2018 had a lot to offer, cinematically. Superhero movies had a snappy year with Black Panther, Aquaman, Into the Spider-Verse and the first in a two-part Avengers epic (also a Deadpool sequel hit theaters twice). A Quiet Place and Annihilation were suspenseful successes with many critics. Eighth Grade, If Beale Street Could Talk and Won’t You Be My Neighbor reminded us that crying isn’t always optional. BlacKkKlansman, First Man, Green Book, and Vice interpreted the recent past for fresh eyes (with varying degrees of accuracy and accolade). This was also the year of Crazy Rich Asians‘ smash success. Sorry to Bother You and The Favourite were among the most-acclaimed comedies. A single from the A Star Is Born soundtrack is still on the charts. And why isn’t everyone talking about the high-craft heist movie Widows?
Soon, though, the awards season will pass and 2018’s movies will give away to another year of releases. High-tech remakes of Aladdin, Dumbo and The Lion King are coming soon. There are sequels and superheroes aplenty, with everything from Star Wars to Toy Story The Lego Movie to Happy Death Day getting new installments and Captain Marvel and The Avengers holding up the Marvel tent. There’s also M. Night Shyamalan’s Glass, a superhero sequel from a director not really known for either. And hey, did you know Pikachu can talk?
But it’s not all heroes, villains and revisitations. While we’re in Los Angeles, we’ll take a peek at what Hollywood has in store for the next year. Will diversity and representation grow? Will #MeToo’s effects continue to be seen? And can we really call a CGI Lion King movie “live action?”
GUESTS
John Horn, Host, KPCC’s “The Frame”; @jghorn
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