The second episodes will be great, of course.
Fresh film lineups arrive after a challenging year for international cinema, when actors faced a strike that paused production. 2024 offered a strong slate of premieres across sequels, chapters, and anticipated returns, with many titles featuring well known last names that promise big draw at the box office.
Among the notable projects are Poor Creatures featuring Emma Stone under the direction of Yorgos Lanthimos; Area of Interest directed by Jonathan Glazer; Competitors from Luca Guadagnino; We Roll with Joy by Richard Linklater; Frankenstein written by Guillermo del Toro; Jury Number 2 from Clint Eastwood; and Ferrari directed by Michael Mann. These titles illustrate a year when star power intersects with strong storytelling, and audiences are ready to fill cinemas once again.
Although revisiting a film once seen can be pleasurable, the current lineup suggests that the memory of a great original can sustain a strong second chapter. The overall sentiment is optimistic for cinema lovers and for theaters awaiting packed showings.
The second episodes will be great, of course.
Inside Out 2 brings back Anger and Disgust as Riley matures into adolescence, bringing a flood of emotions and new anxieties. A fresh beam of curiosity enters the brain along with Joy, Sadness, Fear, and a new sensation that challenges the existing emotional balance. Tim Burton also revisits the Maitland family in a long awaited continuation that promises to revive beloved characters after more than two decades.
Gladiator 2, guided by Ridley Scott, aims to recapture the epic energy of the original while casting Pedro Pascal in a role that reshapes the saga of loyalty and power. Timothée Chalamet is expected to headline another major release, reinforcing the trend of young talents pairing with veterans for high-stakes storytelling.
Just in time, Dune Part Two arrives from Denis Villeneuve, the Canadian director who launched the modern science fiction saga in 2021, with Timothée Chalamet continuing his lead. The film stands as a pivotal moment for the franchise and for contemporary adaptations of the novel.
New chapters also expand the universe with Mufasa The Lion King, directed by Barry Jenkins, presenting a CGI prequel that deepens the origins of a beloved character. Alien Romulus reimagines the original universe through Fede Álvarez, offering a fresh perspective on a classic that many fans hold dear.
Joker Folie a Deux returns with Todd Phillips at the helm, again featuring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, while The Three Musketeers Milady presents a renewed adventure under Martin Bourboulon with Vincent Cassel, Eva Green, and Louis Garrel. The slate signals a year of audacious continuations that aim to balance nostalgia with new twists.
And The Lord of the Rings War of the Rohirrim directed by Kenji Kamiyama expands Tolkien’s world into animation, serving as a prequel set hundreds of years before the events of the original trilogy and offering fans a new lens on a familiar universe.
Candies of the 24th year
The Book of Clarence, with Benedict Cumberbatch, James McAvoy, David Oyelowo, and Omar Sy, along with Shadow Valley, a survival thriller from the Himalayas featuring Miguel Herrán, Susana Abaitúa, and Alexandra Masangkay under Salvador Calvo, promises excitement on both the grand and intimate scales. A musical adaptation arrives under the stewardship of Sam Blitz Bazawule, taking a classic story into a new musical direction that resonates with contemporary audiences [Source].
New premieres also include the cinematic return of a beloved fantasy property with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes by Wes Ball, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire from Gil Kenan, Godzilla x Kong The New Empire by Adam Wingard, and other ambitious projects that push genre boundaries, including Very Angry from George Miller, Ballerina by Len Wiseman, Deadpool 3 by Shawn Levy, and Kung Fu Panda 4, all signaling a strong year for genre cinema.
Santiago Segura, Locomía, Medem and Jaurrieta
The year opens with Santiago Segura returning to the screen after a sweeping success in a beloved comedy franchise, now presenting the family-centric feature Daddy There’s Only One, carrying a large ensemble that includes Toni Acosta, Leo Harlem, Loles León, Silvia Abril, Luna Fulgencio, Sirena, Calma Segura, and Blanca Ramírez as debutants.
Julio Medem reenters the cinema landscape with Minotaur, a film exploring Picasso and the women around Guernica, delivering a powerful cast led by Pablo Derqui and supported by Paula Ortiz through a take that reimagines history and art. Najwa Nimri embodies a compelling maternal figure in Hildegart, a role that tests gender and cultural expectations through a bold narrative lens.
Andrea Jaurrieta unveils her second feature, Little Girl, following the attention-grabbing Main Daytime from 2018, with Patricia López Arnaiz and Darío Grandinetti. Cesc Gay returns with another comedy titled My Friend Eva, while Carlos Marques-Marcet offers a project that promises to leave a lasting impression with a focus on intimate, character-driven storytelling. Angela Molina appears in a supporting yet crucial role that anchors the emotional core of the film.
Isaki Lacuesta has a new entry titled Second Prize, and Eva Hache makes her directorial debut with Is Anyone Having a Bad Day, inspired by the comic book Idiotizada from Moderna de Pueblo. The Blue Star project, a vivid Spanish-Argentine collaboration by Javier Macipe, combines music and mood in a narrative that lures audiences with emotional resonance.
Two additional titles round out the slate: Disco Ibiza Locomia, a Kike Maíllo interpretation of the late 80s electro-pop phenomenon, and Dragon Keeper, a fresh animated feature from Salvador Simó known for Buñuel in the Turtles’ Labyrinth.
The above slate reflects a broad, ambitious range of voices, styles, and stories, aimed at reconnecting audiences with cinema as a shared cultural experience. The year is expected to deliver both resplendent spectacle and intimate, character-driven moments that linger long after the lights come up. This anticipation is grounded in the talent behind the projects and the renewed energy of the industry, which has learned to balance spectacle with depth, memory with innovation, and nostalgia with fresh perspectives [Source].