As the Screeners close the books on a great year in cinema, we turn our attention to 2018. With a slew of sequels and comic book films on the way, finding great theatrical experiences can be difficult. To help you through this daunting task, we asked each Screener to list their top 2 most anticipated movies of the year. Now, no list is perfect, so please send your angry emails to Josh, and be sure to list your most anticipated films in the comments below.
DANIEL'S PICKS
Black Panther
We still can't believe we live in a world where T’Challa, the Black Panther, ruler and protector of the nation of Wakanda, has his own movie. And what a movie this appears to be. With Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station and Creed) at the helm, we expect not only dazzling visuals and action, but an emotional center often missing from comic adaptations.
Release Date: February 16
First Man
It's no surprise that Daniel's most anticipated film comes from the creator of La La Land. For his third feature, Damien Chazelle steps away from music and into the world of biopics. With Neal Armstrong's life as the core story and a cast that includes Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jon Bernthal, Jason Clarke, and Kyle Chandler, consider us intrigued as well.
Release Date: October 12
CHRIS' PICKS
Ready Player One
Chris was so excited about Spielberg's take on Ernest Cline's pop culture masterwork, he gave BOTH of his 2018 picks to one film. His exact words were "nothing else matters." With a life and death chase in a Matrix-like "Oasis", and more IP's than we can count, he may just be right.
Release Date: March 30
CHAD'S PICKS
Widows
12 Years a Slave director Steve McQueen turns his attention to genre fare with a heist-thriller set in contemporary Chicago. When four men die in a job gone wrong, their widows must complete the heist to repay the debt left behind by their dead husbands' criminal activities. With a cast including Viola Davis, Colin Farrell, Liam Neeson, and Jon Bernthal, from a script co-written by McQueen and Gone Girl author Gillan Flynn, we expect a tight, twisty, and exciting story.
Release Date: November 16
Creed 2
Creed exceeded expectations and became a commercial and critical hit in 2016. All of the key players return (with Ryan Coogler moving into an Executive Producer role), working from a script by Luke Cage showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker. Not much is known about the story, but we expect young Creed will find his way into the path of Drago or his children. In either case, our hopes remain high that Creed 2 can live up to the standard set by the original.
Release Date: TBA
Hold the Dark
Since Chris only used one of his picks, Chad felt obligated to add a third (we had to get the list to 10, after all). Not many directors can boast a back to back, one-two punch of films as strong as Jeremy Saulnier. With Blue Ruin and Green Room he has firmly established his style as a master of suspense and tone management. Hold the Dark is an Alaskan murder mystery adapted from a book by William Giraldi. Whatever Saulnier has in store, we can already feel our palms getting sweaty.
Release Date: TBA
MELODY'S PICKS
A Wrinkle in Time
We are excited to see ANYTHING directed by Ava DuVernay. But an adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s beloved 1962 children’s book with a cast including Chris Pine, Mindy Kaling, Reese Witherspoon, and Oprah Winfrey? Count. Us. In.
Release Date: March 9
Red Sparrow
Jennifer Lawrence gets into the spy game with this film adaptation of Jason Matthews' 2013 novel. Set as the potential start of a new franchise, we are hopeful Francis Lawrence can bring equal amounts brain and brawn to this spy vs. spy thriller.
Release Date: March 2
JOSH'S PICKS
Molly's Game
Yeah, we know that Molly's Game is out already, but we were so excited that Josh was "anticipating" a film that we couldn't bring ourselves to take it off of the list. Thankfully, Aaron Sorkin seems to have delivered a strong directorial debut featuring stellar performances and razor sharp dialogue.
Release Date: December 25, 2017 (wide January 4, 2018)
Venom
Josh's pick of a comic book film can only mean one of two things:
- He has had a MAJOR change of heart as it relates to all things "comic blockbuster".
- He didn't have time to read the list of 2018 theatrical releases and picked the first thing he saw.
We leave it to you to decide which timeline is real, but either way, Venom may actually be good. With a cast featuring Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, and Jenny Slate, there is (at least) the potential of something better than the usual comic book fare.
Release Date: October 5
-Chad