An adaptation of Agatha Christie, David Cronenberg's return to big cinema, a new "Batman" — these are our most anticipated movies of 2022. And even a little more.
Let's set aside the Olivier salad and look at the films that, in our team's opinion, are truly worth your time. Here are the most anticipated movies of 2022. Bookmark this so you don't miss anything ;)
Wicked
Release date: February 10
The film adaptation of the hugely popular and mega-successful musical "Wicked" about the "true" story of the Wicked Witch of the West from the land of Oz has been brewing for many years – and with incredible force. Thanks to attempts to capture the quintessence of the musical's success, "Oz the Great and Powerful," "Maleficent," and even "Frozen" were born, the latter of which featured Idina Menzel, the actress who won a prestigious Tony Award for the lead role in "Wicked."
It seems the time has finally come to bring the original source material to the big screen. Fans around the world are holding their breath, following developments, as the pendulum could swing either way. Recent failures like "Cats" and "Dear Evan Hansen" raise concerns, but the presence of Jon M. Chu in the director's chair after his excellent work on the production offers a glimmer of hope. The lead roles will be played by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who can both sing and act, even if they don't quite match their characters' ages.
And in general, the main discourse now revolves around the necessity of musical film adaptations in principle – the financial success of "Hamilton" shows that professional recordings of stage productions are no less (if not more) popular. And there is a possibility that the success or failure of "Wicked" will determine the future Hollywood fate of all musicals.
Death on the Nile
Release date: February 10
Another adaptation of an Agatha Christie detective story by Kenneth Branagh, who also plays detective Hercule Poirot. The film has been postponed many times, first due to the pandemic, then due to the scandal involving Armie Hammer. It will be interesting to see whether the actor's fate changes after the film's premiere, or if he is a direct descendant of Kevin Spacey in cancel culture?
In 2017, Kenneth Branagh's "Murder on the Orient Express" turned out to be quite stylish and dynamic. If "Death on the Nile" also shows good results, it will be time to say that the actor-director is creating his own detective universe based on Agatha Christie. Additionally, it will be interesting to see how Gal Gadot handles her role: many consider her just a beautiful woman, incapable of showing drama. Will she prove herself? It will also be curious to see the star of "Sex Education," Emma Mackey (a young copy of Margot Robbie), surrounded by top-tier actors.
The Batman
Release date: March 4
Probably obviously, Matt Reeves' "The Batman" is one of the most anticipated comic book movies of the year. Robert Pattinson, who has barely moved away from the image of a sweet vampire, will appear as the protector of Gotham. So it took him 10 years to turn from a vampire into a bat. And we expect something grand from this transformation. A dark, psychological, and detective film. The color palette in the trailers and the comics "The Long Halloween," which form the basis of the film, should live up to expectations.
Batman is not just a superhero. He is a very contradictory character, with his own demons and psychological issues. A man who fancies himself justice. On one hand, he does good deeds, but on the other, he sinks deeper into his problems and darkness. Plus, the film will feature the Riddler, Penguin, and Catwoman. Expectations for the film are at a peak. The image of Penguin is particularly intriguing. Colin Farrell was so heavily made up on set that Jeffrey Wright didn't recognize him.
We hope that DC will rise from the ashes of its dubious projects.
Captain Volkonogov Escaped
Release date: April 7
A nominee at the Venice Film Festival and, as some Russian critics have said, a controversial but necessary film. The plot tells the story of NKVD captain Fyodor Volkonogov, who must find at least one person willing to forgive him, otherwise hell awaits the captain. So he goes on the run to search.
Judging by the clip from the film and a few stills, it is a surreal take on the Soviet era, incorporating elements from both history and modern reality. It looks like a kind of borderline world with Yura Borisov. Anton Dolin wrote that it is a powerful statement about the Great Terror, with psychologism and conventions, centered on the theme of repentance. Well, it sounds more interesting than another war action film or glorification of the USSR's past.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Release date: May 5
The most anticipated movies of 2022 could not do without Marvel projects. And perhaps the most anticipated of them all is the sequel to "Doctor Strange." If only because we have been prepared for its plot through several films and series. Little is known now, but there are hundreds of fan theories based on possible comics being adapted. And each one is more interesting than the last.
It's funny that even the trailer for this project was shown as a post-credits scene, and it was published online much later. And it immediately dismissed the theory about the main supposed villain being Wanda (Scarlet Witch). This made the anticipation even more intriguing.
It seems that the film's primary audience is considered to be more fans than the general public. Moreover, there has long been talk of the X-Men appearing in projects, as well as the introduction of new villains. So who is the biggest threat to the multiverse? We'll find out in the spring.
Lightyear
Release date: June 17
The most anticipated movies of 2022, without Pixar? No, that's science fiction. Every new project from the studio is almost always a celebration. A project related to "Toy Story" is a double celebration. In addition to the new original story "Turning Red," 2022 will see the release of "Lightyear," which the studio has been developing for a full 6 years! Development began after the premiere of "Finding Dory." Though it's not surprising, considering how meticulously Pixar approaches the creation of their films. Between the releases of "Toy Story" installments, sometimes more than 10 years passed. That's why the studio almost never has misfires.
Yes, "Lightyear" is not entirely an original product, but a spin-off about a character from an existing story. But considering that Pixar almost never makes mindless films and always tries to explore something (in "Inside Out" — human emotions, in "Coco" — the afterlife, in "Soul" — the meaning of life and birth) or tell personal intimate stories ("Onward," "Luca", "Finding Nemo"), one wants to expect something similar from the spin-off.
Refraction of sunlight underwater has been done, creating animation technologies for clothing on skeletons too. I want to believe that now the studio will aim to explore space in an animated way, ponder the limits of infinity, and tell another touching story that will win millions of hearts.
Nope
Release date: July 21
The Oscar-winning comedian Jordan Peele is preparing his third horror film. Literally nothing is known about it except the cast, but the anticipation rating on Kinopoisk is 99%. And this is justified: after "Get Out" and "Us," it's hard to believe his new creation could be unsuccessful.
Peele's talent lies in harmoniously blending mystery, intellect, suspense, mysticism, humor, and acute social issues of American society in his films. He creates smart movies with a double bottom, which are scary to watch not only because of the horror component but also because of the subtext hidden between the lines.
The Killer
Release date: 2022
David Fincher reunites with screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker of the cult film "Se7en" to work on a feature-length adaptation of Alexis Nolent's comic "The Killer" for Netflix. The lead roles will be played by Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton.
Filming took place in Paris, the Dominican Republic, New Orleans, and Chicago. Fincher has been developing "The Killer" since 2007. Initially, the project was at Paramount, and the lead role was to be played by Brad Pitt.
According to the plot of the original comic, the main character is an experienced killer who undergoes a psychological crisis and begins to feel remorse for his crimes.
Crimes of the Future
Release date: September 1
The most anticipated movies of 2022 could not miss a notable comeback. And here comes the great and terrible David Cronenberg returning to big cinema after 8 years with a new film under the old title "Crimes of the Future" (he already had a sci-fi film with the same name in 1970).
The film's events unfold in a world where people have stopped feeling physical pain. The main art form is organ cultivation. Among the characters: Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen) — a performance artist who can quickly grow organs, his partner Caprice (Léa Seydoux), and a girl who falls in love with Viggo (Kristen Stewart).
According to Viggo Mortensen, this story balances somewhere between the works of Samuel Beckett and William Burroughs. Interestingly, the screenplay was written by David Cronenberg himself (for the first time since 1999 and the film "eXistenZ"). Although he says he wrote this story about 20 years ago.
We expect classic Cronenberg — with elements of body horror, an absolutely insane world, equally insane characters, and biting satire.
Don't Worry Darling
Release date: September 23
Olivia Wilde's new directorial work, starring the star of "Midsommar" and Florence Pugh in the lead role, will tell us about a social experiment — a utopian society with an eternal 1950s atmosphere. But when housewife Alice (Pugh)'s husband (Harry Styles) disappears in this perfect world and the girl begins her investigation, she uncovers the dark side of utopia.
We explain why "Black Widow" turned out to be not at all the film everyone had been waiting for so long.
Open materialWilde demonstrated an impressive directorial debut — the film "Booksmart" became, if not a rethinking of the teen coming-of-age comedy, then at least a new breath for it. Witty, free from tired clichés, and strikingly sincere. We look forward to the continuation of the feast in a smart dystopian horror (even the genre itself sounds intriguing).
In addition to Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, the film will feature Chris Pine, Gemma Chan, Nick Kroll, and Olivia Wilde herself. However, we will not see Shia LaBeouf — the director kicked him out of the project after all the sex scandals surrounding the controversial figure.
Avatar 2
Release date: December 16
The most anticipated movies of 2022 and "Avatar 2" are practically synonyms. We've been waiting for this film for over 12 years (that's like in Azkaban)! Generations have changed, box office leaders, technology, Marvel has taken over the top spots, and Cameron is still filming. The first film undoubtedly became a phenomenon of its time. It will be hard to top that bar, but let's all believe in James' success together.
Notably, the film's events will also take place 14 years later, meaning the characters have also experienced a time jump. Moreover, plans for the third and fourth films have not been canceled. So the director and producer have full confidence in success. The complexity of the filming process, according to the team, lay in the location – underwater. Rumors say he even invested in purchasing a tanker or submarine. Also noted are the scale of world detail, insane technical and physical preparation of the actors, and filming technology. Will Cameron set a new standard? We'll see in 2022.
Other projects worth attention due to their cast:
- "The Gray Man" — everyone has been waiting for Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Regé-Jean Page, and others to appear in one film. Moreover, the Russo brothers in the director's chair aim to create an entire universe and a series of films based on books that will rival the Bond franchise. An intriguing claim;
- "Knives Out 2" — besides the original star Daniel Craig, there will be Dave Bautista, Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, Ethan Hawke, Kathryn Hahn, Jessica Henwick, and others. It's tempting to say that it doesn't matter what the new case of the cunning detective will be, what matters is who will be in it;
- "The Northman" — Robert Eggers' new project ("The Witch," "The Lighthouse") attracts with its historical setting and a cast including such stars as Alexander Skarsgård, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke, and Willem Dafoe. And Björk herself will drop by!;
- "Killers of the Flower Moon" — a western from thriller master Martin Scorsese will bring together two of his favorites on screen — Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. We also expect John Lithgow, Brendan Fraser, and Jesse Plemons. Several streaming services fought for the project, but Apple TV+ ultimately won. We'll see what comes of it.
Which movie are you most looking forward to?
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