Upcoming: Movies 2018
The year 2018 is upon us and I’m here with a list of 22 movies that are on my radar this year. Last year I watched 18, so 22 is at least within striking distance, though I suspect that I will skip some of these in favor of ones I don’t know anything about yet. Also, I’m pretty sure Infinity War and Black Panther will get repeat viewings.
I contemplated ranking these based on my excitement, but I decided it would be more helpful if they were in release order. I’ve included a percentage with each one, though, to indicate how likely I think I am to watch it in the the theater.
Black Panther
Release Date: February 16, Chances of Watching: 100%
I wasn’t as hot on Civil War as some people, but one of the best things to come out of that movie was Black Panther. Chadwick Boseman plays him cool and confident, fully formed and ready to cause trouble. The fact that this movie has an all-star cast and the fresh talent of Ryan Coogler directing certainly helps, and this is the last big outing before the Infinity War begins. I expect to see the last of those infinity stones somewhere here.
A Wrinkle in Time
Release Date: March 9, Chances of Watching: 100%
I’ve never read the book, so I’m not a superfan, but it’s one of the rare movies that my wife is insisting we go watch. It’s got Captain Kirk, Mindy and Elle, so… why not? I don’t really have any idea what to expect, but the fact that it’s so well-loved by millions is enough to pique my interest. Also, Oprah doesn’t agree to act for just any old film…
Tomb Raider
Release Date: March 16, Chances of Watching: 85%
I guess it’s a reboot of the Angelina Jolie franchise, but it’s also based on the reboot of the games so that makes it murky waters in terms of its lineage. No matter, though, the reboot of the video game franchise was one of my favorite games of that year, and Alicia Vikander is an amazing actress who should bring some authenticity to the role. If it takes its cue from the newer games, then Lara Croft won’t be about sex appeal anymore — she’ll be about pure survival.
Pacific Rim Uprising
Release Date: March 23, Chances of Watching: 90%
I loved the first Pacific Rim, even though I recognize that it wasn’t for everyone. It was campy and fun, taking every element so far over the top that there as no question that they were aware of the insanity of it all. This time around, John Boyega fronts the film, hot off of Star Wars. It’s hard to say whether he’s a legitimate super star yet, but this movie may let us know whether he’s got what it takes.
Ready Player One
Release Date: March 30, Chances of Watching: 100%
Okay, y’all. The book that this movie is based on was my favorite book of the last decade, so of course I’m stoked to see it brought to the big screen. I think it has the potential to go horribly wrong in the translation, but the fact that Steven Spielberg is directing it and insisted that they procure the rights to include all of the pop culture references, has my hopes very high. The book will undoubtedly be better, though, so go read that if you haven’t.
Rampage
Release Date: April 20, Chances of Watching: 60%
Do you remember the arcade game? You got to play as a lizard, wolf, or gorilla and then knock down buildings. You could eat people, crash helicopters and otherwise go on a destructive… well, rampage. It was a simple game with simple graphics, and only the very kernel is lending itself to this movie. It’s got Dwayne Johnson, though, and it looks to fit squarely into the disaster porn genre. I’m a sucker for this sort of bad movie!
Avengers: Infinity War
Release Date: May 4, Chances of Watching: 200%
How could my chances of watching it be 200%, you ask? Because I’ll almost certainly watch it twice. This is the culmination of everything. The MCU is one of the reasons I’m so incredibly grateful to be alive in this particular generation. Sure, there’s been a lot of them, but I’m not getting tired of it yet and seeing literally everybody together is going to be nerd nirvana. Marvel hasn’t had any major misfires yet, and I don’t see how they can possibly go wrong with this one.
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Release Date: May 25, Chances of Watching: 100%
I think it’s pretty funny that Disney didn’t reserve May 4 for the Star Wars movie, but I guess that just speaks to the draw of the MCU. I’m lukewarm on Solo. It’s hard to imagine anyone playing the role of Han Solo as well as Harrison Ford, and I wasn’t a huge fan of Rogue One. I am intrigued to see Donald Glover’s take on Lando Calrissian, though.
Deadpool 2
Release Date: June 1, Chances of Watching: 80%
I enjoyed the first Deadpool, but not quite as much as the general movie going audience. I’m sure it’ll break all sorts of R-rated box office records. I am likely to end up watching it in the theater one way or another, but it’s not one that I’ll be buying my tickets for months in advance.
Ocean’s 8
Release Date: June 8, Chances of Watching: 50%
Reboot all the things with women! Hey, I don’t have a problem with that mantra, especially when you line up a cast as incredible as this one. At the end of 2018, we may all be saying that Mindy Kaling had the best year ever. The George Clooney/Brad Pitt Ocean’s 11 is classic, but I have faith that Cate Blanchett and Sandra Bullock can deliver something equally as incredible. Nonetheless, I’ll likely wait for reviews on this one because there are so many movies to watch in the summer, that I’ll be looking for a break somewhere.
Incredibles 2
Release Date: June 15, Chances of Watching: 100%
The original Incredibles is my favorite Pixar movie, so it’s super exciting that it’s finally getting a sequel! It’s easy to forget that Incredibles is a superhero movie, but it is and it’s one of the best we’ve ever gotten. We’ve got the whole cast coming back, including Samuel L. Jackson as Frozone. I really wish they would save the outtakes from his sessions… I can only imagine all of the not-safe-for-children stuff that hits the cutting room floor.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Release Date: June 22, Chances of Watching: 100%
I am a child of the Jurassic Park generation. It was the first truly huge blockbuster that I can remember, and it was integral in making movies such a central part of my life. A lot of people didn’t like Jurassic World, but I thought it was a fun enough send-up to the original. Chris Pratt is hard to hate, and I expect that he’ll carry this movie to likability regardless of how many women run from dinosaurs in high heels.
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Release Date: July 6, Chances of Watching: 100%
It’s the third MCU movie of the year and the first after whatever carnage Infinity War wreaks on the universe. The first Ant-Man was a cozy delight that didn’t tread a lot of original ground, but delivered the Marvel pathos to practical perfection. I was disappointed that Evangeline Lily didn’t get her turn in the suit last time around, so I can’t wait to see her. I’m curious to see if the pair show up in Infinity War first.
The Predator
Release Date: August 3, Chances of Watching: 35%
I quite liked the last time they “rebooted” this franchise, and this one is directed by Shane Black so it has to better, right? It has Olivia Munn and Yvonne Strahovski in the cast, so that’s intriguing. Has Arnold been replaced with a woman this time around? I hope so. I’m unlikely to watch it in the theater, though, unless it gets stellar reviews. None of my circle will be interested in it, and I’ll be movied out by August.
Venom
Release Date: October 5, Chances of Watching: 25%
Meh. A Spider-Man universe film outside of the MCU doesn’t sound very interesting to me, and I expect that this one will lead far into the twisted violence of the character. I might go watch it because of the dearth of movies in September, but I’ll more likely save my money.
Mowgli
Release Date: October 19, Chances of Watching: 65%
I don’t really entirely understand what’s going on with this movie, or what story it’s going to be telling. I know Andy Serkis is directing it this time, and that Jon Favreau’s first movie was a solid upgrade over the original cartoon. Whether I see this will largely depend on what else is going on in my life at the time.
Mary Queen of Scots
Release Date: November 2, Chances of Watching: 50%
I love historical dramas, and I especially love this time in English history. Margot Robbie can’t seem to fail, and though I haven’t seen Saoirse Ronan in anything yet, they say that she’s the bees knees. Though I’d love to commit to watching this, the fact that Dark Phoenix comes out on the same day makes it hard. I suppose I should stick it to the man and watch this instead of the other to prove a point, but I know I won’t. (edit: Dark Phoenix was delayed until 2019, so there’s no competition for this one now!)
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Release Date: November 16, Chances of Watching: 90%
I liked Fantastic Beasts better than any of the Harry Potter movies. Full disclosure, though, I’ve never read the Harry Potter books. Despite sorta hating most of the Harry Potter films, I am at least intrigued by the universe so I keep watching them. Since Fantastic Beasts was more enjoyable than the previous ones, I have high hopes for this one.
Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2
Release Date: November 23, Chances of Watching: 100%
Remember how I said The Incredibles was my favorite Pixar movie ever? Can I change my vote to Wreck-It Ralph? Word on the street is that they’ve managed to get more rights to more video game characters this time around, which should make for a great time. Maybe next year it’ll finally be time to focus in and make that Wreck-It Ralph comic-con costume that I’ve always planned on…
Aquaman
Release Date: December 21, Chances of Watching: 100%
Merry Christmas? Seems like a strange release date for a movie about a guy who talks to fish, but maybe he’ll bring us all presents on the backs of dolphins. The DCEU is a mess, with only Wonder Woman being great (though I do think Justice Leage was passable). Can Drogo save it? I doubt it, but I’ll watch it anyway. It’s hard to make Aquaman cool, but at least Jason Momoa is doing his darnedest.
Bumblebee
Release Date: December 21, Chances of Watching: 5%
No. Just no. The Transformers movies have turned into complete garbage. I didn’t even watch the last one, which would have seemed like blasphemy if I had told myself that 10 years ago. I give this a slim margin of watching it just in case the reviews are good or my stocking is full of free movie passes, but mostly I want to skip this one on principle so they’ll just make it stop.
Mary Poppins Returns
Release Date: December 28, Chances of Watching: 85%
Whew! The last one in the list. I don’t like Emily Blunt very much. There. I said it. I don’t know why. I just don’t. I hate Claire Danes, too, for no good reason. Nonetheless, this is Mary Poppins! How can I possibly skip Mary Poppins? I used to hate Anne Hathaway and she converted me to her side with her hilarious performance in Get Smart, so this is Emily’s chance to make me a true believer. You can do it, Emily!
