First I broke down the most notable early year and summer blockbuster releases, and now I return to discuss the most anticipated Comedy, Horror and Family films to hit the theaters in 2018. Let's see what's in store for the upcoming cinematic year in these specific genres:
After learning that their daughters all plan to lose their virginity on Prom Night, a group of concerned parents go to unthinkable extremes in order to prevent that from happening. Blockers pits together the comedic talents of Leslie Mann, John Cena and Ike Barinholtz in what's assured to be a vulgar onslaught of laughter.
A sequel over a decade in the making, Craig T. Nelson reprises his role as the voice of Mr. Incredible and is forced to play "Mr. Mom" as Helen (voice of Holly Hunter) embarks on mission to save the world. The 2004 original was a mighty successful endeavor, beloved by critics and audiences alike, making this long-awaited sequel a must-see for anyone in search of a worthwhile film for the entire family.
Jeff Tomsic makes his directorial debut with this wildly premised tale of former classmates who organize an insanely elaborate game of "tag" that has them traveling all over the country. With a star-studded cast that includes Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm, Ed Helms, Tracy Morgan, Rashida Jones and Isla Fisher, this one could potentially have the makings of something hystiercally special.
This summer a third installment of the Hotel Transylvania franchise arrives and, if history is any indication, we can expect a huge cash cow that will dominate the July box office. Adam Sandler returns as the voice of Dracula, who's surprised to learn that Mavis (voice of Selena Gomez) has booked a luxurious cruise for the family. Yet, things get a little complicated when Dracula begins to fall for the ship's Captain, Ericka.
Brian Henson, son of the late Jim Henson, stays true to the family tradition and directs this comedic tale where humans co-exist with puppets, who are seen as inferior citizens. And now a puppet private eye named Phil Phillips (voice of Bill Barretta) is hot on the trail of a serial killer targeting former cast members of a popular television show called, "The Happytime Gang". Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Banks, Maya Rudolph and Joel McHale all co-star in this intriguing August release.
The comedy duo Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly re-team for their first time since 2008's Step Brothers in Etan Cohen's hilarious twist on Arthur Conan Doyle's classic mysteries. Little else is known about the extent of the plot, yet an epic pairing such as this is guaranteed to bring an audience to the theater, and morphing them into the iconic characters Sherlock Holmes (Ferrell) and Doctor Watson (Reilly) only adds an element of hilarity to and already exciting collaboration.
Honorable Mention: Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams star as a couple who find themselves caught in the middle of a Game Night (February 23rd) gone terribly wrong, Kevin Hart stars in Night School (September 29th) where a group of misfits are forced to attend adult classes and prepare for the GED exam, Barbie (August 8th) features Anne Hathaway as a doll living in "Barbieland" who's expelled for not being perfect enough, Benedict Cumberbatch takes on the classic role of The Grinch (November 9th) in the upcoming animated remake and John C. Reilly reprises his title role in the sequel Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 (November 21st).
It's taken a decade, but I can't overstate my excitement for this sequel to arrive in theaters. Bryan Bertino's trio of masked murderes generated enough suspense and tension to make The Strangers one of my favorite horror movies of the 2000s. However, this time around Bertino's fingerprints are almost nowhere to be found as Johannes Roberts (47 Meters Down) takes the reins. This creates a few reservations, for me at least, but I'm still interested to see what happens when these young, stalking murderers terrorize a family in a secluded mobile home park.
The once retired Steven Soderbergh has come back in full force. First with last year's reasonably successful heist film, Logan Lucky, and now with the upcoming psychological thriller, Unsane. Soderbergh's newest effort follows a young woman who's committed to a mental institution only to question whether or not this is all real, or just a product of her delusional mind.
One of the most intriguing trailers to drop for 2018 introduced us all to Joh Krasinski's A Quiet Place. The lead actor and director puts the audience into the lives of a secluded family forced to live in absolute silence and communicate via sign language, in fear of an unknown threat that attacks at any sound. The debut trailer for the film is tense, creepy and absolutely hypnotizing, making this a film certainly worth keeping on your radar.
Since the inception of The Purge franchise in 2013, they have managed to churn out films with a trio of entries already in the books. This summer a fourth installment hits theaters and there's a twist, The First Purge takes us back in time to the events that lead up to the annual "purge". Franchise figurehead James DeMonaco stays in the loop as the writer of this upcoming effort, but for the first time he steps down from the director's chair in favor of Gerard McMurray, a rather unknown auteur.
The overwhelming success of The Conjuring and its sequel have unleashed a horror universe of spin-offs that continues to expand with 2018's summer entry, The Nun. Vatican officials send a priest (Demian Bechir) and a novitiate (Taissa Farmiga) to investigate the apparent suicide of a nun in Romania, but instead find themselves fighting for their lives against a demonic force that takes the shape of the nun we all feared in The Conjuring 2.
And for any real horror fan, what could trigger the senses more than David Gordon Green's upcoming resurrection of the Halloween franchise? Jamie Lee Curtis is set to reprise her role as Laurie Strode, who prepares for one final showdown with her sibling and escaped serial killer, Michael Myers. Now, if your confused and left wondering, didn't Michael already take care of her in 2002's Halloween: Resurrection, you're absolutely correct. However, David Gordon Green's reboot of sorts plans to eliminate all sequels to the messy franchise and takes place strictly following the 1978 original. It will be difficult to "Men in Black" mind erase a diehard fan of the series, such as I, but I'm willing to give it a shot.
Honorable Mention: Also arriving in 2018 is the eerie true story of firearms heiress Sarah Winchester (February 2nd) who believed to be haunted by the souls of all those who died from her family company's guns, horror icon Eli Roth tries his hand at a remake of the classic film Death Wish (March 2nd) starring Bruce Willis, Blumhouse hopes to continue its string of stellar horror releases with a deadly game of Truth or Dare (April 13th) where punishments occur for anyone who tells a lie or refuses a dare, Toni Collette stars in the critically adored Sundance selection Hereditary (June 8th) where a recently deceased grandmother still continues to cast a dark shadow over her entire living family, and finally Slender Man (August 24th) tells the story of a haunting figure believed to be responsible for the disappearance of countless children.
*** Stay tuned for a look at other upcoming 2018 releases that need to be on your radar ***