Antebellum (April 24)
The biggest question on everyone’s mind is: what exactly is Janelle Monáe’s Antebellum? Co-director’s Christopher Renz and Gerard Bush are best known for music videos, which doesn’t necessarily mean that this will be a short form song cycle like Monáe’s landmark Dirty Computer. But then again it also has an extensive cast alongside Monáe including Kiersey Clemmons, Gabourey Sidibe, Jena Malone, and Jack Huston who (while I couldn’t find anything on Huston) are all noted singers. So are we potentially looking at a horror musical by way of Jordan Peele’s brand of social thrillers? I mean, probably not, but maybe right? But once again, if you do a little digging, Antebellum is being referred to as a feature film with posters already up in cinemas. Is it a horror follow-up to what Monáe dabbled in with Dirty Computer? Is this going to be a Fathom Events style theatrical release of a longform music video? Or is this just going to be a straight up horror flick? If this all sounds a little vague to you, welcome to the party! We don’t know what Antebellum will be, but we do know it’ll be the word on everyone’s tongue when it’s released this April. (Jacob Trussell)
Black Widow (May 1)
Don’t think of Black Widow as the jumping-off point for the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Don’t think about her corpse lying at the bottom of some far away Vormir cliff. Consider Black Widow as you did the original Iron Man; sit back and relax as a badass adventurer takes a bunch of villainous chumps to task. As long as Cate Shortland can deliver on the G.I. Joe action of the trailer and reveal the total badass we all know Scarlett Johansson is capable of in other franchises but rarely displays amongst the Avengers, then we’ll get a satisfying bit of pop adventure. Back Widow didn’t get a fair shake during the Infinity Saga. She got her moments, but she deserved and needed the space too often reserved for Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. Better late than never? Sure, but Florence Pugh won’t wait as long to get that spotlight. (Brad Gullickson)
Greyhound (May 8)
It should come as a surprise to anyone who saw 2010’s Get Low that there hasn’t been another Aaron Schneider film since. The man disappeared for a decade, but he’ll be resurfacing this year with a Tom Hanks World War II Navy film (penned by Hanks, his third feature screenwriting credit and first since Larry Crowne) that seems like a cross between Saving Private Ryan and Captain Phillips. It seems unlikely that the combination of Hanks and WWII will go awry, especially under the direction of Schneider and the guide of C.S. Forester’s hand, from who the story is adapted (originally titled The Good Shepherd), but that certainly doesn’t mean we’re bound for greatness. Hanks is far from a proven screenwriter and it’s not always wise to lean on the future success of a director who’s only made one prestigious film. Of course, our fingers are crossed for Saving Private Ryan-tier greatness. (Luke Hicks)
Fast and Furious 9 (May 22)
Even after all these entries, the Fast and the Furious franchise is still exciting and must-see. These movies are more like events at this point, and their appeal is the way in which they amp up the ridiculousness every time. This installment sees John Cena joining the family for another physics-defying adventure that will contain silly action sequences and a beautiful heartwarming message about family. I have no idea what the movie is about yet as plots are being kept under wraps, but these movies aren’t really celebrated for their storytelling. People want to see car chases and human beings manhandle nuclear explosives with their bare hands. Bring the popcorn, turn off your brain, and prepare to grin from ear to ear. (Kieran Fisher)
Wonder Woman 1984 (June 4)
Too often the sequels to successful women-directed films are passed on to men, which makes Patty Jenkins’ hard-won return to the world of Wonder Woman that much sweeter. Her championing of the character both onscreen and off is a huge part of what made the first film so triumphant back in 2017, so having her at the helm for another story about Diana Prince already promises to yield something special. But if Wonder Woman 1984‘s first trailer is any indication, we have even more to get excited about once June rolls around: from Kristen Wiig as a supervillainess (!!!), to Pedro Pascal as a campy media mogul, to Steve Trevor’s resurrection complete with tracksuit and fanny pack. And of course, we’ll get to see more of Diana herself, kicking ass to another cool score full of synth and strings, fighting for truth in a divided era, and continuing her run as the trailblazing hero that we both need and deserve right now. It’s a true embarrassment of riches, to be honest. And I can’t wait to see how it all comes together. (Christina Smith)
Candyman (June 12)
Call it what you want – a spiritual sequel, a reboot, a remake – but the Candyman that we’ll be seeing this year is destined to do what so few others have: potentially be better than the original. While 1992’s film is a classic, it lacks a kind of lived-in experience that the story needs from the creators telling it. And a film about a housing project in the middle of urban Chicago being terrorized by the vengeful spirit of a lynched black man is bound to feel more informed when told by people of color than by two white Englishmen. Jordan Peele and Nia DaCosta are set to bring an immediacy to the racial dynamics ingrained in Clive Barker’s original short story, and with OG Candyman Tony Todd passing the bloodied hook hand to our favorite blue man Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, this new film in the franchise is guaranteed to be worth your time. (Jacob Trussell)
Soul (June 19)
After a decade stacked with sequels and franchise entries, it’s refreshing to know that we’ll be getting more original features from Pixar in 2020. One of those entries is Soul, which follows a middle school band teacher and aspiring jazz musician on a journey through a fantastical plane beneath New York City. While not too many details have been released about the film beyond that, the involvement of Pete Docter (who has previously helmed the likes of Inside Out, Monsters Inc., and Up) leads us to believe that Soul will center emotional questions that have been at the heart of some of the studio’s best work: namely, where do our unique passions, interests, and feelings come from? What does it mean to be ourselves? Based on an idea that Docter has apparently been developing for 23 years, and with a voice cast that includes Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, and Questlove from The Roots, Soul has the makings of a fresh and hard-hitting adventure that’ll keep us crying all throughout the summer. Hopefully, we’ll get a killer soundtrack of jazz music along with it, too. (Christina Smith)
Top Gun: Maverick (June 26)
It seems that when God was handing out fear, especially of heights and doing stupid things several thousand feet in the air, Tom Cruise was not around, as he’s traded jumping off things for flying jets so he can return as his iconic character of Maverick, thirty-four years after he originally buzzed the tower. Now he’s an instructor at Top Gun and looks to be up to all kinds of shenanigans, including teaching Goose’s son (Miles Teller, with pitch-perfect Anthony Edwards mustache), pulling off more tricks than Criss Angel, and, well, volleyball. Like with the original film, the best bits are likely to be the plane sequences, with the Navy having traded Tomcats for Super-Hornets, and going back to crazy old Tom Cruise, the scenes have him and his fellow hotshots being flown in actual planes with a multitude of cameras in the cockpit, presumably to capture them throwing up from all the G-Forces. (Charlie Brigden)
Bob’s Burgers: The Movie (July 17)
Look, Bob’s Burgers (2011-) is one of the greatest sitcoms ever. Is it animated? Yes, but its family-focused comedy continues to delight week after week, year after year, with the adventures of the Belcher family and the small burger restaurant they struggle to operate on a regular basis. It’s endlessly hilarious with fantastic voice work and big laughs, but there’s an undeniable warmth to the family dynamic as well. What I’m saying is this little family deserves a shot at the big screen and seeing as the show frequently features original songs I expect the film to do the same with at least one or two epic musical numbers. Will that be the case? No clue, but I expect to love the outcome regardless. (Rob Hunter)
Tenet (July 17)
I’m glad Chris Nolan made his war movie. It was a good one. But with Tenet, Nolan’s right back where I like him best—big-budget original sci-fi. Because let’s be honest here, there are very few players on that field, and those few are often rather underwhelming in the ideas department (here’s looking at you, Gemini Man). That’s not to say that there aren’t other filmmakers out there with equally big ideas—there definitely are—but none with Nolan’s means. He’s got money and he’s not afraid to use it on things that aren’t a sequel or adapted from a comic book, which is why, although my ardor has mellowed since my high school fangirl worship days, I still see the release of a Nolan film as a particularly delightful treat. And while Nolan’s notorious demand for secrecy means details on his latest film have been few and far between, everything we do know looks pretty damn sweet—John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, and Elizabeth Debicki? Is it my birthday? **Checks release date** huh, same week, would you look at that. (Ciara Wardlow)
Related Topics: 2020 Preview
