The last few years have proved to be amazing for cinema. In 2016 we had movies like La La Land, Moonlight, and Spotlight blowing our minds, and in 2017 Get Out, Dunkirk, and Call Me By Your Name were just a few of the reasons we were going to the theater so much. Last year, we were all captivated by films like Black Panther, First Man, A Star Is Born, and Mid 90s. We’ve been watching these movies battle it out for titles like “Best Motion Picture” and “Best Director,” alongside so many other amazing movies, and will continue to do so for the next few weeks. As we wean off of award season and all of last year’s films, here are 10 of the most anticipated movies of the year to get you even more pumped for 2019!
Captain Marvel
Since rumors first started circulating about Brie Larson’s casting as Captain Marvel, fans everywhere were impatiently waiting for a trailer, a movie poster, anything to quench their curiosity. The after credits scene of Avengers: Infinity War upped the ante even more, hinting that she might make an appearance in the next Avengers movie. Nothing could satisfy the Marvel aficionados. Nothing, that is, except the first poster and eventual trailer drop. Although the full plot of the movie is not known, we know it’ll follow Carol Danvers, a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, as she struggles with questioning her past while in the midst of a war between alien races. You can catch the full plot and possibly some hints at what’s to come in the next Avengers movie when Captain Marvel hits theaters on March 8!
It: Chapter 2
It was definitely one of the most hyped movies of 2017. On opening weekend alone, it made more than $120 million at the box office, and moviegoers everywhere were left wanting more. The characters were all extremely well cast, and there were more comedic elements to the film than evil clown jump scares. The balance between the two, as well as the hilarious kids that took over screens, made it one of the best movies of the year. Therefore, It: Chapter 2 is coming in highly anticipated by absolutely everybody. We don’t have any teasers or even an official trailer for the movie yet, but we do have some star-studded cast confirmations. Jessica Chastain is set to play adult Beverly, while James McAvoy is cast as adult Bill, and Bill Hader is stepping in as adult Richie. The rest of the grown-up Losers Club includes James Ransone as Eddie, Jay Ryan as Ben, Andy Bean as Stanley, and Isaiah Mustafa as Mike. The time jump in the plot that brings the whole gang back to the town of Derry sucks for anyone who just wanted to see the child actors back together, but rest assured they’re all on the cast list for this second film. You can watch the Losers Club reunite when It: Chapter 2 comes to theaters on Sep. 6.
Us
Jordan Peele left everyone talking after his release of Get Out in 2017. People were not only completely enthralled by the attention to detail in his layered plot, but they genuinely thought it had some comedic qualities too. Well, Peele is back, and this time he’s making sure we don’t take any of his thrillers for a comedy. The plot follows a family taking a trip to a beachfront home where Adelaide, the wife and mom in the film, grew up. Her paranoia that something bad is going to happen to her family soon turns to reality when masked strangers start terrorizing them. That’s not the scariest part of it all, though. When the masked strangers take off their masks, it is revealed that the four strangers look exactly like the family. Now they have to fight themselves off to survive. Find out what happens when Us is released in theaters on March 22.
Avengers: Endgame
When Avengers: Infinity War came out last April, people everywhere were left confused and let’s face it, sad as hell! Regardless of Thanos securing all six of the infinity stones, we all really had hope that the Avengers, with the help of Wakanda, the Guardians of the Galaxy and Doctor Strange would be able to save the universe the way they always swoop in and do. Instead, we were left with half of all living things being wiped from existence. This included some fan favorites being eliminated such as Black Panther, young Groot and a gut-wrenching goodbye from Spider-Man. The last we see of anyone is Tony Stark stuck in the Guardian’s ship with Nebula, and everyone that’s left back on Earth in Wakanda. Endgame is supposed to pick up right after, which we know because of the scenes in which Tony is attempting to send messages to Pepper Potts in the trailer. He lets her know that all of his resources are running out, including his oxygen. Will Captain Marvel swoop in and save them all? Where the heck is Thanos? And most importantly, is Pepper Potts alive and well and waiting for her man? We’ll have all of our answers on Apr. 26!
Spider-Man: Far From Home
This next chapter for Peter Parker is set to take place after Avengers: Endgame (at least we know he’ll survive!). In it, we see Peter going on a class trip to Europe and being inclined not to take his Spidey suit. After all, what could go wrong on an innocent school trip? Nick Fury could show up, that’s what. Nick Fury comes recruiting Spider-Man for help with one problematic little villain named Mysterio, played by none other than Jake Gyllenhaal. Obviously, Peter helps, but all he really wants to do was spend some time with Mary Jane, who he only now is starting to notice might have some feelings for him. You can catch Spidey romancing it up on the big screen on July 5!
The Lion King
We all know about this star-studded cast which includes Beyoncé, Keegan-Michael Key, Donald Glover, Seth Rogen and the iconic James Earl Jones returning to voice Mufasa. People were a little skeptical about a live-action remake of such a classic at first, but when the trailer dropped people were amazed by the quality of the CGI re-imagining going on here. There’s only one question left to answer: “Are we getting a Beyoncé and Donald Glover cover of ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’ or WHAT?” We’ll be waiting in anticipation for this little gem to drop in theaters on July 19.
Frozen 2
We don’t have much to go off of for what’s coming in this sequel. All we really have is a short synopsis from IMDb that lets us know it will once again involve Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Olaf wandering into the forest to uncover some sort of secret about their kingdom. The first Frozen dropped FIVE years ago (feel old yet?) It had kids everywhere hooked, and even some adults who were just grateful to get a Disney movie that wasn’t all about a romantic relationship! Lately, there have been some rumors circulating that a storyline will involve Elsa being gay and having a girlfriend, and Director Jennifer Lee addressed these rumors without necessarily denying any of it! She instead said that she was grateful for all the film theories and the dialogue that was taking place as a result of all the possible plot points. I guess we’ll have to see for ourselves on Nov. 22.
Toy Story 4
Sometimes it’s hard to let things go, and for us, one of those things is Toy Story! Some of us have even been watching the Toy Story films since the first was released in 1995. When it took a little over ten years for a Toy Story 3 to be released, we thought for sure it was all over. But nine years and a whole land at Disney later, we finally have a fourth! It appears this next installment in the series will involve the introduction of a new toy—a fork with eyes and arms—to the group, and he’s sure to shake things up for this long acquainted gang. You can catch us among the children in the theater on June 21!
Star Wars: Episode IX
After Carrie Fischer’s sudden death at the tail end of 2016, we weren’t sure how the Star Wars films would carry on. Lucky for us, she had finished filming all her scenes for The Last Jedi before her passing, so we got to see her as Leia one last time. However, at the end of Episode VII, Leia is very much alive and recovering from being blown into space. Considering everyone, from directors to producers to cast members, has kept their mouths airtight about any plot points, we really have no idea what’ll happen or how they’ll incorporate Leia without Carrie. We do know that this is set to be a finale for the Skywalker saga that began way back in 1977 so you can bet we’ll be emotional no matter how the plot goes. You can share in crying with us all on Dec. 20!
Joker
This standalone Joker movie has been a long time coming. What nobody saw coming though, was the casting of Joaquin Phoenix as the main man himself. The movie is set to be an origin story centered on how a would-be stand-up comedian is driven to insanity and murder by failure. Credited cast members include Robert De Niro and Zazie Beetz, best known for starring alongside Donald Glover in his show Atlanta. The teaser trailer alone was an instant goosebumps moment, and we’re hoping the rest of the film is up to par. Get ready for a hair raising night when Joker hits theaters Oct. 4.
Those were just some of the films that moviegoers everywhere can’t wait to see. Some honorable mentions include Pet Sematary, Men In Black International, Glass, Aladdin, Dumbo, Zombieland 2, Shazam! and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Grab your popcorn and maybe even some tissues because you’ll definitely be spending 2019 at the movies!