By Kade Loomis, Staff Writer
With fall break behind us, many of us are feeling refreshed and ready to face the academic grind again, while others are counting down the days until Thanksgiving break. But how are you going to relax in the meantime? Better yet, what are you going to do during the next break? Or Christmas break? I’ve compiled a list of films to keep in mind for the rest of 2024. So sit back, get your popcorn ready, and write down some of these dates!
“Red One” – Nov 15
On November 15th, “Red One” makes its debut. The movie follows the world’s best tracker, Jack (Chris Evans), as he’s wrangled into helping an Extremely Large and Formidable operative (Dwayne Johnson), an E.L.F., track down and rescue a kidnapped Santa (J.K. Simmons). This star-studded Christmas film is sure to start the season off right with an action packed ho-ho-holiday punch.
“Gladiator” – Nov. 22
A week later, November 22nd, the highly anticipated sequel to “Gladiator,” the expertly named “Gladiator II” is hitting North American theaters. Taking place years after the original and following the story of Maximus’s nephew, Lucius (Paul Mescal), as he enters the Colosseum after the Roman Empire conquers his home. This movie also has big names like Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington, and is sure to be a great sequel to an amazing original.
“Wicked”
“That’s great, but I want to watch a non-holiday movie,” I hear you saying. Never fear, for on the same day, November 22nd, the stage-to-film “Wicked” releases. This follows the story of the Good Witch of the North Glinda (Ariana Grande), and the not-yet-Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba. Already an acclaimed play, there’s bound to be a good time waiting for you in this movie.
“Moana 2” – November 27
This next one surprised me, since I haven’t seen any advertising done for it. “Moana 2” releases on November 27th. It follows Moana as she sails far into the sea after receiving a call from her ancestors. Not much else is known about the film, But it will hopefully be a good sequel to a beloved Disney film.
“White Christmas” – December 15
The next two are re-releases again, but both are absolute classics. I’ll break from the pattern and talk about the second one first. “White Christmas,” a true Christmas classic, is re-releasing on December 15th. Whether you’re a die-hard fan, casual enjoyer, or never seen it before, go see this one in theaters. This movie is a wonderful Christmas movie with singing, dancing, love and romance, heartbreak, drama, and a story about saving an old friend. What is there not to like about this movie? Not much.
“Interstellar”
The other re-release comes out five days earlier on December 10th. And while it is a re-release, it is my most anticipated film for the remainder of the year. “Interstellar” is a multi-award winning, sci-fi classic. Earth is sick, so NASA sends a team of expert scientists and astronaut Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) through space to explore possible future planets for humanity to continue living on. Go see it. If the tickets drain the last bit of your bank account, it’s worth it. The visuals are stunning, the storyline is impeccable, and the soundtrack is truly one of the best of all time. This is one of my 5, possibly top 3, movies of all time. Even if you don’t like sci-fi, give this one a shot. It’ll only cost you $15 and three hours.
“Sonic 3” – December 20
Finally, the last big movie of 2024 is one everyone can watch. “Sonic 3” releases December 20th and tells the story of how Sonic (Ben Schwartz) and friends must team up with Dr. Eggman (Jim Carrey) to defeat Shadow (Keanu Reeves), a powerful new enemy that seems unbeatable. Sure to be a fun family film with plenty of laughs, This one would be great to watch if ever there’s an afternoon where everyone’s bored and you need an easy way to spend two and a half hours.
“Paddington 3” – January 19
And that brings us to the end of the year! Congratulations on making it to 2025! It’s time to celebrate new beginnings, and what better way to do that than heading to the cinema! On January 19th, “Paddington 3” will make its way into cinema’s and our hearts as we travel along with the lovable bear to Peru, where he and the Browns experience wild misadventures that they must work through together as they trek through the Amazon and make new friends along the way.
And there you have it. A short list of movies to know about as 2024 comes to a close and 2025 begins. If you didn’t see anything that sounded interesting, head over to Rotten Tomatoes, where they have a complete list of films that are coming out this year. From a re-release of “My Neighbor Totoro” to a biopic on “Elton John” that I didn’t talk about, you’re bound to find something. With that said, let the credits roll and the lights turn on as I leave you. Farewell you cinephiles and film-lovers! Until next time, this has been a wonderful journey through the timeline of films for the rest of this year.
