CINEMA MARKETING MACHINE GEARS UP

With the arrival of each new year comes a whole new batch of films, some good and some not so good, and with every new film comes the inevitable marketing materials. Although the quality of a movie can’t necessarily be determined from a trailer, the amount of hype surrounding trailers can absolutely be analyzed. And so, today we will be deciphering that hype for you by focusing on the top five most anticipated films of 2020.

5: Wonder Woman 84

Starting off our list we begin with DC’s latest attempt to step out of Marvel’s shadow, “Wonder Woman 84.” If the last decade has taught Hollywood anything, it’s that superhero movies are incredibly popular. While the first Wonder Woman film wasn’t anything particularly revolutionary, it did kick off a new era of surprisingly decent DC comics adaptations. Keen to keep the studio’s newfound success going, Wonder Woman 84 seems primed to continue the trend, having already received widespread praise based on trailer reactions alone.

Although the film isn’t exactly doing anything new, taking obvious inspiration from Marvel and the ’80s revival fad, the unique combination of these inspirations seem to bring the fun and eye-catching aesthetic that the majority of DC films tend to lack. If the trailer and fan reactions  are anything to go by, it looks as if Wonder Woman 84 could be the first DCCU movie to set the standard of quality for all future releases.

4: A Quiet Place 2

Everybody’s favorite “The Office” character is back at it, set to release the sequel to his surprisingly successful directorial debut, “A Quiet Place.” After that film received overwhelmingly positive feedback from both critics and audiences alike, it was only logical that director John Krasinski would return to the series. Following in the aftermath of the previous movie, the Abbott family has been thrust into unknown surroundings  and must work to adapt to new threats in order to survive.

Much to the displeasure of film critics around the world, horror generally sells, no matter what – regardless of poor acting or cheesy scripts. But the horror films that prove themselves to be a cut above the rabble usually end up as the real defining movies of the genre, and with A Quiet Place, Krasinski proved his skills worthy of true, critical praise. The sequel to this much-loved movie will undoubtedly end up on best-of-year lists if he manages to maintain the quality.

3: The French Dispatch 

Love him or hate him, the auteur directorial icon of hipsters everywhere, Wes Anderson, is returning to the big screen once again with his latest movie, “The French Dispatch.” In an expertly New Wave fashion, the film follows a staff of European journalists tasked with memorializing the three best stories of the last decade.

Anderson may not be a name that breaks the box office upon every new release, but the man is a slave to technique and always produces a delicately crafted product, gaining him a relentless following over the years. For fans of art house cinema and of Anderson alike, this film appears nearly certain to please .

2: Tenet

Only seven words are needed in order to sell this movie to an audience,  and those words are, “From the director of The Dark Knight.”

Yes, the creator of the best live action interpretation of Batman, Christopher Nolan, is set to release his newest movie, “Tenet,” in early 2020. This action-thriller follows the son of famous actor, Denzel Washington, John David Washington, through a series of impossible and unexplained events. Not much is known about the plot of the film, but as far as critics and fans are concerned, the surprise is best left for the official screening, as Nolan rarely produces mediocre work.

1: Bond 2020

And finally, to complete the list, we have “James Bond: No Time to Die.” Whether or not you like Daniel Craig’s portrayal of Bond, the franchise carries with it a weight that is afforded to very few, and is widely considered to be a pillar of modern pop culture. Considering that this will be Craig’s last portrayal of Bond before his departure from the series, and the fact that this is just about the only time any one set of Bond movies has attempted a multi-film character arc, No Time to Die is almost certainly going to draw one of the best box office records of the year. (Note: the film’s studio/producers have announced its release will be postponed to November, due to potential box office impact of the coronavirus.).