10 Most Anticipated Films of 2019
This article contains spoilers.
Whether you’re a Disney fanatic, Marvel nerd, or you’re just a social movie watcher, this list will give a synopsis on each movie’s plot and what makes them the world’s most anticipated movies of the year.
1. “The Lion King”, “Dumbo”, and “Aladdin” (2019)
Although it’s purely CGI, this classic movie remake uses live-action techniques to create everyone’s favorite personified animals, but some people question whether the movie is too nostalgic. “Dumbo” and “Aladdin” also come out this year, both continuing Disney’s nostalgic dive into revitalizing older, animated films for the newer generations. The casting of Will Smith as the Genie is also a risky, but courageous move for Director Guy Ritchie in an attempt to recreate Robin Williams’ charismatic personality. The scheduled release date is July 19 for “The Lion King”, March 29 for “Dumbo”, and “Aladdin” comes out May 24.
2. “Toy Story 4”
Continuing the Disney streak is “Toy Story 4”, directed by Josh Cooley and starring familiar voices Tom Hanks and Tim Allen as the gang explores the imagination of Bonnie, the owner of the toys after Andy passed them on in the third film. Filling the shoes of Ned Beatty’s kingpin ‘Lotso’ from the previous movie, a plastic utensil named Forky takes on the role of the villain while struggling with his newfound existence as a toy and not just a spork. It will make for a compelling animation about the extent of a child’s imagination. The movie comes to theaters June 21.
3. “John Wick 3: Parabellum”
Rumored to be the last of the series, John Wick 3 brings back modern entertainment’s favorite assassin as he fights against the world’s most prominent killers in New York with a $14 million bounty on his head. It is a wonder, however, how Chad Stahelski and the rest of the team are able to conclude the trilogy and satisfy audience’s expectations, considering the 87 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and substantial audience score at 80 percent. The May 17 release is coming up fast, and the trailer shows some of the action the audience should expect from the world’s best contract killer.
4. “Men In Black: International”
Transitioning to a more comedic movie is the next MIB, where we follow new characters played by Marvel’s Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson from “Thor: Ragnarok”, as well as iconic action hero Liam Neeson as the three fight new foes with even newer gadgets, both out of this world. In theaters June 14.
5. “Detective Pikachu”
This live-action adaptation of the 2018 Nintendo game of the same name follows Tim Goodman, played by “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’s” Justice Smith, as well as a surprising appearance by Ryan Reynolds as Pikachu. The duo works to uncover the disappearance of Tim’s father, who also happens to be Pikachu’s partner against crime, while along the way discovering many other strange occurrences that threaten the peaceful lives of everyone in the Pokemon universe. The hyper-realistic pocket monsters contrasted with their usual appearance on the Nintendo screen are certainly a brave choice made by Director Rob Letterman and screenwriter Nicole Perlman as it infuses a dark tone to the cheery atmosphere of Pokemon. The May 10 release date will face some competition in the box office as it spars against other popular franchises.
6. “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”
Speaking of monsters, this action thriller encompasses a culmination of decades of continental creatures and cities serving as a constant battlefield. Following the 2017 release of “Kong: Skull Island”, a prequel to 2014’s “Godzilla”, popular monsters like Mothra and King Ghidorah make appearances in the trailer, as well as “Stranger Things’” Millie Bobby Brown as Madison Russell, daughter of Monarch agency scientist Emma Russell. The movie will certainly prove to be intense and packed to the brim with CGI battles, and ratings based off of the earlier movies can only reaffirm the franchise’s success this year. Be there May 31.
7. “The Lego Movie: The Second Part”
Everything is awesome as Chris Pratt briefly steps away from his role as Owen Grady in Jurassic World in order to play the innocent Lego man Emmet once again in this sequel, in which a new villain called General Mayhem threatens what semblance of peace the Lego world has left after the chaotic Duplo creatures were introduced at the end of the first film. “The Second Part” seems to feature the mind of the boy’s younger sister, one who can be deceiving and ruthless when it comes to who gets to play. Mayhem captures several of the main characters, prompting Emmet to once again play the unsung hero in order to save his friends and make everything awesome again. The movie drops on Feb 8, so make sure to have your minds and wallets ready.
8. “Glass”
Director M. Night Shyamalan returns to the big screen with a crossover between three main characters from “Unbreakable” and “Split”: Modern superhero David Dunn, played by Bruce Willis; James McAvoy as multi-personality man Kevin Wendell Crumb; and Samuel L. Jackson’s character Mr. Glass. The premise is that Dunn and Glass supposedly play comic book characters hero and villain, with Crumb playing the monster that Glass convinces to embrace the chaos. Mr. Glass believes there is more to the three’s lives than what the world tells them — that superhumans do in fact exist, and he wants to show the world what they can do. This movie comes out Jan 18.
9. “Captain Marvel”
Following a teaser in the end credit scene of “Avengers: Infinity War”, superhuman Carol Danvers, played by Brie Larson, arrives in America from another world, although she has flashbacks to a previous life as a U.S. Air Force Pilot. The trailer doesn’t expose too much, but leaves fans on the edges of their seats. What we do know is that an intergalactic war between alien races Kree and Skrull, in which Danvers fights alongside the Kree that raised her, threatens Earth as they get caught in the crossfire. Ronan, the main villain in “Guardians of the Galaxy”, makes an appearance in this prequel as a ‘good guy’, so this movie may show what causes him to become a tyrannical dictator in the future. In theaters March 8.
10. “Avengers: Endgame”
Of course this was going to be on the list; save the best for last, right? This movie is arguably the most anticipated film in history — aside from “The Force Awakens”, obviously. “Avengers: Infinity War” is currently the fourth highest-grossing film of all time, and Endgame likely has the proper momentum to reach the top as it marks the end of Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans’ contract — and likely their performance — in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The approach of this film’s release comes with many fan theories about the outcome: whether or not we will see a happy ending for the Avengers, or who we may lose for the entirety of this MCU’s time on the screen. Will Gamora come back? Will Dr. Strange having saved Iron Man from Thanos’ grip prove to be the worst decision for their survival, or was this the only one of 14,000,605 that they won? Will Nebula take the gauntlet for herself in the end? What role does Captain Marvel play in this movie? So many questions, and the only answer to them comes April 26.