2018's been a huge year for blockbusters, with three monster earners grossing more than
a billion bucks at the worldwide box office.
2019 is shaping up to be just as massive, with more gigantic movies on the way.
There's more Star Wars, more Avengers, and even more evil demon clowns.
But that's just scratching the surface.
Here are the most hotly anticipated movies of 2019.
Hellboy
David Harbour unveils his new take on Hellboy on January 11th, with the Stranger Things
star joining director Neil Marshall for a grittier take on the horned half-demon.
Fans should expect a "darker tone" than Guillermo del Toro's take on Hellboy, with more of a
focus on the character's inner struggles rather than fighting giant gear monsters with a big
gun.
While Harbour's take on Hellboy looks spot on, the rest of the cast doesn't disappoint
either, including Milla Jovovich as the villainous Blood Queen and Ian McShane as Hellboy's adopted
father, a role he has some experience with.
"All great men have mustaches right?"
"Yeah but real men actually grow them, huh?"
"You know I have a hormone disorder!"
"Ohhhh!"
Captain Marvel
Marvel's first female-led superhero saga will be long overdue when it hits theaters on March
8th, but the movie is shaping up to be worth the wait.
Captain Marvel has Academy Award winner Brie Larson as Carol Danvers, and Marvel promises
she'll be "as powerful a character as [they've] ever put in a movie."
That means she's strong.
How strong is she?
"She's so, so strong.
She can move planets."
There's also some impressive talent behind the scenes, with writers behind the Tomb Raider
reboot, Guardians of the Galaxy, and even Inside Out all lending a hand to bring Captain
Marvel to life.
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Tom Holland's Spider-Man is set to continue his adventures in a second standalone film
out July 5th.
Spider-Man: Homecoming was super-successful with both critics and fans, and the follow-up
isn't messing with Marvel's winning formula.
Director Jon Watts is back to helm the web-slinger's next adventure, and you can expect most of
Homecoming's excellent cast to make a return.
We don't know much about the plot of Far From Home, but we do know Spider-Man will face
off against Mysterio, the villain played by Jake Gyllenhaal.
Well, that's assuming that Spider-Man is actually, y'know, back from the dead.
Speaking of which...
Avengers 4
The fourth Avengers film will mark the end of Marvel's Phase 3 when it's released on
May 3rd, which means you should get your tissues ready.
With many of the contracts for Marvel's biggest names expiring, Avengers 4 will probably feature
at least a few major character deaths — the permanent kind, this time.
If the studio continues its no-holds-barred approach established in Infinity War, Avengers
4 is sure to be both completely epic and ridiculously devastating, ending several storylines set
up in past films while also getting things ready for whatever's coming next.
John Wick 3: Parabellum
Keanu Reeves' puppy-loving hitman is coming back to theaters on May 17th for John Wick
3: Parabellum.
Following the bloodbath of the last movie, Wick is on the run with a $14 million dollar
global contract on his head.
Lots of familiar faces are set to return, along with new additions like Halle Berry
as the mysterious Sofia.
The third installment in the action-packed, insane-assassin franchise features the same
writer-director team, so if you love all things Wick, expect more of the same to come back
the third time around.
"I'm thinkin' I'm back!"
It: Chapter Two
Pennywise the Dancing Clown will make his terrifying return to the big screen on September
6th.
The first film followed a group of dangerously unsupervised kids known as the Losers' Club
as they dealt with an ancient evil being.
The sequel will focus on those same kids, 27 years later.
Now adults, they return to Derry to deal with the return of the child-chomping clown.
After the first film's massive success, it was easy to land big name stars to play the
adult Losers, including Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, and Bill Hader.
Here's hoping they all make it out alive.
Wonder Woman 1984
Wonder Woman is the DCEU's best-performing film-to-date in the U.S., so it makes sense
that Warner Bros. quickly ordered a sequel.
Wonder Woman 1984, due out November 1st, will bring back director Patty Jenkins, who's also
co-writing the script.
While plot details have been kept tightly under wraps, we know that Wonder Woman 1984
found a way to bring back Chris Pine's beloved Steve Trevor.
The film will also feature Kristen Wiig as the central baddie Cheetah, and she's no stranger
to playing cat ladies.
"I'm Furonica.
It's like Veronica, but how a cat would say it."
So look forward to more action, fun, romance, and bitter comic-book rivalries.
Star Wars: Episode IX
There've been some shake-ups behind the scenes of Star Wars: Episode IX, with Lucasfilm dropping
Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow a few months before production was set to begin.
Good thing they found someone who's definitely qualified to take over: The Force Awakens'
J.J. Abrams is returning to write and direct the trilogy finale, due out December 20th.
Episode IX's plot is still a mystery, but all the expected major players are set to
return.
"Essa embarrassing!"
Okay, well, all the other major players.
But we can look forward to Billy Dee Williams reprising his role as fan favorite Lando Calrissian.
The late Carrie Fisher will also appear, via unused footage from The Force Awakens.
Joker
And then there's the wild card.
An Elseworlds-style Joker origin movie starring the brilliantly weird Joaquin Phoenix is now
officially for real, with shooting scheduled to start by the end of 2018.
This reportedly "darker and more experimental" take on Mr. J is going to be
co-written and directed by The Hangover's Todd Phillips, with the Clown Prince of Crime
expected to hit theaters on October 4th, 2019.
Warner Bros. describes the script as "a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary
tale."
Sounds like no laughing matter.
(maniacal laughing)