With part two of my most anticipated movies of 2024, I wanted to focus on the movies I had never heard of before taking on this task of finding what sounded the most interesting and exciting throughout the year. With part one I listed what I would consider the more obvious releases like Dune: Part Two and Deadpool 3. I guess I sort of abandoned that notion though towards the end with the lesser known remake of Speak No Evil but maybe I can think of it as more of both the end of that article and the bridge to this one. That’s my rationale and I’m sticking to it. Whether I even need to rationalize it is another question entirely. Perhaps it’s a question for someone with a Ph.D. in psychiatry. That’s a whole hive of bees just waiting to burst preferably at another time. If you read part one I’m apparently made of scabs and beehives. Anyway…
In no particular order.
PART 2:
Abigail - April 19, 2024
It’s rare that I find out about a movie from the trailer release. I sort of have my ear to the ground and often hear at least a mention of future projects sometimes years ahead of their official release date. So it’s a nice change of pace when a movie comes out of nowhere for me. From the directors of Ready or Not and the two most recent Scream movies intrigued me and then I saw the trailer. One of the best things such a ridiculous premise can do to maintain its legitimacy is be self-aware of just how outlandish it really is. When characters are saying lines like “We kidnapped a fucking vampire! A ballerina vampire,” you have to knowingly play into the absurdity of it all. Abigail looks like a good bit of fun in the vein of Ready or Not which was an absolute blast.
The Watchers - June 7, 2024
Apparently M. Night Shyamalan has kids. Who knew?! Only kidding of course. Also more shocking they are evidently grown and branching out into their own stories. His daughter, Ishana Shyamalan makes her directorial debut with The Watchers. Co-written by Ishana as well, it stars Dakota Fanning as Mina. According to IMDb, Mina is an artist who gets stranded in a forest in Ireland. Alongside three strangers they are stalked by mysterious creatures. Color me intrigued.
Wolfs - September 20, 2024
For this entry I had seen behind-the-scenes photos several months ago but never heard about an official title. Wolfs is that previously missing title. It stars George Clooney and Brad Pitt as lone fixers who are assigned the same job. It’s directed by Jon Watts, director of such films as Spider-Man: No Way Home and Cop Car, an underrated little indie drama featuring Kevin Bacon. A competent director and a tremendous cast in a thriller. Sounds promising to me.
The Amateur - November 8, 2024
My interest in this movie as of writing this is based almost completely on the synopsis which is: The Amateur follows a CIA cryptographer, who manages to blackmail his agency into training him to let him go after a group of terrorists who killed his wife in London. It sounds like a solid premise for a spy drama. It also features the talents of Rami Malek, Holt McCallany (currently riding high on his performance in The Iron Claw), and Laurence Fishburne to name a few.
Alto Knights: (Original Title: The Wise Guys) - November 15, 2024
From Barry Levinson, director of such films as Wag the Dog, Sleepers, and Rain Man, Alto Knights stars Robert De Niro, Kathrine Narducci (The Irishman), and Cosmo Jarvis. It tells the story of Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, two Italian Americans, both played by De Niro himself, that run separate crime families in the mid-20th century. In 1957 Genovese would attempt to assassinate Costello despite being retired from the mob. I’m always in for a mob drama. It’s just a plus that it stars De Niro. And in two roles no less! It also just happens to be written by Nicholas Pileggi, writer of one of the greatest mob dramas ever, Goodfellas.
The Council - TBD 2024
I have quite a bit of hesitation with this one. It stars Will Smith who can be very hit or miss. But I’m choosing to stay optimistic that he will return to The Pursuit of Happyness caliber with this crime drama. The Council is about Nicky Barnes in the 1970s and 80s who was part of a crime syndicate run by seven African-American men who ruled Harlem. He was dubbed “Mr. Untouchable” by the New York Times. He was previously portrayed by Cuba Gooding Jr. in American Gangster. I’m a sucker for a good crime drama, what can I say?
Hellboy: The Crooked Man - June 20, 2024
I love David Harbour as much as anyone else so it’s just shy of tragic that he had to participate in the empty shell that is 2019s Hellboy. The whole thing felt shallow and only reminded us that we need del Toro to return and finish the original trilogy with Ron Perlman as the titular, hellborn character. But of course the studios think they know what we want better than we do. So here we are on the precipice of another live-action Hellboy not starring Perlman but Jack Kesy. I wish him the best and hope he’s given the best chance to deliver something special. I’m interested but from a distance.
Courage - TBD 2024
There is no mention of a potential cast or even rumors of what this might be about. The only two pieces of information I have is that it’s said to be a Sci-Fi and will be directed by Matthew Vaughn, director of the Kingsman franchise and Kick-Ass. In just a couple of weeks he has another movie releasing on February 2nd called Argylle. It’s a busy year for Vaughn. I think he’s a very talented filmmaker and has a willingness to create fresh, fearless and original content. I can’t wait to see what we get from him next.
BRZRKR - TBD 2024
Keanu Reeves as an immortal warrior, known as Berzerker, as he fights his way through the ages. Based on a comic series of the same name. I can’t confirm if this will see its debut in 2024 but I’m remaining hopeful. It sounds fun and Reeves can do no wrong these days. I’m in.
Undying Love - TBD 2024
This is one I truly had no idea that it existed or who was making it. From the director of John Wick, Atomic Blonde, and Bullet Train. David Leitch will helm this interpretation of a comic series of the same name. It tells the story of an ex-soldier who has fallen in love with a vampire. To be with her he must take on her creator, who is protected by an army of monsters in the Hong Kong underworld. All I need to see is Leitch’s name next to “Directed By” and I’m on board. I believe Leitch and Chad Stahelski are greatly responsible for revitalizing the action genre and proving that audiences are capable of discerning from well-shot sequences and poorly edited, in-your-face shaky-cam. Olivier Megaton I’m looking at you. This has all the elements of something truly awesome.
Part 3 Coming Soon…
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