Merry Christmas!
It’s that time of year again, time to take a look forward at what movies should be on your radar for 2020. Are you going to see them all? Heck no. These are the genre films we think borg readers will want to know about to make their own checklists for the coming year–and they are only the films we know about so far. We pulled 85 of the hundreds of films that have been finalized or are in varying stages of final production, slated for next year’s movie calendar.
What looks to top the list for most fanboys and fangirls? Ghostbusters: Afterlife! Scarlett Johannson solo in Black Widow! A new James Bond movie, No Time to Die. Vin Diesel in Bloodshot and a new Fast & Furious. The original Tom Clancy novel series is finally continuing with an adaptation of Without Remorse. Comic book adaptations are in less supply in 2020, but look for Venom 2, Wonder Woman 1984, Eternals, The New Mutants, Morbius, Birds of Prey, The Old Guard, and did we mention Black Widow? Compare the below list to our 2019 list and even the 2018 list, 2017 list, 2016 list, 2015 list, or 2014 list, and your takeaway may be seeing the studios moving genre content from the big screen to the small screen via streaming services.
Do you like sequels? There are far less coming to theaters in 2020 than in 2019, but many more remakes of movies, books, and TV shows are on the way. In fact, with all the blockbusters in 2019, 2020 looks pretty tame as the cinema marquee is concerned. Some films don’t have locked in release dates yet: Amazon Studios and Netflix haven’t revealed dates for the following 2020 releases (those we know you’ll find on the calendar below):
- 7500, a film about a highjacked airplane, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Amazon Studios)
- The Dig, a film about a woman finding archaeological treasures on her land, starring Ralph Fiennes, Lily James, and Carey Mulligan (Netflix)
- Horse Girl, Alison Brie stars and directs this story about an awkward girl who fuses her dreams with reality (Netflix)
- Jingle Jangle, an animated Christmas story with the voices of Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, and Hugh Bonneville (Netflix)
- Louis Wain, biopic of the 19th century artist starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Claire Foy, and Andrea Riseborough (Amazon Studios)
- The Old Guard, adaptation of comic book story, starring Charlize Theron and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Netflix)
- Radioactive, a film about Marie Curie, starring Rosamund Pike and Anya Taylor-Joy (Amazon)
- Rebecca, adaptation and remake of the Daphne Du Maurier classic novel, starring Lily James, Keely Hawes, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Armie Hammer (Netflix)
- Welcome to Sudden Death, sequel to Jean-Claude van Damme 1995 movie starring Michael Jai White (Netflix)
- The Willoughbys, animated adaptation of the Lois Lowry book, with voices of Maya Rudolph, Martin Short, and Jane Krakowski (Netflix)
- Wonderland, murder conspiracy mystery starring Mark Wahlberg, Allan Arkin, and Colleen Camp (Netflix)
Some of these films will have revised release dates, or get pushed to 2021.
So grab your calendar and start making your plans–here are the movies you’ll want to see in 2020 (and some you might not!):
January
The Informer – Thriller, starring Joel Kinnaman, Rosamund Pike, Ana de Armas, Common, and Clive Owen – January 10.
Underwater – Thriller, stars Kristin Stewart in underwater horror story – January 10.
Dolittle – Family/Comedy, stars Robert Downey, Jr. in remake of the classic, with voices of Tom Holland, Rami Malek, Octavia Spencer, Emma Thompson, Antonio Banderas, Ralph Fiennes, and Michael Sheen – January 17.
Troop Zero – Coming of Age, stars Mckenna Grace, Viola Davis, and Jim Gaffigan in story of girl scouts trying to get their voices on the Voyager probe golden space record in 1977 – January 17 (Amazon Studios).
Bad Boys for Life – Comedy/action, 17 years since the last sequel and 25 years since the beginning, Will Smith is back with Martin Lawrence, plus Vanessa Hudgens and Alexander Ludwig – January 17.
The Gentlemen – Heist/Action, starring Matthew McConaughey, Colin Farrell, and Hugh Grant – January 24.
The Last Full Measure – War/drama, starring Christopher Plummer, Ed Harris, Samuel L. Jackson, Sebastian Stan, and William Hurt – January 24.
Gretel and Hansel – Horror/thriller stars Sophia Lillis, Jessica De Gouw, Alice Krige, and Samuel Leakey – January 31.
The Rhythm Section – Action/thriller with a bad title stars Blake Lively in a badass role seeking revenge, with Sterling K. Brown, Jude Law, and Daniel Mays – January 31.
February
Birds of Prey – Superhero movie about the villains tries to fit several characters in a Margot Robbie movie, with Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Ewan McGregor – February 7.
The Lodge – Horror, starring Alicia Silverstone and Richard Armitage – February 7.
Fantasy Island – Horror, Michael Peña stars in remake/reboot of the 1970s series, with Maggie Q and Michael Rooker – February 14.
Sonic the Hedgehog – Family/Action. Jim Carrey stars with James Marsden, based on the video game character – February 14.
Downhill – Comedy, stars Will Ferrell, Miranda Otto, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus – February 14.
The Call of the Wild – Family/adventure, stars Harrison Ford and Karen Gillan in another adaptation of the classic Jack London novel – February 21.
Emma – Drama, stars Anya Taylor-Joy, with Bill Nighy, in another adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel – February 21.
Wendy – Drama, new twist on the classic Peter Pan character, directed by Benh Zeitlin – February 28.
March
Onward – Animated, new Disney/Pixar movie about two teen elves, featuring the voices of Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus – March 6.
Bloodshot – Superhero, stars Vin Diesel as the comic book character in its first movie adaptation – March 13.
A Quiet Place, Part II – Horror, John Krasinski returns to direct wife Emily Blunt in sequel, with Cillian Murphy – March 20.
Mulan – Drama, stars Yifei Liu as Mulan in live-action remake of the animated movie, with Donnie Yen, Jet Li, Li Gong, and Jason Scott Lee – March 27.
April
The New Mutants – Superhero, sitting in a can for literally years and delayed further by the Disney acquisition of Fox, at last it arrives in theaters (unless it’s delayed again), starring Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, and Antonio Banderas – April 3.
No Time to Die – Action, Bond is back! Daniel Craig returns with the key cast, plus Ana de Armas and Jeffrey Wright – April 10.
The Secret Garden – Family, latest remake of the Frances Hogson Burnett classic stars Colin Firth, Julie Walters, and Dixie Egerickx as Mary – April 17.
Trolls World Tour – Animated, sequel stars voices of Anna Kendrick, Sam Rockwell, and James Corden – April 17.
Monster Problems – Adventure/Comedy, stars Jessica Henwick, Dylan O’Brien, and Michael Rooker, about surviving a monster apocalypse – April 17.
Promising Young Woman – Crime/thriller, stars Carey Mulligan as a woman seeking revenge against men that wronged her – April 17.
Antebellum – Horror, from the creators of Get Out and Us, Janelle Monae and Jena Malone star in a story about an author who gets sucked into a nightmare – April 24.
Summer Season Begins
May
Black Widow – Superhero, at last the eagerly awaited spy film arrives, starring Scarlett Johannson, Rachel Weisz, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and William Hurt – May 1.
Greyhound – War/drama, stars Tom Hanks and Manuel Garcia-Rolfo, based on a C.S. Forester novel, following a captain being stalked by a U-boat in WWII – May 8.
The Personal History of David Copperfield – Drama, stars Dev Patel, Hugh Laurie, Peter Capaldi, Ben Whishaw, and Tilda Swinton in adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel – May 8.
Scoob! – Animated, stars new voices of the Scooby gang, Amanda Seyfried, Zac Efron, Jason Isaacs, Will Forte, and Ken Jeong – May 15.
The Woman in the Window – Crime/thriller, stars Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, and Wyatt Russell, about a woman who sees a murder from her apartment – May 15.
The Woman Who Loves Giraffes – Documentary, Tatiana Maslany stars in story of Anne Dagg, a giraffe researcher and leader in animal behavior research – May 17.
Fast & Furious 9 – Action, sequel has the return of Vine Diesel and Charlize Theron, with Helen Mirren, Michael Rooker, and past cast members – May 22.
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run – Animated, stars voices of Clancy Brown, Awkwafina, and Keanu Reeves – May 22.
Artemis Fowl – Adventure/fantasy about a young Irish mastermind is pushed out another year, stars Hong Chau, Judi Dench, and Josh Gad, directed by Kenneth Branagh – May 29.
June
Wonder Woman 1984 – Superhero, Gal Gadot and Chris Pine return for series sequel, with Pedro Pascal – June 5.
Soul – Animated, next Pixar movie about death and music, stars Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey – June 19.
Top Gun: Maverick – Action, Tom Cruise returns as the ace pilot, with Jennifer Connelly – June 26.
July
Free Guy – Action/comedy, starring Ryan Reynolds and Stranger Things’ Joe Keery – July 3.
Minions: The Rise of Gru – Animated, series sequel, with voice of Steve Carell – July 3.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife – Action/comedy, at last they’re getting the band back together! Starring newcomers McKenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, and Paul Rudd, plus Ernie Hudson, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and Sigourney Weaver – June 10.
Bob’s Burgers: The Movie – Animated, the favorite series gets a movie! Starring voices of Jon Benjamin, Kristen Schaal, John Roberts, Dann Mintz, Eugene Merman, and Larry Murphy – June 7.
Tenet – Thriller, in new ticking clock drama, will a new generation learns it’s neither spelled nor pronounced “tenant”? Christopher Nolan’s latest stars genre actors Elizabeth Debicki, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Robert Pattinson, with the great Michael Caine and Kenneth Branagh – July 17.
Jungle Cruise – Adventure, Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt star in action fun based on the Disney park ride – July 24.
Morbius – Action/horror, biochemist tries to cure himself, and instead becomes a vampire, starring Matt Smith, J.K. Simmons, Jared Harris, Adria Arjona, and Jared Leto – June 31.
August
Infinite – Sci-fi, stellar director Antoine Fuqua returns with story about a man whose hallucinations end up being visions of past lives, stars Mark Wahlberg – August 7.
The One and Only Ivan – Animated, stars Danny DeVito, Helen Mirren, Angelina Jolie, and Sam Rockwell, about animals hatching a plan to break out of captivity – August 14.
Bill & Ted Face the Music – Comedy, Samara Weaving joins Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves in long-awaited second sequel – August 21.
September
Monster Hunter – Action, based on the Capcom video game, stars Milla Jovovich and Ron Perlman, directed by Paul W.S. Anderson – September 4.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It – Horror, third film in the larger franchise sees return of stars Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson – September 11.
Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse – Action/thriller, Michael B. Jordan is John Clark in the sixth film in the series, the sequel to The Sum of All Fears – September 18.
The King’s Man – Action, third film in the Kingsman series is a prequel, starring Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Djimon Hounsou, Charles Dance, Daniel Bruhl, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson – September 18.
Last Night in Soho – Horror/thriller, Edgar Wright directs Anya Taylor-Joy, who is in every other film this year, with Matt Smith, Diana Rigg, and Terence Stamp, about a woman interested in fashion design who can step back into the 1960s for help – September 25.
The Many Saints of Newark – TV sequel, El Camino-esque film, Michael Gandolfini plays father’s role in prequel story of Tony Soprano from The Sopranos, with Ray Liotta, Jon Bernthal, Vera Farmiga – September 25.
October
The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Drama with all-star cast, about the aftermath of the 1968 Democratic convention, starring Michael Keaton, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Eddie Redmayne, Sasha Baron Cohen, and Frank Langella – October 2.
Venom 2 – Superhero, Tom Hardy returns with Michelle Williams as the Marvel anti-hero, with Woody Harrelson – October 2.
BIOS – Sci-fi, stars Tom Hanks and Skeet Ulrich, on a post-apocalyptic earth, a robot built to protect the life of his dying creator’s dog, learns what it means to be human – October 2.
Death on the Nile – Mystery, stars director Kenneth Branagh back as Hercule Poirot, with new cast of suspects played by Annette Bening, Dawn French, Sophie Okonedo, Jennifer Saunders, Russell Brand, Armie Hammer, Gal Gadot, Ali Fazal, Rose Leslie, Letitia Wright, Tom Bateman, and Emma Mackey – October 9.
The Witches – Family, comedy, adventure, Robert Zemeckis directs remake/adaptation of Roald Dahl children’s book, starring Anne Hathaway and Octavia Spencer – October 9.
G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes – Action, the G.I. Joe franchise continues, with Henry Golding as Snake Eyes, Andrew Koji as Storm Shadow, Samara Weaving as Scarlett, Úrsula Corberó as Baroness, and international martial arts champ and star of Wu Assassins, Iko Uwais – October 16.
Halloween Kills – Horror, Jamie Lee Curtis is back after Michael Myers again as Laurie Strode, with Judy Greer, Anthony Michael Hall, and Kyle Richards, who played the little girl in John Carpenter’s original film and sequels – October 16.
November
Eternals – Superhero, Marvel/Disney explores new territory in the Marvel Comics universe, starring Gemma Chan, Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie, and Brian Tyree Henry – November 6.
Holiday season releases begin
Clifford the Big Red Dog – Animated, from the classic books, starring voices of Kenan Thompson, John Cleese, Darby Camp, and Horatio Sanz – November 13.
Deep Water – Drama, stars Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas in Gone Girl-esque thriller – November 13.
Godzilla vs. Kong – Action/sci-fi, the two franchises merge, starring Ziyi Zhang, Millie Bobby Brown, Danai Gurira, Eiza Gonzalez, Brian Tyree Henry, and Kyle Chandler – November 20.
King Richard – Drama, not Shakespeare–a look at the father of the two tennis greats Serena and Venus Williams, starring Will Smith – November 25.
Raya and the Last Dragon – Animated, starring voices of Cassie Steele and Awkwafina – November 25.
December
Dune – Sci-fi, Denis Villeneuve directs remake starring Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Dave Bautista, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson, Timothée Chalamet, and Oscar Isaac – December 18.
Uncharted – Action, prequel to the game stars Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg – December 18.
Coming 2 America – Comedy, sequel to the 1980s movie, stars Eddie Murphy and James Earl Jones, John Amos, Arsenio Hall, Tracy Morgan, Wesley Snipes, and Louie Anderson – December 18.
The Croods 2 – Animated, stars voices of Ryan Reynolds, Kelly Marie Tran, Nicholas Cage, Peter Dinklage, and Cloris Leachman – December 23.
The Tomorrow War – Sci-fi, stars Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, and J.K. Simmons – December 25.
And that’s it–come back next year for previews and reviews of some of the most eagerly awaited movies from the above list.
C.J. Bunce
Editor
borg
