My 20 Most Anticipated Movies of 2019
With the debut of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, as well as the Disney+ streaming service and this slew of movies in the upcoming year, 2019 is poised to be huge for Disney. But in a greater sense, you can look past the Disney of it all and recognize that 2019 is poised to be huge for film. From auteurs abound to exciting biopics everywhere you look to some high quality horror to the end of many things, 2019 is shaping up to be an all-timer when it comes to movies.
I thought about doing a list of everything I was anticipating in 2019, but when it comes to literature, I’m working my way through its history. With music, it’s sort of the same, but I always have Jason Mraz on my radar and he came through in 2018 instead. And with television, yes there’s a lot to look forward to (when does The Good Place come back?), but it’s pretty much Game of Thrones and then everything else. So for 2019 anticipation, I’m focusing on the movies. And I hope you can find something you’ll be interested in, as well!
First, I have to give a shoutout to some of the movies of 2019 I have already seen and, ipso facto, did not have a chance to be on a list of anticipation. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part was a very well-done sequel and Glass is still my favorite of the year so far. Blessings up for those two.
Secondly, I have to acknowledge the movies that did not make the top twenty, for varying reasons.
First, there are the “maybes.” These are the movies that have not even been confirmed to be released in 2019 yet so I couldn’t put them on the list out of fear of 2020 rolling around and screwing me over. So shoutouts are due to the following:
Guava Island is a forthcoming movie from director Hiro Murai (who worked on Atlanta and Barry) and will star Donald Glover, Rihanna, and Letitia Wright. I know nothing about the story, but that pedigree is enough for me to be sold.
Downhill is all about the pedigree for me, as well. I think the story is about skiing or something, but the directors are Nat Faxon and Jim Rash and the leads are Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. All the way in on that one.
Wine Country is a bit of both. Exceptional pedigree, but also a story that sounds fun. It’ll be on Netflix at some point and I, for one, can’t wait to watch Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Ana Gasteyer, Rachel Dratch, Maya Rudolph, Paula Pell, Emily Spivey, Cherry Jones, and Jason Schwartzman hang out. Poehler’s directing, too!
Jojo Rabbit has the potential to be big. If it comes out in 2019, many have proclaimed it to be a big Oscar contender. The latest movie from Taika Waititi sees Taika portraying an imaginary version of Adolf Hitler. Oscar contender or not, I predict this will be extremely funny. Whenever it’s released.
With 2019, we also have movies that have the potential to be great. But I’m not necessarily anticipating them as much as I am some of the other films on this list. Whether we don’t know too much about it yet or it just doesn’t really have a proven track record behind it, these movies are long shots for me. But I still have hope!
Ad Astra is a big Brad Pitt space picture that sees Pitt venturing into space to find his father, who left decades earlier to try to find alien life. It sounds like it could be an amazing story, but there also seems to be potential for a confusing mess of a film. I’m hoping for the former!
Artemis Fowl is the black sheep of Disney’s release schedule this year. It’s the only one that isn’t a sequel, a remake, or a part of a bigger cinematic universe. Which probably makes me seem stupid to include it in this list, but I think it’s fair. I wasn’t sold on the trailer, but people seem to like the book it is based on and Kenneth Branagh is directing, after all!
Chaos Walking has the potential to rise above Artemis Fowl as the big movie based on a book that is geared towards a younger crowd. This is another one that might not make it in 2019, too, but it was previously dated to come out in two weeks! That’s obviously not happening, but my interest is still there because I’d love to see Daisy Ridley and Tom Holland paired together.
The Curse of La Llorona might be the horror movie to watch this year. Based off an iconic cultural myth, the major downside to its impending release is that Linda Cardellini is starring. Cardellini is not Mexican and, as such, the movie has faced whitewashing controversies. Hopefully, it will be handled with more tact than that, but it’s hard to think optimistically about that sort of thing when it comes to Hollywood.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters follows up the relatively average 2014 installment of the Godzilla franchise, except this one has Millie Bobby Brown. The future of this kaiju cinematic universe is brighter than a lot of other crossover ventures, but I am still hesitant about it. The trailer gives it a lot of goodwill, though!
It: Chapter Two might deserve to be on the honorable mentions list, but I’m not ready to put it there yet. I liked the 2017 It, but it wasn’t the phenomenon for me that it was for so many others. But the casting of Bill Hader, Jessica Chastain, and James McAvoy in the sequel set years in the future definitely has my curiosity piqued.
Limited Partners probably wouldn’t make it onto too many other lists, but I just love Rose Byrne. What can I say? It’s about two friends who get into an argument when the business they built together has an offer to be bought out. I’m literally just here because I love Rose Byrne, but Tiffany Haddish stars, too, and she can be fun!
Pokemon: Detective Pikachu might be the most anticipated movie for a lot of people, but I was never into Pokemon too much. However, the trailer actually makes this seem like it could be fun! Ryan Reynolds actually makes for a pretty great voice of Pikachu, so I’ll keep my mind open to this one.
Shazam! is the last on my list of movies with potential in the coming year. It’s like Big with superheroes and I’m excited to see Zachary Levi make a huge leap as he stars in his own blockbuster superhero movie. Delightful on Chuck and in Tangled, he deserves my support so I will hope for the best for Shazam!
Lastly, we have the honorable mentions. These are the movies in 2019 that couldn’t quite crack the top twenty, but still have a great deal of interest generated within me. I’ll definitely check them out and I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of them ended up as some of my favorites from the year!
The Aftermath came onto my radar because of Keira Knightley. It’s a World War II drama about a couple forced to live in Hamburg with a German widow. It seems like a cool combination between high intrigue and period piece. But also, Keira Knightley. That’s really all I needed to say!
The Lighthouse is Robert Eggers’ 2019 fare which stars Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson. What I’m most interested in with this horror movie is the setting. I am so looking forward to spending time this fall in an early 20th century Maine lighthouse. That seems like the perfect place for a horror movie to be!
Long Shot just began its marketing campaign this past week and I’m ready for a new movie starring Seth Rogen! He’s reuniting with director Jonathan Levine (they also made 50/50 and The Night Before (two of my favorites) together) to tell the story of a journalist on the campaign of a woman running for president (Charlize Theron) who also used to be his babysitter. Rogen and Levine are a winning combination for me so I’m looking forward to this comedy.
Men in Black: International has the potential to be a flop based on reactions from the Internet, but I always think it’s weird when people hold something like Men in Black to be sacred. Sure, that trilogy is good, but it’s so open to having fun with other ideas and other characters, too. Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson should be absolute money together; they’re both hysterical.
Penguins is currently my documentary to watch. I’m sure others will pop up along the way, too, but right now this is the only 2019 doc on my radar. March of the Penguins is one of my favorite documentaries ever so I am completely ready for Disney Nature to bathe me with beautiful Antarctica footage.
Rocketman is the upcoming Elton John biopic starring Taron Egerton and Bryce Dallas Howard. The big risk with this is that Egerton will be singing the Elton songs himself, rather than lip syncing. It’s risky, but Egerton has sang Elton before so I wouldn’t call this a disaster just yet. Plus, there’s a scene in the trailer where he seems to be floating away from the piano, which makes me think that this might be less of a conventional biopic like Bohemian Rhapsody was.
Spider-Man: Far From Home would be much higher in any other year, but right now I’m struggling to have as much interest in this, the start of Marvel’s fourth phase, as I am with their impending conclusion to the third phase. I’m sure my interest will come around again (and the trailer was good, too), but right now, my Marvel brain is elsewhere.
Uncut Gems is a major departure from the sort of movie that I usually tend to get excited about. But I’m keeping an open mind. The brothers behind Good Time are crafting a story about a jewelry store owner who has to repay his debts when his product is stolen from him. The reason I’m excited for this, though, is because it stars Adam Sandler and I am really hyped for him to return to a dramatic role.
Where’d You Go, Bernadette? is one of the auteur films I was talking about earlier. From director Richard Linklater, this seems like a breezy mystery comedy that should be a lot of fun! It stars Cate Blanchett and it was also just pushed back from March to the awards season, which usually indicates that a studio has faith in it.
Zombieland: Double Tap is the sequel I never expected to see. Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin are all returning to the comedy world of the undead in a story that has not yet been revealed. The only promotional material we even have is a poster that recreates the one from ten years ago. I think the first one is pretty perfect and with Rosario Dawson and Thomas Middleditch joining the cast, this one should be lots of fun, too!
While Oscar season will come around and throw more wrenches into the mix this fall, in terms of what we know right now and with all of those honorable mentions, it is time to dive into the list!
20. Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
I’m hesitant to get too excited about this because I think this Fast and Furious franchise is mostly bad with some fun movies in the late-middle era of its run, but man this trailer was a joy ride. It really seems like one of the most fun and funny action buddy movies to come around in a long time and it just happens to be under the banner of an established franchise. I mean, no one really knows the names of these characters after all. I’m ready for it to just go balls to the wall and it will hopefully leave us with the hope that the potential Letty movie will be just as thrilling!
19. Last Christmas
If you know me, you know that I’m a sucker for a good rom-com and I’m also a sucker for a solid Christmas movie. Last Christmas seems like it’s going to be blending the best of the both worlds. From director Paul Feig (who is coming off one of his career’s best with A Simple Favor), this will star Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding, as well as Emma Thompson and Michelle Yeoh in supporting roles. And if you’re wondering, yes that title has to do with the famous George Michael Christmas song. Feig has said that Michael’s Christmas musical output will be heavily featured in the film! Merry happy!
18. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
One of my favorite movies ever is Zodiac so it’s safe to say I’m excited for another real life serial killer movie. This one takes a bit of a different approach as it will explore Ted Bundy’s murders from the perspective of those who loved him. When the trailer for this was released, the Internet blew up, particularly among younger crowds who have proven to be a target demographic for true crime stories. They love Zac Efron, too, after all (and so do I; he’s a great actor) and we all just finished the Bundy documentary on Netflix. Then, it was announced that Netflix acquired the exclusive rights to stream this movie everywhere during awards season. So, yeah, this is going to be the most watched movie in history.
17. Ford v. Ferrari
The above image is not from the movie, but I felt weird about using set photos taken by paparazzi so here we are. This movie from James Mangold will tell the story of Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles who are tasked by Henry Ford to build a car that will defeat Ferrari in world racing championships. The hook for me, though, is that it stars Matt Damon! And I don’t know about you, but I am ready for Matt Damon to star in a movie that is truly great again. It’s been a little while.
16. Honey Boy
Honey Boy is one of the buzziest movies to come out of Sundance this year because of wholly original and unique it seems to be. It is based on the life of Shia LaBeouf (who I will always ride for as a truly great actor) and LaBeouf is actually portraying his father in the movie. Amazon acquired the distribution rights for Honey Boy and, to be honest, I’m ready to start campaigning for LaBeouf for Best Actor at next year’s Oscars. I believe in him!
15. Captain Marvel
We won’t have to wait too much longer for this one because it will be released in just eighteen days! But we did have to wait a long time for Captain Marvel since it was announced all the way back in October 2014. It’s been a long time coming, but we are just about to be gifted with the presence of the iconic Brie Larson taking on the role of Marvel’s first lead female superhero. Taking place during the 1990s, the Larson-led adventure through the Kree-Skrull War will also see the return of Marvel classics like Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury, Lee Pace’s Ronan, Clark Gregg’s Phil Coulson, and Djimon Hounsou’s Korath. Frankly, I’m just excited to see what Marvel’s first lead Academy Award winning actor can do with a character as exciting as Carol Danvers!
14. The Lion King, Aladdin, Dumbo
Yes, this is a cheat, but I don’t care because the rules are arbitrary anyway! Disney has three major remakes coming in 2019 and they each have me excited in a completely different way.
For one, Dumbo seems to be the one that is deviating the most (at least, so far) from the original animated film. And with a killer cast of Colin Farrell, Eva Green, Michael Keaton, and Danny DeVito, this one is bound to be quite the tearjerker. It even seems like Tim Burton is taking a sweet side to the circus story. I love that elephant so I can’t wait!
Aladdin is the one with the most Internet backlash so far, namely for Will Smith’s Genie, but I think he looks pretty good and how I expected in the promotional image, as opposed to the footage. Besides, Genie is one thing. I’m here to see how beautiful Aladdin and Jasmine are going to look on that soaring magic carpet ride around the world while they sing “A Whole New World.” That’s reason enough for this movie to exist!
And lastly, The Lion King, which is probably the most anticipated and is bound to be the biggest of the three. It’s going to do something wild at the box office, just mark my words. While I’m confident in Jon Favreau’s capabilities, too, my main reason for excitement is similar to that of Aladdin. I can’t wait to hear Childish Gambino and Beyonce duet “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?”
13. The Woman in the Window
Amy Adams is going for that Oscar, y’all. I’m looking forward to this thriller, based on the acclaimed novel, more than any other thriller this year. Here’s the synopsis: “An agoraphobic woman living alone in New York begins spying on her new neighbors only to witness a disturbing act of violence.” And it stars Amy Adams! Amy Adams is doing Rear Window and I can’t imagine a world where that isn’t on anyone’s list.
12. Toy Story 4
Toy Story 3 is a flawless ending to one of the all-time great film trilogies so I was initially extremely hesitant to Toy Story 4. I still am, to be honest. But the story was derived directly from the stellar Pixar brain trust of Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich, and Pete Docter. It’s hard not to have faith in that crew. So I’m keeping an open mind. After all, I got goosebumps during the teaser trailer and I’m only human so I, of course, want to see Bo Peep return. Even though the story seems a little convoluted, I have my fingers crossed for another Pixar home run!
11. Knives Out
Before diving head first into his own Star Wars trilogy, Rian Johnson is delivering us what should be one of the best original movies of the entire year. The only thing we know about Johnson’s new film is this short description, “Modern-day murder mystery in the classic Agatha Christie whodunit style.” That’s enough for me no matter who the director is, but Johnson takes it to the next level! So does the cast, though, which consists of Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Keith Stanfield, Anna de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Katherine Langford, Christopher Plummer, Toni Collette, and Michael Shannon! Are you sold, too?
10. Us
After Get Out and its surprisingly smashing success, everyone was excited to see what Jordan Peele was going to do next. It turns out that that project was Us, a story about a family who is confronted by a group of their doppelgangers. It comes out just next month and stars Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, and Elisabeth Moss. If it can be even half as good as Get Out was, Us will be a major player in the 2019 film landscape.
9. Star Wars: Episode IX
Star Wars: Episode IX is probably the movie we know the least about in 2019 so far. I’m pretty sure the above photo, which came out just two days ago from J.J. Abrams, is the only image we have from the film so far. We don’t know the plot. We don’t know the title even! We just know that it’s the conclusion to the Skywalker saga after eight prior films. I’m so excited to see the culmination of all of these amazing characters and just how this bird will land after the thrilling surprises of Star Wars: The Last Jedi! Plus, new additions to the franchise will make this a star-studded affair as they include Keri Russell, Richard E. Grant, and Dominic Monaghan. In a year of many things ending, Star Wars will have its own conclusion in December.
8. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
This one is the early contender for 2019’s most wholesome film. Matthew Rhys plays a cynical journalist who comes to interview Mr. Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks) for a profile piece and has his life changed by the incredible television educator. Hanks is clearly setting out to play all of the American icons and I’m ready for it, to be honest! I am ready for my heart to be warmed and my tear ducts to be activated.
7. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, Emile Hirsch, Damian Lewis, Bruce Dern, Scoot McNairy, Dakota Fanning, James Remar, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, James Marsden, Timothy Olyphant, Kurt Russell. If you like ensembles, 2019 is the year for you. That’s just some of the cast of the latest Quentin Tarantino movie that sees an actor and his stunt double try to make it in Hollywood during the events of the Charles Manson murders. It seems like a soaring epic through a transitional time in Hollywood and it will also probably end up as the movie Reddit will talk about until, well, the universe implodes.
6. Little Women
Little Women has a strong argument for the number two spot on this list because of how insanely stacked the cast is and how talented Greta Gerwig is and how impeccable the source material is. Her follow-up to Lady Bird, my favorite of 2017, Gerwig is putting one of the greatest stories ever told (and which I just read and loved) to screen again with high quality actors. Saoirse Ronan is taking on the role of Jo, the novel’s best character, and Emma Watson will be portraying Meg. The rest of the cast includes Eliza Scanlen as Beth, Florence Pugh as Amy, Meryl Streep, Laura Dern, Bob Odenkirk, Chris Cooper, and Timothee Chalamet. I honestly might want to see this in December before I see Star Wars!
5. Frozen II
Frozen II would not have been this high on the list a week ago, but after that fucking perfect teaser trailer, it skyrocketed up my list. I’m so ready to join up with these characters again in a film that looks like it’s going deeper and more emotional with its sequel. Seriously, tears came to my eyes and chills came to my arms when I watched this trailer. God, it’s so perfect.
4. Yesterday
Here’s another movie with a trailer that came out in the last week that I can’t stop watching. When I heard that Richard Curtis and Danny Boyle were teaming up for a movie, I was in. When I heard that Lily James and Ed Sheeran were going to be in it, I was even more in. When I heard that it was about a musician living in a world where The Beatles never existed, I was all the way in. When I saw the trailer, I was worried that I was so far in that I was out again. Of course, with a movie that looks this fun, musically enchanting, and original, I can’t be anything but all the way in. Inject this into my bloodstream, like, yesterday please!
3. Late Night
Mindy Kaling’s first movie that she wrote, Late Night, debuted at Sundance this year to immense acclaim and was purchased by Amazon for a record amount of money (fourteen million dollars!). Basically, what I’m saying is that if this movie isn’t nominated for every possible Academy Award, then there will be riots. But seriously, I’m so prepared for Mindy’s biggest film role to date. She deserves all of the success that is coming her way and I can’t wait to see her movie, which also stars Emma Thompson!
2. The Irishman
This movie has been slated to come out in Netflix in 2017 and 2018 and now 2019, so who knows if 2020 is right around the corner for it? But Netflix has been pretty public about how they want The Irishman to be a major awards season player for them this fall. And how could it not be? Directed by Martin Scorsese, it sees him reuniting with top tier acting talent, including Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Anna Paquin, Jesse Plemons, Bobby Cannavale, Ray Romano, Harvey Keitel, and, oh yeah, Joe Pesci coming out of retirement! We were due for one last great crime epic from the Scorsese troupe. I can’t wait.
1. Avengers Endgame
Yeah, I mean, how could it not be? This isn’t just my most anticipated movie of 2019, Avengers: Endgame has been my most anticipated movie since it was announced all the way back in 2014. It’s been the culmination of the most impressive cinematic achievement ever, tying together the storylines and character growth of the heroes we love across franchises. As things stand now, Tony Stark is lost in space with Nebula. Bruce Banner cannot get the Hulk to come out and help fight. Thor is dealing with the guilt of not going for the head. Hawkeye is clearly working through some stuff in Japan. Black Widow and Captain America have devised some sort of plan. Thanos is a farmer. Ant-Man is in the quantum realm. Things don’t look good for the heroes we know and love, but they’re not going to give up. And yet, we know next to nothing about this movie so far. That’s so thrilling to me. And the mystery isn’t even if the characters come back or not, but rather, how they come back. And who has to make the sacrifice to get them there. I hope the marketing keeps that up. We’re just over two months out from it now and I’m not going to be able to handle it. Avengers: Endgame, baby. That’s gotta be number one.
