Hello my fellow movie goers from around the world. With 2018 coming to an end until New Year’s Day, I want to share my personal picks for upcoming 2019 films slated for a specific release date and stating my reasons why I’m excited for each film as I rank a selective one from least to best. Here’s my Top 12 Anticipated Films Of 2019. Why did I pick 12 instead of 10? Because I don’t wanna stretch an extra mile which may cause bad luck.
Top 12 Anticipated 2019 Films
12. The Secret Life Of Pets 2
Illumination proved that they can make high quality films other than the Despicable Me series with The Secret Life Of Pets minus their lackluster Dr. Seuss adaptation known as The Lorax. Sing was a good film as they went with the musical comedy route. A sequel to The Secret Life Of Pets was confirmed after the first one earned positive reception and revenue.
Cast Members such as Kevin Hart, Jenny Slate & Eric Stonestreet are back to voice their characters. Patton Oswalt has replaced Louie C.K. as the voice of Max due to the fact Louie was “playing” with his “ding-dong” in front of women. Because of his misdeed, he got “Plummered.” It means Christopher Plummer replaced Kevin Spacey in Ridley Scott’s “All The Money In The World.”
No synopsis has been announced yet, but I’m looking’ forward to seeing the pets. The release date is June 7th.
11. Captain Marvel
Marvel Studios & Disney are on a roll with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU for short) keeps getter better and better with each installment. Before Avengers 4 will conclude “The Infinity Stone Arc,” Captain Marvel’s solo film will center around Carol Danavers with the help of her mentor, Mar-Vell (the original Captain Marvel) to combat aliens known as “The Skrulls.” She will also encounter Nick Fury & Phil Coulson. The setting for the film will take place in The 90’s before the events of Infinity War.
Academy Award winner, Brie Larson will portray the title character. Samuel L. Jackson, Clark Gregg, Djimon Hounsou & Lee Pace will reprise their roles. Newcomers to the MCU including Jude Law as Mar-Vell, Ben Mendelsohn as Talos, the leader of The Skrulls & Annette Bening has an unconfirmed role.
One more thing, Stan Lee will make a cameo appearance prior to his passing. May he Rest In Peace. The release date is March 8th.
10. Shazam!
After WB went through Development Hell since the early 2000’s, Man Of Steel opened the gates to allow more heroes & villains headlining their own solo film. Wonder Woman managed to save the DC Extended Universe (DCEU for short) encouraging more entries to the series. Shazam will be different than the other movies in terms of an appropriate tone influenced by Tom Hanks’ Big. When I first saw a trailer for Shazam, I felt eager to see Zachary Levi (Chuck, Tangled) playing kid trapped in an adult superhero’s body.
Hear me out fellas, in the comics, Billy Batson is chosen by a wizard to take full responsibility to combat evil doers including his archenemy Black Adam. Speaking of Black Adam, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will portrayed Adam in a solo movie. Unfortunately, he won’t be in Shazam. However, Mark Strong is gonna play Dr. Sivana, a scientist trying to unlock the secret of Shazam’s powers.
Will Shazam win the hearts of critics and fans alike? Who knows, we shall see when it comes out in April 5th.
9. Godzilla: King Of The Monsters
When WB confirmed that they’re rebooting Godzilla and his adversaries as a cinematic universe called, “MonsterVerse” inspired by the MCU, I was excited to see Godzilla’s big comeback beginning with a 2014 American reboot. After I saw it, I was very disappointed. Until things went uphill when Kong: Skull Island made kaiju monsters great again with its title character, memorable human characters, action sequences etc. The third installment of the MonsterVerse will be focusing on Godzilla fighting three monsters including his archenemy King Ghidorah, Rodan & Mothra.
Besides the four monsters, human characters will be portrayed by Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Kyle Chandler & Ken Watanabe reprising his role from the first Godzilla movie. When Godzilla’s fight with all three monsters all over, get ready for his epic battle with King Kong slated to come out on May 22, 2020.
Let’s cross our fingers that Millie won’t say, “That’s a lot of fish!” You know the stupid line from Matthew Broderick from that god awful 1998 remake of Godzilla? Godzilla: King Of The Monsters is scheduled to come out on May 31st.
8. Hobbs & Shaw
After Furious 7 was released in 2015 two years after Paul Walker’s untimely death, Vin Diesel announced that a spin-off focusing on The Rock & Jason Statham’s characters, Luke Hobbs & Deckard Shaw was in development. No confirmation of a plot has been confirmed yet. Idris Elba signed on for the spin-off. I have nothing to say since everything is kept under wraps. Hobbs & Shaw is scheduled to come out on August 2nd.
7. Glass
Before Fox’s first X-Men film came out, M. Night Shyamalan made a superhero movie titled, “Unbreakable” starring Bruce Willis as a man who learns he has super powers after surviving a train crash. As the story progresses he seeks help from a comic book theorist played by Samuel L. Jackson who encourages him to use his powers as he’s destined to become a hero.
Unbreakable earned positive reception, gaining a cult following among fans of the superhero genre. Like many comic book movie fans, I too, consider Unbreakable as the cornerstone of realistic superhero films before The Dark Knight Trilogy & the MCU became a game changing experience for DC & Marvel.
After seventeen years of one critical flop to another, M. Night made a comeback with his film “Split” starring James McAvoy as a man with multiple personalities kidnaps three teenage girls by taking them to his underground lair. If you recall the ending of Split, we understand why it made positive reviews among critics and movie goers. Nearly Twenty Years in the making, we finally get to see Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson & James McAvoy reprising their roles in the third installment of the Unbreakable series. When saw the preview, it reminded me of the video game, Batman: Arkham Asylum. I’m on board to be the first in line to see Glass. Don’t forget it’ll be out on January 18th.
6. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
After viewing The Lego Movie, it became one of my favorite animated films. When WB announced that a sequel was in the works, I was eager to see more. The Lego Batman Movie as I consider the first DC related movie outside of the DCEU set in the DC Multiverse similar to the comics. It became one of my favorite Batman films besides The Dark Knight Trilogy.
Upon watching The Lego Movie 2’s trailer, I immediately became satisfied for spoofing Mad Max: Fury Road. The sequel to The Lego Movie will focus on Emmet going on a quest to save his friends after they were abducted by Duplos. I’m so glad to see The Cast & Crew coming back to revisit the world. The sequel is slated to come out on February 8th.
5. It: Chapter 2
After It: Chapter 1 became a sleeper hit earning positive reception and making millions at the box office, I was incredibly satisfied for Bill Skarsgård portrayal as Pennywise The Dancing Clown. As I recall in my review for It: Chapter 1, I compared Bill’s performance to Heath Ledger Oscar winning portrayal as The Joker in The Dark Knight. Because of the length of the novel, the filmmakers decided to split the narrative into two movies.
The sequel will be set 2016, 27 years after the events of the first chapter. James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader & other newcomers to the second entry will play the adult versions of The Loser’s Club. If you’ve already read the novel or watched Tim Curry’s It, you probably know what’s going to happen at the end. Especially Pennywise’s true form finally shown. Could this translate well in movie format? Only time will tell. By the way, another Stephen King related film adaptation called, “Pet Sematary” will also come out in April 5th.
As of right now, no trailer has been released. I’ll have you know that It: Chapter 2 will come out on September 6th. Don’t forget to mark that on your calendar.
4. Once Upon a Time In Hollywood
After Quentin Tarantino release his 8th movie, “The Hateful Eight in 2015. This mystery western comedy earned legendary composer, Ennio Morricone (The Dollars Trilogy, Once Upon A Time In The West, Once Upon A Time In America) his first Oscar for “Best Original Score.” Quentin is on a role for his movies without missing a note. He announced that he was working on a script about a TV actor & his stuntman/friend trying to make in The Film Industry while The Manson Murders occur in the backdrop set in the year 1969.
Quentin’s ninth film is named after “Once Upon A Time In The West,” “Once Upon A Time In America” & Robert Rodriguez’s (his pal) Once Upon A “Time In Mexico.” Leonardo DiCaprio & Brad Pitt will play the two main leads. Margot Robbie will portray slain actress Sharon Tate who’s linked to The Manson Murders. The Supporting Cast includes Quentin’s collaborators such as Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Kurt Russell, Zoë Bell & Bruce Dern. Besides Quentin’s partners, other cast members will feature Al Pacino, Damian Lewis, Dakota Fanning, Timothy Olyphant, James Marsden, Emile Hirsch, Rumer Willis, (Bruce’s real life daughter) Maye Hawke, (Uma Thurman’s real life daughter) Lena Dunham & Bruce Dern.
Burt Reynolds was originally gonna partake in the film, but sadly passed away leaving Mr. Dern to take over his role as a blind rancher.
I was gonna put Quentin’s upcoming film as my 3rd anticipated film, until that ignorant bitch Lena, had to pester her way into this film. Quentin if you’re reading this, please kick her outta here just like Ridley Scott recruiting Christopher Plummer for taking over Kevin Spacey after he “touched” a little boy. I want Natalie Portman filling in Lena role as a member of The Manson Family. If I were Quentin, I’d beat Lena’s ass to the ground for what she did to her sister.
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood will be out on July 26th. Three Days after my 26th birthday. It’ll be my late birthday present to be the first in line!
Listen guys & gals say what you will about Lena Dunham. Everybody has right to their own opinion and I’m being brutally honest why I hate her.
3. Toy Story 4
When Toy Story 3 earned critical acclaim and was the first animated film to earn $1 billion at the box office. Mine and everybody else’s expectations lived up the hype. Everybody cried in the theater. Toy Story 3 earned an Oscar for “Best Animated Feature.” A fourth film was in development since 2014 with Tom Hanks & Tim Allen reprising their iconic roles. Pixar confirmed that Toy Story 4 will focus on Woody, Buzz & their pals befriending a new toy on a road trip adventure about their existence.
Don Rickles who voiced Mr. Potato Head, sadly passed away on April 6th, 2017 before he recorded his lines. It is unknown if someone will fill in for his role. Newcomers the film such as Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele & Keanu Reeves. A teaser trailer was revealed on November 12th, 2018 with the characters having a good time together along with their new friend.
Toy Story 4 is scheduled to come out on June 21st. Make sure you mark your calendar. Will the upcoming fourth installment win the hearts of old and new generation of viewers just like Toy Story 3 won the hearts one many? Who knows, but we shall see in the future. I’m really excited to see my childhood icons back on the silver screen.
2. Avengers 4
After Marvel Studios & Disney successfully culminated a decade worth of installments interconnected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, (MCU for short) Avengers: Infinity War was the worth the wait. If you want more info about Avengers: Infinity War, check out my non-spoiler review. The untitled Avengers film will take place after the events of Infinity War with our heroes attempting to combat Thanos. Like It: Chapter 2, no confirmation of a trailer has been announced yet.
Many cast members of the MCU will reprise their roles. Expect a truckload of familiar faces coming back. If I were you, rewatch all the films if you want to gear up for the next chapter in the MCU saga. After Avengers 4 comes out on May 3rd. The franchise will change dramatically in terms of storylines, character development, emotional stakes among many other things that’ll be permanent.
With Fox now owned by Disney, I want the X-Men to be a part of the MCU. I’m still crossing my fingers to see Wolverine in his yellow & blue costume. If that happens, I can finally cross it off on my bucket list and die peacefully as an old man. Will Avengers 4 meet the same expectations as the last one? Who knows maybe. I hope it’ll do justice, because the end of Infinity War was very shocking. I refuse to tell you anything about it.
Honorable Mentions
Alita: Battle Angel
Release Date: February 14th/Valentines Day
Hellboy (2019)
Release Date: April 12th
John Wick 3: Parabellum
Release Date: May 17th
Dark Phoenix
Release Date: June 7th
MIB (2019)
Release Date: June 14th
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Release Date: July 5th
The New Mutants
Release Date: August 2nd
Terminator 6
Release Date: November 1st
Kingsman: The Great Game
Release Date: November 8th
Frozen 2
Release Date: November 22nd
Jumamji 3
Release Date: December 13th
1. Joker
Ladies & Gentlemen this is my Number 1 pick. Here’s a variety of reasons why. After Wonder Woman & Hugh Jackman’s last movie as Wolverine in Logan earned critical acclaim, DC Films announced they’ll be working on a set of stand-alone movies not interconnected to the DCEU. Their first project centers around The Joker’s origin story before he becomes The Clown Prince Of Crime, manipulating Harleen Quinzel as his girlfriend, Harley Quinn & his frequent battles with Batman.
Joaquin Phoenix signed on to play the character after the script terrified him (in a good way) and finds it challenging since his late friend Heath Ledger ultimately won an Oscar in The Dark Knight. He also stated he wanted to star in a superhero film in a more grounded environment. Believe it on not, Joaquin turned down the role as Dr. Strange because he thought it didn’t suit well. However, he finally changed his mind so he can honor his late friend in a character driven origin story as The Clown Prince Of Crime. Maybe Logan encouraged him to put on the clown make-up.
Todd Phillips (The Hangover Trilogy, Old School, Road Trip) is slated to direct the film. Martin Scorsese & Bradley Cooper will produce the film. Other cast members including Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz & Frances Conroy have signed on to participate in the upcoming film. Alec Baldwin was gonna portray Bruce Wayne’s father Thomas, but dropped out due to schedule conflicts and was replaced by Brett Cullen.
A short teaser from Todd Phillips’ Instagram account with Joaquin’s costume test, immediately hooked me on board. Behind the scenes footage showed him in character. Joaquin’s one heck of an actor, he’s got range due to his performances in Gladiator, Walk The Line, The Master, Inherent Vice just to name a few.
So remember folks, Joker will be out on October 4, 2019. I bet you $100 if a bunch of people are gonna dress up as The Joker for Halloween.
That’s my Top 12 Anticipated Films Of 2019. What do guys & gals think? Which one do you wanna see next year? Please leave a comment.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 