According to IMDB, there have been an average of 2,577 films produced every year since 1900. And, in most recent years, budgets for the biggest films have become eye-wateringly large.
If you’re planning a trip to the cinema or you just want to look ahead to the year’s most anticipated films, here are seven upcoming blockbuster films for you to mark on your calendar.
1. The Little Mermaid
A live-action remake of the 1989 animated film of the same name, The Little Mermaid follows the eponymous Ariel. Fascinated by the human world but forbidden to explore it, when Ariel saves Prince Eric from a shipwreck, she must decide whether a life with the man she loves is worth the cost of living above water.
Due for release on 26 May, The Little Mermaid is the next film to be added to Disney’s long list of live-action remakes. Ariel will be played by singer and actor Halle Bailey, who will be supported by Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, and Melissa McCarthy.
Directed by Rob Marshall and including new songs co-written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the film has the most-watched trailer out of any of Disney’s reimagined films and is one of their most anticipated movies of this year.
2. Asteroid City
In 1955, students and parents gather in the small desert town of Asteroid City for the Junior Stargazer competition. While they all seek something different – romance, relaxation, or recreation – none of them is expecting to witness world-changing events first-hand.
Wes Anderson’s newest film is set to be released on 23 June. It features a huge, star-studded ensemble cast, including Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Willem Dafoe, and Margot Robbie.
3. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
In 1969, world-famous archaeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) sets out to whether the US government is hiring former Nazis to gain an upper hand in the Space Race. Who will be the first to put a man on the moon?
Accompanied by his goddaughter (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), they might be the only people who can prevent the scheme from destroying the world as they know it.
The Dial of Destiny will be Harrison Ford’s fifth and final portrayal of the beloved adventurer, and the film will be released on 30 June.
As the first film in the series not to be directed by Steven Spielberg (James Mangold instead takes the reins), as well as the first story not written by George Lucas, many fans are excited to see what new directions the film will go in.
Involving talented actors such as Mads Mikkelsen and Antonio Banderas, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is sure to be an explosive ending to the beloved franchise.
4. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
The seventh film in the Mission Impossible franchise includes Tom Cruise’s most dangerous stunt to date: riding a motorbike off a cliff before base jumping his way to safety.
What makes the films so exciting is the knowledge that Tom Cruise, as his character Ethan Hunt, completes all of his own stunts. But with this one, there was a very real possibility that something could go wrong. If the parachute didn’t deploy or was caught in the motorbike as he leapt off the cliff, then there was no harness to save Cruise from falling to his death.
To train for the stunt, he completed more than 500 skydives and 13,000 motocross jumps. And on the day of filming, he insisted they repeat the scene six times, so they could be sure to get the best footage possible.
The film will be released on 14 July, and its sequel, Dead Reckoning Part Two, will follow on 28 June 2024.
Alongside Tom Cruise, the film stars Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell, and Pom Klementieff.
5. Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan’s 13th feature film is based on American Prometheus, a biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer, who is known as the “father of the atomic bomb”.
It follows his life as the director of the Los Alamos Laboratory during the Manhattan Project and will explore his contributions to the creation of the first nuclear weapons during the second world war.
The film features Cillian Murphy in the titular role, alongside Emily Bunt, Robert Downey Jr, and Florence Pugh. It is released on 21 July and is sure to be just as interesting and intense as Nolan’s previous films.
6. Dune: Part Two
After the resounding success of Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s extensive book series, the sequel will be coming to cinemas on 3 November.
The film continues the journey of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as he seeks revenge on the conspirators who killed his father and destroyed his family’s house.
Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, and Zendaya, along with the majority of the original cast, are set to reprise their roles. Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and Christopher Walken are all set to join the ensemble cast for this second instalment.
After Dune swept the 2022 Oscars, winning six Academy Awards, the sequel is sure to be even bigger and more spectacular than its predecessor.
7. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is the fifth film in the Hunger Games franchise and serves as a prequel to the hugely popular first film, which was released in 2012.
Set 64 years before The Hunger Games, it follows the origins of Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) as he mentors a young District 12 tribute called Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler). The mentorship will lead him on the path to becoming the tyrannical leader of Panem.
Based on Suzanne Collins’ 2020 novel of the same name, the film will draw everyone back into the captivating and heartbreaking world of The Hunger Games on 17 November.
