If you thought that 2018 was the hottest year for blockbusters, then think again. 2019 has a long list of highly-anticipated movie releases, ones that have made us repeatedly say, ‘Why can’t 2019 come any sooner?’
1. Glass
Release Date: 18 January
The third instalment to the Unbreakable series, Glass will be the conclusion to the 18-year-long trilogy. The film will pursue Kevin’s superhuman persona of The Beast in a series of escalating encounters. A certain ‘Mr Glass’ will emerge as an orchestrator who seems to be holding secrets critical to both men.
2. The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part
Release Date: 8 February
Five years after the events from the first movie, everything seems to be less than awesome in Bricksburg when some marketable space invaders visit their town.
You can watch the trailer here.
3. Alita: Battle Angel
Release Date: 14 February
Adapted from a Japanese manga of the same name, the story revolves around a cyborg girl who faces her past with the help of the scientist who rescued her from a heap of scrap.
You can watch the trailer here.
4. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Release Date: 22 February
The third and quite possibly the final chapter of the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, The Hidden World finds Hiccup leading the village of Berk, now a utopia for dragons. However, when Toothless encounters a potential mate, Hiccup and he embark on a journey to a magical hidden world in order to save the threat that seems to be bearing down on Berk.
You can watch the trailer here.
5. Chaos Walking
Release Date: 1 March
Straight outta the novel of the same name, Chaos Walking brings together Rey form Star Wars and Peter Parker from Homecoming in a big-screen spectacular. The story revolves around a young man living in a colony on a different planet who believes that women have been killed by a virus. However, his claim is challenged when he meets a mysterious girl who holds the key to his planet’s secrets.
6. Captain Marvel
Release Date: 8 March
Will the Avengers recover from the mass destruction wrought by Thanos? Maybe we’ll get some answers in Captain Marvel which will take place in the 1990s. The movie will introduce the ‘strongest Avenger’, Carol Danvers, who receives superpowers from a Kree alien called Mar-Vell.
You can watch the trailer here.
7. Dumbo
Release Date: 29 March
One of the three Disney movies getting a live-action adaptation in 2019, this remake of the 1941 animated classic marries the tale of a ‘special’ elephant with the directorial stylization of Tim Burton. An odd pair indeed, but should we really complain after seeing the heightened emotions?
You can watch the trailer here.
8. Shazam!
Release Date: 5 April
This DC superhero flick is about a teen who receives the power to transform into an adult hero with the powers of super-strength, flight, and more. We just hope that it follows the footsteps of Aquaman instead of Justice League.
You can watch the trailer here.
9. Pet Sematary
Release Date: 21 April
Yet another adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, this movie will tell the tale of a man who discovers a pet graveyard behind his home that possesses the power to bring the dead back to life. Considering that King’s previous adaptation was a hot commodity, we are really excited about this one.
You can watch the trailer here.
10. Hellboy
Release Date: 14 May
Did we really need a Hellboy reboot? Not really, because how can you really improve on the original that was crafted with such perfection? And guess who plays the new kid from hell? David freaking Harbour. That’s right, Chief Hopper from Stranger Things himself.
You can watch the trailer here.
11. The Curse of La Llorona
Release Date: 19 April
From the brains of the man who delivers exceptional horror movies one after another, James Wan, comes another highly anticipated horror flick. The story follows a widowed social worker who finds terrifying parallels between what’s happening to a family she is investigating and the strange occurrences haunting her town.
You can watch the trailer here.
12. Avengers: Endgame
Release Date: 26 April
Endgame promises to bring the resolution to the conflict between Earth’s mightiest heroes and Thanos. We don’t really know a lot about what will happen in the movie except that Hawkeye is back as Ronin, Ant-Man will join the fight, and that Tony is lost in space and has run out of snacc.
You can watch the trailer here.
13. Pokémon: Detective Pikachu
Release Date: Sometime in May
The live-action/animation hybrid film based on a video game of the same name will be featuring Ryan Renolds as the voice of Pikachu. However, unlike Vin Diesel’s Groot, Pikachu will be speaking more than just ‘pika pika’.
You can watch the trailer here.
14. John Wick: Chapter 3
Release Date: 16 May
After hunting down the killers of his dog and murdering a high-level crime lord on the grounds of the Continental, John, in the next chapter, will be fending for his from the large pool of assassins who are after his life.
15. Rocketman
Release Date: 31 May
A biopic based on the life of Sir Elton John, the film will cover John’s formative years – from childhood prodigy to the days when his trip ro Philadelphia took him high-knee to a fruitful partnership with lyricist Bernie Taupin.
You can watch the trailer here.
16. Aladdin
Release Date: 24 May
Disney’s live-action adaptation project continues unabated whilst also updating the 1992 animated classic. Street rat #1 will be played by Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine. Wait, is she an Indian? No? Okay. So much for ‘equal representation.’
You can watch the trailer here.
17. Godzilla: King of Monsters
Release Date: 31 May
The big, mean, and green Godzilla is back in the fighting ring with three new challengers – Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah. Also, Millie Bobbie Brown will be featuring in the film with her ever-so-constant worried face.
You can watch the trailer here.
18. Dark Phoenix
Release Date: 7 June
Hitting a speed-bump with 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse, the next iteration seeks to rebound with one of the most popular stories from the comics – of Jean Grey.
You can watch the trailer here.
19. Men in Black International
Release Date: 14 June
Men in Black goes international as Thor and Valkyrie reunite in the franchise’s fourth instalment. It’s a new day for the franchise, one in which Will Smith and Tommy Jones are not involved. Also, the film will take place in the UK, where the two agents will kick some gooey alien ass.
You can watch the trailer here.
20. Toy Story 4
Release Date: 20 June
Just when we thought that Toy Story 3 was the last of the series, Pixar announced the next iteration, which honestly holds a risk to poison the well of perfectly crafted movies. But don’t worry, all of your characters are there plus one.
You can watch the trailer here.
21. Spider-Man: Far From Home
Release Date: Sometime in June
The existence of the movie in itself is a spoiler for Avengers: Endgame. How? Because Peter is alive, and we feel good already! In the follow-up to Sony’s 2015 reboot of the series, Spidey will face off Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio. Also, after the ‘accidental’ reveal by Tom Holland on Instagram, we already know what the title to the film will be.
22. The Lion King
Release Date: 19 July
Jon Favreau has shown the world that he can brilliantly deliver live-action Disney adaptations with 2016’s The Jungle Book. He has taken the helm of yet another beloved Disney classic, gathering a stellar cast which includes Donald Glover, Beyonce, and the legendary James Earl.
You can watch the trailer here.
23. The New Mutants
Release Date: 2 August
The next chapter of the X-Men franchise has collected the hottest young stars to play the next generation X-Men from Marvel’s comic book series of the same name. However, the mutants’ dark path is riddled with horrors as they discover their ‘abilities’ while being imprisoned in a secret facility.
You can watch the trailer here.
24. It: Chapter Two
Release Date: 6 September
If you watched the first movie, you may have realised that it tells only half of the original novel’s story – one where the characters are still kids. The follow-up movie takes 30 years later with the kids all grown-up who are all ready to take down Pennywise for good.
25. Gemini Man
Release Date: 4 October
The Will Smith sci-fi thriller has shades of Looper – it centers on an assassin looking to exit his career but before, has to face a younger clone of himself.
26. Joker
Release Date: 4 October
Exit Leto’s Joker, enter Joaquin Phoenix’s clown prince of crime. 2019’s Joker will be the origin story of the criminal mastermind.
You can watch his performance reel here.
27. Star Wars: Episode IX
Release Date: 19 December
The film will be the conclusion to the trilogy. We’ll finally get to see the fate of Rey after the death of Luke Skywalker.
Time to update your calendar.