2020 has been a dreadful year for new releases. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, many highly-anticipated movies are being subjected to various delays; whether that’s due to production complications with the new safety protocols in place or delays determined by projected box office numbers. Nobody wants their movie to be a flop.
Although these substitutions won’t completely fill the void that these delays have created, here are some suggestions to ride out the long wait.
Watch Alita: Battle Angel while waiting for Wonder Woman 1984.
Alita: Battle Angel (2019) is a cyberpunk action movie directed by James Cameron, the filmmaker behind the notorious movies; Titanic, The Terminator, and Avatar. Alita: Battle Angel tells the story of the titular character Alita, a young cyborg who struggles to find her identity and purpose in a post-apocalyptic world. The movie is filled with an amazing cast, featuring Mahershala Ali, Jennifer Connelly, To All The Boys’ Lana Condor. Much like Wonder Woman, Alita: Battle Angel tells the story of vicious enemies, a tragic love story, and a tense familial situation. Both movies are based on a graphic novel with Wonder Woman originating from a DC comic and Alita: Battle Angel originating from a Japanese manga “Gunnm” by Yukito Kishiro.
Wonder Woman 1984 is currently scheduled to premiere on December 25.
Watch Get Smart while waiting for No Time to Die.
In 2008, the spy comedy Get Smart premiered with Steve Carrell and Anne Hathaway taking leads. Carrell plays Maxwell Smart, a new and inexperienced spy agent who is recruited to a top-secret agency. As the agency finds themselves under attack due to the exposure of their agent’s identities, Smart is newly promoted and thrown into chaos. Similar to No Time to Die, both movies are action-packed and filled with mind-boggling suspense as the spies encounter various bombs and hijinks.
No Time to Die is currently scheduled to premiere in April 2021.
Watch Hide and Seek while waiting for Candyman.
Starring Robert DeNiro and an infamous young Dakota Fanning came the 2005 psychological thriller Hide and Seek. Although less of a slasher film than Nia DaCosta and Jordan Peele’s upcoming horror movie Candyman, both movies feature an aggressive mysterious identity that many deny the existence of. Hide and Seek is extremely intense, filled with gruesome murder and violence and other frightening sequences. It is more than enough to make someone think, “Well, maybe I can wait a bit longer before seeing another horror movie.”
Candyman is scheduled to premiere in August 2021.
Watch Iron Man 2 while waiting for Black Widow.
The Marvel superhero movie Black Widow follows Avenger Natasha Romanoff, also known as the Black Widow, in the events after Captain America: Civil War. As it picks up mid-Avengers franchise it is not a traditional origin story, however, the plot is believed to be heavily tied to Romanoff’s past; thus giving insight into her prior life as a spy and assassin. What better way to prepare for the movie than going back to the Black Widow’s first introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Iron Man 2 (2010). In this intense movie, Natasha Romanoff goes undercover as Natalie Rushman, a personal assistant to the newly appointed CEO of Stark Industries, Pepper Potts, to watch over Tony Stark.
Black Widow is currently scheduled to premiere in May 2021.
Watch Bumblebee while waiting for F9.
While waiting for the ninth installment of the Fast and Furious franchise, revisit the prequel to the Transformers series, Bumblebee (2018). In Bumblebee, an Autobot, B-147, relies on its human friends to guide it in a mission to defend the Earth from the “bad robots” known as Decepticons. The two movies both star John Cena and feature crazy-fast cars and perplexing action sequences making them a flawless match. After being entranced by the twists-and-turns and fun of Bumblebee, there are five more Transformers movies to watch while waiting for F9.
F9 is currently scheduled to premiere in May 2021.
Watch A Star Is Born while waiting for West Side Story.
Although the two movies differ situationally, tragic unrequited love is what is at the heart of both musicals A Star Is Born (2018) and West Side Story. In anticipation of the severely delayed Steven Speilberg remake of West Side Story, comes A Star is Born starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Both actors play singers who find themselves swept up in the dramatics of the music industry and conflicted about their changing personalities. The movie is filled with an extremely talented and passionate cast with Broadway actor and star of Hamilton’s Anthony Ramos making an appearance, as well as Dave Chappelle and famous drag queen Shangela Laquifa Wadley.
West Side Story is currently scheduled to premiere in December 2021.