Happy New Year!
2017 had a number of wonderful cinema offerings, but 2018 seems just as bountiful with a variety of high profile movies that have caught our interest and make us so excited to see. We asked our staff to vote for their most anticipated movies of 2018, and these are the results. Let us know which films you are most anticipating in this new year.
10. Love, Simon
Starring the latest YA golden boy Nick Robinson (Everything, Everything, The 5th Wave), Love, Simon is the hilarious, gratifying story of a teen boy trying to navigate coming out to his friends and family while falling for a mystery classmate online. Based on Becky Albertalli’s debut novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, this movie promises to be the next film in a long line of John Hughes-esque teen movies featuring a witty lead, a memorable group of friends, and of course, angst-inspiring misunderstandings–only this time, with a sweet, non-tragic gay romance at its core. – Bri Lockhart
9. Oceans Eight
While I am enthusiastically against the notion that Hollywood just needs to gender switch their most popular series to be considered progressive (hell, why not, I don’t know, make original content for women instead?) I would be lying to say that the upcoming Ocean’s Eight didn’t thrill me. Similarly as was the case with 2016’s Ghostbusters, the property in question is much beloved and was met with sneers from basement dwelling, forum trolling dude bros who couldn’t fathom WOMEN touching a film they found enjoyable. Hell, scrape the barrel for the least interesting property with a male lead and some sort of following, and make women the lead, and they’ll still rally their hordes to subtweet the creators to death. All of this to say, that even though I want original material for the well-populated berth of women in the entertainment industry, I’m fine seeing what they do for the outrage alone. That plus the fact that the cast director Gary Ross has collected is a smorgasbord of eclectic riches. Along with big names such as Sandra Bullock (who we miss seeing in film), Anne Hathaway, Cate Blanchett and Helena Bonham Carter, it also has talents such as Mindy Kaling (with a big year ahead with this and A Wrinkle in Time), Rihanna, Sarah Paulson and….Awkwafina? An extended cast with a heist plot to work with, this seems destined to be a certifiable blast. – Allyson Johnson
8. Solo: A Star Wars Story
After the chaos of the Ron Howard taking over from Lord and Miller, and with many finding Rogue One a tad underwhelming, there are some doubts about the next Star Wars anthology film. But at the end of the day, a Star Wars movie is still a Star Wars movie, and really, who can’t get excited for a new Star Wars?
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Solo: A Star Wars Story will no doubt be a fun romp through the galaxy with our favorite scruffy looking nerf herder. How Han Solo and Chewbacca met, what crazy hijinks they got into in their earlier years, what a job of intergalactic smuggling actually looks like – these are a few of the questions Star Wars fans have been wondering for years, and it will be a joy to find out. And regardless of whatever happens in the film, it will be worth the price of admission alone just to see Donald Glover as a young Lando Calrissian – which still remains as probably the most perfect casting decision this decade. – Alexander Suffolk
7. Deadpool 2
The first Deadpool was not only able to get one of Marvel’s most popular, lovably profane anti-heroes right, it did so in the midst of Disney’s cheerier, more family-friendly offerings. The second time anyway. But in 2016, the Merc with a Mouth was finally done justice, the very profitable kind that demands a sequel. And if the Bob Ross-inspired teaser is any indication, 2018 will feature even more deranged fun now that introductions and origin stories are out of the way. – Andrea Thompson
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6. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Why is this movie one of the most anticipated of 2018? Two words: Young Dumbledore. After that dramatic end of the first installment of the Fantastic Beasts series on 2016, how could you not want to know more about the adventures of Newt Scamander, Tina Goldstein, Jacob Kowalski and their encounter with the infamous Gellert Grindelwald? In 2018, the magic of J.K. Rowling returns to remind us that the world she created twenty years ago, continues to grow in our hearts. While we wait for November 16, let’s just keep pondering about that “We will die, just a little?” line. – Cristina Moreano
5. The Incredibles 2
It’s finally here! Even though it took 13 years to return to the big screen, I’m still excited for the continuation of one my favorite childhood movies – The Incredibles. The Incredibles 2 has been confirmed and will hit the big screen in June 2018! With the same voice actors and the same director, I’m expecting the film to pick up right where it left off and to feel the same connections to the characters as I did when I was a kid. This is definitely going to be one of the highlights of next year for me, and I hope that the sequel will not just do its predecessor justice but also be the kind of film that the 10-year-old me would have hoped for. – Leigh-Ann Brodber
4. Annihilation
It’s a crime that we haven’t gotten an Alex Garland film since 2014. Garland left his mark in the sci-fi genre with the groundbreaking Ex Machina, a claustrophobic thriller that had a unique take on artificial intelligence. The film sparked philosophical discussion about whether or not humanity was ready for such advanced technology.
Now, it looks like Garland will be taking on a whole different beast: the quest into the unknown. In Annihilation, Natalie Portman leads a band of female scientists into a mysterious setting to find her husband (Oscar Isaac, reuniting with Garland).
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Additionally, they are tasked with seeking out a strange alien-like species (only referred to as “it” in the footage). With only one teaser released so far, the audience is left to ponder what exactly “it” is and how it’s linked to Isaac’s disappearance.
Since Ex Machina is one of the best sci-fi films of the past decade, Annihilation could follow in its path and become a surprise hit in 2018. And since it will be on Netflix, you have no excuse not to watch it. – Yasmin Kleinbart
3. Black Panther
So, I’ll be honest. Since I’m not an avid comic book reader, the most exposure I get from the Marvel Cinematic Universe is what I see in the movies. Whenever they introduce a new character to the group of marvelous (had to throw in a pun) heroes, I get pretty excited. Ever since I caught a glimpse of Black Panther when he first appeared in Captain America: Civil War, the hype became real and the allusive sleek-suited hero peaked my interest. Who was this mysterious superhero that I knew nothing about?! And, can we see more of him?! I’m happy that Marvel Studios answered my prayers. As if the hype wasn’t already real, how can you not get excited for Black Panther when the movie has such a star-studded cast with Chadwick Boseman leading the pack as the titular hero alongside Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o and many more. The movie is set to kickoff the series of Marvel movies in 2018, and rumors have it that what happens in the movie will have a great impact as to what fans will see in the upcoming Avengers movie, Infinity War. Is anyone else already counting down the days?! – Camille Espiritu
2. A Wrinkle in Time
It’s not enough that one of my favorite books is being turned into a big-budget spectacle by Disney, a company currently going through another creative renaissance. No, next year’s A Wrinkle In Time will also being directed by the brilliant Ava Duvernay, and has a cast that includes Reese Witherspoon, Oprah Winfrey, Chris Pine, Mindy Kaling, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Zach Galifianakis. And did I mention it’s also scripted by Jennifer Lee, who did the same for Wreck-It-Ralph and Frozen? It all adds up to one of my most anticipated films of 2018. – Andrea Thompson
1. Avengers: Infinity War
This is it, everybody. The big one. The curtain call. The final bow, at least for the first era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For better or worse, the MCU has pretty much defined how blockbuster cinema is made and marketed for nearly a decade so seeing how Marvel will make it all go boom feels like a true cultural event. The anticipation for seeing Thanos (voiced by Josh Brolin) actually throw hands with Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and co. has been building since his first sinister grin five years ago, so there’s actual excitement to see how he’ll establish his presence. Sure this is only part one of Marvel’s grand finale, but to see how the Russo brothers weave all heroes of the world together into one grand showdown will certainly be something to behold. – Jon Winkler
Which new movie are you looking most forward to seeing in 2018?
Sound off in the comments.
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