It might seem hyperbole to describe A Quiet Place as a franchise as basically being the Batman: Arkham series of the horror movie genre thus far. You have A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place: Part II playing the roles of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, working near perfectly as back-to-back stories that helps evaluate the genre of entertainment it is a part of while staying true to what it does best. And if that pattern continues, we can basically count on A Quiet Place: Part III (scheduled for release next year) as being the Arkham Knight of the series, a technically impressive and well made final (?) entry that bites off more than it can chew and relying on shaking foundations and underwhelming reveals to get itself to the finish line in one piece. Which will likely be followed a near decade later with Death Angels: Kill The Human Race, which involves the monsters wiping out the rest of humanity, including all the characters we’ve followed in the previous films, giving them the most underwhelming send-offs and death scenes imaginable. In the meantime, we now have what can basically be considered the Arkham Origins of A Quiet Place franchise with A Quiet Place: Day One, a prequel that will likely be seen as the black sheep of the series and more of the same but still has an engaging enough narrative that it can stand on it’s own two feet, even if you haven’t gotten into the series thus far.
It still provides the same amount of thrills, scares, and set pieces as the previous two films, it still is treated with the same amount of love and care in terms of pure craftmanship, and Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn are both so engaging on screen that you will actually not find yourself missing Emily Blunt and her children on screen. However, it still can’t escape the whole feeling of “been there, done that” and the central story is something that I don’t believe was needed to fit into the unique, post apocalyptic world that is A Quiet Place. The good old Big Mac still tastes good but you might be craving for something more and healthier, such as a delicious steak from here on out.
Premise: When New York City comes under attack from an alien invasion, a woman (Lupita Nyong’o) and other survivors (Joseph Quinn) try to find a way to safety. They soon learn that they must remain absolutely silent as the mysterious creatures are drawn to the slightest sound.
The one thing that is absolutely clear about A Quiet Place: Day One is that it’s not so much interested in being an origin story that tries to fill in the blanks and answer questions that no one really needed to be answered but tell it’s own tale that just so happens to be set in A Quiet Place universe and just so happens to take place before the events of the first two films outside of the opening prologue to Part Two. Those that are hoping for answers about who the Death Angels are, where they came from, and why is it that sound is their true vision will surely be disappointed. What we have instead is the most human and character driven story told in this world with a young woman named Sam, a terminally ill cancer patient that is finally getting a chance to explore the world for the first time in forever that just so happens to be the day where all hell broke lose and the monsters invaded hurt. And when she gets that freedom to explore the world, she doesn’t care about figuring how what just happened and who these monsters are. All Sam cares about is getting some pizza, and she will act by any means necessary to get it.
On one hand, it does feel refreshing to have a prequel story that isn’t interested in acting as a Wikipedia page summary and wants to just stand on it’s own while providing a different experience from prior entries in it’s franchise. And it also helps prevent them screwing up the lore with the monsters and make the universe feel much more smaller and contrived than before (*cough* Alien: Covenant). However, that does create the big question as to why this prequel even needs to exist or if it adds anything to the series. And unless you count there being two new heads getting focused and a new location in New York City, A Quiet Place: Day One never really answers that question other than to make some extra money.
What makes this all forgiven is that the new characters we follow are just as engaging as the characters we’ve followed in the first two films. Sam, played wonderfully by Lupita Nyong’o, is just a woman that is wanting to enjoy the outside fresh air in any way she can now that she is free, even if that happens to be on the day where monsters take over the world. Eric, also played wonderfully by Joseph Quinn, is someone that just wants to survive but also wants someone to be along side them on the way as he finds a safe place. You have Djimon Hounsou’s Henn, the only returning character from the previous films, that is doing everything in his power to keep the remaining human race alive. Alex Wolf shows up as a fun assistant to Sam for a limited period of screentime. Oh, and you also have an incredibly awesome Cat, who unironically makes the smartest and most logical choices out of any character in the series thus far. Even as someone that’s starting to keep tired of kitty cats showing up in every movie, I certainly liked this one.
The scares and thrills are still impressive here, easily containing the biggest set pieces of the series so far, which is crazy considering this is suppose to be a prequel. Even if setting it in New York City does make it comparable to other typical disaster flicks out there, Day One is still able to make most of these moments, providing unique tension and suspense whenever are characters are just roaming through the streets to get from one location to the next. There’s nothing here that quite tops the stepping on a nail or stepping into a bear trap moment but there’s enough of a body count and gruesome deaths to provide the tension when it needs to.
If it seems like this review is shorter than usual, that’s because there’s not much to say here that can’t already been said about the previous two films. We still have a story at it’s center about the human race trying to survive against deadly monsters that are attracted to sound while trying to live their life to the fullest in the remaining time that they had. It’s just that this time around we are starting to get the sense that this series is beginning to run out of tricks in providing a new and unique experience for A Quiet Place. The majority of what works about the previous films still work here but this feels like the first installment that you have done without the Quiet Place gimmick slapped onto it. Also, as said before, those that are looking for answers about the Death Angels themselves will likely be severely underwhelming as the film has no interest in answering those kind of questions.
Even so, the scares and thrills are still effective and Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn are both super compelling on-screen, with both of their characters undergoing satisfying arcs throughout, that it more than makes up for any potential short comings. If you look at it as it’s own thing, A Quiet Place: Day One is an intense and enjoyable sci-fi horror flick. But looking at it’s at another installment in this franchise, that at this point needs justifiable creative reasons to acknowledge it’s existences, it’s a showcase that this series is beginning to run on fumes and should be given a proper wrap-up soon before it wears out it’s welcome completely.
Bring on A Quiet Place: Part III and even A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, the new video game that just got announced! But, perhaps don’t bring on anything more after that!
Other comments:
If done right, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead can be the best and most satisfying IP licensed game since Alien: Isolation!
I also remembered there’s a scene in the film where a character is forced to carry the cat while swimming but the cat doesn’t scratch them or anything. That might be the least sensitive cat I’ve ever seen! I love it!
Also, NO, I did NOT get the Batman: Arkham comparison from Jeremy Jahns in his review. I already had that in the back of my mind before seeing his review. I promise! It was just bad timing, okay!
A new entry for A Quiet Place has just released in theaters with A Quiet Place: Day One. Because of that, it’s time to see how that entry stacks up with the previous two entries in this unique horror franchise.
It does feel odd how this series in particular has turned into a franchise of it’s own kind. Because when looking at it’s own premise, it doesn’t seem like it’s one that has potential to expand into it’s own franchise. Sure, maybe a sequel or two would be fine but more than that, it’s quite stretching thin. Even so, we’ve gotten three films thus far with a fourth one on the way for next year along with a new video game that looks like it could be A Quiet Place‘s version of Alien: Isolation. I don’t know how long they plan to ride this train out but if they can keep crafting installments that are as well made, acted, and engaging as they are, then I’m sure it will be able to get away from it.
Nevertheless, it’s time to rank all three A Quiet Place films thus far from worst to best. This will undoubtedly be my shortest list to date because of only three films to talk about but let’s rank them anyway because why not.
3.) A Quiet Place: Day One
The weakest A Quiet Place to date is unfortunately the newest one that just came out, even if it’s still pretty darn good in it’s own right. Three films in and this is when we are starting to get the feeling of fatigue of seeing the same monsters slaughtering everything it can in sight and only the ones that remain the most quiet will serve. There is also a much more character driven and human story at center than it’s predecessors while certainly compelling, feels like it could have done without the Quiet Place gimmick slapped onto it. Also, those that are looking for answers about how the monsters go to earth will be very disappointed.
Even so, the scares and thrills of the previous films still work here and Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn are both super compelling on-screen, with both of their characters undergoing satisfying arcs throughout. And as most people have been saying, the cat steals the show in every scene that it’s in. If you look at it as it’s own thing, it’s an intense and enjoyable sci-fi horror flick but as yet another installment in this franchise, A Quiet Place: Day One is a showcase that this series is beginning to run on fumes and should be given a proper wrap-up soon before it wears out it’s welcome completely.
2.) A Quiet Place
The original A Quiet Place has to be one of the most unique and surprising horror films in recent memory. It’s able to use it’s premise of sound-heavy monsters who roam the world as a mean to craft a story of the means of surviving when the human race is on the verge of extinction and what lengths can a parent goes through to protect their children. John Krasinski proves himself to be a tour de for even more behind the camera as he is in front of the camera, alongside the amazing Emily Blunt, A.K.A. his wife, and young stars Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe.
Sure, there are moments where you do have to suspense your disbelief on the family being able to survive for as long as it has and certain choices they make during certain moments but when a movie is this well made, acted, and directed, it’s easy to overlook these flaws. The fact it’s able to tell a genuine and heartfelt tale despite having very minimum dialogue and relying on it’s visuals and hand language is the real master stroke here. Aided by Oscar-calibar editing, a mesmerizing score, and a haunting and captivating atmosphere, A Quiet Place is a horror film for the ages and is one that is most certainly worth a look for any fan of the genere.
1.) A Quiet Place: Part II
The best film in the franchise to date is A Quiet Place: Part II. This is a horror sequel that manages to be just as good, if not better, than it’s predecessor and is one of the better horror sequels in recent memory. It shows that there is still more to explore within this world with just as much suspense, insanity, and brutal kills as the original! This one sees the family split up as they get out of their comfort zone to discover who else is left on the other side of the word and whether or not they can bring an end to this universe ruled by blind alien monsters!
A Quiet Place: Part II manages to continue the story in a very organic way and sets the tables well for an absolute banger of a third part finale! Even if it takes a few more years to come out or if we never get a third film at all, it works just when watching it back-to-back with the original making it feel like an absolutely complete experience on it’s own! Providing the best use of scares, thrills, brutal kills along with having the best direction and performances of all three movies, A Quiet Place: Part II is the best Quiet Place film to date and one of the best horror sequels out there!
It’s now officially May which means it’s now officially summer movie season! The time of the year where the big blockbusters of the year are front and center in movie theaters everywhere now that the kids are out of school! Because of that, I figure I’d so something that I’ve yet to do on this blog, do a list of what I believe will be the top highest grossing films of the summer!
2023 was an absolute DISASTER at the box office during the summer time! That is largely due to the massive budgets from the majority of the big movies that came out that year along with just the overall inconsistent-to-poor quality of those big movies. And considering the fact there will likely be no Barbenheimer to save the summer, 2024 will likely be just as challenging for summer movies!
Even so, I think the 2024 summer movie season will give a big indication as to whether or not Hollywood is still recovering from the post-covid era of struggling to get people’s butts into theater seats or will this be the beginning of a resurrection for summer movies! We can only cross our fingers and hope for the best!
And considering I’ve been seeing multiple people put their own predictions of the top 10 biggest summer movies in terms of profit, why not throw my own hat in the ring and do my own list of this?! Keep in mind, these are the movies that I believe will be the highest grossing of the summer, not the ones that I desperately want to be at the very top. If that were the case, then Furiosa would at least be in the top 3 and Despicable Me 4 would be dead last on this list. This is list is not a matter of anticipating or movies I think will be objective the best, this is a list of the movies that I believe will be the most to least successful in terms of the top 10 movies of the summer.
Also, this is a ranking based on box office numbers worldwide and NOT domestic. That list would be harder and more complicated for me to judge. This is how I feel the box office numbers will hold for each film WORLDWIDE. Could I be dead wrong on every single one of these? Absolutely! But hey, it’s fun to be able to make predictions, right?!
Time to jump right in and put my predictions on what I believe will be the top 10 highest grossing films of the summer!
10.) Furiosa
Release Date: May 24th
Box Office Projection: $350 Million
Reason: I have all the faith in the world that George Miller will deliver with this film but I’m just not sure it’s one that most general audience will be interested in. Despite the massive praise that Mad Max: Fury Road got back in 2015, it only made a little over 380 million dollars worldwide, with a net loss somewhere between $20-$40 million. And considering this is basically a prequel spin-off surrounding a character from Fury Road but played by a completely different actress and with no Mad Max to be found in the marketing, that doesn’t inspire much confidence for Furiosa to top or even match that. I love to be proven wrong and the cult following of Fury Road will show up to this one but I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up being the most frustrating Hollywood flop since last year Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, especially with the rumored film budget being over 200 million dollars! Hopefully this prevails and we get more Mad Max films from George Miller with the time we still have with him!
9.) Bad Boys Ride or Die
Release Date: June 7th
Box Office Projection: $400 Million
Reason: This is likely the summer movie I’m the most curious to see how it performs. This is a sequel to a movie that was one of the last solid hits to come out before covid hit. If it’s able to hit all the right beats just like Bad Boys For Life did, then I can see this doing similar numbers to that and perhaps even top it. The only big question is whether or not everyone has forgiven Will Smith for slapping Chris Rock on stage yet?
8.) The Fall Guy
Release Date: May 3rd
Box Office Projection: $425 Million
Reason: The first big movie of the summer is set to arrive tomorrow and I think this will largely benefit from being that first big movie of the summer. It also helps that it’s an awfully good over-the-top action flick that puts the spotlight on stunt doubles. If the word of mouth is good enough this weekend, I can definitely see this being a genuine crowd pleaser and may even make more folks demand that the Academy act a stunt category to the Oscars. I seem to be higher on this movie than most folks that I’ve seen but I think The Fall Guy will do more than fine and dandy at the box office.
7.) A Quiet Place: Day One
Release Date: June 28th
Box Office Projection: 450 Million
Reason: Coming after the first two terrific installments, this is the one main horror franchise that has left the audience more intrigued to see what happens next. The only potential downside is that this acts as a prequel to those first two films with a completely different cast and director. The big looming questions is whether or not audiences love A Quiet Place for it’s memorable characters and recognizable actors or for it’s genuine scares, set pieces, and world building. If the quality for Day One is in the same ballpark as those first two Quiet Place movies, then I can certainly see it being in the same ballpark as the first two films in terms of box office results.
6.) If
Release Date: May 17th
Box Office Projection: $475 Million
Reason: There are two main factors here that will make If a good hit at the box office. First, it will be the biggest family friendly movie to come out in May (give or take The Garfield Movie) and will have enough time to stand out as that until Inside Out 2 and Despicable Me 4 come out. Secondly, it has the star power duo of Ryan Reynolds and John Krasinski. Those two factors alone are almost certain guarantee that this movie will do bank once it comes out in the next two weeks. It likely won’t be the biggest movie of the summer starring Mr. Blake Lively but it will definitely help for him to have a summer to remember.
5.) Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Release Date: May 10th
Box Office Projection: $500 Million
Reason: The next big summer entry is set to come out in theaters next month and looks as if it will be as visually delighting and narratively compelling as it’s rebooted predecessors. Disney has been doing everything in their power to promote this film by showing off the elements that folks loved the most about the previous three films. That in of itself will guarantee a strong first weekend, especially since it’s avoiding Memorial Day competition with Furiosa and The Garfield Movie. Just like with A Quiet Place: Day One, the biggest challenge that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will have to overcome is make people just as invested in this new cast and crew as they were with the previous ones. If it does that, then this will likely be in the top 5 movies of the summer.
4.) Twisters
Release Date: July 19th
Box Office Projection: $600 Million
Reason: It might be a bold claim on the surface to predict this one making 600 million and being one of the biggest movies of the summer but hear me out. The original Twisters is adored by many, it has the star power of Glen Powell, coming off his great work in Top Gun: Maverick, and everyone just loves a good disaster flick. The trailers have been doing it’s best to sell audiences on exactly what they want to see out of a disaster movie and that alone will likely get plenty of folks into the theaters. I could be dead wrong in claiming this but even if this does get bad reviews, I don’t see that scaring away audiences because this is the definition of a “critic proof” movie. By that note, this will likely be the most successful “critic proof” movie since The Super Mario Bros Movie. Hopefully, the discourse over the Rotten Tomato score won’t be as insufferable.
3.) Inside Out 2
Release Date: June 14th
Box Office Projection: $750 Million
Reason: Disney has been in quite a slump as of late with their theatrically released films, especially in terms of animation. Despite all the flops released last year, Elemental had some staying power and made just enough to be guaranteed a profit, making that and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 the only Disney movies to NOT be considered a financial disappointment. And considering this is a sequel to one of the most beloved Pixar films in recent memory, Inside Out 2 will be able to do some of the best numbers with Disney Animation since 2019, especially if the reviews are stellar. The recent track record alone might prevent it from reaching the same success as the first one but if it delivers, Inside Out 2 should be able to be the most successful theatrically released Pixar film since Toy Story 4 and possibly even the most successful theatrically released Disney film overall since Frozen 2.
2.) Deadpool & Wolverine
Release Date: July 26th
Box Office Projection: $900 Million
Reason: Many folks have claimed this will be a guarantee billion dollar hit but I think everyone needs to come back to reality for a moment. After many big movies underperformed last year, including two MCU installments, we might need to pump the breaks on such bold claims. As much as Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the most anticipated movies of the year and will likely be one of the biggest movies of the summer, that’s won’t guarantee 7 digits as prior big Marvel movies did. The R-rating alone (A reminder that there has been only ONE film to ever make a billion dollars!) along with the inconsistent quality of recent Marvel movies/shows will likely prevent it from reaching that billion dollar mark, with audiences still needing more consistent quality Marvel flicks to be fully won back. The promise of seeing Huge Jackman as Wolverine once again in yellow spandex, the buddy-cop routine with him and Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool, and the absolute guarantee of multiple easter eggs, cameos, and fan service will make Deadpool & Wolverine one of the biggest movies of the summer almost certainly. When it comes to if it will be the first Marvel movie since Spider-Man: No Way Home to make a billion dollars, that more than remains to be seen in my eyes.
1.) Despicable Me 4
Release Date: July 3rd
Box Office Projection: $1.1 Billion
Reason: I don’t understand the appeal of these movies and I likely never will but one thing is certain though, this franchise certainly has an audience. Coming off a third entry that made a billion dollars and a second Minions movie that almost made a billion dollars, there is no reason to believe that Despicable Me 4 won’t be in that exact same territory in terms of box office success. Whether you like or hate them, Illumination Animation certainly knows how to get kids and families to theaters with their films and this will certainly be no exception. As I said before, the quality of any of these films is irrelevant and I highly doubt any kind of negative reviews will impact the box office results here. If I had to pick one big movie that is the saftest bet to make a billion dollars and be the highest grossing movie of the summer, it would be Despicable Me 4. I wish that was not the case but hey, there are plenty of folks out there that do. So, what do I now?
Other notes:
As for the other movies that got let off the list!
The Garfield Movie nearly came close to topping Furiosa the 10th spot but unless it’s able to make noise at Memorial Day, I can see this being shipped to digital really quickly. It might do enough for a profit but not Hotel Transylvania and Spider-Verse numbers.
Alien: Romulus looks like a return to traditional roots for the series in the form of Prey but it will likely have to pay for the sins of Prometheus and Alien: Covenant (Damn you, Ridley Scott!).
The Bikeriders seems fun but won’t leave much impact until it hits streaming service like it originally was suppose to.
Horizon: An American Saga could likely come and go depending on it’s quality.
And if the trailers for Borderlands is anything to go by, this will likely be one of the biggest bombs of the summer. Why, Eli Roth?! Just why?!
2023 is now officially over which mean it’s now time to roll into 2024! And what better way to kick off the early part of January then to share what new films I’m looking forward to the most in 2014.
I’ll be straight up honest with you, there’s not very many films that I’m over the moon excited to see this year. If anything, there’s not so much movies I’m excited for and more movies that I’m CURIOUS for. When viewing the 2024 movie release slate as a whole, you can definitely tell it’s been largely affected by the multiple strikes that took place throughout the course of 2023, causing many film releases to be paused or delayed entirely. Because of that there’s so many films set to come out this year as we speak that we literally know NOTHING about. Perhaps there will be smaller films under my radar or even brand new big films that I have ZERO excitement for will win me over but for now, I’m going into 2024 with pretty pedestrian expectations for what it will bring us in terms of films.
That being said, I still do have ten movies this year that I do have interest in and more likely will check them out around the time that they release.
FYI, I will NOT be including Dune: Part Two on this list because that was already on last year’s list. Considering that only got move backed due to the writers strike along with the fact that was on my list from last year, I don’t need to remind you again that I am legit excited for that movie.
First off, I have a five honorable mentions.
Honorable Mentions:
Argylle
We see Matthew Vaughn returning to the spy action genre once again with a stacked cast and an original premise that will hopefully bring a good spin on the genre as we know it. Hopefully, Vaughn is able to recapture that lightning in a bottle he did with Kingsman: The Secret Service and avoid the trappings that brought down Kingsman: The Golden Circle.
Ballerina
With The Continental acting as the first spin-off series in the John Wick universe, Ballerina will act as the first spin-off film set in the John Wick universe, taking place between Chapter Two and Three. It will star Ana De Armas as a ballerina named Rooney, a character from Chapter 3 but has been recast, seeking revenge by hunting down the murder of her family. If done well, this has potential to expand upon the John Wick franchise in interesting ways, even without it’s titled main character. And if you saw her brief cameo in No Time To Die, you would know that Ms. Armas is more than capable of handling an action role.
Borderlands
After returning to his roots last year with Thanksgiving, Eli Roth is taking his next step a year later with the newest video game film adaption in Borderlands. Even with the increase in quality over the years, video game adaptions are still something to be very cautious over. Even so, there’s a lot of notable names in the cast here with Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Jamie Lee Curtis and Eli Roth is the master at making over-the-top bloody gore fests. With the correct rating, this could at worst be a relatively fun time and make for perhaps the goriest video game movie we’ve ever seen!
Joker: Folie à Deux
This is one that I’m more CURIOUS about than EXCITED. Even as someone that enjoyed the first Joker but wasn’t jumping off the roof over it, I don’t think it was a film that warranted a sequel. But because the first one made a billion dollars, we see Todd Phillips returning for a follow-up which will see the origin of Harley Quinn played by Lady Gaga and is said to have a more “musical” vibe to it. I have no clue if this will work or not but no doubt I will be there day one to see how this whole thing will play out. This is a bold strategy, let’s see if it pays off!
Nosferatu
More than just his cameos in Spongebob Squarepants, Nosfreatu will be a modern remake of the 1922 original starring Bill Skarsgard himself with Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse, The Northman) taking directing duties. Eggers has been a director that has just entered my radar and I’m profoundly interested to see if he can pull off a high quality remake of a film that is now over 100 years old.
Now, here we go with the main top three!
10.) The Fall Guy
The summer movie season of 2024 is not kicking off with yet another Marvel superhero movie but with a fresh action thriller with The Fall Guy, acting as an adaption of the 1980s tv series. We get to see Ryan Gosling acting as a daredevil stuntman that becomes a reluctant investigator to save his ex-girlfriend’s film. David Leitch has easily grown accustomed to the action genre with his work on John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, and Bullet Train and he looks to continue that even further with The Fall Guy. Even if it’s technically not an “original” film, this looks like it will be a nice change of pace for summer blockbusters and shown it’s more than just an overreliance on superhero or franchise installments.
9.) Kung Fu Panda 4
There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical about a Kung Fu Panda 4. It’s rare to see three straight franchise films in a row to be as consistently good as they are (even if Kung Fu Panda 3 was a step down from the first two) and it’s even rarer for a fourth film to top or even match that level of quality. However, if there’s one thing you should learn by now when it comes to Kung Fu Panda, it’s to NEVER judge a book by it’s cover. Here we will see Po accepting his new role as the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace while passing on the role of the Dragon Warrior to someone else. With a new set of characters such as Zhen (Awkwafina), Han (Ke Huy Quan), and the brand new antagonist the Chameleon (Viola Davis) along with old familiar foes set to return such as Tai Lung (Ian McShane), Kung Fu Panda 4 looks to act as a culmination of the entire Kung Fu Panda series up to this point. Just please make sure the Furious Five come back in some way, shape, or form!
8.) Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Maybe this is recent bias, but after being on cloud nine with Godzilla: Minus One, I can’t help but be more excited for some more action with the King of Monsters. This looks set to be a rematch between Godzilla and King Kong himself, with the two facing a new global threat that will challenge their very existence and the survival of the human race. Based off the marketing and trailers we’ve seen thus far, Adam Wingard seems dead set on promising a gorgeous, action-packed spectacle featuring the two titled characters that everyone is looking to see along with perhaps something more than that. While it will be hard to top Minus One, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is certain to be a genuine crowd pleaser that will be able to expand the brand of these two beloved monsters, allowing their legacies to expand even further.
7.) A Quiet Place: Day One
After two excellent entries in this latest horror franchise, A Quiet Place: Day One will act as a spin-off prequel, showcasing the earlier days of when the worldlike apocalypse in this universe occurred that whipped off the majority of the human population. With Michael Sarnoski taking over for directing duties over John Krasinski, he will look to provide new and inventive ways to deliver clever scares and unique set pieces along with expanding upon the mythology of this franchise even further. I never would have guessed a horror series that has quite a paper-thin premise on paper could get me excited for multiple entries but if they can keep delivering films that are this well made, acted, and engaging, then I will happily take more of them.
6.) Inside Out 2
There is a strong argument to be made that the original Inside Out was objectively the very best Pixar film ever made. It was an animated film that did everything it could with it’s special premise and delivered a stellar motion picture about emotions and feelings and the importance of every notable one of them. With the first film tackling the days of little Riley as a young girl, the second film looks to take a step even further and show Riley going through her days as a teenager. With the new emotion of anxiety and a few others entering this film, we are likely to get a deep dive into the mindset of a young teenage girl going through her own personal struggles. As much as people have been overly critical with the amount of sequels that Pixar has developed over the years, Inside Out 2 is one that has more than enough material on paper to justify it’s existence. If they can make this work, I’ll take more sequels as there is plenty of stories to tell with the entire concept of these movies.
5.) Mickey 17
This is not necessarily one that I know most about or what the actual title of Mickey 17 is suppose to mean. However, there’s one name attached to this project that’s more than enough to me excited for this film to come out. That being no other than the director of Bong Joon-ho. Acting as a follow-up to his Oscar-winning masterpiece of Parasite (*insert angry incel anti-woke fanboy*), Mickey 17 will act as an adaption based off the 2022 novel Mickey 7 and will star the current Batman himself in Robert Pattinson. Would Mickey 17 be this high on the list or even on the list at well if it weren’t for the cast and crew behind this? Probably not. But sometimes, that is more than enough to convince you that it will be worth checking out or at least be a worthwhile quality piece of art.
4.) Deadpool 3
Acting as the only cinematic entry to be released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Deadpool 3 will be looking to add the humor, charm, and violence that made the first two movies so good and be able to deliver them in new, satisfying ways. With Hugh Jackman coming out of retirement as Wolverine (in the classic Wolverine suit at long LAST) along with potential other well-known X-Men characters joining the party with longtime actors reprising their roles, I wouldn’t be surprised if Deadpool 3 ends up being to Deadpool what No Way Home was to Spider-Man in acting as a celebration of prior Marvel movies. If done well, this can serve as a delicious appetizer and gets everyone excited for the next main course that will be the upcoming Avengers movies, most notably Secret Wars. Oh, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Taylor Swift have a role in some way. After all, you gotta get that few extra bucks from the Swifties.
3.) Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Approaching the 10 year anniversary of the action movie masterwork that was Mad Max: Fury Road (can’t believe it’s ALREADY been nine years), George Miller returns once again to this post-apocalyptic world which he helped created but with a prequel that puts the spotlight on the latest action heroine icon from Fury Road in Imperator Furiosa, played this time around by Anya Taylor Joy. With this being reported to be in the works for several years now, this is clearly a passion project for Miller himself and wants to give everything he has to do it. While it does look more CGI-ish compared to Fury Road, if Furiosa is able to at least capture a quarter of the magic that 2015 game changer did with it’s stunts, action, visual storytelling, and emotional depth, then it may just continue the Mad Max franchise even further, with hope that the long in development installment, Mad Max: The Wasteland, might see the light of day. Even so, I’m just at least happy to be able to spend more time in this universe.
2.) Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
In an age where most newest installments in long-running franchises are uneven and inconsistent in terms of quality, who would’ve guess that it’s the recent run of Planet of the Apes movies that is ahead of the curve in that regard. Coming off a hugely successful three-movie run with Rupert Wyatt and Matt Reeves that told the complete story of Caesar, the baton has been passed to Wes Ball for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Set 300 years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes, ape civilizations have emerged higher than ever while the human population is now at it’s absolute lowest, with the focus now on a young ape named Noa and a young human girl named Mae. If the quality of the first three rebooted ape movies is anything to go by, I would expect Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is to be yet another amazing accomplishment with motion capture and visual storytelling along with getting one step closer to the events of the original 1968 Planet of the Apes where it’s completely ape dominated. Between this and Furiosa, Memorial Day weekend is sure to be one strong weekend for films.
1.) Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Do I expect this to be the best movie of 2024? No! Is there a strong chance that this will likely be the worst of the anticipated films I’ve mentioned? Yes! But at the same time, I can’t help but have my mind set on Sonic the Hedgehog 3 more than any other upcoming movie this year. Maybe it’s due to the fact that the prior two Sonicthe Hedgehog movies were honestly more or less the Sonic movies I’ve always dreamed off as a kid but Sonic 3 has a chance to not just set a new standard for video game movies but possibly make Sonic popular than he ever has been before. With it set to introduce fan-favorite character Shadow the Hedgehog, possible well known Sonic characters such as Amy Rose and Rouge the Bat might get thrown into the mix, seeing how the Sonic lore is more expanded upon, and even just seeing how the main trio grow as characters, Sonic 3 just seems set to be an absolute blast for Sonic fans, video game fans, and everyday moviegoers alike. We might not know the exact plot synopsis quite yet or even who is going to be cast as Shadow the Hedgehog. However, the build up and anticipation to it’s holiday release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is what I’m looking forward to the most throughout the majority of 2024. I don’t expect this to win an Oscar or even be my absolute favorite of the year, but the inner child in me is what make Sonic the Hedgehog 3 my most anticipated film of the year!
As for other big movies coming out this year:
I saw Night Swim early. It kinda stinks and is pretty much the exact definition of a January horror movie. Don’t expect another pleasant surprise like M3GAN from it.
There’s another Mean Girls coming out that acts as more of a musical than an actual remake. Hopefully, it’s not another Mean Girls 2.
Madame Web seems set to be a Madame Webbing time (Did I do that right?).
Love Lies Bleeding looks like it will be every Sapphics wet dream.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire was another holdover from 2023 but from the trailers, it looks like yet another reminder about how Hollywood has completely forgot what made Ghostbusters special.
Rebel Moon: Part Two might fix the flaws of Part One but either Netflix needs to learn how to properly release their feature films or Zack Snyder needs to learn how to release a proper film in it’s actual cut released for theaters and streaming.
There’s a new Universal monster movie set to star Melissa Barrera, the actress who just got fired from Scream due to voicing her support from Palestine. That alone is enough for me to show my support!
Alex Garland’s Civil War seems set to be the most controversial film of 2024 in both the best and worst ways possible. Just please let this be closer in quality to Ex Machina and Annihilation and NOT Men.
There’s another Strangers film coming with The Strangers: Chapter 1 for fans of that series. I’m not really one of them.
An animated Garfield film is also coming on Memorial Day alongside Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and Furiosa. It looks cute but why does Chris Pratt got to be in every animated movie nowadays?
Bad Boys 4 might still be a thing this year, assuming the whole world has gotten covered Will Smith’s Oscar slap.
Despicable Me 4 is happening because….I guess the kids still love minions.
Twisters is an upcoming disaster film with the director of Minari. That could be good.
M. Night Shyamalan has another movie set with Trap. And even his daughter has a new movie as well. Let’s see how those turn out!
Horizon: An American Saga is getting Chapters 1 and 2 in the same year directed by Kevin Costner no less. Could be interesting!
Alien, Lord of the Rings, and The Karate Kid are getting new films this year believe it or not but we literally know NOTHING about them whatsoever.
Gladiator and Beetlejuice are getting sequels….for some reason.
Kraven the Hunter movie is still a thing….for some reason. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 game pretty much already has that beat by a mile.
Transformers One could be yet another surprisingly enjoyable or just okay Transformers movie that will likely underperform at the box office because the world is still recovering from Bayformers or even misses it.
Wolfs is the next film from prior Spider-Man director, Jon Watts. We’ll see how that goes.
Saw XI and Smile 2 are coming because of how successful the last Saw and first Smile was.
Venom 3 will likely be another film which will help Sony continue to destroy the last remaining will that superhero movies still have. At least Tom Hardy will still be run, right?
Red One is an upcoming Christmas adventure with The Rock and Chris Evans because….of course.
Wicked: Part One will be a newest musical fantasy adaption that I may check out if the reviews are good enough.
And of course, Disney is releasing Mufasa: The Lion King, which will likely be another bad or underwhelming Disney live-action remake that pales in comparison to the original. Barry Jenkins is WAY too talented of a director for this!
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