Yahoo Movies The most exciting movies of 2024
From Deadpool 3 and a new Lord of the Rings film to a new Jordan Peele joint, there's an exciting 12 months of movies ahead
What are the most exciting movies coming out in 2024? With 2023 delivering some certified cinematic bangers, the pressure is on for Hollywood to capitalise on that and release more mind-blowing films over the next twelve months too.
From returning classics like Paddington, Garfield and Deadpool and franchises revivals such as Lord of the Rings and Planet of the Apes, 2024's release calendar is packed with familiar favourites, alongside some new future classics.
Here are the 40 most exciting movies to look forward to in 2024.
One Life - 5 January
Sir Anthony Hopkins and Johnny Flynn play Sir Nicholas ‘Nicky’ Winton who, in the months leading up to World War II, rescued 669 children from the Nazis. The film centres around the moment on This Is You Life, when Winton's incredible deeds led to one of the breathtaking moments in UK TV.
Poor Things - 12 January
Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos reunites with The Favourite star Emma Stone for another idiosyncratic drama, based on the 1992 novel of the same time. The Frankenstein-esque film, about a woman resurrected from the dead, has been met with near universal critical acclaim, and it predicted to do well during awards season.
All Of Us Strangers - 26 January
From acclaimed filmmaker Andrew Haigh (Weekend, 45 Years) comes this romantic drama centred on Andrew Scott's Adam and Paul Mescal's Harry. The adaptation of Taichi Yamada's 1987 novel Strangers arrives in UK cinemas amid widespread critical acclaim and seven wins at the British Independent Film Awards in December.
The Colour Purple - 26 January
Already adapted in 1985 by Steven Spielberg, Alice Turner's 1982 novel has been reimagined as a big screen musical inspired by the hugely successful Broadway production. The Little Mermaid's Halle Bailey stars as young Nettie, and tells the story of a young African American woman living in the 1900s Deep South.
The Zone of Interest - 2 February
Jonathan Glazer, one of Britain's most acclaimed filmmakers, returns with his first film in ten years. His last movie, 2013's Under The Skin remains one of the most memorable films of the 21st century, and Zone of Interest — about the horrors of the holocaust — is sure to be another unforgettable piece of cinema.
Argylle - 2 February
After the success of The Kingsman series, director Matthew Vaughn returns to the world of big screen espionage with Argylle. Bryce Dallas Howard stars as Elly Conway, a writer of spy fiction, who finds herself drawn into a global plot with eerie similarities to her books, with Bond hopeful Henry Caville as Agent Argylle, her fictional creation.
The Iron Claw - 9 February
Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, and Harris Dickinson have beefed up to play real-life professional wrestling brothers in this new biographical film from Sean Durkin which has earned rave reviews on the festival circuit, and could win awards next year. Best not to Google the tragic story of the Von Erich family before you watch it though.
Bob Marley: One Love - 14 February
King Richard director Reinaldo Marcus Green returns to the biographical world for a new movie about the tragically short but inspirational life of music legend Bob Marley. Secret Invasion's Kingsley Ben-Adir plays the reggae star in this celebratory look at the singer-songwriter who died in 1981 aged 36.
Dune: Part II - 1 March
Directed by Denis Villeneuve, the movie continues its adaptation of Frank Hubert's iconic novel and finds Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) leading the war against the Harkonnens to free Arakis for good and realise the prophecy he is at the centre of. It was originally meant to come out in November 2023, but with the actor's strike the film was delayed to 2024, but can it repeat the awards success of its predecessor?
Mickey 17 - 29 March
Very little is known about Mickey 17, the next film from Oscar-winning Bong Joon-ho, who set Hollywood alight with his 2019 film Parasite, but it's coming to cinemas early 2024 and stars Robert Pattinson as space explorer whose mission is to colonise the ice world of Niflheim.
Pattinson's Mickey is an 'expendable' human whose body regenerates every time he dies, with all of his memories intact. The film, which has no stills or trailers yet, will also star Steven Yeun, Naomi Acki, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire - 29 March
The Ghostbusters series returns home the Big Apple for Frozen Empire, the sequel to 2021's Ghostbusters: Afterlife, with the young Spengler family leaving Oklahoma to get back to where it all began: the iconic New York firehouse. The discovery of an ancient artefact (there's always one!) unleashes a mysterious and deadly evil force 'The Death Chill' on the city, so who ya gonna call...?
Back To Black - 12 April
Industry star Marisa Abela takes on the role of a lifetime as Amy Winehouse in this new biopic from Sam Taylor-Johnson. Exploring the soul singer's vibrant life in London and her meteoric rise to the top of the music industry, it's sure to be an emotional rollercoaster of a movie.
Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire - 12 April
Godzilla is enjoying a hot streak at the moment thanks to Toho Studios' excellent Godzilla Minus One, and Apple TV+'s Monarch: Legacy of the Monsters, so the timing of the next instalment in Legendary's MonsterVerse series couldn't have been better. Following on from 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong, The New Empire will see the two giant beasts teaming up to tackle a colossal new threat.
Watch a trailer for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Love Lies Bleeding - 19 April
Rose Glass' psychological thriller Saint Maud was one of the best movies of 2019, seeing the filmmaker being names the Best Debut Director at the 2020 British Independent Film Awards. She's now back with her sophomore feature Love Lies Bleeding, with Kristen Stewart as a gym manager who falls in love with a bisexual bodybuilder played by The Mandalorian's Katy O'Brian. It's set to debut at Sundance in the new year, and looks great.
The Fall Guy - 2 May
Ryan Gosling stars in this big screen adaptation of the 1980s TV series of the same name, playing stuntman Colt Seavers, who is forced into action when the list actor he is doubling for (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) goes missing. With David Leitch (John Wick, Atomic Blonde) at the helm, expect mind-blowing action, and — of course — impressive stunts.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes - 24 May
Maze Runner director Wes Ball is the latest filmmaker to tackle the Planet of the Apes series, which picks up the events of the series some 300 years after the events of 2017's War For The Planet of the Apes. Ape civilisations have risen since Caesar led his people out of humanity's reach, while humans have regressed into a feral state. When Kevin Durand's Proximus Caesar begins the enslave other apes, a young chimp and human must team up to save the future for apes and humankind.
IF - May
After making an impressive directing debut with A Quiet Place and its sequel, The Office star John Krasinski is turning his hand to family entertainment with this live-action animation hybrid about imaginary friends. Ryan Reynolds stars as man who can see imaginary friends, who teams up with a girl with similar powers to reunite abandoned IFs with their humans.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga - 24 May
It's been nearly nine long years since George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road exploded onto cinema screens, winning six Academy Awards from ten nominations, and being named one of the greatest action movies ever made, so expectations for its prequel — Furiosa — are sky high. Anya Taylor-Joy plays the young Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron in the earlier film) in the film which traces her story as she is snatched from her mother by the Biker Horde.
Bad Boys 4 - 14 June
The currently untitled fourth Bad Boys movie filmed in Atlanta and Miami in 2023, and is due to come to cinemas at the start of summer blockbuster season. Adil & Bilall, the directors of 2020's Bad Boys For Life return as do Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, and Paola Núñez. Expect the usual action hijinks from Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett.
Inside Out 2 - 14 June
With 157m views within 24 hours, the first look at the sequel to Pixar's 2015 blockbuster was the biggest animated trailer launch in Disney history. Following on from the events of the first film, the sequel sees Riley becoming a teenager which brings with it a host of new emotions to join Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust - including Anxiety, voiced by Maya Hawke.
A Quiet Place: Day One - 28 June
Filmed in London, this Quiet Place spin-off prequel will look back at the early days of the alien invasion that decimates the human population. Starring Lupita Nyong'o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, and Djimon Hounsou, the film will once again see humans hunted by sound-sensitive killer aliens. We predict more edge of your seat, nerve-shredding thrills.
Despicable Me 4 - 12 July
The highest-grossing animated franchise of all time ($3.7bn and counting) returns with its sixth instalment. Returning to the main storyline after the prequel detour in 2022's Minions: The Rise of Gru, very little is known about the plot of Despicable Me 4, but we know Steve Carell will reprise the role of reformed supervillain Gru, alongside Kristen Wiig, Pierre Coffin, Miranda Cosgrove and Steve Coogan.
Twisters - 19 July
It was only a matter of time before Hollywood returned to the world of Twister, which was the second highest-grossing movie of 1996, but never picked up a sequel. Minari director Lee Isaac Chung takes over the reigns from Jan De Bont for this new chapter in the story of the stormchasers, which features a hot young cast including Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, and Kiernan Shipka.
Deadpool 3 - 26 July
After much teasing, and many fan-baiting cameos, the X-Men will finally arrive in the MCU in Deadpool 3 and not a moment too soon. With 2023 proving to be a bit of a damp squib in the world of Marvel, Disney will be hoping the injection of Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine will give the long-running superhero franchise the shot in the arm that it very much needs.
Borderlands - 9 August
At any other point in the last decade, a new movie based on a hit videogame would be greeted with cautious indifference, however video game adaptations have suddenly found their groove thanks to combined successes of The Last of Us, Sonic The Hedgehog, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Next up, hoping to continue this curse-breaking streak is Eli Roth's adaptation of the dystopian RPG Borderlands, improbably starring Cate Blanchett.
Untitled Alien sequel - 16 August
Rumoured to be titled Alien: Romulus, the ninth film in the long-running Alien series is set between the events of 1979's Alien and 1986's Aliens, and has been directed by Uruguayan filmmaker Fede Álvarez. Following his success with the Evil Dead remake and Don't Breathe, the series looks set to return to its hard horror roots, and will see a young cast terrorised by xenomorphs once again.
Kraven the Hunter - 30 August
Aaron Taylor-Johnson returns to the world of Marvel movies after briefly playing Quicksilver in the MCU, this time: he's breaking bad. The British actor is joining the Spider-Man cinematic universe as Sergei Kravinoff aka Kraven The Hunter, a hunter-warrior with animalistic powers who is a protector of the natural world. Russell Crowe will add some gravitas as Kraven's father, while Alessandro Nivola is Rhino.
Beetlejuice 2 - 6 September
Day-o! Daaaay-o! Yes, Michael Keaton is dusting off his black and white striped suit and Handbook for the Recently Deceased to once again play everyone's favourite bug-eating spook Beetlejuice. Tim Burton's long-gestating sequel to his 1988 hit will also see Catherine O'Hara back as Delia Deetz, and Winona Ryder as her daughter Lydia. Jenna Ortega will play Lydia's daughter Astrid, while Monica Bellucci is Beetlejuice's wife. Expect first look photos soon.
Joker: Folie à Deux - 4 October
After banking over a billion dollars and earning an Best Actor Oscar for star Joaquin Phoenix, the Clown Prince of Crime is back in Joker: Folie a Deux, and he's bringing Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn along for the ride. The standalone Batman spin-off has been described as 'a musical', and will see Zazie Beetz returning as Joker's former neighbour Sophie, alongside cast newcomers Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Jacob Lofland, and Harry Lawtey.
Watch a teaser for Joker: Folie à Deux
Transformers One - 18 October
The latest film in the Transformers series is an animated instalment that explores the origins of Cybertron and the relationship between Optimus Prime and Megatron. Toy Story 4's Josh Cooley is directing the film, with Chris Hemsworth voicing Optimus and Brian Tyree Henry as Megatron. The film is the first part of a planned trilogy that will show how the two characters went from friends to enemies.
Paddington in Peru - 8 November
After the unprecedented success of Paddington 2, the pressure to deliver is on for new director Dougal Wilson in Paddington In Peru, which sees everyone's favourite marmalade-loving bear returning to his home country with the Browns in tow. Emily Mortimer has replaced Sally Hawkins as Mrs Brown, while Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas join the cast.
Venom 3 - 8 November
The as-yet-untitled sequel to 2021's Venom: Let There Be Carnage sees Tom Hardy back as Eddie Brock and his violent symbiotic alter-ego Venom. Hardy also worked on the story with director Kelly Marcel who takes over director duties after penning the first two films. Juno Temple and Chiwetel Ejiofor join the cast, but little else is known about V3nom.
Gladiator 2 - 22 November
Plans for a Gladiator sequel began not long after Ridley Scott's historical epic won Best Picture at the Oscars in 2001, but it's only just come together. While Russell Crowe's Maximus isn't coming back (for obvious reasons if you've seen the first one), Connie Nielsen will return as his lover Lucilla, as will his son Lucius, now played by man of the moment Paul Mescal. Denzel Washington, Derek Jacobi, Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn will also appear in what is sure to be the most anticipated epic of the year.
Wicked: Part One - 29 November
It’s been a long time coming but we’ll soon get to relive one of the most popular stage shows of all time on the big screen, as Wicked: Part One arrives in cinemas in November. Based on the legend of the Wizard of Oz, the film sees Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, while Jeff Goldblum will play the Wizard. Expect at least four new songs on the soundtrack.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim - 13 December
Set 261 years before the events of Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, this new animated Middle Earth will tell the story of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan (Brian Cox) as he defends his realm against an army of Dunlendings, revealing how he becomes the namesake of Helm's Deep.
Karate Kid - 13 December
After finding later-in-life success with the legacy sequel series Cobra Kai, 80’s kids’ classic the Karate Kid will grace the big screen once more in a brand new movie. The film will bring characters from two different areas of the Karate Kid franchise together, with Ralph Macchio playing Daniel LaRusso and Jackie Chan reprising his role as Mr. Han — the Mr. Miyagi-esque martial arts expert — who trained 12-year-old Jaden Smith’s Dre Parker in the 2010 reboot.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 - 20 December
While the scene-stealing Jim Carrey is sitting out the third live action Sonic movie as Dr Eggman, Sonic (Ben Schwartz) will return alongside Tails (Colleen O'Shaughnessey) and Knuckles (Idris Elba) in this new film which is rumoured to introduce Shadow Sonic as the the antagonist.
Mufasa: The Lion King - 20 December
The first 'live action' The Lion King remake took over $1.6bn at the box office, so the circle of life continues as Disney returns to the watering hole for this sequel/prequel focussed on Simba's father Mufasa. Directed by Barry Jenkins, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind Moonlight, the new film takes place over two time periods, with Rafiki recounting Mufasa's rise to Kiara, the daughter of Simba and Nala.
Nosferatu - TBC December
After impressing horror fans with The Witch and The Lighthouse and proving his big budget chops with The Northman, Robert Eggers returns with his remake of the 1922 silent classic Nosferatu, itself a loosely-veiled Dracula rip-off. After terrifying audiences as Pennywise, Bill Skarsgård will take on another iconic role as the vampire who is besotted with Lily-Rose Depp's Ellen Hutter.
Untitled Jordan Peele movie - 27 December
After striking gold with his hat-trick of psychological thrillers Get Out, Us, and Nope, a new Jordan Peele movie has become an event in itself. Currently shrouded in secrecy — it doesn't have a title or cast yet — expect the unexpected from the master of suspense and social commentary.
Read more: 2024
Watch a trailer for One Life
