Another year down, another
cinematic year comes to a close. And
while I’m still compiling the films of 2018 for the Best and Worst films of the
year (and, holy shit, that’s going to take some time), it was a Herculean task
to compile all the amazing films to look forward to in 2019.
As you’ve probably
noticed, this Top 25 is up from last year’s Top 20. The reason?
Becauase the initial compilation I put together was damn near close to
50, and I couldn’t take any more off than I already did. From high profile sequels (like Godzilla: King of the Monsters and The Lego Movie 2: The Second One) to
long-awaited films (like Zombieland 2 and
How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden
World), there were just too many films to list.
With that
in mind, here are the Top 25 films I am chomping at the bit to throw my money
at.
25. THE MAN WHO KILLED DON QUIXOTE (SOMETIME IN MARCH)
Director Terry
Gilliam’s Don Quixote film has been in such development hell, it almost seemed
like we’d be seeing Ron Perlman as Hellboy a third time before we saw this one
hit theaters (more on that later). But
it has recently been confirmed The Man
Who Killed Don Quixote, after bowing at 2018’s Cannes Film Festival, will
be getting a March release date.
So with the brilliance of Gilliam,
and a cast boasting Adam Driver (taking over for Johnny Depp), Jonathan Pryce,
and Stellan Skarsgaard, why is this so far down the list? Because I’m still not convinced this is
getting released in 2019. The release
date is far from firm, and this is the only film on the list to have a
documentary about its original failed production from over two decades ago (no,
seriously...look up Lost in La Mancha),
so my faith is tepid at best.
24. CATS (12/20)
Based on
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s famous (and, in some circles, notorious) musical, Cats finds its way to the big
screen. Directed by Tom Hooper, who made
the excellent movie adaptation of Les
Miserables back in 2012, Cats
finds such amazing cast members as Sir Ian McKellan, Idris Elba, Rebel Wilson,
Dame Judi Dench, and Jennifer Hudson donning the cat makeup and bringing these
iconic songs to life.
The
problem? James Corden, Taylor Swift, and Jason Derulo are also part of the
cast, and…honestly, do we need another 30+ years of having “Memories” stuck in
our fucking heads?
23. ARTEMIS FOWL (8/9)
Eoin Colfer’s
young adult book series is weird and wonderful, so a big screen adaptation has
been long overdue. Directed by Kenneth
Branagh of all people, Artemis Fowl brings
the pre-teen mastermind to life, bringing Dame Judi Dench, Josh Gad, and Hong
Chau along for the ride.
Seeing that
Disney and young adult adeptations don’t always equate to excellence (remember
the failings of A Wrinkle in Time?),
it will be interesting to see how this one manages.
22. ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (7/26)
Quentin Tarantino films are always a spectacle to see, to
say the least. Even his last offering,
the highly underrated The Hateful Eight,
was a blast to watch unfurl on screen, as Tarantino is the least predictable
filmmaker of our generation.
Once Upon A Time in Hollywood moves away
from the Wild West, and moves to 1969 for a romp in California revolving around
The Manson Family killings. Boasting a
marvelous cast featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Tim Roth,
and Al Pacino, Hollywood is rumored
to be Tarantino’s penultimate feature film.
The only reason this is so low on the list is because the rest of the
films on this list keep getting crazier.
21. THE LION KING (2019) (7/19)
Twenty-five years after the animated film bowed in cinemas,
issuing in a new golden age for Disney, The
Lion King is getting the “live action” treatment like The Jungle Book got in 2016. Using a similar filming technique,
and nabbing such vocal talent as Donald Glover, Beyonce Knowles-Carter, Chiwetel
Ejiofor, John Oliver, Seth Rogen, and even James Earl Jones reprising his role
as Mufasa, Lion King may be one of
three films getting remade at Disney (Aladdin
and Dumbo are also getting
live-action remakes), but it is the best-looking of the three.
20. ESCAPE ROOM (1/4)
While horror films are a dime a dozen, and Sony loves utilizing whatever trend is big in US culture at the time to make one, Escape Room looks highly promising. While the cast doesn't boast many big names (such as Daredevil's Deborah Ann Wolf and Atypical's Nik Dodani), writer/director/actor Adam Robitel's film looks like Cube with a budget...and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
19. HELLBOY (2019) (4/12)
Guillermo Del Toro made a splash in comic book movies in 2004 and 2008 with his two Hellboy films, and it's hard to imagine anyone filling the red right hand quite like Ron Perlman. However, here we are. Stranger Things' David Harbour seems to be a decent replacement, and comic creator Mike Mignola has more of a hand in making this this time around.
However, the first trailer looks to be a tonal mess, and, really? Did we really need Milla Jovovich in...anything again? Still, I'm willing to place faith in this movie, as it still looks like a lot of fun.
18. MEN IN BLACK INTERNATIONAL (6/14)
If we're being honest, the world did not need this movie. The criminally underrated Men in Black 3 wrapped up the story brilliantly, and Sony needs to stop beating dead horses into plasma. But...god help me...that first trailer looks fucking awesome!
Trading Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith for Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson (yes!), as well as casting Emma Thompson (yes!) and Liam Neeson (oh HELL YES!), Men In Black International could very well be the MIB film we didn't know we needed.
17. PET SEMATARY (2019) (4/5)
Adaptations of Stephen King books have quickly become huge again. Sure, The Dark Tower was divisive at best, but, thanks to the whirlwind success of 2017's It, many other properties are now getting re-adapted.
Pet Sematary, starring Jason Clarke and John Lithgow, comes to the big screen twenty years after the original adaptation. While the trailer hasn't been chalk full of details, it's atmospheric as hell and creepy as fuck. What more could anyone want?
16. ISN’T IT ROMANTIC (2/14)
It's been a long time since a romantic comedy has made an appearance on a list, but plenty of satires have.
Isn't It Romantic, being a romantic comedy satire, looks silly as shit, and perfect for its Valentines Day release date. Featuring Rebel Wilson, Liam Hemsworth, and Adam Devine, Isn't It Romantic looks romantic enough for date night, but cynical and funny enough to see if you're single.
15. STAR WARS EPISODE IX (12/20)
This film doesn't even have a full title, how the hell did it make the list (which is why we don't see Untitled Kingsman Prequel on here)? So why did it? Because The Last Jedi is so fucking awesome, it deserves to be on here. Besides, it completes the new trilogy before they bring back Rian Johnson to write and direct a new trilogy for Star Wars. That's enough to look forward to right there.
14. HAPPY DEATH DAY 2 U (2/14)
Not a lot of sequels made the list, but 2017's Happy Death Day was such a bizarre, unique surprise of a movie that the sequel needed to make an appearance on this list. Happy Death Day 2 U touts the same cast as the original film, and more twisted death sequences than before. Yep. Sign me up.
13. SERENITY (1/25)
Writer/director Steven Knight's Serenity boasts a indie feeling with a stellar cast of Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Diane Lane, Jason Clarke, and Djimon Honsou. Seriously, though. This film looks like it would have been perfect for the Oscar Bait season. Why the hell is this coming out in January?
12. GLASS (1/18)
When 2017's Split came out, many were still thinking M. Night Shayamalan had lost his touch. But holy shit, were all of us shocked by the quality of the acting, the return-to-form writing, and nightmare-inducing chills -- all before finding out it was a partial sequel to Unbreakable.
In comes Glass. Bringing back Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, and James McAvoy in their respective roles, Glass is the long-awaited Unbreakable sequel we've all been secretly dying for since 2001, but never thought we would get. The wait is finally over!
11. CAPTAIN MARVEL (3/8)
What promises to be the first of three breath-taking MCU films this year, Captain Marvel once again finds Marvel doing what Marvel does best: see what the DC films are doing, and do it better. This time, it's the female-led superhero film.
Oscar-winner Brie Larson takes the mantle as the titular hero, looking absolutely badass as well. Seeing Samuel L. Jackson as a two-eyed Nick Fury and Clark Gregg return as Agent Phil Coulson is riveting for any fan of the MCU, and seeing how this will tie in to the greater cinematic universe will be...well...marvelous.
10. THE UPSIDE (1/11)
This January will probably go down as the best cinematic January in the history of film. Bowing at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017, but being delayed until January of 2019 due to The Weinstein Company's multitude of issues (thanks Harvey...you fucking dick), The Upside is a remake of Danish film The Untouchables, and looks wonderful. Bryan Cranston, Kevin Hart, and Nicole Kidman all star in this. Another film that should have been 2018's Oscar race. Let's see where this goes.
9. SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME (7/5)
Serving multiple functions as sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming, direct follow-up to the final MCU film entry on this list, as well as official first chapter of Marvel's Phase 4, Spider-Man: Far From Home finds Tom Holland as the titular web-slinger, as well as Zendaya, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, and Marissa Tomei all return, MCU newcomer Jake Gyllenaal bows as Spidey villain Mysterio. Is there anything to not be excited about for this film?
8. ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK? (10/11)
While there were many horror flicks that were taken off this list, including Guillermo Del Toro's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, I had to give it up for the feature film adaptation to Nickelodeon's horror series Are You Afraid of the Dark? Plot information is mostly being kept under wraps, but director D.J. Caruso and one of It's co-writers brings the series that caused many of my nightmares as a kid to the big screen. I can't wait to see where this goes.
7. JOHN WICK 3: PARABELLUM (5/17)
There is something to be said about a trilogy ending. Just ask Guillermo Del Toro (too soon?). After seeing the first John Wick, who would have thought we would have been talking about a Wick trilogy, but here we are. After the astounding cliffhanger of the second installment, Keanu Reeves is back as the titular badass to made the silver screen flow red with the blood of his enemies. Will Wick die? Will the dog live? What will the body count be? So many questions, so long until May for the answers.
6. US (3/15)
After Get Out put Jordan Peele on the horror map with stylized horror, dark humor, and a social commentary twist. While not much is known from that first trailer of Us, Peele looks like he has another social commentary thriller with this dopelganger mindfuck of a movie featuring Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, and Elizabeth Moss.
5. BRIGHTBURN (5/24)
With comic book movies being as commonplace as the Water Cycle, it was only a matter of time before someone thought to make an origin story of a super-powered villain. Producer James Gunn brings us Brightburn, a story by Mark and Brian Gunn (James' brothers) basically taking Superman's origin story, but making him into a creepy villain instead of being all about truth, justice, and the American way. The first trailer looks heart-poundingly creepy, and it's guaranteed that the full product will be worth the wait.
4. IT: CHAPTER 2 (9/6)
A lot of heads were turned with 2017's It bowed on the big screen to critical and audience success. Focusing only on the Losers Club as kids and leaving the adult portion of the story for It: Chapter 2 paid off greatly, and this presumably compelling finale should prove to be the most terrifying experience we have yet to see from a Stephen King adaptation. James McAvoy, Bill Hader, and Jessica Chastain join the original cast of youngsters from the first chapter, and should prove to one hell of a ride.
3. ROCKETMAN (5/31)
Rockumentaries come and go, but an Elton John biopic? How is this not going to be amazing? Taron Egerton as John (who gets to do his own piano playing and singing), Jamie Bell as lyricist Bernie Taupin, and Bryce Dallas Howard showing up because...I don't know (I willfully haven't done a lot of research on this film because I just want to see the damn film). Being told as a fantastical musical rather than the typical big screen rockumentary, Rocketman looks like it's going to be the best event film not tied to a comic book movie franchise.
Speaking of which...
Speaking of which...
2. AVENGERS: ENDGAME (4/26)
Oh, like this wasn't going to be on this fucking list!
Avengers: Infinity War was the culmination of a decade of Marvel just kicking ass and taking names with crazier and crazier films, ending in tears, dust, and a metric fuckton of questions, not to mention the biggest bitch of a cliffhanger ever. Avengers: Endgame (watch Infinity War again and quit bitching about the title) finally answers all the questions left open, and will probably leave all the audiences in a state of shock we can't even fully comprehend right now.
So, what could possibly top this film?
1. KNIVES OUT (11/27)
You have no idea how stoked I was that this finally has a release date!
Writer/director Rian Johnson's new original film has revealed very little in terms of plot detail -- only stating that it's a thriller in the vein of an Agatha Christie thriller. What did it reveal? A cast list that most films could only dream of!
Touting a cast featuring Daniel Craig, Lakeith Stanfeild, Chris Evans, Christopher Plummer, Toni Collette, Katherine Langford, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Don Johnson (among others!), Knives Out is the most mysterious film currently, and, if Brick, The Brothers Bloom, Looper, and The Last Jedi have proven anything, it's that Rian Johnson is an amazing filmmaker, and this should be one hell of a ride when it finally comes out!
