At the latest after the Hollywood strikes by screenwriters and actors were ended in autumn 2023, the way was paved for an exhilarating cinema year in 2024. While the beginning of the new year is still in biopic mode, the first mega-blockbuster in the future is due in March. Many popular film series are getting sequels or spin-offs, but some brand new stories will also find their way to the big screen in 2024. Here are some suggestions for each of the next twelve months.
The sports comedy “Next Goal Wins” with Michael Fassbender (46) in the lead role provides the perfect start to the new year. The film by Taika Waititi (48) tells the true story about the incredibly unsuccessful American-Samoan national soccer team and seems like a mixture of “Ted Lasso” meets “Cool Runnings”. The film not only delivers the feel-good vibe you need at the start of the year. It also opens the year, which from a German perspective will hopefully be dominated by football – thanks to the European Championship in their own country.
“Priscilla” by Sofia Coppola (52) will also be released in German cinemas at the beginning of the year. As you can easily tell from the title, this is a film biography about Priscilla Presley (78). With her as the central figure, her turbulent and sensational relationship with superstar Elvis is examined from a new perspective. Sort of like what “Jackie” did in the case of Jackie Kennedy in 2016.
Giorgos Lanthimos (50) is already busy generating Oscar buzz with “Poor Things” with Emma Stone (35), Mark Ruffalo (56) and Willem Dafoe (68) in the leading roles. The bizarre story, which is based on a novel of the same name and can be seen as a feminist twist on the “Frankenstein” saga, earned seven Golden Globe nominations. Stone in particular is wildly celebrated for her performance. But be careful: Lanthimos is famous for his unwieldy film fare; he also wrote “The Lobster” and “The Favourite”.
The next biopic will follow in February: With “Bob Marley: One Love,” a cinematic monument will also be built to the “King of Reggae.” “Barbie” star Kingsley Ben-Adir (37) takes on the role of the musician, who died in 1981 at the age of just 36. Marley’s widow Rita, who still manages his estate today, is portrayed by “James Bond” actress Lashana Lynch (36).
With “The Fall Guy”, a cult figure will return in February 2024, who will probably be well known to German audiences under a different title. Because “The Fall Guy” is the original English title of the cult series “A Colt for All Cases” with Lee Majors (84) as Colt Seavers – a stuntman and bounty hunter in one person. The plot was slightly adapted for the film by David Leitch (“Bullet Train”); Hollywood’s all-purpose weapon Ryan Gosling (43) is allowed to bear the forbidden cool name Colt Seavers.
In mid-March, “Dune – Part 2”, a film with the first major blockbuster potential, will be released. The sequel to the 2021 sci-fi epic was also directed by Denis Villeneuve (56), with the star-studded cast including leading actors Timothée Chalamet (27), Stellan Skarsgård (72), Javier Bardem (54) and Zendaya (27). including veteran star Christopher Walken (80) and “Oppenheimer” actress Florence Pugh (27).
The ghost hunter resurrection will also go into the second round in March: “Ghostbusters – Frozen Empire” is the sequel to “Ghostbusters: Legacy”, which was released in 2021, and in which a new generation picked up the proton emitters for the first time. Also in part two are Dr.’s grandchildren. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) is back in the spotlight, supported by Paul Rudd and the originals Bill Murray (73), Ernie Hudson (77) and Dan Aykroyd (71).
The new chapter of the “MonsterVerse” will be written in April: “Godzilla x Kong – The New Empire” continues the story of the titular titans, which began ten years earlier with “Godzilla”. Instead of mostly working off each other like in “Godzilla vs. Kong”, in the fifth part of the franchise they have to do monster work together in the fight against a huge threat. True to the motto: “Nothing unites more than a common enemy.”
After “Dune – Part 2” there is also a cinema date with Zendaya in April. “Challengers” is a love triangle set in the world of tennis. The film by Luca Guadagnino (52) was actually supposed to open the Venice Film Festival in 2023, but had to be postponed due to the Hollywood strikes.
“Planet of the Apes 4 – New Kingdom” will transport moviegoers to a dystopian new world order in May. In 2011, the 60s cult film with Charlton Heston received a makeover, and in the years that followed, two more, increasingly dark sequels followed, “Revolution” and “Survival”. More than ever, in the fourth part of the series, the monkeys are at the center of the story, having now fought for world domination from humans.
The action spectacle “Furiosa” also takes us into the post-apocalypse in May, albeit a much dustier one. The film by “Mad Max” mastermind George Miller (78) is the spin-off of his Oscar-winning work “Mad Max: Fury Road” from 2015. As the title suggests, it stars Charlize Theron (48) embodied PS Amazon Furiosa as the main character. However, Theron does not return for this, “Furiosa” tells the backstory and therefore takes place years before “Fury Road”. “Ladies Gambit” star Anya Taylor-Joy (27) was cast as her young version, while Chris Hemsworth embodies the antagonist Immortan Joe (40).
“Ballerina” is an excellent German title for a “John Wick” spin-off – there’s plenty of shooting here too and beautiful action choreography has always been the trademark of the series. The spin-off is about a young assassin who, like John Wick, is driven by a desire for revenge. Although the character appeared briefly in chapter three of the series, instead of Unity Phelan (28), she will be played by Ana de Armas (35) in the solo film, which was announced for June 2024.
With “Everything’s Inside Out,” Pixar created a true animation masterpiece in 2015. Clever, humorous and touching, the emotional world of a girl is explained in a child-friendly way with the help of allegorical figures. Part two will repeat this feat in June next year. At least the idea behind it is promising – as we all know, in the life of a teenager, feelings are more confused than ever…
There will be another prequel to a popular and successful story in July. “Mufasa: The Lion King” is the prequel to the photorealistic new edition of the animated classic released in 2019. The film by Barry Jenkins (44) will deal with Simba’s father Mufasa and his formative years on the way to becoming king of the jungle.
Marvel’s biggest loudmouth will make his third cinema appearance in July. And best of all: In “Deadpool 3” Hugh Jackman (55) will actually return as the cult growler Wolverine alongside Ryan Reynolds (47). Anyone who has seen the dark “Logan” knows that this is actually not possible, but: “Deadpool 3” takes place before the events of the 2017 film and thus enables the most unequal duo in comic book history.
There isn’t much information yet about “Alien: Romulus”, which is expected to be released in August 2024. Apparently, however, it is not intended to follow the plot of the previous “Alien” parts, but rather tell an independent story. Ridley Scott (86) didn’t sit in the director’s chair either, but “Don’t Breathe” maker Fede Alvarez (45).
Sergei Kravinoff aka Kraven the Hunter (German: Kraven der Jäger) first appeared in a Marvel comic in 1964 and repeatedly returned as a rival to Spider-Man. His solo film is scheduled to hit theaters in August. Bond candidate Aaron Taylor-Johnson (33) plays the titular antihero, who will apparently cause plenty of bloodshed. In the USA, the film will have an R rating – the first Marvel film ever.
In 1988, one of the most imaginative and visually impressive horror comedies in film history was released: “Beetlejuice” with Geena Davis (67), Winona Ryder (52), Michael Keaton (72) and Alec Baldwin (65). Over 35 years later – according to current status in September 2024 – the poltergeist with the loose mouth will return. “Beetlejuice 2” combines numerous stars of the original with new additions such as “Wednesday” star Jenna Ortega (21), Monica Bellucci (59) as Beetlejuice’s wife and Willem Dafoe in an as yet unknown role. The director, how could it be otherwise, was taken over by Tim Burton (65).
In October, Joaquin Phoenix (49) will make his second appearance as the character that won him the Oscar for Best Actor in 2020. In “Joker: Folie à Deux” it’s not just singer Lady Gaga (37) who joins the cast as Joker’s better/worse half Harley Quinn. Rather, director Todd Phillips (52) surprised people with his plan to make the sequel into a musical. It is not yet clear whether this will actually work. But it is true that both main actors can sing – Phoenix had impressively proven this in the Johnny Cash biopic “Walk the Line”.
A matter of honor: Just in time for Halloween on October 31st, horror clown art from the “Terrifier” series will reappear. After the second film, in which a surprising amount of horror was created with a surprisingly small budget, part three is likely to offer even more disgusting gore thanks to the usual logic of outdoing the horror genre.
The film “Wise Guys,” announced for November, sounds like Martin Scorsese’s (81) wet dream. Because none other than Hollywood legend Robert De Niro (80) plays two mafia bosses in a dual role: the Cosa Nostra greats Frank Costello and Vito Genovese. The film by Barry Levinson (81) deals with their rivalry and how the power-hungry Vito tries to hack away at his boss Frank’s chair.
Like last November, Ridley Scott will once again provide epic cinematic enjoyment. While he sent Napoleon Bonaparte on his campaign of conquest in 2023, the eagerly awaited sequel to his film “Gladiator” will be released in the new year. Instead of Russell Crowe (59) and Joaquin Phoenix, Paul Mescal (27) and Denzel Washington (68), among others, are now at the center of the action.
It arrived in December, the return of “The Lord of the Rings” to cinemas. But before hobby hobbits start cheering all too quickly in the face of “The War of the Rohirrim”: It is an animated film, which, however, is officially based on Peter Jackson’s (62) three “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” films. The anime “The War of the Rohirrim” takes place about 250 years before “The Two Towers” and is about Rohan’s mighty King Helm Hammerhand. At least in the English original there is a Hollywood star in this role: Brian Cox (77) lends his voice.
