TAGGED AS: blockbusters, movies
[Updated 9/26/2024]
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!
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.”
His Three Daughters
(2023)
Directed by: Azazel Jacobs
Starring: Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen, Natasha Lyonne
Premiering on: September 20, 2024 on Netflix (after debuting in select theaters on September 6, 2024)
Indie hitmaker Azazel Jacobs, known for his work in The Lovers and French Exit, is bringing a family drama to Netflix’s fall lineup. His Three Daughters finds Natasha Lyonne, Carrie Coon, and Elizabeth Olsen as estranged siblings who meet again to care for their ill father. After a critically acclaimed Toronto International Film Festival premiere in 2023, the film was acquired by Netflix and is anticipated to be a top prize contender for the streaming giant when awards season approaches.
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.
Saturday Night
(2024)
Directed by: Jason Reitman
Starring: Gabrielle LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, Dylan O’Brien, Emily Fairn, Lamorne Morris, Kim Matula, Nicholas Braun
Opening on: September 27, 2024 (limited); October 11, 2024 (wide)
Jason Reitman trains his eye on one of broadcast television’s greatest comedy institutions, as he takes audiences back to October 11, 1975 for the very first episode of Saturday Night Live. Utilizing an ensemble cast that includes Gabriel LaBelle (as Lorne Michaels), Rachel Sennott, Nicholas Braun, and Dylan O’Brien, among others, Reitman recounts the events of the 90 minutes leading up to the debut of the show.
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.
Anora
(2024)
Directed by: Sean Baker
Starring: Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn
Opening on: October 18, 2024
Critically acclaimed director Sean Baker has helmed another festival favorite, and like his other films, this one is getting awards buzz. Mikey Madison stars as a stripper in New York who falls in love with one of her clients, the son of a Russian oligarch, and must deal with the consequences. Anora won the Palme d’Or at Cannes this year and is expected to be a major awards contender.
Smile 2
(2024)
Directed by: Parker Finn
Starring: Naomi Scott, Kyle Gallner, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage
Opening on: October 18, 2024
Parker Finn’s supernatural horror thriller Smile was a surprise success back in 2022, and Smile 2 hopes to repeat that achievement. In this outing, Naomi Scott takes center stage as a pop superstar who begins to experience unsettling and disturbing events prior to embarking on a new world tour. Kyle Gallner reprises his role as the police detective who may or may not have inherited the curse from the first film.
We Live in Time
(2024)
Directed by: John Crowley
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Florence Pugh
Opening on: October 18, 2024
Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh headline this romantic drama about a man and woman who meet unexpectedly, fall in love, and build a life together. The story spans decades, recounting their experiences in non-linear snapshots to reveal new aspects of their relationship, and it earned strong reviews out of its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Conclave
(2024)
Directed by: Edward Berger
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini, Sergio Castellitto
Opening on: October 25, 2024
Who said church had to be boring? Based on the novel of the same name by Robert Harris, this psychological thriller follows the Vatican Cardinal (Ralph Fiennes) in charge of organizing the election of the successor to the deceased Pope, who discovers the latter held a secret with complicated implications. The film debuted at the Telluride Film Festival to outstanding reviews, particularly for Fiennes’ lead performance.
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.
Venom: The Last Dance
(2024)
Directed by: Kelly Marcel
Starring: Tom Hardy, Juno Temple, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Opening on: October 25, 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.
Here
(2024)
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Paul Bettany, Kelly Reilly, Michelle Dockery
Opening on: November 1, 2024 (limited); November 15, 2024 (wide)
Writer-director Robert Zemeckis reunites with his Forrest Gump stars Tom Hanks and Robin Wright for this centuries-spanning drama — yes, centuries, not just decades — that focuses on a single spot of land and traces the generations of life that have traversed across it. Zemeckis is known for his movie magic wizardry, and this film pulls out all the stops, from CGI dinosaurs to de-aging techniques, which may offer a unique experience.
Heretic
(2024)
Directed by: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
Starring: Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East, Topher Grace
Opening on: November 8, 2024
The latest A24 thriller fully leans into Hugh Grant’s recent villainous phase, as he plays a man with a dark secret and a puzzle house of horrors who traps a couple of young missionaries who have the awful luck to knock on his door. The film was written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, otherwise known as the duo who wrote A Quiet Place and The Boogeyman.
Red One
(2024)
Directed by: Jake Kasdan
Starring: J.K. Simmons, Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka, Bonnie Hunt
Opening on: November 8, 2024
If you’re looking for something lighter and a bit sillier, this action-adventure from Jake Kasdan (the Jumanji movies) should do the trick. Santa Claus (played by J.K. Simmons, no less) has been kidnapped, so now it’s up to the head of North Pole security (Dwayne Johnson) to team up with a bounty hunter (Chris Evans) to save him. Could be a jolly good time, no?
Gladiator II
(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.
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 22, 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.
Moana 2 (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.
Queer
(2024)
Directed by: Luca Guadagnino
Starring: Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, Jason Schwartzman, Lesley Manville
Opening on: November 27, 2024
Luca Guadagnino’s second film of the year stars Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey in a romantic drama based on the William S. Burroughs novel of the same name and set in 1940s Mexico City. There, a man on the run (Craig) from New Orleans explores the city’s nightlife and becomes infatuated with an American Navy serviceman (Starkey). The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival to mostly positive reviews, with Craig earning heaps of praise for his performance.
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.
Nickel Boys (2024)
Based on the novel The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, this period drama set in 1960s Florida centers on a Black teen falsely accused of a crime who is sent to a segregated reform school, where he meets and forms a bond with a classmate. The film marks the narrative feature debut of RaMell Ross, who previously directed the Certified Fresh documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (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.
The Brutalist
(2024)
Directed by: Brady Corbet
Starring: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn, Alessandro Nivola
Opening on: December 20, 2024
Adrien Brody stars in this historical drama co-written and directed by Brady Corbet about a Hungarian Jewish architect who survives the Holocaust and emigrates with his wife to the United States. Initially beset by the circumstances of poverty, he eventually lands a contract that will change his life. This one premiered at the Venice International Film Festival to rave reviews and looks to be an awards contender.
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)
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.
Better Man
(2024)
Release Date: December 25, 2024 (limited); January 17, 2025 (wide)
Director: Michael Gracey
Starring: Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton, Damon Herriman, Kate Mulvany, Alison Steadman
Micheal Gracey, director of The Greatest Showman, takes the reins in a biopic about UK musician Robbie Williams. The film is an original musical based on the life and career experiences of Williams, exploring his ascent to stardom from boy-band beginnings to unprecedented success as a solo artist. The twist? He’s portrayed as a chimpanzee, voiced and played in performance capture by Jonno Davies.
Nosferatu (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.
A Complete Unknown (2025)
An early 1960s New York is the setting for James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown. Detailing the true story of music legend Bob Dylan, the film will follow a 19-year-old Dylan (Timothée Chalamet) from his beginnings in Minnesota to his arrival and eventual success in New York. Written by Mangold and Jay Vocks and co-starring Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, and Boyd Holbrook, A Complete Unknown will be released in theaters nationwide on December 25, 2024.
Thumbnail image by ©20th Century Studios
