[Updated 8/14/2024]
Just as Hollywood seemed to be recovering from its pandemic woes, the industry had to contend with both a WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which caused production delays and shifted big release dates. But we’ve finally moved past that, and 2024 is nigh upon us, bringing with it exciting superhero movies, a highly anticipated musical adaptation, George Miller’s return to Mad Max, a third Avatar, and much, much, more. See below for the movies we’re most looking forward to in 2024, and check back regularly as we make more updates to the list!
- Recommended:
- Recommended: The Best Movies of 2024, Ranked by Tomatometer
See January-July Titles
Borderlands (2024)
Directed by: Eli Roth
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Ariana Greenblatt, Jamie Lee Curtis, Edgar Ramirez, Haley Bennett, Florian Munteanu
Opening on: August 9, 2024
Get ready for some outer space shenanigans as Eli Roth takes the helm for this adaptation of the popular and wacky video game series. The cast includes big names like Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black, and the film was written by Craig Mazin, who recently helped make a hit out of another acclaimed video game franchise,The Last of Us.
Trap (2024)
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills, Marnie McPhail
Opening on: August 9, 2024
M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film is a thriller on a smaller scale than some of his previous work, focusing on a father (Josh Hartnett) who takes his daughter to a pop concert and discovers the whole affair is an elaborate trap to capture a notorious serial killer rumored to be in attendance. The twist: Hartnett’s character is the killer. But knowing Shyamalan, we’re sure that’s not the only surprise in the film.
Alien: Romulus (2024)
Directed by: Fede Alvarez
Starring: Isabela Merced, Cailee Spaeny, Archie Renaux, David Jonsson, Spike Feam, Aileen Wu
Opening in: August 16, 2024
The new film comes fromDon’t Breathedirector Fede Álvarez and will follow “a group of young people on a distant world, who find themselves in a confrontation with the most terrifying life form in the universe.”
The Crow (2024)
Directed by: Rupert Sanders
Starring: Bill Skarsgård, Danny Huston, Laura Birn, Jordan Bolger, FKA Twigs
Opening on: August 23, 2024
Based on the same comic book series as the 1994 film starring Brandon Lee (who famously died during filming), this new iteration stars Bill Skarsgård as Eric Draven aka The Crow, and it’s directed by Rupert Sanders, who previously helmed Snow White and the Huntsman andGhost in the Shell.
AfrAId (2024)
Directed by: Chris Weitz
Starring: Keith Carradine, Katherine Waterston, Riki Lindhome, John Cho, Havana Rose Liu
Opening in: August 30, 2024
After Sony movedKraven the Hunter out of their August 30 slot, they replaced it with this horror film from writer-director Chris Weitz (About a Boy, writer ofThe Creator) starring Katherine Waterston, John Cho, and Keith Carradine. Similar to last year’s smash success M3GAN, the story here revolves around a young family whose new, state-of-the-art AI home assistant takes on a life of its own.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)
Directed by: Tim Burton
Starring: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica Belluci, Willem Dafoe
Opening on: September 6, 2024
Tim Burton reteams with Michael Keaton to return to one of his early iconic characters in this sequel to 1988’s Beetlejuice. Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara are also both on board to reprise their characters Lydia and Delia Deetz, while Jenna Ortega joins the cast as Lydia’s daughter.
Speak No Evil (2024)
Directed by: James Watkins
Starring: James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Scott McNairy
Opening on: September 13, 2024
James McAvoy and Mackenzie Davis star in this remake of the 2022 Danish psychological thriller about a married couple with kids who meet another family on vacation, accept an invitation to visit their home later, and begin to sense increasingly undertones lurking behind the hospitality of their hosts. The film is directed by James Watkins, who gave us the similarly disturbingEden Lake, as well asThe Woman in Black and one of the darker episodes ofBlack Mirror, “Shut Up and Dance.”
His Three Daughters (2023)
Directed by: Azazel Jacobs
Starring: Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen, Natasha Lyonne
Premiering on: September 20, 2024 on Netflix (after debuting in select theaters on September 6, 2024)
Indie hitmaker Azazel Jacobs, known for his work in The Lovers and French Exit, is bringing a family drama to Netflix’s fall lineup. His Three Daughters finds Natasha Lyonne, Carrie Coon, and Elizabeth Olsen as estranged siblings who meet again to care for their ill father. After a critically acclaimed Toronto International Film Festival premiere in 2023, the film was acquired by Netflix and is anticipated to be a top prize contender for the streaming giant when awards season approaches.
Transformers One (2024)
Directed by: Josh Cooley
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Jon Hamm, Laurence Fishburne, Keegan-Michael Key
Opening on: September 20, 2024
The Transformers franchise returns to its roots with an animated prequel that explores the origins of the titular robots’ home world of Cybertron and the rivalry between Optimus Prime and Megatron. It will be separate from the ongoing narrative of the live-action films, and it will be helmed byToy Story 4 director Josh Cooley, with Chris Hemsworth as the voice of Optimus Prime and Brian Tyree Henry as Megatron.
Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Zazie Beetz, Catherine Keener, and Jacob Lofland
Opening on: October 4, 2024
Director Todd Phillips helms this follow-up to the wildly successful R-rated take on the iconic Batman villain that earned Joaquin Phoenix the Oscar for Best Actor. In Folie à Deux, Phoenix will be joined by Lady Gaga, who is playing his love interest (it’s complicated) Harley Quinn, and the film will reportedly be a musical. Yes, you read that right.
Terrifier 3 (2024)
Directed by: Damien Leone
Starring: David Howard Thornton
Opening on: October 25, 2024
We don’t know much about the third installment of the cult favorite horror franchise Terrifier, but we do know that David Howard Thornton will return to play Art the Clown and that the film will be set on Christmas Eve. The budget is also reportedly much larger than the previous two films, so fans can look forward to upgraded production value.
Wolf Man (2025)
Directed by: Leigh Whannell
Starring: Julia Garner, Christopher Abbott
Opening on: October 25, 2024
It’s still a bit early to speculate too much about this film, but Universal’s next classic monster reboot comes courtesy of the director who brought us the surprise 2020 hitThe Invisible Man, namely Leigh Whannell. We do know that Julia Garner and Christopher Abbott have signed on to star, but that’s about it. If Whannell can bring the same kind of flair that madeThe Invisible Man a runaway success, we can expect good things.
Venom: The Last Dance (2024)
Directed by: Kelly Marcel
Starring: Tom Hardy, Juno Temple, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Opening on: October 25, 2024
Tom Hardy returns for this third installment of the Spider-Man-adjacent antihero franchise, centering on a San Francisco reporter possessed by an alien symbiote. Writer Kelly Marcel steps in behind the camera for this one, whose plot we really don’t know much about yet.
Gladiator II (2024)
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Starring: Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, Djimon Hounsou, Joseph Quinn, Derek Jacobi
Opening on: November 22, 2024
Ridley Scott returns to direct this sequel to the historical epic Gladiator. The story will reportedly revolve around a grown-up Lucius (played by Paul Mescal), who has become emperor, and will see the return of Connie Nielsen as Lucilla.
Wicked (2024)
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Bronwyn James, Bowen Yang
Opening on: November 22, 2024
The legendary Broadway musical that tells the tale of the Wicked Witch of the West from a different perspective is getting a two-part film adaptation. Director Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians,In the Heights) will take audiences to Oz, while Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will play Elphaba and Glinda, respectively.
Moana 2 (2024)
Directed by: Dave Derrick Jr.
Starring: Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson
Opening on: November 27, 2024
Disney made an unexpected announcement in February that a sequel to their hit 2016 animated film Moana, featuring the voices of Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson, would be releasing in theaters in November. The announcement gave us the name of the director, Dave Derrick Jr., who previously worked on films like How to Train Your Dragon, Megamind, and other Disney projects likeRaya and the Last Dragon, Encanto, and of course the firstMoana, and while no cast has been officially announced yet, we can expect Cravalho and Johnson to return as Moana and Maui.
Kraven the Hunter (2024)
Directed by: J.C. Chandor
Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Opening on: December 13, 2024
Originally set to appear sometime in the Andrew Garfield Spider-Man franchise before it was discontinued by Sony, the classic Spidey villain finally makes the jump to the big screen. The film will be directed by J.C. Chandor (All Is Lost,Triple Frontier), with Aaron Taylor-Johnson (who portrayed Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver inAvengers: Age of Ultron) set to play the character.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
Directed by: Kenji Kamiyama
Starring: Brian Cox, Miranda Otto
Opening on: December 13, 2024
Warner Bros. latest film in theLord of the Rings universe is this animated prequel that follows the exploits of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary king of Rohan, home of the horsem*n known as the Rohirrim that played a big part inThe Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Brian Cox will lend his voice to the central character, who reigned 183 years before the events ofThe Two Towers, while the latter film’s Miranda Otto reprises her role as Eowyn, who will serve as a framing device for the story.
Mufasa: The Lion King (2024)
Directed by: Barry Jenkins
Starring: Aaron Pierre, Kevin Harrison Jr., Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, and John Kani
Opening on: December 20, 2024
The “live-action” Lion King (which was 100 percent computer-generated and not actually live action, to be clear) is getting a prequel that will explore the backstory of Simba’s father, Mufasa. James Earl Jones, who voiced Mufasa in the original Lion King and the remake, will not voice this younger version of Mufasa, and instead Aaron Pierre will play the character. Kelvin Harrison Jr. will play Scar, who goes by Taka when the events of the film take place.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)
Directed by: Jeff Fowler
Starring: Ben Schwartz, Idris Elba, James Marsden, and Colleen O’Shaughnessey
Opening on: December 20, 2024
The Sonic the Hedgehog film franchise is speeding right along with a third installment that will presumably bring back Ben Schwartz as Sonic, Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Tails, and Idris Elba as Knuckles. Jim Carrey, who played the villainous Dr. Robotnik in the first two movies, might sit this one out as he’s been talking about retiring from acting. But, there will be at least one foe giving Sonic a run for his money, as Sonic 2 teased a new villain, Shadow the Hedgehog, in its post-credits scene.
Nosferatu (2024)
Directed by: Robert Eggers
Starring: Bill Skarsgård, Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe
Opening on: December 25, 2024
Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Lighthouse) follows up his action epic The Northman with a passion project he’s been working on for years. This remake of the classic 1922 vampire film of the same name looks to follow a similar plot, centering on a young woman (Lily-Rose Depp) and the vampire (Bill Skarsgård) who is infatuated with her.
A Complete Unknown (2024)
Directed by: James Mangold
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook
Opening on: December 25, 2024
An early 1960s New York is the setting for James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown. Detailing the true story of music legend Bob Dylan, the film will follow a 19-year-old Dylan (Timothée Chalamet) from his beginnings in Minnesota to his arrival and eventual success in New York. Written by Mangold and Jay Vocks and co-starring Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, and Boyd Holbrook, A Complete Unknown will be released in theaters nationwide on December 25, 2024.
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