What better way to welcome the New Year than by looking ahead to the next 12 months of movies? 2020 looks set to be an explosive year at the box office, with a real changing of the guard as the biggest franchises of the last decade change shape.
So, these are the films to look forward to this year: my top 10 most anticipated movies of 2020.
Honourable Mentions
Emma (Feb 14), Onward (Mar 6), A Quiet Place Part II (Mar 20), Black Widow (May 1), Fast & Furious 9 (May 22), The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run (May 22), Top Gun: Maverick (Jul 17), Bill & Ted Face The Music (Aug 21), The King’s Man (Sep 18), Death On The Nile (Oct 9), Eternals (Nov 6)
10. Promising Young Woman
US/UK Release: 17 April
An impassioned thriller for the #MeToo era, director Emerald Fennell’s icy thriller Promising Young Woman has all the ingredients of a brilliantly twisted time at the movies.
The story of a woman who seeks revenge on men that take advantage of her, it’s certain to be an ingenious blend of timely, thought-provoking drama and unsettling and ambiguous anti-heroism. Its trailer is gorgeously sleek, and Carey Mulligan’s performance looks absolutely intoxicating.
Watch the trailer here.
9. Downhill
US Release: 14 February/UK Release: 28 February
The Hollywood remake of Sweden’s Force Majeure, one of the best films of the 2010s, Downhill is a fascinating prospect, given the brilliance of the original, and Hollywood’s track record for remakes of beloved international gems.
It stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell as a married couple whose relationship begins to sour after escaping an avalanche, and if the original is anything to go by, it’s an ingenious dark comedy with enthralling tension throughout.
However, Hollywood has a history of oversimplifying these things with remakes, so it will be fascinating to see whether the Americans can recapture that peerless dark Scandinavian humour.
Watch the trailer here.
8. Godzilla vs. Kong
US/UK Release: 20 November
Legendary have been building up to this battle for the ages since 2014’s Godzilla, although their MonsterVerse hasn’t been a roaring success in the meantime.
Still, who wouldn’t want to see two of the world’s biggest monsters go head to head on the big screen?
Questions remain over how the hell large ape Kong can take on the fire-breathing, skyscraper-tall Godzilla, but with the series’ previous two instalments, Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla: King Of The Monsters thrilling with stunning visuals, Godzilla vs. Kong is absolutely set to be another overwhelming blockbuster.
No trailer yet…
7. Birds Of Prey
US/UK Release: 7 February
This could go one of two ways. Just like the much-hyped Suicide Squad back in 2016, Birds Of Prey: And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn is setting itself up as the most offbeat, craziest comic book movie of the year.
However, following the disheartening reality check that was the dull mess of Suicide Squad, I’m going into Birds Of Prey with very cautious optimism. It looks gorgeous, features an amazing all-star cast fronted by Margot Robbie, and will surely have learnt the lessons of Suicide Squad.
Still, that full-length title is already irritatingly quirky, and if the film is as full-on and offbeat as it seems to promise, it might all prove just a little too much.
Watch the trailer here.
6. Soul
US/UK Release: 19 June
Emotionally rich, philosophically inspiring and of course visually gorgeous, Soul – the story of a musician whose soul is transported out of his body – looks like vintage Pixar.
The studio are already strutting their stuff with a genius play on words in the title, which suggests that the brightest minds have been carefully crafting the film from day one, and if that’s anything to go by, then Soul is certain to be the best animated movie of the year.
Pixar have two new releases this year, with fantasy adventure Onward out in March. But looking at which is likely to be remembered as a glorious exercise in what the studio does best, Soul has to be the one to look out for.
Watch the trailer here.
5. No Time To Die
US Release: 10 April/UK Release: 2 April
Troubles in production, a seemingly unenthused Daniel Craig, an atrocious trailer and underwhelming marketing so far, something seems a little off about No Time To Die.
But as the twenty-fourth edition in cinema’s longest-running franchise, there’s no doubting that the latest James Bon movie will be massive.
With Cary Joji Fukunaga on board as director, lead roles for rising stars Ana De Armas and Rami Malek, and a blend of modern and classic Bond lore, fans of the franchise will be frothing at the mouth for the newest instalment. I’m looking ahead to it with trepidation, but gradually getting more and more excited.
Watch the trailer here.
4. Mulan
US/UK Release: 27 March
I’ve been looking forward to Mulan for so long that it actually appeared on my most anticipated list back in 2018. Delays mean that I’ve had to wait a little longer, but the remake of my favourite Disney movie of all is now just a few months away now.
Disney have had a rocky last twelve months with their live-action remakes, and despite spectacular box office figures, reception has been souring with every new release, with The Lion King heavily criticised as pointless, despite its stunning visuals.
Mulan, however, looks as far from the original as you can imagine. With Chinese audiences in mind, there’s more focus on the true lore and action over charismatic talking dragons and musical numbers. The trailer is spectacular, though, and with a fresh perspective on an animated classic, this new film will be far from pointless.
Watch the trailer here.
3. Dune
US/UK Release: 18 December
Dune could be something else. Star director Denis Villeneuve capped a stunning decade with his acclaimed sci-fi sequel Blade Runner 2049, and he looks set to pour everything into his newest futuristic epic.
A dystopian tale set in the far future, the film is based on the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert, and is the second big-screen adaptation of the story after David Lynch’s 1984 version. Reception to that film was lukewarm, so Villeneuve has an immense weight on his shoulders to turn Dune into one of the greatest sci-fi films in history.
With a story that blends dark drama and transcendent, introspective ideas, Villeneuve is the perfect director to take on a daunting project, and with an all-star cast and new technology at his disposal, I’m not overstating things by saying that this could be an all-time classic.
No trailer yet…
2. Wonder Woman 1984
US/UK Release: 5 June
Going into the new decade, DC are starting to gain the momentum from their box office rivals Marvel, and Wonder Woman 1984 is leading the charge to redemption.
An action-packed follow-up to Wonder Woman, the best film in DC’s Extended Universe so far, the film already looks like a classic superhero blockbuster, complete with brilliant action, gorgeous visuals, and a massive, hugely entertaining plot of good vs. evil.
Its ’80s setting, too, brings it greater character than any film before it in the franchise, and with Patty Jenkins back on board after her excellent direction of the previous film, Wonder Woman 1984 is sure to be a spectacular watch.
Watch the trailer here.
1. Tenet
US/UK Release: 17 July
Just hearing the words ‘the new film from Christopher Nolan’ is enough to make me giddy with excitement, and having now seen the mind-bending trailer, I cannot wait for Tenet.
Returning to the realm of action and sci-fi for the first time since Interstellar, Nolan’s newest thriller has all the ingredients of a gloriously complex and breathless blockbuster. With yet more incredible use of visual effects and ideas that build on what the director brought us in both Memento and Inception, the film is almost certain to be a masterpiece.
And the best thing? No matter how excited you are, or how many times you watch that stunning trailer, Tenet is still a fascinating mystery. The blurb says it’s about the afterlife, time travel, espionage and evolution, but what does that actually mean? I guess we’ll have to wait until July to find out.
Watch the trailer here.
