Award season is underway with all (okay, it’s more like most) movies of the last year getting acknowledged for their achievements in the medium that is film. Despite a decrease in theater attendance, movies in 2017 were everywhere and were pretty explosive, from the latest Star Wars film to Wonder Woman to Get Out, they broke box office records then became just some of the year’s hottest topics from critics, writers and fans following their releases. With so much hype, it’s probably hard to imagine how the industry is going to top all of that, but luckily, 2018 has already shown us that this is going to be a far from dull year and that upcoming movies are going to be incredible in the coming months.
Here are just 10 of the most exciting and anticipated movies of the new year!
1. Black Panther
The long wait is here as the iconic Black Panther finally gets his own movie. Following his appearance in Captain America: Civil War, King T’challa (Chadwich Boseman) of the fictional futuristic African metropolis of Wakanda must defend his home and his world when an old enemy (Michael B. Jordan) seeks to destroy it all.
Coming February 16
2. A Wrinkle in Time
Based on the famous 1962 novel by Madeleine L’Engle, this adaptation by Selma director Ava DuVernay is sure to be one of the most whimsical journeys of the year. Follow young Meg (newcomer Storm Reid) as she goes on the astral adventure of a lifetime in search of her astrophysicist father (Chris Pine) with the help of her classmate (newcomer Deric McCabe) and three powerful beings (Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling) from worlds beyond our own.
Coming March 9
3. Tomb Raider
After 15 years, the legendary Laura Croft is returning to the big screen. Now played by Academy Award-winning actress Alicia Vikander, Croft is off on her first expedition to complete her father’s work to clear her family name and earn the title of “tomb raider.”
Coming March 16
4. Pacific Rim: Uprising
Following the success of its predecessor from 2013, Uprising is set ten years in the future from where the first Pacific Rim ended in this thrilling sequel. Here, the late Striker Pentecost’s (Idris Elba) son, Jake (Star Wars star John Boyega), an ex-jaeger pilot, is called in by his adopted sister, Mako Mori (Rink Kikuchi), to rejoin the Jaeger Program when it turns out that humanity is still in danger of annihilation.
Coming March 23
5. Avengers: Infinity War
The third installment to Marvel’s Avengers saga is on its way and it looks like it is all going down. Jam-packed with just about every superhero that has been introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2008’s Iron Man, Infinity War is set to be an all-out brawl as the heroes unite against the fearsome, galactic being known as Thanos in what could be the beginning of the end of all existence as we know it.
Coming May 4
6. Solo: A Star Wars Story
The galaxy can’t get enough of the lovable scoundrel that is Han Solo (despite some rather… unfortunate…events in the current Star Wars trilogy). But, it’s okay and Han is okay in this new anthology movie directed by Ron Howard that tells the story of the smuggler’s early years before meeting Luke and Leia then joining the Rebellion and becoming a hero and a legend. Even though a direct plot summary has yet to be released, audiences can look forward to watching young Han (now played by Alden Ehrenreich) traverse the galaxy with his best buddy, Chewbacca, and encounter Lando Calrission (now played by Donald Glover) in what is sure to be a fun ride.
A trailer is rumored to be released this week so keep a look out!
Coming May 25
7. Deadpool 2
The “merc with a mouth” is back and ready to take on the world again in this sequel of the hilarious Deadpool from 2016. This time around, Wade (Ryan Reynolds) is on the search to regain his spice for life following his accident and, on the way, must battle ninjas, the yakuza and make some new friends.
Coming June 1
8. Ocean’s 8
The gender-switched Ghostbusters from a couple of years ago may not have been all that, if we’re being honest, but this all-female spin-off/sequel on the iconic Ocean’s Eleven film series looks so amazing that for it to actually do poorly would be criminal. No pun intended. Okay, some pun intended. In this new spree, a crew of eight are assembled by Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), the estranged sister of the infamous Danny Ocean (previously played by Frank Ocean and George Clooney, respectively), to pull of the heist of the century at none other than the annual Met Gala in New York City.
Coming June 8
9. Incredibles 2
90s babies, rejoice! After waiting what feels like an eternity, Pixar’s 2004 superhero epic, The Incredibles, is getting a sequel. Taking place right where the first movie ended, the film continues to follow the super-powered Parr family as they struggle to balance normal suburban life with saving the city as their alter egos. However, things take a turn when a villain known as the Underminer (John Ratzenberger) appears on the scene with a dastardly plot.
Coming June 15
10. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
After the complete destruction of the Jurassic World amusement park, as seen in the 2015 movie of the same name, dinosaurs have been roaming freely around the island of Isla Nublar. That is, until a volcanic eruption puts their existence in jeopardy. In order to save the dinosaurs, former Jurassic World employees Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Owen (Chris Pratt) team up to rescue the creatures from facing a second extinction. The film is set to feature the return of Jurassic Park alums, B.D. Wong and Jeff Goldblum, as doctors Henry Wu and Ian Malcolm, respectively.
Coming June 22