There are some movies we just can’t afford to miss. For example, ‘Deadpool 2’ is releasing tomorrow and there’s no way I’m missing that one. I’m pretty sure most of you are going to see it too, be it in Punjabi, English or Hindi. But, ‘Deadpool 2’ isn’t the only movie I’m looking forward to this year. I was looking forward to ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and that didn’t let me down one bit.
So, here are 19 other movies I’m looking forward to this year. They’re listed according to their release date. Also, these dates are tentative and may change:
1. ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ (23rd May 2018)
In 1977, the world was introduced to the charismatic Han Solo in ‘Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.’ It’s been more than 40 years and people still can’t get over a young, good-looking Harrison Ford. With Aiden Ehrenreich set to play the main man, we’re really excited to see how audiences will react to the young Han Solo of the 21st century. One more thing, Chewbacca’s in it too.
2. ‘Ocean’s 8’ (07th June 2018)
Let me just go ahead and say it, ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ was a masterpiece. I’m talking about the George Clooney and Brad Pitt starrer. I’ve watched it so many times I’ve lost count. So, it goes without saying that I was pretty bummed when I heard they were remaking it. But, then I remembered that the film I loved was a remake too. So, there is hope for this one. With a cast that includes the likes of Sandra Bullock, Anne Hathaway, Cate Blanchett and Helena Bonham Carter you can expect something awesome.
3. ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ (07th June 2018)
Okay, the first ‘Jurassic World’ movie was a surprise hit. Pretty much how ‘Jurassic Park’ turned out to be a blockbuster in its time, the movie was a delight and managed to become one of the highest earning movies of all time. Whether it was because of the Chris Pratt brand or because people just love watching dinosaurs eat people, ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ looks like it will be another summer blockbuster. Oh, I almost forgot, Jeff Goldblum is returning for this one. WIN!
4. ‘The Incredibles 2’ (14th June 2018)
Okay, a 14-year wait is not unheard of… if you’re waiting to be released from prison! But, waiting for a sequel for 14 years? Let’s just remember that the target audience of ‘The Incredibles’ is well into their 20’s right now. Or maybe that was the master plan. Get another generation of kids hooked while the previous generation still can’t get enough. This may just end up being the highest earning animated feature ever.
5. ‘Sicario: Day Of The Soldado’ (29th June 2018)
Okay, this is one of the three films on this list which may not get huge, international releases but are definitely worth a watch. If you’ve seen ‘Sicario,’ I don’t need to justify myself. If you haven’t, I have 6 words for you: Josh Brolin & Benicio Del Toro. I really can’t put how good the first film was into words. You should watch it before this one releases. Although, I’m not sure whether it will come to Indian cinemas.
6. ‘The Purge 4: The First Purge’ (04th July 2018)
This is number two of the three films that I would recommend you to watch, even though they aren’t going to get international releases. If you’ve kept track of the ‘Purge’ series, you’ll already know what to expect. One day in the year where all crime is legal. It’s set in a truly dystopian future. But, given the way the world is today, would it be all that bad? This is the question the series will make you ask. Now’s the perfect time to get into it because ‘The First Purge’ is actually a prequel. So, you can watch them in order.
7. ‘Ant-Man & The Wasp’ (05th July 2018)
I’m sure I don’t need to tell you guys that this is a must watch. It’s a Marvel movie? We’re all going to watch it. We missed Ant-Man and Hawkeye in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and this movie will definitely tell us where Ant-Man was while Thanos was trying to destroy half the universe. We might also get to know about Hawkeye’s whereabouts. So, don’t skip it.
8. ‘Skyscraper’ (12th July 2018)
When The Rock (or should I say Dwayne Johnson?) makes a movie, you have to watch it. Why? Well, it’s The Rock, that’s why. I have no idea what ‘Skyscraper’ is about but I am getting a ‘Die Hard’ vibe from what I’ve seen so far. Does this mean it’s going to fail miserably at the box office? Does this mean I won’t go see it? Of course not!
9. ‘The Equalizer 2’ (20th July 2018)
It’s not often that Denzel Washington returns for a sequel. Wait, scratch that. Denzel Washington has never made a sequel. If that’s not a testament to just how good ‘The Equalizer 2’ is going to be, then I don’t know what is. If you haven’t seen the first one yet, you must. This is the third movie I snuck into this list even though the chances of it getting an international release are slim. But, I know it’s going to be awesome.
10. Mission: Impossible Fallout (26th July 2018)
Tom Cruise, high-flying stunts, crazy storyline. Seems impossible how these movies are still making millions, right? Well, with the re-invented ‘Mission: Impossible’ story arc that we’ve got over the last 2 movies, it’s safe to say, like the ‘Fast & Furious’ series, ‘Mission: Impossible’ is here to stay till Tom Cruise is grey and old.
10. ‘The Meg’ (10th August 2018)
They say once a movie becomes a blockbuster, everyone starts copying it. That’s what happened with ‘Jaws.’ No one thought a movie about a shark terrorizing fun-loving beachgoers was ever going to work. But, in the great mind of Steven Spielberg, that’s precisely why it was going to work. Well, more than 40 years later, we know it did and that’s why we can’t write off ‘The Meg’ just yet. Another reason for watching this movie… I hope Jason Statham fist fights the shark. Now, won’t that be awesome?
11. ‘The Predator’ (14th September 2018)
If you’re an Arnold Schwarzenegger fan, you’ve probably watched ‘Predator.’ The movie which proved Arnie was such a huge guy at the time they needed an alien just to make it look like Arnie might lose. Well, he didn’t and the movie gave birth to a number of sequels including a couple of crossovers with the ‘Alien’ franchise. Yes, they started sucking after the first one, but I have hope because Shane Black is returning to direct.
12. ‘Venom’ (04th October 2018)
While ‘Venom’ isn’t shaping up into the cool, good guy antihero that Deadpool is in the movies, we’re going to get a darker tale of what an antihero is supposed to be. Tom Hardy is a great casting and the first reveal of him as Venom was spine tingling. While this movie might not live up to expectations, I’m still going to watch it and so should you.
13. ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald’ (16th November 2018)
For everyone who has ever watched a Harry Potter movie or has even the slightest interest in the ‘Harry Potter’ series, this is what J.K. Rowling has to offer this year. There was a chance that ‘Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them’ might fail since it didn’t have any main characters from ‘Harry Potter’ including the titular Harry Potter himself. But, it outperformed at the box-office and with a young Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore making an appearance in this one, it’s hard to believe it’s not going to be good.
14. ‘Robin Hood’ (21st November 2018)
There have been multiple adaptations of the ‘steal from the rich, give to the poor’ hero in the past. But, the one I most remember is the cartoon. The Russell Crowe one was so bad that I don’t even remember it. But, ‘Robin Hood’ looks like it has the perfect mix of fun and action. That’s why I’m going to watch it.
15. ‘Creed 2’ (21st November 2018)
Let’s admit it, the first ‘Creed’ movie was a masterpiece. Sylvester Stallone once again proved that when the chips are down and he’s producing flop after a flop, the ‘Rocky’ franchise will step in to save the day. ‘Creed 2’ (or Rocky 8) will docus on the career of Adonis Creed once more. Rocky will be there too. But, isn’t Michael B. Jordan’s acting talent enough reason to give this one a watch?
16. ‘Bumblebee’ (21st December 2018)
No matter how many shitty ‘Transformers’ movies they make, I’m still going to line-up to watch the next one with the hope that it will be better than all the rest. Honestly, it’s been all downhill ever since the first ‘Transformers’ movie. But, with Michael Bay nowhere in sight, this movie might just stand a chance. John Cena is in it too and while ‘Big Match John’ might not be the best actor, he’s a great entertainer. So, you never know…
There are no official trailers for the movie yet, so we’ll just have to wait and hope for the best.
17. ‘Aquaman’ (21st December 2018)
The last movie on this list is also the one I have the most expectation from. Being a DC fan, I want all their movies to earn billions. Unfortunately, that’s not how the box-office operates. With only one commercially successful film in the DCEU so far, a lot is riding on Aquaman to keep the franchise going. That’s a heavy burden to carry, but then, have you seen the size of Jason Momoa’s shoulders? Easy-peasy.
Again, no trailer for this one, so just keep your fingers crossed.
If you want to know what happens when I actually watch all these movies, follow me on Instagram. I’ll throw in some light-hearted laughs too every now and then.