Story by Larry Rincon
As 2023 came to end, theatrical releases felt less and less interesting. With three major holidays occurring at the end of the year, certain film genres tend to take over, and the market feel saturated with the same story in different fonts.
Now 2024 has kicked the year off with some not so good films like “Night Swim”. Thankfully, the lineup for the rest of the year has at least one movie every month that I will certainly be watching. In this list, I have picked my top five movies that are set to release later this year.
5. “Joker: Folie à Deux”
Starting with number five, “Joker: Folie à Deux” has been long overdue. The first film provided a refreshing take on the classic DC villain, and with Lady Gaga joining the cast as Harley Quinn I can’t wait to see what madness the two get up to. Warner Bros. is in need of a good comic book movie, and as long as this one is as good as the first, “Joker: Folie à Deux” will not disappoint.
4. “Sonic The Hedgehog 3”
A movie series I forgot all about until recently is “Sonic the Hedgehog.” After the ending of the second movie revealing the existence of Shadow, I have been waiting to see what follows Sonic and his friends. The second movie added Tails and Knuckles to Sonic’s team, so I hope to see more of Sonic’s friends added to the live action series.
Both Ben Schwartz and Idris Elba are set to reprise their respective roles as Sonic and Knuckles. The film is set to release on Dec. 30, so the festive season will be one to look forward to.
3. “Lisa Frankenstein”
As a fan of anything with Kathryn Newton, I was excited when I first saw the trailer for “Lisa Frankenstein.” Twisting the original novel by Mary Shelly to fit a campy teenage take is something I didn’t know I needed.
Newton plays the misunderstood goth highschooler Lisa who reanimates Cole Sprouse’s dead victorian character who serves as the love interest for the film. The film also serves as the directorial debut for Zelda Williams, daughter of Robin Williams.
This film is a horror comedy that I don’t plan on missing out on, set to release Feb. 9, just in time for the holiday of love.
2. “Deadpool 3”
After months of comic book fans complaining, and many setbacks for Marvel Studios, Marvel’s one and only movie to release this year is one I hope they don’t mess up. “Deadpool 3” has been long awaited since the announcement that Hugh Jackman would be reprising his role as Wolverine.
With the Marvel Cinematic Universe expanding into the world of the X-Men, it will be interesting to see how Ryan Reynolds’ character fits into the story. Considering that Deadpool is not a PG-13 character, Marvel will have to get creative in how they plan on using him for the overall story of the MCU.
While a trailer has yet to drop, the film is set to release on July 29. Many characters from the previous movie are set to reprise their roles, and Emma Corin has been cast as the lead villain.
1. “Kung Fu Panda 4”
Sitting at the number one of long awaited releases, is the fourth installment of the “Kung Fu Panda” universe. Teased all the way back in 2010 with talks about a total of six installments, the movie was later confirmed in August of 2022.
The trailer for the film recently released this past month and fans are excited for the brand new villain The Chameleon. “Kung Fu Panda” has a track record for bringing the most interesting and amazing villains in animation, and after seeing The Chameleon, it’s safe to say that Viola Davis will be delivering one of the most powerful villains Po has ever faced.
For those worried about the lack of the Furious Five in the trailer, producer Rebecca Huntley and director Mike Mitchell have confirmed they will be making an appearance. The film is set to release on March 8.
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