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Most Anticipated Films of 2024: Fall

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By Peyton Harvey

Despite last year’s SAG-AFTRA strike, a promising slate of films will be released in 2024. This year of film has gotten off to a good start, with highly anticipated releases like Dune: Part Two earning impressive box office numbers and critical praise. From big blockbusters to smaller, independently produced projects, the 2024 movie lineup offers something for every type of viewer. Thus, here are some of the most anticipated films of 2024.

Joker: Folie à Deux

4 October 2024

Credit: Entertainment Weekly

The Joker immediately comes to mind when we think about iconic movie villains. He’s sadistic and unpredictable and makes for a great film antagonist. Todd Phillips’ 2019 film Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix, offered an unprecedented look at the famous villain, diving into the character’s psychology and origin. The film received several significant nominations and awards and was a commercial success. Phoenix gave a spectacularly chilling performance that won him an Academy Award for Best Actor, and Joker was the first R-rated film to gross over $1 billion USD.

The sequel, Joker: Folie á Deux, is set for an October 2024 release, with Phillips returning as the director and a writer alongside Scott Silver. Phoenix will reprise his role as the Joker, and Zazie Beetz will return. New cast members include Lady Gaga as Dr. Harlene Quinzel/Harley Quinn, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, and Steve Coogan. Although the film’s plot is largely under wraps, audiences can anticipate a musical, psychological thriller that will continue Phillips’ unique look into the character and DC world.

Paddington in Peru

8 November 2024

Credit: IMDb

The Paddington franchise is one of the most outstanding contemporary children’s movie series, with a reputation for capturing the attention of all types of viewers. Paddington and Paddington 2 were critical and box office successes with an incredible cast of characters that center on the iconic Paddington character. Doug Wilson will direct the franchise’s third installment, and much of the beloved cast will reprise their roles. Ben Whishaw and Imelda Staunton will again voice Paddington and Aunt Lucy. In addition, Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Jim Broadbent, and Julie Walters will also return. New cast members include Olivia Coleman, Antonio Banderas, and Emily Mortimer.

Paddington in Peru will depict “Paddington returning to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now resides at the Home for Retired Bears. Paddington and the Brown Family embark on an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and up to the mountain peaks of Peru.” (Variety) Based on the first two films, it’s safe to say Paddington in Peru is one of the most anticipated films of 2024.

Gladiator 2

22 November 2024

Credit: Screen Rant

In 2024, Ridley Scott will return with the highly-anticipated sequel to Gladiator (2000), Gladiator 2. Written by David Scarpa, little is known about the Gladiator 2 script beyond the film centering on “Lucius, the son of Maxmius’s love, Lucilla, after Maximus’ death” (IMDb). The historical epic is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated films of 2024. Paul Mescal will star as Lucius Verus, alongside Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, and Joseph Quinn as co-emperor Caracalla.

Wicked

27 November 2024

Credit: Variety

Wicked is arguably one of the most notorious musicals of our time. Based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, the story follows “two young witches: Elphaba, whose skin is green, and Glinda, who is blonde and beautiful. They dislike each other at first but soon form an unlikely bond. The musical follows them from their girlhood friendship and explains how Elphaba became the Wicked Witch and Glinda became the Good Witch.” (New York Theater Guide) After numerous stage adaptations on Broadway, the West End, and more, a long-awaited film adaptation is finally here, with the first installment of the two-part film adaptation releasing on 27 November 2024.

Jon M. Chu, known for Crazy Rich Asians (2018) and In the Heights (2021), will direct both installments. Audiences can look forward to an all-star cast with Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande as Glinda, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jeff Goldblum as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and Jonathan Bailey and Fiyero. Wicked will surely be a visual spectacle with impressive vocal performances and themes of friendship, trust, and prejudice at the story’s heart.

Nosferatu

25 December 2024

Credit: Variety

If you enjoy the dark gothic horror films that serve as the foundation of the modern horror genre, Nosferatu should be on your watchlist. Directed by Robert Eggers, a director known for his eerie historical horror films, Nosferatu is the second remake of the original 1922 Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. The 2024 remake stars Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, and Willem Dafoe. Focus Features states, “Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.”

Blitz

TBA

Credit: Variety

Steve McQueen will return this year, writing and directing his first feature film in six years. Blitz follows the stories of a group of Londoners during the events of the British capital bombing in World War II (IMDb). McQueen, known for the drama film 12 Years a Slave (2013), has assembled an impressive ensemble cast, including Saoirse Ronan, Harris Dickinson, Stephen Graham, Erin Kellyman, Paul Weller, Leigh Gill, Kathy Burke, Hayley Squires, and Benjamin Clementine. If McQueen’s past projects are any indication of what Blitz has in store, audiences can undoubtedly anticipate a knock-out film.

Megalopolis

TBA

Credit: IMDb

A star-studded ensemble cast working with a prolific director is always highly anticipated, and Megalopolis is no different. In late 2024, Francis Ford Coppola’s passion project film will star an ambitious cast made up of Nathalie Emmanuel, Adam Driver, Forest Whitaker, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Aubrey Plaza, Jason Schwartzman, and Shia LaBeouf. The film is “a sprawling story about an ambitious young architect aiming to recreate New York City in the wake of a tragedy, loosely inspired by a Roman coup d’état called the Catilinarian conspiracy” (GQ).

Coppola conceived the idea for the film in the 1970s, and the story has undergone multiple iterations. Despite nearly acquiring funding for the film several times, studios ultimately scratched Megalopolis in the early 2000s. Twenty years later, Coppola is self-funding the film, providing himself with significant creative freedoms. Although we know little about what we can expect from Megalopolis, it is safe to assume that such a bold and uninhibited creative project is in good hands.

Most Anticipated Films of 2024: Spring & Summer

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By Peyton Harvey

Despite last year’s SAG-AFTRA strike, a promising slate of films will be released in 2024. This year of film has gotten off to a good start, with highly anticipated releases like Dune: Part Two earning impressive box office numbers and critical praise. From big blockbusters to smaller, independently produced projects, the 2024 movie lineup offers something for every type of viewer. Thus, here are some of the most anticipated films of 2024.

Challengers

26 April 2024

Credit: Collider

Later this month, Luca Guadagnino’s highly anticipated tennis comedy-drama Challengers, starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist, will be released. The film was initially set for an August 2023 release. However, the SAG-AFTRA strike delayed it nearly eight months. The Challengers press tour is underway, with the cast making recent appearances in Australia to promote the film.

The film follows “Tashi, a former tennis prodigy turned coach, [who] is married to a champion on a losing streak. Her strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend.” (IMDb) Audiences can expect an alluring and fun love triangle set against the backdrop of the tennis world. With a cast of some of young Hollywood’s brightest and most promising talents, Challengers will undoubtedly be exciting.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

24 May 2024

Credit: British GQ

Over the past forty-five years, the Mad Max franchise has established itself as a global phenomenon and cult classic. After Mad Max: Fury Road was released in 2015, new audiences became mesmerized by the deranged post-apocalyptic society, riveting action sequences, and compelling characters. The Mad Max world is undoubtedly unlike anything audiences have seen before, making a new addition to the franchise highly anticipated.

This May, creator and director George Miller will return to the Mad Max universe with Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, starring Anya Taylor-Joy as Imperator Furiosa and Chris Hemsworth as Warlord Dementus. The film serves as a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road and follows Furiosa after she is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers by Warlord Dementus and plots her way back home through the Wasteland (The Hollywood Reporter). If Mad Max: Fury Road is any indication, audiences can expect to be submerged into an apocalyptic desert wasteland and witness an invigorating marathon of action sequences. Mad Max: Fury Road holds the title of one of the best action films of the twenty-first century, so action fans should be thrilled for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

Inside Out 2

14 June 2024

Credit: Disney Movies

The past ten years of animated film have been no less than exceptional, and Inside Out (2015) is arguably one of the most impressive animated story-telling feats of the twenty-first century. The original film followed a young girl named Riley and her five personified emotions, Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust, as her family relocated to San Francisco. Inside Out was a critical and commercial success, with a reach extending far beyond Pixar’s typical youth audience.

The sequel, Inside Out 2, is set for a June 2024 release and will follow Riley during her teenage years as she encounters new emotions. Audiences can expect a new slate of personified emotions, including Ayo Edebiri as Envy, Maya Hawke as Anxiety, Paul Walker Hauser as Embarrassment, and Adèle Exarchopoulos as Ennui. Based on the original film’s inventiveness and emotionally moving nature, audiences should undoubtedly consider seeing Inside Out 2– even if they don’t have children.

Kinds of Kindness

28 June 2024

Credit: Empire

This summer, Yorgos Lanthimos is returning with another star-studded film, Kinds of Kindness. After the critically successful Poor Things (2023) and Emma Stone’s Best Actress Oscar win for her role as Bella Baxter, Lanthimos and Stone are collaborating for a third time. The film will also star Jesse Plemmons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, and Joe Alwyn.

Kinds of Kindness will be a contemporary film that features three different stories. Searchlight has released the following synopsis of the film: “Kinds of Kindness is a triptych fable with segments following a man without choice who tries to take control of his life; a policeman who is alarmed that his wife, who was missing at sea has returned and seems to be a different person; and a woman who is determined to find a specific someone destined to become a prodigious spiritual leader.” (Searchlight Pictures)

Sing Sing

Summer 2024

Credit: IMDb

Sing Sing is a drama film directed by Greg Kwedar, starring Colman Domingo. The film initially premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, and A24 will distribute the film this summer. Already, critics are raving about Sing Sing, and the film holds a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. A24 has released the following description of the film: “Divine G (Colman Domingo), imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn’t commit, finds purpose by acting in a theater group with other incarcerated men. When a wary outsider joins the group, the men decide to stage their first original comedy in this stirring true story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art, starring an unforgettable ensemble cast of formerly incarcerated actors.” With raving reviews about Domingo’s performance, viewers should certainly look forward to Sing Sing’s wide release.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

6 September 2024

Credit: Variety

The highly anticipated return of Tim Burton’s iconic Beetlejuice character is imminent. A sequel to the legendary 1988 horror-comedy film, Beetlejuice, will release in early September, with Burton returning to direct and Wednesday writers Alfred Gogh and Miles Millar penning the screenplay. Much of the beloved original cast will return for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, including Winona Ryder reprising her role as Lydia Deetz, Catherine O’Hara as Delia Deetz, and Michael Keaton as the infamous ghost, Beetlejuice. Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci, Justin Theroux, and Willem Dafoe round out the cast, starring as new characters.

Warner Bros has released the following synopsis of the film: “Beetlejuice is back! After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.” (Warner Bros)