Entertainment
Top 15 Movie Sequels Coming In 2018
Movies are one of the biggest forms of entertainment, grossing billions of dollars of revenue. The only downside is the amount of time and money to produce one, seamless piece. This often leaves excited audiences waiting years for sequels.
From action-based thrillers to animated comedies, the list goes on and on. Here are the top 10 movie sequels coming in 2018.
15. The Predator
While this film smells like another cash-grab reboot (à la Alien vs. Predator), it’s actually an attempt to revitalize one of the greatest franchises in Hollywood history. The film is a direct sequel to the original Predator from 1987.
In the original, a team of commandos, led by none other than a young buff Arnold Schwarzenegger, on a covert mission in the Central American jungle fight for their lives against an alien that hunts down for sport. While this sequel was originally going to be a reboot, the people behind it decide to go a different route.
Shane Black, who directed Iron Man 3 and starred in the original, directs the film that he also co-wrote. According to him, the film is going to delve further into Predator mythology, whatever that means. While his comedy partner Jordan Peele is killing it in the director’s chair, Keegan-Michael Key is expanding into more serious roles, including Predator. Of the film he said:
“Predator was a real privilege to do, and if people think they’re going to see a remake of the original movie, they’re in for a surprise…. A very pleasant surprise.”
If it’s even half as good as the original — and has Schwarzenegger in it — it’ll be worth the cost of admission!
14. Ocean’s Eight
Ocean’s 11 through 13 were remakes of Rat Pack films from back in the day and are generally revered. Ocean’s Eight is a sequel to Ocean’s 11 and features George Clooney’s character’s (Danny Ocean) sister Debbie (Sandra Bullock), who is also a thief and is planning a gigantic heist during the Met Gala in New York City.
So, she puts together an all-female crack team. The film is a literal who’s who of stars, with Mindy Kaling, Cate Blanchett, Rihanna, Sarah Paulson, Helena Bonham Carter, Damian Lewis and Anne Hathaway also starring. Kim Kardashian will also make a cameo appearance.
Matt Damon’s character from the original films, master pick-pocket Linus Caldwell, will also star.
13. Pacific Rim Uprising
The first film was directed by Guillermo del Toro, who is known for films like Pan’s Labyrinth and Hellboy — films with amazing aesthetics that successfully translated over to Pacific Rim. The movie is about a group of people who ride gigantic weaponized robots to protect humanity from gigantic monsters.
While the film was a huge success in China, it didn’t have the same splash in the US. While not much is known about the plot, John Boyega plays the son of Idris Elba’s character from the first film. Everything released so far has looked amazing. So, strap in and get ready for some gigantic monster vs. gigantic robot action come next year!
12. Ant-Man and the Wasp
While Ant-Man debuted as the lowest opening weekend for an MCU property with about $55 million, word of mouth soon took over. Eventually, the film grossed over $500 million worldwide.
In its sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp, Hank Pym’s daughter will don the Wasp suit. Michael Douglas’ character was hesitant at first — he “lost” his wife to the quantum realm when she shrank small enough to get through titanium.
Fans got excited when they saw Evangeline Lilly in the Wasp suit — along with the original Giant Man who will be played by Lawrence Fishburne. Ant-Man and the Wasp is also going to be the first film to take place after Avengers: Infinity War, so it’ll be vitally important and expected to be a gigantic smash at the box office.
11. The Girl in the Spider’s Web
The American version of the Girl with a Dragon Tattoo starred Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara. It was well received and Mara won an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Fans of the film were pining for a sequel for years and it looks like they are getting a sequel, just not the one they wanted.
The Girl in the Spider’s Web is the first book in the series that was not written by Stieg Larsson — who passed away. And it is actually the fourth book in the series — where as Dragon Tattoo is the first.
Neither Mara nor Craig will be returning and that’s a gigantic disappointment as some could go as far as calling their version a masterpiece. Either way, it’ll be interesting to see what director and co-writer Fede Alvarez comes up with — he directed the great film Don’t Breathe.
The film will feature an entirely new cast including The Crown‘s Claire Foy as the iconic Lisbeth Salander. No word yet on who will portray Mikael Blomkvist.
10. Fifty Shades Freed
Fifty Shades of Grey is a trilogy released in 2011 by E.L. James, who based her concept off of a fan-fiction she had written about Twilight’s Edward Cullen and Bella Swan. Originally published on the Internet, Fifty Shades received so much publicity that it was intentionally redone into a publishable series that spanned three books and two movies, with its third on the way.
Fifty Shades Freed is set to release on February 9, 2018 with Jamie Dorman and Dakota Johnson reprising their roles as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele. The tumultuous, erotic storyline revolves around Christian’s rich, brooding character who lusts after Anastasia, a shy woman who comes into his office to interview the young billionaire.
Their tense initial encounter is only the beginning of a serious three-part plot following their lives intertwining despite their major differences.
The trilogy touches upon the BDSM world, and stirred controversy about how the series handles the topic. While some are unsure about the way Fifty Shades portrays the BDSM community, many fans fell for the dark sexuality. The first two films — Fifty Shades of Grey and Fifty Shades Darker — earned a combined $951 million at the box office.
9. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is set to be released on June 22, 2008. The film’s script writer and executive producer, Colin Trevorrow, said that the movie’s location — which has primarily been on islands throughout the series — will be subject to change following this highly anticipated sequel.
“I really like the idea that this group of geneticists aren’t the only people who can make a dinosaur,” he said. “When you think of the differences between Apple and PC – the minute something goes open-source, there are all kinds of entities and interests that may be able to utilize that technology.”
Although there is not much known about the movie’s plotline, Trevorrow also confirmed that it wouldn’t simply be a bunch of dinosaurs chasing down unsuspecting humans.
8. Sherlock Gnomes
The Shakespearean animated film Gnomeo & Juliet followed two gnomes from feuding homes that fall in love with one another. The film grossed $194 million at the box office, multiplying their budget by five times.
The film’s sequel will arrive seven years after the first movie’s release in 2011. Sherlock Gnomes is scheduled to hit theaters on March 23, 2018, with James McAvoy and Emily Blunt due to reprise their voice acting role as Gnomeo and Juliet.
Joined by Johnny Depp, the synopsis of the film surrounds a grouping of garden gnome disappearances, in which Gnomeo and Juliet must bring in the help of the renowned Sherlock Gnomes (voiced by Depp).
The first movie received several nominations including a Golden Globe Award, Critics’ Choice Award, Satellite Award, and the Annie Award.
7. Maze Runner: The Death Cure
Maze Runner is a popular trilogy first set in a primitive society called The Glade, where characters are dropped off to try and escape a labyrinth that is continually changing.
The film and its movie sequel received mixed reviews from critics, yet grossed upward of $600 million at the box office. The second film reached top spot on opening weekend. The third entry, The Death Cure will feature Dylan O’Brien reprising his role as Thomas, as well as Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, and Dexter Darden.
Directed by Wes Ball, the film was originally set to release on February 17, 2017. This was postponed significantly when Dylan O’Brien suffered a near-fatal accident on set during a stunt gone wrong. His injuries were extensive enough that he almost considered quitting the acting industry altogether because of the mental and physical impact the accident left him with.
Despite this, once he fully recovered, O’Brien returned to finish out the series. The film opens on January 26, 2018.
6. Mission: Impossible 6
Undoubtedly due to the impressive success of the Mission Impossible franchise, the sixth installment, Mission: Impossible 6, is scheduled for July 27, 2018. Tom Cruise will reprise his role as Ethan Hunt.
The incredible supporting cast includes Alec Baldwin, Sean Harris, Rebecca Ferguson, Michelle Monaghan, Simon Pegg, and Ving Rhames, as well as new additions, Vanessa Kirby, Sian Brooke, Angela Bassett, and Henry Cavill.
Although the sequel’s plot has yet to be discovered, filming began in April 2017 across a variety of unique locations. Mission: Impossible 6 will be the first of the series to be captured using IMAX 3D cameras.
5. Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2
Wreck-It Ralph hit theaters as the 52nd Disney animated feature and grossed $471 million at the box office. It received astounding feedback from critics as it received nominations for a Golden Globe and Academy Award, as well as won an Annie Award for Best Animated Feature.
The captivating animated film is scheduled to have its sequel, Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2, released on November 21, 2018. Reprising their voice-acting roles are John C. Reilley as Wreck-It Ralph, Jack McBrayer as Fix-It Felix, Jr., Sarah Silverman as Vanellope von Schweetz, and Jane Lynch as Sergeant Calhoun.
In the original, Wreck-It Ralph is a villain in the video game “Fix-It Felix Jr.” Ralph is often shunned for his role as the bad guy, while his fellow game character, Felix, is praised for his heroics.
Sick of what his programming was set to do, Ralph decides to finally entertain his dream of becoming the hero of a story. He sets out on a journey by traveling between different video games in the arcade, eventually being faced with having to become a true hero when he must stop a threat that he accidentally created. It’s hinted that several Disney Princesses are set to make appearances in the upcoming film.
4. Mary Poppins Returns
Mary Poppins is a fantasy meets musical movie released in 1964. The classic Walt Disney film featured Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, and Glynis Johns. Its plot follows Mary Poppins, a nanny played by Andrews, who visits a family in disarray and helps them get back on track with her unique perspective and creative lifestyle.
Mary Poppins Returns, is set to debut on December 25, 2018. This creates a 54-year gap between the two, one of the all-time longest periods separating a movie and its followup film. The cast includes Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep, Julie Walters, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, among others.
The premise of the film is set 25 years after the previous, during the Great Depression. Jane and Michael Banks are faced with a family tragedy. A visit from their former nanny is undoubtedly able to lift their spirits, but excited fans of the original movie will have to wait until the end of 2018 to find out.
3. Avengers: Infinity War
Scheduled to hit the big screen on May 4, 2018, comes Marvel’s third installment in the Avengers trilogy — Avengers: Infinity War.
The star-studded cast features Robert Downey Jr., Tom Hiddleston, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Josh Brolin, Mark Ruffalo, and Jeremy Renner, among others. Spectacularly, the film is set to bring together the Avengers team with the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Thor, the Hulk, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Captain America, Falcon, the Vision, Ant-Man, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Black Widow, Captain Marvel, Star Lord and company will face down their biggest foe yet: Thanos the Mad Titan.
2. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2
The highly anticipated Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them premiered in 2016 as an extension to the wizarding universe of Harry Potter. Written and produced by J.K. Rowling, the film tipped the scales as the 8th highest grossing film of 2016 with $814 million dollars.
Scheduled to hit theaters on November 16, 2018, the sequel will again focus on Newt Scamander. It will include Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp). The rest of the cast includes Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler and Zoe Kravitz.
Although not much of the plot is known, the film has already received broad attention and speculation.
1. The Incredibles 2
The Incredibles is an animated movie produced by Pixar and released by Disney surrounding the lives of a family of superheroes.
The sequel, arriving 14 years after its initial 2004 release, is set to revisit its beloved characters, including Bob and Helen Parr, who have super-strength and an elastic body, respectively, as well as their three children – Violet, who has the ability to go invisible and generate forcefields; Dash, who has the ability to run at incredible speeds; and Jack-Jack, a baby whose abilities have yet to be fully explored, but consist of his body changing forms.
The family of five are set to start off right where the previous film left off, and with over a decade separating the two movies, the anticipation for this one is high. In the original story, Bob, also known as Mr. Incredible, and his wife, Helen, also known as Elastigirl, are some of the top crimefighters, or “Supers,” in the world.
The popular film received incredible praise from around the world, grossing $633 million at the box office worldwide. Its success earned it several awards and nominations, including an Annie Award and two Oscars. In addition to this, The Incredibles became the very first animated movie to claim a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.