Most anticipated films coming to cinemas in 2024

Published

1 year ago

December 31, 2023

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It’s been a tumultuous year for Hollywood – from the highs of Barbenheimer to the lows of the strikes.

The double-whammy of industrial action waged by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA shuttered production for months.

Although it’s back to business, it’s far from back to normal.

The stoppage has already led to delays in the release calendar, which could be exacerbated further if there’s a logjam of reshoots and other production work to slog through.

Studios will be tightening their belts as they face invigorated union members looking to enforce their new contracts.

After COVID all but wiped out trips to see a movie on the silver screen, studios are now having to contend with the cost of living crisis.

However, the simultaneous theatrical release of Barbie and Oppenheimer – two movies collectively known as Barbenheimer – showed that post-pandemic audiences will return box office bonanzas if they believe in the film.

So as we head into 2024, here are some of the movies that are set to entertain audiences.

Wicked: Part One

We’re off to see the wizard…

The much-loved Broadway and West End musical is now being given the silver screen treatment.

The story – based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel – features the characters from L Frank Baum’s 1900 book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 1939 film adaptation starring Judy Garland.

Wicked takes place in the Land of Oz in the years surrounding Dorothy’s arrival and tells the tale of how Elphaba Thropp, a young woman born with green skin, later becomes the Wicked Witch of the West.

The two-part film adaptation will star Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba Thropp) and Ariana Grande (Galinda Upland) and features a supporting cast including Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero Tigelaar), Jeff Goldblum (the Wonderful Wizard of Oz) and Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible).

Directed by Jon M Chu (Step Up 3D/In The Heights), expect colourful and big dance numbers as the cast belt out the stage show’s smash hits that include Popular, Defying Gravity and For Good.

Wicked: Part One is scheduled for release in November 2024. The second film is expected to drop a year later.

Dune: Part Two

Denis Villeneuve’s epic science fiction sequel will continue the journey of Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) as he teams up with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen to seek revenge against all those who destroyed his family and prevent a terrible future that only he can predict.

The film – which already boasted a stacked cast including Rebecca Ferguson (Lady Jessica), Josh Brolin (Gurney Halleck), Javier Bardem (Stilgar) and Stellan Skarsgard (Vladimir Harkonnen) – has added Austin Butler (Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen), Florence Pugh (Princess Irulan) and Lea Seydoux (Lady Margot) to the bill.

Dune: Part Two was due to be released in 2023 but was delayed due to the Hollywood strikes. It is now set for release in March 2024.

Madame Web

Madame Web is part of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe.

Dakota Johnson takes on the titular role as Cassandra ‘Cassie’ Webb/Madame Web, a Manhattan paramedic and clairvoyant whose new psychic abilities apparently allow her to see into the future.

Following an incident, Cassie is forced to confront her past while trying to protect three young women from a killer Spider-Man.

Johnson is joined by Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney, who’s playing Julia Carpenter. Sweeney’s character later takes on the mantle of Spider-Woman in the comics.

While there’s been plenty of movies revolving around male Marvel Comics characters – the Iron Man, Captain America and Thor films to name but a few – there have only been a few commissioned with female leads, such as Black Widow, Captain Marvel and The Marvels.

It’s encouraging to see a studio green-light a female-led superhero film and many will be hoping for large box office returns so we get some more.

After the trailer was released, Johnson’s delivery of the line “he was in the Amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders right before she died” was given the meme treatment.

So, only time will tell if the film becomes a cult hit or is mocked online like Morbius.

Madame Web will be swinging into cinemas in February.

Joker: Folie à Deux

Joker was intended to be a standalone film but then it became one of the highest-grossing movies of 2019 and the first R-rated production to gross over $1bn.

Todd Phillips’ neo-noir psychological thriller – which saw Joaquin Phoenix pick up his first Academy Award for Best Actor – gave us fresh insight into DC Comics’ most colourful villain and Batman’s nemesis.

The Dark Knight failed to make an appearance in this Gotham City, although we did see a young Bruce Wayne. But audiences were kept entertained by Joker/Arthur Fleck’s descent into darkness.

The sequel is set to be a musical thriller, with Lady Gaga joining the cast as partner-in-crime Dr Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn.

Joker: Folie à Deux is set to be released in October 2024.

Other blockbusters to watch out for:

Furiosa
Audiences should prepare for a wild ride given George Miller’s previous Mad Max films.

The movie – a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road – will see Anya Taylor-Joy take over from Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa.

The post-apocalyptic action-adventure will also star Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth, playing Dementus.

Mean Girls
The much-loved 2004 comedy – starring Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams – was turned into a Broadway show, which has now been transformed into a new musical film.

Tina Fey is back in the writer’s chair and returns as Ms Norbury.

American singer and actress Renee Rapp (The Sex Lives of College Girls) will be reprising her Broadway role of mean girl Regina George.

Challengers
Zendaya’s spicy romcom was one of the casualties of the Hollywood strikes and was delayed from its initial release date of September 2023 to April 2024.

The Emmy and Golden Globe winner stars as a former tennis player turned coach who has transformed her husband (Mike Faist) into a Grand Slam champ.

Tensions soon run high during a challenger event that brings ex-love Patrick (The Durrells’ Josh O’Connor) back into their lives.

Twisters
The epic 1996 disaster film Twister, starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, is getting a reboot. This “new chapter” will star Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People) and Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick).

Borderlands
Gearbox Software/2K’s popular looter shooter video game series is heading for the big screen with an ensemble cast that includes Cate Blanchett (Lilith), Kevin Hart (Roland), Jack Black (Claptrap) and Jamie Lee Curtis (Dr Patricia Tannis).

Director Eli Roth (Hostel/The Green Inferno) is behind the camera and co-wrote the script.

Nosferatu
Nosferatu is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her.

Following Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979), it is the second remake of the 1922 German expressionist film of the same name written by Henrik Galeen – which in turn is an unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula.

Fresh from the hot mess of TV show The Idol, Lily-Rose Depp (Ellen Hutter) will be joined by Bill Skarsgard (Count Orlok) and Nicholas Hoult (Thomas Hutter) in the highly anticipated horror.

The film marks Focus Features’ ongoing collaboration with writer and director Robert Eggers (The Northman) and is set to be released in December 2024.

MaXXXine
At the time of writing, MaXXXine is yet to be given a release date. The final instalment of Ti West’s X trilogy will most likely appear at some point in 2024.

The movie will follow Maxine (Mia Goth) – the sole survivor of the first film – as she sets out for fame and success in 1980s Los Angeles.

Fans of the slasher franchise are in for a treat with a cast that includes Elizabeth Debicki (The Crown), Michelle Monaghan (Mission: Impossible III), Bobby Cannavale (The Watcher), Lily Collins (Emily in Paris), singer-songwriter Halsey, Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad) and the legendary Kevin Bacon.

The Strangers: Chapter 1
The Strangers: Chapter 1 is not a reboot of the slasher franchise but is instead the first instalment of a new trilogy of standalone sequel films.

Riverdale alum Madelaine Petsch and Cruel Summer’s Froy Gutierrez will find themselves facing off against thee murderous masked strangers after their car breaks down during a road trip.

The trilogy will explore what happens to the victims and will detail who the killer psychopaths are and where they came from. Chapter 1 is due to be released in May, with the following two films expected throughout 2024.

Beetlejuice 2
More than three decades on, we’re finally getting a sequel to the family horror comedy.

Tim Burton is back behind the camera with Michael Keaton (Betelgeuse), Winona Ryder (Lydia Deetz) and Catherine O’Hara (Delia Deetz) reprising their roles from the 1988 original. Jenna Ortega, fresh from working with Burton on Netflix series Wednesday, will be playing Ryder’s daughter.

The film is due to be released in September 2024 but is said to be at risk of delay due to the Hollywood strikes.

Gladiator 2
Ridley Scott is back in the director’s chair for this sequel to his Oscar-winning film.

Previous leading man Russell Crowe (Maximus Decimus Meridius) has duly been replaced by Paul Mescal (Normal People), who takes over from Spencer Treat Clark as Lucius Verus.

The historical drama – set years after the events of the 2000 film – will centre on Lucius, who is now a grown man.

Connie Nielsen (Lucilla), Derek Jacobi (Senator Gracchus) and Djimon Hounsou (Juba) are returning to reprise their roles from the original, while Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal have been added to the bill.

Deadpool 3
Ryan Reynolds will suit up for a fourth time as Wade Wilson/Deadpool. He first appeared as the Marvel Comics character in the 2009 film X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

This time he will be joined by good friend Hugh Jackman (James ‘Logan’ Howlett/Wolverine) and Jennifer Garner, who’s reprising her role of assassin Elektra Natchios following her turn in Daredevil and Elektra.

Emma Corrin – who played Diana, Princess of Wales in The Crown – has been cast in a lead villain role.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3
The much-loved Sega video game character will rock and roll in another action adventure.

Venom 3
Tom Hardy is set to return for a third outing as Eddie Brock/Venom in the untitled Let There Be Carnage sequel.

Kraven the Hunter
Alongside Venom 3 and Madame Web, Kraven the Hunter is part of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe.

Kick-Ass and Bullet Train star Aaron Taylor-Johnson takes on the titular role as we learn how the iconic villain came to be.

Taylor-Johnson is no stranger to Marvel Comics characters, having previously played Pietro Maximoff (Quicksilver) in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

The film is due to be released in August 2024 after being delayed due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.

Bad Boys 4
Detectives Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) will reunite once more for the fourth film in the buddy cop franchise.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
This sequel to Ghostbusters: Afterlife is the fifth film in the supernatural comedy’s franchise and will see the Spengler family leave Oklahoma for New York City.

The movie will bring together Ghostbusters old and new as they team up to take on a mysterious and evil force known as the “death chill”.

The Fall Guy
The 1980s hit TV show has been adapted into an action comedy starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt.

Gosling plays Colt Seavers, a seasoned but aging stuntman who’s tasked to track down a missing film star to save his ex-girlfriend’s movie.

Lee Majors, who starred in the classic TV series as the stuntman/bounty hunter, is set to appear in the film.

Mufasa: The Lion King
The Lion King prequel is expected to hit the big screen just in time for Christmas 2024.

Entertainment

Video game actor strike ends in US – but AI described as ‘direct threat’ to UK industry

Published

3 days ago

June 12, 2025

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Video game actor strike ends in US - but AI described as 'direct threat' to UK industry

Video game actors in the US have ended their strike after nearly a year of industrial action, over the use of artificial intelligence by game studios.

More than 2,500 US performers were barred from working on games impacted by the strike while the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) negotiated a deal with studios.

Now, after more than 11 months of discussions, a “tentative” agreement has been reached.

“Patience and persistence has resulted in a deal that puts in place the necessary AI guardrails that defend performers’ livelihoods in the AI age, alongside other important gains,” said SAG-AFTRA’s national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.

Actors were banned from working with major game makers like Activision, Blindlight, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Formosa, Insomniac Games, Take 2 and WB Games.

Other studios were also impacted by the strike, as actors took industrial action in solidarity.

“We are pleased to have reached a tentative contract agreement that reflects the important contributions of SAG-AFTRA-represented performers in video games,” said Audrey Cooling, spokesperson for the video game producers, to Sky News.

“It delivers historic wage increases of over 24% for performers, enhanced health and safety protections, and industry-leading AI provisions requiring transparency, consent and compensation for the use of digital replicas in games.”

In the UK, actors protested in solidarity with their American counterparts, while Equity, the UK actors’ union, called for a similar wide-reaching agreement between UK studios and actors.

Earlier this week, the British Film Institute (BFI) released a report detailing the risks posed by AI to the UK screen sector, including video games, and described it as a “direct threat”.

The scripts of more than 130,000 films and TV shows, YouTube videos, and databases of pirated books have been used to train AI models, according to the report.

AI poses a particular threat to some video game voice actors, according to one expert, because of the nature of their work creating animal or monster sound effects.

“The generic stuff is the easiest thing for generative AI to replace,” Video Games Industry Memo author George Osborn told Sky News previously.

“Just saying to the model, ‘make 200 monster noises’ is much easier than convincingly [making AI] sound like it is having a conversation with someone,” he said.

Unlike the SAG-AFTRA actors’ strike in 2023, which saw blockbusters like Deadpool 3 and Gladiator 2 delayed and entire TV series cancelled, huge delays to games were unlikely.

Games take years to make and any game already in development before September 2023 was exempt from the strike.

Tensions have risen in the game actor community since the industrial action began, as studios appeared to hire international actors to replace the striking US workers.

Entertainment

Sly Stone, pioneer of early funk music, dies after ‘prolonged’ battle with illness

Published

6 days ago

June 9, 2025

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Sly Stone, pioneer of early funk music, dies after 'prolonged' battle with illness

Sly Stone, one of the pioneers of funk music, has died aged 82, his family have said.

As front man for his band Sly And The Family Stone, the musician fused soul, rock, psychedelia and gospel to take the sound that defined an era in the 1970s into new territory, second only to James Brown as the early founders of funk.

Several of the band’s seminal tracks became known to a wider audience when they were subsequently sampled by hip hop artists.

“Everyday People” was sampled by Arrested Development, while “Sing A Simple Song” was sampled by Public Enemy, De La Soul and Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg.

Stone’s family has said in a statement he died after a battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health issues.

A statement issued by his publicist on behalf of Stone’s family said: “It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved dad, Sly Stone of Sly And The Family Stone.

“After a prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues, Sly passed away peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend, and his extended family.

“While we mourn his absence, we take solace in knowing that his extraordinary musical legacy will continue to resonate and inspire for generations to come.

“Sly was a monumental figure, a groundbreaking innovator, and a true pioneer who redefined the landscape of pop, funk, and rock music. His iconic songs have left an indelible mark on the world, and his influence remains undeniable.

“In a testament to his enduring creative spirit, Sly recently completed the screenplay for his life story, a project we are eager to share with the world in due course, which follows a memoir published in 2024.

“We extend our deepest gratitude for the outpouring of love and prayers during this difficult time. We wish peace and harmony to all who were touched by Sly’s life and his iconic music.

“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your unwavering support.”

Stone, born Sylvester Stewart in Texas, and his group were regulars on the US music charts in the late 1960s and 1970s, with hits such as “Dance to the Music,” “I Want to Take You Higher,” “Family Affair,” “If You Want Me to Stay,” and “Hot Fun in the Summertime”.

He played a leading role in introducing funk, an Afrocentric style of music driven by grooves and syncopated rhythms, to a broader audience.

James Brown had forged the elements of funk before Stone founded his band in 1966, but Stone’s brand of funk drew new listeners.

It was celebratory, eclectic, psychedelic and rooted in the counterculture of the late 1960s.

However, Stone later fell on hard times and became addicted to cocaine, never staging a successful comeback.

His music became less joyous in the 1970s, reflecting the polarisation of the country after opposition to the Vietnam War and racial tensions triggered unrest on college campuses and in African-American neighbourhoods in big US cities.

In 1971, Sly and the Family Stone released “There’s a Riot Goin’ On,” which became the band’s only Number 1 album.

Critics said the album’s bleak tone and slurred vocals denoted the increasing hold of cocaine on Stone.

But some called the record a masterpiece, a eulogy to the 1960s.

In the early 1970s, Stone became erratic and missed shows. Some members left the band.

But the singer was still a big enough star in 1974 to attract a crowd of 21,000 for his wedding to actress and model Kathy Silva at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Ms Silva filed for divorce less than a year later.

Sly and the Family Stone’s album releases in the late 1970s and early 1980s flopped, as Stone racked up drug possession arrests.

The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and Stone was celebrated in an all-star tribute at the Grammy Awards in 2006.

He sauntered on stage with a blond mohawk haircut but bewildered the audience by leaving mid-song.

In 2011, after launching what would become a years-long legal battle to claim royalties he said were stolen, Stone was arrested for cocaine possession.

That year, media reported Stone was living in a recreational vehicle parked on a street in South Los Angeles.

Stone had a son, Sylvester, with Ms Silva.

He had two daughters, Novena Carmel, and Sylvette “Phunne” Stone, whose mother was bandmate Cynthia Robinson.

Entertainment

Judge dismisses Justin Baldoni’s defamation claim against former co-star Blake Lively

Published

6 days ago

June 9, 2025

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Judge dismisses Justin Baldoni's defamation claim against former co-star Blake Lively

A judge in the US has dismissed actor Justin Baldoni’s $400m (£295m) defamation lawsuit against his It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively.

Baldoni filed the countersuit against the 37-year-old in response to her launching legal action in December, accusing him of sexual harassment against her while filming the 2024 movie.

The 41-year-old and production company Wayfarer Studios countersued in January for $400m, accusing Lively and her husband, “Deadpool” actor Ryan Reynolds, their publicist, the New York Times, and others of orchestrating a smear campaign to extort him.

He accused Lively of trying to “hijack” the movie and then blaming him when her “disastrous” promotional approach prompted an online backlash against her.

“It Ends With Us” garnered mixed reviews, but grossed more than $351m (£259m) worldwide, according to reports.

In a statement, lawyers representing Lively said: “Today’s opinion is a total victory and a complete vindication for Blake Lively, along with those that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties dragged into their retaliatory lawsuit, including Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane and The New York Times.

“As we have said from day one, this ‘$400 million’ lawsuit was a sham, and the court saw right through it.

“We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys’ fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni, Sarowitz, Nathan, and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation.”

Sky News has approached Baldoni’s representatives for comment.

US District Court Judge Lewis Liman has ruled that Baldoni can’t sue Lively for defamation over claims she made in her lawsuit, because allegations made in a lawsuit are exempt from libel claims.

The judge also dismissed Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, which had reported on Lively’s sexual harassment allegations.

Mr Liman also ruled that Baldoni’s claims that Lively stole creative control of the film didn’t count as extortion under California law.

Baldoni’s legal team can revise the lawsuit if they want to pursue different claims related to whether Lively breached a contract, the judge said.

“It Ends With Us,” an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling 2016 novel that begins as a romance but takes a dark turn into domestic violence, was released in August last, exceeding box office expectations with a $50m (£37m) debut.

But the movie’s release was shrouded by speculation over discord between Lively and Baldoni.