2018 Movies: Non-Disney Edition

In this second part about 2018 movies, I'll be sharing some of my most anticipated movies that aren't Disney. I've got quite a variety in here- from kid's movies to musicals to sci-fi. Let's get right down to it.

Peter Rabbit- February 9

Story: A story about Peter Rabbit trying to get into Mr. McGregor's garden and the rivalry that ensues.

Cast: James Corden as Peter Rabbit, Domhnall Gleeson as Mr. McGregor, Rose Byrne as Bea, Daisy Ridley as Cottontail, and Margot Robbie as Flopsy.

My Thoughts: This certainly isn't sticking to the source material, but I'm willing to give it a try. James Corden will always make me laugh and I love Beatrix Potter books.

Sherlock Gnomes- March 23

Story: When all the garden gnomes disappear, Gnomeo and Juliet must turn to Sherlock Gnomes to find them.

Cast: James McAvoy as Gnomeo, Emily Blunt as Juliet, Johnny Depp as Sherlock, and Matt Lucas as Benny.

My Thoughts: Johnny Depp as Sherlock? Best casting ever. I love the first movie and I can't wait for this one. It already looks hilarious. Bring on the multiple Sherlock Holmes references.

Ready Player One- March 30

Story: It's 2045 and the world has gone to pot, and everyone has found relief in a virtual reality called Oasis. When the creator dies and leaves behind a fortune, the race is one to see who can claim it first. The story follows Wade as he competes for the prize.

Cast: Tye Sheridan as Wade Watts, Olivia Cooke as Samantha Cook, Mark Rylance as James Halliday, and Simon Pegg as Ogden Morrow.

My Thoughts: My top two reasons for wanting to watch this movie- 1) It's full of nerd references. Mostly from the 80's, but I'm sure I'll pick up most of them. 2) It looks cool. Virtual reality? Sign me up. (But not in real life.) I have to read the book before I see it though.

Ocean's 8- June 8

Story: Debbie Ocean gathers a team of women to pull off a heist at the famous Met Gala.

Cast: Sandra Bullock as Debbie Ocean, Cate Blanchett as Lou, Anne Hathaway as Daphne, Helena Bonham Carter as Rose, and Richard Armitage as Claude.

My Thoughts: This movie is splitting at the seams with powerhouse Hollywood women. All the main eight are huge stars. I can't wait to see it just because it's Ocean's 11 with girls. It looks like it might be a bit of a repeat, but I'll watch it anyway.

Jurassic World: The Fallen Kingdom- June 22

Story: Owen and Claire return to the island four years after Jurassic World to save the dinosaurs from the volcano, which is about to erupt. They also find some super dinos and a conspiracy that could threaten the world.

Cast: Chris Pratt as Owen, Bryce Dallas Howard as Claire, Jeff Goldblum as Ian Malcolm (one of the most sensible people in these movies), and B. D. Wong as Dr. Wu.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed Jurassic World a lot (it doesn't hurt Chris Pratt was in it) and I'm looking forward to this second movie. I like the new direction they're taking too. Not repeating themselves. And all those terrifying new dinosaurs? Just what I need to help me sleep at night.

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation- July 13

Story: Drac and the pack are headed out for a vacation. But Drac falls in love with a mysterious monster that has a secret.

Cast: Adam Sandler as Dracula, Selena Gomez as Mavis, and Andy Samberg as Johnny.

My Thoughts: The first two movies were pretty funny, if not the deepest things, and this one promises to be as good. I can't wait to see more of the plot in the trailers to come.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again- July 20

Story: Sophie is in search of her mother's past while she figures out how to handle her own pregnancy.

Cast: Amanda Seyfried as Sophie, Meryl Streep as Donna, Lily James as young Donna, Colin Firth as Harry, Pierce Brosnan as Sam, and Stellan Skarsgard as Bill. 

My Thoughts: Mamma Mia! was a fun film with music that just makes you want to sing along. I hope number two will be as good, and that Lily James can live up to playing Meryl Streep's younger self. Also, please tell me they're going to tell use who Sophie's dad is, finally.

The Darkest Minds- September 14

Story: A mysterious virus makes many of children of gain superpowers. The government rounds them up and puts them in camps. The story follows Ruby as she escapes the camps and finds other kids to fight the government.

Cast: Amandla Stenberg as Ruby, Mandy Moore as Cate, Gwendoline Christie as Lady Jane, Harrison Dickinson as Liam, and Patrick Gibson as Clancy.

My Thoughts: The books were pretty good and I hope the movie is as well. I mean, none of the cast is what I think they should look like, but it might be better than I think. We'll see when the trailers come out.

I know, wrong movie, but there's no images for this one yet.

Mowgli- October 19

Story: In this story by Warner Bros. we follow Mowgli as he grows up in the jungle and learns the lessons of life.

Cast: Rohan Chand as Mowgli, Andy Serkis as Baloo, Christian Bale as Bagheera, Cate Blanchett as Kaa, and Benedict Cumberbatch as Shere Khan.

My Thoughts: Disney already came out with their version of this, so it will be interesting to see how Warner Bros. does it. Maybe they'll follow the book more closely. My favorite part, however, is Benedict as Shere Khan.

The Grinch- November 9

Story: At this point, not a lot is known about the plot, but it looks like it might be another backstory for the Grinch, leading up the famous Doctor Seuss story.

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch as the Grinch.

My Thoughts: All I care about is who they cast as the Grinch. Doesn't that Grinch even look like him? I'll be interested in learning more about the story as the trailers come out.

The Current War- 2018

Story: A film about Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, and Nicholas Tesla and their fight to use electric lights.

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch as Edison, Michael Shannon as Westinghouse, Nicholas Hoult as Tesla, and Tom Holland as Samuel Insull.

My Thoughts: Oh look, another Benedict movie. I'm not obsessed with him or anything. But besides him and Tom Holland, this looks like a pretty interesting movie. The trailer had some unique cuts that I hope will be in the movie as well.

Mortal Engines- December 19

Story: In the future, cities roll on wheels and eat one another. When a boy, Tom, who lives in London meets Hester Shaw, both their lives change forever.

Cast: Robert Sheehan as Tom Natsworthy, Hera Hilmar as Hester Shaw, and Hugo Weaving as Thaddeous Valentine.

My Thoughts: I read the book before I ever learned there was going to be a movie. But when I saw Peter Jackson was going to direct, I knew it was probably going to be great. There's only been a teaser released so far, but it already looks good. A bit of a tragic ending, though.

*  *  *  *  *

Here are a few more movies I'm also interested in seeing and the quick reason why.

Aquaman- So far, the DC Universe films haven't been the best. Man of Steel and Wonder Woman have been my favorites so far, although I haven't seen Justice League. Still, it will be interesting to see Aquaman in his own movie.

First Man- A biopic about Neil Armstrong staring Ryan Gosling. Not the choice I would have gone with (he doesn't look like Armstrong to me), but I'm more interested in seeing it because of who's playing his wife. Claire Foy, one of my new favorite actresses.

Alita: Battle Angel- A movie based off of a manga comic. Looks kind of weird, but kind of cool. I'd be interested in watching it once.

Barbie- I'm a long time fan of Barbie, but I'm suspicious of their first live action film. It sounds a bit cliche, and they haven't even cast Barbie yet. We'll see.

Robin Hood- Robin Hood origin story. Could be interesting.

Goosebumps: Horrorland- Jack Black was one of the highlights of the first movie, so I won't mind watching the second one just for him.

Let's talk! Are you looking forward to any of these movies? What are you most looking forward to watching in 2018? Tell me in the comments.