In 2023, two major industry strikes put movies on hold. In the upcoming year, it should be interesting to see if the releases reflect that major halt in work or if things will move forward as usual. Many blockbuster releases claim to be on track to come out on their original dates, but there is always time to push them back if needed. Let’s preview the movie 2024 release schedule and see if some of your most anticipated films will arrive on time.
Just the premise alone brings a lot of atmosphere to the idea. A nighttime use of a swimming pool always brings a certain air of creepiness to it. This is produced by horror king James Wan and Blumhouse. With their usual smaller budgets, it’s easy that this one will be a win even if the box office isn’t huge. Horror hit big in 2023, so it’s no surprise that we’re kicking off the new year with a new horror outing. Here’s hoping it keeps the trend going.
They are still trying to make fetch happen, this time with song. This is a take on the stage musical version of the cult film. We have some returning cast members, which are only some of the adults from the previous movie. Tina Fey returns as Ms. Norbury, and Tim Meadows as Principle Duvall, but this time, Jon Hamm and Jenna Fischer join in on the fun with an all-new cast of kids. Fans will ultimately go to check this out, but usually, musical versions of cult films (I’m looking at you, Footloose) don’t make a huge splash.
Jason Statham seems to be in the mode of his career where he just stars in movies with Mad Lib type of titles. Insert an occupation as the main title, have Jason Statham beating up bad guys, and you’ve made an action movie. Having David Ayer as the director may help this one, but there has been little buzz (pun completely intended) for this one other than a recently released trailer. But if you’re looking for something fun at the theater, there are worse options.
This film, which takes place during the time of Jesus and his apostles, seems interesting. Audiences will either find the humor in a guy trying to make his own way in the world by copying Jesus, or it falls flat on its face. LaKeith Stanfield is always an interesting actor to watch, so it will be worth checking this film out for that alone.
Matthew Vaughn’s new film should be a lot of fun. The cast is pretty fantastic. While the premise isn’t anything we haven’t seen before, Vaughn’s use of action and stunts from movies like The Kingsmen should propel this one forward. This could easily become an action-adventure franchise for Apple if it takes off. When theatrical ratings don’t constrain Vaughn, it should be interesting to see what he comes up with.
This horror comedy from Diablo Cody and Zelda Williams could become a fun cult film. Girl creating boy is a fun twist on the Frankenstein legend, and we saw similar ideas work in the past with films like My Boyfriend’s Back and to less hilarious degrees in May. It should at least be a good time, and that’s all we can really ask, right?
Oof. This is going to be bad. I’m not even going to try and sugarcoat it. It never turns out well whenever Sony tries to make their own standalone films in the Spider-Man franchise. In the comics, Madame Web is an older woman who is blind but gifted with psychic powers.
These powers are a small gift as she is also paralyzed and stricken with a deadly disease. The only thing keeping her alive is a life support machine. She has been drastically de-aged for this film, with Dakota Johnson playing her. Other Spider-Friends look to join her in this film, but this one looks DOA from the trailer and Sony’s track record with Spidey Spin-Offs.
Ethan Coen’s new film seems to bring the same quirky crime story that we’re used to with the team-ups with his brother. That’s not a criticism. This buddy road comedy between two women who end up with an item they are not supposed to have fits perfectly into what we have come to know from the Coen Brother’s style. Matt Damon and Pedro Pascal joining the film as side characters is perfect, and I can’t wait to see more. One of the movies I’m most excited to preview in 2024.
The second part in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune finally hits. Fans enjoyed the first one, and this will probably be about the same. The spice will flow once again, and the very beige film will more than likely rule the box office. The last one came out during Covid when Warner Bros was still releasing their theatrical slate on HBOMax. It still made a haul at the box office, but this sequel will be exclusive to theaters.
Po and the gang are back. Some fans of the franchise were worried that more films wouldn’t be happening after the recent Netflix series. Usually, when they go to regular TV, the cast gets changed for cheaper actors, and the overall quality drops. Luckily, the plan was always to keep the film series going with the voices everyone was accustomed to. Fear not, more Pandas for everyone. Skadoosh!
The phrase “Inspired By True Events” usually gets families out to the theater if it includes animals. This one with Mark Wahlberg and a dog will probably do the same. Watching the trailer, there are constant references to the dog needing to see a vet. You couldn’t pay me enough money to go watch it as I’ll leave the theater a blubbering mess.
Returning to franchises has split the audiences lately. Some are overusing nostalgia to bring people into theaters, while others like catching up with some of their favorite characters. Regardless of who is right, after the last one was a big hit, it was only a matter of time before we got a sequel. Just about everyone from the last one is back. Even Bill Murray, which is a surprise since it took him so long to agree to come back for a sequel, to begin with. Even Slimer is returning for this one after his missed absence last go around.
The new film from Bong Joon Ho has a loaded cast with Robert Pattinson, Mark Ruffalo, and Toni Collete. After his Oscar win for Parasite, it’s great seeing him go with a sci-fi film. The plot seems interesting. Now the question will be if the follow-up will be as critically lauded as the last or if he will have to go through another couple of films before he gets a hit.
The new trend seems to be to return to old horror franchises and reimagine them with new sequels that ignore anything other than the original film. While this seems to be following along with that trend, it at least is making this a prequel to The Omen rather than a sequel. This seems to explain the plan preparing for the birth of the antichrist. Nothing seems to have worked outside of the original film, and this may not fare any better.
The two giants are back once again. It looks like, once again, something is threatening the world, and only they and stop it. After Godzilla Minus One and Monarch, people may be excited about this. The other two brought a lot of human drama, but this one may be what fans have said they have wanted for a while: monster-on-monster fights. We’ll have to see if the other projects help this film or hurt it.
Part two of Zack Snyder’s Star Wars turned independent project drops on Netflix. The first one has been doing well, and fans who enjoy his work will rush to Netflix to continue this story. Curious to see if the viewership drops off as the three parts play out or if they remain consistent across all of them. For now, it seems Snyder has found a good home at Netflix. Let’s hope he can keep it quality and not quantity. For sure one of the more fascinating movie previews for 2024.
The new film from Alex Garland imagines what a modern Civil War in the United States would look like. That’s a scary premise, considering today’s political climate. Depending on how it’s depicted, it could gain a lot of film fans or make a lot of people mad. We’ll have to see how it shakes out, but it’s one that I can’t wait to see.
A remake of a TV series from 1981 starring Lee Majors. This time around, Ryan Gosling plays the main character. It seems like a fun follow-up to capitalize on his turn as Ken in the Barbie movie. This sort of sub-genre of old TV show remakes was very popular in the early 2000s, and how well this does could see the trend return. It looks fun and might be mindless, but for me, it reminds me of his performance in The Nice Guys, which was great.
John Krasinski takes his follow-up directing effort in a completely different direction than his Quiet Place films. Now, he’s dealing with imaginary friends in this kid’s movie. Having Ryan Reynolds in the film will help draw in fans. Will adults like this? Maybe. It could bring back some nostalgic feelings for movies like Drop Dead Fred. If not, at least kids will enjoy it.
After nine years, we finally get the promised Mad Max: Fury Road spin-off/prequel. George Miller likes to take his time on films, but we can all see why when they are released. Anya Taylor-Joy plays the title character this time, but all the action looks on par with the previous film. It will be fun to see this world again on the big screen.
Set a few generations after the last Planet Of The Apes film, this looks to start a new series of films with new characters. This pushes the series into the future, where apes are the dominant species, and humans hide in the shadows. Fans were interested in seeing the last trilogy of films, which showed how the apes rose to power. Will they be as interested in seeing a power struggle in their own community? We’ll have to wait and see. Hopefully, we’ll get a new trilogy out of it.
The fat cat is back. This time voiced by Chris Pratt. That would be a tough sell as Bill Murray was the definitive choice to voice the character even if the films weren’t very good. They are going back to the story of how Jon ended up with Garfield. Is that compelling enough for a new movie? I guess the kids will let us know. Nothing has ever really lived up to the TV specials of the 80s.
This John Wick spin-off stars Ana de Armas, and we finally get to see what this side of the assassin underworld does. There will be appearances by many characters we’ve seen throughout the series, and even Keanu as John Wick will be appearing. It will be interesting to see if this film can keep the franchise rolling after Wick’s fate in the last film. The world is fascinating to explore. Let’s hope they bring something new and exciting to the table, or we’ll just be getting diminishing returns.
This film should be interesting if you’re a fan of the director’s father. Ishana Shyamalan makes her feature film directorial debut with what looks to be a twisty and mysterious film starring Dakota Fanning. Hopefully, film fans will give her a chance and not hold her to her father’s usual standards of if the film works due to a twist.
This Pixar sequel catches up with the emotions as they deal with their human’s teenage years. New emotions arrive. This will be a fun return to a popular film for Pixar fans. The Pixar brand doesn’t hold as much weight as it used to, but returning to one of their more popular films should bring in a good audience.
Austin Butler’s follow-up to Elvis has him in a motorcycle gang. Director Jeff Nichols has wanted to make this movie for so long that actor Michael Shannon told him it would never happen. After a rough go behind the scenes, it’s finally coming out. It was supposed to be released in October 2023 but was delayed indefinitely by Disney due to the actors’ strike. They let the film go and it found other distribution just in time for a June release.
This prequel film is supposed to show what happened when the deadly aliens that hunt by sound invaded the planet. It will be interesting to see how the film does with an all-new creative team and brand-new characters. The previous two films built a great following. Can it keep the momentum going, or will this crash the series? Either way, it should be an entertaining watch.
Kevin Costner’s big project since leaving Yellowstone behind sees him back in the director’s chair for the first time in twenty years. He has always been interested in the Old West, which is why a lot of people really took to his character on Yellowstone. Costner seemed like a perfect fit. Now he’s looking at the Old West and the American expansion in this two-part film series, with the other half coming out a few months later.
The 4th installment in the ever-growing franchise hits theaters. At this point, this has to be one of the most profitable franchises ever. Love or hate them, The Minions have taken over, so we keep getting sequels, prequels, and whatever else they can think of. The movies are usually a lot of fun, so I imagine this will keep that feeling going.
Not a direct sequel to the Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt film from 1996, but it’s set in the same world. With today’s technology, I’m not sure if anyone will be all that impressed with the movie like they were back in the 90s. Now that filmgoers are used to seeing characters fight on other worlds and superheroes flying through the air, this might not be something that warrants as much excitement. Maybe the nostalgia bug will be enough to draw them in, but it looks doubtful.
This could easily be the most anticipated superhero film since Avengers: Endgame. With Hugh Jackman back as Wolverine, this movie will make a ton of money at the box office. It looks like this film will serve as the end of the Fox Marvel Universe, but it will have a ton of fun with it before it’s all over. Deadpool will head over to the MCU and drag anyone he can along for the ride. Expect some fun cameos and for our favorite Merc With A Mouth to pop up again in Secret Wars. This has to be movie preview in 2024 that everyone is looking forward to.
The video game adaptation from Eli Roth is planned to hit screens in August, but who knows if it will be pushed back. Video Game movies don’t have a great track record, but after recent adaptations of Sonic and Super Mario Bros., it might finally be time that they are done right. The cast on this one is pretty stellar. This could easily become a big hit if it works out.
This film takes place between Alien and Aliens. The big question is how the film will be received after the last two Ridley Scott films. Both did fine at the box office, but fans had a lot of problems with both of them. Scott said he had seen this film and gave it his stamp of approval. Will that be enough to draw hardcore fans in? Let’s hope so, as we could always use more xenomorphs.
Part two of Costner’s series. It will be interesting to see if the first one doesn’t do well if this gets pulled completely and released on VOD or if it will still be pushed through. The studio must have faith if they greenlight both to be released in the same year. Will this spell Costner’s big return to the big screen?
The second Sony Spider-Man adjacent film for the year. Really, the prospects don’t seem much better than Madame Web. With his magical lion blood (which is not from the comics, at least the ones I’ve read), this could become the “It’s Morbin’ Time” meme of 2024. Hopefully, Sony learned enough not to re-release it because the internet is making fun of it. I don’t have high hopes for this one.
It’s finally happening! After threats of going to Hawaii, we’re finally getting another Beetlejuice with Tim Burton at the helm. The strikes this summer stopped filming, but this could be a blessing as Burton said it was about 99% shot when they had to halt production. Once it went back in front of cameras, they finished it in no time, and now we just have to wait. With a lot of the original cast returning, this will be a lot of fun.
This animated prequel takes place on Cybertron before the war started. It is supposed to focus on how Optimus Prime and Megatron became mortal enemies. This film boasts an impressive voice cast with Scarlet Johansson, Jon Hamm, and Laurence Fishburn on board. The more controversial choice might be to have Chris Hemsworth voice Optimus Prime instead of longtime actor Peter Cullen continuing to do the voice. Will that turn longtime fans away?
George Clooney and Brad Pitt teaming up again onscreen? Yes please. This looks more thriller-based than some of their past collaborations, but it could be an exciting story. Director Jon Watts left the Fantastic Four movie to do this one. Could be a good choice once it comes out. It looks like there is a planned theatrical release, but it will follow shortly on Apple.
After what looks like a franchise rebirth, we are getting yet another one. The positive feedback about Saw X helped this series get back on the right path, and of course, there had to be a sequel. The question is, will this one follow suit and occur during the original series or after it? Having Jigsaw back helped in the last one, so it would be worth exploring more about that character and his actions between the first three films.
The sequel to the Joaquin Phoenix film sees Lady Gaga joining the cast as Harley Quinn. This time, it’s a musical. With how well-received the first film was, this could either be a fantastic follow-up or will go down as one of the worst sequels of all time. It will be fun to watch which one it turns out to be. This will be the first DC film to fall under the new DC Elseworlds banner James Gunn has set up for his superhero universe.
One of the biggest horror hits of 2022 will be getting a sequel. The original was supposed to be a direct-to-streaming film, but after COVID wiped out theatrical movies, it was bumped up to the big screen. It surprised everyone how well it ended up doing and was very quickly greenlit for a sequel. I wonder if the magic was a one-time thing or if we’ll get another excellent box office victory out of it.
Terrifier 2 was a surprise hit in theaters. A limited release was planned, but as the audience kept growing, it pushed past its original theatrical window and kept going. Even though this one is being released in time for Halloween, it’s set during Christmas, which may prove fortunate if Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving inspires a new wave of holiday horror films. Hopefully, fans will turn out to see what Art The Clown has in store this year.
Universal is once again trying to get their Wolf Man character going. They brought in Leigh Whannell, who made The Invisible Man a hit for the studio. Can he replicate it on this character? Initially, Ryan Gosling was supposed to play the lead but eventually left the project. Since not much has come out about the film, it could end up being delayed until a better date.
The Rock helps bring this holiday film to Amazon, which stars J.K. Simmons as Santa Claus. Not much of the plot is known, but expect a fun action film. I’m surprised it has taken this long to get another Santa action movie after Violent Night did so well last year. That’s a trend I could get behind.
Ridley Scott returns to tell a story set during this time period. This time, it follows the son of Maximus from the first film. He has a great cast, and everything seems to be in order for this one to follow in the first one’s steps. It may not end up being as popular as the first one, but it should be interesting to go back into this world.
The Broadway musical got a feature film adaptation. The book and stage musical became a cultural phenomenon. Can this pull it off this long afterward? Musicals haven’t been as popular as they used to be, but maybe this could change that. The Wizard Of Oz’s popularity will undoubtedly help get some fans in theaters. We’ll have to see how it plays out.
A sequel to the live-action Disney remake. Simba tells his cub about his father, Mufasa. These Disney remakes seem to be on borrowed time, as The Little Mermaid didn’t perform as well as they had hoped. I would think a sequel to one isn’t going to work nearly as well as they had hoped. We hear about superhero fatigue, but is Disney Live-Action Remake fatigue a thing?
The third film in this surprise franchise. They seemed to crack the code on video game adaptations before anyone else was able to. The franchise seems like it can keep going for a while, so hopefully, the audiences keep showing up for it. New games keep coming out, so there is lots of content they can keep drawing on. Jim Carrey is sitting this one out. He was a big appeal for the films, so let’s see if they can survive without him.
The Robert Eggers remake of the classic silent film comes out on Christmas. Seems fitting. It should be interesting to see what Eggers comes up with. His movies The Witch, The Lighthouse, and The Northman brought a lot of atmosphere to them. This story was made for atmosphere. With a lot of Dracula films coming out lately, now might be the best time for the film to come out. Here’s hoping.
What films are you looking forward to in this movie preview 2024? Let us know in the comments.