Predicting the Movie Hits and Bombs of 2018

Courtesy of the Looper website, below is a run-down of some of the major upcoming Hollywood studio films for 2018. I think a handful of them will be obvious hits, but it's not as easy to pick out the outright bombs. And the number of original dramas and comedies is frighteningly low...

Proud Mary - January 12, 2018 [Taraji P. Henson action film]
The Commuter - January 12, 2018 [Liam Neeson forced to commit crimes on a train]
12 Strong – January 19, 2018 [Chris Hemsworth war film in Afghanistan]
Maze Runner: The Death Cure - January 26, 2018 [action sequel to popular YA novel]
Fifty Shades Freed - February 9, 2018 [sequel to the best-selling sex novel]
The 15:17 to Paris – February 9, 2018 [Clint Eastwood film on Americans vs. terrorists]
Black Panther - February 16, 2018 [new Marvel comics movie featuring the African prince]
Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built - February 23, 2018 [horror film starring Helen Mirren]
Annihilation – February 23, 2018 [sci-film film by Alex Garland]
Red Sparrow – March 2, 2018 [Jennifer Lawrence spy thriller]
Game Night - March 2, 2018 [rough night for several couples at dinner]
Death Wish – March 2, 2018 [Bruce Willis in a remake of the classic Charles Bronson film]
A Wrinkle In Time - March 9, 2018 [sci-fi film of the classic Madeleine L'Engle nove[
Gringo - March 9, 2018 [kidnapping in Mexico goes horribly wrong]
Thoroughbreds – March 9, 2018 [several 20-somethings help a friend kill her abusive stepdad]
Tomb Raider - March 16, 2018 [sequel to the video game film series]
Pacific Rim: Uprising - March 23, 2018 [sci-fi sequel to the Del Toro monster film]
Isle of Dogs – March 23, 2018 [Wes Anderson animated film about a missing pet in Japan]
Ready Player One - March 30, 2018 [Spielberg sci-fi film based on an immersive video game]
New Mutants - April 13, 2018 [reboot/spin-off of the X-Men franchise]
Super Troopers 2 – April 20, 2018 cop comedy at the U.S./Canada border]
Rampage - April 20, 2018 [Dwayne Johnson tries to save an albino gorilla tearing up Chicago]
Avengers: Infinity War - May 4, 2018 [massive Marvel superhero film]
Solo: A Star Wars Story - May 25, 2018 [origin story of Han Solo from Star Wars]
Deadpool 2 - June 1, 2018 [sequel to the popular R-rated action/comedy superhero film]
Ocean's Eight – June 8, 2018 [all-women sequel to the con-artist heist series]
The Incredibles 2 - June 15, 2018 [sequel to the 2004 Pixar superhero/action/comedy film]
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - June 22, 2018 [sequel to the 2016 dinosaur theme park out-of-control film]
Soldado – June 29, 2018 [sequel to the 2015 FBI vs. druglord film Sicario]
The Purge: The Island - July 4, 2018 [third sequel to the violent dystopian SF film]
Ant-Man and the Wasp - July 6, 2018 [sequel to the 2015 Marvel superhero film]
The Nun - July 13, 2018 [spinoff from the Conjuring horror film franchise]
Alita: Battle Angel – July 20, 2018 [sci-fi film of the popular Japanese comic]
Mission: Impossible 6 - July 27, 2018 [sixth film in the successful Tom Cruise film franchise]
The Predator - August 3, 2018 [remake/reboot/sequel of the 1987 alien/hunter sci-fi film]
The Equalizer 2 – August 3, 2018 [sequel to the 2014 spy thriller]
Meg - August 10, 2018 [underwater horror/action film]
Captive State – August 17, 2018 [alien invason thriller set in Chicago]
White Boy Rick – August 17, 2018 [real-life crime story of a Detroit drug informant]
Robin Hood – September 21, 2018 [yet another remake of the classic British hero]
The House with a Clock in its Walls – September 21, 2018 [kids' horror film based on the popular novel]
A Star is Born - September 28, 2018 [third remake of the 1937 film, this time with Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga]
Venom - October 5, 2018 [superhero film spin-off from Spider-Man]
Bad Times at the El Royale – October 5, 2018 [violent double-cross crime drama]
First Man – October 12, 2018 [dramatization of the life of astronaut Neil Armstrong]
Halloween – October 19, 2018 [reboot/remake of the long-running horror franchise]
Jungle Book - October 19, 2018 [photorealistic animated remake of the 1967 Disney cartoon]
X-Men: Dark Phoenix - November 2, 2018 [sequel to the X-Men superhero films]
How The Grinch Stole Christmas - November 9, 2018 [animated cartoon of the Dr. Seuss kids' character]
Holmes and Watson – November 9, 2018 [Will Ferrell & John C. Reilly in a comedy version of the British detective]
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald – November 16, 2018 [magical sequel to the Harry Potter spinoff]
Ralph Breaks the Internet - November 21, 2018 [sequel to the Wreck-It Ralph cartoon, based on a video game]
Untitled Robert Zemeckis/Steve Carell Project – November 21, 2018 [Bob Zemeckis film of a damaged man who makes friends with dolls in his backyard]
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – December 14, 2018 [animated cartoon of the Miles Morales superhero]
Aquaman - December 21, 2018 [sci-fi/action film of the underwater comic book superhero]
Mary Poppins Returns - December 25, 2018 [sequel to the classic 1964 Disney live-action musical]

Looper: Movies that are going to blow everyone away in 2018

 

I don't see Tomb Raider doing all that well. The reaction to the trailer was fairly subdued and the game reboot has been a big success but doesn't carry the cultural hype that the original series did. If it tanks I'll feel bad for Alicia Vikander, she's too talented for tentpole dreck.

Also, seems Justice League may barely cross 700m. Folks at WB can't be very happy right now.

 

No serious films for us grown-ups?

Jeez Louise! What a bunch of junk!

If it weren't for comic books and video games, there'd apparently be about three movies released next year.

 

While many of these will most likely be fun popcorn entertainment, the only from this list that I can see be truly great would be Isle of Dogs. Nice to see Wes Anderson return to animation.

 

This is only a partial list, as posted by the Looper website. I'll update it with other films when I get a chance. There are always unexpected smashes with serious films and "artsy" films -- I think few people anticipated the success of The King's Speech, The Artist, or La La Land, and I really liked all three of those films -- but it is clear that the studios are leaning more towards remakes, reboots, sprawling epic action/adventures, and comic book movies (or all of the above).

 

No original films on that list?

 

I'll put together an addendum when I get a chance. This is from one website, but it covers quite a few major studio films.

 

I don't understand why Disney's throwing another "Star Wars" movie out so soon - five months from "TLJ" to "Solo"???

 

Ugh . . .

I used to think scoreboard watching was beside the point, but most of these films have absolutely zero reason to exist except receipts.

 

A whole lotta recycling in that popcorn list and a lot of potential $$ bombs.

 

Just watched `DUNKIRK` which should have been one of the best films of the year, but was a complete disaster, (no pun intended).
The decision to use little CGI, (and I would be the first to complain about the overuse of this technique ), meant that we see the British army (40,000 soldiers), stranded on the beach with their abandoned tanks and other vehicles (67,000 ), represented by about 1,000 extras, and about 20 or so vehicles, being rescued from the beach by a flotilla of around a dozen fishing boats!
The German army is nowhere to be seen.
The scene with the `Spitfire` having run out of fuel , but still managing to make two full sweeps of the beach while shooting down a German Bomber and a `Stuka` in the process, and then making a perfect landing, is just laughable.
There is a fantastic film to made here...but this was not it.
And yes I know it was last year, but the Blu-ray has just come out, so I`m counting it.

 

They already did dark Phoenix in x-men three and x-man Apocalypse .. ugh.
6 of those movies I'm looking forward to especially the predator..
The rest of it I don't care possible video rental.

 

I can't even work up the energy to make fun of most of those. Wes Anderson's could be interesting but he seems to be entrenched in whimsy. Clints 1517 may be a bit hit especially given its release date

 

I'm looking forward to Alex Garland's Annihilation. I really liked Garland's previous film Ex Machina, and Annihilation is an adaptation of the first volume in author Jeff VanderMeer's excellent Southern Reach Trilogy. Of course, none of that guarantees that the new movie will be any good, or that it'll be a hit at the box office.

 

I hereby temporarily retract my shaking fist . . .

 

Blank Panther won't do.. little known character..
Blade was little known character but he's kick ass vampire slayer..
Black Panther read the comics as a kid never did nothing for me.
Anything with Will Ferrell is box office poison .
Another Robin Hood.......... why ... ? oh Jeeze talk about boredom...zzzzz...

 

I can think of 4 billion reasons why they're releasing a new Star Wars film every year.

 

Every year I understand - five months after the last one I don't.

Why not save "Solo" for December 2018?

 

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) - IMDb

Star Wars: Episode IX (pre-production) 2019

 

What does it matter, you either go see it or you don't!

 

I saw this film's trailer before The Disaster Artist along with four others and only this one made me want to go back to the theater. Some may go just to see Anton Yelchin. I've liked everything I've seen of Paul Sparks.

 

Exactly what I was going to say. But geez, they are batting a 1000 with these so far imo, so if that's the motivation they need great. Gotta say, if they keep the quality up they can release as many as they please. But there in lies the problem...I dread they are going to make a major misstep with this whole thing and it's going to go down the tubes. Eventually it pretty much happens with all francises. Maybe changing directors like they are will lesson that potential, and that Kennedy lady with the small little job at Disney seems to be a good Star Wars gatekeeper so far. I've been more than impressed with everything Star Wars related since Disney took it over. So, for now, I look forward to as many as they can dish out, but I'm a bit worried about Solo. I don't know, just not that interested in him but they could certainly make a great film out of one of his adventures. I will give Disney the benefit of the doubt for now.

 

I just caught the trailer a couple of days ago, and I was very sad to see Anton Yelchin. That's a guy who should've had at least another 25-30 years for his career. Really a tragic story.

I agree -- that would make more sense. But unfortunately, you and I don't run Disney. And in some cases, they set these dates months, even years in advance, like plotting moves on a chessboard.

 

It matters because it feels like overkill. Why not let the franchise breath? Why rush out another "Star Wars" five months after the last one?

I love the franchise and don't want it to decline due to oversaturation...

 

Yeah, though I'm not sure they always planned on "Solo" coming out so soon after "TLJ". Feels like they're worried they don't have anything else commercially strong for summer 2018 so they plopped it there...