Films to look forward to in 2024

 Rear view of people watching a movie at the movie theatre. [iStockphoto]

In 2023, we experienced the best of fantasy and animation in film, with productions like Barbie, Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse, and The Super Mario Bros movie.

This New Year is bound to be an equally captivating year in film, as the movies we can anticipate promise trips down memory lane, nostalgic historical biopics, and action-packed animations perfect for the entire family.

We explore some films to look forward to in 2024.

Despicable Me 4

The Despicable Me franchise is described as one that centers around a supervillain turned secret agent named Gru and his yellow-colored minions.

The comedy animation film series began with the 2010 film of the same name and was followed by two sequels, Despicable Me 2 (2013) and Despicable Me 3 (2017).

“Debuting back in 2010 and created by Sergio Pablos, Despicable Me instantly took a worldwide audience by storm, with the initial response to the first movie declaring the birth of a fantastic animated series with heaps of potential,” film review website Collider reports.

The report adds that Despicable Me 4 is set for a July 3, 2024, release date.

ScreenRant notes: “Despicable Me 4 is one of the most highly anticipated upcoming movies on Universal's calendar, and although specifics around the plot and cast are still being kept under wraps, there's been plenty teased in the buildup to the 2024 release date.”

Mean Girls

This musical/comedy is expected to be a refreshing remake of the 2004 film of the same name.

“Tina Fey's iconic teen comedy is back, and this time it's a musical (though you might not be able to tell from the first trailer),” Mashable reports.

The entertainment site adds that the plot is similar to its predecessor's, centering on new girl Cady (played this time by Angourie Rice), who gets schooled when she meets the Plastics: queen bee Regina George (Sex Lives of College Girls' Reneé Rapp) and her cool cronies Gretchen (Bebe Wood) and Karen (Avantika).

Mean Girls has enjoyed many incarnations over the last few decades, according to BBC Entertainment.

“It began life as a book, Queen Bees and Wannabees, which was partly the basis for the famous 2004 comedy film. That movie famously and hilariously explored the pressures of cliques and fitting in at high school,” BBC notes.

“After that, it was made into a Broadway musical, which has now been turned into this new movie. Tina Fey, who wrote and starred in the original film, returns to do the same here 20 years later.”

The release date for this film is set for January 12, 2024.

Poor Things

This Victorian-style fantasy film was already released in some parts of the world, debuting in Venice in September 2023 and in the US on December 8. It, however, still makes the list on multiple film websites as a major film this year, following its initial successful release.

BBC Entertainment describes the film: “Emma Stone plays a woman who embarks on a journey of emotional and sexual development in Yorgos Lanthimos's often surreal adaptation of the book by Alasdair Gray.”

The report adds: “It won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival in September and is expected to be firmly in contention for the best picture at the Oscars. Emma Stone is one of the favorites to pick up the best actress award.”

Actress Emma Stone is having a big moment in the spotlight with the film, with The Guardian noting that “she takes her career to the next level in this steampunk-futurist Victorian tale.”

“Thanks to the praise showered upon Poor Things, interest in seeing the movie has only increased. This is especially true for those looking to stay in the know about what movies could be favored at the Academy Awards,” Screenrant reports.

Bob Marley: One Love

This film is based on the life of legendary Jamaican artist Bob Marley, from his rise to fame up until his death in the early 1980s.

“[It] stars Kingsley Ben-Adir as Marley, alongside Lashana Lynch as Rita Marley. Bob Marley: One Love is scheduled to be released in the United States on February 14, 2024, by Paramount Pictures,” Essence Magazine reports.

The biographical musical drama is directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and is described on its official website onlovemovie as the celebration of the life of an icon who inspired generations through his message of love and unity.

“On the big screen for the first time, discover Bob’s powerful story of overcoming adversity and the journey behind his revolutionary music.”

Film review website Collider reports: “Marley has maintained such popularity over the years that you can find his poster hanging in modern-day college apartments, even though he hasn't produced any music since 1980. That's how much of an influence this man has had on music and pop culture. Hollywood is paying tribute to his legacy with the film.”

Bad Boys 4 (still untitled)

This is expected to be actor Will Smith’s next upcoming movie, with a set release date of June 14, 2024.

The original Bad Boys was released in 1995, starring Smith and Martin Lawrence, and was followed by a second installment, Bad Boys 2, in 2003.

Screenrant reports that Bad Boys 4 life, the third installment, came out in 2020, and left room for the storyline to continue.

“Bad Boys 4 was quickly confirmed, but production did not start immediately. Fortunately, the next Bad Boys movie is on the way- and the slow progress has been down to a number of factors which, ultimately, should lead to Bad Boys 4 being the well-thought-out sequel the franchise needs.”

There is no trailer release yet, per Collider, although stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence shared an Instagram post announcing that the film was in production.

“In an interview published in September 2023, the film's co-director, Adil El Arbi, teased the possible title for the fourth film: “Well, you know, the title that we like – I don’t know that they’re going to go for it yet – would be like ‘Bad Boys Ride or Die’ because ‘Bad Boys 4 Life’ is already taken. We didn’t know there was going to be a fourth one, you know?"