At long last my hangover from Net Year’s Eve has passed and its time to hop on the trend of breaking down some the movies I’m most looking forward to seeing over the next year or so. Now obviously there’s a lot to happen that can change between now and the next few months. Release dates get announced/moved around, films emerge from festivals, and there’s bound to be plenty of films on nobody’s radar at this moment that end up becoming some of the year’s best. This isn’t a way-too-early Oscar guide by any means, just a list of some titles that are coming out this year that I have my eye on.

Sequels/Reboots Of Major Franchises

Magic Mike’s Last Dance (February 10) – This is one that I’ll probably wait until it comes out on streaming to see but lest we forget how amazing the original Magic Mike was. The sequel definitely was missing McConaughey’s presence and a third installment doesn’t feel entirely necessary or in demand but there’s gonna be a flock of ladies going to see this for Galentine’s Day. Steven Soderbergh is back behind the camera and Channing Tatum returns alongside Selma Hayek for one last dance.

Creed III (March 3) – Perhaps its because its been almost five years since the latest installment of the Rocky spinoff but the Creed movies feel incredibly slept on to me. The original had us giving serious thought to Sylvester Stallone as a Best Supporting Actor contender and the second delivered another solid turnout to prove the first one wasn’t just a fluke. Michael B. Jordan is back but also steps behind the director’s chair for the first time. Tessa Thompson also returns but what I’m most excited about is Jonathan Majors role as the antagonist in this one. Majors is one of the best young actors working today and if there’s anything that the previous Creed films have lacked its a compelling opponent so seeing him in this role feels like just what the franchise needs to inject some life into it.

John Wick: Chapter 4 (March 24) – Hand up, I’ve never seen a John Wick movie. It’s one of the flaws on my film nerd palate and I accept this. Hopefully the first three will become more available on streaming leading up to its release so I can brace myself.

The Little Mermaid (May 26) – This will likely be one of the most publicized movies of the year. The stage-name-needing Halle Bailey’s casting as Ariel has upset some but has already become iconic to others. Aside from that storyline, the film actually has a ton of talent associated with it. Melissa McCarthy is playing Ursula, Javier Bardem plays King Trident, Daveed Diggs is Sebastian, and Awkwafina is playing Scuttle, and Jacob Tremblay is Flounder with Rob Marshall (Chicago) directing. I may go see this just for the Hamilton-esque rendition of “Under the Sea.”

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (June 2) – A sequel to one of the most original and visually striking pieces of animation in recent memory. The bulk of the cast and creative team is back for this one and riding the heels of its predecessor expectations are through the roof for this one. This is one of those rare animated films that will draw both younger and adult audiences and if the trailer was any indication we’re potentially in for another instant classic.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (June 30) – I don’t want to see this. In fact, I don’t think anyone was clamoring for another Indiana Jones movie with Harrison Ford after the debacle that was The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Yet here we are. I’m fully anticipating having to see this trailer at least a dozen more times between now and then but this film feels very much like it will be a major boom or a major bust. The film has a solid supporting cast highlighted by Phoebe Waller Bridge, Antonio Banderas, and Mads Mikkelsen but I just can’t escape the feeling that this one is going to be force fed to all of us and I don’t think we’ll like the taste.

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, Part One (July 14) – Tom Cruise had a very good 2022. The success of Top Gun: Maverick seemed to remind all of us how great his movies can be when he’s at the top of his game and the trailer for this one looks like it will be no different. Personally I’m not 100% caught up on all the MI films but it may be worth diving into in preparation for this one. Hopefully this won’t be one of those films where the entire point of the film is the build up to one iconic stunt but time will tell.

The Exorcist (October 13) – After wrapping up his Halloween reboot trilogy, director David Gordon Green is tackling another horror classic for his next project. Supposedly a direct sequel to the original, Ellen Burstyn returns alongside Leslie Odom Jr. and Ann Dowd for what will surely be one of most anticipated horror films of the year.

Dune: Part Two (November 3) – Hands down the most anticipated film of the year for me. Denis Villeneuve, the greatest director of the last decade in my opinion, surpassed everyone’s expectations with his Timothée Chalamet led Dune reboot in 2021. Between the epic-scale world building, elaborate storytelling, and standout cast the film drew many comparisons to influential franchises such as Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. It was a hit with both audiences and critics alike and was one of the films that got crowds back to the theaters after the uncertainty of 2020. The second installment of Villeneuve’s franchise (there’s potentially a third one on the way as well) returns much of the cast from the first including Chalamet, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Rebecca Ferguson, Dave Bautista, and Stellan Skarsgård in addition to a stacked list of newcomers like Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Lea Seydoux, Tim Blake Nelson, and Christopher Walken. Again, this isn’t an Oscar preview but after Villeneuve was famously snubbed for Best Director for the original I expect riots in the streets of Film Twitter if he doesn’t bag a nomination, and potentially an overdue win, for this one.

Wonka (December 15) – Timothée Chalamet will be everywhere come the fourth quarter. Coming off Dune: Part Two he will be taking on one of the most iconic characters in film and literary history in Willy Wonka. We don’t know a ton about this origin story but the cast includes Olivia Colman, Keegan Michael Key, Sally Hawkins, and even Rowan Atkinson. Gene Wilder’s original performance as Wonka is one of the all-time greats so this film will inevitably receive its share of disdain and comparisons to the original but Chalamet has proven over and over that he’s an incredible actor whose thrived in a number of genres. If he can crush this, there could be a second Oscar nomination for him in his future.

Legally Blonde 3 (TBD) – Reese Witherspoon’s Elle Woods is returning alongside Jennifer Coolidge. Mindy Kaling is on the writing team for this one and while we aren’t quite sure of much more beyond that if this movie does in fact come out this year it should have a lot of eyes on it. I’m guessing that if we do in fact see it it will likely be a holiday release looking to build on some momentum from Barbie from over the summer.

New Releases From Top Tier Directors

Beau Is Afraid (April) – Ari Astor has cemented himself as one of the modern masters of horror with Hereditary and Midsommar though his latest film, Beau Is Afraid, will supposedly be uncharted waters for Astor. Supposedly, this film starring Joaquin Phoenix will take a more comedic tone and will focus on a decades-spanning portrait of an entrepreneur. My first reaction to this was that it sounds sort of like There Will Be Blood which I’m all for. I’ve also read that it could be some type of a four-hour horror comedy which could mean anything. Regardless, Astor has established himself enough to be trusted to go out and make the film he wants to make and working with Phoenix will make that one of the most anticipated performances of the year. The film also stars Amy Ryan, Nathan Lane, Richard Kind, and Parker Posey. We have a poster for this one but no trailer yet so we’ll see how legit that April release date is.

Asteroid City (June 23) – Wes Anderson’s latest sounds very Wes Anderson-y. Per IMDb, the plot is described as “The itinerary of a Junior Stargazer convention is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events.” To me that sounds a whole lot like Moonrise Kingdom but that’s certainly not a bad thing. As always, Anderson has an all-star cast consisting of Margot Robbie, Tom Hanks, Hong Chau, Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, Maya Hawke, Scarlett Johansson, Rupert Friend and regulars Willem Dafoe, Adrien Brody, Edward Norton, and Tilda Swinton. To me, Anderson hasn’t really hit since The Grand Butapest Hotel and while I didn’t necessarily love The French Dispatch he’s clearly still unafraid to try new things and be completely himself. I could see this one making an appearance at Cannes so we could get some early buzz for this one but on paper this sounds a lot like too much talent not getting enough chances to shine. Hopefully I’m wrong.

Barbie (July 21) – This release date will certainly be one of the most packed days at the theater all year. Those who aren’t there for Oppenheimer will likely be flocking to see Greta Gerwig’s big-screen adaptation of one of the world’s most iconic toys. Margot Robbie plays the titular role with a bleach blonde Ryan Gosling as Ken with Will Ferrell, Simu Liu, Emma Mackey, Kingsley Ben-Adir, and Helen Mirren rounding out what those associated with the movie are calling one the best scripts they’ve ever read. We’ve seen a teaser for this one already and I am very much in on this movie.

Oppenheimer (July 21) – Christopher Nolan is taking a crack at the biopic genre with his tale of J. Robert Oppenheimer, one of the architects of The Manhattan Project. This is probably the most insane cast of the year, featuring Cillian Murphy as the title character alongside Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, Gary Oldman, Kenneth Branagh, Rami Malek, Jack Quaid, Casey Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Josh Peck, Alex Wolff, David Krumholtz, and James Remar just to name a few. We’ve already seen a trailer for this and Nolan has already confirmed that a simulated nuclear explosion practically shot for the film so just because Nolan seems to be scaling back from his previous work doesn’t mean that he’s still not gonna do the damn thing with this one. This film debuts the same day as Barbie and I may just have to make a double feature out that day.

Next Goal Wins (September 22) – This project has been floating around for a while but it finally looks like we’ll get to see Taika Waititi’s soccer comedy about the American Samoan football team that famously lost a match 31-0 in 2001. The film stars Michael Fassbender, presumably as their coach, and also includes Elisabeth Moss, Rhys Darby, Will Arnett, and Frankie Adams. Waititi is one of the funniest guys in Hollywood today so seeing him step away from the MCU and Star Wars will give us something as pleasantly silly as Jojo Rabbit.

Air Jordan (TBD) – Director Ben Affleck reteams with writing partner and co-star Matt Damon for this sports business drama following Nike’s historic pursuit to to sign Michael Jordan. Between The Way Back and The Last Duel Affleck has been on his A-game from an acting perspective lately and seeing him and Damon together is always a barrel of fun, especially with a story like this that these two could really sink their teeth into. Jason Bateman, Viola Davis, Chris Messina, Julius Tennon, Chris Tucker, and Marlon Wayans fill out the cast though I couldn’t find anything on if/who would be playing MJ.

Ferrari (TBD) – Director Michael Mann returns for his first feature film since 2015’s Blackhat. This biopic of Enzo Ferrari stars Adam Driver in the titular role with Penelope Cruz, Jack O’Connell, Shailene Woodley, and Patrick Dempsey rounding out the cast. While I don’t think this will be an action racing movie like Ford v. Ferrari or Rush I can’t wait to see Mann and Driver working together on something like this.

Killers of the Flower Moon (TBD) – This is a project that’s been brewing for some time and at one point was set for a 2022 release but we’ve had to settle for a screenshot or two for months now. Martin Scorsese returns with a period crime drama with frequent collaborators Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. The film also stars Jesse Plemons (supposedly as the film’s lead,) John Lithgow, Brendan Fraser, Lily Gladstone, and Tantoo Cardinal. The film focuses on the mysterious murders of several Osage tribe members which sparks a federal investigation from J. Edgar Hoover in the 1920s. Obviously the names Scorsese, DiCaprio, and De Niro are enough to put this on any watchlist and I’ve got this near the top of my most anticipated list. This feels like an awards contender so don’t be surprised if we don’t see this one until the fall or winter. It will be released on Apple TV+ but I would imagine there would be a corresponding theatrical release.

Maestro (TBD) – Did you know Bradley Cooper has been nominated for nine Oscars and still hasn’t won one? That includes four for acting, four for producing, and one for writing, and still nothing. Cooper seems to be going all-in this time with a biopic of famous composer Leonard Bernstein as the film’s writer, director, star, and producer. Set photos reveal that he’s going full prosthetics for this one to the point where he’s unrecognizable. Cooper is no doubt one of the most renowned people in show business today so I expect all the Oscar buzz to float his way for this one similar to how it did for A Star Is Born. Carey Mulligan also stars alongside Matt Bomer, Sarah Silverman, Gideon Glick, and Maya Hawke.

Napoleon (TBD) – What will surely be one of the most anticipated releases of the year is Ridley Scott’s Napoleon. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Scott is a master of period pieces and a figure like Napoleon just makes sense. The film will supposedly focus on his origins and relationship with his wife, Josephine, and that sounds like a meaty role for Vanessa Kirby. This film will also be an Apple TV+ release so between this and Killers of the Flower Moon it looks like Apple is really going for it this year.

Rebel Moon (TBD) – We can get into the discussion as to whether or not Zach Snyder is a great director some other time but I believe he’s at his best when he’s not destroying my favorite childhood superheroes. This sci-fi film follows a young woman (Sofia Boutella) seeking warriors from other planets to help fend off invaders terrorizing her colony. The cast includes Charlie Hunnam, Cary Elwes, Michiel Huisman, Ed Skrein (that’s right, BOTH Daario Naharis’), Jena Malone, Djimon Hounsou, and Anthony Hopkins.

The Holdovers (TBD) – Alexander Payne’s last film (Downsizing) was a big ol’ piece of shit but the rest of his filmography is rock solid. This film reunites him with Paul Giamatti as a grouchy teacher stuck at a boarding school over Christmas break with troublemaking student (Dominic Sessa) and the school’s cook (Da’Vine Joy Randolph.) Unless this is more of a Christmas movie than I think it is, this could be a big player next year as Giamatti is overdue for an Oscar and the Academy loves most of Payne’s stuff.

The Killer (TBD) – David Fincher finally returns to the crime genre with a film about a killer who begins to develop a conscience. Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton star in this film coming to Netflix presumably this fall. In my opinion Fincher is at his best when focusing on crime: Se7en, Zodiac, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Gone Girl, Mindhunter to name a few. Seeing him go back to the well is a nice surprise after the unnecessary ball gargling that Mank received.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (TBD) – Another Wes Anderson release for 2023. While we know less about this one than Asteroid City, we know this is an adaptation on Roald Dahl’s book of the same name and stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the title character. The film also stars Ben Kingsley, Rupert Friend, Dev Patel, Richard Ayoade, and a reunion with Ralph Fiennes. Supposedly this is going to be a Netflix release and if Asteroid City is due for the summer this will probably be more of an awards season release.

Interesting Movies With Big Names Attached

We Have a Ghost (February 24) – Another early Netflix release, this film stars David Harbor, Anthony Mackie, Jennifer Coolidge, and Tig Notaro and is about a family who discovers a ghost living in their home. After posting about the ghost on social media, the house goes viral but attracts the attention of the CIA. I’m waiting for a trailer to come out for this one before I make any judgements but on paper this actually sounds fairly clever and features a handful of great comedic actors.

65 (March 17) – This film already has one of the best trailers of the year. Adam Driver plays an astronaut who crash lands on a mysterious planet with a young survivor (Chloe Coleman) only to realize that they’re not alone. If you’ve seen the trailer you may already know that the twist is that the mysterious planet is Earth and the creature that inhabit it are dinosaurs, hence the 65 implying this story takes place 65 million years ago. It feels like a movie that could be a surprise hit or a huge miss, though Driver rarely misses.

A Good Person (March 24) – I don’t love Zach Braff as a director, Garden State is one of the most overrated films of the the 21st century in my opinion. That being said, Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman star in this dramedy about grief and coping with tragedy. Pugh is a top five actress working today and based on the trailer it looks like a different kind of Freeman than what we’ve seen in recent years.

The Color Purple (December 23) – A story of an African-American woman’s struggles in the early 20th century. However, unlike the Steven Spielberg version from 1985, this adaptation is a take on the 2005 Broadway musical. The film has a loaded cast including Taraji P. Henson, Halle Bailey, David Alan Grier, H.E.R., Colman Domingo, Aunjanue Ellis, Elizabeth Marvel, Cory Hawkins, Danielle Brooks, Louis Gossett Jr., and Fantasia Barrino (yup, the one from American Idol) as Celie. The film is being helmed by director Blitz Bazawule (The Burial of Kojo.) You can bet this is going to be one of the most nominated films come awards season next year.

AND (TBD) – Potentially one of two films from Yorgos Lanthimos this year. We don’t know much but the film stars Hong Chau, Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Margaret Qualley, and Willem Dafoe. Sign me up.

Dumb Money (TBD) – Remember a few years ago when GameStop’s stock skyrocketed out of nowhere and nearly crashed the stock market? This film tells that story with an incredible ensemble cast. Seth Rogen, Paul Dano, Sebastian Stan, Pete Davidson, Shailene Woodley, Nick Offerman, Clancy Brown, Anthony Ramos, Myha’la Herold, Dane DeHaan, America Ferrera, and Vincent D’Nofrio star in this film from Pam & Tommy director Craig Gillespie. Seeing Gillespie reunite with Rogen, Stan, and Offerman could indicate that we’re looking at a more comedic telling of Wall Street than what we’re used to so I’ll circle this one as one to watch.

Havoc (TBD) – This Netflix release stars Tom Hardy as a detective on a mission to save a politician’s son amongst the city’s criminal underworld. The film comes from writer/director Gareth Evans coming off a recent BAFTA nomination for his show Gangs of London. The film also stars Timothy Olyphant, Luis Guzman, and Forrest Whitaker. While we’re still waiting on a release date and trailer, Tom Hardy should be enough to go see this one.

Lee (TBD) – Kate Winslet stars in this WWII drama about Elizabeth “Lee” Miller, a fashion model who became an acclaimed war correspondent for Vogue Magazine. The film co-stars Alexander Skarsgård, Andrea Riseborough, Marion Cotillard, Josh O’Connor, and Andy Samberg. The film comes from director Ellen Kuras who is making her feature directional debut. She previously received an Oscar nomination in 2009 for her documentary The Betrayal.

MaXXXine (TBD) – The third installment of the X franchise could very well come within 18 months of the original. Ti West’s surprise hit for A24 produced two of 2022’s best horror films and the final addition to the trilogy will supposed take on the 80’s. Mia Goth is back as Maxine, her character from the original, but beyond that there is very little known about this one. Hopefully it’ll be here in time for Halloween.

Nyad (TBD) – 64-year-old marathon swimmer Diana Nyad attempts to become the first woman to swim from Cuba to Florida. Annette Bening stars as the titular character and she has long been regarded as an actress overdue for an Oscar win so this role sounds plenty meaty. Rhys Ifans and Jodie Foster co-star in this sports drama.

Pain Hustlers (TBD) – From director David Yates (the Harry Potter franchise) comes a crime drama focusing on the pharmaceutical world starring Emily Blunt, Chris Evans, Catherine O’Hara, Brian D’arcy James, and Andy Garcia. Blunt is long overdue for her first Oscar nomination and this may be a project worth keeping an eye on.

Poor Things (TBD) – A sci-fi Victorian romance featuring Emma Stone, Margaret Qualley, Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo, Jerrod Carmichael, and Remy Youssef. This is another potential release from Yorgos Lanthimos and features a few similar cast members from AND so we’ll see what the deal is with these as the year goes on.

Rustin (TBD) – Emmy winner Colman Domingo (Euphoria) stars as Bayard Rustin, a gay Civil Rights activist who organized a march on Washington in 1963. The film comes from Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom director George C. Wolfe and features an ensemble cast starring Chris Rock, CCH Pounder, Jeffery Wright, Glynn Turman, Aml Ameen, and Bill Irwin. This Netflix release seems to have “Oscar-bait” written all over it for Domingo so be on the lookout for this one.

Saltburn (TBD) – Promising Young Woman writer/director Emerald Fennell reunites with Carey Mulligan for this thriller following an aristocratic family in England. On paper it doesn’t sound like much but Fennell won an Oscar for her last film, Mulligan should have, and the ensemble cast includes Rosamund Pike, Barry Keoghan, and Richard E. Grant.

Shirley (TBD) – From Academy Award winner John Ridley (12 Years a Slave) comes a biopic about Shirley Chisholm (Regina King), the first Black U.S. Congresswoman in history. The film also stars Lance Reddick, Terence Howard, Lucas Hedges, and W. Earl Brown. But let’s be honest, we just want to see King dominate this role.

Spaceman (TBD) – A biopic of Jakub Procházka, a Czechnian orphan who overcomes his odds to become the country’s first astronaut. Brace yourself for the narrative that “Adam Sandler can actually act!” to unnecessarily emerge again as he stars in this one alongside Carey Mulligan and Paul Dano. The film comes from director Johan Renck, who won a pair of Emmys for his work on the incredible HBO series Chernobyl.

The Bikeriders (TBD) – From Jeff Nichols (Mud) comes a film with a stacked cast including Michael Shannon, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Norman Reedus, Jodie Comer, and Boyd Holbrook. The film “follows the rise of a Midwestern motorcycle club through the lives of its members” and I can already envision each person in that cast playing their roles perfectly. Lots of potential for this one if we can get some more details on it.

The Iron Claw (TBD) – We’ve seen a handful of stills from this one and this wrestling family drama with Zac Efron, Lily James, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickenson, Laura Tierney, and Holt McCallany tells the story of the Von Erichs, a family of wrestlers who have been making an impact on wrestling since the 1960s. Personally I really like what Zac Efron is doing with his career right now and there’s clearly a lot of talent around him in this so hopefully this one makes an impact (pun intended.) Plus, this should be one of the higher profile films for A24 this year.

They Cloned Tyrone (TBD) – A Netflix sci-fi comedy starring Jamie Foxx, Teyonah Parris, John Boyega, Kiefer Sutherland, and David Alan Grier. Not much is known about the plot or the release but this still image has me hooked.

Marvel Movies

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (February 17) – The big kickoff to Phase Five of the MCU brings back Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, and Michelle Pfeiffer but brings in Jonathan Majors to play Kang the Conquerer and Kathryn Newton to play grown up Cassie Lang. I like, don’t love, the Ant-Man movies but they always seem to lay a lot of groundwork for future projects and I expect this to be no different. If anything, Majors getting a chance to shine like this is going to be unreal.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 5) – Near the top of my personal list of most anticipated films this year, the end of the James Gunn trilogy will be something I’ll be there opening night for. We know this will be the last of the OG Guardians as we know it as multiple cast members have said they’re probably going to hang it up on the MCU. Based on the trailer this looks like it could be the most emotional film of theirs yet but I have full confidence in James Gunn to wrap this story up proper.

The Marvels (July 28) – This will be an interesting one for sure. It’s been a while since we saw a Captain Marvel standalone film and the TV introductions of Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau and Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan has only added to the hype for this project. Based on the end-credits scene in Ms. Marvel we have an idea of how the story will begin but Secret Invasion may impact this story as well.

Kraven The Hunter (October 6) – Aaron Taylor Johnson returns to the superhero genre as one of Spider-Man’s biggest foes. It’s still a little unclear where this storyline is heading with all the MCU/Sony legal mumbo jumbo but ATJ is a tremendous actor and I fully believe he’ll crush this role. The film also stars Russell Crowe, Ariana DeBose, and Christopher Abbott.

Sundance Movies We’ll Know More About Soon

Infinity Pool (January 23) – From director Brandon Cronenerg, David’s son, comes this surrealist horror film about a vacation gone awry starring Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth. The film will also be playing at Sundance and could generate a larger release but based on the trailer this looks to be one of the freakier movies of the year.

Cassandro (TBD) – This film will be premiering at Sundance in a few weeks and it starts Gael Garcia Barnal as a gay amateur wrestler who rose to stardom. The film comes from director Roger Ross Williams (The Apollo) and also features Bad Bunny (Bullet Train), Raul Castillo (Cha Cha Real Smooth), and Joaquin Cosio (Narcos: Mexico.) Barnal is an incredible actor who always chooses interesting projects so I’m curious to hear the reaction to this one coming out of Sundance.

Fairyland (TBD) – This is one of the bigger titles at Sundance to watch this year. The film stars the incredible Scoot McNairy (Narcos: Mexico) and Emilia Jones (CODA) and recounts a young girl’s memories of growing up in San Francisco with a gay father in the 70’s and 80’s. McNairy is long overdue for some recognition and this feels like he’s finally getting a great shot at a leading role in a feature film and anyone who saw CODA knows that Jones is a young talent to watch. The cast also includes Geena Davis, Maria Bakalova, and Adam Lambert.

Magazine Dreams (TBD) – Jonathan Majors is going to have a big year. While Quantumania and Creed III will be two of his most high profile roles to date, keep an eye on this indie drama coming out of Sundance for his first real shot at some awards consideration. The film is about a Black bodybuilder trying to make it big while struggling with newfound celebrity. Majors is one of the best young actors working today and I think this will be a big role for him.

The Pod Generation (TBD) – Another Sundance film worth noting, this sci-fi romance stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Emilia Clark and is directed by Sophie Barthes. The film follows a couple’s wild ride through surrogacy as their child grows inside a pod developed by a major corporation. Sounds weird but very different for someone like Clark so I can’t wait to hear the reactions to this one.

The Starling Girl (TBD) – A solid cast pulled me into this one, including Eliza Scanlen (Little Women), Lewis Pullman (Bad Times at the El Royale), and Jimmi Simpson (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and this sounds like one of the more interesting movies at Sundance this year. Scanlen plays a young woman struggling to find her place in her Christian community until a youth pastor (Pullman) comes to town. Pullman is an emerging character actor and this certainly sounds like a meaty role for him.

Theater Camp (TBD) – A rundown theater camp needs saving as tragedy strikes just before the summer begins. This is supposedly a pure comedy and features Amy Sedaris (The Mandalorian), Ben Platt (Dear Evan Hanson), Jimmy Tatro (22 Jump Street), Ayo Edebiri (The Bear), Patti Harrison (The Lost City), Molly Gordon (Booksmart), and Noah Galvin (The Good Doctor.) So there’s a lot of good young talent in here and it feels like a film that the cast will be able to really have a lot of fun with.

I’ll try and refer back to this list throughout the year as more updates come in but obviously there are films missing here that will emerge, some of these are sure to suck ass, and some may not come out until next year. But until then I’ll be doing my best to get caught up for awards season.