My Most Anticipated Movies of 2019

I personally found 2018 disappointing in general, so I have high hopes that 2019 will be a massive improvement and will offer a good selection of films. There are a lot of major franchise entries being released this year, some ending eras of those respective series. Some of these I’m definitely seeing in theaters, while for a few, I’m either on-the-fence or simply curious. Here are the films that I am anticipating the most. 15) Pokemon: Detective Pikachu - I know virtually nothing about Pokemon, but I couldn’t help but find the trailer surprisingly intriguing. It’s very unlikely that I’ll see it in theaters, but I’m really curious what the critical response will be and might see it on DVD. 14) Cats - I’ve only seen clips of a recording of the Broadway musical and was unimpressed by the complete lack of story. That alone makes me curious about how it will be adapted for film, though I’m also curious how the makeup will be done without it looking too theatrical. 13) A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood - I really enjoyed last year’s documentary, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? as someone who didn’t grow up watching the show and am slightly curious about this biopic. Tom Hanks playing Fred Rogers is kind of a bizarre casting choice and I’m curious to see what he does in the role and how the film portrays his life. 12) The Lion King - I did not see the original until middle school for the simple reason that my parents hated it, and even I was unimpressed with it when I finally watched it. Having no real attachment to the original would allow me to view the remake with relatively unbiased eyes, and I have some curiosity over how it will respond with critics and audiences. 11) Aladdin - I have not been impressed with the footage released so far, which remind me a little too much of Beauty and the Beast in terms of its focus of copying the original so much that it loses sight of what made it so great. However, I did grow up on the animated film, so for that reason, I’m more curious about this one than The Lion King. 10) Shazam! - I really liked the Comic-Con trailer and am very curious about this film. It looks hilarious and could be a lot of fun, something that DC seems to need right now (for the record, I still haven’t seen Aquaman yet). The premise of Big meets the superhero genre is enough to get me interested. 9) Frozen 2 - I loved the original, but I’m actually not that hyped about it, mostly because I’m not quite sure how the story will continue and I’ve enjoyed leaving it with the original and its spinoff shorts so far. 8) Dumbo - Of all the Disney remakes for this year, this one intrigues me the most based on the trailer footage. While Tim Burton directing does give me pause, it looks like it’s trying to do something different with the source material instead of just copying it. Plus the CGI Dumbo look so adorable. 7) Jumanji 3 - I absolutely loved Welcome to the Jungle, one of the best comedies I’ve seen in years. I’m not quite sure how they could make a sequel and it feels like a fast turnaround, but I’m still very interested and will probably go see it. 6) Toy Story 4 – I didn’t initially like Toy Story 3, but I felt it ended on a strong note, and the spinoff shorts they’ve done since then have been great. I’m not quite sure where they’re going and the fact that both Tom Hanks and Tim Allen have called the ending emotional makes me very nervous, but it’s still highly anticipated. It’s also appropriate because Pixar’s first film was the first film in the series, their 11th film was Toy Story 3, and now their 21st film is the fourth installment. 5) Captain Marvel - This film is a must-see before Avengers: Endgame, so I’ll definitely being seeing this in theaters. It is also the first female superhero to get a solo film in the MCU, so hopefully she hits it out of the park. 4) Spider-Man: Far From Home - I loved Spider-Man: Homecoming, which is my favorite Spider-Man movie so far (I haven’t seen Spiderverse yet), so I’m really looking forward to the sequel. Plus, the recent trailer looks amazing. 3) The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part - I was surprised by how much I loved The Lego Movie, so I am highly anticipating its sequel. Here’s hoping that it’s more in line with the original and The Lego Batman Movie and not The Lego Ninjago Movie. 2) Star Wars: Episode XI - I didn’t mind The Last Jedi and am really looking forward to the final film of the Skywalker saga. There’s a lot riding on this film, so hopefully the Star Wars fandom survives this entry. 1) Avengers: Endgame - The massive cliffhanger of Infinity War gives Endgame the edge for the most anticipated film of the year for me. Here’s hoping that they are able to tie all lose ends and conclude this era of the MCU in a epic and satisfying way.