2023 saw huge successes of legendary movies such as “Barbie,” “Oppenheimer” and “Super Mario Bros. Movie,” and 2024 is forecasted to be just as eventful. This year’s movies have been featured all over the media as some are finally being released after years of production. Here is a list of some of the most anticipated movies for this year:
Dune: Part Two
After the success of the 2021 movie, “Dune” viewers had a hunch that there was going to be another installment. Based on the 1965 novel by Frank Herbet, this film is set far in the future and follows the journey of Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalomet, and his quest to the most dangerous planet in their universe in search of a powerful substance called “spice.” While there, Atreides is swept by a powerful force and starts having visions of a person named Chani, who is played by Zendaya. “Dune: Part Two” picks up from where the first film ended. Theater-goers were supposed to see this film in November 2023, but with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artist strike, the release date was pushed until March.
Release Date: March 1
IF
Children around the world grow up with imaginary friends, but these friends tend to be forgotten or abandoned as the child ages. When Bea, “Walking Dead” actress Cailey Fleming, begins to see all those imaginary friends in real life, she goes on an adventure to reunite them with their now grown up owners. Director, producer and writer John Krasinski, known for his role in the 2000s sitcom “The Office”, pulls together a star studded cast. Some featured roles include Ryan Reynolds playing Cal, the matchmaker of imaginary friends, and Steve Carell voicing the furry character Blue. The cast will also include Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Awkwafina and Maya Rudolph.
Release Date: May 17
Inside Out 2
Audiences were left in a storm of emotions after the release of “Inside Out” in 2015. Everyone’s favorite emotions will return to cinemas as viewers get a look back into the antics within Riley’s mind. Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger have been working together to tackle Riley’s mind for years, but as she becomes a teenager, a new emotion arrives at the headquarters. “Stranger Things” star Maya Hawke will be joining the original star-studded cast as the voice of Anxiety. As time passes the emotions learn there are more new people coming their way.
Release Date: June 14
Twisters
Glen Powell is hitting the big screens again following his success in “Anyone but You.” 28 years after the release of “Twister,” the natural disaster classic will be getting a sequel. This film will open up a new chapter into the lives of the beloved storm chasers. Golden Globe nominee Daisy Edgar-Jones will co-star as Kate Cooper, a former storm chaser who became interested in the field after being faced with a life changing weather phenomenon. Powell’s character, Tyler Owens, is a fellow storm chaser and Cooper’s love interest. Owens is a popular social media star coining himself as the “Tornado Wrangler.” Though a second film, “Twisters” will not be a continuation of the original, which ranked number two in the domestic box office for 1996.
Release Date: July 19
Wicked
This film has been all so “Popular” ever since it was announced back in 2016. The film adaptation of the Broadway musical tells the story of the duo Glinda, the Good Witch, and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, before their time in Oz. From the start, Elphaba is considered an outcast due to her green skin, while Glinda is coined as the popular “it-girl.” When the two are paired as roommates at Shiz University, they become best friends despite their differing personalities. The film will follow the life of Elphaba and her time before she was coined as “wicked”. Two time Academy Award nominee Cynthia Erivo will star as Elphaba, and Grammy winner Ariana Grande will star as Glinda. The film will be released in two parts, the second premiering in late 2025.
Release Date: Nov. 27
No matter what your movie preference is, theaters will have a film for everyone to enjoy this year!