The Best Movies Of 2024 That We Seriously Can’t Wait For

A new year always feels like a clean slate — a symbolic reset where we give ourselves permission to (try to) forget the disappointments of the last 365 days while moving forward with a renewed perspective. Sometimes that pans out, sometimes it doesn’t. But something that is guaranteed? A calendar full of new movies debuting every weekend — titles that are set to entertain us, fade from our collective memories, become global obsessions, or even earn a hard-fought place in our curated lists of personal favorites. 

2024 promises a host of new films that will have people turning to their group chats to discuss every detail. There are musicals (one of which is a remake of an already iconic film), long-awaited sequels, and the latest efforts from award-winning filmmakers. So let’s look ahead to discover some of the most anticipated movies expected to be coming soon in a theater near you.

If the trailer for the new Mean Girls movie — with giant text reading “This isn’t your mother’s Mean Girls” — makes you feel borderline geriatric, well, same. But it certainly sets the tone for and attempts to answer some of the biggest questions about this updated version: Do we really need a new Mean Girls, and is it at all possible it has something different to say? With Tina Fey back with the screenplay, I’m cautiously optimistic that the answer is a definitive yes. 

For 2024, Mean Girls has become a musical (though, strangely, you wouldn’t know that based on the trailer and recent marketing materials), adapted from the 2018 Tony Award-nominated Broadway production. The general premise remains pretty much the same — teenager Cady must learn the social hierarchy at a new school and gets wrapped up in the Barbie-pink world of the popular girl, also known as the Plastics — but expect more Gen Z influence and social media against a background of song and dance. And, even if you’re still not totally sold on this remake, it’s hard to deny how stacked the cast is. Angourie Rice (Mare of Easttown) stars as Cady, Reneé Rapp (who also appeared in the Broadway production) is Regina George, Auli’i Cravalho (Moana) plays Janis, Christopher Briney (The Summer I Turned Pretty) is Aaron Samuels, Busy Philipps stars as Mrs. George, and Jon Hamm steps in as Coach Carr. Fey and Tim Meadows also return to their original roles of Ms. Norbury and Principal Duvall, so there will definitely be at least a few guaranteed laughs.

When: January 12

In my estimation, there were two major issues with the first Dune film, which was, overall, a breathtaking movie. It didn’t really feel like a complete story (something that felt inevitable with the “Part One” subtitle), and there was nowhere near enough of Zendaya on screen. Dune: Part Two looks like it will rectify both of these problems. 

Once again directed and co-written by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, the sci-fi epic continues the story of Frank Herbert’s seminal 1965 novel. Exiled nobleman Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) is still caught up in war on the desert planet Arrakis and is seeking revenge against the people who killed his family. Now, he’s joined forces with Chani (Zendaya) and her overlooked people, the Fremen, but soon may be faced with saving the universe or protecting his newfound love. Florence Pugh and Austin Butler are also among the new cast members.

Villenueve (whose other films include Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival) has already proven that he can create transportive images and sweeping narratives — you know, the kind of movie you want to see on the biggest screen possible — so to finally have the chance to see the next part of this story is a big deal. In fact, I suspect that even though the film is set to premiere in March (after being delayed due to the writer and actor strikes), it may just be the movie event of the entire year.

When: March 1

At this point, it doesn’t matter that we barely know anything about Mickey 17. Even before director Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite cleaned up the 2020 Oscars with six wins (including Best Picture, Directing, and Original Screenplay), anyone familiar with his work would consider his films essential viewing, and his latest — his first movie in five years — is certainly no different. 

Here’s what we do know about the sci-fi film. It’s adapted from Edward Ashton’s 2022 novel, Mickey7. It’s set during an expedition to colonize a distant ice planet, in which an “expendable” employee is set out on the most dangerous tasks and is cloned each time they die. And it stars Robert Pattinson — who seems committed to do something new, unexpected, and often weird with every role — Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Mark Ruffalo, and Toni Collette. I don’t know about you, but that’s more than enough info to get me to line up for tickets as soon as humanly possible. 

When: March 29

In a just world — one in which writers and actors didn’t have to embark on historic strikes for fair contracts — Challengers would already be one of my favorite movies. Instead, thanks to a months-long delay, we all have to wait until spring to watch the latest film from Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name, Suspiria). 

Based on its slick, sexy, Rihanna-backed trailer, the wait for Challengers will be more than worth it. The romantic sports dramedy stars Zendaya, Josh O’Connor (The Crown), and Mike Faist (West Side Story) as three rising tennis stars named Tashi, Patrick, and Art. Tashi meets the two best friends during their teenage years, and the trio form a quite intimate relationship. Some years later, however, an injury-ridden Tashi has coached her now-husband Art to tennis fame, and Patrick is no longer in their lives. But when Art starts to slump into a losing streak, Tashi enters him into a challenger tournament that has him back on the court facing Patrick — who also happens to be Tashi’s ex. 

I’m not one to usually apply the word “delicious” to non-food related things, but could there be a more apt description for the athletic and interpersonal drama that is about to ensue? 

When: April 26

Ryan Gosling is leaving Just Ken behind, but, luckily for us all, he’s keeping his comedic streak going in The Fall Guy. Gosling stars as former stuntman Colt, who returns to the business to double for an actor he’s worked with in the past (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). The catch? The movie is being directed by his ex-girlfriend, Jody (Emily Blunt). Matters become even more complicated when the actor goes missing, and Colt has to search for him in order to save the movie, inadvertently dragging him into a risky and dangerous IRL situation. Winston Duke, Hannah Waddingham, and Stephanie Hsu also star. 

Gosling was a comedic force long before Barbie (seriously, watch The Nice Guys if you haven’t already), Blunt is an underrated action star (ditto Edge of Tomorrow), and it looks like the pair will have irresistible chemistry. A trailer never shows the full picture, but with a solid sense of humor, lively action sequences, and solid jokes, The Fall Guy is set to be the perfect way to kick off the summer blockbuster season.

When: May 3

Very rarely has there been a reawakened franchise years after it began that hits even harder than the original. But 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road, masterfully directed by George Miller, was exactly that.

Both a spin-off and a prequel, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga follows the origin story of the fearless renegade (originally played by a shorn Charlize Theron, and this time by the great Anya Taylor-Joy), promises to be one of the best of the year. Sure, it may be early to call it, but with Miller back in the directing seat, an unrecognizable Chris Hemsworth playing smiley villain Dementus, and even Junkie XL returning to score, this is a recipe for perfection.

This also marks the first installment in the Mad Max franchise not to star Max himself (originally played by Mel Gibson and, later, Tom Hardy), and if the recently released trailer is anything to go by, it’ll keep up the heart-pumping tension and stunning action sequences that’ll leave your breath in the dust.After a nail-biting, year-long delay, and a possible Cannes debut like its predecessor, Furiosa is almost here. As a blazing visual feast, this is a must-see at the theaters, forget streaming.

When: May 24

It’s a rare thing for a movie franchise to get better with age, but, somehow, that’s exactly what John Wick has done. Now, with Ballerina, the first movie spinoff of the Keanu Reeves-led action series, we’re about to find out if that will extend beyond the character of Wick himself. 

Ana de Armas steps into the ass-kicking main role for this action flick (though Reeves’ take-no-prisoners hitman character is also involved), which is intriguing for everyone who holds the (correct) opinion that her sequence in No Time To Die is the James Bond movie’s best stretch. She plays Rooney, a ballerina/assassin seeking revenge against the people who murdered her family. That’s good news on two fronts: we can expect more breathless, how-did-they-do-that fight sequences, and we won’t have to relive the devastating death of Wick’s cherished dog that kicked off these movies in the first place. 

When: June 7

From the second we knew that Jenna Ortega was teaming up with Tim Burton for Wednesday, a fun, gothic update on The Addams Family, it was almost too obvious that Ortega was also destined to star in a sequel to the director’s iconic 1988 comedy/horror Beetlejuice. So, naturally, the two made it happen and Beetlejuice 2 is heading our way. 

Here’s the thing, though: As of right now, Burton and Co. have revealed next to nothing about what this movie — which is a proper sequel, not a remake — is actually about, so all anticipation for it is entirely wrapped up in nostalgia and the cast. Fans will remember that the OG followed the Deetz family (which included Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara) as they move into what should be an idyllic home, only to discover it’s being haunted by its previous owners (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis), pulling them into the matters of the afterlife and the titular, havoc-wreaking supernatural being Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton). Decades later, Keaton, O’Hara, and Ryder are all reprising their original roles, while Ortega is set to play Ryder’s daughter. 

Maybe it’s wrong to start from a skeptical place here — especially with the credentials of everyone involved — but I’ll admit that my curiosity here is if there’s a real narrative reason for this movie to exist, and if they’ll be able to pull off the retro (if outdated) magic that has made the first one so beloved. 

When: September 6

Even if you’re not a big musical theater person, you probably know about Wicked. Loosely adapted from Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel of the same name, which imagined the events before  Dorothy clicked her heels in The Wizard of Oz, the Broadway show first debuted in 2003 starring Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth and has gone on to become one of the longest-running musicals — and one of only three musicals to make over $1 billion. This is storied stuff and means a lot to a lot of people (including Glee’s Rachel Berry, IYKYK). So it makes sense that they’ve finally created a film adaptation of the musical — if a bit surprising that it took this long to get made. (A stage-to-screen version has been talked about for years, but never came to fruition until now.) 

The story chronicles the lives of two witches in Oz, tracking their friendship as one of them turns into the Wicked Witch of the West and the other becomes the Good Witch of the South. Yes, this is a villain origin story, but remember that it dates back to a time before movies like Cruella and Joker became dominant in our pop culture. Then there’s the matter of the talent involved. Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) directs, and Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande star as the two main characters, Elphaba and Glinda. Jonathan Bailey, Bowen Yang, and Michelle Yeoh also star in major roles, making for a cast I’d be intrigued to check out in anything. 

The only downside? You’ll notice that the film is, in fact, called Wicked: Part One, meaning the musical has been split into two parts for the big screen. And with a full year in between the expected premiere dates, it’s a safe bet that the intermission break will feel much longer than it would on Broadway. 

When: November 27