I hope you’re ready for a big year at the movies (or big but more comfortably dress year on your couch, if you’re a streaming devotee.) With a new decade upon us, 2020 is shaping up to be a fascinating and jam-packed year in cinema. With more premium streamers on the market than ever, Disney wiping Fox out of existence, the conclusion of the MCU’s industry-dominating Infinity Saga behind us, and a golden age in horror still going strong, there’s a welcome sense of unpredictability in the lineup of 2020 movies.
In fact, even the IP plays are a bit more oddball than usual this year.Chris Rockis making aSawmovie,Fantasy Islandis a potential slasher franchise now, andRichard Stanleyis launching a Lovecraft trilogy. There’s a lot of WTFery in there and that’s just the horror content. We’re also getting new films fromDavid Fincher,Denis Villeneuve,Christopher Nolan,Stephen Spielberg,Wes Anderson, andCharlie Kaufman,most of which we know next to nothing about. And in the realm of sequels, we’ve got a real oddball bunch withTop Gun,Coming to America,Legally Blonde, andBill and Tedall heading back to the big screen decades after we last saw their characters.
And that’s just scratching the surface of all the movies headed to theaters this year, so to help you prepare for the year ahead, we’ve put together a rather lengthy list of our most anticipated upcoming movies of 2020, from the box office juggernauts to the hidden gems, and everything in between. Check out our picks below, and if you’re looking for more to put on your watchlist (how much time to youhave, man?), be sure to check out our40 Most Anticipated TV Shows of 2020and theUpcoming Animated Moviesto put on your radar.
The Gentlemen
Release Date:January 24
Guy Ritchie’s back, baby! Granted, Guy Ritchie has not technically gone anywhere – he’s consistently been making big-budget movies like theSherlock Holmesfranchise and 2019’s bonkersAladdinremake. But the OG brand of “Guy Ritchie,” the kind of tough-talking, quick-witted crime comedy-thriller promised by instantly iconic flicks likeLock, Stock and Two Smoking BarrelsandSnatch, hasn’t been seen in a theatre since 2008’sRocknRolla. But based on early footage and critical response,The Gentlemenlooks to rocket “Guy Ritchie” back into the cultural consciousness with delightfully brash energy.
Matthew McConaugheyleads a delightful ensemble as an American marijuana kingpin living in England, looking to step away from his business. When word of his pseudo-retirement gets around the British crime community (goodness, what a fun phrase to write! Guy Ritchie’s back, baby!), all kinds of shady characters and, ahem, “gentlemen” do whatever it takes to get their slice of the green pie. The actors involved, all clearly relishing the chance to muck around in Ritchie’s underworld, includeCharlie Hunnam, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Marsan, Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant, and my personal MVP,Henry Goldingdoing a downright daft Cockney accent and sneering and preening all over the damn place like some kind of dumb crime rock star. STXfilms seems to be very content with “letting great filmmakers take great casts and deliver great original mid-budget pictures,” and honey, I’m very content as well. –Gregory Lawrence
Color Out of Space
Listen. Listen.Nicolas Cagestarring in anH.P. Lovecraftadaptation directed byRichard Stanley? No self-respecting fan of trippy-as-balls cosmic horror can afford to miss out on this movie. From the producers of the vibrantly hallucinogenic slasher filmMandy,Color Out of Spaceis about a meteorite that crashes into a farm near Arkham, Massachusetts and begins to spread a sinister infection.
Cage going space-crazy is an irresistible draw on its own, but the real standout here is Stanley, who directed the acclaimedHardwareandDust Devilbefore being famously fired from the set of the 1996 debacle The Island of Dr. Moreau as depicted in the documentaryLost Soul. Stanley’s unique visual style is perfectly suited for Lovecraft’s tale of an intergalactic plague unleashed on an unsuspecting Earth, and producersElijah WoodandDaniel Noahare already so pleased with his work that they’re planning an entire Lovecraft cinematic universe with Stanley at the helm. I do not have the words to fully express how pumped I am for this film, so just picture a Nic Cage howl in your mind’s ear and that will adequately represent my feelings. –Thomas Reimann
Come to Daddy
Release Date:February 7
One of the wildest and crowd-pleasing movies I caught on the festival circuit last year wasCome toDaddy. The bonkers new comedy-thriller from filmmakerAnt TimpsonstarsElijah Woodas a sensitive and snobby artboi who receives a letter from his long-lost father and heads to a remote cabin for a bit of long-overdue father-son bonding. Trouble is, once he gets there all he gets is an earful of insults and thinly veiled mutual dislike, delivered by a deliciously on-fireStephen McHattie, who makes every moment a barbed blow of assholery. And that’s just the start — from the launching pad of their bleak and awkward reunion,Come to Daddyspins out one hell of an insane and entertaining thriller. See this one with a crowd, if you can, because I’ve rarely heard a theater go as bonkers as the Fantasia Fest crowd did during a moment of just outrageous violence, and this is a film that definitely has that Midnight Movie crowd vibe. –Haleigh Foutch
Birds of Prey
Harley Quinn is a bonafide superstar of the DC universe. A relatively new character who shot up the ranks of popularity in a jiffy, bounces between villainy and heroism with ease, and seems to blend well with just about any other DC character you put in her path, Harley is the best kind of agent of chaos, a wild card that’s welcome in just about any team. Which is why it kind of makes sense that Warner Bros. decided to team her up with theBirds of Preydespite the lack of comic history. It’s Harley, why the heck not?
Margot Robbie’s take on the character was the one unequivocal highlight ofSuicide Squadand as both star and producer, Robbie decided to throw her weight behind an R-rated ensemble pic rather than pushing herself fully in the spotlight with a Harley solo film. And she decided to team herself up with some real intriguing characters, includingMary Elizabeth Winstead’s Huntress,Jurnee Smollett-Bell’s Canary, and an absolutely decadentEwan McGregoras the villainous Black Mask. Heck, they even gotRosieeffin’Perezin this thing. I’m a Harley die-hard so I would have always been excited for this one, but after witnessing the aesthetic (those costumes, my goodness) and energy Robbie & Co. are bringing to the table first-hand on set, I became a full-blown convert. –Haleigh Foutch
Premiere Date:February 7
Directed byVeronika FranzandSeverin Fiala, the duo responsible forGoodnight Mommy,The Lodgelooks to continue the Austrian filmmakers’ streak of truly disturbing takes on single-parent family dynamics.Riley Keoughplays a new stepmom stuck in a cabin with her two stepchildren during a snowstorm when seriously creepy bullshit begins happening. The film premiered earlier this year at Sundance to overwhelmingly positive reviews. (Collider’s reviewcalled it “a chilling family drama withThe Shiningvibes.”) It’s been a long road to a wide release, but The Lodge will finally find its way to theaters and streaming services next February. While I only mostly enjoyedGoodnight Mommy(the film’s execution was brutal perfection but its twist was shockingly predictable), I’m vibrating with anticipation to see what this talented directing team with do with the frontier horror setting ofThe Lodge. Expect plenty of spooky-ass children. –Thomas Reimann
Release Date:February 14
The world is a strange place where all kinds of wonder occur – for example, the idea that Disney is releasing an English-language remake of the pitch-black European comedyForce Majeure. I literally never, ever would have seen that coming.Julia Louis-DreyfusandWill Ferrellstar as a married couple who find their marital happiness thrown into disarray when an avalanche strikes their ski resort and the husband absolutely punks out on his family. The original film took home the Jury prize at Cannes for its scathing sense of humor and breakdown of domestic facades, and withJim RashandNat Faxondirecting, here’s hoping the remake manages to capture all the absurdity and sly satire of the original.If nothing else, this one will have an asterisk next to it’s name in the history books as the first film released with the “Fox” brand scrubbed from the production company. –Haleigh Foutch
Fantasy Island
Now this is how you do IP for audiences that are obviously growing tired of the reboot/remake/legasequel barrage (just askTerminatorandDoctor SleepandMen in BlackandCharlie’s Angelsand… well, you get it.) Blumhouse went and turnedFantasy Islandinto a slasher and that, my friends, is exactly the kind of “wait, what?!” innovation I want to see in 2020’s reboots. The trailer was energetic and engaging, promising a breezy but spooky time at the theaters, and you just can’t argue with a cast that includesMichael Pena,Michael Rooker, andMaggie Q. –Haleigh Foutch
The Invisible Man
Release Date:February 28
Hey, remember when Universal announced their Dark Universe, and debuted a fancy logo at the beginning of 2017’sThe Mummy,Tom Cruise’s worst film since Rock of Ages? Well, they cancelled plans to move forward with their shared universe of monster movies (for the second time) and decided to hand overThe Invisible Manto writer/directorLeigh Whannell, and that might be the best decision they’ve made re: the classic monsters since givingStephen SommersThe Mummyback in 1999.
Whannell, the co-creator ofSawand Insidious and frequent collaborator ofJames Wan, released the surprisingly excellent sci-fi / horror gemUpgradein 2018, and his take on theInvisible Manlooks like it will be an equally refreshing breath of bone-chilling air. From the trailers, it looks like Whannell has taken a subject that’s already terrifying (an abusive ex-boyfriend that refuses to leave you alone) and added the extra layer of making the sonofabitch invisible. Pile that on top of what looks to be a top-tier performance fromElisabeth Mossas the terrorized woman and you’ve got a movie I could not be more excited to see when it finally hits theaters in February. Seriously, go watch the trailer and witness how creepy Moss can make an empty chair seem. –Thomass Reimann
Release Date:March 6
Swallowis one of those festival favorites that’s been tormenting me for almost a year now – no matter how many Festivals I cover, on the ground or remote, I just keep missing it. Which really sucks because everyone just keeps telling me how damn good it is. Fortunately, the lwait is almost over.Haley Bennettstars in the thriller from filmmakerCarlo Mirabella-Davisabout a woman who seems to have it all but once she finds out she’s pregnant, she can’t stop swallowing dangerous – sometimes life-threatening – objects. Compulsion or control?Swallowis poised to offer a challenging investigation into bodily autonomy with a healthy dose of social satire. –Haleigh Foutch
Bring a tissue (actually, play it safe and bring the whole pack) because Pixar is back on their bullshit with another fantastical act of emotional warfare inOnward.Written and directed byMonsters UniversityhelmerDan Scanlon,Onwardis a deeply personal project for the filmmaker, who was inspired by the fact that he never met his own father – only getting to hear his voice on a brief audio recording as a child. Take that heartfelt undercurrent, mix it up with some playful spins on the tropes of fantasy gaming, and throwTom HollandandChris Pinein the leads, and you’ve gotOnward, the story of two elf brothers living in a suburban fantasy world when a quest to meet their long-lost father gives them a chance to bring magic back to their land. –Haleigh Foutch
