As anticipation builds for the 96th Academy Awards ceremony, the team at Awards Daily is already looking ahead to the cinematic offerings of 2024. The upcoming year holds promise, though the landscape remains fluid with the unannounced releases (that PTA film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, for example) and potential delays caused by the inevitable impact from the recent writers’ and actors’ strikes. Some anticipated films may even spill over into 2025 (for the purposes of this list, we used the release date listed on IMDB). As we await further announcements, trailers, and the buzz from film festivals, our interests may evolve.
To capture the collective excitement, ten of our writers and editors were asked to compile a list of their 20 most eagerly anticipated films of the year. From our diverse selections, we’ve curated a compelling lineup of 20 movies that we simply can’t wait to experience.
Before we get started, here are a few films that made more than one list but just missed our top 20: His Three Daughters (Carrie Coon!), The Bikeriders (some of us saw this in Telluride and loved it), Civil War, Flint Strong, Kinds of Kindness, Drive-Away Dolls, A Real Pain, and Twisters.
Thanks to Clarence, Ryan, Joey, Shadan, Megan, Jalal, Shadan, Benjamin, and David for participating in the poll!
20. Hit Man
Directed by: Richard Linklater
Starring: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona
IMDB synopsis: A professor moonlighting as a hit man of sorts for his city police department, descends into dangerous, dubious territory when he finds himself attracted to a woman who enlists his services.
Teaser/Trailer Here
19. The Fall Guy
Directed by: David Leitch
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Hannah Waddingham, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Teresa Palmer, Stephanie Hsu, Lee Majors, Winston Duke,
IMDB synopsis: Colt Seavers is a stuntman who left the business a year earlier to focus on both his physical and mental health. He’s drafted back into service when the star of a mega-budget studio movie, which is being directed by his ex, goes missing.
Teaser/Trailer Here
18. The Piano Lesson
Directed by: Malcolm Washington
Starring: John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, Samuel L. Jackson, Corey Hawkins, Michael Potts, Stephan James, Erykah Badu
IMDB synopsis: Follows the lives of the Charles family as they deal with themes of family legacy and more, in deciding what to do with an heirloom, the family piano.
17. Mother’s Instinct
Directed by: Benoit Delhomme
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Josh Charles,
IMDB synopsis: Alice and Celine live a traditional lifestyle with successful husbands and sons of the same age. Life’s perfect harmony is suddenly shattered after a tragic accident. Guilt, suspicion and paranoia combine to unravel their sisterly bond.|
Teaser/Trailer Here
16. Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse
Directed by: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson
Starring: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, Jake Johnson, Oscar Isaac, Jason Schwartzman, Issa Rae, Amandla Stenberg, John Mulaney, Daniel Kaluuya, Mahershala Ali, Jharrel Jerome
IMDB synopsis: After leaving off from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the story continues.
15. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
Directed by: Kenji Kamiyama
Starring: Brian Cox, Shaun Dooley, Miranda Otto
IMDB synopsis: The untold story behind Helm’s Deep, hundreds of years before the fateful war, telling the life and bloodsoaked times of its founder, Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan.
14. Queer
Directed by: Luca Guadagnino
Starring: Daniel Craig, Jason Schwartzman, Drew Starkey, Lesley Manville
IMDB synopsis: Lee, who recounts his life in Mexico City among American expatriate college students and bar owners surviving on part-time jobs and GI Bill benefits. He driven to pursue a young man named Allerton, who is based on Adelbert Lewis Marker.
Why I’m Excited – by Jalal Haddad: Never before have I ever been able to say that my favorite working director is releasing not one but two new feature films this year. With Luca Guadagnino releasing both Challengers and Queer, I am feeling incredibly blessed by the gods of cinema and taking it as a sign that 2024 is my year! No other director working today explores gender, sexuality, desire, shame, or even family dynamics quite like Guadagnino. Whether it is his seminal masterpiece Call Me By Your Name, the epic reimagining of the horror classic Suspiria, or even the criminally under seen HBO series We Are Who We Are, I always walk out of Guadagnino’s projects a changed person – as if his very specific cinematic language speaks directly to me.
Challengers is already one of the most buzzed about films of the year and for good reason. Starring Zendaya, who just might be one of our last great bankable movie stars, in a sexy, stylized sports saga. Its exploration of sexual power through tennis, while thematically on the nose, is a world that Guadagnino will excel in and hopefully will help introduce him to major box office success. Queer on the other hand, while thematically feels on par with his usual themes of desire obsession, and addiction – feels like a major turn for the director because of his new star, Daniel Craig.
Guadagnino has made a name for himself by allowing young ingenues the chance to explore their craft in taboo and thrilling ways (Timothee Chalamet, Dakota Johnson, Jack Dylan Grazer, Taylor Russell). But now he’s teaming with Daniel Craig, an established global movie star with multiple franchises under his belt. I’m thrilled to see what a Guadagnino/Craig pairing will look like, and although I’m trying to go into the film as blind as possible, if it’s anything like the director’s past work I know it will be one of my favorite films of the year.
13. Inside Out 2
Directed by: Kelsey Mann
Starring: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Tony Hale, Maya Hawke, Liza Lapira, June Squibb
IMDB synopsis: Follow Riley, in her teenage years, encountering new emotions.
Teaser/Trailer Here
12. Gladiator 2
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Starring: Paul Mescal, Connie Nielsen, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, Matt Lucas, Derek Jacobi
IMDB synopsis: Follows Lucius, the son of Maximus’ love Lucilla, after Maximus’ death.
11. Wicked
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeo, Jeff Goldblum
IMDB synopsis: The story of how a green-skinned woman framed by the Wizard of Oz becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. The first of a two-part feature film adaptation of the Broadway musical.
Why I’m Excited – by Joey Moser: I admit that I go back and forth with Wicked as a musical. It came out when I was studying musical theater, and I loved that Avenue Q beat it for Best Musical at the Tony Awards. Will I regret anticipating the big screen adaptation so much before I even see one frame of footage? Maybe, but right now it’s at the very top of my list for several reasons.
With In the Heights, director Jon M. Chu showed us that he can trade in action for choreography. There are some shots in that musical adaptation that prove that he is a director who knows how to capture movement on a big scale – I expect a lot of ensemble dancing and camera swooping through ‘Dancing Through Life.’ The casting excites me. Cynthia Erivo has sung on camera but mostly on the small screen. I am eager to see how the screen struggles to contain Elphaba’s voice before she breaks free during the act one finale. Ariana Grande has proved over and over that you can’t pin down her comedic timing, and after providing devastating work in Fellow Travelers, I am stoked to see Jonathan Bailey flex his muscles as Fiyero. Michelle Yeoh? Yes, please. Bowen Yang in a brand new part? Sign me up. Jeff freaking Goldblum as The Wizard? No notes.
Most of all, though, I am amped for a movie musical that isn’t afraid to show off that it’s a movie musical. Without seeing a trailer yet, I hope that the studio embraces that Wicked is one of the highest-grossing, longest-running, most over-the-top musical spectacles playing on Broadway. It carries bankability in its name and everyone from your first-grade teacher to your grandma knows that Wicked is a lavish extravaganza, and it’s time for those theater nerds to come out in droves.
10. Maria
Directed by: Pablo Larrain
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Valeria Golino, Kodi Smit-McPhee
IMDB synopsis: Follows the life story of the world’s greatest opera singer, Maria Callas, during her final days in 1970s Paris.
9. Megalopolis
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Kathryn Hunter, Jason Schwartzman, Dustin Hoffman, Giancarlo Esposito, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Balthazar Getty, Nathalie Emmanuel, James Remar, D.B. Sweeney, Talia Shire, Chloe Fineman
IMDB synopsis: An architect wants to rebuild New York City as a utopia following a devastating disaster.
Why I’m Excited – by Clarence Moye: To understand my excitement for Francis Ford Coppola’s return to filmmaking, you have to consider how long this project has been kicking around. We first heard rumors of the hugely ambitious project back in the 1990s during Coppola’s last big run of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Jack, and The Rainmaker. He’d been working on the screenplay since the early 1980s. By the time the project actually started filming in 2022 under Coppola’s personal funding, we’d been treated to rumors of trouble behind the scenes with below-the-line crafts persons walking off set. The end result could go either way. We could have a modern day Godfather on our hands. Or we could not… in a huge way. Whatever the final product, there’s no denying it will emerge as a compelling piece of art, particularly with an eclectic cast that includes Adam Driver, Forest Whitaker, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter, Talia Shire, Dustin Hoffman, Giancarlo Esposito, and many more. Here’s hoping that Coppola, who arguably hasn’t directed a great film since 1992, has one more masterpiece in him. I know I’ll be first in line to see it.
8. Blitz
Directed by: Steve McQueen
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Stephen Graham, Harris Dickinson
IMDB synopsis: Follow the stories of a group of Londoners during the events of the British capital bombing in World War II.
7. Alien: Romulus
Directed by: Fede Alvarez
Starring: Isabela Merced, Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson
IMDB synopsis: Young people from a distant world must face the most terrifying life form in the universe.
Why I’m Excited – by Mark Johnson: To understand my love for the Alien franchise, you have to go all the way back to 1987, when a nine-year-old version of your humble narrator and friend sat captivated by Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi thriller, Alien, peeking through the holes of my cherished security blanket during the infamous gut-buster scene. My adoration for that film, along with its 1986 sequel, James Cameron’s Aliens, is well-documented. While subsequent attempts to recapture the magic the first two films have come up short – Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, anyone? – I remain eagerly invested in each new installment of the perfect organism saga. Despite understandable reservations, the anticipation for the latest film of the franchise always blooms within me like a facehugger bursting from its egg.
6. Joker: Folie à Deux
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Zazie Beetz, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Ken Leung, Steve Coogan
IMDB synopsis: Plot unknown. Sequel to the 2019 film ‘Joker.’
Why I’m Excited – by Benjamin Rendall: I love the Joker as a character; he is a great villain who has inspired so much in fiction and has been used to create some of the best moments across media. Yet when the first film was announced, I wasn’t interested, since – with rare exceptions – I do not love comic book movies. But after it won the Venice Film Festival I was very excited and rushed to see it and was very happy with what I got. It avoided comic book film clichés and was instead a great look at mental health and societal ills using the iconic villain as a perfect showcase while keeping the demented sense of fun the character is known for. I never thought it needed a sequel, however, and had concerns that Joaquin Phoenix would fall into franchise staleness.
But when Joker: Folie à Deux was announced as both a musical and starring Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, I had to admit it left me intrigued. It appeared that Director Todd Phillips was really trying to do something very different from the first film. The set photos of Lady Gaga as Quinn looked phenomenal and, as a fan of the character, I would love for her to get a really great movie presence. Joaquin Phoenix is one of my favorite actors of all-time, and Lady Gaga was Oscar-worthy in A Star is Born. I am excited to see what these two actors will do together. With my love of these characters and the creative directions this team took on the comic book movie before, I am left incredibly hopeful that lightning will strike twice.
5. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Directed by: George Miller
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Nathan Jones, Angus Sampson
IMDB synopsis: The origin story of renegade warrior Furiosa before her encounter and teamup with Mad Max.
Teaser/Trailer Here
Why I’m Excited – by David E. Phillips: There may be stranger film careers than that of Aussie director George Miller, but it takes some pondering to come up with one. After making a savage stateside impact with his Down Under post apocalyptic one-two-three of Mad Max, The Road Warrior, and Beyond Thunderdome, it was as if Miller set out to prove all the other things he could do. The wicked comedy of The Witches of Eastwick was followed by the family/disease drama Lorenzo’s Oil, and then, most peculiarly for a guy who made one of the greatest, most violent escape films of all time (The Road Warrior, naturally), Miller made three consecutive animated movies: Babe: Pig in the City, Happy Feet, and Happy Feet 2. The mind practically reels at the dissonance between his Mel Gibson-lead Mad Max trilogy and all that has come after. Well, that is until Tom Hardy picked up Gibson’s mantle and became Max for what might just be the best film of the lot, Mad Max: Fury Road. After another left turn with A Thousand Years of Longing (hey, who wouldn’t want to rub a bottle and have Idris Elba come out of it?), Miller returns to base camp with the prequel Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga starring Anya Taylor Joy as the character Charlize Theron made iconic in Fury Road. Lord only knows what this crazy, nearly octogenarian-age Australian will come up with in Furiosa, but if it is even close to the controlled chaos of Fury Road, it promises to be the wildest cinematic ride of the year.
4. Dune: Part 2
Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Léa Seydoux, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Charlotte Rampling, Tim Blake Nelson
IMDB synopsis: Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.
Teaser/Trailer Here
Why I’m Excited – by Shadan Larki: Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, in all of its six-time Oscar-winning glory, was the sci-fi epic of a generation. The sweeping production introduced us to the world of Arrakis with stunning visuals and compelling characters, chiefly Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides. But, Dune: Part One, as beautiful as it was, is the film equivalent of an appetizer, a nice setup for our main course to come in March’s Dune: Part Two.
It’s a fitting metaphor given that the climax of the novel, and arguably one of the most iconic moments of the Dune series, is an intergalactic dinner scene that will feature prominently in Dune: Part Two. The film will follow Atreides as he leads the Fremen people in battle against the Harkonnens, and the big, bad Christopher Walken’s Padishah Emperor Shaddam. In Villeneuve’s capable hands, this showdown promises to be a cinematic feast, but what has me even more excited is seeing this stacked cast in the ultimate fantasy playground. In addition to more prominent roles for Zendaya and Rebecca Ferguson, Dune: Part Two adds Florence Pugh as the alluring Princess Irulan and Austin Butler as the menacing Feyd-Rautha. Long live the House of Atreides!
3. Mickey 17
Directed by: Bong Joon Ho
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Mark Ruffalo, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, Naomi Ackie
IMDB synopsis: Plot under wraps.
Teaser/Trailer Here
Why I’m Excited – by Ryan Adams: Long before Bong Joon-ho made a masterpiece and Oscar history by winning an armload of Oscars for Parasite, he directed the highest-grossing movie in South Korean history, The Host. In this riveting old-school creature feature, Bong served up a thrilling sci-fi spectacle that mixed monster mayhem with social commentary like a cinematic mad scientist. With his genre-bending brilliance and sharp wit, Bong is like the brainy love child of Spielberg and Tarantino. Maestro of unexpected genre mashups, it’s little wonder Bong Joon-Ho was attracted to the novel’s epic blend of action, philosophy, dark humor, and twisted romance.
In Edward Ashton’s Mikey7, mankind’s galactic adventure takes its next reckless leap forward, as colonists bid farewell to inhospitable Earth in search of a fresh planet to fuck up. The passengers and crew of the Drakkar hope to settle like nomads on alluring virgin territory but first they need a canary to explore potential coal mines. Hapless but intrepid Mickey Barnes missed the VIP list for rich sophisticated colonists, so he opts instead to be cloned as an “expendable.” This disposable status makes him the mission’s crash-test dummy. Whenever he dies another ghastly death, another Mikey clone steps up, ready to go again. Mickey7 isn’t another run-of-the-mill grim dystopian vision; it’s a pitch-black comedy, a slapstick tragedy, and ultimately a profound case-study of existential yearning.
The novel juggles grim specters of death with wry finesse, which fits neatly into Bong Joon-ho’s own visionary attitude. We’ve seen in Snowpiercer how Bong can catapult humanity’s narrative into a far-fetched future, a parallel universe where cozy ethical norms are a nothing but a distant memory. Soon we’ll see him spin the calamities of space travel into a cosmic joke. Expect a celestial gut-punch, delivered with Bong’s trademark wicked wit, making Mikey 17 a philosophic romp driven by hardcore interstellar mayhem. Bong Joon-ho and Mickey 17 are a match made in a heavenly hellscape, and I’ll be seated for the matinee on opening day.
2. Nosferatu
Directed by: Robert Eggers
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Emma Corrin, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nicholas Hoult, Bill Skarsgård, Ralph Ineson, Lily-Rose Depp, Simon McBurney
IMDB synopsis: A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.
1. Challengers
Directed by: Luca Guadagnino
Starring: Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist
IMDB synopsis: Tashi, a former tennis prodigy turned coach 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.
Teaser/Trailer Here
Why I’m Excited – by Megan McLachlan: Challengers was supposed to screen at TIFF last year, but was pushed back due to the strike. Tennis movies don’t usually do great at the box office (see: Wimbledon and Battle of the Sexes), but the star power of Zendaya could finally be the breakthrough for this sports genre. She plays a Williams-esque dynamo in a love triangle with Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, and if this trailer didn’t have you with the line “I’m taking such good care of my little white boys,” then it certainly will with the pulse of Rihanna’s “S&M.” Oh, and did I mention that Luca Guadagnino is the director? Game, set, match!
As you can see there is plenty to be excited about this year, and that’s not counting all the movies that will likely spring up from festivals. So stay tuned as more films are announced in 2024.
Mark Johnson is a film critic and an Oscar prognosticator at Awards Daily under the Good As Gold column. He is a member of the Critics Choice Association and the Hollywood Critics Association. He is also a Cleveland sports fan and an avid fantasy baseball nerd. Find him on Twitter @marklikesmovies
I’ve stopped doing the whole “most anticipated” thing because invariably my favourite film of the year ends up being something that I either didn’t know about before the year or that wasn’t high on my list. Like, for example, sure I probably knew Andrew Haigh had a film coming out this year but I had no idea how good it would end up being.
Generally I feel it is best to keep an ear to the ground but just watch things as they come up without preconceived ideas about what I am going to like. In saying that it is good having these sorts of articles so I am aware of what I need to keep an eye out ofr
Mickey 17 has no release date as of a couple weeks ago. It was pulled without any explanation.
Not without explanation. Several film bloggers had been warning for months that Warner would likely delay the release date to premiere the film in Cannes.
https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2024/1/5/u1f7pbvmd80lfdsbur7o07qq36gxbi
I am looking forward to sequels!
Most anticipated movie? Spaceman. At least for the upcoming weeks.
When I read that Coppola hasn’t made a great film since Dracula… sorry, “Retro” was absolutely great, and it should have been in the Oscar conversation for Picture, Director, Actor (Gallo), S. Actress (Verdú), Screenplay and Cinematography at the very least. A pity it went under the radar
You mean “Tetro”. I saw it in theaters, it was quite beautiful.
Also, Dracula sucked.
What most anticipated films of 2024 will I add to my re-configured DESERT ISLAND MOVIE LIST?…
THE DESERT ISLAND MOVIE LIST
1927
SUNRISE: A SONG OF TWO HUMANS
1933
KING KONG
1934
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT
1936
DODSWORTH
1939
THE RULES OF THE GAME
GONE WITH THE WINID
WUTHERING HEIGHTS
THE WIZARD OF OZ
1941
CITIZEN KANE
1942
CASABLANCA
1946
THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
1947
OUT OF THE PAST
1948
THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE
BICYCLE THIEVES
1949
THE THIRD MAN
1950
SUNSET BLVD.
1951
THE DAY THE EARTH STODD STILL
THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD
1953
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY
TOKYO STORY
INVADERS FROM MARS
THE WAR OF THE WORLDS
1954
ON THE WATERFRONT
REAR WINDOW
SEVEN SAMURAI
1955
PATHER PANCHALI
THE QUARTERMASS XPERIMENT
THIS ISLAND EARTH
1956
INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS
FORBIDDEN PLANET
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
1957
THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI
1958
VERTIGO
1959
BEN-HUR
NORTH BY NORTHWEST
SOME LIKE IT HOT
THE 400 BLOWS
1960
THE APARTMENT
PSYCHO
SPARTACUS
BREATHLESS
1961
WEST SIDE STORY
THE HUSTLER
EL CID
1962
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE
JULES AND JIM
1963
THE BIRDS
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
1964
DR. STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB
GOLDFINGER
1965
DOCTOR ZHIVAGO
THE SOUND OF MUSIC
1966
WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINA WOOLF?
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
1967
BONNIE AND CLYDE
THE GRADUATE
IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT
GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER
TO SIR, WITH LOVE
COOL HAND LUKE
IN COLD BLOOD
1968
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
1969
MIDNIGHT COWBOY
THE WILD BUNCH
EASY RIDER
1970
M.A.S.H.
PATTON
1971
THE LAST PICTURE SHOW
THE FRENCH CONNECTION
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
MCCABE & MRS. MILLER
THE HOSPITAL
1972
THE GODFATHER
DELIVERANCE
CABARET
LAST TANGO IN PARIS
1973
THE EXORCIST
AMERICAN GRAFFITI
1974
THE GODFATHER PART II
CHINATOWN
BLAZING SADDLES
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
1975
JAWS
NASHVILLE
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST
DOG DAY AFTERNOON
BARRY LYNDON
1976
TAXI DRIVER
NETWORK
ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN
CARRIE
1977
ANNIE HALL
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND
STAR WARS
SLAP SHOT
1978
THE DEER HUNTER
NATIONAL LAMPOON’S ANIMAL HOUSE
HALLOWEEN
1979
APOCALYPSE NOW
ALIEN
1980
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
1981
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
1982
E.T. THE EXTRA TERRESTIAL
SOPHIE’S CHOICE
FANNY AND ALEXANDER
1984
THE TERMINATOR
1986
BLUE VELVET
THE SINGING DETECTIVE
1990
DANCES WITH WOLVES
1993
SCHINDLER’S LIST
1994
PULP FICTION
FORREST GUMP
1995
BEFORE SUNRISE
1997
TITANIC
1999
AMERICAN BEAUTY
2003
THE BEST OF YOUTH
2004
BEFORE SUNSET
2005
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
2007
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
2014
BOYHOOD
2019
ONCE UPON A TIME IN…HOLLYWOOD
PARASITE
2023
THE HOLDOVERS
AMERICAN FICTION
OPPENHEIMER
Mine:
Sorry this post was somewhat wrecked for the past few hours.
A chunk of bad code got into it.
Thanks to sharp-eyed “Barbie” for bring all this to my attention.
I am surprised, no one is mentioning Deadpool 3, which beforehand, looks brilliant and is one of the most anticipated mainstream offering in years. Even if the 2nd Deadpool entry was underwhelming compared to the first one (and lacked ambition, which was necessary), the first one was really close to Oscar glory and probably top 7 in many categories (Picture 11-13 judging by precursors, Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, VFX, Make Up, maybe even Reynolds would have been top 10 at Lead Actor – if you’re in doubt, remember Johnny Depp was nominated for his Jack Sparrow, and we have 2 Oscar-winning Jokers).
It’ll be a producer’s film (as Shawn Levy is an artisan), it’s Reynolds with control, and allowance by Marvel to play with all toys in the way he fancies (something he didn’t have with Deadpool 2).
I am not going to lie, it’s my #1 most anticipated movie of the year, and it’s a great thing that Reynolds seems to have total creative control, as all the right stuff on the Deadpool movies, comes from his dark and goofy sense of humor.
#2 would be the new Almodovar, in pre-production now, which means, due to his speed, that it could be finished right on time for Toronto or Telluride, and Oscar race, or make it wait a bit longer, to try to finally win Palm d’Or… but honestly I doubt the French would give Pedro a Palm d’Or for a film in English – a different matter, if he shot in French. As I said in other post, if he finishes on time, Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton and John Turturro would instantly become huge contenders in the acting races (specially the ultra-mega-overdue Turturro)
Deadpool 3 will have lotsa marvel character cameos, including supposedly Dazzler. The woman who is rumored to play her is an entertainer of recent note.
(Off topic reminder. Anyone who wants a personalized avatar can:
1) go to gravatar.com
2) sign up with your AD registration email
3) and upload a photo
Some that I’m interested in:
Abiding Nowhere (Tsai Ming-liang)
The Actor (Duke Johnson)
Aggro Dr1ft (Harmony Korine)
Anora (Sean Baker)
The Beast (Bertrand Bonello)
The Beast in the Jungle (Patric Chica)
Bird (Andrea Arnold)
Black Tea (Abderrahamane Sissako)
Blitz (Steve McQueen)
Challengers (Luca Guadagnino)
Civil War (Alex Garland)
Close Your Eyes (Victor Erice)
Dahomey (Mati Diop)
The Dreamt Adventurer (Valeska Grisebach)
Drive-Away Dolls (Ethan Coen)
Dry Leaf (Alexandre Koberidze)
Emmanuelle (Audrey Diwan)
L’Empire (Bruno Dumont)
The End (Joshua Oppenheimer)
Eureka (Lisandro Alonso)
Evil Does Not Exist (Ryusuke Hamaguchi)
Father Mother Sister Brother (Jim Jarmusch)
Flint Strong (Rachel Morrison)
The Fountains of Paradise (Apitchatpong Weerasethakul)
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (George Miller)
Gasoline Rainbow (Turner Ross, Bill Ross IV)
Grand Tour (Miguel Gomes)
Hard Truths (Mike Leigh)
His Three Daughters (Azazel Jacobs)
Hit Man (Richard Linklater)
Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 (Kevin Costner)
I Saw the TV Glow (Jane Schonebrun)
Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell (Pham Thien An)
It’s Not Me (Leos Carax)
Janet Planet (Annie Baker)
Juror No. 2 (Clint Eastwood)
Kinds of Kindness (Yorgos Lanthimos)
La Cocina (Alonso Ruizpalacios)
Love Lies Bleeding (Rose Glass)
The Magnificent Life of Marcel Pagnol (Sylvain Chomet)
Maria (Pablo Larraín)
Materialists (Celine Song)
Me (Don Hertzfeldt)
Megalopolis (Francis Ford Coppola)
Mickey 17 (Bong Joon-ho)
Mother Mary (David Lowery)
The Nickel Boys (RaMell Moss)
Nosferatu (Robert Eggers)
Oh, Canada (Paul Schrader)
The Order (Justin Kurzel)
Polaris (Lynne Ramsay)
Presence (Steven Soderbergh)
Queer (Luca Guadagnino)
Red Island (Robin Campillo)
Relay (David Mackenzie)
Resurrection (Bi Gan)
Sasquatch Sunset (David Zellner, Nathan Zellner)
The Shrouds (David Cronenberg)
Suspended Time (Olivier Assayas)
Trap (M. Night Shyamalan)
A Traveler’s Needs (Hong Sang-soo)
Twisters (Lee Isaac Chung)
The Way of the Wind (Terrence Malick)
We Live in Time (John Crowley)
We Shall Be All (Jia Zhang-ke)
Wildwood (Travis Knight)
You Burn Me (Matias Piñeiro, Lois Patiño)
Audrey Diwan adopting Emmanuelle? That sounds wild. I saw you also include films from last year´s Cannes lineup – is it because they will have their release date in your country in 2024 (I´m asking because I sometimes find it difficult to categorize films correctly. But I tend to include the new films by Hamaguchi and Erice in my 2023 list).
I use at least what I think the US release date will be. I just don’t think world premiere date describes how I experience the movie year to a sufficient degree (and helps me actually somewhat finalize lists earlier on) and doing by local release date would be a nightmare as movies don’t get released and I’d still for example be talking about The Fabelmans as the second-best film of 2023. But of course this approach leaves out films like La Chimera, which I’m so hyped for but that apparently had a one-week release in a theater in New York in 2023 so I have to list it as a 2023 film. And then of course I’m also not including films I’ve already seen and really liked, such as Club Zero.
It’s really difficult with some movies. For example, I wouldn’t have known that La Chimera was shown in New York for a week, but for me the premiere in Cannes is more decisive – just like with the films by Erice and Hamaguchi. But of course you have to follow some kind of system. By the way, Evil does not exist fortunately has a release date here in April. I’m planning to finish my top 10 earlier, but that’s always a work in progress of course.
A great film site is The Film Stage. So glad you included The Nickel Boys on your list. It’s #12 on The Film Stage’s 100 Most Anticipated Films. I read the novel, which like all of Colson Whitehead’s novels, is great.
I usually check their list but forgot to this year. So, thanks for the reminder! And I found a few more things I hadn’t even heard of but am now quite excited about:
Afonso’s Smile (João Pedro Rodrigues)
Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point (Tyler Taormina)
All We Imagine as Light (Payal Kapadia)
Pavements (Alex Ross Perry)
Chocobar (Lucrecia Martel)
That joker movie looks so pretentious
These lists are invaluable to me as I never know anything about what’s coming in the upcoming year! How do people get to know about these projects?!
Based on a quick glance, I’m most excited (by far) for Dune 2, followed by both Guadagnino films (didn’t even know he has two!), the Bong, the Coen, and the Larraín. Also the Steve McQueen one looks interesting (Harris Dickinson!).
Civil War by Alex Garland has potential but it really really needs to get the writing right, otherwise it will become hollow and stupid.
Also excited for Furiosa and Inside Out 2 but I have considerable fears (especially with Inside Out) that they won’t live up to their predecessors so we’ll have to see.
I hate to send people elsewhere, but a good place to keep up with what’s coming is “world of reel” – the owner of the site is pure garbage, but he seems to print every rumor and press release as if they are important international news. (In other words, he has like 4 or 5 updates a day)
For me my choices (ranked on excitement) are below:
1 – Long Days Journey Into Night (Jessica Lange back!!)
2 – Alien Romulus (Anything Alien franchise – I am in)
3 – Maria (Angelina come for that Oscar)
4 – Megalopolis (goes without saying)
5 – Nosferatu (when an image screams perfection)
6 – MaXXXine (cannot wait for the franchise ender)
7 – The Shrouds (Cronenberg is king)
8 – Dune Part 2 (Austin Butler in villain get-up)
9 – Babygirl (Kidman in a film by director of Bodiesx3)
10 – The Deliverance (Mo’Nique, Glenn Close, Anjanue Ellis – horror – yes)
1. Nosferatu, Robert Eggers
Loved The Northman, looking forward to seeing The Witch.
2. Blitz, Steve McQueen
The subject has already been done to death but Saoirse Ronan + Harris Dickinson + Steve McQueen sounds like a winning combo. Plus watch out for McQueen in directing if the Academy feels like compensating him for his loss with 12 Years a Slave.
3. Wicked, Jon M. Chu
I have never seen the show but I like the genre: fantasy musical, girl power… and I also liked Crazy Rich Asians (by the same director).
4. Wicked Little Letters, Thea Sharrock
I’m a sucker for British comedies and period movies, throw in Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley into the bargain and there’s no way I’m missing that one.
5. Hit Man, Richard Linklater
Could this be Glen Powell’s first Oscar nomination?
6. The Wolfman, Leigh Whannell
I loved The Invisible Man (2020) so I’ll make sure to check that one.
7. Mufasa, Barry Jenkins
While the live-action Lion King was completely useless, this origin story could be interesting, especially in the hands of Jenkins.
8. Juror #2, Clint Eastwood
Could this be Nicholas Hoult’s first Oscar nomination?
9. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Tim Burton
Huge fan of Tim Burton here, although Beetlejuice is not really my favorite film of his, I’m still curious about that one.
10. Mothers’ Instinct, Benoît Delhomme
Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain sparring in a melodramatic thriller, or is it a thrilling melodrama?
11. Nightbitch, Marielle Heller (That title! + Amy Adams)
12. Gladiator 2, Ridley Scott (I’ll watch anything by Ridley)
13. Kinds of Kindness, Yorgos Lanthimos (I’ll watch anything by Yorgos)
14. The Critic, Anand Tucker (the reviews are bad, but Gemma Aterton + Ian McKellen + Leslie Manville in a Faustian pact whodunnit set in the world of 1930’s London theater? You’ve got my attention).
15. The Shrouds, David Cronenberg
16. Civil War, Alex Garland
17. Lisa Frankenstein, Zelda Williams
18. Queer + Challengers, Luca Guadagnino (love Call Me By Your Name, enjoyed A Bigger Splash, less so his other films, but I’m always ready to give him another chance)
19. Back to Black, Sam Taylor-Johnson
20. Bob Marley: One Love, Reinaldo Marcus Green
Wild Cards:
Maria, Pablo Larrain (I was very much looking forward to Jackie and Spencer and disliked both immensely despite undeniable production values, maybe this one will finally do the trick)
Firebrand, Karim Aïnouz (same as The Critic, the reviews are bad, but I can’t resist a sexy royal drama with Jude Law and Alicia Vikander),
Other films I’ve heard of but not sure whether they’ll be released this year: Apartment 7A (Natalie Erika James), Conclave (Edward Berger), The Return (Uberto Pasolini), Rumours (Guy Maddin).
Powell and Linklater will get a script nomination
Wow, a Beetlejuice sequel? I loved the film very much in my teenage years and had a serious crush on Winona Ryder. It will be very difficult to find a cast that can hold up to the original one.
The new Steve McQueen is eagerly anticipated!
Weenana is reprising her role and so is Keaton. Jenny Ortega will be playing Weenana’s daughter and Monica Belluci the wife of Beetlejuice, so the cast at least sounds very promising, let’s hope the rest lives up to the hype.
Amazing, could be trashy of course, but at least there will be Winona…!
A very incisively detailed list, Barbie. I’m with you on Larrain. I’ll give him one more time to redeem himself with Maria. Nightbitch was a crazy novel. It’ll be interesting to see how Heller translates it to the screen. Eggers is pushing the visual envelope with Nosferatu. Can’t wait! Blitz is getting great word of mouth too.
Mark, Ryan…a solid diverse list. I would squeeze in Joshua Oppenheimer’s The End, Jim Jarmusch’s Brother Mother Father Sister and David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds. Ryan, the Jordan Peele won’t be out until next year. I doubt Project Hail Mary will make it this year either, The Ghost of Sondheim. I’d love to see PTA’s now filming Vineland(?) be an end of the year surprise, but I’m not holding my breath. As for what I’m most excited for on the vaunted Top 20 – Megalopolis, Mickey 17, Blitz, Nosferatu and Dune: Part 2.
1) I am not optimistic about Wicked, as I’ve written elsewhere. The number one reason isn’t the quality of the musical, it’s that they are dividing it into two parts. I love a good intermission, but a year is too much. And can you reward the first half without seeing the second. I doubt it.
As for the quality of the musical, I think Defying Gravity is the most overrated Broadway song of recent memory. It’s too repetitive and it’s more belting than singing. There have been great belting songs in the past, but they came with more emotional stakes so the belting makes sense. Prime example here would be And I am Telling You I’m Not Going.
The rest of the music is just fine. I probably should listen to it again, it’s been a long while.
I hope I am wrong. A spectacular musical extravaganza would be awesome!
2) I am skeptical of challengers simply because I love the two male actors so so much (Feist from Broadway’s Even Hansen and O’Conner from the severely underrated God’s Own Country.) and am at best neutral on Zendaya and I am going to be rooting for the two guys to get together. Maybe they will!
Although, I am excited about the tennis angle, the one forehand by “Zendaya” was perfect and quite difficult. I am sure it was from a double. But still, glad they got it right.
Now of course I was looking forward to I, Tonya because I love figure skating. But, my golly, they made so many mistakes about the sport and the timeline of the Olympic schedule in that movie, it drove me insane. That movie, along with Bohemian Rhapsody, caused me to despise, absolutely despise biopics.
No clue what they could get wrong about tennis, it’s the world’s fifth most watched sport and even more than soccer, has obscure countries able to climb to the top of the standings.
“Ten of our writers and editors were asked to compile a list of their 20 most eagerly anticipated films of the year. From our diverse selections, we’ve curated a compelling lineup of 20 movies that we simply can’t wait to experience.”
Here’s my list of 30, none of which include the words “The” or “A” in the title, and most which include the letters LGBTQ.
My list of 20 ran to 30, because I like to take every opportunity to remind the lazy-ass Academy oldsters to see more movies outside their comfort zone. Beyond the arid curated selection served to them on silver platters.
Challengers
Dune Deux
Furiosa
Mickey 17
Gladiator II
Drive Away Dolls
We Live In Time
Emmanuelle
Blitz
Wicked
Alien: Romulus
Untitled Jordan Peele
On Swift Horses
Cuckoo
Nosferatu
Kinds of Kindness
Love Lies Bleeding
Mother Mary
Maria
Jane
Queer
Femme
Love Me
Emilia Perez
The Piano Lesson
Sing Sing
Trap
My Old Ass
Joker: Folie a Deux
Long Day’s Journey Into Night
(Past the top 5 or 6, these aren’t in ranked order. Because I’m not obsessive… What? I’m not!)
Any word on Gosling’s Project Hail Mary? It’s in production now. If it comes out in 2024 should be at the top of everyone’s Oscar chances list.
And Mescal’s Hamnet. Hope that’s done in time.
Harris Dickinson in Blitz is so exciting, I really like him. And Steve McQueen. You know this is Gold. Another movie is coming up called Babygirl. With Nicole Kidman from the director of Bodies, Bodies, Bodies. Could be fantastic, could be a disaster. But I am always optimistic.
As for Barry Keoghan – Bring Them Down could be fantastic, totally obscure director though. And Bird. Not sure since imdb says nothing. But Keoghan’s films are often much better in reality than they are in print. And he’s on a great streak.
Expand Oscar’ Best Picture category to 15 nominees
Keep 3 slots open for Barry Keoghan *(That’s What She Said)
you seem to love jokes in which holes are aplenty
too bad we humans don’t ever have twenty
sorry this poem is not more than two couplets
’cause normally I’ve heard you like quintuplets
okay, I’ll try to do something without holes.
Glamorous premiere
Stars align across the screen
On opening night.
Fuck.
Irish traditions demand quality limericks tackle the taboo. This one was found scribbled on the wall in a Catholic Church’s Men’s Bathroom.
There once was this park ranger Dave.
Who liked when men kept a close shave.
Then he saw that he could
Grow much harder wood
If he spelunked in a ten year old’s cave.
Okay. You win. Yours are always better than mine.
tbf, everything I know about being funny, I learned from this year’s Best “Comedy” screenplays, so the bar is low.
Also, I have the brain and sense of humor of a toddler.
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Awards Daily's Most Anticipated Movies of 2024 – Awardsdaily – Awards Daily
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