Writer’s note: This list of releases will include movies and TV series alike that you definitely should not miss. I have observed most of these are sequels, remakes or spin-offs of huge franchises but regardless, they are all promising. Let’s look at what’s hot in 2024.
Joker: Folie à Deux (4 October 2024)
Undoubtedly, Joker: Folie à Deux is the most anticipated movie release in 2024. With the massive success of 2019’s Joker, people are excited to see Lady Gaga’s performance as the new Harley Quinn. We have no doubt Joaquin Phoenix, reprising his role as The Joker, will give a fantastic performance for the ages. Notably, the style of Folie à Deux in trailers so far mimics the aesthetic of La La Land (2016).
Deadpool & Wolverine (26 July 2024)
What’s better than one iconic superhero? Two iconic superheroes. Deadpool and Wolverine join forces in Deadpool & Wolverine. The premise we know so far is that the Time Variance Authority (TVA) from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) will capture Deadpool, played by Ryan Reynolds, to change the history of the MCU. Hugh Jackman reprises his role as Wolverine.
Fly Me to the Moon (12 July 2024)
Fly Me to the Moon stars Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum in a rom-com based during the Cold War and the 1960s Space Race. A relationship between the two develops during their collaboration to fix NASA’s public image.
Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar (1 May 2024)
Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, or Heeramandi, is a Hindi-language period drama TV series. The series follows the Indian Independence Movement and the lives of tawaifs (successful female courtesans) in the red-light district of Heera Mandi, Lahore. It was created by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, known for his other period movies like Bajirao Mastani (2015) and Padmaavat (2018).
The Tattooist of Auschwitz (2 May 2024)
The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a historical drama based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Heather Morris. It tells the real-life experience of the Holocaust survivor, Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jewish prisoner in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. He was tasked with tattooing his fellow prisoners’ arms with identification numbers. The Tattooist of Auschwitz highlights how he found love along the way but also the immense trauma of genocide and the survivor’s guilt he felt.
Speak No Evil (13 September 2024)
Blumhouse Productions will release yet another horror film in 2024. Starring James McAvoy, Speak No Evil shows how a dream vacation in a gorgeous country house can turn into a nightmare. This is a remake of the 2022 Danish film of the same name. You are in for a treat if it’s anything like the original or improves on it.
Dune: The Prophecy (Late 2024)
Dune: The Prophecy or Dune: Prophecy is an upcoming TV series that prequels the 2021 film Dune by 10,000 years. The TV series will focus solely on the origins of the Bene Gesserit, a sisterhood of powerful women who mentally and physically train themselves to gain superhuman abilities. There is no release date announced yet.
Mother of the Bride (9 May 2024)
Mother of the Bride is an upcoming rom-com with Brooke Shields and Miranda Cosgrove as the mother-daughter duo. Cosgrove’s character, Emma, returns home to announce she will be getting married in a month. Upon meeting the groom’s family, the mother finds out the groom’s dad is the person who broke her heart years ago. Where will this rom-com go?
The Acolyte (4 June 2024)
Another expansion of the Star Wars franchise, The Acolyte, also known as Star Wars: The Acolyte, will follow a Jedi investigation of multiple crimes at the end of the High Republic era and before the Star Wars films. The TV series stars notable actors like Amandla Stenberg (Bodies Bodies Bodies, Rue from the Hunger Games series), Lee Jung-Jae (Squid Game), and Manny Jacinto (The Good Place).
Moana 2 (27 November 2024)
The sequel to the 2016 Moana, Moana 2 will follow the titular character receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors. Similar to the first, Moana will again embark on a dangerous journey through the seas of Oceania. Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson reprise their roles.
All We Imagine as Light (Cannes, May 2024)
Directed by Payal Kapadia, we don’t know much about the plot and journey of All We Imagine as Light. The summary revealed before its debut at the Cannes Film Festival implies that the main characters will go through an intense and passionate journey to a beach town after their subsequent plot points get complicated. Kapadia’s film will be the first Indian film in 30 years to enter the main competition at Cannes.
When Life Gives You Tangerines (2024)
With an unknown release date, When Life Gives You Tangerines (also known as Thank You for Your Hard Work and You Have Done Well) is a Netflix distribution South Korean TV series. Featuring the famous IU (Lee Ji-Eun) and Park Bo-Geum, it’s a slice-of-life series that follows two very bright and spirited individuals through an adventure.
Lee Ji-Eun (IU) and Park Bo-Geum
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (6 September 2024)
A long-anticipated sequel to the 1988 Beetlejuice, the horror comedy movie, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, will feature familiar faces and new characters. Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara are back again for another Beetlejuice instalment with Jenna Ortega and Willem Dafoe in the lineup. Let’s hope Tim Burton can live up to the first.
A Quiet Place: Day One (28 June, 2024)
A Quiet Place: Day One is the origin and spin-off story of the A Quiet Place series. It will hopefully answer the mystery behind how everything in A Quiet Place happened. The new film features Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (13 December 2024)
This is a call for all The Lord of the Rings fans. The wait is over with The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, set 261 years before The Lord of the Rings movies and 200 years before The Hobbit. The movie will tell the story of the legendary King of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand, played by Brian Cox, and how he defended his kingdom against the Dunlendings.
Inside Out 2 (14 June 2024)
This year is filled with sequels. Bringing you yet another, Inside Out 2 is the sequel to the 2015 Inside Out by Disney. Now that the protagonist, Riley, is 16 years old and feeling new emotions, Maya Hawke enters the picture as the voice actress for the personified emotion of Anxiety. The film involved lots of care towards representing teenagers’ mental health as they consulted with teenage girls on areas they could improve the film before the final version.
The Crow (23 August 2024)
The Crow is the fifth instalment of The Crow series as well as the remake of the original film (1994). It combines the weird and the wonderful within the horror genre as Bill Skarsgård, playing Eric Draven / The Crow, will take the reigns as the titular protagonist.
Megalopolis (17 May 2024)
With an enticing plot, Megalopolis features a cast of talented actors–Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Giancarlo Esposito most notably. The epic sci-fi film depicts a New York-esque metropolis decaying due to an accident and Driver’s character, Caeser, is seeking to rebuild it against the mayor’s desires.
