2017 has been a pretty good year for movies. From Get Out to Wonder Woman to Lady Bird, there were great films for almost everyone’s taste. Heck, we even got a new Blade Runner movie, a new Thor movie, and the latest Star Wars film. That may make it sound like this year will be a tough act for 2018 to follow, but the impending new year has got some blockbusters of its own on tap. Here are 10 movies slated to hit theaters next year that you might want to put on your “I want to see this” list.
Red Sparrow
Release date: March 2, 2018
Red Sparrow tells the tale of Russian ballerina Dominika Egorova. After a broken leg removes her from dancing, the Soviet government recruits her to be a Sparrow – an agent trained in the art of seduction. She is up against a hard target – an American agent played by Joel Edgerton. The two characters have a relationship that will leave viewers wondering just who is playing who, and how real their relationship is. Other stars in the cast include Charlotte Rampling and Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons. The film is directed by Gary Ross.
Annihilation
Release date: February 23, 2018
Directed by Alex Garland of Ex Machina fame, Annihilation promises to carry on the creepy sci-fi vibe. The film follows a team of female specialists that includes Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, Gina Rodriguez, and Jennifer Jason Leigh into Area X, a quarantined area where multiple teams have already vanished. Among those teams was Portman’s husband, played by Oscar Isaac. Not only is she trying to find out what happened to him, but she’s got to get back out alive as well.
The film is based on the book by Jeff VanderMeer, and adapted for the screen by Garland. VanderMeer has said that the ending of Annihilation will cause as much discussion as the ending of 2001: A Space Odyssey, so he’s obviously confident enough to set the bar pretty high.
Aquaman
Release date: December 21, 2018
Despite the less-than-stellar reviews for Justice League, we’re going to get more Aquaman. Jason Momoa is reprising the role of Arthur Curry in this standalone film that’s due out in December, where he’ll learn that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. Not much is known about the plot, but I’m sure you can expect plenty of watery special effects. Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, and Patrick Wilson will all appear in the film, which is directed by James Wan of Furious 7 fame.
The Nun
Release date: July 13, 2018
Fans of The Conjuring 2 will be looking forward to its second spinoff that’s coming in 2018. Titled The Nun, the film will star Bonnie Aarons as the Demon Nun. If you’ve seen The Conjuring 2, you know that The Nun is actually a demon named Valak who has possessed a ghost hunter named Lorraine Warren (played by Vera Farmiga), and made a child do horrible things. The nun will feature Farmiga’s younger sister in a supporting role, and although plot details are a bit scarce at the moment, this might suggest that The Nun will actually serve as a prequel to The Conjuring 2. Demian Bichir will provide the foil to Valak, starring as a preist called in to investigate a nun’s death in Rome. The first spinoff of The Conjuring, Annabelle, was a big success, so hopes are high for The nun.
The Predator
Release date: August 3, 2018
The newest entry into the Predator franchise is 2018’s The Predator. Directed by Shane Black, the new film will be set in the 2010’s, between the events of Predator 2, which took place in 1997 Los Angeles, and Predators, which had an indeterminate future setting. Much of the film’s plat has kept quiet, but Jake Busey, who is playing the son of Peter Keyes (who’s being played by none other than Gary Busey), has said that the film will be focused on why the Predators have come to Earth, what their goals are, and more. Besides Busey, you can expect to see Thomas Jane, Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Boyd Holbrook, Edward James Olmos, Trevante Rhodes, Augusto Aguilera, Alfie Allen, and Yvonne Strahovski onscreen when the film launches next summer.
Super Troopers 2
Release date: April 20, 2018
The original Super Troopers launched in 2001, and fell short with critics. While the first film may only sport a 35% “Rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, over the years it has gained cult classic status, and fans have clamored for a sequel. Broken Lizard acquired studio permission to film a sequel in 2015, but needed to raise its own production budget. The group turned to crowdfunding, and a very successful IndieGoGo campaign raised $4.4 million for the project. The film will see the original five troopers, played by Steve Lemme, Jay Chandrasekhar, Paul Soter, Erik Stolhanske, and Kevin Heffernan, setting up a new Highway Patrol Station in an area that’s smack dab in the middle of a land dispute between Canada and the US. You can expect plenty of hijinks, hilarity, and maybe even some syrup chugging when this one hits theaters in April.
Avengers: Infinity War
Release date: May 4, 2018
It almost wouldn’t be summer without an Avengers movie, and 2018 will bring us Infinity War. The biggest Avengers movie yet will team up old favorites with heroes from all over the Marvel Comic Universe – Iron Man and the Avengers will join Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, Spider Man, and the Guardians of the Galaxy to try to put a stop to the mad Titan Thanos once and for all. If they fail, Thanos will collect the final Infinity Stones and destroy the galaxy. Infinity War would likely be a shoo-in for the biggest grossing movie of the summer, if it wasn’t for a movie appearing later on this list.
The New Mutants
Release date: April 13, 2018
While the X-Men series looked to be winding down with the release of Logan, there’s still plenty of material out there for it to continue. The New Mutants will focus on five new characters – Cannonball (Charlie Heaton), Mirage (Blu Hunt), Wolfsbane (Maisie Williams), Magik (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Sunspot (Henry Zaga). The five mutants will need to escape from the secret facilty they’re being held in and along the way, fight through their own demons as well. Directed by Josh Boone (The Fault in our Stars), the film will take on a much darker tone that Boone calls “a ‘rubber-reality’ supernatural horror movie.” This new take on the X-Men universe is already slated as a trilogy that Boone says will expand the roster of mutants.
Deadpool 2
Release date: June 1, 2018
Deadpool first hit the screen in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but it wasn’t until he got his own movie that the character, played by Ryan Reynolds, really hit his stride. Now there’s a sequel in the works, and although the addition of a new director may be worrisome for some, if the teasers we’ve seen so far are any indication, the movie is on the right track. The official description of the film from 20th Century Fox is worth a read, as it says, “After surviving a near fatal knee boarding accident , a disfigured guidance counselor (Wade Wilson) struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Poughkeepsie’s most celebrated French Bulldog breeder while also learning to cope with an open relationship. Searching to regain his passion for life, as well as a new stuffed unicorn, Wade must battle ninjas, tight assed metal men, and babysit a group stereotypical side characters as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and creative outlets for his very open-minded sex life. He manages to find a new lust for being a do-gooder, a sparkly Hello Kitty backpack, all while earning the coveted coffee mug title of World’s Best 4th Wall Breaking Superhero.”
If that’s not exactly what you’d expect from Deadpool, I’m not sure what is. You can also expect to see some new characters, including Cable (played by Josh Brolin) and a telekinetic lady mercenary named Domino (played by Zazie Beetz).
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Release date: May 25, 2018
Remember a bit earlier when we said that Avengers: Infinity War would be the top grossing movie of the summer except for one? This is the one. Star Wars movies print money, and standalone Star Wars movie about one of the most popular characters of all time? Yeah, we’ll place our bets there. The Solo film stars Alden Ehrenreich in the title role, with Emilia Clarke and Donald Glover making appearances as well. The movie will spin the tale of how Han Solo got to be such a lovable rogue in the first place, including his early dealings with Lando Calrissian and his adventures with Chewbacca. There’s been some drama surrounding the film, as rumor has it that director Ron Howard basically reshot the whole movie after taking over for fired directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, and that he threw out most everything that was shot before his arrival. It remains to be seen how the film will turn out, but one thing is for certain – you won’t have to wonder if it will make money at the box office.
