So we’re about two weeks into 2019 and I know I’m a little late with this article compared to everyone else, but here it is: my top 20 most anticipated movies of 2019.  Obviously, this is based on my personal preferences and cool trailers I’ve seen (or lack thereof).  I’m curious to hear your most anticipated movies of 2019 as well so feel free to share them below!

Alright, let’s do this:

20. “Brightburn” – May 24, 2019

Written by James Gunn of “Guardians of the Galaxy,” this film is an interesting “what-if” scenario that asks what would happen if a young Superman turned out to be a sinister villain.  Gunn’s horror roots will hopefully shine, and the man clearly has a passion for superheroes, specifically in delving beyond their powers and into their emotional psyche.  The film stars Elizabeth Banks and David Denman.

19. “Knives Out”- November 27, 2019

I don’t know anything about this movie other than the fact that it’s written and directed by Rian Johnson, and that’s enough for me to get excited.  Say what you will about “The Last Jedi,” but I love that movie and I think Johnson is one of the best filmmakers working today.  He has a distinct visual flair and a writing style that turns tropes on their heads.  The film has an outstanding cast with Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Daniel Craig, Michael Shannon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tony Collette, Christopher Plummer, Katherine Langford, and Lakeith Stanfield.  Any of those people could sell me on a movie so I’m pumped to see all of them.

18. “Frozen 2”- November 22, 2019

It’s “Frozen 2.”  I don’t need to sell you on it.  It’s “Frozen 2.”  Everyone’s back, the great animation style is back, and there will be new catchy songs.  I don’t know what else you could want out of a Disney movie (besides a good story).

17. “Us” – March 22, 2019

This is another movie I have no idea what to expect from, but it’s written and directed by Jordan Peele so that’s something.  “Get Out” still stands as one of the best written films of recent memory, offering a mind-bending thriller that layers unique social commentary with incredible performances and a great mystery.  “Us” is about this family that goes to their beach house, but then these uninvited guests show up and things get weird.  The film stars Lupita Nyongo, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Winston Duke.

16. “Terminator” – November 1, 2019

It’s been nearly 30 years since a great Terminator film has come out in my opinion (I know some people who really like “Rise of the Machines,” but I personally don’t).  Now that James Cameron has the rights to the franchise again, he’s producing with “Deadpool” helmer Tim Miller directing.  The combination of legendary filmmaker and upcoming action director seems promising for a franchise that has lost its mojo over time and has produced more bad films than good.  Linda Hamilton is returning as an older Sarah Connor, Arnold Schwarzenegger reprises his iconic Terminator, and Mackenzie Davis stars as a new character.  I have a lot of hesitations, but I have my fingers crossed for this one.

15. “Toy Story 4” – June 21, 2019

It’s “Toy Story.”  You better not forget your box of tissues for this one because if the past is any indication, there’s gonna be a lot of tears and sniffles.  The film is supposedly a road trip comedy with Woody and the gang meeting a new toy, Forky.  All your beloved characters are returning.  I don’t need to sell you on this.

14. “IT: Chapter 2” – September 6, 2019

“IT” was such a great horror film that leans into genre tropes, but executes them almost flawlessly.  I’m excited that director Andy Muschetti is returning as well as Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise.  The film takes place 27 years after the original and stars James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, and Bill Hader as well as the younger cast from the first film.

13. “Velvet Buzzsaw” – February 1, 2019

I just saw the trailer for this, and it’s insane.  Dan Gilroy masterfully directed “Nightcrawler,” and both Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo return in this film about an art collector who experiences some kind of supernatural force in the form of paintings.  There were great elements of horror in “Nightcrawler” so I’m excited to see Gilroy go for a full on scarefest with this.  I’m looking forward to a wonderful performance by Gyllenhaal, whose lead performance in “Nightcrawler” was one of the biggest Oscar snubs I can remember.

12. “Glass” – January 18, 2019

So I started writing this article before the review embargo lifted for this movie, but even though I’ve seen the negative response, I’m still really excited to see the film.  M. Night Shyamalan is one of those filmmakers who I really respect because when he goes for something, he really goes for it.  The majority of reviews that I read so far, even the negative ones, pretty much all agreed that he had a clear vision and executed it without compromise.  Whether or not you like the execution will determine how you feel about the movie.  I’m excited to see James McAvoy return as Kevin Wendell Crumb  more than anyone else, and I’m seeing the movie next weekend so I’ll probably have a review up for it sometime then.

11. “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” – August 9, 2019

I don’t think I’d like Tarantino as a person especially after the allegations against him last year came out.  However, there’s no denying that he’s a brilliant filmmaker.  This is his ninth film, and the man is only making ten of them ever so I’m guessing he’s going to go all out for his penultimate release.  The film has an all-star cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, Dakota Fanning, Kurt Russell, Timothy Olyphant, and James Marsden.  It’s set in 1969 Los Angeles during the Manson murders so I think there’s a lot in Hollywood during that time to play with.

10. “Godzilla: King of Monsters” – May 31, 2019

I really liked the first “Godzilla” film by Gareth Edwards, and I’m really looking forward to “Godzilla vs. King Kong” next year so naturally I would put this in my top 10 most anticipated of this year.  I’m personally excited because the Michael Dougherty (“Trick ‘r Treat,” “Krampus”) project not only looks visually impressive, but also seems to feature a lot more monster action than the first film did.  We get to see Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, and even King Ghidorah collide in this film, and this is rare “anti-Man-of-Steel” case where I just want to see as much destruction as possible.  I want these monsters to punch each other for the whole movie.

9. “The Irishman” – Date Unknown, 2019

Director Martin Scorsese is easily one of the best directors of all time in my opinion, and he seems to be spending a lot of time on this film.  I don’t know much about this movie other than its amazing cast of Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Anna Paquin, Jesse Plemons, Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano, and Bobby Canavale.  Apparently it’s about the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa, but not much else is known about the film other than that.

8. “John Wick: Chapter 3” – May 17, 2019

Keanu Reeves returns as the titular John Wick in this third installment by director Chad Stahelski.  My guess is it has to do with the contract at the end of “Chapter 2” and now Wick is on the run from literally every hitman ever.  The film also stars Halle Berry, and I don’t know anything else about this.  I’m still sold.  It’s John Wick.  The man killed three dudes with a pencil.

7. “Captain Marvel” – March 8, 2019

I just want to see Brie Larson punch Skrulls in the face in the middle of a Blockbuster Video while Nirvana plays in the background.  The film, directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, takes place in 1995 so that’s all very possible.  I really like the aesthetic of trailers, and I think there’s a lot of cool, retro things you can do with the setting.  Hopefully it’s a standalone film that doesn’t try to wink at the camera with constant MCU references.  The trailers kinda scream “Superhero: the Movie,” but I have high hopes that the directing duo does more than your standard memory loss story.  Aside from that, I think the digitally de-aged Sam Jackson looks really good, and that cat is adorable!

6. “Shazam!” – April 5, 2019

Just say the word.  The other Captain Marvel on this list (comics fans get it), “Shazam!” looks to be a hilarious version of “Big” meets superheros and I love it.  Zachary Levi looks like he’s having so much fun in the role, and director David F. Sandberg (“Lights Out,” “Annabelle: Creation”) looks to deviate from horror into the realm of comedy.  Based on the premise alone, I’m already sold, but I really appreciate the smaller scale Sandberg is taking.  So far, this doesn’t look like a massive epic with a ton of CGI such as “Justice League” or “Aquaman” so I hope that gives more time to flesh out the characters he’s working with.

5. “Spider-Man: Far From Home” – July 5, 2019

Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is a gift from the comic book gods (Rest in Peace, Stan Lee), wonderfully portraying the best version of Spider-Man we’ve seen on the big screen yet.  The more I see “Homecoming,” the more I love it as Jon Watts directorial style makes for a charming small scale adventure-comedy with little details you can appreciate with more watches.  I’m excited to see Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio since he’s one of my favorite actors and the character is one of my favorite Spider-Man villains ever.

4. “Joker” – October 4, 2019

Out of all the movies on this list, this is the one I’m most surprised is even happening.  Todd Phillips is directing with Joaquin Phoenix portraying the iconic titular character.  It’s set in the 1980s as a Joker origin movie, chronicling the life of Arthur Fleck, a failed stand-up comedian who’s driven to insanity and ultimately becomes the famous psychopathic murderer.  The film stars Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Marc Maron, and Shea Wigham.  I’m personally against the idea of a Joker origin story because I think it takes away from the character, but if this is a one-off standalone thing and leans more into the “King of Comedy” aspect rather than the DC Comics universe and the overall eventual clash with Bruce Wayne/Batman, I’m fine with it.  Plus, the more I hear about this, the more excited I get.

3. “Pokemon: Detective Pikachu” – May 10, 2019

IT LOOKS SO ADORABLE!!!!!  I have wanted to see a live action Pokemon movie my whole life, and the visual effects look incredible!  I’m a massive fan of the game and anime, and Ryan Reynolds seems to be having a great time voicing Pikachu.  I just want a really colorful, exciting, and fun adventure that doesn’t take itself too seriously by getting bogged down with lore or backstory/exposition.

2. “Avengers: Endgame” – April 26, 2019

You don’t need me to sell you on this.  Obviously I would have this up there, and the top spot was really close so I just sort of had to randomly pick one over the other.  I’m equally excited for both of them.  “Endgame” is the culmination of everything that came before, and I don’t see how you cannot get excited for this if you’ve been following the MCU for at least the past couple of films.  I was 9 when “Iron Man” came out, and I’ve been invested in this ride since the beginning.  This is the movie I used to only dream of happening, and I can’t wait to see how it all ends.

1. “Star Wars: Episode IX” – December 20, 2019

“The Last Jedi” was super divisive, and I want nothing more for this year than J.J. Abrams to make the perfect ending to the Skywalker Saga with this film.  Since nothing is known about the film, I can’t really talk about it, but it’s Star Wars.  It’s the film series that made me love film, and the story that got me into writing in the first place.  “Empire Strikes Back” is my favorite film of all time, and I can’t be more excited for a film this year than I am for this.  May the Force be with you, J.J.

Okay, so those are my top 20 most anticipated movies of 2019!  What do you think about this list?  What are you most excited about this year?  Please feel free to let me know in the comments section!

If you liked this article, be sure to check out my top 10 films of 2018!  Thanks 🙂

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