/Film's 25 Most Anticipated Movies Of 2018

Now that we've published our top 15 films of the year list, the /Film team has more-or-less closed the book on 2017. So now we get to look forward to the next 12 months, which bring with them hundreds of new movies that will soon be watched and dissected.

And while there will be surprises a'plenty (especially as smaller films start popping up on the film festival scene), there are many movies that we're already itching to see. After some discussion and a round or two of voting, we have determined our 25 most anticipated movies of 2018. Join us, won't you?

Note: the order of this list was determined through a simple method – individual lists were weighted so that films that ranked higher on a personal ballot received more points and so on. The 25 highest scoring films made it to the list.

15 Points

Director: Jon M. ChuCast: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Ken Jeong, Awkwafina, Harry Shum Jr., Gemma Chan, Chris Pang.Release Date: August 17, 2018

Based on the bestselling novel by Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians carries the honor of being the first major Asian-American romantic comedy to hit U.S. theaters. And it better not mess it up. There's a lot riding on this silly, hysterical clash of cultures between a middle-income Asian-American girl and the Singaporean parents of her enormously wealthy fiancé, but when it comes down to it, it's just your typical "meet the parents" story. Except with a lot more opulence, jet-setting, and a predominantly Asian cast, including the endlessly charming Constance Wu, who has long deserved to headline a major movie. (Hoai-Train Bui)

18 Points

Director: Nick ParkCast: Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston, Maisie Williams, Timothy Spall, Richard Ayoade, Mark Williams, Rob Brydon.Release Date: February 16, 2018

After years away from the movie scene, Nick Park returns with his first animated feature film since 2005's Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbit. And after the horribly disappointing year in animation that we just had, it's a welcome comeback. The visionary director behind claymation films like the quirky Wallace and Gromit series and Chicken Run brings back his brand of zany stop-motion animation with Early Man, a wry and witty story about a caveman (Eddie Redmayne) who finds his tribe threatened by an advanced civilization. There's your fair share of deeper nature vs. civilization conflicts that recall the classic French comic book Asterix, but it wouldn't be a Nick Park film without some anachronistic flairs. Where else would you find a caveman playing soccer (sorry football) against Bronze Age warriors? (Hoai-Train Bui)

19 Points

Director: Craig William MacneillCast: Chloë Sevigny, Kristen Stewart, Jamey Sheridan, Fiona Shaw, Kim Dickens, Denis O'Hare and Jeff PerryRelease Date: TBA; world premiere January 19, 2018 at the Sundance Film FestivalThe story of Lizzie Borden and her (alleged) murders is the focus of Craig William Macneill's Lizzie, a psychological thriller that focuses on the events leading up to the murders of Borden's father and step-mother, and the aftermath. Chloë Sevigny plays Lizzie, who probably committed the murders but found herself aquitted of the crimes nonetheless. Kristen Stewart plays Bridget Sullivan, the only other person who was confirmed to be in the house with Lizzie when the Bordens were axed to death. Macneill's film grafts a romance onto the story – a romance that blossoms between Lizzie and Bridget. There's no real historical evidence of this, but it doesn't matter – this project seems incredibly promising, especially with Sevigny and Stewart in the leads. (Chris Evangelista)

20 Points

Director: Peyton ReedCast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Laurence FishburneRelease Date: July 6, 2018

With the release of Black Panther coming up and Avengers: Infinity War looming later this year, it's easy to forget about Ant-Man and the Wasp. But since the scrappy first movie came out in the shadow of Age of Ultron, I'm sure returning director Peyton Reed is just fine with that underdog status. While Paul Rudd's flabbergasted and begrudging hero is fun to watch, we're more excited about seeing Evangeline Lilly graduate into full-blown superhero status and be an equal partner in the action this time around, as the hunt for Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) in the Quantum Realm becomes a central focus of this entry in the franchise. (Ben Pearson)

24 Points

Directors: Bob Persichetti, Peter RamseyCast: Shameik Moore, Mahershala Ali, Live SchreiberRelease Date: December 14, 2018

The Miles Morales version of Spider-Man is something fans have been wanting to see on the big screen for years, and writer Phil Lord (one half of the Lord & Miller filmmaking duo) is finally introducing mainstream audiences to that character with this script. But the biggest reason this looks so fascinating is the visual style: it's comic-booky, but also has a futuristic tinge to it. Lord and Miller have described the style as "a living painting," using "line work and painting and dots and all sorts of comic book techniques" to bring the story to life in a way we've never seen before. Whatever they did, the end result looks riveting – count us in. (Ben Pearson)

25 Points

Director: Richard LinklaterCast: Cate Blanchett, Kristen Wiig, Judy Greer, Billy Crudup, Laurence Fishburne, Troian Bellisario.Release Date: May 22, 2018

Maria Semple's New York Times bestselling book upon which Where'd You Go Bernadette is based probably doesn't sound appealing to a wide audience: It's a domestic drama about an agoraphobic architect who sends her family into a panic when she goes missing right before a family trip to Antarctica. But underneath its portrait of domesticity lies a sharp and funny satire about American life. Pair that with Richard Linklater and Cate Blanchett, and you've got one of the most exciting movies of 2018. Linklater has a gift for making profound insights into mundane events or people, elevating a tender romance into an ambitious examination of aging or tapping into the aimlessness of college life. Here he gets to take a swing at a funny, satirical character study of one woman through the eyes of her loved ones — which sounds like an ambitious project right up his alley. Cate Blanchett, the ultimate ephemeral goddess, will make a worthy star for Linklater's Where'd You Go Bernadette. (Hoai-Tran Bui)

27 Points

Director: Steven Caple Jr.Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa ThompsonRelease Date: November 21, 2018Creed is one of the best sports dramas in recent memory, and it successfully revived the Rocky franchise by passing the torch to the offspring of legacy character Apollo Creed. Led by Michael B. Jordan, the movie was better than it had any right to be, so the pressure is on for Creed 2 to deliver. So far we don't know for sure what to expect, though Stallone (who is co-writing the script) has more than hinted that Ivan Drago, the tough boxer from Rocky IV, could return for Creed 2. However, Drago won't be fighting in the ring with the young Creed. Instead, it's rumored that his son could be Creed's next big opponent in the ring. We're still waiting for more details, but just the thought of Creed 2 is an exciting one. (Ethan Anderton)

27 Points

Director: Steven SpielbergCast: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance, T.J. Miller, Simon PeggRelease Date: March 30, 2018

Too much nostalgia can be a dangerous thing, but what about a tale of nostalgia set in a futuristic science fiction world and directed by Steven Spielberg, the man responsible for many childhood dreams and fantasies? Ready Player One looks like someone put the past 30 years of popular culture in a blender and injected that concoction into an intriguing science fiction world, a world where most people forget about their miserable lives by escaping into a fantastical VR platform called The Oasis. And since The Oasis offers anyone and everyone the opportunity to become anyone or anything, the opportunities for Easter Eggs are infinite. Hopefully, the story (about a hunt through the in-game world that will give the winner total control of the the virtual landscape) carries its faire share of the weight. (Jacob Hall)

29 Points

Director: Etan CohenCast: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Ralph Fiennes, Hugh Laurie, Rebecca Hall, Kelly Macdonald, Lauren Lapkus, Rob Brydon, Pam FerrisRelease Date: November 9, 2018

It's been far too long since Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly have teamed up for an entire movie. Considering the two times they led a film together resulted in the comedy favorites Step Brothers (pictured above) and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, the prospect of them reuniting is is rather enticing. That prospect has only been sweetened by the fact that Ferrell and Reilly are playing Sherlock Holmes and John Watson in a humorous take on Arthur Conan Doyle's famous literary detectives. Plus, how can you not be excited about a movie where Ralph Fiennes is playing Moriarty and Hugh Laurie is playing Mycroft? (Ethan Anderton)

33 Points

Director: Drew GoddardCast: Chris Hemsworth, Jeff Bridges, Cailee SpaenyRelease Date: October 5, 2018

Though he's come close multiple times, Drew Goddard hasn't directed a movie since 2012's subversive The Cabin in the Woods, so any movie that finally gets him back behind the camera again is going to pique our attention. Bad Times at the El Royale reunites him with Cabin star Chris Hemsworth in a 1960s thriller set at a crappy hotel called the El Royale in Lake Tahoe. We don't know much about the plot other than it's about a group of shady characters with mysterious motivations who violently come into conflict, but if Goddard is excited enough about this project to write and direct it, we're sure as hell excited enough to watch it. Plus, Hemsworth and Jeff Bridges are an intriguing on-screen pair, and I'm curious to see how they bounce off each other when things inevitably go wrong. (Ben Pearson)

33 Points

Director: Martin ScorseseCast: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Anna Paquin, Bobby Cannavale, Harvey Keitel, Ray RomanoRelease Date: TBA (Note: there's still no confirmation on a release date for this yet – some reports indicate a 2018 release, while others hint at 2019. Let's be optimistic and hope we get to see it this year.)A project years in the making, Martin Scorsese's The Irishman reunites him with GoodFellas stars Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, and throws Al Pacino into the mix as well. The film, based on the the true crime book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt, focuses on Frank Sheeran (De Niro), a labor union official with mob connections, who claims to have been involved with the murder of missing Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino). Scorsese working with De Niro again is more than enough to make this film a must-see, but adding Pacino, Pesci and even Harvey Keitel into the mix puts The Irishman over the moon. This film will also be Scorsese's first movie with Netflix, a move that will no-doubt cause some cinephiles to lose their minds. (Chris Evangelista)

35 Points

Director: Rich Moore and Phil JohnstonCast: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Taraji P. HensonRelease Date: November 21, 2018

Six years after Wreck-It Ralph explored the world of video games (both old and new), the sequel is taking the big guy online. As the title implies, Ralph Breaks the Internet finds John C. Reilly's 8-bit bad guy accidentally sent into a digital world far removed from his own, where he's able to brush shoulders with even more familiar faces from across the pop culture spectrum. The first film was charming and funny, a sweet love letter to classic arcades and modern video games alike. So, how does the sequel transform something as routinely toxic as the world wide web into a place worth our affection? We shall see. If it's as good as part one, it's going to be a fun ride. (Jacob Hall)

39 Points

Director: Damien ChazelleCast: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jon Bernthal, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, and Corey StollRelease Date: October 12, 2018

Damien Chazelle's career may be young, but he's proven himself to be one of the most surprising filmmakers out there right now. Whiplash is one of the all-time great directorial debuts, a searing and intense drama. La La Land is a tremendous movie that more than earned its box office and awards season love, a melancholy musical with a true eye for character. So what does this wunderkind do next? A biopic about astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, complete with a cast chock-full of people you like to watch led by Ryan Gosling. I hope Chazelle continues to zig and zag from genre to genre for the rest of his career – he seems quite adept at making everything he touches just plain work. (Jacob Hall)

42 Points

Director: Shane BlackCast: Boyd Holbrook, Oliva Munn, Jacob Tremblay, Thomas Jane, Keegan-Michael Key, Sterling K. Brown, and Trevante RhodesRelease Date: August 3, 2018

After Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, Iron Man 3, and The Nice Guys, Shane Black is very much in a "can't do any wrong" position. So if he wants to make the latest film in the Predator series, than by God, let him make the latest movie in the Predator series! While John McTiernan's 1987 film about an alien hunter terrorizing a team of commandos in the jungle is a classic, the sequels aren't sacred ground...which means that someone as inventive and witty as Black has plenty of space to do whatever the heck he wants with this creature and its universe. And with that cast in tow, I imagine Black will do something that surprises and delights us. (Jacob Hall)

43 Points

Director: Steve McQueenCast: Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Rodriguez, Carrie CoonRelease Date: November 16, 2018

This one has a juicy premise: a group of armed robbers are killed during a heist gone bad, and with their husbands dead, the thieves' wives join forces to finish the job that the men in their lives failed to complete. Sounds awesome to us, and the creative team behind this one – including Gone Girl writer Gillian Flynn and director Steve McQueen, who hasn't made a movie since his 2013 film 12 Years a Slave won Best Picture – makes this project even more enticing. (Ben Pearson)

44 Points

Director: Christopher McQuarrieCast: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames, Alec Baldwin, Sean Harris, Michelle Monaghan, Vanessa Kirby and Angela Bassett.Release Date: July 27, 2018

With the exception of Mission: Impossible 2, there hasn't been a disappointing film in this franchise. In fact, the franchise has only gotten more exciting as time has gone on and new cast members have joined up with the Impossible Mission Force. The most recent addition of Rebecca Ferguson spiced up Rogue Nation, and seeing her back is exciting. The big draw though is Tom Cruise pulling off insane stunts that a man his age has no business performing. He may have broken his ankle during a stunt last summer, but Cruise always gives 125%, and you can bet that he returned to set with new determination and the drive to deliver something amazing in this sequel. Plus, let's not forget that we get Henry Cavill with a mustache in this movie (Ethan Anderton)

45 Points

Director: Gary RossCast: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna, Helena Bonham CarterRelease Date: June 8, 2018Listen, do I even need to explain why this is a must-see? Look at that cast! Cate Blanchett and Rihanna are in a movie together! Don't even try to tell me you're not interested in Ocean's 8. Gary Ross' film will serve as both a reboot and a sequel to Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's 11 reboot, with a team of female thieves banding together to pull off the ultimate heist. I have no idea how Ocean's 8 is going to turn out, but I know that on the basis of the cast alone, I'm dying to see it. (Chris Evangelista)

Director: Ava DuvernayCast: Storm Reid, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Oprah Winfrey, Mindy Kaling, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Zach Galifianakis.Release Date: March 9, 2018

If Ava Duvernay's lush vision of Madeleine L'Engle's sci-fi children's classic wasn't enough to stir up excitement, it's the star-studded cast of actors including Chris Pine, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Reese Witherspoon, Oprah Winfrey, and Mindy Kaling. And if not that, it's the inspired color-blind casting of newcomer Storm Reid as the young lead Meg Murray. Still not convinced? A Wrinkle in Time is a mind-bending science-fiction story that deals with follows a young girl's search for her missing scientist father through time and space, a gripping adventure story that turns cerebral once it starts dealing with concepts like wormholes and mind control. Madeleine L'Engle's book is a sci-fi classic that many kids (including me) devoured for its sheer ambition and imagination. And Ava Duvernay promises to take that story to the stars and beyond. (Hoai-Tran Bui)

49 Points

Director: Wes AndersonCast: Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Kunichi Nomura, Ken Watanabe, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, Courtney B. Vance, Fisher Stevens, Nijiro Murakami, Harvey Keitel, Koyu Rankin, Liev Schreiber, Bob Balaban, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Akira Ito, Akira Takayama, F. Murray Abraham, Yojiro Noda, Mari Natsuki, Yoko Ono, and Frank WoodRelease Date: March 23, 2018

First of all: just look at that cast! Second of all: it's the newest movie from director Wes Anderson! Third of all: it's second stop-motion animated film from Wes Anderson, whose Fantastic Mr. Fox is a masterpiece and one of the most entertaining and beautiful films of its kind to ever be released! So Isle of Dogs has a lot going for it, which means it also has some mighty expectations to overcome. No pressure. But I couldn't be more excited to see what Anderson does with a tale about and island full of quarantined canines and the human boy that falls into their midst. (Jacob Hall)

51 Points

Director: David Gordon GreenCast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, and Andi MatichakRelease Date: October 19, 2018

John Carpenter's original 1978 Halloween is a horror masterpiece. The bulk of the many, many sequels that followed are not. So call it cowardly or call it brave, but director David Gordon Green is simply ignoring the sequels with the latest film in the series, returning Jamie Lee Curtis' Laurie Strode to life and making a direct sequel to the classic first film. That's bold and weird and exciting, especially since Green is such a unique choice for a horror film in the first place (and especially since Danny McBride of Eastbound & Down fame co-wrote the script with him). The fact that Carpenter himself approves of this new film after famously badmouthing the direction of the series is another point in this one's favor. This could be the coolest thing to happen to Halloween in decades. (Jacob Hall)

51 Points

Director: Ron HowardCast: Alden Ehrenreich, Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Thandie NewtonRelease Date: May 25, 2018

Most of the headlines surrounding Solo: A Star Wars Story have been about the film's troubled production, which saw directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller fired and replaced with Ron Howard. That's more than enough to raise some eyebrows. But we have faith. The past few Star Wars movies have ranged from good to excellent and the cast assembled to bring young Han and his friends and enemies to life is second-to-none. This could fail spectacularly, but we're choosing to believe that Solo will follow in the footsteps of Rogue One and prove that these Star Wars spin-offs can be something special.  (Jacob Hall)

59 Points

Director: Brad BirdCast: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner, Samuel L. Jackson, Bob Odenkirk, Catherine KeenerRelease Date: June 15, 2018

It only took 14 years, but Pixar is finally making a sequel to one of their best movies. Released during the early days of the comic book move boom, The Incredibles remains a high watermark for films about superheroes. Managing to blend winking humor about masked do-gooders with genuinely compelling characters in a rich, vibrant world, the first movie screams for a follow-up. And while we know very little about what the new film entails, its mere existence is enough to propel it to the very top of this list. That's how hungry we are to see the Parr family go on more adventures. (Jacob Hall)

80 Points

Director: Anthony & Joe RussoCast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Mackie, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Josh Brolin, Don Cheadle, Sebastian Stan, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff and moreRelease Date: May 4, 2018

This is the movie that Marvel fans have been waiting for ever since Thanos appeared in the mid-credits scene after The Avengers in 2012. Now here we are, six years later, and it's finally time for the Mad Titan to wreak havoc across the galaxy and take on Earth's Mightiest Heroes. But the Avengers won't be alone, since this movie will also see them teaming up with the Guardians of the Galaxy. Even though other movies may have edged out Infinity War for the top spots on this list (mostly due to the balloting system we used), this is probably the most anticipated movie of 2018 for a majority of the movie-going public. Personally, I can't wait to see Anthony & Joe Russo tear the Avengers apart and deliver one of the most iconic comic book arcs on the big screen for the first time. (Ethan Anderton)

82 Points

Director: Ryan CooglerCast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Andy Serkis, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker.Release Date: February 16, 2018.

There's no overstating the enormity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first film featuring a solo black superhero. With Chadwick Boseman in the title role as Black Panther/T'Challa and Creed's Ryan Coogler behind the camera, Black Panther already feels like nothing the MCU has ever done before. Hell, it feels like nothing that Hollywood has ever done before. Boasting a majority-black cast donning some gorgeous Afrofuturistic get-ups, as well as a complex plot rife with political machinations and betrayal, Black Panther promises to have an epic scope that remains unrivaled in comic book films. The rich visuals, the fierce diverse characters, Lupita Nyong'o finally showing her face in a major blockbuster — I'm ready for all of it. (Hoai-Tran Bui)

96 Points

Director: Alex GarlandCast: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny, Oscar IsaacRelease Date: February 23, 2018Ex-Machina director Alex Garland tackles the first book in Jeff VanderMeer's puzzling, inventive Southern Reach trilogy with a killer cast and some trippy visuals. The first teaser for Annihilation was promising, filled with haunting, mysterious imagery. The second trailer? Not so much. That trailer was filled with over-expository moments and scenes that made the film look like a remake of Predator rather than an adaptation of VanderMeer's work. Is this indicative of the film as a whole? I'm hoping not. There have been rumors of behind-the-scenes tensions about the film, with producers worrying that Garland's adaptation is too cerebral and too weird for general audiences. It's my hope and belief that the second lackluster trailer was deliberately deceptive to better draw a "normal" audience in, and that the final film will be more reflective of VanderMeer's work. Either way, I'm excited to see the film, which deals with a expedition into a strange, otherworldly zone where all is not what it seems. (Chris Evangelista)