The credits are rolling on 2023. It was a difficult year for Hollywood: the studios’ refusal to fairly treat both the actors and writers put a wrench in many productions, many acclaimed films underperformed at the box office, and the curtain was called on many titans of the form, including William Friedkin and Terence Davies. But now it’s time to look forward to 2024, a year which promises to be brimming with great cinema. So here’s a preview, a January snapshot, of the films that will be releasing this year.
“I’m looking forward to “Joker[: Folie à Deux],” Junior Parker Pelletier shared, “I’m interested to see Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn.” The film, which is once again helmed by Todd Phillips, opens on October 4th.
Pelletier added, “[Also] Inside Out 2,” which opens June 14th, “[and] the Gladiator sequel looks promising.” Once again directed by Ridley Scott, the Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington vehicle opens November 22nd.
Other major sequels include Dune – Part II, the second part in director Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal sci-fi epic, opens March 1st. Isaac Mowry, who works as a supervisor at Warehouse Cinemas, explains, “[I’m] most excited to see [the film] in our Dolby Atmos theater. Having seen the first movie in Dolby Atmos and in a regular theater, the Atmos truly made it a whole different experience. Watching the film made you feel as though you were a part of the movie.”
Keeping with desert-set sci-fi, George Miller’s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, the Anya-Taylor Joy starring prequel, opens on May 24th. There’s also Twisters, a sort-of-sequel to Twister, with certified action star Glen Powell (who co-wrote the acclaimed film Hitman, which releases this year at an undisclosed date) in the lead; Daisy Edgar-Jones and Kiernan Shipka round out the supporting cast. Twisters is in theaters this July the 19th.
Highlighting musicals, Director John M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights) is adapting the Wicked into a two-part film, the first of which, starring Tony-winner Cynthia Erivo alongside Ariana Grande, opens on November 27th. As well, the opposite of Dear Old Shiz is Joshua Oppenheimer’s The End, an apocalyptic thriller featuring Tilda Swinton and George MacKay, set to open on a yet-unrevealed 2024 date.
Another film without a set release date is La Chimera, a Cannes Film Festival favorite, as well as Palme D’or winner Ken Loach’s The Old Oak, and Paris, Texas director Wim Wenders’s latest, Perfect Days. All three of those films are in competition alongside 2023 films at various award ceremonies, and are only releasing in 2024 because of distribution faults.
Two other films in competition with those are Ava DuVernay’s Origin, out January 19th, and About Dry Grasses, which took home the Prix d’interprétation féminine award from Cannes and opens in US theaters on February 23rd.
Also on February 23rd is Joel Coen’s latest film, Drive Away Dolls, a comedy-caper co-written by Coen and his wife, Tricia Cooke. It stars Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan, leading an ensemble cast including Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal, and Beanie Feldstein. February also has Lisa Frankenstein, out on the 9th. It’s the feature debut from Zelda Williams (daughter of Robin Williams) with a screenplay by Diablo Cody, the Oscar-winning writer behind Juno and cult-classic Jennifer’s Body.
Of course, these are just films that have been announced. We’ve yet to see what great films will come out of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Festival de Cannes, Biennale Cinema, and so many more. And year in and year out it is proved that the most interesting films are the surprises which pop up throughout the year. So keep your eyes open, your phone off and away, and prepare for another great year in the dark.
