2018 promises many exciting new movies and this year’s round-up of the highly anticipated movies includes multiple book adaptations along with revisiting popular franchises.
Firstly, there’s the upcoming Marvel films that have been highly anticipated including Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War. Alongside these are a long list of book adaptations from Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One and Becky Albertalli’s YA novel Simon vs The Homosapiens Agenda, to a childhood favourite A Wrinkle In Time and Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians.
This year sees Hollywood revisit the Predators, Tomb Raider, and Mary Poppins franchises, plus further instalments in the Star Wars and X-Men worlds.
What 2018 movie are you most excited for? Tell us in the comments below!
Black Panther
February 16 / TRAILER
T’Challa, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king. Starring Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan (Creed), Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years A Slave), Danai Gurira (The Walking Dead), Martin Freeman (The Hobbit), and Angela Basset (American Horror Story).
Annihilation
February 22
Based on Jeff VanderMeer’s best-selling Southern Reach Trilogy, a biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition where the laws of nature don’t apply. Starring Natalie Portman (Black Swan), Oscar Isaac (The Last Jedi), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Atypical), Tessa Thompson (Thor: Ragnarok), and Gina Rodriguez (Jane The Virgin).
Red Sparrow
March 2 / TRAILER
Based on Jason Matthews novel, ballerina Dominika Egorova is recruited to ‘Sparrow School’ a Russian intelligence service where she is forced to use her body as a weapon. But her first mission, targeting a CIA agent, threatens to unravel the security of both nations. Starring Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games), Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds), Joel Edgerton (Bright) and Jeremy Irons (Batman v Superman).
Tomb Raider
March 15 / TRAILER
Lara Croft, the fiercely independent daughter of a missing adventurer, must push herself beyond her limits when she finds herself on the island where her father disappeared. Starring Alicia Vikander (The Light Between The Oceans), Dominic West (The Affair), Walton Goggins (Justified), and Daniel Wu (Into The Badlands).
Love, Simon
March 16
Based on the novel by Becky Albertalli, the film follows seventeen-year-old Simon Spier. Everyone deserves a great love story, but for Simon, it’s a little more complicated. Starring Katherine Langford and Miles Heizer (13 Reasons Why), Jennifer Garner (Dallas Buyers Club), Josh Duhamel (Safe Haven), Colton Haynes (Arrow), and Nick Robinson (Jurassic World).
A Wrinkle In Time
March 23 / TRAILER
Based on the 1962 novel by Madeleine L’Engle, the film begins after disappearance of her scientist father, three peculiar beings send Meg, her brother, and her friend to space in order to find him. Starring Rowan Blanchard (Girl Meets World), Chris Pine (Wonder Woman), Reese Witherspoon (Big Little Lies), Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project), Oprah Winfrey and Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover).
Ready Player One
March 29
Based on the novel by Ernest Cline, the creator of a virtual reality world called the OASIS dies and he releases a video in which he challenges all OASIS users to find his Easter Egg, which will give the finder his fortune. Wade Watts finds the first clue and starts a race for the Egg. Starring Tye Sheridan (X-Men: Apocalypse), Olivia Cooke (Bates Motel), Ben Mendelsohn (Rogue One), Mark Rylance (Dunkirk), Simon Pegg (Star Trek), T.J. Miller (Silicon Valley),and Hannah John-Kamen (Killjoys).
The New Mutants
April 13 / TRAILER (EDIT: Delayed until August 2019)
The New Mutants follows a diverse group of teenage who discover they have extraordinary powers while held captive in a secret facility and must tackle their demons while trying to save themselves. Starring Anya Taylor-Joy (Split), Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones), Blu Hunt (The Originals), Henry Zaga (13 Reasons Why), Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things), and Alice Braga (I Am Legend).
Avengers: Infinity War
May 4
The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johannson, Chris Pratt, Robert Downey Jr, Elizabeth Olsen, Chris Evans, Karen Gillan, Tom Hiddleston, Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch and the list goes on.
Solo: A Star Wars Story
May 24 | TRAILER
Han Solo and Chewbacca’s adventures before joining the Rebellion, including their early encounters with Lando Calrissian. Starring Alden Ehrenreich (Hail, Caesar!), Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones), Woody Harrelson (The Hunger Games), Donald Glover (Atlanta) and Paul Bettany (Avengers: Age of Ultron).
Deadpool 2
June 1 | TRAILER
Wisecracking mercenary Deadpool battles ninjas, the yakuza and a pack of aggressive canines as he embarks on a new adventure. The film sees Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Josh Brolin, T.J Miller, Brianna Hildebrand, and Zazie Beetz return.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
June 8 / TRAILER
When the island’s dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen and Claire mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event. Starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Jeff Goldblum.
Ocean’s 8
June 22
A criminal mastermind and seven other female thieves try to pull off the heist of the century at New York’s annual Met Gala. Starring Sandra Bullock (The Proposal), Helena Bonham Carter (Harry Potter), Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story), Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project), Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables), Cate Blanchett (Thor: Ragnarok), Awkwafina and Rihanna.
The Incredibles 2
July 13 / TRAILER
Elastigirl springs into action to save the day, while Mr. Incredible faces his greatest challenge yet — taking care of the problems of his three children. Voiced by Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson and Sarah Vowell.
Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again
July 27
Sophie finds out more about her mother’s past while seeking guidance on how to handle her pregnancy. Starring the original cast along with new cast members Cher, Lily James (Cinderella 2015), Alexa Davies (Harlots), Jeremy Irvine (War Horse), and Hugh Skinner (Harlots).
The Predator
August 3
The fourth instalment takes place between Predator 2 and Predators. The film follows a group of men get stranded in a jungle with a beast of whom they do not speak. One by one, they go missing and skinned bodies are found in trees. Starring Boyd Holbrook (Logan), Olivia Munn (X-Men: Apocalypse), Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us), Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid’s Tale) and Jacob Tremblay (Room).
Crazy Rich Asians
August 17 | TRAILER
Based on the novel by Kevin Kwan, three aristocratic Chinese families’ love of gossip and backstabbing runs rampant when the heir to a huge fortune returns to marry his Chinese-American girlfriend. Starring Constance Wu (Fresh Off The Boat), Michelle Yeoh (Star Trek Discovery), Gemma Chan (Transformers The Last Knight), Awkwafina, Ken Jeong (Dr Ken) and Harry Shum Jr (Shadowhunters).
Robin Hood
September 21 | TRAILER
A war-hardened Crusader and a Moorish commander mount an audacious revolt against the corrupt English crown in a thrilling action-adventure. Starring Taron Egerton (Kingsman), Paul Anderson (Peaky Blinders), Jamie Dornan (Fifty Shades of Grey), Ben Mendelsohn (Rogue One), and Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained).
Mary Queen of Scots
November 2
Mary Stuart’s attempt to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth I, Queen of England, finds her condemned to years of imprisonment before facing execution. Starring Margot Robbie (Suicide Squad), Saorise Ronan (Brooklyn), David Tennant (Doctor Who), Jack Lowden (Dunkirk), Gemma Chan (Transformers The Last Knight), and Guy Pearce.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix
November 2 (EDIT: Delayed until February 2019)
Set in the 1990s, 10 years after X-Men Apocalypse, Jean Grey loses control of her abilities as the Dark Phoenix and forces the X-Men to fight her and keep her safe, while the alien empress Lilandra tries to capture her. Starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Sophie Turner, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, and Evan Peters.
The Nutcracker and The Four Realms
November 2
A live-action adaptation of The Nutcracker ballet and original fairy tale sees a young girl transported into a magical world of gingerbread soldiers and an army of mice. Starring Mackenzie Foy (Twilight: Breaking Dawn), Keira Knightley (Pirates of The Caribbean), Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren (Woman In Gold) and Misty Copeland.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
November 16
Magizoologist Newt Scamander joins forces with wizard Albus Dumbledore to battle the devious Gellert Grindelwald in 1920s Paris. The new film adds Jude Law (King Arthur), Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean), and Zoë Kravitz (X-Men: First Class) to the cast.
Mortal Engines
December 14
Many years after the “Sixty Minute War,” cities survive a now desolate Earth by moving around on giant wheels attacking and devouring smaller towns to replenish their resources. Starring Hera Hilmar (Da Vinci’s Demons), Hugo Weaving (Lord of the Rings), and Robert Sheehan (Misfits).
Mary Poppins Returns
December 21 | TRAILER
In 1935 London, a now-grown Jane and Michael Banks, along with Michael’s three children, are visited by the enigmatic Mary Poppins following a personal loss. Starring Emily Blunt (The Girl On The Train), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), Meryl Streep (Into The Woods) and Colin Firth (Kingsman).
Aquaman
December 21
Arthur Curry learns that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, and must step forward to lead his people and to be a hero to the world. Starring Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies), Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man), and Patrick Wilson (Fargo).
Dumplin’
TBA
Based on the novel by Julie Murphy, a girl with the nickname “Dumplin'” enters a beauty pageant in order to win over the boy she likes and stick it to the other girls at school. Starring Danielle Macdonald (Patti Cake$), Odeya Rush (Goosebumps), Dove Cameron (Descendants), Bex Taylor-Klaus (Scream 2015), Maddie Baillio (Hairspray Live), and Jennifer Aniston (Friends).
