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14 Winter 2018 Movies We're Excited To See
With winter coming, there is only one thing on all of our minds: Star Wars. We all have tunnel vision until December 15, when The Last Jedi comes out. The winter season of movies, between December and February, tends to be less exciting than the rest of the year. However, there are still a lot of movies we think look pretty fun, including a few really interesting looking horror films and 2018'a first Marvel movie, Black Panther. The real question is, "Could February finally be the release of the Cloverfield Universe movie God Particle?" Here's a list of upcoming movies to keep on your radar for the next three months, starting with December's releases.
Jump ahead to January
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The Disaster Artist
One of my favorite bad movies is The Room, and one of my favorite non-fiction books is The Disaster Artist by Greg Sestero. So obviously, the movie based on said book is going to be on this season's list. For the first time, James and Dave Franco appear together on screen as director Tommy Wiseau and line-producer-turned-Room-actor Greg Sestero. The film looks hilarious; see for yourself in this trailer.
The Disaster Artist opens on December 1, and you can check out our full review of the film here.
The Shape of the Water
Guillermo del Toro's newest film is The Shape of the Water. Fans have been waiting since they got to see the magical and horrific trailer back in July. The movie takes place during the early '60s, in Cold War America. A janitor at a government laboratory discovers a bizarre being during work.
The Shape of the Water opens on December 8, and you can check out the full review of the film here.
I, Tonya
I, Tonya is a biopic about ice skater Tonya Harding. A true story about an ice skater sounds dull, unless it's Harding because her story is crazy and unbelievable. She was a potential Olympic skater whose husband took her #1 competition, Nancy Kerrigan, by attacking her leg. Margot Robbie stars in this movie as the titular character, and the trailer is what won me over, as it's pretty funny.
I, Tonya opens on December 8.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
You probably already have your tickets to The Last Jedi, since it's one of the most anticipated movies of the year. The newest teaser for the film has a few extra scenes we haven't seen already, but it doesn't matter. It's Star Wars. Regardless of what we say, you already have your mind set. If for some reason you're on the fence about heading to the theaters, remember Porgs are a thing now.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens on December 15.
Jumanji
Jumanji was a movie I loved when I was younger, and while Welcome to the Jungle--which is a sequel that avoids feeling like a sequel--doesn't seem to have that same sense of wonderment as the original, it does have an air of fun in the trailers. It may be the Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson fanboy inside of me, but I'm pretty pumped for this movie, even though there is little-to-no chance it will stand up to the original.
Jumanji opens on Wednesday, December 20.
Bright
Netflix original movies can be hit or miss. They're either marvelous or mediocre, but Bright looks pretty awesome. Will Smith stars as a police officer who lives in a world where mystical creatures--like orcs--exist alongside humans. With his orc partner, Smith is on the hunt for a weapon that everyone is after. This has the potential to be one of Netflix's bigger original movies, as the service already has some great original series.
Bright comes to Netflix on December 22.
Downsizing
Matt Damon stars in Downsizing, a movie about people who shrink themselves down in order to reduce their impact on the environment. The trailer is quirky and compelling, and it is a really cool concept, especially if you're someone like me who likes Innerspace or any film with Rick Moranis shrinking things.
Downsizing comes out on December 22.
Insidious: The Last Key
If horror is up your alley, the winter has a few promising-looking movies. The first big horror film of the season is the fourth installment in the Insidious franchise. This time, Dr. Rainier must stop a new haunting: one that is happening in her family home. As you can expect, the trailers are creepy. Now, there's a new terrifying ghostly being with keys for fingers hunting people down. The Last Key looks like more of the same, in a good way.
Insidious: The Last Key opens on January 5.
Maze Runner: The Death Cure
The third installment of the Maze Runner series has had a rough go, after star Dylan O'Brien was injured on the set in 2016 and production was pushed to February 2017. However, the latest trailer was released over the summer, and it looks like the movie is setting up an excellent final act to the story. For the third film, Thomas and his friends must break into a large labyrinthine city which is controlled by the WCKD.
Maze Runner: The Death Cure opens on January 26.
Extinction
In the past, we've recommended upcoming films that haven't released a trailer, but with Extinction, there aren't even any movie posters or set photos anywhere, hence the Universal Pictures logo above. The movie stars Michael Pena and Lizzy Caplan, who find that Earth has been invaded and is on the verge of destruction. That may not be a lot to work with, but Extinction does have Arrival writer Eric Heisserer attached, and that should be reason enough to be interested.
Extinction opens on January 26.
Cloverfield/God Particle
Here we go again. One year ago, we put this movie on our list for Winter 2017 movies to watch, and it still hasn't come out. It was supposed to come out this past October but was pushed back yet again. Now, the movie about a group of scientists on a space station, fighting for their life against something horrible will come out in February--we hope.
The upcoming Cloverfield universe movie comes out on February 2.
Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built
I've always been infatuated by the Winchester Mystery House and the story of its origin. Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built is about Sarah Winchester, the air to the Winchester firearms company. She believes the souls of those killed by the Winchester rifles were haunting her, so she built a large house with doors and staircases to nowhere in order to confuse them. Helen Mirren stars in this supernatural horror film, and it is directed by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig (Predestination, Jigsaw). The trailer seems pretty standard for a movie about angry ghosts, but what excites me is the story of the house itself.
Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built opens on February 2.
Disclosure: Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built is by CBS Films. CBS is GameSpot's parent company.
Black Panther
Marvel is getting things started early in 2018 with Black Panther. Personally, I'm more excited for this movie than Ant-Man and the Wasp or Avengers: Infinity War. The movie follows T'Challa--the hero known as Black Panther--as he takes his place as king of Wakanda, as his father was killed during the events of Civil War. The latest trailer for the movie shows that the technologically advanced nation is on the verge of a revolution and T'Challa must rise to the occasion.
Black Panther opens on February 16.
Annihilation
Before we head into the spring, there's Annihilation, a movie that should be on everyone's radar. Starring Natalie Portman and written and directed by Alex Garland (Ex Machina), the film follows a biologist who goes on an expedition in an environmental disaster zone, where life is a bit strange. The trailer from back in September is mind-blowing. If that hasn't sold you yet, Garland wrote 28 Days Later, Dredd, Sunshine, DmC: Devil May Cry, and Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.
Annihilation opens on February 23.
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