Barbenhaimer was undoubtedly the most important cinematic event of 2023. The spectacular biopic of the atomic bomb inventor, directed by Christopher Nolan, and Barbie’s emotional journey through the absurdities of a modern woman’s life shown by Greta Gerwig captured our imagination and drew crowds to movie theaters. However, this was not the only important thing related to the world of cinema.

Big cinematic franchises like Marvel and The Fast and the Furious Saga lost their steam by throwing away artistic values in favor of commercial ones. This allowed productions in which the creators’ vision is stronger to gain greater recognition.

Chad Stahelski made John Wick go through hell in search of peace for the last time. James Gunn closed the story of his Guardians of the Galaxy in a very emotional way and in his style drew attention to the problem of violence against animals. Across the Spider-verse and The Peasants showed us that animated films are not inferior to live-action productions. Martin Scorsese put us in cinema seats for 3.5 hours to deal with America’s crimes, and Ridley Scott and Michael Mann took on the biographies of a certain famous Frenchman and an Italian with well… debatable results. Nor should we forget off-screen events, mainly the actors’ and screenwriters’ strikes that shook the industry.

Compared to that, 2024 seems to be a very quiet year. It looks like a kind of downtime before the 2025 that’s rich in big premieres. However, this does not mean that it will be a boring year.
This kind of moment in cinema allows us to pay attention to productions that are not a part of a billion-dollar franchises, and gives a chance for creators to be more bold in trying to create something new.

Argylle

We start with the film which has an incredibly interesting promotion. A month or so before its release, a book by a fictional author who is the protagonist of the film hit the bookstore. Of course, not without reason, the film takes place on two planes. The first is the adventures of Elly Conway – a bestselling author of series of books about a super spy, whose story accidentally predicts the plans of a real criminal organization. As a result, the writer finds herself targeted by dangerous people and, along with the help of a real spy played by Sam Rockwell, tries to find answers to what is actually going on around her.

The second plane is the events of the books which with uncanny similarity resemble the adventures of the main character. We get to know this world from the eyes of the titular Argylle, played by Henry Cavill.

Matthew Vaughn, whose films are distinguished by their British humor and focus on characters, their relationships and emotions, is responsible for directing Argylle. After many successful attempts to adapt books and comics he is now trying his hand at his own original concept.

His productions have always been marked by a distinctive visual and editing style. At the stage of the promotional campaign, it’s clear that the same will be happening here. Already in the trailer we see the filmmaker’s characteristic creative transitions, original visual treatments and dynamic scenes

Dune: Part Two

An adaptation of the second half of Frank Herbet’s Dune, directed by Denis Villeneuve. The Canadian has already shown us a great understanding of the source material in his previous film. Besides, his entire filmography is proof of his ability to create spectacle on a visual as well as spiritual level on a rare scale.

The pre-release footage shows that this is another film by this artist who will completely draw us into the presented world. In March the modern master of cinematic sci-fi will show us the further fate of Paul Atreides, who has to balance the fight for the liberation of the planet Arrakis from the hands of conspirators with coping with the growing pressure of the title of “messiah”. This time, however, the antagonist – Baron Harkonnen will be joined by the psychopathic Feyd-Rautha, who will be portrayed on screen by Austin Butler. We will also see, among other characters, the direct actions of the Emperor, played by Christopher Walken or Princess Irulan, played by Florence Pugh.

The First Omen

The prequel to the late Richard Donner’s legendary 1976 horror film. This film that found its way to this list moments before it was written with the help of the first promotional material, which echoed loudly around the movie-focused part of the Internet by how good it looks.

No one had pinned their hopes on a new representative of the now-forgotten 1970s brand, especially after a very unsuccessful attempt to resurrect another horror film from that era – a sequel to The Exorcist in the form of Exorcist: Believer.

We will follow the story from the perspective of Margaret sent from America to work in a church in Rome. The woman will discover a terrifying conspiracy related to the arrangement of the birth of the antichrist.

The production is the feature debut of Arkasha Stevenson. The first trailer looks very original, bold, and is incredibly energetic. Many scenes are beautifully lit and arranged. The footage shows director’s unique style and admirably creates an unsettling atmosphere. It also helps that the fragments used in it are played backwards, which suits the satanic theme of the film.

The Fall Guy

Another film by David Leitch, who is a representative of the trend of former stuntmen that have made their way behind the camera.

This production is kind of a love letter to his former profession. It will tell the story of a stuntman who has to become a real hero and rescue the actor whose doubles he was responsible for.

David transfers his experience gained from coordinating stunts to directing. This guarantees sequences loaded with spectacular stunts, brilliantly planned and directed. In addition, the action sequences themselves are perfectly framed and lit. The director knows where to position the camera and light to show the scenes in an eye-catching way.

This feature will not lack other characteristic elements of the filmmaker’s work, such as humor and likable characters. The second one here is also due to a well assembled cast, headed by Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling.

The Canadian, in particular, seems to feel like a fish in the water, building the character on his characteristic style of being and sense of humor.

Mickey 17

Joon-Ho Bong’s big return to theaters after his previous movie Parasite won 4 Oscars in 2020. This time he joins forces with one of the best actors of the younger generation – Robert Pattinson, who will play the protagonist of the production.

The film is based on Edward Ashton’s sci-fi novell Mickey 7 and will take us to a world where human life is treated like a tradable resource.

The titular Mickey is a expendable employee of a colonizing expedition to the ice planet Nilfheim. Well, more accurately he is his 17th version. Every time the protagonist dies his body is artificially recreated with most of his memories intact.

And we actually don’t know much more about the production or its differences from the original. We did receive a short promotional material showing intriguing and futuristic set designs.

The use of architecture, interior designs and their arrangement as part of highlighting story is one of the elements that is associated with this director’s style. From Korean filmmaker, we can also expect his characteristic comments related to social inequality or the general state of modern life through contrasts and some subtle satire.

Furiosa

George Miller continues to build the Mad Max world. After his 2015 Fury Road was named the technically greatest film of all time, now he takes it on to telling the story of one of the heroines of that film.

The plot goes back in time to Furiosa’s youth and will demonstrate us how she became a legend of the wasteland. The prequel formula results in a change of the female lead actress. Charlize Theron will be replaced by Anya Taylor-Joy. In the role of her opponent, Dementus, we will see Chris Hemsworth.

From the Australian filmmaker, we can expect dynamic and unexpected camera movements, an incredibly fast-paced story, and pushing the limits of what can be shown on the silver screen.

Inside Out 2

The sequel to Pixar’s 2015 hit that stole the hearts of people around the world. The situation is interesting because Pixar, with a few exceptions, does not create sequels to their productions. 

Unless, of course, the creators have something new to say within the covered topic, which is the case here. The first film touched on the theme of dealing with emotions as a child. The second continues this subject, this time within the setting of the girl’s adolescence.

As the girl grows older, a new emotion – anxiety – is added to the group of returning characters such as joy, anger, fear, disgust and sadness.

The changes don’t stop there. The reshuffle also occurred within the director’s position. The acclaimed creator of Pixar’s biggest hits – Pete Docter – is replaced by a debutant when it comes to full-length features – Kesley Mann.

Changing a filmmaker for a less experienced one carries obvious risks, but also offers hope for a breath of fresh air and a new perspective within the presented world.

Gladiator 2

Another sequel, this one, however, causes perhaps the most heated discussions, as it is separated from the original by 24 years.

It’s not just the time between the films that creates excitement here. Gladiator from 2000 was an incredible spectacle and is one of the most iconic films in the history of cinema, and winner of 5 Academy Awards. The story of Maximus is a timeless tale of revenge, love, regret and redemption which touched the hearts of generations, and is one of the most outstanding representatives of historical dramas.

Connie Nielsen will return to the role of Lucilla. Her now-adult son, Lucius, will be played by Paul Mescal, an Academy Award nominee for Aftersun. Alongside them, the cast includes the likes of Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn. The former, according to reports, is to be a retired gladiator who won his freedom through fighting in the arena.

Ridley Scott has been mentioning plans for the film for several years. The director’s name is a factor of excitement as much as of doubt. An already legendary filmmaker used to be a guarantee of quality and released hit after hit. But the last few years have unfortunately been rather unstable by his standards. His pictures at times turn out to be great movies, on which you could learn the art of filmmaking (Last Duel, The Martian), and at other times they get a mixed to negative reviews and they make basic mistakes on the directorial side (House of Gucci, Napoleon). The fact that Ridley operates within the world in which he has previously worked is also no guarantee of quality. He has already taken on such a task once, by going back to the world of Alien, and that return after years cannot be counted as successful. Despite these doubts, one thing we can be sure of is that this will be a film created with passion and true to the vision of someone we can already call a great artist of his medium.

Beetlejuice 2

Gladiator 2, however, is not the only comeback after many years, and also is not the record of time separating of the productions in 2024. That title goes to Beetlejuice 2, a film whose predecessor came out in 1988.

Returning to the directing stool is the creator of the original and a legend of the cinema, Tim Burton. He is one of the most recognizable directors of his generation. He is an artist with a very distinctive style. His films remind us of dark fairy tales, with a gothic atmosphere and they draw inspiration from cinematic expressionism more clearly than most of the modern movies. When it comes to the protagonists of his productions, they are usually eccentric outcasts whom we would consider freaks, but ones, who by their distinctiveness, immediately gain our sympathy.

The film will show the further history of, Lydia Deetz, played again by Winona Ryder. The heroine of the original is now a mother, and we will see Jenna Ortega in the role of her daughter, Astrid. Michael Keaton, of course, will also return to his role as the titular Beetlejuice (or actually Betelgeuse) – a ghost who’s recruited to help haunt a house.

Over the years, the director has won the hearts of audiences with his ideas and has made his mark on popular culture forever. However, failures and a sense of burnout dominate among his recent works, which leaves us with some doubt about the film’s quality. But all that remains is to wait until autumn to see if a return to the world from the early days of his career will bring out the artist’s former genius.

Alien: Romulus

We’re back to the topic of Ridley Scott, or more precisely to the world of Alien he created. Alien: Romulus is being announced as a return to the series’ scary origins, becoming, once again, a gothic horror tale in space. We only know the general outline of the plot. It is supposed to tell the story of a group of young people who find themselves in a confrontation with the most dangerous life in the galaxy. As a leading actress, we will see Isabela Merced, who has been climbing higher and higher in her career steps in recent years.

However, in the case of this film, Ridley Scott remains only a producer, with Fede Alvarez taking on the directorial responsibilities. The young Uruguayan filmmaker has already managed to prove his skills within the horror genre in Don’t Breathe or 2013’s Evil Dead (which was also a new take on the 1980s horror created by another characteristic artist, Sam Raimi).

The filmmaker’s name brings optimism. Ridley Scott’s reaction to the film also gives the same feelings. The creator of the first installment of the series, who is known for his critical approach to the films he watches, already had a chance to see an early version of the picture and called it “great” and praised the work of his successor.

Wolf Man

A few years ago, Universal attempted to create a blockbuster universe based on their gallery of classic monsters. The project with which they had high expectations was a disastrous flop at the very start, which buried their plans.

This failure, however, turned into something much more interesting. A series of more intimate, unrelated projects with much smaller budgets. Giving the artists more creative freedom and modernizing a little outdated images of monsters.

An example of this trend is the upcoming Wolf Man. Initially, Ryan Gosling was attached to the project, he was mentioned as one of the initiators of this idea. He was supposed to play the titular character. However, he will only remain a producer, and will be replaced in leading role by Christopher Abbot. We also know that Abbot will be partnered on screen by Julia Garner.

The previous incarnation of the Werewolf directed by Joe Johnston came out in 2010 and was a critical and financial failure. This time, however, the director’s chair will be occupied by Leigh Whannell. He is a very underrated filmmaker who has already proven a great understanding of horror genre and a brilliant eye for designing creative shots.

The filmmaker’s name is even more thrilling because his last film, The Invisible Man, was a previous installment in mentioned series of modern takes on Universal Monsters. That feature dealt with the theme of paranoia and feeling left alone with your own problems. The picture was a huge commercial success and was praised in reviews, plus it looked amazing considering a very small budget.

So we can expect the same, original, treatment of Wolf Man by adapting it to contemporary perspective and problems.

Joker: Folie à deux

A sequel to one of the most famous films of recent years. Thanks to it Joaquin Phoenix received an Oscar for Best Actor. Moreover the movie earned one billion dollars. Todd Phillips’ 2019 Joker, along with Matt Reeves’s The Batman, showed that comic book cinema and popular cinema in general can be made in a fully artistic way.

The above-mentioned Todd Phillips returns to his position of a director, with plans to continue delving into the psyche of Arthur Fleck. The film’s title Folie a Deux is another name for shared delusional disorder, which means a condition in which a person close to the patient begins to believe indiscriminately in the patient’s paranoid thoughts. The production will revolve around this theme, which of course indicates the appearance of Harley Quinn in the production. This role will be played by Lady Gaga, who will join the returning Joaquin Phoenix. The choice of the singer for this part seems not accidental due to the production’s genre. The first movie was a psychological drama. The second part is described as a “musical psychological drama”. This movie, however, is not going to be filled with joyful dance performances, but with terrifying musical scenes being manifestations of the mental state of the characters. The film’s script itself is described as very violent.

At first thought, the musical inserts may not seem fitting to the genre and atmosphere of a production. However, it should be noticed that dancing was already an essential part of the main character’s arc in the first movie.

Nosferatu

After years of hinting the concept, Robert Eggers has finally relized his original vision of Nosferatu. Tale which history reaches back to the beginnings of cinematography. The 1922 original is one of the most important representatives of German Expressionism in cinema, which played a key role in the development of the importance of scenography and lighting in films. Among other attempts to bring the vampire to the screen, Werner Herzog’s 1979 version is most notable.

I mentioned that this story goes back to the beginnings of cinematography, but it actually goes back even further. Nosferatu was originally intended to be a screen adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and all changes were caused by a conflict over copyright.

This time we will see Bill Skarsgard in the role of Count Orlok. He will be accompanied by Willem Dafoe, Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

The name of the director, Robert Eggers is key here, as he has a unique style of creating horror movies. The way his pictures are shot resembles what the old black-and-white iconic horror films looked like. In addition, his works are filled with elements taken from folklore and mystical beliefs. Thus, he seems an ideal candidate to bring back to the screens one of the oldest horror characters, whose first incarnation inspired the style represented by the director.