Now that we’ve seen The Last Jedi, as well as every Oscar-bait movie that the studios cram into the month of December, it is time to look ahead to the future. Let’s quickly run through the movie slate of 2018, full of (potentially) incredible movies of which, spoiler alert, not one is named Ready Player One.
… it was also tempting to just put the Young Han Solo movie on this list ten different times (I just want to see Donald Glover as Lando, OK? Also, I’m a sadist.)
Black Panther – February 16, 2018
Marvel is coming out of the 2018 gate strong, in its final release before the premiere of Infinity War. What I’ve seen so far reminds me of something like Thor: Ragnarok or the first Guardians of the Galaxy, where they are feeling more and more confident in their “normal” movies and just want to get weird. I am also contractually obligated to see any movie that Michael B. Jordan is in.
Annihilation – February 23, 2018
Following the incredible Ex Machina, Alex Garland is back with another science fiction movie, this time stringing along Amidala herself, Natalie Portman. I’ve heard great things about the book and the trailer showcases some incredibly beautiful and unique sci-fi imagery. Plus, Oscar Isaac plays Portman’s husband and, really, that is all the reason you need to see this movie.
The Strangers: Prey at Night – March 9, 2018
Ten years later, we are finally getting a sequel to the incredible horror film, The Strangers. Starring Christina Hendricks of Mad Men fame, we are nervously hopeful that Prey at Night lives up to its terrifying predecessor. If it is not, however, we will riot.
Isle of Dogs – March 23, 2018
Wes Anderson and stop-motion are a match made in heaven, as the absolutely … fantastic Fantastic Mr. Fox can attest. A new setting, a new star-studded cast and a new batch of OCD-soothing imagery makes this one of our most anticipated of the year, animated or not.
The New Mutants – April 13, 2018
I guess Fox actually did learn something positive from the success of Logan and Deadpool. Exploring the R-rated superhero genre even more, this movie (with an incredible young cast) is more like a horror film along the lines of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 than just your typical X-Men: Apocalypse Blue Paint Palooza.
Avengers: Infinity War – May 4, 2018
This is it. The one we’ve been waiting for since Thanos was teased at the end of the first Avengers movie (and then again in Guardians of the Galaxy and then again in the second Avengers movie … ok, we get it, Marvel … Thanos is coming). The alternate title of the movie is Avengers: Which of our Multi-Million Dollar Contracts Do We Not Want to Renew.
Solo: A Star Wars Story – May 25, 2018
Sure, it has been plagued with very public production drama, including a new director and rumors that the new Han Solo, Alden Enrenreich, can’t necessarily act. But it’s a Star Wars movie about my favorite character in Star Wars. AND it’s a Star Wars movie that finally listened to my years and years of sending Lucasfilm fan letters, asking them to cast Childish Gambino as a young Lando. What could go wrong?
The Predator – June 5, 2018
Shane Black, the director of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and the writer of Lethal Weapon, is following up his very underrated The Nice Guys by writing and directing a Predator movie? And it stars that kind of annoying kid from Room? Ummm… yeah. We’re in.
Deadpool 2 – October 15, 2018
While the release of this movie will unfortunately only add to the hordes and hordes of bad Deadpool cosplay at conventions, it is hard not to be excited. The first movie was surprisingly great, with Ryan Reynolds redeeming himself after X-Men Origins: Wolverine and the promise that Negasonic Teenage Warhead will be getting more screen time in the sequel.
Halloween – October 19, 2018
Blumhouse is taking it all the way back to the original for what might (hopefully) be one of the best horror movies of 2018. Written by Danny McBride, who has shown a surprising understanding and care of horror franchises, and starring Jamie Lee Curtis, fresh off those yogurt commercials, this is either going to be amazing or garbage. There is no in between. Worst case scenario: we are also getting a new John Carpenter soundtrack and that, in itself, is worth celebrating.
