By Kennedy Haugen
A new year means a new batch of blockbusters and hidden gems coming to theaters. 2020 is shaping up to be a year dominated by sequels and remakes with a few independent movies sprinkled in.
A Quiet Place Pt. II, March 20
Following the events of its predecessor, A Quiet Place Pt. II has the Abbott family stepping away from their home and into the terrors of the outside world. As they are forced to venture into the unknown, it is quickly realized that the sound hunting creatures are not the only threat that lurks beyond the sand path. John Krasinski is once again at the helm of directing and writing A Quiet Place Pt. II and with the success of A Quiet Place there is high anticipation for part two.
Mulan, March 27
The classic story of the young girl, Mulan, who takes her father’s place as a warrior is now transformed into a live-action feature film. Mulan is brought to life by director, Niki Caro and features many differences from the original animated film. The film omits Mulan’s romance with Li Shang, the Hun leader, Shan-Yu and the musical basis. There is much anticipation from Disney fans to see what this live-action remake holds in store.
No Time To Die, April 10
James Bond is back for another round in theaters. No Time to Die picks up with a Bond that has left service as agent 007. His break is short-lived when an old friend from the CIE, Felix Leiter, shows up asking for help. This leads Bond onto the trail of a villian armed with dangerous new technology. No Time to Die has Daniel Craig back as the secret agent, with Rami Malik in the role of the dangerous villain.
Antebellum, April 24
Antebellum is brought to you by the same producer as Get Out and Us, starring Janelle Monae in the lead role. The log line that has been issued for this film is: “Successful author Veronica finds herself trapped in a horrifying reality and must uncover the mind-bending mystery before it’s too late.” There is a lot of mystery with what the film is about, but the trailer shows a line that bounces between modern day and the antebellum time period.
Black Widow, May 1
After years of Marvel fans asking for a Black Widow solo film, their wishes have been granted. Black Widow will show Natasha Romanoff in her quests that take place between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. Black Widow also introduces new characters to the Marvel Cinematic Universe like Red Guardian.
Wonder Woman 1984, June 5
After DC’s success with Wonder Woman a few years ago, she’s back with another film: Wonder Woman 1984. The movie is set in the eighties and sees new characters with Kristin Wiig alongside Gal Gadot. There’s also the return of Chris Pine as his character Steve Trevor, despite the character’s demise in the first film. Critics are considering whether the film will be nothing but cheese because of the time period or if it’ll be just as good as the first film. Either way, it seems like a fun time.
Top Gun: Maverick, June 26
Over 30 years since the original was released, Top Gun is back with a sequel. Top Gun: Maverick follows Pete “Maverick” Mitchell as he’s become one of the Navy’s top aviators. Maverick is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and avoiding the advancement in rank that would ground him. Tom Cruise is reprising his role as Maverick meanwhile new faces are added to the growing franchise with actors like Miles Teller.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife, July 10
Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters! After several decades, Ghostbusters gets a third and much more modern installment to their franchise. This is a direct sequel to the Ghostbusters’ films, unlike Ghostbusters (2016). In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, a single mom and her two kids move to a small town, they soon begin to discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters and a secret legacy their grandfather left behind. The cast list includes original Ghostbusters, Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd alongside popular modern actors Paul Rudd and Finn Wolfhard.
Bill & Ted Face the Music, Aug. 21
Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter are back as their titular roles of Bill and Ted for another adventure in their time-travelling telephone booth. Bill and Ted were once told they’d save the universe but the two would-be rockers from Dimas, California find themselves as middle-aged dads still trying to crank out a hit song and fulfill their destiny.
Kennedy Haugen can be reached at kennedy.haugen@theminaretonline.com