Jeff Goldblum returning to the "Jurassic" universe! Japanese Spider-Man joining the
"Spider-Verse"! Daniel Craig breaking out that Kentucky-fried accent again for "Knives Out 2"!
2022 is shaping up to be a fun year for movies. Here's what we're looking forward to the most.
After more than three decades of regularly getting new live-action "Batman" films,
you'd think there's nowhere this franchise could go next. But the marketing for "The Batman" makes
it look like this new Matt Reeves feature could offer something new and extremely exciting.
Specifically, the production's trailers have emphasized a film noir aesthetic that appears
to merge the maximalist visual sensibilities of Tim Burton's take on the Dark Knight
with the grimy tangibility of Christopher Nolan's interpretation of the character.
Meanwhile, the film's vision of the Riddler, played by Paul Dano , appears more like the
Zodiac Killer than Jim Carrey's over-the-top incarnation from "Batman Forever." That's
good not just in terms of offering up something different from older "Batman" movies, it also
teases a version of Batman that's more about his detective skills than exclusively punching people.
Those promising concepts are paired up with the equally intriguing casting
of Robert Pattinson in the titular role. The "Good Time" leading man already looks
like he's brewing something special with his take on Bruce Wayne/Batman.
"I'm vengeance."
Combine this cast with all the striking imagery seen in the film's initial trailers,
and it becomes clear why, even after so many other "Batman" movies,
it's hard not to get excited about the possibilities that lie within "The Batman."
The 2022 Marvel Cinematic Universe title that everyone is watching with especially intense
interest is "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." Ryan Coogler is back in the director's chair,
while the majority of the first film's cast has also returned.
There's also new cast members like Michaela Coel
and Dominique Thorne, with the latter portraying Riri Williams/Ironheart.
Rumors also persist that "The Forever Purge" leading man Tenoch Huerta has been cast as Namor
the Sub-Mariner, who would make his live-action film debut if he appeared in "Wakanda Forever."
A sequel to a pop culture phenomenon like
"Black Panther" would have always garnered people's interest. However,
the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman has added a new layer of uncertainty to "Wakanda Forever."
Typically, it's easy to see where a sequel to a superhero movie is going with its storyline,
but all kinds of questions surround "Wakanda Forever." What will a "Black Panther" movie
without Boseman look like? What story does "Wakanda Forever" explore? How will
established characters react to the sudden absence of T'Challa? The shadow of Boseman
lingers over "Wakanda Forever" and ensures that this won't be a run of the mill superhero sequel.
Considering we've gotten eight different live-action "Spider-Man" movies,
it was only a matter of time before the Oscar-winning "Spider-Man:
Into the Spider-Verse" got a follow-up. Currently without a name, it is known
that this installment in the series will add a trio of new versions of Spider-Man to the cast,
including Japanese Spider-Man and a version of Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman voiced by Issa Rae.
Producer and co-writer Christopher Miller teased last year on Twitter that the sequel will explore
even wilder visual directions than its already vibrant predecessor. The endless amount of
imagination in the first "Spider-Verse" makes the prospect of a sequel extremely enticing.
"Nah nah nah. You guys don't get it." "Don't get what?"
While some superhero movie sequels end up just regurgitating the original movie's
plot points again, the use of multiple universes in "Spider-Verse" inherently
means there are limitless possibilities for the tales this film could explore.
It'll also be interesting to see if this sequel ends up building on the post-credits
scene of the first "Spider-Verse," which not only introduced Spider-Man 2099 (voiced by Oscar Isaac)
but outfitted him with a watch that allowed him to travel between dimensions with ease.
Those dinosaurs are stomping back into movie theaters next summer with "Jurassic World:
Dominion," which will follow up on the events of "Jurassic World:
Fallen Kingdom" and take place in a world where dinosaurs now roam free in America.
Exact plot details are being kept under lock and key,
but it's known that the cast for "Dominion" will include original
"Jurassic Park" leads Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum reprising their roles.
The return of this trio is already enough to get "Jurassic Park" fans
stoked to see "Dominion," but moviegoers should also get excited about newcomer cast
members like Mamoudou Athie and who promise to inject new personality into this series.
For those who think this franchise has gone extinct, "Jurassic World: Dominion"
certainly has the potential to show that life, or at least a jolt of creativity, finds a way.
Can you believe it's been 25 years since the original "Mission: Impossible" lit the fuse
and blew up everyone's expectations for what a movie adaptation of an old TV show could be?
"So hard to keep track of these things."
Rather than leaning on fan-service and hollow rehashes of familiar storylines
from its source material, the "Mission: Impossible" series keeps on delivering
fresh new stunts and exciting storylines that keep moviegoers across the globe guessing.
With all these achievements under the franchise's belt, no wonder people are
so excited to see what lies in store for Ethan Hunt in "Mission: Impossible 7."
There are also lots of new cast members joining this particular adventure.
Esai Morales is onboard to play the primary villain, while Hayley Atwell is portraying
someone described on the "Light The Fuse" podcast as a "destructive force of nature."
As if those two weren't enough, Shea Whigham, Pom Klementieff and Cary Elwes, among many others, are
also taking on new characters in this sprawling series. Then, of course, there are the stunts,
which apparently include Cruise riding a dirt bike off a cliff. What more could you want?
For years, Aquaman was a punchline, but the 2018 "Aquaman" movie became a surprise monster hit,
grossing $1.14 billion worldwide and securing the title of highest-grossing DC Comics
adaptation at the worldwide box office. All eyes are now on the film's sequel,
"Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," to see if the momentum behind this character can be maintained.
"I'm no leader. I'm not a king. I do not work or play well with others."
James Wan is back in the director's chair for this installment and both Jason Momoa
and Amber Heard are returning. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is also coming back in
a much more prominent capacity as the supervillain David Kane/Black Manta.
It's nice to know there's a capable cast involved, but what people really want out of an "Aquaman"
movie is all the staggering spectacle its predecessor delivered. If Wan can deliver on that,
then Aquaman won't ever have to worry about being reduced to a punchline again.
"Avatar" debuted back in 2009 and did huge numbers. Usually, a movie that impacts the
global box office like that James Cameron epic will receive a barrage of sequels in short order.
But Cameron has taken his time in crafting follow-ups to "Avatar,"
which has resulted in countless release date delays even before the COVID-19
pandemic threw a wrench into the production of all four sequels.
The first of these sequels is set for a December 2022 release and, even after all this waiting,
the world of Pandora still seems surprisingly intriguing. For one thing, Cameron is good at
creating cinematic spectacles, period. Second, projects like "Aliens" and "Terminator 2: Judgment
Day" show that Cameron knows how to make sequels that just aren't hollow rehashes of the past.
The extensive wait between the original "Avatar" and the first of its sequels
also gives one hope that Cameron and company have
spent that time wisely to make this blockbuster as good as it can be.
No one knows if the world is still craving more "Avatar" like it was in 2009, but the reputation
of Cameron ensures that "Avatar 2" is one of the most intriguing cinematic question marks of 2022.
One good murder mystery deserves another, so Benoit Blanc is back. After "Knives Out" became
a smash, it was only inevitable that the world would be greeted with further Blanc adventures.
Classic sleuths like Hercule Poirot got called back for countless further mysteries,
so why shouldn't Blanc also solve an endless series of eccentric cases?
"My presence will be ornamental."
Daniel Craig is the only returning cast member for this sequel, a welcome
indicator that this follow-up doesn't intend to just play like a rerun of its predecessor.
"Knives Out 2" has assembled a crop of brand new famous faces for Blanc to contend with,
from Dave Bautista to Kathryn Hahn to Ethan Hawke.
It isn't just in the cast that "Knives Out 2" hopes to deliver something fresh:
An international backdrop also promises to differentiate this follow-up from its predecessor,
as does a Netflix premiere instead of a theatrical release.
If you thought the "Toy Story" saga came to an end with "Toy Story 4,"
think again. "Lightyear" is the newest entry in this franchise and delivers to
moviegoers the original story that the Buzz Lightyear toy is based on.
That's an elaborate set-up for what appears to be Pixar's attempt at doing a more jovial
sci-fi film after delivering a weightier take on the genre with the 2008 feature
"WALL-E." It also allows the toy division of Disney to sell a whole new army of Buzz
Lightyear toys to kids worldwide, which is never a bad thing for the Mouse House.
"Lightyear" doesn't sound like an essential movie on paper,
but Pixar's been rolling nothing but aces when it comes to the "Toy Story"
franchise. Even after "Toy Story 3" seemed to conclude the saga on a perfect note, "Toy Story
4" managed to deliver a poignant epilogue for the story of Woody the Cowboy. If it lives up to its
potential, "Lightyear" could prove to be a worthy return to the "Toy Story" universe after all.
It's been a while since South Korean cinema legend Park Chan-wook delivered a new feature film to
movie theaters. His last film, the captivatingly twisty "The Handmaiden," was one of his very best
works, making the wait for his next motion picture all the more difficult to endure.
However, this master of unpredictable cinema like "Oldboy" appears poised to
finally return to the big screen with his new feature, "Decision to Leave."
The scant plot details that have been revealed indicate that "Decision to
Leave" follows a detective who gets embroiled in a romance with a murder suspect. However,
this is one movie where the director is reason enough to keep an eye on a project.
It's been too long since a twisted new vision from director David Cronenberg arrived in theaters.
The body horror auteur behind projects ranging from "Scanners"
to "A History of Violence" is responsible for some of the most
unsettling storylines and images ever to exist in the medium of cinema.
Now it appears Cronenberg will have an opportunity to add another sterling effort to his filmography
with the 2022 movie "Crimes of the Future." This project will serve not just as Cronenberg's return
to filmmaking, but also to one of his earliest movies. "Crimes of the Future" is a remake of
a 1970 Cronenberg feature of the same name, only his second directorial effort at the time.
Comments from Viggo Mortensen to GQ about the project indicate that anyone expecting
a mere shot-for-shot remake of an old feature needs to adjust their
expectations. It sounds like Cronenberg is brewing up something new and bold.
Having apparently already completed principal photography,
it's only a matter of time now before the first Cronenberg movie since "Maps to the Stars" in
2014 graces movie screens everywhere. Long live the new flesh, er, the return of Cronenberg!
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