Ever since the pandemic, it has felt like cinema is not what it used to be with movies moving onto streaming platforms and many movie theaters like the one in Caldwell shutting down. But in 2023, it felt like movies were really back. With hits like “Barbie,” “Oppenheimer,” “The Super Mario Bros Movie,” and more, for the first time in a long time, people were excited to go to the movie theater and see new and interesting stories play out on the big screen. After such a massive year for movies and the entertainment industry altogether, let’s see how 2024 might stack up.
On January 12th, the new “Mean Girls” movie is set to hit theaters. This movie is going to be a musical comedy and a retelling of the classic Mean Girls movie that came out in 2004. It will have elements of both the movie it is based on and the musical that came after the movie in 2017. To those not familiar, “Mean Girls” follows the story of Cady Heron who’s the new girl at your typical high school. In her first few days, she is adopted by the elite popular girls who call themselves the Plastics with Regina George leading them. They take Cady under their wing and guide her in how to rule the school and how to be plastic, but being plastic isn’t as easy as it may seem for Cady. The movie stars Reneé Rapp as Regina George, Angourie Rice as Cady Heron, Christopher Briney as Aaron Samuels, and coming back to reprise her role as Ms. Norbury is Tina Fey. There are fixed feelings on the movie, but we will have to wait and see if it will be a hit like the original.
Coming out on March 1st will be “Dune: Part Two” which is set to be an epic science fiction film and is the sequel to Dune released in 2021. It will follow the character Paul Atreides as he seeks revenge against those who destroyed his family. He faces the choice between the love of his life and the fate of the universe that only he can foresee. The cast of this movie is packed with famous stars like Timothée Chalamet as the main character Paul Atreides, Zendaya as the love interest Chani, Austin Butler Feyd as Rautha Harkonnen, and Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan. With such a star-studded cast, it is expected to be incredible and much better than the first installment, which although not horrible, was not well received, since it immediately started streaming on HBO Max during the pandemic. It is one of the most anticipated science fiction films to come out in theaters in quite some time.
“If” is a comedy fantasy film coming to theaters on May 17th and is unlike any other movies coming out this year. Written by John Krasinski, the movie follows a young girl, Bea, during a difficult time. She begins to see everyone’s imaginary friends who have been left behind as they have grown up. She embarks on a journey with her upstairs neighbor who has the same power to try and reunite imaginary friends or “IFs” with their kids. This movie uses CGI to create imaginary characters that will then interact with the real characters. Caily Fleming will play the main character of Bea with Ryan Reynolds playing the upstairs neighbor. Others who will be in the film include John Krasinski, Steve Carell, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who all voice different imaginary friends. If the film is anything like the trailer, it is set to be a massive hit at the box office.
After the hit success that was “Inside Out,” a sequel, “Inside Out 2,” will be released in theaters on June 14th. This movie will follow the main character Riley as she encounters the difficulties of being a teenager and the new emotions that come with it. Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, and Lewis Black will be reprising their roles as Joy, Sadness, and Anger. While Tony Hale and Liza Lapira will take over the roles of Fear and Disgust, respectively. This comes with some controversy since many fans were of the mind that the previous voice actors Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling were perfect for those roles and should have not been replaced. So far, the only confirmed new emotion will be Anxiety which will be played by Maya Hawke. However, it is speculated that the other emotions might be envy, depression, and embarrassment, although they have not been confirmed. With the success of the first movie, the sequel is expected to do just as well or better dealing with difficult topics in a way that all can relate to.
On May 24th, “The Garfield Movie” is set to hit theaters across the country. The movie will follow Garfield as he goes on an unexpected, wild, outdoor, adventure. The story will first show how Garfield came into his pampered life with his owner Jon and buddy Odie. Then Garfield will reunite with his long-lost scruffy father, Vic. Garfield and Odie will leave behind their life of comfort and join Vic in a hilarious high-stakes heist that will take them places they’ve never thought of. Garfield will be voiced by Chris Pratt, which received a lot of criticism at first (and there are still mixed feelings after the release of the trailer). Samuel L. Jackson will be voicing Vic while Nicholas Hoult will voice Jon. This movie is either going to exceed expectations or fail miserably, but only time will tell.
“Joker: Folie à Deux” is the sequel to the movie “Joker” which came out in 2019 and will be premiering in theaters on October 4th. While not much is known about the plot, the movie is set to be a musical thriller that will follow the plot of the previous movie. Joaquin Phoenix will reprise his role as the Joker and Zazie Beetz will also be reprising her role as Sophie Dumond from the first film. Lady Gaga will also be in the film playing the well-known and beloved character Harley Quinn. This comes as a surprise to many since her only acting credits so far are “A Star is Born” and “House of Gucci.” But in both of these films, Gaga was praised for her performance and even was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role at the Oscars. So while the choice seems peculiar, there is no doubt that both the movie’s past fans and her fans are full of excitement to see what she will bring to the character of Harley Quinn. Other actors set to be in the film are Robert De Niro and Brendan Gleeson with their characters not being confirmed yet. If this film is anything like the previous one it is set to be a massive hit and will be one of the highest-grossing films of the year.
On May 10th, “Back to Black” will be released in theaters and is expected to be a massive hit. It is a biopic on the famous singer Amy Winehouse who is most famous for her hit Grammy Winning Album “Back to Black”. The movie will follow the life of Amy through her teenage years into adulthood and all the struggles she went through trying to become famous. It will also focus on her difficult relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil who was her inspiration to write her hit album “Back to Black” and the process of recording the album as well. The famed singer will be played by Marisa Abela and Fielder-Civil will be played by Jack O’Connell. The parents will be played by Eddie Marsan as Mitch Winehouse and Juliet Cowan as Janis Winehouse. There are mixed feelings when it comes to this movie with some thinking that it might be tarnishing Amy’s legacy and others believe it will be remembering her legacy. With it only being over 12 years since her tragic passing, some think it is too soon for a biopic on her life but others think that it is not too soon and that the movie will honor her life and music.
The movies that are set to be released this year are expected to be as good or even better than those released in 2023. It seems like this year a mix of movies will be released from all different genres and there is something for everybody to watch. Noted film lover at JCHS Ezra Reiser is most excited for the new Joker film, “Joker: Folie à Deux.” When asked what they are most excited to see in this movie they said, “I’m super excited to see what Lady Gaga is going to do in this film with such an iconic role as Harley Quinn. I’ve seen both “A Star is Born” and “House of Gucci” and loved her in both so I bet this one will be just as good.”
I am most excited to see “Back to Black,” since I love biopic movies, and I love Amy Winehouse. But, only time will tell if these films will be as great as they are expected to be and which films will be the highest-grossing films of the year.
