Sam’s Most Anticipated Movies of 2022
Let us leave 2021 behind like the crap fest it was! The movies were decent and hopefully 2022 will bear much more fruit than it’s predecessor. Maybe the coronavirus will finally be brought under control. Maybe my Phoenix Suns will win an NBA championship. Maybe Top Gun: Maverick will finally come out. We can hope! And a lot of my movie-based hope is rooting for the following movies being at least good if not great. Here is my list of most anticipated movies of 2022. There are a lot of them; and I will do my best to explain my anticipation for each of them.
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Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas in a romantic thriller? Sign me up. After his turn has Batman and in The Way Back and The Last Duel, I am down to see Affleck in almost anything. Plus Armas is one of the biggest up-and-coming stars in the world.
I have no love for the 2017 rendition of Murder on the Orient Express. I saw it with my best friend James when we were in college and both left the movie asking why that was so terrible. But Death on the Nile has a deep cast itself and seems to ooze a certain mystery. Hopefully, it will wow me in a way that its predecessor could not.
Roland Emmerich making a worldwide disaster movie? Check. Some kind of alien threat? Check. Sounds like dumb and fun popcorn schlock to me. (I am shocked my wife is not interested in this. She loves Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow.)
Video games movies are always a risk. But the franchise Uncharted is based on has built in fans and is regarded as one of the best video game franchises of recent years. The star power Tom Holland brings coming off Spider-Man: No Way Home will add to the hype behind this movie. It could be a strong performer at the box office in 2022.
Look. One of my goals on this blog is not to be a weird fanboy who is constantly complaining about a studio or director’s decisions regarding a particular franchise. But I will be eaten for lunch by Hannibal Lector before I concede that Robert Pattinson looks like Batman. I’m still hyped though. This movie looks terrific. (If they can somehow bring in Kristen Stewart to play Joker next to Pattinson, I will be first and line and see it three times during the opening day.)
This trailer is amazing. I am so hyped for a tween take on the Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde story. Plus Pixar/Disney animation is nice to look at it.
Everything, Everywhere All At Once
Information on this movie is slim to me aside from this trailer. But I love Michelle Yeoh, and the multiverse idea behind this movie seems well done and creative in its intention. Count in me to see this one…and maybe drag my wife too. (She is only able to take on so many high-concept or weird movies. I will probably go by myself.)
Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Nicholas Cage playing Nicholas Cage. This is so meta it just might work.
Is this some kind of Gladiator-esque story mixed with Vikings? SIGN ME UP!!! Plus Anya Taylor-Joy is on a streak to match anyone currently working.
Animated movies are always a fun time unless they are absolute trash. And Ocean’s 11 with animals breaking good sounds like a fun time to me.
Fantastic Beasts: Secrets of Dumbledore
This is a dumpster fire watch. The first movie was fine. The second movie was disgusting. This movie could save JK Rowling’s golden goose or be the final coal on the fire to cook said goose.
A long-awaited sequel to a classic that looks like it could actually surpass the original. I am down. All I need is two to three great dogfights in the sky and my ticket money will have been worth it.
Doctor Strange in the Multi-Verse of Madness
With the fall-out from Spider-Man: No Way Home being massive in scope, I am very excited to see where acclaimed horror director Sam Raimi can take this franchise. Benedict Cumberbatch is a bankable star as any too.
When I first heard the elevator pitch of this movie, I thought that Disney might finally have run out of creative ideas. But the fact that this movie even exists tells me they can milk their products dry to a level that is unfathomable to the rest of us. And shockingly I actually want to watch this.
The first fourth entry for one of the core avengers. With Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Scarlett Johannson out of the MCU picture, Thor will have to carry a lot of weight in the wider scope of this universe. But if anyone can do it, Chris Hemsworth’s biceps can. Plus Takia Waititi is proven director at this point.
Jordan Peele comes back to direct after a three-year absence since Us. Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, and Steven Yeung make for a strong cast as well. I have no idea what is happening in this movie, but I am excited to see what that cast and this director can do.
Olivia Wilde is back for her second directorial entry and with star power like Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, I am certain this entry will be strong as well.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One)
BACK TO THE SPIDER-VERSE, BABY!!! LET’S GO!!! OSCAR ISAAC AND ISSA RAE HAVE JOINE THE ALREADY STACKED ORIGINAL CAST OF SHAMEIK MOORE, HAILEE STEINFELD, AND JAKE JOHNSON!!! I AM HYPED!!!!
While I do enjoy the first Avatar, I am honestly more interested in this sequel because I want to see it crash and burn. Of course I care about the people whose jobs depend on this movie, but I cannot be the only person who is tired of James Cameron every time he opens his mouth.
If the rumors are true and Tom Cruise actually filmed a part of this in space, this will make for a very interesting movie. Plus these moves are usually good anyway.
After the trash that we got served in Halloween Kills but the promise that was shown in Halloween (2018), we need a solid ending to the Halloween franchise. If this movie can deliver a final confrontation between Michael Myers and Laurie Strode, we might really get something quality.
Give me a Jason Monmoa in an fish suit and gills and another fight with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, and you have got yourself a movie. Plus James Wan always has an unique visual style that works well with these movies.
Look I could care less about some of these DC properties, but the Rock as one of the few super villians on par with Superman has to be something of note. Plus his eventual showdown with Shazam will be something to watch as well.
Yay! More multiverse stuff! How fun! Half of that was sarcastic, and half of that was me being excited to see Michael Keaton as Batman again.
Damian Chazelle is back at it again with more love letters to Hollywood. Plus with a cast with Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt, Emma Stone, Spike Jonze, Margot Robbie, and Tobey Maguire, this is likely going to be an awards contender.
While I am sad that this movie no longer has Slyvester Stallone involved, I am excited to see where this franchise can go with Michael B. Jordan as the solo headline act. Plus the Rocky movies were always a fun time.
Martin Scorsese is back to work on set after a few years off following the Irishman. Maybe people will stop asking him his opinion about marvel movies and just let him make good movies.