It’s that time of year again! The start of a new year when we look ahead to a few of the Hollywood films that will be arriving in cinemas this year. This is the first of two lists of films slated to be released in 2019 which look the most promising. There’s no guarantee that all of these films will be the best of the year, simply that they have the potential to be, at the very least, enjoyable.
To kick off this look forward to 2019 in movies, here are some of the original films (films that are not a sequel, prequel, interquel, reboot, re-imaging, remake etc of a previous film or television series and are not based on a pre-existing intellectual property) moviegoers will be watching in cinemas this year.
JANUARY
Serenity
Directed by: Steven Knight
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Diane Lane, Jason Clarke, Djimon Hounsou, and Jeremy Strong.
Synopsis: The mysterious past of a fishing boat captain comes back to haunt him, when his ex-wife tracks him down with a desperate plea for help, ensnaring his life in a new reality that may not be all that it seems.
The Kid Who Would Be King
Directed by: Joe Cornish
Starring: Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Tom Taylor, Rebecca Ferguson, and Patrick Stewart.
Synopsis: A band of kids embark on an epic quest to thwart a medieval menace.
The Upside
Directed by: Neil Burger
Starring: Kevin Hart, Bryan Cranston and Nicole Kidman.
Synopsis: A comedic look at the relationship between a wealthy man with quadriplegia and an unemployed man with a criminal record who’s hired to help him.
MARCH
Us
Directed by: Jordan Peele.
Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Anna Diop.
Synopsis: A mother and father take their kids to their beach house, expecting to enjoy time with friends, but their serenity turns to tension and chaos when some visitors arrive uninvited.
APRIL
Missing Link
Directed by: Chris Butler
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana, Timothy Olyphant, Emma Thompson, and Zach Galifianakis.
Synopsis: Mr. Link recruits explorer Sir Lionel Frost to help find his long-lost relatives in the fabled valley of Shangri-La. Along with adventurer Adelina Fortnight, this trio of explorers travel the world to help their new friend.
MAY
Brightburn
Directed by: David Yarovesky
Starring: Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Jackson A. Dunn, Matt Jones and Meredith Hagner.
Synopsis: What if a child from another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved to be something far more sinister?
Rocketman
Directed by: Dexter Fletcher
Starring: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, and Bryce Dallas Howard.
Synopsis: The story of Elton John’s life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin.
JUNE
Ford v. Ferrari
Directed by: James Mangold
Starring: Christian Bale, Matt Damon, Caitriona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Josh Lucas, and Noah Jupe.
Synopsis: The true story of the battle between Ford and Ferrari to win Le Mans in 1966.
No trailer available.
JULY
Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie.
Synopsis: A faded TV actor and his stunt double embark on an odyssey to make a name for themselves in the film industry during the Helter Skelter reign of terror in 1969 Los Angeles.
No trailer available.
October
A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood
Directed by: Marielle Heller
Starring: Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, and Chris Cooper.
Synopsis: Two-time Oscar®-winner Tom Hanks portrays Mister Rogers in Untitled Mr. Rogers / Tom Hanks Project, a timely story of kindness triumphing over cynicism, based on the true story of a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and journalist Tom Junod. After a jaded magazine writer (Emmy winner Matthew Rhys) is assigned a profile of Fred Rogers, he overcomes his skepticism, learning about empathy, kindness, and decency from America’s most beloved neighbor.
No trailer available.
