2018 — MINUS SEQUELS, SPINOFFS AND REBOOTS
There’s nothing wrong with caped crusaders, and there will be plenty of options to watch some save the planet from complete destruction in 2018, if you so choose. But there are times when you may want something a little different — something that isn’t a sequel or reboot or part of some shared universe. If so, read on for a sampling of promising original films coming this year.
Serious drama
Rooney Mara takes the title role in “Mary Magdalene,” the biblical drama from “Lion” director Garth Davis. She stars opposite the conveniently hirsute Joaquin Phoenix, who plays Jesus in a release scheduled for late March, just in time for Easter. “Ophelia” is another familiar story told from a female perspective. Daisy Ridley takes a break fromher “StarWars” duties to play the ill-fated Shakespearean character, opposite George MacKay’s Hamlet
Wasting no time after the success of “Call Me by Your Name,” director Luca Guadagnino will release “Rio,” from a script by Oscar nominee Steven Knight. The drama stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Benedict Cumberbatch and Michelle Williams in a story about a journalist who travels to Brazil and gets sucked into a criminal plot. Gyllenhaal also stars in “The Sisters Brothers,” the English-language feature debut of Jacques Audiard (the French director of “Rust and Bone” and “A Prophet”). The movie, based on a novel by Patrick deWitt, takes audiences to the American West of the 1850s. It’s a dark comedy, but some of the humor is so pitch-black we’re just going to leave it here and back slowly away.
Heart-stopping action
Natalie Portman is a biologist turned warrior in the adaptation of Jeff VanderMeer’s “Annihilation” from writer- director Alex Garland (“Ex Machina”). In the movie, Portman enters a dangerous parallel universe populated by shark-alligators and other toothy beasts to save her Natalie Portman is a biologist turned warrior in “Annihilation.” husband’s life.
For his first feature since his Oscar-winning “12 Years a Slave,” director Steve McQueen has teamed up with “Gone Girl” novelist Gillian Flynn on “Widows.” The movie— which features Viola Davis, Colin Farrell and Daniel Kaluuya — follows a group of women who decide to pull off a heist after their husbands are killed trying to do the same job. “Rampage” will be decidedly less serious: A Dwayne Johnson popcorn flick from the director of “San Andreas,” the movie is an adaptation of the 1980s video game, featuring massive apes and wolves that start attacking the world’s cities. Naturally, Johnson’s primatologist protagonist is the man to save the day.
A few laughs
After making moviegoers snort with laughter in her scene- stealing turn in “Girls Trip,” Tiffany Haddish is bringing us more joy with “Night School,” which has a few things going for it: It’s directed by Malcolm D. Lee, who also worked on “Girls Trip,” and the screenplay was co-written by KevinHart, who also stars in this movie, about a group of people trying to earn their GEDs. Meanwhile, details are scarce on “Life of the Party,” but it has the ingredients to become a box office success: star Melissa McCarthy directed by her husband, Ben Falcone. Better yet, the supporting cast includes Maya Rudolph, Chris Parnell, Gillian Jacobs and— Christina Aguilera?
Netflix continues its pursuit to break into the film game with “A Futile and Stupid Gesture,” which tracks the real-life rise of the National Lampoon media empire. Themovie stars Will Forte and Domhnall Gleeson as irreverent cofounders Doug Kenney and Henry Beard.
A dose of dystopia
One of the most hotly anticipated titles of 2018 is “Ready Player One,” Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of the 2011 Ernest Cline novel about a future society that spends most of its time in an alternative reality. When the inventor of that world dies, he prom- ises his fortune to the first person who can find an Easter egg in the universe. A clever kid named Wade Watts ( Tye Sheridan) goes on the hunt but quickly realizes it could be a dangerous mission.
Then there’s “Alita: Battle Angel,” Robert Rodriguez’s adaptation of the popular manga series. Rosa Salazar plays the lead, a massive- eyed cyborg who’s discovered on a scrap heap and learns she has incredible fighting skills though no memory of her past.
History lessons
The internet was ablaze recently when photos of Christian Bale looking frumpy and uncharacteristically stout started pinballing around social me- dia. The paunch was for a role, of course. He’ll be playing Dick Cheney in “Backseat,” written and directed by Adam McKay of “The Big Short.” The movie, which also stars Amy Adams, Steve Carell and Sam Rockwell as W., revisits Cheney’s role as vice president and the impact his policies have had on the country. You’ll have to rewind a little further to get to director Josie Rourke’s next project, “Mary Queen of Scots,” based on a screenplay by Beau Willimon (“House of Cards”). Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie star as warring cousins Mary Stuart and Queen Elizabeth I.
There’s a lot less music in the next movie from Damien Chazelle (“Whiplash,” “La La Land”). The director is going the biopic route with “First Man” in which star Ryan Gosling plays Neil Armstrong during the space race.
“Chappaquiddick” has already played a few film festivals. Although early word is mixed, it should nevertheless make a splash with younger generations who may not be aware of Ted Kennedy’s role in the death of Mary Jo Kopechne. Jason Clarke of “Mudbound” plays the senator.
Family fun
With each new teaser, excitement for “A Wrinkle in Time” climbs. Ava Du Vernay’s too- good-to- be-true cast includes Reese Witherspoon, Oprah Winfrey, Mindy Kaling and Chris Pine, plus pint- size Storm Reid as the lead character, in Madeline L’Engle’s story about a little girl who traverses the universe in search of her father.
Yes, there was just a “Jungle Book” adaptation, and it was very good. But there’s another one coming. Andy Serkis, the goto actor for motion- capture performances, directs “Mowgli,” whose stellar cast includes Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale and Naomie Harris.
The Stone Age sure looks adorable given the stop- motion animation treatment in “Early Man.” Nick Park, creator of “Wallace and Gromit,” directs the kid- friendly comedy about cave men trying to adapt to (slightly more) modern life.