2022 is only days away, so what better way to get excited than to chart the films I am most looking forward to discovering in the new year? Check out an exclusive list, just a taste of what 2022 will hold as we enter a brand new year of movies!
Here are my top 20 most anticipated movies for 2022, in descending order.
ELVIS
Release date: June 24
The casting process for this one alone was utterly insane, with hot actors like Ansel Elgort and Harry Styles up for the role. Eventually, it went to Carrie Diaries star Austin Butler. He certainly has the right look for the role, and I cannot wait to see what he does with it.
SALEM’S LOT
Release date: September 9
Any Stephen King project is cause for excitement in my book, but one with vampires from the director of Annabelle Comes Home? I’m officially in.
THE FLASH
Release date: November 4
The return of my all-time favorite iteration of Batman (played once more by Michael Keaton) and Ezra Miller’s long-awaited solo venture as The Flash officially puts this one on my most anticipated list. Let’s just hope its more Birds of Prey and less Wonder Woman 1984.
DOCTOR STRANGE AND THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS
Release date: May 6
Horror director Sam Raimi returning to Marvel after his long hiatus post-Spider-Man 3? This would be a must-see even before getting into the Multiverse of it all. If Spider-Man: No Way Home was any indication, we could be in for a serious treat here.
THE NORTHMAN
Release date: April 8
Vikings. Alexander Skarsgard, Anya Taylor-Joy, Willem Dafoe, and Nicole Kidman. The Witch and The Lighthouse director Robert Eggers. If this doesn’t sound like a perfect recipe, I don’t know what does.
NOPE
Release date: July 22
Jordan Peele. Horror. Need I say more?
LIGHTYEAR
Release date: June 17
4 Toy Story films deep, and instead of a continuation, Disney and Pixar decided to go in an extremely different direction. Exploring the origin of the person on which the toy was based, Chris Evans will be voicing the titular character. As one of the biggest pop-culture names of the last three decades, Buzz Lightyear’s solo big-screen movie will hopefully be worth the wait.
SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER VERSE PART ONE
Release date: October 7
Even after the major hype from the first Spider Verse movie, I was not fully sold until I sat down in the theater. Swept up in the beauty of the animation, the richness of the characters, and my first movie-length introduction to the Multiverse, that film captured magic in a bottle, and remains one of the very best Spider-Man movies. Expectations are high for this one, which can only hope to live up to the greatness of the previous entry. With great power comes great responsibility–please don’t let us down!
UNCHARTED
Release date: February 18
I recently played through all 4 main-line entries in Playstation’s action masterpiece, Uncharted, so when I heard they were making a film, I was skeptical but cautiously optimistic. Toss in Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg (both of whom, in my opinion, are perfectly cast) working with Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer, and big-budget action hijinks are sure to ensue.
TURNING RED
Release date: March 11
Disney/Pixar’s newest takes the company’s high-concept blueprint to new heights, as we follow a girl who turns into a giant red panda whenever she gets excited. Anything Pixar is automatically a must-see.
SUPER MARIO BROS.
Release date: December 21
Our first attempt to follow the plumber brothers, Mario and Luigi, onto the big screen is widely considered one of the worst video game adaptations of all time. Now, Despicable Me company Illumiation Entertainment will take a second stab at the property. If they can lean into the fun of the video games and capture a simple Bowser-steals-Peach story in a meta way, this has huge potential.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 7
Release date: September 30
Tom Cruise has proved the impossible: 7 movies deep and this franchise remains one of the most critically-acclaimed action series of all time. It remains to be seen exactly what this installment will be about, but knowing only that Christopher McQuarrie is once again returning to the director’s chair is enough for me.
THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER
Release date: July 8
Thor Ragnarok is one of the best films in the MCU; directed by Taika Waititi (who again returns for this one), there was a madcap sense of glee that embraces some of the crazier elements with open arms. Love and Thunder brings back Natalie Portman and a buff-again Chris Hemworth… something tells me this will be genuinely great.
AVATAR 2
Release date: December 16
Talk about long-awaited sequels… the second in James Cameron’s magnum opus, Avatar 2 has a lot to prove. Avatar 3, 4, and 5 will still be coming, but can a second trip to Pandora be as visually stunning and culturally impactful? The 2009 movie feels as if practically from another lifetime at this point, yet it’s one of the most successful movies of all time for good reason. If Avatar 2 carries a single iota of the original’s power, we may be looking at a game-changer.
THE BATMAN
Release date: March 4
Robert Pattinson filling the massive shoes of Batman has caused an incredibly divisive reaction amongst fans. Many were against the very thought of the Twilight actor taking over from Ben Affleck, but I think that first trailer changed a lot of people’s minds. Batman has gone dark before, though this feels jet-black.
FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE
Release date: April 15
Harry Potter is practically a religion in my family, having grown up on both the books and the singular cinematic experiences of our trips to the Wizarding World. The newest film in the Fantastic Beasts series will hopefully live up the hype and masterful setup from the previous movie. Now that many secrets have been revealed, the title tells me even more will emerge? Whatever the case, I’ll be there, just as long as the movie flirts through the halls of Hogwarts as the trailer seems to suggest.
JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION
Release date: June 10
For my entire top 5 most anticipated films of the year, nostalgia plays a key role. I will never forget checking out the first two Jurassic Park movies as a kid on VHS, and the role they played in my childhood. Fallen Kingdom was probably my favorite of the sequels since the original, and the fact that Dominion will see the return of the OG’s and also an all-new world in which dinosaurs can live amongst humans means I will be first in line.
HALLOWEEN ENDS
Release date: October 14
Will Michael Myers finally meet his true death, 40+ years after his creation? Will Laurie and Michael’s final face-off be halfway as cathartic and incredible as the one in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later? Will “evil die tonight?” We only have to wait until October to find out for sure…
HOCUS POCUS 2
Release date: Fall 2022
It’s been 300 years, right down to the day… Well not quite, but it may as well have been, considering how long I have been waiting for this sequel to emerge. The original Hocus Pocus was the very first movie I ever saw in theaters as a child. With Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker all returning, I can only pray that this Halloween favorite will be gifted with a worthy follow-up.
SCREAM
Release date: January 14
What’s your favorite scary movie? For as long as I can remember, this has been an easy answer: 1996’s Scream. It re-defined horror for a new generation, becoming a meta masterpiece that was equal parts satire and nail-biting terror. Its sequels are some of the best ever made, with legendary Wes Craven returning to direct all 4 installments. I can confidently say that Scream is the most consistent horror franchise ever made, complete with horror’s greatest final girl in the form of Sidney Prescott. Without Craven’s involvement, my excitement would be very diminished for 5, had the directors of Ready or Not set out to make anything other than a loving tribute to the legend himself. With the three horror leads played by Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette, returning amongst an exciting new cast of characters, I am anxiously awaiting this follow-up. I can only hope this new team’s effort is a strong one. With my most anticipated movie of the year hitting in the first couple weeks, I won’t have to wait much longer to see if a follow-up to my favorite film of all time will be truly scream-worthy.
What 2022 films are you most looking forward to seeing? Let us know in the comments below!