Taylor-Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey) directs the film, which stars Marisa Abela of HBO’s Industry as the troubled singer.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
(2024)
Directed by: Wes Ball
Starring: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Peter Macon, Eka Darville, and Kevin Durand
Opening on: May 10, 2024
Caesar, the chimpanzee who led the apes to world domination, died at the end of 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes, the third film in the reboot trilogy of the classic sci-fi franchise. However, there’s more monkey business to be had. (Yes, apes and monkeys are different, but let us have this.) Wes Ball, who helmed the Maze Runner films, directs the fourth film in the series, which takes place many years after the events of War.
IF
(2024)
Directed by: John Krasinski
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Fiona Shaw, Cailey Fleming, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Steve Carell, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Maya Rudolph, Awkwafina
Opening on: May 17, 2024
John Krasinski and Ryan Reynolds — both of whom also star in this film, by the way — developed this fantasy comedy also written by Krasinski about a young girl who learns she has the ability to see Imaginary Friends (hence the title IF) that have been abandoned. Reynolds and Krasinski are joined by massive voice cast (presumably for those imaginary friends) that includes Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Matt Damon, Steve Carell, Emily Blunt, Awkwafina, and more.
The Strangers: Chapter 1
(2024)
Directed by: Renny Harlin
Starring: Madelaine Petsch, Froy Gutierrez, Rachel Shenton, Gabriel Basso, Ema Horvath, Richard Brake
Opening on: May 17, 2024
Though it comes after two previous films, this installment of The Strangers horror franchise begins a new trilogy. This time around, the murderous strangers stalk and terrorize a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) on a road trip to their new home in the Pacific Northwest who are forced to take shelter in a remote cabin rental when their car breaks down in Oregon.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
(2024)
Directed by: George Miller
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Nathan Jones, and Angus Sampson
Opening on: May 24, 2024
Anya Taylor-Joy will play a younger version of the war rig-driving badass Imperator Furiosa in this prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, one of the best films of the century so far. George Miller will, naturally, direct once more, and Chris Hemsworth will co-star in the movie, which tells the tale of Furiosa’s kidnapping and her rise through Immortan Joe’s ranks.
The Garfield Movie
(2024)
Directed by: Mark Dindal
Starring: Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Hannah Waddingham, and Ving Rhames
Opening on: May 24, 2024
After Chris Pratt voiced Mario, he wept, for there were no more animated characters to conquer. Just kidding! He’ll be voicing everybody’s favorite lasagna-loving, Monday-hating cat, Garfield, in a new movie adaptation of the long-running comic strip. Samuel L. Jackson will voice Vic, Garfield’s father. Sure! Okay!
Hit Man
(2023)
Directed by: Richard Linklater
Starring: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Retta
Premiering on: June 7, 2024 on Netflix
Based on a 2001 article in Texas Monthly, this action comedy from Richard Linklater stars Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick, Anyone but You) as undercover police officer in Houston, TX posing as a hitman who breaks protocol to help a woman stuck in an abusive marriage.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024)
If the third film in the Bad Boys franchise had gotten a different title, then this fourth installment could have easily been named Bad Boys 4 Life. But that’s not how reality works, so for now, we’ll just call this one Bad Boys 4, which will see detectives Mike Lowery (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) reunite for another explosive action-adventure.
Inside Out 2
(2024)
Directed by: Kelsey Mann
Starring: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Ayo Edibiri, Maya Hawke, Tony Hale
Opening on: June 14, 2024
The wonderful Pixar film Inside Out showed us what things are like inside of an emotional young girl’s head. How do you raise the stakes for the sequel? Go inside a teenager’s head, of course. Inside Out 2 will revisit Riley now that she’s in college, and it will fittingly introduce a host of new emotions. Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, and Lewis Black return to reprise their roles, though Bill Hader’s Fear and Mindy Kaling’s Disgust have now been replaced by Tony Hale and Liza Lapira, respectively.
The Bikeriders
(2023)
Directed by: Jeff Nichols
Starring: Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Norman Reedus, Boyd Holbrook
Opening on: June 21, 2024
After being pulled from the 2023 release schedule due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, Jeff Nichols’ period drama switched hands from 20th Century Studios to Focus Features and earned a new release date in the summer of 2024. Inspired by the 1967 photobook of the same name, the fictional story chronicles the rise of a Chicago motorcycle club over the course of a decade through the lens of its members.
A Quiet Place: Day One
(2024)
Directed by: Michael Sarnoski
Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou
Opening on: June 28, 2024
With the thrilling exception of the second movie’s opening scene, the action in the A Quiet Place franchise has taken place after the super-hearing, super-deadly aliens have already invaded and destroyed society as we know it. As the title here implies, the third film in the series will show the first days of the alien attack, well before anybody knows what’s going on or what to expect from these monsters, and it will be directed by Michael Sarnoski, who gave us one of Nicolas Cage’s best performances ever in 2021’s Pig. While most of the cast announced so far are new, we will see the return of Djimon Hounsou’s character from Part II.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
(2024)
Directed by: Mark Molloy
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, Bronson Pinchot, Taylour Paige, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kevin Bacon
Opening on: July 3, 2024
Axel Foley is back! It’s been almost 30 years since 1994’s Beverly Hills Cop III, but Eddie Murphy doesn’t look like he’s missed a beat as the Detroit cop who returns to Los Angeles to investigate corruption after the death of an old friend. Franchise stalwarts like Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, and Bronson Pinchot also return, alongside Taylour Paige, who plays Axel’s daughter, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Despicable Me 4
(2024)
Directed by: Chris Renaud, Patrick Delage
Starring: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Steve Coogan, Will Ferrell, Sofia Vergara, Joey King, Pierre Coffin
Opening on: July 3, 2024
Don’t forget which master the Minions serve. Coming two years after the last installment in the franchise, the spin-off Minions: The Rise of Gru, Despicable Me returns to the mainline series, with Gru and his family — including a baby Gru Jr. — squaring off against an enemy out for revenge voiced by Will Ferrell.
MaXXXine
(2024)
Directed by: Ti West
Starring: Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Lily Collins, Halsey, Moses Sumney, Giancarlo Esposito, Kevin Bacon
Opening on: July 5, 2024
The third chapter of writer-director Ti West’s “X” trilogy follows up with Mia Goth’s Maxine, the sole survivor of 2022’s X, as she attempts to make her Hollywood dreams come true in 1980s Los Angeles, right at the height of the infamous Night Stalker’s reign of terror.
Fly Me to the Moon
Directed by: Greg Berlanti
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Jim Rash, Woody Harrelson, Ray Romano
Opening on: July 12, 2024
Love, Simon director Greg Berlanti brings us this romantic comedy set against the backdrop of the 1960s space race, when a marketing guru (Scarlett Johansson) is hired to help jazz up the populace about NASA’s efforts to man a mission to the moon and ends up developing a relationship with one of the scientists (Channing Tatum) involved in the mission.
Longlegs
(2024)
Directed by: Osgood Perkins
Starring: Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Alicia Witt, Blair Underwood
Opening on: July 12, 2024
Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage star in this horror thriller about an FBI agent (Monroe) on the trail of a serial killer who discovers links not only to the occult but also to her own family and must act quickly to prevent another tragedy. It comes courtesy of Oz Perkins, best known for The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel and Hansel.
Twisters
(2024)
Directed by: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney
Opening on: July 19, 2024
Originally planned as a remake of the 1996 disaster movie Twister, Twisters eventually took form as a sequel, though it’s being called a “new chapter” and it isn’t clear if it will have any connection to its predecessor. Minari director Lee Isaac Chung makes the leap from indie drama to summer blockbuster, with Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, and Anthony Ramos set to star.
Deadpool & Wolverine
(2024)
Directed by: Shawn Levy
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and Leslie Uggams
Opening on: July 26, 2024
The Merc With a Mouth is back — and so is Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine? The first Deadpool movie since Disney bought Fox will certainly be a sight to behold, as the Ryan Reynolds-led franchise is beloved for its R-rated humor. How that will blend with the MCU’s decidedly PG-13 tone is a mystery, as is how and why Jackman has returned as Wolverine, though the trailer does reveal the involvment of the TVA (as seen in Loki), so that may be a hint.
Borderlands
(2024)
Directed by: Eli Roth
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Ariana Greenblatt, Jamie Lee Curtis, Edgar Ramirez, Haley Bennett, Florian Munteanu
Opening on: August 9, 2024
Get ready for some outer space shenanigans as Eli Roth takes the helm for this adaptation of the popular and wacky video game series. The cast includes big names like Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black, and the film was written by Craig Mazin, who recently helped make a hit out of another acclaimed video game franchise, The Last of Us.
Trap
(2024)
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills, Marnie McPhail
Opening on: August 9, 2024
M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film is a thriller on a smaller scale than some of his previous work, focusing on a father (Josh Hartnett) who takes his daughter to a pop concert and discovers the whole affair is an elaborate trap to capture a notorious serial killer rumored to be in attendance. The twist: Hartnett’s character is the killer. But knowing Shyamalan, we’re sure that’s not the only surprise in the film.
Alien: Romulus
(2024)
Directed by: Fede Alvarez
Starring: Isabela Merced, Cailee Spaeny, Archie Renaux, David Jonsson, Spike Feam, Aileen Wu
Opening in: August 16, 2024
The new film comes from Don’t Breathe director Fede Álvarez and will follow “a group of young people on a distant world, who find themselves in a confrontation with the most terrifying life form in the universe.”
The Crow (2024)
Based on the same comic book series as the 1994 film starring Brandon Lee (who famously died during filming), this new iteration stars Bill Skarsgård as Eric Draven aka The Crow, and it’s directed by Rupert Sanders, who previously helmed Snow White and the Huntsman and Ghost in the Shell.
They Listen
(2024)
Directed by: Chris Weitz
Starring: Keith Carradine, Katherine Waterston, Riki Lindhome, John Cho, Havana Rose Liu
Opening in: August 30, 2024
After Sony moved Kraven the Hunter out of their August 30 slot, they replaced it with this horror film from writer-director Chris Weitz (About a Boy, writer of The Creator) starring Katherine Waterston, John Cho, and Keith Carradine. The plot of the movie remains a mystery as of now, but more details are sure to come.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
(2024)
Directed by: Tim Burton
Starring: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica Belluci, Willem Dafoe
Opening on: September 6, 2024
Tim Burton reteams with Michael Keaton to return to one of his early iconic characters in this sequel to 1988’s Beetlejuice. Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara are also both on board to reprise their characters Lydia and Delia Deetz, while Jenna Ortega joins the cast as Lydia’s daughter.
Speak No Evil
(2024)
Directed by: James Watkins
Starring: James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Scott McNairy
Opening on: September 13, 2024
James McAvoy and Mackenzie Davis star in this remake of the 2022 Danish psychological thriller about a married couple with kids who meet another family on vacation, accept an invitation to visit their home later, and begin to sense increasingly undertones lurking behind the hospitality of their hosts. The film is directed by James Watkins, who gave us the similarly disturbing Eden Lake, as well as The Woman in Black and one of the darker episodes of Black Mirror, “Shut Up and Dance.”
Transformers One
(2024)
Directed by: Josh Cooley
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Jon Hamm, Laurence Fishburne, Keegan-Michael Key
Opening on: September 20, 2024
The Transformers franchise returns to its roots with an animated prequel that explores the origins of the titular robots’ home world of Cybertron and the rivalry between Optimus Prime and Megatron. It will be separate from the ongoing narrative of the live-action films, and it will be helmed by Toy Story 4 director Josh Cooley, with Chris Hemsworth as the voice of Optimus Prime and Brian Tyree Henry as Megatron.
Untitled Saw Sequel (2024)
Directed by: TBA
Starring: TBA
Opening on: September 27, 2024
While we don’t know much about it yet, other than its release date, we do know that we will be getting a new chapter in the Saw franchise on September 27, 2024. Will it somehow follow the events of Saw X? Maybe it will serve as a continuation of Spiral: From the Book of Saw? We’ll have to wait and see for more details.
(Photo by ©Bloody Disgusting)
Joker: Folie à Deux
(2024)
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Zazie Beetz, Catherine Keener, and Jacob Lofland
Opening on: October 4, 2024
Director Todd Phillips helms this follow-up to the wildly successful R-rated take on the iconic Batman villain that earned Joaquin Phoenix the Oscar for Best Actor. In Folie à Deux, Phoenix will be joined by Lady Gaga, who is playing his love interest (it’s complicated) Harley Quinn, and the film will reportedly be a musical. Yes, you read that right.
Terrifier 3
(2024)
Directed by: Damien Leone
Starring: David Howard Thornton
Opening on: October 25, 2024
We don’t know much about the third installment of the cult favorite horror franchise Terrifier, but we do know that David Howard Thornton will return to play Art the Clown and that the film will be set on Christmas Eve. The budget is also reportedly much larger than the previous two films, so fans can look forward to upgraded production value.
Wolf Man
(2025)
Directed by: Leigh Whannell
Starring: Julia Garner, Christopher Abbott
Opening on: October 25, 2024
It’s still a bit early to speculate too much about this film, but Universal’s next classic monster reboot comes courtesy of the director who brought us the surprise 2020 hit The Invisible Man, namely Leigh Whannell. We do know that Julia Garner and Christopher Abbott have signed on to star, but that’s about it. If Whannell can bring the same kind of flair that made The Invisible Man a runaway success, we can expect good things.
Venom: The Last Dance
(2024)
Directed by: Kelly Marcel
Starring: Tom Hardy, Juno Temple, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Opening on: November 8, 2024
Tom Hardy returns for this third installment of the Spider-Man-adjacent antihero franchise, centering on a San Francisco reporter possessed by an alien symbiote. Writer Kelly Marcel steps in behind the camera for this one, whose plot we really don’t know much about yet.
Gladiator 2
(2024)
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Starring: Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, Djimon Hounsou, Joseph Quinn, Derek Jacobi
Opening on: November 22, 2024
Ridley Scott returns to direct this sequel to the historical epic Gladiator. The story will reportedly revolve around a grown-up Lucius (played by Paul Mescal), who has become emperor, and will see the return of Connie Nielsen as Lucilla.
Moana 2
(2024)
Directed by: Dave Derrick Jr.
Starring: TBA
Opening on: November 27, 2024
Disney made an unexpected announcement in February that a sequel to their hit 2016 animated film Moana, featuring the voices of Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson, would be releasing in theaters in November. The announcement gave us the name of the director, Dave Derrick Jr., who previously worked on films like How to Train Your Dragon, Megamind, and other Disney projects like Raya and the Last Dragon, Encanto, and of course the first Moana, and while no cast has been officially announced yet, we can expect Cravalho and Johnson to return as Moana and Maui.
Wicked
(2024)
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Bronwyn James, Bowen Yang
Opening on: November 27, 2024
The legendary Broadway musical that tells the tale of the Wicked Witch of the West from a different perspective is getting a two-part film adaptation. Director Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights) will take audiences to Oz, while Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will play Elphaba and Glinda, respectively.
Kraven the Hunter (2024)
Originally set to appear sometime in the Andrew Garfield Spider-Man franchise before it was discontinued by Sony, the classic Spidey villain finally makes the jump to the big screen. The film will be directed by J.C. Chandor (All Is Lost, Triple Frontier), with Aaron Taylor-Johnson (who portrayed Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron) set to play the character.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
(2024)
Directed by: Kenji Kamiyama
Starring: Brian Cox, Miranda Otto
Opening on: December 13, 2024
Warner Bros. latest film in the Lord of the Rings universe is this animated prequel that follows the exploits of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary king of Rohan, home of the horsemen known as the Rohirrim that played a big part in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Brian Cox will lend his voice to the central character, who reigned 183 years before the events of The Two Towers, while the latter film’s Miranda Otto reprises her role as Eowyn, who will serve as a framing device for the story.
Mufasa: The Lion King (2024)
The “live-action” Lion King (which was 100 percent computer-generated and not actually live action, to be clear) is getting a prequel that will explore the backstory of Simba’s father, Mufasa. James Earl Jones, who voiced Mufasa in the original Lion King and the remake, will not voice this younger version of Mufasa, and instead Aaron Pierre will play the character. Kelvin Harrison Jr. will play Scar, who goes by Taka when the events of the film take place.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
(2024)
Directed by: Jeff Fowler
Starring: Ben Schwartz, Idris Elba, James Marsden, and Colleen O’Shaughnessey
Opening on: December 20, 2024
The Sonic the Hedgehog film franchise is speeding right along with a third installment that will presumably bring back Ben Schwartz as Sonic, Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Tails, and Idris Elba as Knuckles. Jim Carrey, who played the villainous Dr. Robotnik in the first two movies, might sit this one out as he’s been talking about retiring from acting. But, there will be at least one foe giving Sonic a run for his money, as Sonic 2 teased a new villain, Shadow the Hedgehog, in its post-credits scene.
Nosferatu
(2024)
Directed by: Robert Eggers
Starring: Bill Skarsgård, Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe
Opening on: December 25, 2024
Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Lighthouse) follows up his action epic The Northman with a passion project he’s been working on for years. This remake of the classic 1922 vampire film of the same name looks to follow a similar plot, centering on a young woman (Lily-Rose Depp) and the vampire (Bill Skarsgård) who is infatuated with her.
(Photo by Sony Pictures)
Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse
(2024)
Directed by: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Vélez, Issa Rae, and Jason Schwartzman
Opening on: TBD (previously March 29, 2024)
The 2018 film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is one of the best superhero movies and one of the best animated movies to grace theaters in recent years, so it’s only natural that there would be a sequel. However, there were simply too many Spider-Men for just one movie, and the sequel was split into two films. 2023’s Across the Spider-Verse premiered to rave reviews and a monster opening weekend but ended on a cliffhanger for Miles Morales and his friends, which Beyond the Spider-Verse will look to conclude. The film was originally dated for a March opening in 2024, but was removed from the schedule amid industry strikes in 2023.
Thumbnail image by ©A24
