2019 is almost over and the debate regarding which film is the most deserving of an Academy Award is in full swing. With two months to go until the Oscars are finally announced, the likes of Marriage Story, The Irishman, Little Women, Richard Jewell, Parasite, Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood and many many more will be pitted against each other in order to determine which effort deserves the top prize. If you are already bored of 2019’s discourse, however, or if you didn’t find yourself connecting with the latest crop of critically acclaimed films, why don’t you look ahead to see what next year has in store? After all, 2020 promises to be a breakthrough year for Hollywood in terms of diversity.
Four major superhero movies will be directed by women (two of which are listed below) and Sundance Film Festival, which kicks off the year-long awards circuit, has an almost 50/50 gender split, with 38 percent of directors also people of colour. Next year also sees the return of Christopher Nolan, following up smash-hit Dunkirk, Stephen Spielberg having another crack at classic musical West Side Story, the first film to be adapted from a Twitter feed, Amy Adams gunning for the Oscar yet again and the long-awaited return of James Bond… Read on to see our full selection:
1. Zola (Sundance Premier, January 24)
While Twitter drama may have proved some inspiration for screenwriters, Zola marks itself as the first straight-up adaptation of a viral Twitter thread. When a Detroit waitress posted a 148-Tweet saga involving a trip to Florida with a stripper named Jessica the story went viral almost immediately, its fame further bolstered by a behind-the-scenes report from Rolling Stone’s David Kushner. Now its a film starring Talylour Paige and Riley Kough as two friends on a wild two day descent into madness. Don’t let anyone tell you that Twitter is a waste of time.
2. Birds of Prey (February 1)
Set in a world where we probably pretend that Jared Leto’s interpretation of The Joker didn’t exist, Birds of Prey promises to return some much needed feminist girl-power to Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn. Director Cathy Yan, who made such an odd yet compelling debut with Chinese-language film Dead Pigs, seems like the right director to work on the material, listing influences as diverse as Birds of Prey, Pulp Fiction, Rashomon and A Clockwork Orange. If the film delivers on those promises, we could have a bonafide classic on our hands.
3. No Time To Die (April 3)
James Bond is finally back! Once again touted as Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007, No Time To Die has been plagued by multiple production issues and various competing inputs. Danny Boyle was fired and replaced with Cary Joji Fukanaga. Fleabag and Killing Eve writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge was drafted in to polish the screenplay. Daniel Craig broke his ankle in Jamaica. A crew member was injured after a controlled explosion. There were rumours Fukanaga came late to set due to a PlayStation addiction. And Grace Jones, who teamed up with Roger Moore in A View to Kill, quit last minute upon learning she only had a cameo role. Nonetheless, this almost definite career-capper to the Craig era may surprise us in the end. Let’s hope it’s more Skyfall and less Spectre.
4. Black Widow (May 1)
Natasha Romanova may have died at the end of Avengers: Endgame but its worth remembering that in the world of superhero movies no one ever dies, they just get their own spin-off. The Russian assassin turned emotional bedrock of the Avengers team has her own story now, set in the aftermath of Captain America: Civil War. Once again Scarlett Johannsson will don the iconic black leather jacket and jeans and once again Budapest will unconvincingly stand in for Moscow.
5. The Woman in the Window (May 14)
Will Amy Adams ever win an Oscar? Despite six nominations to her name, she is the perennial bridesmaid to the ultimate award. Perhaps The Woman in The Window, based on the best-selling crime thriller novel by A.J. Finn, may be her chance at glory. Playing an agoraphobic developmental psychologist, Amy Adams will channel true Rear Window-vibes when she finds herself embroiled in a crime while spying on her neighbours. With Joe Wright ready to give the novel his characteristic award-baiting sheen, Adams name will probably come up once again when the 2021 nominations are announced. Whether she wins however, is another matter entirely.
6. In The Heights (June 26)
Lin-Manuel Miranda dominated the 10s with hip-hop musical Hamilton, which managed to tell the story of the founding fathers in a completely novel yet totally American way. Now a film adaptation of his earlier musical In The Heights, co-written with Quiara AlegrÃa Hudes, will further cement his pop culture dominance. With Crazy Rich Asians-director John M.Chu set to helm the Hispanic-American, three-day tale, this is the most anticipated musical of the year.
7. Tenet (July 16)
Christopher Nolan could film his mother doing the washing and still find a way to employ multiple timelines and get Hans Zimmer to score the music in time. And no matter what he does, his fans will turn up in droves to support his work, making him the rare big-budget filmmaker in Hollywood who can do whatever he pleases. Featuring the enigmatic tagline, “Time Has Come for a New Protagonist” Tenet still hasn’t even got a confirmed premise, its very mysterious nature making it a must-see event.
8. Dune (November 18)
David Lynch has made some great movies. Dune is not one of them. Due to poor special effects and multiple pacing problems, his adaptation of the classic novel by Frank Herbert is strictly for Lynch enthusiasts. Perhaps Denis Villeneuve, the man behind modern sci-fi wonders like Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival, can make a better job of it. With Timotheé Chalet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Momoa and Oscar Isaac set to star, Dune is easily the most anticipated science-fiction movie of the year.
9. West Side Story (December 16)
The second adaptation of the iconic Stephen Sondheim play with music by Leonard Bernstein, Steven Spielberg will certainly have a tough act to follow. The original film, directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, was nominated for a whopping 11 Oscars, winning 10, including Best Picture. Furthermore, while Spielberg is seen as an iconic director in his own right, Ready Player One received mixed reviews and The Post failed to really connect with audiences. Let’s hope this project might just be the thing that turns his recent streak around.
10. The French Dispatch (No Release Date Confirmed)
First he came for East Germany. Then he came for Japan. Now he’s tackling France. The inveterate American auteur Wes Anderson creates perfectly crafted worlds filled to the brim with strange humour and compassion. With The French Dispatch, starring Frances McDormand and Bill Murray, and telling the story of American journalists in a fictional 20th-century French city, expect another whimsical classic from one of cinema’s most beloved directors. There’s no release date yet, but considering where The Grand Budapest Hotel and Isle of Dogs premiered, expect the German-American Studio Babelsberg-produced movie to play out of competition at the Berlinale.
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