Action Point
Action Park was a notoriously unsafe theme park that at one point contained a loop-the-loop waterslide reportedly responsible for decapitating a test dummy. It makes perfect sense, then, that Johnny Knoxville should star in a movie about it.
A Star is Born
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper star in this remake, and Cooper also directs. The script is apparently inspired by Kurt Cobain’s suicide, so we’ll keep ‘excited’ in inverted commas until we’ve actually seen it.
Boy Erased
Based on Garrard Conley’s real-life experiences with a gay conversion therapy program. This is one of two major gay-conversion dramas to be released in 2018; the other being Desiree Akhavan’s The Miseducation of Cameron Post.
Crazy Rich Asians
Adapted from Kevin Kwan’s book of the same name, this fish out of water story concerns an Asian-American’s experiences with the terrifying glamour of the Singapore jet-set. The casting of biracial actor Henry Golding has already caused a minor social media stink.
The Death & Life of John F Donovan
Xavier Dolan is set for a big year. Not only will he appear in Boy Erased, but his English-language directorial debut – detailing the correspondence between a dead TV star and an 11-year-old boy – will also be released.
Backseat
The life of Dick Cheney, as directed by Adam McKay. If nothing else, Christian Bale’s physical transformation into Cheney – which involved shaving his head and putting on a ton of weight – should net him plenty of awards nods this time next year.
Early Man
Nick Park hasn’t directed since Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death a decade ago, but Early Man – a $50m stop-motion about the dawn of humanity – will rectify that. Judging from the trailers, all as charming as hell, it’ll be good to have him back.
The Favourite
Emma Stone, Olivia Colman and Rachel Weisz star in what appears to be an 18th-century period piece set around the court of Queen Anne. Then again, it’s also directed by The Lobster’s Yorgos Lanthimos, so all bets are off.
Holmes and Watson
Sherlock Holmes has been done to death. However, no adaptation has yet functioned as a quasi-sequel to Step Brothers. This film, with Will Ferrell as Holmes and John C Reilly as Watson, might be the closest we get.
Isle of Dogs
Wes Anderson’s long-awaited stop-motion animation project will arrive in March. It’s a film about dogs, set in a futuristic dystopian Japan. Yoko Ono is in it. You’re right to be excited.
The Little Stranger
Lenny Abrahamson’s Room follow-up is a supernatural thriller based on Sarah Waters’ novel. If the reaction to the film is anything like the reaction of the book, expect plenty of controversy about the ending.
Mid-90s
Jonah Hill makes his directorial debut, working from his own script on this coming-of-age drama set in 1990s LA. He’s cited Kids and This is England as his primary influences, which is either exciting or terrifying depending on how much you trust his instincts.
Oceans 8
In the positive column for this gender-swapped crime caper: Bullock, Blanchett, Hathaway, Kaling, Paulson, Bonham Carter, Awkwafina and Rihanna. In the negative column: Corden. Surely one man can’t derail a film with this much star power. Surely…
The Souvenir Part 1
Joanna Hogg has quietly become a film-maker of enormous talent. The Souvenir – counting Robert Pattinson as star and Martin Scorsese as executive producer – should be the culmination of her rise. Regardless of reception, Part 2 is being filmed this year.
Untitled Chris Morris project
Morris’ long-awaited follow-up to Four Lions was filmed in the Dominican Republic last summer. It stars Anna Kendrick and Danielle Brooks. That’s all anyone knows. Nevertheless, you should still be excited.
Where’d You Go Bernadette
Maria Semple’s riotous 2012 agoraphobia novel becomes a film starring Cate Blanchett and Kristen Wiig. The book is formed of all manner of found documents; it’ll be interesting to see how Richard Linklater adapts it for screen.
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