25 Most Anticipated Movies Of 2024 (2024)

The 2024 movie slate is full of exciting films coming to theaters and streaming services, and these are among the most anticipated. 2023 proved to be a rather significant year for Hollywood, as a handful of movies experienced massive box office success, while other significant blockbusters failed to live up to expectations. The release calendar and the movies' performances were directly impacted by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which brought delays and meant actors could not promote upcoming releases during that time. Still, a fair amount of the best movies of 2023 delivered on high anticipation.

Looking at the upcoming 2024 movie releases, there are no shortage of films that provide reasons for audiences to be excited. Some of them were meant to be released in 2023 but were delayed to the following year due to strikes, while the same changes even bumped a few major titles from 2024 to 2025. The good news is that audiences can prepare to see new movies from Jordan Peele, Bong Joon-ho, M. Night Shyamalan, Tim Burton, and other directors, as well as seeing franchises like DC, Marvel, the Monsterverse, Planet of the Apes, and Ghostbusters expand. They help make up Screen Rant's Most Anticipated Movies of 2024.

25 Spaceman

Adam Sandler's next dramatic turn

Adam Sandler returns with a dramatic role in 2024 thanks to Spaceman. The upcoming Netflix movie is directed by Johan Renck and based on the book Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfař. Sandler stars as an astronaut whose life begins to fall apart while he is on a mission. Spaceman includes Paul Dano, Carey Mulligan, and Kunal Nayyar as part of its cast. While Adam Sandler's Netflix partnership has a poor reputation thanks to the quality of the comedies he's made with the streamer, the more dramatic turn promised here is along the lines of his better performances in Uncut Gems or Hustle.

24 Trap

M. Night Shyamalan's new original thriller

A year removed from delivering Knock at the Cabin, M. Night Shyamalan is returning with a new movie in 2024. Trap is an original psychological thriller set at a concert. It is set to star Josh Hartnett in the lead role. The track record of M. Night Shyamalan's movies is uneven, to say the least, but the vague premise of Trap and Harnett leading the charge provides the film with two promising details worth getting excited about.

23 Kung Fu Panda 4

The DreamWorks franchise returns after 8 years

The Kung Fu Panda franchise is finally returning in 2024, as Kung Fu Panda 4's release marks the first installment since 2016. The new sequel once again features Jack Black as the voice of Po, who now encounters a powerful new villain known as The Chameleon, voiced by Viola Davis. The story of Kung Fu Panda 4 follows Po as he trains a new Dragon Warrior, voiced by Awkwafina, and encounters villains from his past, like Tai Lung (Ian McShane). With a fun first trailer already released and the pent-up excitement to return to this franchise, Kung Fu Panda 4 is certainly among the most anticipated movies of 2024.

22 Ballerina

Ana de Armas headlines the John Wick spinoff

The John Wick franchise is growing in 2024 thanks to the first spinoff movie, Ballerina. Starring Ana de Armas, the movie builds on the tease from John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum that female assassins are trained as ballerinas. Ballerina will see Ana de Armas' character Rooney as she seeks revenge on the people responsible for killing her family. The John Wick spinoff movie includes Keanu Reeves, Anjelica Huston, Lance Reddick, and Ian McShane returning to their roles. Given Ana de Armas' memorable action role in No Time To Die, seeing her carry the next John Wick movie should be exciting.

21 Twisters

The franchise returns after 28 years

Universal is bringing back the Twister franchise for the first time since 1996. The upcoming movie Twisters was rumored to be directly connected to the original movie, possibly even with Daisy Edgar-Jones playing the daughter of Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton's characters from the first film. However, no direct franchise connection between the two movies has been confirmed to this point. The potential Twister reboot is still plenty exciting even if it has no ties to the original, as Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, and Brandon Perea add to a stellar cast. Meanwhile, Minari director Lee Isaac Chung is tackling it after Top Gun: Maverick's Joseph Kosinski led development.

20 Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire

The Monsterverse gets even bigger

Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire marks the fifth movie in the Monsterverse, and it looks to be the biggest one yet. Three years after seeing Godzilla and Kong crossover for the first time in the franchise, the 2024 movie will unite them against a new villain, Skar King. Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard returns to push the Monsterverse in a new direction, which includes a greater focus on the monsters. The addition of Dan Stevens as part of the cast is certainly fun, but the core reason why there is so much anticipation for Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire comes with seeing the two Titans interact again.

19 The Fall Guy

Ryan Gosling's new action movie

One of the biggest action movies in 2024 is likely to be The Fall Guy. Directed by Deadpool 2 and Bullet Train's David Leitch, the upcoming movie is a remake of the 1980s TV series of the same name. The Fall Guy stars Ryan Gosling as a stuntman who embarks on a dangerous mission to save the star of the movie he is working on and doubles for. The film features a stacked cast that includes Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Stephanie Hsu, Winston Duke, and Hannah Waddingham. Plus, The Fall Guy trailer showcases some impressive action sequences that should once again show Leitch's talents.

18 Karate Kid 2024

Featuring a major franchise crossover

The Karate Kid franchise returns to the big screen in time for its 40th anniversary in 2024, and the new movie is poised to be a massive crossover. Following the success of Cobra Kai, Sony is revitalizing the franchise in movie theaters by bringing together Ralph Macchio's Daniel LaRusso and Jackie Chan's Mr. Han. It is confirmed that both of the franchise's previous stars will be present in the movie, which will follow a young teenager from China who now lives in America and begins karate training. The timing of the movie potentially coming right on the heels of Cobra Kai ending makes it an even bigger deal.

17 Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

The sequel to Ghostbusters: Afterlife

The Ghostbusters are set to return in 2024 thanks to Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Three years after Ghostbusters: Afterlife breathed new life into the franchise, the sequel once again focuses on the Spengler family members played by Carrie Coon, McKenna Grace, and Finn Wolfhard. Original franchise stars like Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson will also be back, but Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is more focused on the newer characters, including Paul Rudd's Mr. Gooberson. That is part of what makes the sequel so anticipated, along with a brand new villain and potentially darker tone.

16 Wicked

The iconic musical becomes a movie

One of the most anticipated movies releasing in 2024 is certainly Wicked. The first part of Warner Bros.'s movie adaptation of the popular Broadway musical has all the makings to be a huge hit. The Wicked cast has Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp, a.k.a. the Wicked Witch of the West, and Ariana Grande as Galinda Upland, a.k.a Glinda the Good. The two popular and supremely talented singers headline the movie, while stars like Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum also factor into the ensemble. The chance to finally see Wicked as a movie is reason enough to be excited for the start of Jon M. Chu's two-part adaptation.

15 Beetlejuice 2

Michael Keaton is back as Beetlejuice

One of the most anticipated franchise returns happening in 2024 comes with the release of Beetlejuice 2. Tim Burton's 1988 classic starring Michael Keaton is now becoming a franchise as both are returning for a sequel. The chance to see Keaton play Beetlejuice again after all these years is certainly exciting, as is the return of Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, and other past stars. A big draw for Beetlejuice 2 also comes with Jenna Ortega's involvement after collaborating with Burton on Wednesday, while Willem Dafoe is another new addition that should make this return worthwhile.

14 Joker: Folie à Deux

DC's only movie of 2024

Ahead of the DC Universe's reboot led by James Gunn, 2024 is meant to clear the slate for what is to come, and that means Joker: Folie à Deux is the only DC movie releasing in the calendar year. Following the massive success of 2019's Joker, Joaquin Phoenix returns for the sequel as Arthur Fleck a.k.a. Joker. The chance to see him deliver a performance worthy of another Oscar makes this project quite exciting. Another reason for the anticipation behind Joker 2 is Lady Gaga's different Harley Quinn. The movie will explore the Joker and Harley relationship in a musical setting, which should make DC's lone 2024 movie standout.

13 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

The LOTR franchise returns with a twist

10 years after the last Lord of the Rings movie hit theaters, the franchise based on J. R. R. Tolkien's novels is finally coming back, albeit with a twist. The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim marks the franchise's first animated movie. It is a prequel movie chronicling the War of Rohirrim that took place before the events of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. The opportunity to return to Middle Earth in this fashion is exactly what the franchise has needed as of late. To make the project even more exciting, Miranda Otto's return as Éowyn means it could be canonically connected to the beloved franchise.

12 Civil War

Alex Garland's new movie

Alex Garland has carved out a space in Hollywood over the years thanks to his thought-provoking sci-fi movies, and 2024 looks to have another one from the talented filmmaker. Two years after his more divisive film Men, Garland is back with a slightly different tale, as Civil War explores a world where America is at war with itself. The debut trailer for the A24 movie was quite gripping, showing a dark future for the United States. Seeing Garland tackle the state of America and politics in Civil War is reason enough to be excited, so the action elements and a cast that includes Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons are bonuses.

11 Alien: Romulus

The Alien franchise returns

2024 will mark the return of the Alien franchise to the big screen with Fede Álvarez's upcoming movie Alien: Romulus. Set between the events of Alien and Aliens, the new entry in the classic franchise looks to bring the series back to its sci-fi horror roots. That is evident through the hiring of an accomplished horror movie director in Álvarez. While the movie is still shrouded in great secrecy, the chance to see Xenomorphs back in theaters. Any connections to the main movie franchise are unexpected, so it should be refreshing to see an Alien movie not weighed down by past narratives and decisions.

10 Nosferatu

Robert Eggers tackles the iconic vampire

Robert Eggers has emerged as one of Hollywood's best horror movie directors, so anything new from him is exciting on that basis alone. 2024 marks his return after The Northman saw him experiment with bigger budgets and the studio system. Now, he'll be the latest person to put a spin on the vampire movie genre by making Nosferatu, and that's a perfect pairing on paper. The fact that Bill Skargård is playing the iconic vampire only makes the movie sound more promising. Add in an all-around incredible ensemble and a gothic horror vibe, and Nosferatu is easily a movie to watch out for in 2024.

9 A Quiet Place: Day One

The prequel to A Quiet Place

The world of A Quiet Place returns in 2024, but this time without the Abbott family. A Quiet Place: Day One is set to be the franchise's first prequel movie and explore the events of the first day that the aliens featured in the previous two movies came to Earth. John Krasinski not returning to direct is not cause for concern here, as Michael Sarnoski (Pig) is more than capable of filling his shoes. Instead of the usual cast members led by Emily Blunt being featured, A Quiet Place: Day One features a new exciting ensemble that includes Lupita Nyong'o, Alex Wolff, and Stanger Things breakout Joseph Quinn.

8 Gladiator 2

Ridley Scott returns to ancient Rome

It's been 24 years since Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe entertained audiences with Gladiator, and 2024 marks the long-awaited return to ancient Rome so this story can continue. Due to Maximus dying in Gladiator's ending, Gladiator 2 shifts the focus of the story to follow his nephew, Lucius, played by Paul Mescal. Considering that the original movie is still among the best Ridley Scott has ever made, seeing him return to this world after so long is inherently worth getting excited about. The fact that Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington headline the new additions to the sequel, as well as Connie Nielsen returning, makes Gladiator 2 sound even better.

7 Inside Out 2

It's Pixar's only movie in 2024

The emotions are returning in 2024 as Pixar is set to release Inside Out 2. Its been eight years since the animated studio unveiled the original emotional movie, but it is now time to continue Riley's story. This will be done with Amy Poehler once again voicing Joy, while the Inside Out 2 voice cast looks a bit different thanks to recasts and new additions. The latter is story-driven, as Riley becoming a teenager means the introduction of new emotions, namely Anxiety (voiced by Maya Hawke). Even given Pixar's box office struggles in recent years, the quality has mostly remained high, and Inside Out 2 should continue that streak.

6 Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

The prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road

Charlize Theron helped create a new beloved action heroine in 2016 with Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road, but now it is Anya Taylor-Joy's turn to play the character. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga serves as a prequel to George Miller's acclaimed action movie. Recasting Furiosa was a risky decision, but having Anya Taylor-Joy in the lead role is an incredibly exciting development if Theron could not return. The movie does have the incredible challenge of living up to Mad Max: Fury Road's jaw-dropping action and visuals, which could be too big of a test ultimately. However, there is plenty of promise here, including Chris Hemsworth's villain Dementus.