Okay, so we’ve gone through twenty of the forty films in releasing in 2019 that I want to watch over the first two parts of this four-part series, now let’s start wrapping this up by start the third part of this list. This part of the list will feature most of the films that will encompass my Summer movie watching list, so expect this part to be the one filled with all big-budget films. And even I have to admit that this year has a ton of big-budget Summer movies that I really want to see in theaters. So, please have a look at Part 1 and Part 2 if you haven’t already, and let’s get on with Part 3 of “The 40 Films I Want to See in 2019”.
Ad Astra
Release date: May 24
Directed by: James Gray
Produced by: Plan B Entertainment, New Regency Productions, RT Features, Keep Your Head, MadRiver Pictures
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Genre: Epic Sci-Fi Thriller
Starring: Brad Pitt, Ruth Negga, Jamie Kennedy, Donald Sutherland, Tommy Lee Jones, John Finn, Kimberly Elise, Bobby Nish, LisaGay Hamilton, John Ortiz
I’m a huge sucker for these kind of sci-fi thriller films, and from what I have read regarding the plot for Ad Astra, this really seems like the kind of film that I would enjoy. A son sets out on an interstellar mission to discover what went wrong with his father’s mission twenty years prior. And with a cast that includes Brad Pitt, Ruth Negga, Donad Sutherland, and Tommy Lee Jones, and being directed by James Gray, and you have certainly piqued my interest.
Godzilla: King of Monsters
Release date: May 31
Directed by: Michael Dougherty
Produced by: Legendary Pictures
Distributed by: Warner Bros Pictures
Genre: Kaiju Action
Starring: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Bradley Whitford, Sally Hawkins, Charles Dance, Thomas Middleditch, Aisha Hinds, O’Shea Jackson Jr., David Strathairn, Ken Watanabe, Zhang Ziyi
I absolutely loved the 2014 Godzilla film. It revamped what the “King of Monsters” was and introduced the most iconic movie monster to a whole new generation. Now, Michael Dougherty takes the reins for this sequel and Godzilla: King of Monsters looks to be just as epic and unforgettable as its predecessor. I just hope that this film doesn’t let me down, especially since it introduces three other kaiju classics to the series: Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah – while also hinting at the 2020 film, Godzilla vs Kong.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix
Release date: June 7
Directed by: Simon Kinberg
Produced by: Marvel Entertainment, TSG Entertainment, The Donners’ Company. Kinberg Genre
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Genre: Superhero Action
Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Evan Peters, Jessica Chastain
I have some pretty big reservations about X-Men: Dark Phoenix. As it was, I barely liked X-Men: Apocalypse as I thought it was starting to stretch the X-Men First Class series a bit thin. Then, we have a film trying to adapt the Dark Phoenix Saga from the comics for a second time, and the first time wasn’t all that successful. I really hope this adaptation of the story works because it is one of my favorite comic stories of all time, but I mainly want it to succeed because I am a huge X-Men fan and would like to see the series leave Fox’s hands on a high note.
The Secret Life of Pets 2
Release date: June 7
Directed by: Chris Renaud
Produced by: Universal Pictures, Illumination
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
Genre: Computer-Animated Comedy
Starring: Patton Oswalt, Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Jenny Slate, Ellie Kemper, Lake Bell, Dana Carvey, Hannibal Buress, Bobby Moynihan, Tiffany Haddish, Nick Kroll, Pete Holmes, Harrison Ford
I’ll admit, I didn’t want to watch the first film in the series because I thought that The Secret Life of Pets was a little too gimmicky to work as a film; but after watching it I was pleasantly surprised with how funny the film was. So, I am hoping that The Secret Life of Pets 2 can build upon the story and entertain me as much as the first film did. Either way, my kids want to really see this movie, that already had it in my sights even if I wasn’t a fan of the first film.
Men in Black: International
Release date: June 14
Directed by: F. Gary Gray
Produced by: Columbia Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, Parkes/MacDonald Productions, Imagenation Abu Dhabi
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Releasing
Genre: Sci-Fi Action Comedy
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Rebecca Ferguson, Kumail Nanjiani, Rafe Spall, Laurent Bourgeois, Larry Bourgeois, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson
It’s been nearly seven years since we last saw the MiB in Men in Black 3, but I am definitely excited to see Men in Black: International which explores the bigger world of the MiB and how they operate in different corners of the world. And since the film is being headlined by Liam Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, two of my favorite young actors right now, and I have some pretty high hopes for this film to live up to the legacy that the previous films have cemented.
Toy Story 4
Release date: June 21
Directed by: Josh Cooley
Produced by: Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios
Distributed by: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Genre: Computer-Animated Family Comedy
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Joan Cusack, Blake Clark, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Estelle Harris, Jodi Benson, Michael Keaton, Jeff Pidgeon, Kristen Schaal, Bonnie Hunt, Timothy Dalton, Jeff Garlin, Laurie Metcalf, Lori Alan, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Keanu Reeves
Nine years ago, Toy Story 3 had me in tears at the end of the film because the story capped off a fifteen-year long story that felt just as personal to me as it did to almost everyone else watching the film. Now, nine years later, Disney and Pixar are returning us to the world of Toy Story with Toy Story 4 and I am both excited and scared because I hope that this film doesn’t tarnish the legacy of the series, but I am hoping that it builds upon it and hits me emotionally as hard as the three previous films have.
Spider-Man: Far from Home
Release date: July 5
Directed by: Jon Watts
Produced by: Columbia Pictures, Marvel Studios, Pascal Pictures
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Releasing
Genre: Superhero Action
Starring: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Jon Favreau, Zendaya, Marisa Tomei, Jake Gyllenhaal, Cobie Smulders, Samuel L. Jackson, Jacob Batalon, Tony Revolori, Angourie Rice, Hemky Madera
Oh man, after the ending of Avengers: Infinity War, and what is to come in Avengers: Endgame, I am extremely anxious to see how Peter will react to those events in Spider-Man: Far from Home. I’m actually more curious to see Aunt May’s reaction to what she saw at the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming because that is something that is rarely explored in the comic books. But to see how Peter reacts to everything and how it will affect how he is as Spider-Man going forward is really intriguing – and we haven’t even touched on Jake Gyllenhaal appearing as Mysterio yet.
The Lion King
Release date: July 19
Directed by: Jon Favreau
Produced by: Walt Disney Pictures, Fairview Entertainment
Distributed by: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Genre: Family Drama
Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Billy Eichner, John Oliver, Keegan-Michael Key, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, James Earl Jones, John Kani, Alfre Woodard, Florence Kasumba, Eric Andre, Amy Sedaris
The Lion King is such a beloved Disney animated classic that you would be forgiving if I had any reservations about this live-action adaptation. But seeing as it is Jon Favreau directing The Lion King this time around and having seen what he was able to do with the live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book, and a lot of my worries have been assuaged. If this film is even half as good as that film, I’d be really happy. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping that this film would be truly epic.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Release date: July 26
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Produced by: Columbia Pictures, Heyday Films
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Releasing
Genre: Mystery Crime Drama
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Damian Lewis, Luke Perry, Emile Hirsch, Dakota Fanning, Clifton Collins Jr., Nicolas Hammond
I am a huge fan of director Quentin Tarantino. There hasn’t been a film that he has made that I don’t enjoy immensely. From Reservoir Dogs to Kill Bill Vols. 1 & 2 to The Hateful Eight, I have enjoyed each of his films and count them amongst my favorite films of the respective years that they have been released. And now seeing that he is taking on a Hollywood story that takes place around the time of the Charles Manson murders, and I am already super eager to see how this film is presented in theaters.
The New Mutants
Release date: August 2
Directed by: Josh Boone
Produced by: 20th Century Fox, Genre Films, Sunswept Entertainment
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Genre: Superhero Horror
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Maisie Williams, Charlie Heaton, Henry Zaga, Blu Hunt, Alice Braga
I’ll admit, I am super intrigued to see a horror type film taking place in the X-Men universe. And seeing how it will involve the teenage team of the New Mutants, and I am extremely excited for The New Mutants film. While I can see why some fans are a bit reluctant about the premise of this film, just seeing that actresses Anya Taylor-Joy, Alice Braga, and Maisie Williams are starring in the film, and I’m pretty confident that this film will surprise a great many fans and entertain them as well.
