Talk Film Society's Most Anticipated Films of 2018
It’s a new year, which means we have a whole new slate of films to look forward to, and we here at Talk Film Society have selected 75 of them to get you excited about 2018. Rob Trench, Mark Watlington, Marcus Irving, Sam Van Haren, Callie Smith, Manish Mathur, Sean Beattie, Matt Curione, Sarah Jane, and Marcelo Pico have written up on the films they’re most anticipating.
Black Panther
It’s certainly no surprise my most anticipated movie of 2018 is most definitely Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther. Look at my countdown tweets on Twitter to know just how true this is. With an all-star cast, that includes Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Luptia Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, and Angela Bassett, Marvel’s next outing seems to be a guaranteed smash if the trailer is any kind of indication. The first time I saw that trailer in the theatre, it took all of me to stop myself from yelling “Fuck yeah!” at the top of my lungs. In a year when Marvel is releasing three movies in total (Ant-Man and the Wasp & Infinity War), there’s no contest to which one I’m looking forward to the most. This is the one film I’m willing to leave my cave for and see opening night. (Sarah Jane)
Isle of Dogs
Wes Anderson returns to the world of stop-motion animation for the first time in nearly a decade, with this tale of a dystopian future where Japan has isolated all dogs to their own island. A group of canines (Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Bob Balaban) hatch a plan to make their return to land, when a young boy (Koyu Rankin) enters their realm hoping to be reunited with his best friend, Spots (Liev Schreiber). The all-star voice cast also includes F. Murray Abraham, Greta Gerwig, Scarlett Johansson, Frances McDormand, Courtney B. Vance, Harvey Keitel, Tilda Swinton, Ken Watanabe, and Yoko Ono, and is bound to be one of the major animated films of the year. (Rob)
Ocean’s 8
A long-awaited new addition to the Ocean’s Trilogy, Sandra Bullock leads a star-studded cast of women in their pursuit to rob the Met Gala. Cate Blanchett, Rihanna, Mindy Kaling, Anne Hathaway and Sarah Paulson fill out a cast that rivals the original 11, and the Met Gala is the next step for a series that has always been stylish, cunning, and charming. (Mark)
Annihilation
A couple years ago, Alex Garland’s directorial debut, Ex Machina, burst onto the scene, a dark thriller about the evolution of artificial intelligence. Now, his follow-up, Annihilation, promises to be just as exhilarating. After a biologist’s husband escapes a mysterious area and goes comatose, she and a group of experienced women must investigate the area and discover what happened within. It promises to be an exciting and visually stunning time at the movies. (Callie)
The Predator
Shane Black is co-writing and directing a Predator movie. It should be near the top of your most anticipated list after that sentence, but if you’re not convinced yet, look at that cast—Thomas Jane, Sterling K. Brown, Keegan-Michael Key, Trevante Rhodes, and Jacob Tremblay who is presumably playing the quip-ready kid role we’ve seen in almost every other Shane Black film. Add to that the present day, suburbia setting, and it’s bound to be the best Predator sequel in 28 years (Predator 2 was pretty good!). (Marcelo)
The Incredibles 2
This long, long, loooooooong-awaited sequel (14 years!) is finally coming our way from Pixar. Given that the original showed the world what the Fantastic Four could look like on screen if anyone involved knew what they were doing, here’s hoping the sequel does something just as delightful. (Sean)
Suspiria (2018)
Director Luca Guadagnino crafted one of 2017’s most talked about films with the sultry romance Call Me by Your Name, and in 2018 he will return with one of the most talked about remakes. Suspiria, the defining work of the giallo subgenre, has long thought to be the type of work that cannot be remade, though Guadagnino has claimed his version of Dario Argento’s masterwork will be completely different in tone and style. Featuring a cast led by Chloe Grace Moretz and reteaming Guadagnino with the likes of Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton, not to mention bringing back original Suspiria star Jessica Harper, it will likely make its world premiere at Cannes this spring. (Rob)
Aquaman
One of the highlights of Justice League was the introduction of Jason Momoa’s charismatic and Point Break-esque Aquaman. His first solo film comes out this Christmas and the fact that James Wan is directing is reason enough to be excited, as is the fantastic supporting cast which includes Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, and Nicole Kidman. And with the news that the stunt team from Mad Max: Fury Road is on board, with reports of armored sharks, too, this movie can’t get here soon enough. (Sam)
A Wrinkle in Time
Coming off her successes with Selma and 13th, Ava Duvernay has taken on the ambitious task of adapting Madeleine L'Engle’s classic to the big screen. The trailers are full of beautiful visuals, a thrilling cast, and a sense of respect for the source material. With great representation both behind and in front of the camera, it’ll be interesting to see if the final product can live up to the hype. (Callie)
Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2
It feels like it’s been ages since Wreck-It Ralph was released, which I found to be pretty great, even if it was mainly just to see a bunch of my favorite video game characters cameo on screen. The sequel sees Ralph travel into the internet, and I’m already picturing the groans at forced memes and online gaming terminology, but I’m hoping the film can recapture some of the heart and bright poppy visuals that pushed the original over the edge into special territory. Even if it fails on those fronts, it’s still exciting to me that Sarah Silverman is a Disney princess. (Marcus)
Avengers: Infinity War
It’s the culmination of a decade’s worth of superhero storytelling. Part one of the MCU’s two-part ‘end’ to its Phase Three will most likely kill off several of your favorite characters. MCU head Kevin Feige has said as much, “This will be a finale.” So, sit back, relax, and be prepared to ball your eyes out if Captain America does indeed bite the dust in the Avengers’ fight against Thanos. (Marcelo)
Sicario 2: Soldado
Denis Villeneuve's Sicario is a masterclass in slow-burn tension and features some of Roger Deakin’s most jaw-dropping compositions. A sequel certainly has potential, but there are a few glaring problems, namely Villeneuve, Deakins, and the film’s lead Emily Blunt not returning. The trailer also makes it look like this one’s more of an action movie, but we could ask for worse than a badass Benicio del Toro hitman movie. (Marcus)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Upon the release of its striking, stylistic trailer, Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse became one of the most anticipated Marvel releases of the upcoming months. The film features other iterations of Spider-Man who haven’t gotten to take the spotlight yet, like Miles Morales, and others that aren’t yet specified. There’s a lot of exciting potential here for a Marvel movie that isn’t restricted by the tight leash of the MCU house style, so, hopefully, this new take on Spider-Man delivers a great experience. (Callie)
Halloween (2018)
40 years after the classic horror film, Blumhouse Productions, Danny McBride, and David Gordon Green are coming together for a straight sequel that will ignore all but the first movie in the series. Jamie Lee Curtis is set to return, along with the original Michael Myers actor, Nick Castle. Not only that, John Carpenter makes a return to the franchise for the first time since Season of the Witch, serving as the new film’s composer. The series has had its ups and downs, but this looks to be a huge highlight in the Myers saga. (Marcelo)
Ready Player One
A new Spielberg picture is always an event and this adaptation of Ernest Cline's debut novel is no different. Already the source of ire by ‘serious’ movie fans, I couldn't be more excited for it. The novel is a personal favorite of mine and has the type of action and adventure that Spielberg excels at, like few other directors in the game today. Featuring Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance, and Tye Sheridan, the cast is stellar and the film itself looks to be a crowd pleaser of the highest order. (Matt)
Untitled Deadpool Sequel
They’re just gonna call this Dead2l, and make the poster a dick joke, but at least the marketing will continue to be fun before half the internet falls all over themselves to talk about how much they’re sick of Deadpool. And Morena Baccarin’s back, so this Firefly fan will be very happy. (Sean)
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Obviously, after all the behind-the-scenes hullabaloo, we’re all looking forward to how the heck the latest Star Wars film is going to turn out. After Phil Lord and Chris Miller left the project well into principal photography, the ever-capable Ron Howard has taken the wheel to steer the ship back on track. While we’ll never get to see Lord and Miller’s vision, Howard will hopefully deliver an entertaining history of Han Solo. (Callie)
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Peyton Reed may not have the ‘Film Twitter’ cred of Edgar Wright, but I'm glad he’s continuing with the MCU. With the Wasp joining Ant-Man and Michelle Pfeiffer gracing us with her presence, this looks to be a kinetic, exciting superhero movie. (Manish)
Bumblebee: The Movie
Okay, I’m no fan of the Transformers movie series. Each one is louder and dumber than the last, but with this prequel set in the ‘80s, Michael Bay is away and Hailee Steinfeld and John Cena are here to play. You also have Travis Knight as the director, who makes his live-action directorial debut, coming off Kubo and the Two Strings. Hasbro, you have my attention. (Marcelo)
God Particle
This is the next part of Bad Robot's Cloverfield anthology series, which instantly makes me excited. Cloverfield and 10 Cloverfield Lane are a couple of lean and smart sci-fi flicks. All we know is that it's about astronauts, and that the cast is positively stacked, with the likes of Daniel Brühl, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Elizabeth Debicki, and David Oyelowo. The film was recently pushed back yet again, but it’s still slated to be a 2018 release, opening on April 20th. (Sam)
The Death of Stalin
Armando Iannucci is known for his fictional political farce and sharp dialogue, but now he’s turning his attention to the real-life story of the how Soviet Russia held together after the death of their dictator. Using modern dialogue and letting his non-Russian cast use non-Russian accents, this feels like a feature-length episode of Veep where the truth is stranger than fiction. (Mark)
Mission: Impossible: 6
After making the best Mission: Impossible movie with Rogue Nation (and after doing some punch-up work on Ghost Protocol), Christopher McQuarrie returns to the franchise as writer-director in a movie that has already taken Tom Cruise out of commission for nine weeks after a stunt gone wrong. How much longer can Cruise go? Might this be the last time we see the now 55-year old endanger himself on screen for your entertainment? Probably not, so please enjoy your sixth mission, if you choose to accept it. (Marcelo)
X-Men: Dark Phoenix
The X-Men series is finally going cosmic and I couldn't be more excited! From first-time director Simon Kinberg, from what we've seen, Dark Phoenix should be a fun space adventure featuring the returning cast along with the new addition of Jessica Chastain. They've kept her character under wraps and if rumors turn out to be true, the reveal could be something very special. I'm a longtime fan of the series through its ups and downs and I'm looking forward to a non-Bryan Singer directed X-Men movie. Dark Phoenix is probably the most popular arc of Chris Claremont’s legendary run on the comic series, and to see a faithful adaptation is something many fans have craved for years. Here's hoping it turns out just as good as they've wished. (Matt)
First Man
Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle goes from drummers and jazz pianists to astronauts, with his take on the life of Neil Armstrong. He reunites with much of his La La Land crew and reteams with Ryan Gosling, who stars as Armstrong. If anything, there will be just as many, or even more, stars involved with this movie, and not just a city-full. (Marcelo)
Proud Mary
A throwback to 70s blaxploitation films, starring the brilliantly talented and charismatic Taraji P. Henson? I'm sold, especially with that kickass glamorous poster and super cool trailer. (Manish)
Unsane
The thing about Steven Soderbergh is that he never stops working and he gets bored easily. Not happy with returning to feature film directing in 2017 (Lucky Logan), he directed an interactive storytelling app (Mosaic), and he shot a secret movie with Claire Foy called Unsane. Seemingly going back to his stripped-down filmmaking roots (à la sex, lies, and videotape and, later, Bubble), Soderbergh apparently shot this psychological thriller on an iPhone. If there’s something to expect from Soderbergh, is to expect him to constantly surprise us. (Marcelo)
Tomb Raider (2018)
I’m here yet again feeling hopeful about a big video game movie adaptation when I have no reason to be. I’m a bit disappointed that voice and motion capture artist Camilla Luddington is not going to be taking her game character to the big screen, but I’m excited to see Alicia Vikander in the role, plus Walton Goggins is in it, so that’s almost guaranteed fun. The film appears to follow closely to the recently rebooted game series, which can be either a good or a bad thing depending on how it’s ultimately handled. (Marcus)
Widows
Steve McQueen returns, five years after his 12 Years a Slave Best Picture win, to tackle a subject matter that looks to be new territory for him. In Widows, four women come together to finish a heist after their husband are killed trying to pull off the same job. With an all-star cast—including Viola Davis, Colin Farrell, Liam Neeson, Michelle Rodriguez, and Jon Bernthal—McQueen looks to have yet another winner on his hands. (Marcelo)
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Yes, Jurassic World was a letdown for many fans. No, I was not one of those people. It was a big silly adventure movie featuring unsuspecting tourists getting ripped to shreds by dinosaurs in horrific ways. I had a blast with that mega blockbuster when it came out. Sure, it wasn't as good as Spielberg’s first two entries in the franchise, but I got my two hours of DinoFun and was pleased enough. This summer we're getting a follow-up and it looks to be another insane trip to Dinosaur Town. I'm a fan of director J.A. Bayona, from what I've seen of his work, and look forward to what he does with the new characters as well as the return of Jeff Goldblum's Dr. Ian Malcolm. (Matt)
Where'd You Go, Bernadette?
A lot of people slept on Richard Linklater’s 2017 effort, Last Flag Flying. It may not have been up to par with his last handful of films, but it showed Linklater is still one of the best working directors today. Cate Blanchett leads Linklater’s new film, playing the titular Bernadette Branch, in an Annapurna Pictures production, that will most likely be one of the best films of the year that might end up being overlooked, which has been the case for most of Linklater’s filmography. (Marcelo)
Thoroughbreds
The directorial debut of playwright Cory Finley has all the tension and heart of a master in the making. Rising stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Olivia Cooke play two girls bonding over a plot to kill one of their dads, helped along the way by Anton Yelchin in one of his final roles. (Mark)
Mute
Duncan Jones’ long awaited sci-fi tale made our Most Anticipated list last year as well, though it remains to be seen when Mute will make its debut. The images glimpsed so far, of a future-noir setting not unlike Blade Runner, have us waiting with baited breath for another hard-hitting, visceral masterpiece, along with a cast including Alexander Skarsgard, Paul Rudd, Justin Theroux, and most intriguingly, Sam Rockwell reprising the character of Sam Bell from Jones’ breakout 2009 feature Moon. Jones has hinted that a release announcement will be coming very soon, as the film will likely premiere at a major festival in the next few months before debuting on Netflix worldwide. (Rob)
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
This western anthology series will come to us in 2018 through Netflix. The Coen brothers are helming their first television project to tell these six stories. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs marks the Coens’ return to western genre work since the 2010 film, True Grit. Whatever the brothers do with western stories in long-form filmmaking, the final product is sure to be fantastic. (Callie)
Pacific Rim: Uprising
The sequel to Guillermo del Toro’s giant robot vs. kaiju action movie unfortunately only has del Toro as a producer (the man was busy making his masterpiece The Shape of Water). But on the plus side, along with many of the original cast returning, John Boyega joins the series, playing an ex-Jaeger pilot called back into the fight after the kaiju threat returns ten years after the events of the first film. Here’s hoping for lots of gargantuan kaiju mayhem. (Marcelo)
Mary Poppins Returns
Mary Poppins Returns might be the most secret of Disney’s upcoming films, kept under strict lock and key, aside from the few released pictures from the set. Nonetheless, a Mary Poppins sequel with Emily Blunt and America’s sweetheart, Lin-Manuel Miranda, taking center stage is such an exciting idea that it’s sure to be a hot ticket next Christmas. (Callie)
Red Sparrow
Director Francis Lawrence and Jennifer Lawrence re-team, after working together in the Hunger Games series, to make yet another film based on a popular book series, Red Sparrow. We’ll see how exactly this turns out and if we’ll see more Dominika Egorova (Lawrence’s lead spy character) adventures, but chances are good with these two together again. (Marcelo)
The New Mutants
What’s most intriguing about this new installment of the X-Men series is that it’s looking to be the first full-on horror superhero film. As usual with this franchise, it’s unclear where this exists in the continuity, but it’s best not to think about that. It features an ensemble made up of great young actors like Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch, Split) and Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones), and it’s an adaptation of a beloved arc from the comics. Sounds like it could be a winner. (Sam)
Hold the Dark
Jeremy Saulnier’s (Blue Ruin, Green Room) latest stars Alexander Skarsgård and Riley Keough, and is based off the novel written by William Giraldi. The premise sounds like another perfect match for the director—wild wolves take children and a wife from a family in a remote Alaskan village, and a wolf expert is called in to help find the bodies, dead or alive. It’s almost a guarantee that Saulnier will make yet another chilling tale with this. (Marcelo)
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
I’m a seemingly rare fan of the Harry Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I thought David Yates and J.K. Rowling balanced the disparate storylines and tone well enough to deliver a fun and intriguing movie. It was a major bummer when Colin Farrell’s character turned into Johnny Depp at the end of the first film, and it’s even more disappointing knowing Depp is still around for this sequel. That said, I still feel like Yates and Rowling deserve the benefit of the doubt, at least when it comes to the Harry Potter franchise. (Sam)
Alita: Battle Angel
After a long hiatus from filmmaking to build a television network, Robert Rodriguez returns to the big screen in 2018 with Alita: Battle Angel. Alita had been stuck in development for years and years until James Cameron passed the reins and monumentally large budget of the project to Rodriguez. Seeing how Rodriguez, a director famous for making a $7,000 movie, uses his biggest budget to date should be an exciting experience. (Callie)
Black Klansman
Jordan Peele isn’t stopping anytime soon. He has several projects lined up, including the return of The Twilight Zone, and he’s coming in as a producer on this, Spike Lee’s latest. Black Klansman tells the true story of a black detective who infiltrated the KKK, with John David Washington in the lead and Adam Driver co-starring. The studio who helped bring you Get Out, Blumhouse Productions is also involved, so we’re expecting next-level greatness here. (Marcelo)
Death Wish
The timing could not possibly be worse (although there’s no timing that possibly makes sense, this is just an inherently flawed idea), but I am looking forward to Eli Roth’s reboot of the inexplicably long-running crime series. Roth’s only been one-upping himself with each subsequent film, including his last release, Knock Knock, a brilliant, trashy erotic thriller in an era where those just aren’t made anymore. It seems the best we can hope from the plot is that it’s only borderline offensive, but Split made me want to see Bruce Willis do something other than straight-to-DVD trash, and partnering with Roth just makes sense to me. (Marcus)
Bohemian Rhapsody
After a storied history (including the recent departure of director Bryan Singer), this Freddie Mercury biopic is finally arriving in 2018. Featuring Rami Malek as the iconic singer, this should be an interesting look into the reign of Queen, one of the greatest bands to ever exist. (Mark)
Venom
To be completely honest, a movie about a Spider-Man villain, whose origins revolve around Spider-Man, without Spider-Man, sounds like a bad idea. But Tom freaking Hardy is starring as the eponymous symbiote, so mostly I’m eager to see what drew him to this project. It will also be interesting to see what Sony has to offer with these Spidey-less, Spider-Man movies. At the very least, Tom Hardy’s Venom voice should be entertaining. (Sam)
Backseat
Adam McKay proved his has political bite with The Big Short (which won him an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay). Now he’s targeting another hot topic—Dick Cheney. Christian Bale is already guaranteed to get awards season attention with his performance as Dick, once again undergoing a drastic body transformation. Not only that, Steve Carell plays Donald Rumsfeld, Tyler Perry plays Colin Powell, and Sam Rockwell plays George W. Bush. Top that with Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney and you could have the best acting ensemble of 2018. (Marcelo)
On the Basis of Sex
While I was looking forward to Natalie Portman playing Ruth Bader Ginsburg, her fellow Star Wars alum Felicity Jones should prove to be an excellent choice for the Supreme Court Justice. (Manish)
Mowgli
Jon Favreau and Disney may have beaten him to the punch, but that’s not stopping Andy Serkis. Serving as director and star (as Baloo), Serkis is taking the source material and presumably adding motion-capture magic, which he’s the master of, all with the help of a stellar cast (Christian Bale, Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett). Whether it tops any previous version of the story, we’re bound to get a technological marvel. (Marcelo)
Roma
It’s been a long wait, but finally, after nearly 5 years, we have a new Alfonso Cuaron film to look forward to. Plot details are scarce at this point, but Roma is said to follow the life of a middle-class Mexican family over the course of a year in the early 1970s. A harkening back to Cuaron’s last Spanish-language feature Y Tu Mamá También, after back-to-back visually incredible sci-fi films Children of Men and Gravity, there’s little doubt that he has something special in store for us. (Rob)
The House that Jack Built
We can all agree that that’s something wrong with Lars von Trier. Even he admits it, saying he can’t write without drinking and he had to hit the bottle to make more movies. We hope he gets well, mentally, but in the meantime, we can appreciate his disturbing output. Case in point, his new film The House That Jack Built focuses on a 12-year span in a serial killer’s life… We hope you’re alright, von Trier. (Marcelo)
If Beale Street Could Talk
After a historic Best Picture win, Moonlight director Barry Jenkins already has his next feature in development, an adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel of the same name. A painful story of racial injustice in early 1970s Harlem, the screenplay was written by Jenkins at the same time his breakthrough film was crafted. Featuring the likes of Stephan James, newcomer KiKi Layne, Teyonah Parris, Regina King, Dave Franco, Ed Skrein, Michael Beach, Finn Wittrock, Aunjanue Ellis, Diego Luna, Pedro Pascale, and Emily Rios. Expect If Beale Street Could Talk to premiere towards the end of 2018. (Rob)
Domino
Brian De Palma’s first feature since 2012’s Passion sees him return to the crime-thriller genre, in a story set in the Netherlands about a Copenhagen cop seeking justice for his partner’s murder. Expect something darker and more fast-paced than the Hitchcockian style De Palma utilized in some of his bigger past hits, though the core ensemble of Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Carice van Houten, and Guy Pearce has us intrigued. (Rob)
Holmes and Watson
In a time when there are two Holmesian TV shows and two movies in the past ten years, it’s strange to be excited for a new addition to the Sherlock canon, but with Will Ferrell and John C Reilly reuniting, this time as the titular Holmes and Watson, it’s hard not to be interested. A supporting cast of Hugh Laurie, Ralph Fiennes and Lauren Lapkus, and, reportedly, featuring music from Alan Menken, this is bound to be a new take on one of the most iconic characters ever. (Mark)
The Death and Life of John F. Donovan
Following his Grand Prix win at Cannes for It’s Only the End of the World, Xavier Dolan is making his first English-language film. The wunderkind director’s next feature is the story of the correspondence between a TV star and a young fan and the effect it has on both their lives. For those familiar with Dolan’s previous work, it’s exciting to see him working with such a fantastic cast, and for the uninitiated, it will certainly be a fascinating first-time experience. (Callie)
The Sisters Brothers
After unexpectedly claiming the Palme d’Or in 2015 for Dheepan, Jacques Audiard moves into bold territory with the dark Western-comedy The Sisters Brothers, adapted from the bestselling novel by Patrick deWitt. Two assassin brothers (Joaquin Phoenix, John C. Reilly) are on the trail of a prospector (Jake Gyllenhaal) who have stolen from their boss, taking them across the Oregon Trail during the California gold rush of the 1850s. Taking inspiration from classic Western tropes and injecting them with jet black, violent humor, this is likely to make its debut at Cannes. (Rob)
The Meg
I’ll resort to the elevator pitch: a prehistoric shark that could give Godzilla a tough time menaces a scuttled submarine in a mix of Poseidon Adventure and Deep Blue Sea. I could not be more sold on this movie unless Treat Williams was also in it (but Jason Statham and Ruby Rose are). (Sean)
Maze Runner: The Death Cure
The Maze Runner film series has been a consistently surprising franchise. It is definitely the best of the Hunger Games clones that have popped up the last few years. That’s thanks to the confident direction of exciting newcomer Wes Ball and the talented young ensemble. The final installment (very thankful they didn’t split it into two movies) looks to be a thrilling finale. I’m curious to see how Ball and the cast wrap things up. (Sam)
A Star is Born
Bradley Cooper is making his directorial debut with this fourth iteration of the classic musical. Stefani Germanotta, aka pop icon Lady Gaga, is making her film debut, looking to stretch her already considerable talents. (Manish)
The Girl in the Spider's Web
It’s been 7 years since David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and instead of making a direct sequel to that, Sony has decided to skip the next two books in the series and adapt the fourth, with an all-new cast. It’s an odd decision, but when you have Fede Álvarez taking over as director and Claire Foy as the new Lisbeth Salander, chances are this might be an interesting take on the material. We hope. (Marcelo)
High Life
Claire Denis ranks among the greatest directors in contemporary filmmaking, and at last she has made her first English-language feature. Even better, it stands to be a high-stakes science fiction adventure, concerning a group of criminals sent to find an alternative energy source in space. Denis has been planning the film for nearly fifteen years, and given her propensity for making films about bodies and space, it will be interesting to see how she create a more literal version of that template. The cast, which includes a diverse ensemble, with the likes of Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, Mia Goth, Patricia Arquette, and Andre Benjamin, should certainly make for one of the year’s more interesting sci-fi offerings. (Rob)
Old Man and the Gun
If you only know writer-director David Lowery because of Pete’s Dragon and A Ghost Story (both spectacular, if you ask me), do yourself a favor and check out his 2013 film Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, an outlaw tale set in Texas. Lowery’s new film stars Robert Redford as an elderly criminal looking to get back into the game, and looks to be reminiscent of the director’s earlier work. Elisabeth Moss, Sissy Spacek, and Casey Affleck co-star. (Marcelo)
Mary Queen of Scots
Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie could very well find themselves in the Oscar conversation again next year playing Mary Stuart and Queen Elizabeth, respectively. I'm always down for a costume drama, especially one with some melodrama potential. (Manish)
The Modern Ocean
From his first releases of Primer and Upstream Color, Shane Carruth’s films have been a staple of modern mind-bending cinema. His work is cerebral, deeply engaging, and unlike anything else you’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, his follow-up, The Modern Ocean, has been trapped in development for quite a while now, with a tentative 2018 release date and a signed-on cast that includes Anne Hathaway, Keanu Reeves, Tom Holland, and Daniel Radcliffe. The Modern Ocean will focus on international shipping and those involved, which may not sound like a fantastic pitch at first glance, but if there’s anyone who can turn that concept into a fantastic film, it’s Carruth. (Callie)
Under the Silver Lake
It Follows remains one of the most discussed horror films of the last decade, and after four years of development, its director David Robert Mitchell seems poised to showcase his latest genre offering. A neo-noir thriller that brings together most of the crew from Mitchell’s breakout hit, Under the Silver Lake is said to be set in Los Angeles and follow the link between a billionaire’s murder and the cult indie music scene. Featuring the likes of Andrew Garfield, Riley Keough, and Topher Grace, hopes are high it results in being one of the year’s better mysteries. (Rob)
Radegund
Terrence Malick seems to make films for a very select audience these days, with his last few being among the most divisive pictures of the last several years. Radegund looks to be a ‘return to form’ for the director, seemingly less interested in improvisation and more in tune with his classics like Badlands and Days of Heaven. The story of a conscientious objector during World War II in Germany, it stars August Diehl and Michael Nyqvist and looks to be anything but average. (Matt)
Revenge
2018 needs more films starring and directed by women. Enter Revenge, a French action-revenge thriller, directed by Coralie Fargeat and starring Matilda Lutz, that’s already the best film I’ve seen in 2017 that’s set for release in 2018. I won’t spoil it, but the last action sequence alone will stand out as one of the best, most insane moments this year. Don’t miss this one. (Marcelo)
The Other Side of the Wind
Orson Welles spent the bulk of the 1970s attempting to finish this satire of classic and new Hollywood cinema, though a troubled production history and ensuing legal problems did not allow for it to be completed prior to his death in 1985. The process of finishing and reconstructing the film began in 2014, and following a crowdfunding campaign (as well as Netflix stepping in to distribute the posthumous work), it appears we will finally see Welles’ lost work after 40 years of waiting. The story concerns a director returning to Hollywood after several years of exile in Europe, planning to make his comeback picture (also titled The Other Side of the Wind), boasting a cast that features John Huston and Peter Bogdanovich. (Rob)
Boy Erased
Joel Edgerton directorial debut, The Gift, was an unexpected sledgehammer to the face. Edgerton’s next film looks to be just as powerful; Boy Erased is based on the memoir by Garrard Conley, the son of a Baptist pastor who was put through gay conversion therapy. Lucas Hedges plays Garrard, and Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman play his parents, with Edgerton playing the gay conversion therapist. It’s an important story to tell, and the cast and crew behind it look to be perfect for the material. (Marcelo)
I Think We're Alone Now
Reed Morano has made the jump from cinematographer to director over the last few years—going from the feature Meadowland to the Emmy-winning series The Handmaid’s Tale. Her new film looks to be another intriguing work for her; it stars Peter Dinklage and Elle Fanning as two survivors of an apocalypse who must deal with each other after finding out they’re likely the only two left alive. Morano is most certainly a director to watch, and this film, set to premiere at Sundance this year, could make her more widely known. (Marcelo)
Wildlife
Based on Richard Ford’s novel, Wildlife is a family drama about a boy watching his family fall apart after his mother falls for another man. It has a stellar cast and also marks the directorial debut of Paul Dano, who’s best known for his fantastic acting work in many films, including last year’s Okja. The adaptation is written by Dano and Zoe Kasan, who’s a phenomenal writer and performer as well. With this much talent in all aspects of the film, Wildlife will surely become one of the better independent releases in 2018. (Callie)
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote
Long thought to be lost in the trenches of Development Hell, it's a wonder that Terry Gilliam ever even came close to completing this. In the works for over 20 years, with enough behind-the-scenes horror stories to fill several books, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote is a true passion project in every sense. What the end result will be is anyone's guess but knowing Gilliam it'll be visually arresting and sure to blow minds. (Matt)
Fahrenheit 451
In a world of ‘fake news’ and other similar anti-intellectualism ideas, there couldn’t be a more appropriate time to remake Ray Bradbury’s classic dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451. 99 Homes director Ramin Bahrani directs Michael Shannon again, this time joined by Michael B. Jordan as the protagonist, Guy Montag, and Sofia Boutella as Montag’s neighbor, Clarisse McCellan. This HBO film should be an exciting and resonant adaptation of the novel, with haunting echoes of the times in which we live. (Callie)
Bad Times at the El Royale
Drew Goddard’s long-awaited directorial follow-up to The Cabin in the Woods stars Jeff Bridges and Chris Hemsworth as two bad hombres who wind up at a run-down hotel in the 1960s with a few other bad hombres. Not much else is known, but it’s great to see Goddard back at behind the camera. (Marcelo)
Hotel Artemis
Drew Pearce (writer of Iron Man 3 and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation) is making his directorial debut with this futuristic action film, starring Dave Bautista, Jodie Foster, Sofia Boutella, and Jeff Goldblum. The cast of characters find themselves in an underground hospital when two criminals decide to try and kill one another. It’s a cool concept that might make for some great sci-fi action. (Marcelo)
The Favourite
Making his first period piece, Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest feature concerns the reign of Queen Anne of Britain (Olivia Colman) in the early 18th century, and the bitter rivalry that emerges between Abigail Masham (Emma Stone) and Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz). Given his pedigree for dark, atmospheric stories with startling moments of violence and hilarity, The Favourite is certain to be a truly original take on history that counters Lanthimos’ offbeat recent features The Killing of a Sacred Deer and The Lobster. (Rob)
The Beach Bum
Harmony Korine’s The Trap didn’t come together last year. That film was set to star the likes of Robert Pattinson and Al Pacino, but because of possible ‘complications’ due to the recasting of an actor (possibly Jamie Foxx) it’s not happening at the moment. Instead, we have The Beach Bum, starring Matthew McConaughey as a beach bum called Moondog who “lives life by his own rules.” Fair trade! (Marcelo)
