10 Hollywood films we just can’t wait to watch in 2024

2023 was a mixed bag for Hollywood. From the towering highs and euphoria of Barbenheimer to the actors' and writers' strikes that postponed numerous projects and even canned a few which makers felt, in retrospect, wouldn’t materialise. But now, with both strikes reaching a favourable conclusion, 2024 looks promising and we can’t wait for the slew of big-ticket Hollywood projects that are slated to drop this year. So in this episode of List Hai Toh Hit Hai, we’ve cobbled together a list of Hollywood films to look forward to in 2024.

Dune: Part II

Cinephiles across the globe let out collective groans when Warner Bros. announced that the highly anticipated sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s magnum opus, Dune, was postponed from November 2023 to March 2024. The epic space opera, Dune Part II, adapted from Frank Herbert’s groundbreaking sci-fi novel is touted to be bigger in scale and execution than its predecessor,  which took home six Academy Awards. The star-studded ensemble will be led by the returning cast comprising Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Rebecca Ferguson.

Nosferatu

Jordan Peele, Ari Aster, and Robert Eggers have been credited with reinventing the horror genre in recent years through acclaimed films that have ditched stereotypes and turned the narrative structure of eerie films as we knew it. The Witch and The Lighthouse director Eggers has taken up a project, which could be viewed as his most ambitious yet – helming the remake of the iconic 1922 German film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. The upcoming film tells the story of Count Orlok, a character who is based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Bill Skarsgård will slip into the notorious titular character, while Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, and Willem Dafoe round off an impressive cast.

Gladiator 2

Russell Crowe’s turn as the betrayed General-turned-gladiator in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator is arguably one of the greatest characters ever written for film. Scott is returning to helm the sequel, which will revolve around Lucious, who is the son of Connie Nielsen’s character Lucilla, the daughter of Emperor Marcus Aurelius from the first film. Normal People and Aftersun star Paul Mescal will essay the role of Lucious while Denzel Washington, May Calamawy, Derek Jacobi, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, and Pedro Pascal join Connie Nielsen in portraying other prominent roles.

Joker: Folie à Deux

With the release of Aquaman 2: The Fallen Kingdom, DC has officially wrapped up the ill-fated DC Cinematic Extended Universe, with James Gunn set to launch the rebranded DC Universe. While DC Films have struggled to create an interconnected superhero universe to rival Marvel’s MCU, they have excelled at self-contained stories such as Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, Matt Reeves’ The Batman, and Todd Philips’ Joker. Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal as the Clown Prince of Crime helped Philip’s DC Elseworld story gross over a billion dollars at the box office, shattering the record for the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. It was only inevitable that Warner Bros. Discovery would greenlight the sequel. Titled Joker: Folie à Deux, the film will explore the nuances of the chaotic and dysfunctional relationship between the Joker and Harley Quinn, who will be played by Lady Gaga. Both Phoenix and Philips will return for this much-awaited sequel.

Madame Web

Spider-Man has officially surpassed Batman as the most successful superhero IP of all time, in terms of revenue across films and video games. The friendly neighbourhood web-slinger also boasts an impressive lore rich with intriguing supporting characters and villains that could rival the Dark Knight. Sony Pictures has tapped into the wealth of the Spider-Man lore with several releases lined up for 2024. Venom 3 and Kraven the Hunter are two highly anticipated releases from Spidey’s vast Spiderverse. There is also speculation that the third film of the critically acclaimed Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse could also be released later this year, although there is no official confirmation as yet. But Spidey fans will have an exciting release to look forward to in January 2024  with Madame Web. Dakota Johnson will essay the titular role with Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O'Connor, and Isabela Merced playing different versions of Spider-Woman. Tahar Rahim will essay the role of the antagonist who is determined to hunt down the three women who will eventually don the mantle of Spider-Woman.

Deadpool 3

The wise-cracking anti-hero Deadpool is set to return for a third film with Ryan Reynolds reprising his role as the ‘merc with a mouth’. Shawn Levy takes over as director for the film, as the franchise officially joins Disney and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. To spice things up, Hugh Jackman will reprise his role as the fan-favourite X-Men character Wolverine. Morena Baccarin and Brianna Hildebrand will also reprise their roles from the previous Deadpool films, with Jennifer Garner reprising her role as Elektra Natchios from the early 2000s films Daredevil and its spin-off Elektra. The film is expected to introduce more X-Men characters from the 20th Century Fox films into Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Ballerina

The John Wick franchise has gone from strength to strength with each film, and the most recent release, John Wick: Chapter 4 is widely regarded as a genre-redefining action masterpiece. The popularity of the franchise has led to the development of several potential sequels and spin-offs. Ballerina will star Ana de Armas in the lead, replacing Unity Phelan, who played the character in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. The story follows the titular character, a ballerina who is also a deadly assassin, seeking vengeance against those who murdered her family. Anjelica Huston and Gabriel Byrne will essay prominent roles, while the late Lance Reddick will reprise his role as Charon in his final performance. Norman Reedus also joins the cast, with Ian McShane and Keanu Reeves as John Wick also expected to make appearances in the film.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

From one iconic action franchise to another. Legendary filmmaker George Miller is set to return with yet another tale from the Mad Max franchise. The upcoming film, titled Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, will explore the origins of Imperator Furiosa, who was played by Charlize Theron in the 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road. The younger version of the character in the new film will be played by Anya Taylor-Joy. Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, and Nathan Jones among others essay other prominent roles in the film.

The Fall Guy

Despite delivering memorable and riveting performances across genres Ryan Gosling was never regarded as a bankable star. However, his incredible performance as Ken in the blockbuster hit Barbie has turned him into a global superstar. His next project is the 2024 David Leitch film The Fall Guy, in which he slips into the role of Colt Seavers, an ex-stuntman who comes out of retirement for a major blockbuster. However, when the film’s lead star goes missing, Colt offers to investigate the disappearance as he unravels a sinister plot. The film boasts a star-studded ensemble featuring Emily Blunt, Winston Duke, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, and Stephanie Hsu.

Mickey 17

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Bong Joon-ho is set to release his next major feature film in 2024 and it is titled Mickey 17. The Parasite filmmaker has roped in a supremely talented cast of Robert Pattinson, Toni Collette, Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, and Mark Ruffalo. The sci-fi film is an adaptation of Ashton Edward’s novel titled Mickey7 about a space explorer named Mickey Barnes aka Mickey17, the seventeenth iteration of one man who can transform his consciousness into a new body. Mickey is tasked with colonising the ice world Niflheim.

Well that's all for this episode, until the next one it's your host Nikhil signing out.

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Written by Ryan Gomez