The new year is here, and whether it is a yay or nay moment for you, we can’t deny that the movie scene looks great already. So great, in fact, that it is tough to narrow this list down to 10 movies, but I will try my best. Keep in mind that there are many (hopefully) amazing titles that will come out this year, and if the one you anticipate the most is not on this list… well… shit… go and write your own. I am joking. (Or am I?)
Without further ado, here are the 10 movies you should be excited about in 2024.
10. Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
Director Kenji Kamiyama
We haven’t seen Middle Earth on the big screen since The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies in 2014 (Oh my God, it’s turning ten years old this year). Now, the beloved franchise is back, but this time around, it is animated. That’s right, back to the roots. If you didn’t know this, the very first Lord of the Rings adaptation was actually in animation, and I still remember this day begging my dad to watch it. We did, like, twenty times, so I get why he started to say no in the end. Anyway.
The story is about Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox) or more so about his failure, and it plays 260 years before the Battle of Helm’s Deep, which we all know from Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. It will feature characters we already know, like Éowyn (Miranda Otto reprising her role), who will probably be the narrator of the movie. And that’s all we know so far. As a Tolkien and LOTR fan myself, I am pretty excited about this movie, and I honestly can’t wait to finally see the first trailer, which should arrive soon, too. Definitely a movie to look forward to.
9. Wicked
Director: Jon M. Chu
We are jumping genres, and after an animated movie, what could be better but a musical! Wicked can easily be named a cult classic among theatergoers, but if you don’t know what this is about, let me give you a quick recap. Wicked is the story of Glinda and Elphaba, who live in the Land of Oz. Its plot begins before and continues after Dorothy Gale arrives in Oz from Kansas. The story of the two unlikely friends Elphaba (later known as the Wicked Witch of the West) and Galinda (later known as Glinda the Good), whose friendship struggles through their opposing personalities, viewpoints, same love interest, and, ultimately, Elphaba’s fall from grace. Their story was sort of in the 2013 Oz The Great and Powerful movie, but they changed their names and main parts of who they are. So their real first debut on the big screen will be in Wicked: Part One. The main reason to be excited about this is the cast. I mean, they got two powerhouse singers: Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda. But the list doesn’t end with them. The movie will also feature Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Keala Settle and Michelle Yeoh. Part 1 of Wicked arrives in cinemas at the end of the year, with part 2 expected to drop next year. Get excited musical fans; if they nail this, we won.
8. Exhuma – The Unearthed Grave
Director Jae-hyun Jang
This one is tricky as so far there is no international release date on it, but my Korean-loving heart couldn’t skip this movie. Exhuma will be the debut of Lee Do-hyun on the big screen. He has already proved himself in fantastic TV shows like Sweet Home, The Good Bad Mother, and Glory.
The Unearthed Grave is a supernatural horror movie that follows three people who are sent to relocate a cursed tomb. Of course, things quickly turn bad, and the fight for survival begins. From the looks of the trailer, Lee Do-hyun will play the role of the villain, but of course, that remains to be seen.
If you are a fan of horror movies, this should be on your list for sure.
7. Mickey 17
Director Bong Joon Hoo
Academy Award winner director Bong Joon Hoo is back, and this time, he is working with an all-star US cast. Mickey 17 – although it comes out this year – is still surrounded by mystery. So far, we’ve got one teaser featuring Robert Pattinson, and that’s about it. If you go on IMDb, it still says that the plot is under wraps, so people have been scratching their heads regarding this one. But here’s why you should be VERY excited for this movie. First of all, Bong Joon Hoo. The Korean director brought us movies like The Host, the Oscar-winning Parasite, Memories of Murder, and the amazing Snowpiercer adaptation (with Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, and Octavia Spencer). He is a genius when it comes to storytelling and character studies, so whatever Mickey 17 may be, the fact that he wrote and directed it is already a huge green flag. The second thing is the cast. Pattinson leads the film, but he is joined by Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette, Steven Yeun, and Naomi Ackie. A+ on the casting. The third reason is if you read the book. Yes, this movie is based on a book by Edward Ashton: Mickey7. I haven’t read the book myself, but I plan to before the movie drops. One thing is for sure: if it inspired one of the best directors out there to make it into a movie, it can’t be bad.
6. IF
Director: John Krasinski
Krasinski already proved himself as a writer and director with both of the Quiet Place movies. Now he is back, but this time with a much more light-hearted entry. The world of imaginary friends comes to life with a star-studded cast. Ryan Reynolds, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Awkwafina, Maya Rudolph, and the list could go on even longer.
To be honest, it is the kind of movie that instantly goes on my list. I mean, original idea (finally not an adaptation, remake, sequel, prequel, or reboot), fantastic casting, and the trailer looked like the kind of heartfelt, loveable, and fantastic story that we can all love. Maybe even bring back our childhood a little bit. Sure, I do love a good action movie, horror, superheroes, and whatnot, but I am glad movies like this are still around. They might not be billion-dollar businesses but still find their way into our hearts.
5. Joker: Folie á Deux
Director Todd Phillips
Done. Next.
I’m joking. Well, not really. I absolutely love the first Joker movie. Joaquin Phoenix is mind-blowingly good in the role; no wonder he got the Oscar for it! Even though it was highly successful, I wasn’t sure if we would see a second movie, but I was super happy when they announced it. What made it even better? Lady Gaga. She is not only one of the best singers ever (don’t even argue with me on this), but she has proven herself to be a great actor too, something she wanted ever since she started her career. In fact, at first, she wanted to be an actor, and singing was sort of a side gig for her. Amazing. Now, she will play one of the best characters created: Harley Quinn. I honestly can’t wait to see how the story of Arthur and Harleen will go on. And honestly? Based on the first movie, where he was looking for love and approval wherever he turned, bringing in Harley makes perfect sense. Can’t wait to see this movie, and I love that it is a musical.
4. Deadpool 3
Director Shawn Levy
I will keep this one sweet and short.
3. Alien Romulus
Director Fede Alvarez
This one is tricky. I was a bit afraid to put it on this list, but so far, it does look like it’s coming out this year, so I might as well list it. I am a huge Alien fan; Sigourney Weaver is the best. I don’t like what Ridley Scott did with it nowadays, but if I get into that, you will be reading this article for 12+ hours. Anyway. This time around, Fede Alvarez is sitting in the director’s chair, which gives me a lot of hope regarding this project. Alvarez has already proven himself to be a great horror director, and I especially recommend the series Calls on Apple TV. Trust me, it’s worth it.
But the other thing that many of us Alien fans AND gamers clocked in with this announcement picture you can all see… we have the Emergency booth from Alien: Isolation in the background, the one you had to use to save your game. In fact, the entire set behind our lovely facehugger friend looks very similar to the ship’s interior from the game. Many (yes, me too) have been anticipating that this might be the adaptation of the game and, therefore, Amanda Ripley’s story in search of her mother. The only thing that seems to undermine this theory is the description saying that this will be a standalone story in the Alien Universe, not connecting to any of the previous outings. I say we shall see… (hopefully this year)
2. A Quiet Place: Day One
Director Michael Sarnoski
THIS. IS. IT. I absolutely love both of the Quiet Place movies from John Krasinski, and when they announced this one, I nearly cried. You see, Krasinski is back writing it, but this time, not directing it. But he was an active part of the movie nonetheless. This is already great news. BUT. We also have a great cast. We have Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, and Djimon Hounsou, whose character we got to know in Part 2 is back, reprising his role. As the title itself already tells us, this movie will tell us the story of the arrival of the aliens, and I am so ready for it. One of the greatest scenes in any horror movie is the first 10 minutes of A Quiet Place: Part 2 when they first arrive, and the Abbott family must find a way to get away from it all while being separated from each other. It was such a beautifully shot, intense segment that I instantly craved more of it. So when they announced the title of this spin-off, I lost my mind. This will give the creators a chance to make a horror/action hybrid that will make our hearts run fast as hell. The very first day of the arrival, the chaos, the people trying to figure out how to survive? I say it is a receipt for a great fucking movie. And I honestly can’t wait to see it.
Director Wes Ball
Rise, Dawn, and War of the Planet of the Apes is a perfect trilogy. There. I said it. I mean, I said it a million times, but I will keep saying it until the end of time. I might have it carved in my grave too while I’m at it.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes plays many years after the reign of Caesar (the brilliant Andy Serkis). So many, in fact, that we are now closer to what we saw in the original movies than we were with the origin stories of it all. Humans are now hunted by the Apes, they have proper societies, and they are now all talk, so the change is indeed big. I already love the look and feel of the entire thing based on the trailer; what I am uncertain of is the director and the lack of Andy Serkis. I like Wes Ball; he is a genius when it comes to visuals. I enjoyed his Maze Runner adaptations, but I do worry a tiny bit about how he will handle Matt Reeves’ legacy. The potential is there, but it is a wait-and-see game at the end of the day. Other than Reeves, we are also missing Andy Serkis, who played Caesar in all three movies. The man is just a master actor who understands characters the way not many can, and his Caesar portrayal is probably one of my all-time favorite acting performances. He will be greatly missed, and I am almost 100% certain that we will feel his absence heavily.
I am still stupidly excited about this, hence why it is taking the number 1 spot easily, and I will luckily see it in London, which is a bonus.
So this is it: the top 10 movies of 2024 you should be excited about. I will probably review all of these here on Couch Soup, so keep your eyes peeled for future articles from yours truly. Until then… tell me which movie are you most excited about this year?
