January is infamous for being the worst month of the year when it comes to new movie releases. We saw a perfect example of this phenomenon this year with the January 5th release of Blumhouse’s Night Swim, which flopped at the box office and failed to impress both critics and average moviegoers. Fortunately, even if 2024 is off to a slow start, there are plenty of promising films on the horizon. Here are some of the upcoming movies we’re most looking forward to at Fandom Spotlite!
Gabby – Wicked: Part One
There are so many awesome films slated for 2024 that it’s hard to choose just one that I’m most excited for, but I think I have to go with Wicked: Part One. This is the first musical I ever saw on Broadway, and as a former hardcore theatre kid that is an extremely important milestone for me. I fought so hard for my choir’s senior song to be “For Good” and was devastated when they chose a country song mashup instead. But I digress. I personally feel that the role of Glinda should have gone to Amanda Seyfried, but I’m hoping Ariana Grande does the character justice. As for Cynthia Erivo, I am confident that the role of Elphaba is in good hands. Wicked: Part One is scheduled to premiere on November 27th, with Part Two slated for November 26th of next year.
Picking an honorable mention is even more difficult than choosing my primary choice, but I’ve decided to bestow this honor on Saw XI. Saw X was #1 in my ranking of 2023 movies, and I was pleasantly surprised by the news that XI is already coming this year. I felt that X was one of the best movies in the entire Saw franchise, so I hope XI continues this streak of excellence.
Hailey – The Fall Guy
As someone who doesn’t often see new movies, especially not in theaters, it was difficult to remember what movies were even coming out to pick my most anticipated movie of 2024. To determine mine, I cast a wide net and asked myself what trailers I saw in 2023 that excited me. The most obvious answer is The Fall Guy, starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. The movie follows Gosling as Colt, a drained stuntman who finds himself searching for the missing actor he doubles for. The main pull of this movie for me is Blunt, who plays the film director and Colt’s ex, Jody. After loving her performances in both thriller and comedy genres (especially the 2021 release of Jungle Cruise), I know I’ll enjoy seeing her on-screen again in this action comedy. That’s not to say I don’t expect Gosling to be an exciting actor to watch as well. Following his stellar performance in Barbie, I’m looking forward to seeing him in this action movie and am expecting a healthy dose of humor in his duo with Blunt. The Fall Guy’s wide release is on May 3rd of this year.
Now my pick would have been easy if Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse was still releasing this year, but unfortunately, no new date has been set. I was especially excited given that the original date was a few days before my birthday, but I’d rather they take their time in production to make the movie live up to the incredible standards of the first two in the series.
Martin – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
It is no surprise to anyone who knows me that I absolutely love movies. When it comes to picking which one I am most excited for it was definitely a tough decision. When it comes down to it though, I am so excited for Furiosa. Mad Max Fury Road was one of my favorite movies of 2015. It was explosive with great acting, great special effects and some of the best set design that I have seen in a long time. Director George Miller proved that even though he was rising with age, he still knew how to make a breathtaking movie. Furiosa looks more of the same. This time we get a prequel. Furiosa is snatched from her home and must do what she can to rise up, free the women who are enslaved and survive. Charlize Theron previously played Furiosa and was fantastic. Now, Anya Taylor Joy will give it a go. The thing that is most exciting to me is Chris Hemsworth playing the villain. It is about time we saw this guy as more than Thor. Previous efforts in other projects have been lackluster but I have a feeling this is going to be a role that delivers. It is truly amazing that George Miller also directed Babe. A man who definitely has range.
Nosferatu is an honorable mention. Horror is my favorite genre of film and Robert Eggers is one of the most unique names in genre filmmaking. Seeing his adaptation sounds like a treat to horror fans. It also has a fantastic cast.
