2023 was a fantastic year for the film industry. The year gave audiences many blockbuster movies, returning franchises, and surprising new hits. In terms of domestic box office numbers, this past year was successful with many movies exceeding their own expectations. Some highlights from last year include the returning Marvel franchise, Guardians of the Galaxy 3. Two more successes from last year were the Barbie and Oppenheimer releases. Oppenheimer and Barbie were released on the same day, causing the internet to create the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon in which fans would see both movies back-to-back. With this online fan service and the movies being made by well-established directors, it caused both movies to push the one billion dollar boundary with Barbie then exceeding it. Getting two blockbuster hits on the same day in the peak of summer and many other massive movies releasing later in the year helped drive 2023 into one of the greatest years for film of all time.
Looking ahead to 2024, it looks like audiences could potentially have back-to-back years of amazing films. This year’s lineup of movies so far is a stacked list with at least 20 sequels of big franchises coming out next year. Audiences can expect the return of more recent franchises, and also some franchises audiences have not seen in over a decade. One example of those movies is Gladiator 2. The first Gladiator was released in 2000 and was highly praised back in the day. Many fans believed it would be a stand-alone movie and were perfectly content with that, but were happily surprised when nearly 25 years later it was announced that they will be getting a sequel to this beloved classic.
For animated movie fans, there is plenty to look out for next year too. The Kung Fu Panda and Despicable Me franchises will be returning for the first time since 2016-2017 with Kung Fu Panda 4 and Despicable Me 4. Both films will have returning stars such as Jack Black as Po and Steve Carrel as Gru. Pixar will be making its return with a sequel to 2016’s Inside Out with Inside Out 2, releasing early summer of this year. Due to the beloved fan base behind each, these films will have big shoes to fill in order to keep the momentum for each franchise.
Comic book fans are in for a treat in 2024 as they have three new sequels coming their way. Marvel fans get the return of Deadpool with Deadpool 3, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, set to release on July 26. This will be Marvel’s only movie released in 2024 after many years of releasing multiple films a year. Fans of the franchise are hoping that Deadpool 3 can be the spark to reignite the beloved Marvel universe, especially with the first two Deadpool movies being box office successes.
Marvel’s rival company, DC Comics, will also be releasing a musical sequel to 2019’s Joker called Joker: Folie a Deux. This film will have returning star Joaquin Phoenix playing the Joker once again after giving an Oscar-winning performance in 2019. Lady Gaga will co-star.
Lastly, Sony will be returning to their Venom franchise with Venom 3, starring Tom Hardy as Venom. This film looks to be a worthy conclusion to the franchise.
One of the biggest animated films of last 2023, Spiderman Across the Spider-Verse, is slated to be released in 2024, though the actual release date is up in the air due to delays based on the SAG-AFTRA and Writer’s Strikes. The first two films in the franchise are hailed as some of the greatest comic book movies to ever exist, with fans believing that if this film delivers it will be not only the greatest animated trilogy of all time, but the greatest superhero trilogy of all time.
Many more sequels will be released throughout 2024 including a new Karate Kid movie, a return of the Planet of the Apes Trilogy, and others. Fans of the film industry eagerly wait to hear about any fresh and new releases, as 2023 gave us many of those as well. 2024 is shaping up to be a fantastic year as according to the Los Angeles Times, the movie industry estimates it will make around 8 billion dollars in sales. This will be less than 2023, but the industry believes this is because of the writers’ and actors’ strikes. Now that the strikes are over there is a large chance the industry will do even better in 2024.
The hype around 2024 and the movies coming out is the greatest it has been in a long time. Many believe this is because of the coronavirus putting movies on a halt; nonetheless, 2024 could be another return to form for the industry.
