Best new films of 2024: 24 movies to look forward to
There are all sorts of cinematic treats to look forward to in 2024 – here are just some of the highlights.
2023 was a brilliant year for film – with new movies from the likes of Greta Gerwig, Christopher Nolan, and Martin Scorsese all causing a splash – and the good news for cinemagoers is that 2024 is already shaping up to be another exciting year.
With that in mind, we're looking ahead to some of the best films 2024 has to offer and have picked out a list of 24 of the most intriguing new releases currently slated to arrive in UK cinemas – including the delayed follow-up to Denis Villeneuve's Dune, a new film from Parasite's Bong Joon-ho, and the (surprisingly) musical sequel Joker: Folie a Deux.
It''s worth noting that we've kept this list to films that already have confirmed UK release dates – there will be plenty more added to the schedule in due course including works from several celebrated auteurs, from Steve McQueen's Blitz to Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis, which are likely to debut at festivals before arriving in cinemas later in the year.
No list could hope to be completely definitive and we've left out a number of new franchise flicks including the latest films in popular series such as Saw, Godzilla v Kong, Transformers, Venom, Karate Kid, and Sonic the Hedgehog as well as spin-offs for John Wick and A Quiet Place.
And of course, one of the joys of being a film fan is that every year several under-the-radar films come from nowhere to surprise you – and we fully expect that to be the case once again this year.
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But for now, read on for 24 films that we're especially excited about in 2024...
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Poor Things
UK release date: Friday 12th January 2024
The Favourite director Yorgos Lanthimos reteams with Emma Stone for this weird and wonderful adaptation of Alasdair Gray's Frankenstein-esque novel of the same name, which also stars Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe and is being tipped as a major awards contender.
Mean Girls
UK release date: Wednesday 17th January 2024
Two decades after the original Mean Girls film became an era-defining teen comedy classic, this new musical version arrives in UK cinemas. Based on the Broadway show that was itself adapted from the original film, it stars Angourie Rice, Reneé Rapp and Auliʻi Cravalho.
The Holdovers
UK release date: Friday 19th January 2024
Although this film is landing in UK cinemas a few weeks after the festive period it seems destined to be a future Christmas classic, following the unlikely bond that forms between a New England prep school teacher, the school's cook, and a troublemaking student who stays on campus over the holidays.
All of Us Strangers
UK release date: Friday 26th January 2024
The latest film from 45 Years director Andrew Haigh looks set to be a real tear-jerker, with Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal starring as a couple whose relationship prompts Scott's character to revisit his childhood home – where he finds his dead parents apparently still alive and unaged.
The Zone of Interest
UK release date: Friday 2nd February 2024
Jonathan Glazer's chilling film – his first since Under the Skin a decade ago – is loosely adapted from a Martin Amis novel of the same name and follows a Nazi commandant and his family as they live their life on the outskirts of Auschwitz concentration camp.
The Iron Claw
UK release date: Friday 9th February 2024
Zac Efron, Harris Dickinson, and The Bear's Jeremy Allen White star as real members of the Von Erich family, who made a big splash in the world of wrestling during the 1980s before a string of tragedies tore them apart, in this biographical drama from director Sean Durkin.
Bob Marley: One Love
Wednesday 14th February 2024
Bob Marley gets the musical biopic treatment in this new film from King Richard director Reinaldo Marcus Green, with Kingsley Ben-Adir in the starring role and James Norton, Lashana Lynch and Tosin Cole among the familiar faces in the supporting cast.
Wicked Little Letters
UK release date: Friday 23rd February 2024
Loosely based on a real-life scandal from the 1920s, this gleefully foul-mouthed period comedy stars Jessie Buckley and Olivia Colman as neighbours Rose and Edith, who have a dispute when the latter is mysteriously sent a series of obscene letters she believes to have come from the former.
Dune Part 2
UK release date: Friday 1st March 2024
Finally arriving on our screens in March after it was delayed last year, the second chapter of Denis Villneuve's epic adaptation of the classic sci-fi novel looks set to be even more impressive than the first – with Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken and Léa Seydoux all joining the cast.
Drive Away Dolls
UK release date: Friday 15th March 2024
The first solo directorial effort from Ethan Coen – one half of the Coen Brothers – this road trip comedy stars Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan as two young women whose plans for a fresh start go awry when they stumble upon a group of inept criminals.
Mickey 17
UK release date: Friday 29th March 2024
Bong Joon-ho's first feature since the Oscar-winning Parasite is a sci-fi film based on a novel of the same name by Edward Ashton, with Robert Pattinson leading the cast as a "disposable employee" on a human expedition sent to colonise a distant ice world.
Back to Black
UK release date: Friday 12th April 2024
Industry's Marisa Abela takes on the role of Amy Winehouse in this film based on the late singer-songwriter's life, focusing especially on the time she was writing and recording the titular album in the shadow of her tumultuous relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil.
Love Lies Bleeding
UK release date: Friday 19th April 2024
Rose Glass made quite a splash with her debut film Saint Maud in 2020 and now she returns with her second feature – which stars Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian as a gym employee and bodybuilder embroiled in a romance "fuelled by ego, desire, and the American Dream."
Challengers
UK release date: Friday 26th April 2024
Another film delayed from 2024 as a result of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, Luca Guagdanino's latest focuses on a love triangle between a tennis player, his wife and coach, and her ex – with Mike Faist, Zendaya and Josh O'Connor in the starring roles.
Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes
UK release date: Friday 10th May 2024
The latest entry in the saga is set 300 years after the events of the previous film in the franchise, War for the Planet of the Apes, and follows a young ape who goes on a journey that will lead him to question everything he's been taught about the past.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
UK release date: Friday 24th May 2024
George Miller returns to the dystopian franchise for which he is most known, with Anya-Taylor Joy this time taking on the lead role in a film that promises to be every bit as epic as the hugely acclaimed previous entry Mad Max: Fury Road.
Inside Out 2
UK release date: Friday 14th June 2024
Almost a decade after the first film, Pixar is releasing a sequel to the award-winning Inside Out, with familiar emotions Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust this time coming across a new character –Anxiety – as Riley enters her teenage years.
Deadpool 3
UK release date: Friday 26th July 2024
Hugh Jackman reprises his popular role as Wolverine in this latest instalment of the MCU – the only new one for 2024 – which sees both he and Ryan Reynolds's Deadpool officially join the franchise for the first time as the two characters team up to face a common enemy, with further plot details currently under wraps.
Beetlejuice 2
UK release date: Friday 6th September 2024
Tim Burton enjoyed something of a renaissance in popularity thanks to the huge success of Wednesday on Netflix, and now the maverick director has made a sequel to his 1988 classic Beetlejuice – with Micahel Keaton reprising his role as the titular "bio-exorcist".
Joker: Folie A Deux
UK release date: Friday 4th October 2024
Joaquin Phoenix reprises his Oscar-winning role as Gotham's most notorious super-villain in this follow-up to the divisive 2019 film – which sees Lady Gaga joining the cast as Harley Quinn in what has somewhat surprisingly been teased as a musical thriller.
Paddington In Peru
UK release date: Friday 8th November 2024
At last! The lovable bear is back on the big screen six years after Paddington 2, and this time he's taking the Brown family with him to his home country of Peru to visit his Aunt Lucy – before he once again gets caught up in an adventure when new villains hatch a devious plan.
Gladiator 2
UK release date: Friday 22nd November 2024
Ridley Scott returns to ancient Rome for this sequel to his Oscar-winning historical epic Gladiator – with Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal among the big names to star.
Wicked
UK release date: Friday 29th November 2024
This adaptation of the hugely popular Broadway and West End musical is actually being split into two parts – with just the first half arriving in 2024. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo take on the main roles of Galinda and Elphaba respectively.
Mufasa: The Lion King
UK release date: Friday 20th December 2024
Disney's latest "live-action" film boasts an unlikely director in Moonlight filmmaker Barry Jenkins, and serves as both a prequel and a sequel to The Lion King focusing on the titular villain.
If you’re looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide, or visit our dedicated Film hub for all the latest news.
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