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Movies we can’t wait to watch in 2018

It’s too early to tell whether 2018 is going to be a good year, but Hollywood has promised that it will be an entertaining one – there will be monsters, dinosaurs, spies, vampires, Biblical figures, Transformers, teens who come of age, and some very powerful female characters.

On the home front, we will see Liang Xi Mei on the silver screen during Chinese New Year, and it was reported in The Straits Times that Mr Kiasu will follow soon.

We are already three weeks into the year and I do apologise for the tardiness – there are just too many good stories lined up for the big screen! Perhaps you have already seen some of them, especially the heavyweight titles, as we head into Oscar season. August and September will be quiet months, and then momentum will pick up again as we get back-to-back superhero/blockbuster action in the last quarter of 2018.

Without further ado, here we go for 2018!

Darkest Hour
Release date: Jan 4, 2018
Cast: Gary Oldman, Stephen Dillane, John Hurt, Lily James, Ben Mendelsohn, Kristin Scott Thomas

Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. (Credit: Jack English for Focus Features, via IMDB)
Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. (Credit: Jack English for Focus Features, via IMDB)

Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. (Credit: Jack English for Focus Features, via IMDB)

Still showing in cinemas, Darkest Hour features the events leading up to Dunkirk (yes, I’m simultaneously referring to the 2017 movie directed by Christopher Nolan and the actual historical event). It’s only been days since Winston Churchill has taken office, but a turbulent trial awaits: France is about to fall, the Allied forces are cornered on the beaches of Dunkirk, and his own Conservative party is plotting against him. How will he steer the course of world history and Britain out of the darkest hour it has ever faced? I’m thinking that since Gary Oldman’s portrayal of Winston Churchill has nailed him a Golden Globe award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama, it may very well place him, as well as his makeup artist Kazuhiro Tsuji, in the running for an Oscar.

 

Molly’s Game
Release date: Jan 4, 2018
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera

Jessica Chastain in Molly's Game. (Credit: IMDB)
Jessica Chastain in Molly's Game. (Credit: IMDB)

Jessica Chastain in Molly’s Game. (Credit: IMDB)

Molly’s Game is the true story of Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), a beautiful, young, Olympic-class skier who ran the world’s most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans and finally, unbeknownst to her, the Russian mob. Her only ally was her criminal defence lawyer Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba), who learned that there was much more to Molly than the tabloids led the public to believe. This movie was nominated for two Golden Globes.

 

The Post
Release date: Jan 18, 2018
Cast: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Alison Brie, Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, Matthew Rhys

Tom Hanks as editor Ben Bradlee and Meryl Streep as the publisher Katharine Graham in The Post. (Credit: Niko Tavernise for 20th Century Fox and Storyteller Distribution, via IMDB)
Tom Hanks as editor Ben Bradlee and Meryl Streep as the publisher Katharine Graham in The Post. (Credit: Niko Tavernise for 20th Century Fox and Storyteller Distribution, via IMDB)

Tom Hanks as editor Ben Bradlee and Meryl Streep as the publisher Katharine Graham in The Post. (Credit: Niko Tavernise for 20th Century Fox and Storyteller Distribution, via IMDB)

One look at the cast and the director and we already have expectations. Steven Spielberg directs Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in The Post, a thrilling drama about the unlikely partnership between The Washington Post’s Katharine Graham (Streep), the first female publisher of a major American newspaper, and editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks), as they race to catch up with The New York Times to publish the Pentagon Papers and expose a massive cover-up of government secrets that spanned three decades and four U.S. Presidents. Based on real events, The Post features the incidents which eventually lead to the Watergate scandal. This a talkie best appreciated by those who have actual journalistic experience in a real newsroom, or at least, journalistic aspirations.

 

The Shape Of Water
Release date: Feb 1, 2018
Cast: Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg

Sally Hawkins in The Shape of Water. (Credit: IMDB)
Sally Hawkins in The Shape of Water. (Credit: IMDB)

Sally Hawkins in The Shape of Water. (Credit: IMDB)

Mexican master storyteller Guillermo del Toro’s (Crimson Peak, Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth) piece de resistance for 2018 is The Shape of Water, an other-worldly fairy tale set against the backdrop of Cold War era America, circa 1962. In the hidden high-security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is trapped in a life of isolation. Elisa’s life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) discover a secret classified experiment. Rounding out the cast are Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones and Michael Stuhlbarg.

 

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Release date: Jan 25, 2018
Starring: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Abbie Cornish, Lucas Hedges

Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. (Credit: IMDB)
Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. (Credit: IMDB)

Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. (Credit: IMDB)

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri has swept four Golden Globes, for Best Motion Picture (Drama), Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama), Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Drama), and Best Screenplay, Motion Picture. This darkly comedic drama is written by award-winning Martin McDonagh, who was inspired by a true story about a suburban mother who confronted her town’s police chief by putting up billboards with provocative messages about his inaction at solving her daughter’s murder. Frances McDormand’s performance as the steely-eyed Mildred Hayes, is one to watch but it is said that supporting actor Sam Rockwell, who plays second-in-command Officer Dixon (Sam Rockwell), is the one who stole the show.

 

Maze Runner: The Death Cure
Release date: Jan 25, 2018
Cast: Kaya Scodelario, Dylan O’Brien, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Giancarlo Espositio, Aidan Gillen, Ki Hong Lee, Barry Pepper, Will Poulter, Patricia Clarkson

Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Dexter Darden, Nathalie Emmanuel, Katherine McNamara, Dylan O'Brien, Rosa Salazar, and Jacob Lofland in Maze Runner: The Death Cure. (Credit: Joe Alblas for 20th Century Fox, via IMDB)
Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Dexter Darden, Nathalie Emmanuel, Katherine McNamara, Dylan O'Brien, Rosa Salazar, and Jacob Lofland in Maze Runner: The Death Cure. (Credit: Joe Alblas for 20th Century Fox, via IMDB)

Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Dexter Darden, Nathalie Emmanuel, Katherine McNamara, Dylan O’Brien, Rosa Salazar, and Jacob Lofland in Maze Runner: The Death Cure. (Credit: Joe Alblas for 20th Century Fox, via IMDB)

In the epic finale to the Maze Runner saga, Thomas leads his group of escaped Gladers on their final and most dangerous mission yet. To save their friends, they must break into the legendary Last City, a WCKD-controlled labyrinth that may turn out to be the deadliest maze of all. Anyone who makes it out alive will get answers to the questions the Gladers have been asking since they first arrived in the maze.

 

Phantom Thread
Release date: Jan 25, 2018
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lesley Manville, Vicky Kriceps

Vicky Krieps in Phantom Thread. (Credit: IMDB)
Vicky Krieps in Phantom Thread. (Credit: IMDB)

Vicky Krieps in Phantom Thread. (Credit: IMDB)

Explore the visually-stunning world of 1950’s London couture in Phantom Thread, where uncompromising dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) and his sister Cyril (Lesley Manville) dress all manner of royalty and high society in the exacting standards of the House of Woodcock. Women come and go through Woodcock’s life, providing the confirmed bachelor with inspiration and companionship, until he comes across a young, strong-willed woman, Alma (Vicky Krieps), who soon becomes a fixture in his life as his muse and lover. The trailer hints that he has a secret – so what is it?

 

Fifty Shades Freed
Release date: Feb 8, 2018
Cast: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan

See Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan reprise their roles as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele for the last time in this third chapter based on the Fifty Shades trilogy. Based on movie sales (almost $950 million globally for the 2015 and 2017 releases), we can surmise that more people have seen the films than read the books, and why? Steamy sex scenes, of course. Catch the climax for yourself this Valentine’s Day.

 

Wonderful! Liang Xi Mei
Release date: Feb 14, 2018
Cast: Jack Neo, Henry Thia, Mark Lee, Wang Lei

I am hope that Liang Xi Mei has kept her original wardrobe for her own movie. (Picture credit: Golden Village Mr Popcorn Facebook Page)
I am hope that Liang Xi Mei has kept her original wardrobe for her own movie. (Picture credit: Golden Village Mr Popcorn Facebook Page)

I’m impressed that Liang Xi Mei has kept her original wardrobe for her own movie. (Picture credit: Golden Village Mr Popcorn Facebook Page)

According to my sources, director Jack Neo will reprise in drag, his role as the lovable housewife Liang Xi Mei, in a Chinese New Year movie. That said, the only publicity I’ve seen so far for the film is a Facebook page and the above poster which appeared in the feed of the Golden Village Mr Popcorn Facebook page. If she ever holds a press conference, I must ask how she has managed to maintain her signature purple-green blouse in tip-top condition since her Comedy Night skits in the 1990s! Here’s praying and hoping that the movie script will be genuinely funny and do her character justice.

 

Marvel’s Black Panther
Release date: Feb 15, 2018
Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o

Chadwick Boseman and Lupita Nyong'o in Black Panther. (Image credit: IMDB)
Chadwick Boseman and Lupita Nyong'o in Black Panther. (Image credit: IMDB)

Chadwick Boseman and Lupita Nyong’o in Black Panther. (Image credit: IMDB)

The African city of Wakanda in Marvel Studios’ Black Panther looks significantly different from the one the Hulk wreaked havoc upon in Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015). The story follows T’Challa who, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda in Captain America: Civil War (2016), returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and to take on the mantle of the Black Panther.

When a powerful old enemy reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king -and Black Panther- is tested when he is drawn into a formidable conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies (hmm, I don’t see Iron Man or Steve Rogers, though) and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people and their way of life.

 

Lady Bird
Release date: Feb 22, 2018
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges

Laurie Metcalf and Saoirse Ronan in Lady Bird. (Credit: IMDB)
Laurie Metcalf and Saoirse Ronan in Lady Bird. (Credit: IMDB)

Laurie Metcalf and Saoirse Ronan in Lady Bird. (Credit: IMDB)

The movie poster looks totally indie, but do not be fooled; Lady Bird was nominated for four Golden Globes and won two (Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy). Set in 2002 in Sacramento, California, 17-year-old Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) fights against her mother Marion (Laurie Metcalf), a nurse who works tirelessly to keep her family afloat after Lady Bird’s father loses his job. Lady Bird shares a turbulent bond with her mother as both are very much alike: loving, deeply opinionated and strong-willed.

 

Red Sparrow
Release date: March 1, 2018
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Shoenearts, Jeremy Irons, Mary-Louise Parker, Charlotte Rampling

I can’t wait for this one. Jennifer Lawrence plays Dominika Egorova, the main protagonist of Jason Matthews’ thriller spy novel Red Sparrow. Dominika is the best recruit of Sparrow School, a Russian secret intelligence service which trains exceptional young people like her to use their bodies and minds as weapons. After enduring Sparrow School’s perverse and sadistic training process, she emerges as the most dangerous Sparrow the program has ever produced. But Dominika must now reconcile the person she was with her loyalties, putting her own life and everyone she cares about at risk, including an American CIA agent who tries to convince her to switch sides.

 

Tomb Raider
Release date: March 15, 2018
Cast: Alicia Vikander, Hannah John-Kamen, Walton Goggins

Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider (2018). (Credit: Warner Bros. via IMDB)
Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider (2018). (Credit: Warner Bros. via IMDB)

Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider (2018). (Credit: Warner Bros. via IMDB)

Is the world ready for a different Lara Croft than Angelina Jolie? The Oscar-winning Alicia Vikander pushed herself on a punishing seven-day training regime to become the arrow-shooting, butt-kicking, rock-climbing Lara Croft, who finds herself on the island where her father disappeared in this 2018 reboot.

 

Pacific Rim: Uprising
Release date: March 22, 2018
Cast: John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Cailee Spaeny, Jing Tian, Zhang Jin, Rinko Kikuchi

Scott Eastwood and John Boyega in Pacific Rim Uprising. (Credit: Legendary Pictures/Universal Pictures)
Scott Eastwood and John Boyega in Pacific Rim Uprising. (Credit: Legendary Pictures/Universal Pictures)

Scott Eastwood and John Boyega in Pacific Rim Uprising. (Credit: Legendary Pictures/Universal Pictures)

More John Boyega? Yes, please! Boyega takes a break from Finn to play ex-Jaeger pilot Jake Pentecost, son of the late Stacker Pentecost. It has been 10 years since the Battle of the Breach, but the Jaeger pilots need to rally again when the Kaiju threat returns. This sequel to Pacific Rim (2013) was thought to have been beset with problems because its release was postponed. Hopefully, it’s as good as the first.

 

Mary Magdalene
Release date: March 22, 2018
Cast: Rooney Mara, Joaquin Phoenix, Chiwetel Ejiofor

Rooney Mara in Mary Magdalene. (Credit: IMDB)
Rooney Mara in Mary Magdalene. (Credit: IMDB)

Rooney Mara in Mary Magdalene. (Credit: IMDB)

Finally, Biblical movie centred on a female character. Set in the Holy Land, Mary’s spiritual journey places her at the heart of a story that will lead to the capital city of Jerusalem, where she must confront the reality of Jesus’ destiny and her own place within it. Rooney Mara stars as the title character. Joaquin Phoenix portrays Jesus, while Garth Davis (Lion) directs the film.

 

Cloverfield
Release date: April 20, 2018
Cast: David Oyelowo, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Zhang Ziyi, Elizebeth Debicki, Daniel Bruhl

The third film in the Cloverfield franchise sees a team of international astronauts attempting a boundary-pushing experiment in order to solve Earth’s energy crisis. The terrifying, mind twisting result threatens their lives – and everything they know to be true. Initially titled God Particle, this instalment was supposed to have been released last year in 2017, but then got pushed back again and again. Why? Vulture says that it might be J.J. Abrams intentionally using postponement as a way to create intrigue and suspense surrounding the latest Cloverfield. There have been no ads, trailers or posters. Will fans be pleasantly surprised? We shall see.

 

Marvel’s Avengers Infinity War
Release date: April 26, 2018
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Josh Brolin, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Olsen, Sebastian Stan, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, Benedict Wong, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Pom Klementieff, Scarlett Johansson, Benicio del Toro, Tom Holland, Anthony Mackie, Chadwick Boseman, Danai Gurira, Paul Rudd, Don Cheadle, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke

Chris Evans, Anthony Mackie, Chadwick Boseman, Sebastian Stan, and Danai Gurira in Avengers: Infinity War. (Credit: IMDB)
Chris Evans, Anthony Mackie, Chadwick Boseman, Sebastian Stan, and Danai Gurira in Avengers: Infinity War. (Credit: IMDB)

Chris Evans, Anthony Mackie, Chadwick Boseman, Sebastian Stan, and Danai Gurira in Avengers: Infinity War. (Credit: IMDB)

The mysterious purple guy who has been appearing in the trailers at the end of the Marvel films is finally starring as the lead villain. When intergalactic despot Thanos arrives on Earth to collect the Infinity Stones for a gauntlet that will allow him to bend reality to his will, the Avengers must join forces with the Guardians of the Galaxy to stop him before his onslaught of destruction puts an end to the universe.

The timeline for the events of this movie puts it at four years after the events of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and just after Thor: Ragnarok. The Avengers have been torn apart following the events of Captain America: Civil War, and there are old grudges to forgive and new bonds to forge.

 

Solo: A Star Wars Story
Release date: May 24, 2018
Cast: Emilia Clarke, Thandie Newton, Paul Bettany, Daniel Glover

(Credit: IMDB)
(Credit: IMDB)

(Credit: IMDB)

Solo is the second Star Wars anthology film after Rouge One (2016). It depicts Han Solo and Chewbacca’s adventures before joining the Rebellion, including their early encounters with Lando Calrissian.

 

Deadpool 2
Release date: May 31, 2018
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Brianna Hildebrand

After surviving a near fatal bovine attack, a disfigured cafeteria chef (Wade Wilson) struggles to fulfil his dream of becoming Mayberry’s hottest bartender while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste. Searching to regain his spice for life, as well as a flux capacitor, Wade must battle ninjas, the yakuza, and a pack of sexually aggressive canines, as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and flavour – finding a new taste of adventure and earning the coveted coffee mug title of World’s Best Lover.

 

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Release date: June 7, 2018
Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Toby Jones, James Cromwell, Ted Levine, Justice Smith, Geraldine Chaplin, Daniella Pineda, Rafe Spall, Jeff Goldblum

Chris Pratt and his friend in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. (Credit: gettyimages via IMDB)
Chris Pratt and his friend in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. (Credit: gettyimages via IMDB)

Chris Pratt and his friend in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. (Credit: gettyimages via IMDB)

Would it surprise you to know that Jurassic World was Singapore’s all-time 4th top blockbuster with almost S$12 million box office in 2015? And would a reboot surprise you? Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard return alongside executive producers Steven Spielberg and Colin Trevorrow, and some new awe-inspiring and terrifying dinosaur breeds.

 

The Incredibles 2
Release date: June 14, 2018
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Holly Hunter, Craig T.Nelson

The kids who watched The Incredibles in 2004 have now grown up, but the years don’t seem to have done a thing to Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) and his family of superheroes. He is left to babysit Jack-Jack while Helen (Elastigirl) is out saving the world. The teaser trailer shows that Jack-Jack has laser eyes and shape-shifting abilities, and we can’t wait to see how he’ll use them in the sequel.

 

Marvel’s Ant-Man and The Wasp
Release date: July 5, 2018
Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michelle Pfeiffer, Hannah John-Kamen

Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly in Ant-Man and the Wasp. (Credit: Marvel Studios via IMDB)
Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly in Ant-Man and the Wasp. (Credit: Marvel Studios via IMDB)

Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly in Ant-Man and the Wasp. (Credit: Marvel Studios via IMDB)

As Scott Lang balances being both a Super Hero and a father, Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym present an urgent new mission that finds the Ant-Man fighting alongside The Wasp to uncover secrets from their past.

 

Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation
Release date: July 12, 2018
Cast: Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Andy Samberg, Steve Buscemi

Adam Sandler and Selena Gomez are just two of the voices in Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation. (Credit: IMDB)
Adam Sandler and Selena Gomez are just two of the voices in Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation. (Credit: IMDB)

The Drac Pack is back in Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation. (Credit: IMDB)

Mavis surprises Dracula with a family voyage on a luxury Monster Cruise Ship so he can take a vacation from providing everyone else’s vacation at the hotel. The rest of Drac’s Pack cannot resist going along. But once they leave port, romance arises when Dracula meets the mysterious ship captain, Ericka. Now it’s Mavis’s turn to play the overprotective parent, keeping her dad and Ericka apart. Little do they know that his “too good to be true” love interest is actually a descendant of Abraham Van Helsing, ancient nemesis to Dracula and all other monsters.

 

Mission Impossible 6
Release date: July 26, 2018
Cast: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Michelle Monaghan, Henry Cavill, Alec Baldwin, Angela Bassett,
Simon Pegg

Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible 6. (Credit: IMDB)
Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible 6. (Credit: IMDB)

Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible 6. (Credit: IMDB)

What will be Ethan Hunt’s next death-defying stunt? How many more of these feats can Tom Cruise perform? Director Christopher McQuarrie returns to direct the high-octane, spy action sixth instalment of the global hit franchise. Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Michelle Monaghan, Alec Baldwin and Sean Harris all reprise their roles with Henry Cavill, Vanessa Kirby, Sian Brooke and Angela Bassett join the cast.

 

Johnny English 3
Release date: September 20, 2018
Cast: Rowan Atkinson

Rowan Atkinson as Johnny English. (Credit: IMDB)
Rowan Atkinson as Johnny English. (Credit: IMDB)

Rowan Atkinson as Johnny English. (Credit: IMDB)

Beloved British comedian Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) returns as English spy Johnny English in this action-packed, comedic new instalment where a cyber-attack exposes the identity of all serving agents. Johnny English is put on the mission of finding the hacker responsible for bringing the UK to a standstill.

 

Venom
Release date: October 4, 2018
Cast: Tom Hardy, Riz Ahmed

Venom is intended to be the first Spider-Man-character-related spin-off film. Filming only started in late October 2017 and its plot and other details are yet unknown. Geeks will be wondering how Venom’s symbiote costume will turn out. Will Spider-Man make an appearance? It would make sense for him to, but a possible actor for the role has not been named.

 

First Man
Release date: October 11, 2018
Cast: Jon Bernthal, Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy

Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle and his La La Land star Ryan Gosling are reteam on a visceral, first-person account of Neil Armstrong and NASA’s mission to land a man on the moon from 1961 to 1969. Based on the book by James R. Hansen, the movie will explore the sacrifices and the cost – on Armstrong and on the nation – of one of the most dangerous missions in history. Written by Academy Award winner Josh Singer (Spotlight).

 

Jungle Book: Origins
Release date: October 18, 2018
Cast: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andy Serkis

Andy Serkis is Baloo in Jungle Book: Origins. (Credit: IMDB)
Andy Serkis is Baloo in Jungle Book: Origins. (Credit: IMDB)

Andy Serkis is Baloo in Jungle Book: Origins. (Credit: IMDB)

A human child raised by wolves must face off against a menacing tiger named Shere Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch), as well as his own origins.

 

X-Men: Dark Phoenix
Release date: November 1, 2018
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy

Sophie Turner in X-Men: Dark Phoenix. (Credit: IMDB)
Sophie Turner in X-Men: Dark Phoenix. (Credit: IMDB)

Sophie Turner in X-Men: Dark Phoenix. (Credit: IMDB)

Jean Grey begins to develop incredible powers that corrupt and turn her into a Dark Phoenix. Now the X-Men will have to decide if the life of a team member is worth more than all the people living in the world. Will the movie be able to tell the story as well as the comic? Fingers crossed.

 

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Release date: November 15, 2018
Cast: Ezra Miller, Johnny Depp, Zoe Kravitz

Dan Fogler and Eddie Redmayne in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. (Credit: Jaap Buitendijk for Warner Bros., via IMDB)
Dan Fogler and Eddie Redmayne in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. (Credit: Jaap Buitendijk for Warner Bros., via IMDB)

Dan Fogler and Eddie Redmayne in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. (Credit: Jaap Buitendijk for Warner Bros., via IMDB)

Newt Scamander’s adventures with Fantastic Beasts are not over yet. Now that he knows Where to Find Them, I want to know where The Flash, I mean, Credence (the Obscurus) is, and whether he still has hope of redemption. And while I am completely not interested in whether Newt’s romance with Tina Goldstein actually develops, I want to know what happens next between Queenie and Jacob. Oh yeah, I’m kinda curious in Johnny Depp’s role in all of this, of course.

 

Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2
Release date: November 22, 2018
Cast: Kristen Bell, Mandy Moore, Auli’I Cravalho

Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2. (Credit: Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2. (Credit: Walt Disney Animation Studios)

Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2. (Credit: Walt Disney Animation Studios)

Technology has advanced since 2012’s runaway hit Wreck-It Ralph, and it’s time for a reboot. Ralph and Vanellope, now friends, discover a WiFi router in their arcade, leading them into a new adventure.

 

Aquaman
Release date: December 20, 2018
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Jason Momoa, Amber Heard

Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry in Aquaman. (Credit: IMDB)
Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry in Aquaman. (Credit: IMDB)

Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry in Aquaman. (Credit: IMDB)

Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) learns that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, and must step forward to lead his people and to be a hero to the world. By his side is Mera (Amber Heard), a warrior of the undersea nation of Atlantis who was raised by Queen Atlanna. Mera possesses hydrokinetic and telepathic powers that allow her to control her aquatic environment and communicate with other Atlanteans.

 

Bumblebee
Release date: December 25, 2018
Cast: Hailee Steinfeld, Pamela Adlon, John Cena, Stephen Schneider, Jorge Lenderborg Jr, Jason Drucker, Kenneth Choi, Richard Hoyos, Abby Quinn, Rachel Crow, Grace Dzienny

Hailee Steinfeld in Bumblebee. (Credit: Paramount Pictures)
Hailee Steinfeld in Bumblebee. (Credit: Paramount Pictures)

Hailee Steinfeld in Bumblebee. (Credit: Paramount Pictures)

I know Transformers fans cannot wait for the release of Bumblebee, as they’re getting one film per year, just like Star Wars fans. Kinda reminds me of Charlie Bucket before he inherited Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory – only one bar of chocolate a year, and it had better be good. This year’s film goes back to 1987 and Bumblebee is on the run. He’s in pretty bad shape when he finds refuge in a junkyard, where he is discovered by Charlie (Academy Award nominee Hailee Steinfeld) who revives him. Let’s hope that the story kicks up some dirt, like the first Transformers (2007).

Sources: Golden Village Cinemas, Wikipedia, IMDB, Cinemaonline.sg

Disclaimer: The release dates in this article are for the Singapore audience, and may change without notice. This selection of movie titles is not an exhaustive list of every movie release for 2018, just the ones The Popping Post team have singled out for viewing.

The post Movies we can’t wait to watch in 2018 appeared first on The Popping Post.