With the culmination of an exciting movie year that saw Avengers: Endgame dethrone Avatar as the highest grossing movie of all time, Oscar® winners Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt team up for the first time in acclaimed writer/director Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, and a 42-year saga come to an end in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, movie fans find themselves in a unique position between what very well could be the greatest two-year movie span in recent memory. There’s even more to look forward to in the coming new year, which promises thrills for fans across all movie genres, with the return of superheroes Wonder Woman and Black Widow, the 25th installment in the James Bond franchise, the long-awaited sequel to the ‘80s hit Top Gun, and Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated new epic.
With so many important release dates to remember and trailers to watch, it can be a bit overwhelming. That’s why we’ve put together a guide for some of 2020’s biggest movies, broken down by genre.
SUPERHERO
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BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN)
Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: February 7, 2020
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime
Rating: R
Starring: Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Ewan McGregor, Ella Jay Basco
Directed By: Cathy Yan
Written By: Christina Hodson
You ever hear the one about the cop, the songbird, the psycho, and the mafia princess? Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is a twisted tale told by Harley herself, as only Harley can tell it. When Gotham’s most nefariously narcissistic villain, Roman Sionis, and his zealous right-hand, Zsasz, put a target on a young girl named Cass, the city is turned upside down looking for her. Harley, Huntress, Black Canary, and Renee Montoya’s paths collide, and the unlikely foursome have no choice but to team up and take Roman down.
Who Are DC's Birds of Prey? Harley Quinn's New Team Explained
BLACK WIDOW
Marvel Studios / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release Date: May 1, 2020
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Rachel Weisz, William Hurt
Directed By: Cate Shortland
Written By: Ned Benson (screenplay), Don Heck (comic book & character), Stan Lee (characters, comic book & character), Don Rico (comic book & character), Jac Schaeffer (screenplay)
Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Natasha/Black Widow in Marvel Studios’ action-packed spy thriller Black Widow—the first movie in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Black Widow focuses on Natasha Romanoff’s quests between the movies Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018).
Who Is Red Guardian? David Harbour's Black Widow Movie Character Explained
WONDER WOMAN 1984
Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: June 5, 2020
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Starring: Gal Gadot, Pedro Pascal, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig
Directed By: Patty Jenkins
Written By: Geoff Johns (story) & Patty Jenkins (story), Dave Callaham (screenplay) and Goeff Johns (screenplay) & Patty Jenkins (screenplay), William Moulton Marston (Wonder Woman created by)
Fast forward to the 1980s as Wonder Woman’s next big screen adventure finds her facing two all-new foes: Max Lord and The Cheetah.
With director Patty Jenkins back at the helm and Gal Gadot returning to the title role, Wonder Woman 1984 is Warner Bros. Pictures’ follow up to the DC Super Hero’s first outing, 2017’s record-breaking Wonder Woman.
Who Is Maxwell Lord? Pedro Pascal's Wonder Woman 1984 Villain Explained
FAMILY
ONWARD
Pixar Animation Studios / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release Date: March 6, 2020
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Starring: Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer
Directed By: Dan Scanlon
Written By: Dan Scanlon & Jason Headley & Keith Bunin
Set in a suburban fantasy world, Onward introduces two teenage elf brothers, Ian and Barley Lightfoot, who embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there.
MULAN
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release Date: March 27, 2020
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Starring: Yifei Liu, Donnie Yen, Jet Li, Li Gong, Jason Scott Lee
Directed By: Niki Caro
Written By: Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver and Elizabeth Martin & Lauren Hynek
When the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Army to defend the country from Northern Invaders, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, steps in to take the place of her ailing father. Masquerading as a man, Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her inner-strength and embrace her true potential. It is an epic journey that will transform her into an honored warrior and earn her the respect of a grateful nation…and a proud father.
TROLLS WORLD TOUR
Universal Pictures
Release Date: April 17, 2020
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Rating: PG
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Sam Rockwell, Jamie Dornan, James Corden, Anthony Ramos, Kenan Thompson, Rachel Bloom
Directed By: Walt Dohrn, David P. Smith (co-director)
Written By: Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger
Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake return in an all-star sequel to DreamWorks Animation’s 2016 musical hit Trolls. In an adventure that will take them well beyond what they’ve known before, Poppy (Kendrick) and Branch (Timberlake) discover that they are but one of six different Troll tribes scattered over six different lands and devoted to six different kinds of music: Funk, Country, Techno, Classical, Pop, and Rock. Their world is about to get a lot bigger and a whole lot louder.
ACTION
BAD BOYS FOR LIFE
Sony Pictures Releasing
Release Date: January 17, 2020
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
Runtime: 1hr 53min
Starring: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Joe Pantoliano, Alexander Ludwig, Paola Nuñez, Vanessa Hudgens
Directed By: Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah
Written By: Chris Bremner (screenplay) and Peter Craig (screenplay, story) and Joe Carnahan (screenplay, story), George Gallo (characters)
Martin Lawrence and Will Smith return for the third installment in the Bad Boys franchise. Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) is now a police inspector and Mike Lowery (Smith) is in a midlife crisis. They unite again when an Albanian mercenary, whose brother they killed, promises them an important bonus.
NO TIME TO DIE
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Release Date: April 10, 2020
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Starring: Daniel Craig, Léa Seydoux, Rami Malek, Lashana Lynch, Jeffrey Wright, Ana de Armas, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Christoph Waltz
Directed By: Cary Joji Fukunaga
Written By: Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and Scott Z. Burns and Cary Joji Fukunaga and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Ian Fleming (based on characters created by)
James Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
No Time To Die Trailer Breakdown: James Bond 25 Story Reveals
TENET
Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: July 17, 2020
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Starring: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Michael Caine
Directed By: Christopher Nolan
Written By: Christopher Nolan
Filmed on location across seven countries, Tenet is an action epic revolving around the world of international espionage, time travel, and evolution. Christopher Nolan is directing from his own screenplay, utilizing a mixture of IMAX® and 70mm film to bring the story to the screen.
80’S THEME
FANTASY ISLAND
Sony Pictures Releasing
Release Date: February 14, 2020
Genre: Adventure, Horror
Starring: Maggie Q, Michael Peña, Lucy Hale, Portia Doubleday, Michael Rooker, Parisa Fitz-Henley
Directed By: Jeff Wadlow
Written By: Jillian Jacobs, Christopher Roach, Jeff Wadlow
In this horror adaptation of the popular TV show, the enigmatic Mr. Roarke makes the secret dreams of his lucky guests come true at a luxurious but remote tropical resort. But when the fantasies turn into nightmares, the guests have to solve the island’s mystery in order to escape with their lives.
Hollywood Stars That You Didn't Know Got Thier Start in Horror Movies
TOP GUN: MAVERICK
Paramount Pictures
Release Date: June 26, 2020
Genre: Action, Drama
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Miles Teller, Monica Barbaro, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell
Directed By: Joseph Kosinski
Written By: Jim Cash (characters), Peter Craig, Jack Epps Jr. (characters), Ehren Kruger, Justin Marks, Christopher McQuarrie, Eric Warren Singer
After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw, call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose.”
Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.
Everything We Know About Goose's Son In Top Gun: Maverick
GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE
Sony Pictures Releasing
Release Date: July 10, 2020
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama
Starring: Paul Rudd, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Mckenna Grace, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard
Directed By: Jason Reitman
Written By: Dan Aykroyd (based on characters created by), Gil Kenan, Harold Ramis (based on characters created by), Jason Reitman
From director Jason Reitman and producer Ivan Reitman comes the next chapter in the original Ghostbusters universe. When a single mom and her two kids arrive in a small town, they begin to discover their connection to the original ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind.
HORROR
THE GRUDGE
Sony Pictures Releasing
Release Date: January 3, 2020
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Rating: R
Runtime: 1hr 34min
Starring: Betty Gilpin, Andrea Riseborough, John Cho, Tara Westwood, Zoe Fish, William Sadler, Lin Shaye, Demián Bichir, Jacki Weaver
Directed By: Nicolas Pesce
Written By: Jeff Buhler (story by, screenplay by), Nicolas Pesce (story by, screenplay by), Takashi Shimizu (original screenplay)
A house is cursed by a vengeful ghost that dooms those who enter it with a violent death.
Fifteen years after first introducing American audiences to The Grudge (2004), based on Takashi Shimizu’s Japanese horror movie Ju-on: The Grudge (2002), one of America’s most successful producer/directors, Sam Raimi (A Simple Plan, Spider-Man, Drag Me to Hell) returns to one of his favorite stories in an R-rated version.
