Even with 2018 still pretty fresh in our minds, it's hard not to admit that 2019 has been sharing that same mental space for some time now. And now, with the new year finally here, we can look forward to what's heading our way with the first crop of films that seem like they were just coming soon only yesterday. While it's a smaller bunch than usual, there's no shortage of thrills headed our way, with the year's first record-breaking juggernaut poised to happen in this very month. Let's keep up this new year of energy as we review the line-up of massive movies heading our way in January 2019!
Escape Room
Small budget/high frequency franchises seem to be closing up left and right as of late. But just as a door closes, a window opens for a future series to take its place. If this past weekend has been any indication, it looks like Escape Room will be one of those names we might be hearing again over the next couple of years.
It's true, Escape Room opened this past Friday as the first big release at the domestic box office. That being said, this movie seems to be proving itself to be a sleeper hit that's brought in a tidy sum. Estimated at $18 million, it's already doubled its budget of $9 million, and in the relatively thin week we're about to enter, this PG-13 thriller might find itself doing some good repeat business.
Release Date: January 4th
A Dog's Way Home
Who could have predicted that early last January, A Dog's Purpose would be the good boy that dog lovers and inspirational film fans could have asked for? A sleeper hit at the box office, the film naturally has spawned more films following in its paw prints: one based on a direct sequel novel, A Dog's Journey, and one a side story, A Dog's Way Home.
Also taken from a book written by W. Bruce Cameron, A Dog's Way Home follows Bella, a cute pup who grows into a big brave dog that has to travel 400 miles to be reunited with her family. Voiced by Bryce Dallas Howard, this dog's odyssey to be with her human is set to cash in on people who love warm fuzzy creatures, and the movies they inspire.
Release Date: January 11th
Replicas
Keanu Reeves and sci-fi are, typically, like peanut butter and chocolate. Two great tastes that go together are reunited yet again, as Reeves is starring front and center in the ethically tinged thriller, Replicas. The quandary at the heart of this film isn't easy to solve either, as he plays a scientist who's lost his family in a car accident, only to recreate them with cutting edge technology.
Of course, this displeases his corporate masters, and the hunt is on for his newly replicated family, which includes Alice Eve playing the role of his newly rebooted wife. Replicas definitely looks like a January movie, but seeing as we've already been surprised with Escape Room, this might be a romp that plays better than the trailers let on. And there's always room for a twist to make things even juicier.
Release Date: January 11th
The Upside
Sometimes a remake can make audiences see the original in a different light, especially if the source materialis of foreign origin. Taking its cues from the French film, The Intouchables, The Upside is a film that's waited for a long time to see the light of day. Now properly distanced from the scandal of the company that created it, it's ready for the film world to give it a chance.
Starring Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston as the unlikely pair that become the best of friends, The Upside looks like a pleasant, uplifting film that not only gives Cranston yet another opportunity to shine, but also gives Hart another chance to play it straight. The two actors look like an incurably charming team, and with Nicole Kidman also added into the recipe, this could be one of those remakes that hits it big with domestic audiences, hopefully prompting them to check out the original shortly after.
Release Date: January 11th
Glass
Almost two decades have passed since M. Night Shyamalan brought the world the first chapter in what's now known as the Unbreakable trilogy. Flash forward to early 2016, when the closing moments of Split revealed that what looked like a standalone film was, in fact, a secret sequel to that very trilogy, and you had an instant hit on your hands should there be a third. Enter Glass, the shatteringly presumed conclusion to the Unbreakable mythos.
Sure enough, the meeting of the minds between Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson and James McAvoy's characters in Glass is set to crush the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday box office. With the conflict of Unbreakable only looking to intensify with the addition of McAvoy's multiple personalities perking up Jackson's legendary baddie, it looks like we won't have to wait too long before the first explosive hit of 2019.
Release Date: January 18th
The Kid Who Would Be King
Writer/director/Edgar Wright crony Joe Cornish is only on his second film with The Kid Who Would Be King, and judging by the looks of it, the man truly knows what he wants out of a movie, and it's fun. His follow-up to the cult indie hit Attack The Block looks to be similarly adventurous, albeit a little more traditional, as Arthurian legend comes into play with this film.
When young Alex finds Excalibur at a random construction site, he doesn't know that he's about to be drawn into a battle with legendary enchantress/villain, Morgana. She's ready to unleash her brand of darkness onto the world, so it's up to Alex and his friends, joined by none other than Merlin himself, to stand up against the forces of evil, and win the day. Yeah... this is totally a Joe Cornish movie, and we're totally seeing it opening weekend.
Release Date: January 25th
Serenity
Film noir is a genre that could definitely use a comeback. Usually a mix of dark intrigue, seduction and a lot of shady dealings, we really haven't had too many films that harken back to the era of dialogue as sharp as knives. Though it might not seem like it on the surface, Serenity looks like it just might bring us back to such a prospect, especially considering the plot centers around a man hired to kill his ex-wife's lover... and feed him to the sharks.
The fact thati Interstellar co-stars Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway are the man and ex-wife in this picture is enough fun to mull over on its own, granted. But with Diane Lane, Djimon Honsou and Jason Clarke all joining in on the enterprise that is Serenity, it's hard not to think what brought all of this star power to the table and what these trailers are hiding from us. It also helps that Peaky Blinders and Locke writer Steven Knight is the one who cooked it all up, so color us deathly curious about this one.
Release Date: January 25th
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