2024 is shaping up to be an interesting year at the box office. Thanks to the Hollywood strikes, some releases were pushed back to 2025, and for the first time in years, there will only be two comic book adaptations in theaters. If some non-superhero flicks were ever going to step up, now’s the time to do so.
Regardless of the strike delays, there are still a lot of potentially great movies to look forward to in the coming year. That’s why we’ve assembled our list of the ten most-anticipated movies of 2024 as your guide for the next year. These films will likely be among the top hits of 2024 as well.
10. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
The Lord of the Rings brand may not be quite as pristine as it was prior to Prime Video’s The Rings of Power, but it’s still a major event when the franchise has its first animated film since the 1980 adaptation of Return of the King. Warner Bros. is going all in with The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, a new theatrical animation release that shines a light on the little-known history of Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox), the king of Rohan whose name was used for the fortress, Helms Deep, as seen in The Two Towers.
Miranda Otto is reprising her role from the LOTR trilogy as Éowyn, a shieldmaiden of Rohan who narrates the film and shares the story of her kin. So far, the only thing we’ve seen from this film is some concept art, but it looks like at least one of the film’s battles will recapture the epic scale of the trilogy.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will hit theaters on December 13, 2024.
9. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
After getting their cinematic rematch in Godzilla vs. Kong, what’s next for Big G and King Kong? A team-up in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Only a few of the cast members from the previous film will be back, including Rebecca Hall as Dr. Ilene Andrews, Kaylee Hottle as her adoptive daughter, Jia, and Brian Tyree Henry as Bernie Hayes. Dan Stevens is taking over one of the leading roles as Trapper.
Godzilla and King Kong had an alliance of necessity against Mechagodzilla in the first film. This time, a new (or perhaps a very old) Titan has emerged who challenges both monsters and forces them to join together again. We’ll find out if the MonsterVerse truly has legs when this film arrives.
Godzilla vs. Kong: The New Empire will hit theaters on April 12, 2024.
8. Beetlejuice 2
How hot is Wednesday‘s Jenna Ortega in Hollywood circles? Ortega’s newfound star power helped Beetlejuice 2 escape development Hell after over 35 years. Ortega will be the new female lead as the daughter of Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz and the granddaughter of Catherine O’Hara’s Delia Deetz, both of whom are back for the sequel.
Of course, it just wouldn’t be a party without Betelgeuse/Beetlejuice himself, as Michael Keaton returns as the ghost with the most alongside his bride, as played by Monica Bellucci. Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux, and Arthur Conti round out the cast. So far, there’s no trailer. But since most of the production was finished before the strikes, Beetlejuice 2 should have no trouble making its release date.
Beetlejuice 2 will hit theaters on September 6, 2024.
7. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
The Planet of the Apes reboot series lives on with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, a new sequel that takes place three hundred years after the death of Caesar in War for the Planet of the Apes. But in this future world of ape supremacy, Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand) has betrayed the ideals of his namesake and enslaved both humans and his fellow apes in his quest to reclaim human technology for himself.
A young chimpanzee named Noa (Owen Teague) emerges as the hero that his fellow apes need, while The Witcher‘s Freya Allan portrays Mae, a feral young woman with a common purpose with Noa. It may be too late to restore humanity, but there’s still a chance to keep the apes from repeating mankind’s mistakes.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will hit theaters on May 24, 2024.
6. Dune: Part Two
If not for the actors’ and writers’ strikes, Dune: Part Two would have already been in theaters this year. Director Denis Villeneuve doesn’t have a lot of luck at the box office, but he’s made some of the most visually arresting sci-fi films of the last decade. This time, Villeneuve gets to complete his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s first novel in the Dune saga.
Following the betrayal and downfall of his family in the first film, Paul Atreides (Wonka‘s Timothée Chalamet) has been embraced as the Messiah-like leader of the Fremen as he becomes the first real threat to Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken). But to avenge his family, Paul must face Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen (Austin Butler) from his rival house and topple an empire that has stood for generations.
Dune: Part Two will hit theaters on March 1, 2024.
5. Joker: Folie à Deux
As far as we know, there is no Batman in Joker: Folie à Deux. But the original Joker movie didn’t need a Dark Knight to become a billion-dollar hit. Joaquin Phoenix is back as Arthur Fleck, the man who became the Joker after a lifetime of mental and physical abuse pushed him to his breaking point.
The sequel introduces Lady Gaga as Dr. Harleen Quinzel, a psychiatrist who is drawn to Arthur. The name of the film means “madness for two,” so it’s a pretty safe assumption that Gaga’s character will follow her namesake’s destiny and become the Harley Quinn to Arthur’s Joker in this timeline as well. It’s also rumored that Gaga’s vocal talents will be put to use for some musical scenes, but we haven’t seen evidence of that yet.
Joker: Folie à Deux will hit theaters on October 4, 2024.
4. Ballerina
The John Wick franchise isn’t done yet. Ballerina features Blonde star Ana de Armas as Rooney, a character who was briefly glimpsed in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. Keanu Reeves will reprise his role as John Wick for the film, but this story is all about Rooney’s quest for revenge as she targets the men who murdered her family.
Ian McShane and the late Lance Reddick are also back as Winston Scott and Charon, respectively. Newcomers to the franchise include Gabriel Byrne, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Norman Reedus, while Anjelica Huston reprises her role as The Director.
Ballerina will hit theaters on June 7, 2024.
3. Deadpool 3
Marvel’s lone movie for 2024 is built on the long-awaited team-up of Ryan Reynold’s Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. But don’t expect these two to get along in Deadpool 3. Somehow, this film is going to act as a true sequel to Deadpool 2 while also bringing the characters into the MCU.
Confirmed returning cast members include Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Shioli Kutsuna as Yukio, Karan Soni as Dopinder, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, and Stefan Kapičić as the voice of Colossus. Intriguingly, Jennifer Garner will reprise her role as Elektra Natchios for the first time in nearly two decades, adding some credence to the rumors that more 20th Century Fox-era Marvel heroes will also appear.
Deadpool 3 will hit theaters on July 26, 2024.
2. Wicked: Part One
Broadway musical adaptations have often been hit or miss in Hollywood, but Wicked is a franchise that may transcend that altogether. This megahit has reinvigorated The Wizard of Oz by giving the Wicked Witch of the West a fleshed-out backstory, while the musical’s show-stopping numbers have made Wicked a fan-favorite.
Cynthia Erivo portrays Elphaba Thropp, a green-skinned woman who will eventually become the Wicked Witch of the West, while Ariana Grande stars as Galinda Upland, one of the good witches of Oz. Don’t look for Dorothy Gale and her friends in the first part of this adaptation, but you will get to see Jeff Goldblum appear as the Wizard of Oz. That should be fun all by itself.
Wicked: Part One will hit theaters on November 27, 2024.
1. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Why is Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga our most anticipated movie of 2024? Because Mad Max: Fury Road was an astonishingly great action flick, and director George Miller doesn’t seem to have lost a step with Furiosa. The Queen’s Gambit star Anya Taylor-Joy is headlining this prequel as the young Furiosa before she became Imperator.
In this post-apocalyptic tale, Furiosa was stolen from her home. And if she wants to return, Furiosa must get past Warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) and his dangerous followers in the wasteland. If the early trailer for this film is any indication, it will be a hell of a ride.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga will hit theaters on May 24, 2024.
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