Greetings Film Fanatics!
We've finally reached a new year and a new decade, and of course that means new movies! One of the most exciting things for me to do at the beginning of every year is to look at a list of movies on the horizon. Sometimes all it takes for me to feel the rush is to look at a poster for a film, as I spend a lot of time before my screenings walking the halls of the theater gazing at posters. Looking at the long list of films to come this year, I want to present my Most Anticipated Movies of 2020. Before I begin, I would like to point out you will see the phrase "cautiously optimistic" repeated a few times. While I am excited for every one listed here, some of them may not reach the potential high that I hope they can, and I'm holding my hope in fear of disappointment in certain cases. I'd also like to point out that these are not numbered, as they come in no particular order. Without further ado...
TOP GUN: MAVERICK
"Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it."
Tom Cruise is approaching 58 this year, and he's not slowing down in the slightest. He has proven time and time again that he is a bankable action star, and this year he returns to one of his most famous roles in the sequel to TOP GUN (1986). The original film was released at the height of American Patriotism, directed by the great Tony Scott with a grand supporting cast that included Val Kilmer, Tom Skeritt, Michael Ironside and Tim Robbins. TOP GUN: MAVERICK is directed by Joseph Kosinski (TRON: LEGACY, OBLIVION) and features Miles Teller as the son of "Goose", Maverick's late RI Officer. Cruise has been trying to get a Top Gun sequel off the ground (ha) for awhile now, as Tony Scott was planning to return until his unfortunate death in 2012. Jerry Bruckheimer returns to produce.
TOP GUN: MAVERICK releases June 26th, 2020.
TENET
"A secret agent is tasked with World War III through time travel."
I'm not the world's biggest Christopher Nolan fan. I love two out of three films in his Batman trilogy, I enjoyed Inception and bits of Interstellar (not as a whole), but I have not seen his earlier films nor did I really have much interest in Dunkirk. He always provides a stellar cast, gorgeous cinematography and brilliant collaborations with Hans Zimmer. In the same way that I go into M. Night Shyamalan's films expecting the twist because that's what we've become accustomed to, I expect the rug to be pulled from under me in Nolan's films. While I enjoy movies that do that, I enjoy them more when I'm not expecting the rug to be pulled. However, TENET has caught my attention. There are plenty of movies out there on the idea of 'stopping WWIII' and Nolan is attempting that here, but with a time travel twist and a cast that includes John David Washington, Michael Caine, Kenneth Branagh and the new Batman, Robert Pattinson. It's odd, but after seeing the trailer on the big screen for the first time before my screening of The Rise of Skywalker, I'm all in on Nolan's 11th feature.
TENET releases July 17th, 2020.
THE ETERNALS
"In a story spanning over 7000 years, the Eternals, an immortal alien race created by the Celestials, protect humanity from their evil counterparts the Deviants."
Back in 2014, a little group called Guardians of the Galaxy, whom 98% of the human population had no inkling of, became a box office success surpassing all expectations for a little known property. Marvel Studios is known to gamble on themselves a lot. The Guardians were a prime example of that, along with the casting of Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark, as well as the idea that audiences would be up to the idea of a cinematic universe now spanning 23 feature films and several television series. Marvel is making another gamble this November when they release THE ETERNALS, directed by Chloe Zhao. Seeing Guardians of the Galaxy back in 2014 felt like seeing Star Wars for the very first time. It transported you to a whole new world we were just beginning to learn about. The Eternals will be attempting that same feat. As a comic book fan, even I am unaware about much of the Eternals' characters and history, so this is a very exciting prospect to me. After wrapping their 22-story arc in Avengers: Endgame, Disney and Marvel are bringing out the new roster, and it will be fascinating to see how they move forward along with the new Disney+ shows. THE ETERNALS will star Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tyree Henry and many others.
THE ETERNALS opens November 6th, 2020.
HALLOWEEN KILLS
"The saga of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode continues in the next thrilling chapter of the Halloween series."
Being a fan of the HALLOWEEN franchise is both a blessing and a curse. John Carpenter and Debra Hill's 1978 original is my favorite horror film of all-time, and just like with each horror franchise, the sequels vary on quality. The third film has nothing to do with any other sequel, Halloween H20 ignores every sequel but II, Rob Zombie remade the first in 2007, and in 2018 Universal and Blumhouse released the "direct sequel" to the 1978 classic, picking up forty years after Michael Myers stalked babysitters on Halloween night. Halloween 2018 rid itself of the idea that Michael and Laurie were siblings, bringing Michael back to being simply "The Shape", though arguably it did not provide many new ideas and played for fan service, which is why I remain cautiously optimistic for this. HALLOWEEN KILLS is the sequel to that film. Jamie Lee Curtis returns as Laurie Strode, along with Judy Greer as Laurie's daughter Karen, and Andi Matichak as Laurie's granddaughter Allyson. This time around, they'll be joined by Anthony Michael Hall and Kyle Richards as the adult versions of Tommy Doyle and Lindsey Wallace, the children Laurie and her friends babysat in the 1978 original. As far as I'm aware, the legend John Carpenter is returning to score this film, and rumor says he's being asked to direct the next (and final) HALLOWEEN ENDS, in 2021. What will be the hook at the end of this film that will bring us back?
HALLOWEEN KILLS releases October 16th, 2020.
BILL AND TED FACE THE MUSIC
"Now enduring the monotony of middle-aged life, William 'Bill' S. Preston, Esq. and Theodore 'Ted' Logan are warned by a visitor from the future of the need for them to create a song that will save all life on Earth and the entire universe. The pair work with their families, old friends, famous musicians and each other to complete the task."
I wasn't alive when the first two Bill & Ted films were released, but I was introduced to "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" by my father who told me it was a great way to learn about history, and he wasn't exactly lying about that. Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves are finally returning to play these characters for the first time since 1991, as Reeves himself has said he has spent a lot of time trying to get away from that image on his career. He of course has gone on to major success in the Matrix and John Wick franchises, while Alex Winter found a second career in directing. "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey" is okay for the most part, but it has that killer KISS track at the end of the film that brings a smile to my face and a slight tear to my eye (it was the last KISS track drummer Eric Carr was involved with before his death) I couldn't be happier that these two are coming back to finish out this trilogy, as these characters are extremely fun to spend time with. I am cautiously optimistic however, as there are other comedy franchises that returned after a long absence in attempt to recapture a certain magic, and it just wasn't there ("Dumb and Dumber To" comes to mind). The only true sad part about all this is that the great George Carlin won't be there as Rufus, but it has been reported the film will pay tribute to him, as his daughter Kelly Carlin is involved in some capacity. EXCELLENT!
BILL AND TED FACE THE MUSIC releases August 21st, 2020.
GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE
"When a single mother and her two children move to a new town, they soon discover that they have a connection to the original Ghostbusters and their grandfather's secret legacy."
GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) was the first time that movies showed me they could be scary in one moment and incredibly hilarious in the next. Surprisingly it's a film that was largely an accident and almost didn't happen. It's a movie made at the right time with the right people, with a fascinating original premise and at its core a movie about friends starting a business together. It spawned a long line or merchandise, cartoons and one sequel. Yes I said one sequel. GHOSTBUSTERS II (1989) attempts to recapture the magic, and it includes several fun little moments but as a whole I don't think it lines up anywhere near the original. I remember hearing a third film being in development ever since I was a child in the '90s, with Bill Murray being the one person holding things back. Unfortunately in 2014, comedy legend and Egon Spengler himself, Harold Ramis, passed away. Now Jason Reitman (JUNO, UP IN THE AIR, son of original GB director Ivan) is tasked with the third film in the franchise, picking up thirty years after the second film. After the trailer was released it appears the children in the film (Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace) are Spengler's grandchildren, uncovering their late grandfathers ghost busting equipment on their farm in Oklahoma. Paul Rudd joins the fun as their science teacher, Mr. Grooberson. I am enormously excited for an actual third film in the franchise, but remain cautiously optimistic as this feels very much like an '80s inspired Netflix series, and I hope it isn't. But hey, Stranger Things have happened....
GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE releases July 10th, 2020.
