The big blockbuster films you will see in 2018
WONDERING what huge blockbuster films are due for release this year? Here’s a comprehensive list of the big budget movies due for release in 2018.
Entertainment
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NOT every blockbuster film released this year will be superhero-related, but moviegoers could very nearly fill a calendar with nothing but wisecracking, world-saving, Lycra-clad heroes.
In between, we’ll return to the Jurassic World of dinosaurs, enter new realms with Oprah, dig deeper into the dark history of Hogwarts, have the ladies show those Ocean’s Eleven chaps how a heist is done, see Tom Cruise’s latest impossible stunt and revisit an old friend from a galaxy far, far away.
First superhero off the rank is Black Panther (February 15), the first of three 2018 entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After his introduction in Captain America: Civil War, Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa returns to the rich, tech-savvy African nation of Wakanda to find being king isn’t easy.
THE ULTIMATE MOVIE GUIDE FOR 2018
Expect the events of Black Panther to lead directly into Avengers: Infinity War (April 25). The culmination of a decade of movies and dropped clues, the third all-star team-up will be huge, bringing together favourite MCU characters — from Thor to Guardians of the Galaxy and Doctor Strange. We may also meet new heroes (Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel) and say goodbye to old (Robert Downey Jr may choose to power down Iron Man here).
At the smaller end of the MCU, Evangeline Lilly will suit up to take equal billing alongside Paul Rudd in Ant-Man and the Wasp (July 5).
Things are busy in Twentieth Century Fox’s corner of the Marvel universe too, with not just a bonkers Deadpool sequel (May 31), but a new bunch of X-kids discovering their powers in the horror-tinged New Mutants (April 12) and the X-Men 2.0 gang — McAvoy, Fassbender, Lawrence, Turner etc — returning in X-Men: Dark Phoenix (November 1).
Sony will expand the Spider-Man universe to include Venom (October 4), starring Tom Hardy as a villainous alien Symbiote that bonds to humans, giving them super powers. Don’t expect Spidey to appear — Sony’s plan is to spin off stories about a host of rogues and allies not connected to the larger MCU.
And the stunningly animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (December 13) will spin a different web.
Justice League was panned by critics, but DC’s all-star outing did introduce us to Jason Momoa’s Aquaman. The undersea hero’s headline outing was filmed on the Gold Coast by Aussie James Wan. It’s an origins story about a reluctant king finally embracing his destiny. With Momoa out front, Aquaman has the potential to match Wonder Woman in the personality stakes — and look out for Nicole Kidman as Aquamum.
Disney-Pixar brings back its animated superfamily in Incredibles 2 (June 14), picking up where the first left off 14 years ago — the family finding out what powers baby Jack-Jack has up his, er, nappies.
Disney should have another animated super-hit on its hands with Ralph Breaks the Internet (March 22), sequel to 2012’s Wreck-it Ralph. The video game character’s latest adventure looks a load of fun, with bonus cameos from ALL the Disney Princesses.
A Disney princess of a different kind takes centre stage in A Wrinkle in Time (March 29), based on the 1962 novel that gave sci-fi its first female protagonist. That protagonist, Meg Murry, also happens to be 13, of mixed race, and a bit of a nerd.
Sisters will also be doing it for themselves in Ocean’s Eight (June 7), as Sandra Bullock (playing the sister of George Clooney’s Ocean’s Eleven character) and Cate Blanchett recruit a quirky team — Helena Bonham Carter, Rihanna, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson — too pull off a heist at the Met Gala. Anne Hathaway appears to be their target.
Tomb Raider (March 15) will see Oscar winner Alicia Vikander reactivate Lara Croft. Angelina Jolie last filled Lara’s short shorts; it’s good to see Vikander wearing more sensible full cargo pants.
Lady Gaga is taking her film career seriously; she’ll appear as Stefani Germanotta in the credits for A Star is Born (May 17), a remake of the musical that has been lit up by Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland before her. Bradley Cooper is Gaga’s leading man.
While 2017’s Fifty Shades sequel, Darker, showed diminished returns on the original, the allure of a happy ending to the trilogy with Fifty Shades Freed (February 8) could prove irresistible to fans.
The Sex and the City audience may find itself more turned on elsewhere, however: Crazy Rich Asians (August 16), the adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s popular novel, is crazy rich with rom-com potential. Shot in Singapore and centred around a lavish wedding, it looks OTT extravagant.
Meryl Streep will warble once more in the Mamma Mia! sequel Here We Go Again (July 19). And while the long-awaited Freddie Mercury/Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody hit director trouble, it still looks on-song for Boxing Day.
We know how Han Solo’s story ended — but how did it begin? Solo: A Star Wars Story (May 24) is likely to map out how the young smuggler came to befriend Chewbacca, rile Lando Calrissian (played by Donald Glover) and lay claim to the Millennium Falcon.
Tom Cruise always delivers in his Mission: Impossible flicks: exotic locations (Paris, Norway and New Zealand this time), great supporting cast (Henry Cavill joins, Simon Pegg, Alec Baldwin and Rebecca Ferguson return) and extravagant action sequences. The star broke his ankle filming M: I 6 (August 2), but hopefully not before nailing a mega stunt to rival 5’s hanging off the side of a plane.
Dwayne Johnson has double barrelled action flicks ready to fire: Rampage (April 12) and Skyscraper (July 12). In the first, he has to stop a giant ape destroying a city. In the second, he’s a skyscraper security specialist who finds himself framed for setting the world’s tallest tower on fire. (PS: his family is trapped on an upper floor!)
From beasts to beastly dark magic in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (November 15), our next entree into J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world.
After Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) escapes, his storied rival Dumbledore (Jude Law) recruits Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) to help recapture the powerful wizard.
But the king of rampaging box office beasts of 2018? Pencil it in as Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (June 21). Just like the dinos, when the franchise was resuscitated in 2015, it monstered the Oz box office, taking $52.9 million. Returning stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard will have one other dinosaur — sorry, Jurassic Park original — to contend with this time, in the shape of Jeff Goldblum. Tyrannosaurus yes!
It was on Jurassic Park 25 years ago that Steven Spielberg broke the boundaries of technical wizardry; he’ll be looking to do it again in 2018 with Ready Player One (March 29) — a Willie Wonka-esque treasure hunt set within a virtual reality game in an apocalyptic future.
In a different apocalyptic future, a rescued cyborg with no memories of her past, but extraordinary fighting abilities, may just change the world. Manga adaptation Alita: Battle Angel (July 19) has long been the passion project of James Cameron; but while he’s busy steering a handful of Avatar films, he’s handed the reins to Sin City director Robert Rodriguez.
And what about Aussie contenders? We may have to settle for claiming the live-action/animation hybrid Peter Rabbit or sci-fi action sequel Pacific Rim: Uprising (both March 22) instead. Both were filmed here.
Originally published as The big blockbuster films you will see in 2018
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