Even though there is a long list of amazing movies coming out this year, the nine listed below are must-sees due to either their phenomenal cast, attachment to a saga or long-awaited reveal.
1. Black Panther (February 16)
Many fans have been patiently waiting for the superhero’s movie to finally surface. After the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, T’Challa returns home to his African nation to take his rightful place as king. Director Ryan Coogler brings to life the story of T’Challa when two enemies join together to bring down his kingdom and Black Panther, played by Chadwick Boseman, must team up with CIA agent Everett K. Ross and members of the Dora Milaje—Wakanda’s special forces—to prevent a world war.
Marvel’s “Black Panther” not only has a strong fan base, it contains a strong cast including notable actors Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker and Andy Serkis. Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios’ president, made clear the intentions and focus of the film, “It’s a big geo-political action adventure that focuses on the family and royal struggle of T’Challa in Wakanda, and what is means to be a king. T’Challa’s story is very important to us as it links to the next Avengers films, which is why we brought it forward.” Fans of the Avengers movies and Marvel comics can expect this film to hold up to its high expectations.
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2. A Wrinkle in Time (March 9)
Based off of the science fantasy novel written by Madeleine L’Engle in 1969, Disney’s film gathered a cast that does not disappoint including top-names such as Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Chris Pine. The protagonist, Meg, embarks on a journey with her brother and friend to rescue her father after discovering a new form of space travel and three magical beings—Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which. The movie is based on a fifth dimension existence where time “wrinkles” affecting different outcomes and paths. Meg becomes a warrior who must use her light to battle the evil darkness that has captured her father.
Everything Disney touches becomes a profitable, magical success, so viewers can hope for the same from this long-awaited film version of the highly popular novel. The cast was well-selected and each actor stands out in the roles presented in the trailer. The film will most likely not be exactly like the book, but will leave viewers amazed at the outcome of grappling with the idea of a fifth dimension and portraying a young girl hero.
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3. Pacific Rim Uprising (March 23)
After many setbacks to the production of this film, it is finally being released with much anticipation. The original “Pacific Rim” received a mixture of reviews while being described as sporting “more style than substance,” but there are high hopes for this sequel with its surviving characters returning as well as new cast members Scott Eastwood, Levi Meaden and Adria Arjona. The film will show a changed world since the defeat of the Kaiju menace providing a large contrast for Steven S. DeKnight to deliver to the screen, with this being his first time directing a feature film.
“Pacific Rim Uprising” shows a conflict between otherworldly monsters and human-piloted super-machines, made to destroy them, having to face war with humans giving their last efforts to save their surroundings and lives. The sequel is expected to show an all-out attack against humanity with extreme damage and larger, stronger monsters than the previous film. There will be an intense scene against a boss character, as seen in the trailer. This film leaves much to the imagination in hopes it surpasses the success of the last film through its new cast members and plot.
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4. Avengers: Infinity War (May 4)
The Avengers and their allies unite to defeat the all-powerful Thanos before he destroys everything in his path by collecting all six Infinity Stones and using them to inflict his twisted will onto reality. The film is plagued with uncertainty, yet all heroes coming together for this intense moment creates a nostalgia for the past productions. After following these heroes for years on their battles, this one will bring all others to a head and show the Avengers and their allies needing to channel every ounce of power they have left. In this film, Thanos will hope to gain all stones and place them in the Infinity Gauntlet to give him the powers of a God; therefore, having control over time and the universe.
The movie will gather more heroes together than ever before to prevent the main antagonist Thanos from destroying their world. “Avengers: Infinity War” is going to be a spectacle because it is not only the third in The Avengers installment, it is also a crossover/sequel to “Captain America: Civil War,” “Doctor Strange,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Black Panther.” This film will bring the ultimate, deadliest showdown viewers have seen from this ten-year cinematic journey.
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5. Solo: A Star Wars Story (May 25)
Actor Paul Bettany revealed the film will vary from its predecessors, just as “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” has proved to offer a differing tone. Little is known about the film, even with its release only being five months away, yet Bettany says, on one hand, it is a gangster movie. The film will be placed ten years prior to “Star Wars: A New Hope” which sits it between the end of the prequel trilogy and the beginning of the original trilogy. Alden Ehrenreich steps into the main role, the younger version of Harrison Ford’s character from the original saga, which gives him huge shoes to fill.
Even after this film’s initial struggling production, its date is still set for May 25 with fans eagerly awaiting a teaser trailer or full cast photo. Lucasfilm let go of the two original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller after creative differences and hired Ron Howard to take over filming. With many reshoots and information being withheld, everyone is unsure of what to expect from this spinoff movie. However, “Star Wars” fans’ loyalty and others’ curiosity will cause this film to make it big at the box office. “Solo: A Star Wars Story” is a must-see because it is unprecedented to any other “Star Wars” film.
6. Ocean’s 8 (June 8)
The film headlines with strong, female leads portraying a heist team of eight women at its core executing an elaborate scheme at the Met Gala in New York City. Elaborating from the 1960 film, with Danny Ocean and his gang of criminals, this edition of the familiar crime sprees stands out because of its female-driven direction. The previous Ocean films were directed by Steven Soderbergh; however, Gary Ross will be taking the reins this time. The tagline of the movie, “Every Con Has Its Pros,” is expected to show two sides of each criminal, as can be seen from each character’s regular daily life in the trailer, for example, Tammy being a mom of an ordinary family. Sandra Bullock is starring as the lead, Debbie Ocean (Danny Ocean’s sister), who is orchestrating the heist after landing parole.
The plan is to steal a necklace valued at $150 billion worn by Daphne Kluger, played by Anne Hathaway, with her team of well-known stars: Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, Rihanna, Sarah Paulson, Mindy Kaling and Awkwafina. Bullock’s character attacks other females with little money who are desperate for a way out of their current situations; she uses their skills to benefit her overall scheme. According to IMDb, the film will have appearances from Katie Holmes, James Corden, the Jenners and Kim Kardashian West. “Ocean’s 8” will definitely provide audiences with an amazing cast on an exciting heist adventure.
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7. Incredibles 2 (June 15)
Mr. Incredible, voiced by Bob Parr, will have the task of caring for Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack, the baby with superhero powers, while Elastigirl is out saving the world. The teaser trailer reveals this much while providing comedy viewers loved from the original 2004 movie, “The Incredibles.” The plot will consist of the family having to eventually team together to fight a new villain, The Underminer. His sinister plot is unknown, but Jack-Jack will most likely be the one to save the day since he is a new addition to the family.
Jack-Jack’s powers are underdeveloped with random sparks of energy that result in wreaking havoc among his family and resulting in laughter from the baby. While this movie will have many viewers reliving their childhood memories, it is doubtful it will be comparable to the original unveiling of the characters. However, most are hopeful this sequel will provide viewers with a similar experience as the first and it is definitely one to watch out for this upcoming summer.
8. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (June 22)
“Jurassic World” ended with the Indominous Rex wrecking the park in which, Owen, Claire and her nephews survived their horrific journey and Dr. Henry Wu located genetic material with the potential to continue InGen’s dinosaur proliferation game. From this dramatic ending, “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” has several avenues it could explore. The film is releasing only eleven days past the 25th anniversary of “Jurassic Park’s” release date in 1993 signifying a momentous month for the American science fiction media franchise.
Hispanic film director Juan Antonio Garcia “J.A.” Bayona is taking on the great task of expanding from the last film in this sequel; he has been noticed from his work on “The Orphanage,” “The Impossible” and “A Monster Calls.” From “Jurassic World,” Chris Pratt as Owen Grady and Bryce Dallas Howard as Claire Dearing will be returning as well as two “Jurassic Park” figures, B.D. Wong’s Dr. Henry Wu and Jeff Goldblum’s Dr. Ian Malcolm.
The sequel is expected to bring action in the form of various dinosaur interactions while providing a sense of suspense as dinosaur proliferation technology could potentially get into the wrong hands as suggested by writer Colin Trevorrow. He says the film will expand on the basic moral rights of animals, “The dinosaurs will be a parable of the treatment animals receive today: the abuse, medical experimentation, pets, having wild animals in zoos like prisons, the use the military has made of them, animals as weapons.” Viewers can hope to see dinosaurs’ purpose expand beyond an attraction and others taking advantage of them by abusing dinosaur technology.
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9. The Predator (August 3)
The franchise has taken a break since Nimrod Antal’s “Predators” in 2010, but now the return of the extraterrestrial killer is headed to a theater near you. This version will essentially be a remake of the 1987 sci-fi film; however, set in present day featuring soldiers as protagonists, Quinn McKenna played by Boyd Holbrook as the main one, who is a former marine that discovers evidence of a Predator on Earth. Through many not believing his claims, he assembles a team to destroy the threat.
Jacob Tremblay, young actor from “Room,” will play alongside Holbrook as his son who has a form of autism. Tremblay’s excellent performance in “Room” will surely translate into “The Predator” with him adding no doubt an emotional element to the production. Olivia Munn will star in this film as a scientist, possibly one who can take down the Predator. A surprising addition to the cast is Keegan-Michael Key who is known for his hilarious comedic success, yet he seems to be taking on a more serious role in this film. There is a lot to hope for with this new version of the popular franchise, due to its phenomenal casting.
