The Most-Anticipated Movies of 2024

No, 2024’s “Mean Girls” isn’t exactly a remake of the 2004 iconic original film, but an adaptation of the Broadway musical that premiered in 2018. Still, it features much of the same storyline, just with songs included — Cady (Angourie Rice) enters the unfamiliar world of high school, only to get pulled into The Plastics, the circle of queen bee Regina George (Renée Rapp). When Cady develops a crush on Regina’s ex-boyfriend, Aaron Samuels (Christopher Briney), she and her friends forge a plan to sabotage Regina and destroy her place in the high school hierarchy. This new iteration is directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. and is once again written by Tina Fey.

Action-comedy film “Argylle” from director Matthew Vaughn features a star-studded cast with the likes of Dua Lipa, Henry Cavill, John Cena, Samuel L. Jackson and Ariana Debose. At the heart of it all is Bryce Dallas Howard, who plays Ellie Conway, a spy novelist who finds that the events of her novels are coming to life — and now the spies she thought were fictional are after her.

Marvel’s “Madame Web” stars Dakota Johnson as the titular character, a clairvoyant paramedic who develops the ability to see into the future. She then must try and survive deadly forces with three women — played by Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O’Connor and Isabela Merced.

Looking for an emotional and tuneful Valentine’s Day watch? Produced in cooperation with the singer’s family, this biopic stars Kingsley Ben-Adir as the iconic reggae artist. It covers his life and music, from the beginning of his career to a 1976 shooting at his home and his death in 1981 at just 36 years old.

Denis Villeneuve’s sequel continues the journey of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as he embarks on a warpath of revenge against those who destroyed his family, while also attempting to prevent a terrible future. Chalamet will be joined by Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Charlotte Rampling and Stephen McKinley Henderson. Newcomers include Austin Butler, Christopher Walken, Florence Pugh, Léa Seydoux and Souheila Yacoub.

The fourth installment of the beloved DreamWorks franchise, “Kung Fu Panda 4” sees panda Po (Jack Black) being told by Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) that he will no longer be the Dragon Warrior, but instead become Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace. That’s soon interrupted by a new antagonist, The Chameleon (Viola Davis), a shape-shifting sorceress who absorbs the kung fu of every villain and who seeks to destroy Po. Guess the noodles will have to wait.

In Kobi Libii’s comedy satirizing the “magical negro” trope, Justice Smith stars as Aren, a young man recruited into a society of magical Black people who use their powers to ease the discomfort of white people. Aren, however, struggles to follow the rules of the society when he falls for a woman (An-Li Bogan) whom his client (Drew Tarver) also becomes interested in.

Jake Gyllenhaal stars as a former UFC fighter-turned-bouncer in Doug Liman’s upcoming remake of the 1989 cult classic of the same name, which featured Patrick Swayze in the lead role. Working at a Florida Keys roadhouse (owned by Jessica Williams’ Frankie), Gyllenhaal’s Dalton comes face to face with some shady characters. Conor McGregor, who has fought in the UFC in real life, makes his acting debut opposite Gyllenhaal.

The sequel to 2021’s “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” follows the Spengler family leaving Oklahoma and going to the original New York fire station of the original 1984 “Ghostbusters” film. There, they meet with the original Ghostbusters and end up needing to “bust” a villainous force aptly named the Death Chill.

Directed and written by Alex Garland (“Ex Machina”), this apocalyptic action film depicts a United States in the midst of conflict, with 19 states having seceded and the U.S. government facing off against a Texan and Californian army called the Western Forces. Kristen Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Cailee Spaeny all star. As voiced in the trailer, “God bless America.”

Godzilla and King Kong are no longer opponents, but instead allies in “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.” The film is the sequel to 2021’s “Godzilla vs. Kong” and follows the two iconic characters banding together to face off against a new threat.

Directed by Luca Guadignino, “Challengers” is a steamy romantic comedy sports drama starring Zendaya as Tashi, a tennis coach who has trained her husband, Art Donaldson (Mike Faist), to tennis stardom. After a string of losses for Art, Tashi signs up him for a challengers event against none other than Tashi’s ex-boyfriend — and Art’s former best friend — Patrick (Josh O’Connor). Quickly, it becomes clear that tensions in the court stem from tensions off of it.

“Barbie” star Ryan Gosling returns in an action comedy film adaptation of the 1980s series “The Fall Guy.” The film follows stuntman Colt Seavers (Gosling) as he works on a film directed by his ex-girlfriend, Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt). As one can guess, things don’t go smoothly once the star of the film disappears and Colt sets off to find her.

Picking up after the death of Caesar in 2017’s “War for the Planet of the Apes,” the newest addition to the 20th Century Studios franchise will be set several generations later, with apes now the dominant species. As a new tyrannical ape starts building an empire, a young ape is forced to grapple with decisions that will define the future for both apes and humans. The cast is comprised of Owen Teague, Kevin Durand, Freya Allen, William H. Macy and Peter Macon.

Marisa Abela of “Industry” stars as the late sultry singer Amy Winehouse in a biopic directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson. Told from the singer’s point of view, the film looks at her rise to fame, troubled life and the release of the “Back to Black” album. Jack O’Connell and Leslie Manville co-star.

Written and directed by John Krasinski, comedy film “IF” stars Krasinski, Ryan Reynolds and Phoebe Waller-Bridge in this tale that asks: what if your imaginary friends weren’t imaginary? One young girl will find out the answer to that question after she starts seeing the imaginary friends created by those around her.

George Miller’s “Mad Max” franchise continues with “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” in which Anya Taylor-Joy stars as young Imperator Furiosa (the younger version of Charlize Theron’s character). Furiosa is thrown into a Biker Horde led by Warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) and must find her way back home.

Chris Pratt and Samuel L. Jackson join comic creator Jim Davis’ universe in the franchise’s newest animated feature, following Bill Murray’s 2004 film “Garfield: The Movie” and its 2006 sequel “Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties.” Pratt will star as the titular orange feline, with Jackson portraying his father Vic — a new character.

Based on Skip Hollandsworth’s 2001 Texas Monthly magazine article of the same name, this new Richard Linklater Netflix film sees Glen Powell star as a Houston police associate who disguises himself as an assassin to catch willing clients. But hijinks ensure when he finds himself getting invested in saving a woman in an abusive relationship, played by Adria Arjona. Austin Amelio, Retta and Molly Bernard round out the cast.

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence will reunite for the fourth installment in the action series, serving as a sequel to “Bad Boys for Life” — which earned $426.5 million at the worldwide box office. “Bad Boys for Life” directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are returning for the fourth film, with Chris Bremner penning the script.

In this anticipated sequel, Maya Hawke’s Anxiety joins Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, as a now teenage Riley grapples with new, complex feelings. Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith and Lewis Black will reprise their roles Joy, Sadness and Anger, respectively, while Tony Hale and Liza Lapira will take over the roles of Fear and Disgust for Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling. The film has already made history as Disney’s biggest animated trailer launch.

Inspired by Danny Lyon’s book of photography, Jeff Nichols’ film follows a 1960s midwestern motorcycle club called the Vandals, tracing its evolution into something more sinister. Austin Butler and Jodie Comer play a married couple involved in the Vandals, with Tom Hardy portraying the biker gang’s hot-blooded leader.

The prequel to the 2018 post-apocalyptic thriller will depict the origins of the world we meet the Abbott family in, where people must stay silent to hide from creatures who hunt for prey using sound. Lupita Nyong’o stars in the film, as she navigates the first moments of the alien invasion in New York City.

Directed, produced and co-written by star Kevin Costner, “Horizon: An American Saga” is a Western that follows the expansion of the American West during the time periods before and after the Civil War. It will be released in two parts, the first in June and the second in August.

Although not many details have been revealed regarding the film’s plot, Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Pierre Coffin, Miranda Cosgrove and Steve Coogan will all be returning for the franchise’s latest chapter. Chris Renaud, the director of the first two “Despicable Me” movies, is returning for the fourth film.

Eddie Murphy returns for the long awaited fourth film in the popular “Beverly Hills Cop” franchise, reprising his titular role as a Detroit cop solving crimes in Beverly Hills. The film will come to Netflix about 30 years after “Beverly Hills Cop III” came out in 1994. Judge Reinhold and John Ashton will also reprise their roles as local cops, while Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Kevin Bacon will join the franchise as newcomers. Taylour Paige, Paul Reiser, Bronson Pinchot and Mark Pelligrino round out the cast.

Mia Goth returns yet again for the third and final installment of Ti West’s “X Trilogy.” “Maxxine” follows adult film star Maxine Minx who is on the cusp of getting her big Hollywood break. But when a mysterious killer begins hunting down big screen starlets, her dark past is threatened to be revealed.

The film follows the 1996 disaster epic “Twister,” which starred Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Cary Elwes and Philip Seymour Hoffman as scientists trying to conquer the most powerful tornado in decades. Plot details for the sequel are under wraps, but Universal has described it as “a new chapter” from the original movie. It will be directed by Lee Isaac Chung, best known for “Minari,” from a screenplay by Mark L. Smith (“The Revenant”).

Ryan Reynolds will reprise his titular role in the franchise’s third installment, which sees him reunite with Hugh Jackman’s X-Men character Wolverine. Voted the most anticipated film of 2024 in Fandango’s annual survey, the film marks the first “Deadpool” project to be produced by Walt Disney Studios after it acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019.

Eli Roth directs the film adaptation of the popular video game “Borderlands,” with an ensemble cast including Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Bobby Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ariana Greenblatt and Édgar Ramírez. The science fiction action comedy follows a mysterious outlaw named Lilith (Blanchett) who returns to her home planet of Pandora; she forms an unlikely alliance to save the daughter of the powerful Atlas (Ramírez).

“Trap” is the latest psychological thriller from director M. Night Shyamalan. Starring Josh Hartnett, the film follows a father and daughter at a pop concert who find themselves at the center of a manhunt for a killer on the run.

A standalone installment set in the “Alien” franchise that, as confirmed to Variety by star Cailee Spaeny, will take place between the events of between the events of Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986), the sci-fi horror thriller will be directed by Fede Álvarez with a script co-written with Rodo Sayagues. Spaney is set to star alongside Isabela Merced, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Spike Fearn and Aileen Wu. 

“The Crow” franchise gets a reboot with this fifth iteration, starring Bill Skarsgard, Danny Huston and FKA Twigs. Rupert Sanders directs the long-in-the-works supernatural superhero film that sees Skarsgard as the Crow, a murdered musician who sets out to avenge his own death and that of his fiancée.

Tim Burton returns to direct the follow up to his 1987 cult classic “Beetlejuice,” with Michael Keaton reprising his role as the eccentric ghost. Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara also return, with Jenna Ortega joining the cast as a new face in the franchise.

Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Jon Hamm, Laurence Fishburne and Brian Tyree Henry are some of the stars rounding out the cast for the latest addition to the “Transformers” universe. From director Josh Cooley, the film is said to be an origin story unfolding on Cybertron, where Autobots and Decepticons hail from. Hemsworth voices Optimus Prime and Henry voices Megatron.

George Clooney and Brad Pitt continue their long history of collaboration with Jon Watts’ “Wolfs.” The psychological thriller follows two lone wolf fixers who are competing for the same job.

Francis Ford Coppola’s long-awaited saga stars Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne and Talia Shire in what Coppola calls “a Roman Epic fable set in an imagined Modern America.” The story revolves around the City of New Rome, which must change, causing conflict between Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), a genius artist who seeks to leap into a utopian, idealistic future, and his opposition, Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), who remains committed to a regressive status quo, perpetuating greed, special interests, and partisan warfare.

Lady Gaga joins Joaquin Phoenix in the follow up to Todd Phillips’ “Joker.” The musical thriller features Gaga as Harley Quinn, while Phoenix reprises his titular role as failed comedian-turned-criminal Arthur Fleck. The rest of the cast includes Zazie Beetz, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Jacob Lofland and Harry Lawtey.

“Aladdin” star Naomi Scott is among cast members set for the sequel to the horror sensation, which will likely get a new protagonist, since Sosie Bacon’s Rose didn’t survive the first installment. “I do think that there is still a lot of interesting stuff to explore in the world of ‘Smile.’ There certainly are stones that I left unturned by design,” director Parker Finn said about a possible sequel after the release of the first film, which earned more than $217 million at the global box office.

Art the Clown is back, but this time in a holiday-themed installment of the “Terrifier” slasher horror comedy franchise. David Howard Horton plays the creepy clown and Samantha Scaffidi plays returning character Victoria Heyes, who was featured in the previous two “Terrifier” films.

Tom Hardy will return to screens as Eddie Brock/Venom in the third installment of DC’s “Venom” franchise, which was originally slated for a summer release. Juno Temple and Rhys Ifans co-star. Having written and produced the first two films, Kelly Marcel is behind the camera this time around as director. Marcel created the story alongside Hardy.

“Red One” stars Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans and J.K. Simmons as Saint Nick. Per the official synopsis, “After Santa Claus (Simmons) – Code Name: ‘Red One’ – is kidnapped, the North Pole’s Head of Security (Johnson) must team up with the world’s most infamous bounty hunter (Evans) in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.” The Amazon MGM Studios film also stars Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka, Bonnie Hunt, Kristofer Hivju, Nick Kroll and Wesley Kimmel.

“Here” marks the sixth collaboration between director Robert Zemeckis and star Tom Hanks. Robin Wright co-stars in the century-long story of a single house and all the different people who lived there. In the fx-intensive film, the camera sits at a fixed angle for the entire 104-minute duration. 

The first part of the film adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical “Wicked” will be released in November, with Cynthia Erivo starring as Elphaba and Ariana Grande starring as Glinda. The rest of the cast includes Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater and Bowen Yang, among others. Jon M. Chu (“Crazy Rich Asians”) directs, and music is composed by Stephen Schwartz.

Ridley Scott returns to direct the much-anticipated follow up to his 2000 Best Picture winner “Gladiator.” Paul Mescal stars as a grown version of Lucius Verus II, the nephew of the first film’s antagonist Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). The rest of the cast includes Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Derek Jacobi and Joseph Quinn, among others.

Set in 1936 Pittsburgh during the aftermath of the Great Depression, Netflix’s “The Piano Lesson” follows the lives of the Charles family in the Doaker Charles household and an heirloom, the family piano, which is decorated with designs carved by an enslaved ancestor. Directed by Malcolm Washington, who co-wrote the screenplay with Virgil Williams, the film is an adaptation of the August Wilson play of the same name. John David Washington will star in the film alongside Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Fisher, Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Potts, Corey Hawkins, Melanie Jeffcoat, Erykah Badu, Gail Bean, Jerrika Hinton, Stephan James, Malik J. Ali, Jay Peterson and Matrell Smith.

“Moana 2” surfs into theaters this November just in time for the holiday season. “Moana 2” sees Moana and Maui once again joining forces to explore the far-off seas of Oceania after Moana receives a mysterious message from her wayfinding ancestors.

Amy Adams stars as a mom raising a toddler who may possibly be turning into a dog in Marielle Heller’s “Nightbitch,” a comedy horror adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s novel. Scoot McNairy stars as the husband, who is frequently away on business just when his pooch — er, spouse — needs him most. Motherhood is a bitch, indeed.

“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” is the latest big screen adventure to take audiences back to Middle Earth. The film tells the unknown story of the Helm’s Deep fortress and explores the brutal life of Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan.

J.C. Chandor directs Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Russian immigrant Sergei Kravinoff, who seeks to demonstrate that he is the best hunter in the world. “Kraven the Hunter” is based on the Marvel comic character of the same name. Other cast members include Russell Crowe, Ariana DeBose and Christopher Abbott.

This prequel of the 2019 photorealistic remake will explore the titular lion’s origin story, centering his on relationship his brother Scar, who becomes the main villain in “The Lion King.” Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. will voice the younger versions of Mufasa and Scar, respectively.

The next film in the “Sonic the Hedgehog” franchise, based on the Sega video game series, will see Ben Schwartz reprise his role as the titular character. Building on the success of the previous films, the latest movie is likely to expand on aspects of the video game that have yet to be explored on screen.

Bill Skarsgård, who played villainous clown Pennywise in the “It” franchise, takes on another terrifying monster role in Robert Eggers’ vampire tale. This time, Skarsgård is the titular vampire in “Nosferatu.” Another take on the classic 1922 film, this version stars Lily Rose-Depp as Ellen Hutter, who becomes the subject of the vampire’s obsession.

Nicole Kidman is a restless executive, wife and mother and Harris Dickinson her young intern in this erotic drama from Halina Reijn, the director of “Bodies Bodies Bodies.” “The fact that she’s having an affair with an intern from her own company, risking everything that she’s built, is part of the turn-on,” said Owen Gleiberman in his Variety review from the Venice Film Festival.

Timothée Chalamet is a young Bob Dylan and Edward Norton plays Pete Seeger in James Mangold’s look at the moment that 19-year old Bob Dylan literally electrifies the music scene with his performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, Woody Guthrie and Maria Muldaur are some of the other music luminaries portrayed in the musical biopic.