Last year saw a resurrection of the cinemagoer, with people streaming through the doors to see the likes of Oppenheimer and Barbie, and 2024 has thus far kept up that momentum.
Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune sequel are among the biggest releases this year, but that’s not where it ends, for the rest of 2024 has plenty in store to keep you peeled to the big screen.
Here are some of the most anticipated films still to come this year.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (24 May)
George Miller’s Mad Max franchise spans more than four decades, with the release of Mad Max in 1979. The latest installment in 2024 promises the same high octane, with Anya Taylor-Joy starring as the younger version of Charlize Theron’s character, Furiosa.
The Bikeriders (21 June)
Just like his Dune Part Two costars, Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet, Austin Butler’s star continues to rise. Directed by Jeff Nichols and inspired by Danny Lyon’s photography book, Tom Hardy alongside Austin Butler as bikeriders just makes sense.
Kinds of Kindness (28 June)
A Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley combination has already provided viewers with one of the most talked about films of the year, including Academy acclaim. Jesse Plemons rounds off an already great cast, in Lanthimos’ second release of the year.
Deadpool & Wolverine (26 July)
Walt Disney Studios’ takeover of 20th Century Fox means they bring to screens the third installment in the Deadpool franchise. Ryan Goslings’ wryly humored Deadpool character teams up with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine this time around.
Maxxxine (09 August)
Mia Goth returns to complete the trilogy in this Ti West-directed horror/thriller series. Captivating in X, Goth gave a truly disturbing performance in Pearl, and no doubt has fans eager to see the next evolution in Maxine Minx/Pearl.
Alien: Romulus (16 August)
Alien, another Ridley Scott film, became an instant classic when it was released in 1979. While attempts to continue the series have been hit and miss ever since, August sees Fede Álvarez’s attempt come to theaters.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (05 September)
More than three decades on from the release of Tim Burtons’ cult classic Beetlejuice comes part two. Three generations of the Deetz family return to Winter River, with Jenna Ortega and Willem Dafoe joining much of the original cast. Burton and Ortega continue to show why they are such a perfectly suited director/actor combination, after working together in the Netflix series Wednesday, where Ortega plays Wednesday Addams.
Joker: Folie à Deux (04 October)
Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of the Joker, slowly descending into chaos, won him an Academy Award for best actor, which was one of the 11 nominations the film received at the 2020 Oscars. Phoenix returns in part two, under the direction of Todd Phillips once again, and with the exciting addition of Lady Gaga joining the cast.
Venom: The Last Dance (25 October)
Tom Hardy reprises his role as Eddie Brock/Venom in the third iteration of Venom, with a summer release on the cards as reported by Variety. Having written on the first two Venom films, Kelly Marcel steps up to the director chair for her debut in the third and final film in the series.
Gladiator II (22 November)
Ridley Scott doesn’t seem to be slowing down in putting out big-screen blockbusters. He follows his 2023 release of Napoleon with a sequel of Gladiator. Paul Mescal plays Lucius, the son of Lucilla. Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn are among the new faces this time around.
The Karate Kid (13 December)
This year definitely seems to be the year for sequels and prequels, with The Karate Kid first premiering 35 years ago. Ralph Macchio returns as Daniel LaRusso, having starred in the original trilogy. This time around, he teams up with Jackie Chan, who played Mr Han in the Jaden Smith reboot.
Mufasa: The Lion King (20 December)
A prequel to Disney’s 2019 film The Lion King, we see Barry Jenkins step into the world of animation for the first time. He’ll have a lot to do to win over fans in the most successful stage and screen title ever after the franchise reboot in 2019, which fell short of the nostalgia that’s captured in the iconic 1994 film an
Nosferatu (25 December)
Robert Eggers offers up an alternative to a traditional way of spending Christmas Day with this vampire flick. Bill Skarsgård plays the blood thirsty Nosferatu, alongside Lily Rose-Depp. This is yet another follow-up film on the list, with the original release more than a century ago.
Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (undated)
Last years’ Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse left audiences both wowed and waiting for the next one. The film seemed to take animation to new heights, and it’s expected that Sony will once again deliver on an already stellar collection of Spider-Man/Spider-verse films. Fans would have been eager for the next installment in this Spider-Man universe, with an original release date scheduled for 29 March. But following the actor’s strikes, that date has since been pushed back, as reported by Variety. Will we see Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse in cinemas this year? Time will tell.
This year definitely seems to be the year for building on what’s come before, with sequels, prequels, reboots and remakes featuring heavily on the list of the year’s most anticipated films. No doubt the next third of the year will have plenty of reasons for cinema seats to be filling up.
