The best thing about my job as a film writer and the even better thing about my lifelong love affair with cinema is that the movies never stop coming. I mean, they do; COVID showed us what a world without new movies looked like and, at least for this boy, that was indeed the darkest timeline. So, consider me incredibly excited for 2024, which has new releases from proven auteurs, more sequels, prequels and re-quels than you can shake a stick at, and basically something for just about everyone.
While I can't list everything I'm excited for (no one wants an article that big), here are a few things coming in 2024 that you'll catch me catching opening weekend.
Jan. 12: "The Book of Clarence:" The new film from Jeymes Samuel, who exploded into filmmaking with his debut feature from 2022 "The Harder They Fall." Starring LaKeith Stanfield, Omar Sy, Alfre Woodard, Benedict Cumberbatch, James McAvoy and many others, the film follows Stanfield's Clarence, a man in 29 AD Jerusalem looking to capitalize on the popularity of Jesus by pretending to be the next messiah. Should be subversive and thought-provoking.
Feb. 2: "Orion and the Dark;" An animated fantasy adventure headed straight to Netflix, this follows a young boy filled with anxiety who's deeply afraid of the dark. One night, the living embodiment of night shows up to his room and takes Orion on an adventure across his imagination to show him there's nothing to fear from the dark. I'm mostly excited for this because it's written by my favorite film scribe of all time, Charlie ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "Adaptation") Kaufman and because it's time for another truly great animated film.
Feb. 23: "Drive-Away Dolls:" Starring the great Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan and Colman Domingo, this is the first solo directing gig from Ethan Coen and a project he's been connected to since the early 2000s. An homage to the '70s exploitation romances Coen grew up with, this looks like a brutally funny post-feminist buddy movie of the kind we just don't see anymore.
March 1: "Dune: Part Two:" People are as excited for this as I am, right? Even if you're not big into sci-fi epics, Denis Villeneuve is always a filmmaker to watch as he always creates entirely new worlds out of whole cloth. Really hoping this carries the same depth as Part One.
March 29: "Mickey 17;" Robert Pattinson, Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette and Steven Yeun in a sci-fi epic following Mickey, an expendable clone colonizing a dangerous ice planet. Why be excited for this? You mean aside from the cast? Well, I'll tell you: this is Bong Joon-ho's first new movie since he blew everyone's minds with 2019's "Parasite." His films are unmissable.
April 26: "Civil War:" The great Alex Garland ("Ex Machina," "Devs") imagines what the U.S. would look like when caught in the throes of a Civil War between states. There are images in the trailer I can't get out of my head, so I'm really hoping the film shows this country the ridiculousness of our divides and calls for us to come back together, as opposed to cementing the culture war into something more insidious. Should be the movie everyone is talking about in April.
May 24: "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga:" "Fury Road" is, dare I say inarguably, the best action movie of the 21st Century so far, so a prequel following young Furiosa (here played by Anya Taylor-Joy) with George Miller still in the director's chair has me entirely too excited. I'm not sure if it's even possible to reach the same highs as "Fury Road," but I would never bet against Miller.
June 14: "Inside Out 2:" I'm not crying, you're crying.
Aug. 9: "Speak No Evil:" This is an American remake of the deeply terrifying 2022 Danish thriller. Starring James McAvoy, expect this to be one of the most talked-about horror movies of the year.
Oct. 4: "Joker: Folie à Deux:" I wasn't as in love with "Joker" as most people (it was "Taxi Driver" and "King of Comedy" mashed together without giving Scorsese any credit), but I'm very excited for the sequel to actually see Joaquin fully inhabit the Joker at his worst. Plus, with Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, it feels like this could be a genuinely haunting character study of psychosis. Or it might be awful.
Nov. 22: "Gladiator 2:" I'm mostly excited for this because of Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington, but Ridley Scott is such an idiosyncratic director that no matter what I imagine this movie is going to be like, I'll be way off.
Some of the most exciting releases for 2024 (that aren't sequels or based on existing IP) either don't have concrete release dates set (especially for smaller markets) or haven't even been announced. But here are a few more to keep your eyes peeled for this year:
- "The Zone of Interest" Holocaust drama from Jonathan Glazer.
- "Untitled Jordan Peele Project" No info about this other than it comes out Christmas Day.
- "Babes" Directorial debut of Pamela ("Better Things") Adlon and starring Ilana ("Broad City") Glazer!
- "Hit Man" Richard Linklater's newest is a comedy action flick starring Glen ("Top Gun: Maverick") Powell
- "Kinds of Kindness" Yorgos Lanthimos' already filmed follow-up to "Poor Things."
- "Megalopolis" The passion project of the great Francis Ford Coppola.
Whatever your taste, there are some genuinely exciting things coming our way. I hope you'll watch them with me.
