The pandemic put movie theaters into a year-long coma. Theaters filled up with a lot of established franchises in 2021 to make up for lost time and boost the box office. This year, however, looks to be more of a return to normalcy for theaters as there are fresher originals and potential blockbuster hits releasing in-between big tentpole franchise films.Prominent directors like Jordan Peele and Martin Scorsese are looking to have a big year with their latest films and two big animation studios are hoping to strike gold with original stories. So, with the hope that 2022 could be a return to form for movie theaters, let’s look at what movies could be breakout hits.
Scream: A New Stab at Scream
For the first time, someone other than Wes Craven is making a Scream movie as directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin are creating a prequel. After so many iterations of the Scream movies, it’s pretty incredible how the details of this one have stayed so secret.
However, there’s already plenty of fan speculation surrounding who’s donning the Ghostface mask and the fates of returning franchise veterans Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette. Scream is the first major movie of 2022, releasing on January 14th, and the hype surrounding its mysteriousness positions it perfectly to be the first big breakout.
Uncharted: The Iconic PlayStation Franchise Makes the Leap to the Big Screen
Although it’s had a rocky development, Sony and PlayStation bring the Uncharted franchise to the big screen on February 18th. The first trailer showcased the big, ambitious sense of adventure Uncharted is known for.
Even though the cast of Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg as Nathan Drake and Sully doesn’t give fans confidence, Holland’s appearance after Spiderman: No Way Home’s box office dominance should give Uncharted the boost it needs to be a hit. It’s still unclear if Uncharted can beat the odds, but it could chart a new path for video game movies.
Turning Red: Pixar’s Return to Movie Theaters
There’s no doubt that Pixar delivers breakout hits but Turning Red is Pixar’s return to theaters. Since the pandemic started, Pixar has been skipping theaters for Disney+ and their last movie to hit theaters was Onward in early 2020.
Pixar is definitely looking to make a big theatrical return with Turning Red when it releases on March 13th and could find it in the film’s energetic coming of age story mixed with iconic pop music that make it a unique Pixar story.
Everything, Everywhere, All at Once: A Multiverse Movie Outside of Marvel
Indie powerhouse A24 is looking to kick 2022 off with a wild one with Daniels’ Everything, Everywhere, All at Once releasing on March 25th. Given its story about a woman exploring the multiverse to save the world, the film’s premise could easily benefit from taking a few ideas out of the MCU and DCEU multiverse.
The first look was perfectly weird and gave off wildly ambitious superhero vibes that will be a blast to see on the big screen when it hits theaters.
The Bad Guys: DreamWorks Plays with the Bad Guys
DreamWorks is looking to get back into the growingly competitive animation sphere and could make a big splash with The Bad Guys. An animated adventure that sees a group of criminal animals looking to turn good, The Bad Guys boasts a strong voice cast featuring Sam Rockwell, Awkwafina, and Zazie Beetz as well as some humorous and slickly animated fun.
It certainly looks better than anything DreamWorks has released in the past and we’ll see what they’ve cooked up when The Bad Guys comes to theaters on April 22nd.
The Black Phone: Blumhouse is Set to Deliver a Sinister Hit
Blumhouse continuously delivers freshly original horror hits and the latest from Sinister duo Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, could be their biggest yet. The Black Phone has already received rave reviews out of its premiere at Fantastic Fest for Derrickson’s direction and Ethan Hawke’s antagonist performance.
The Black Phone’s engaging premise of a young boy escaping a serial killer through his past victims and Sinister-like style could easily draw a big summer audience when it releases on June 24th.
Nope: Jordan Peele’s Mysterious New Nightmare
With very cryptic teases, Jordan Peele’s next film Nope has already become one of the most highly anticipated films of 2022. With his success of Get Out and Us, Peele has been established as a modern horror master. While Nope finally wraps up with filming, it has a lot of great momentum ahead of its July 22nd release.
Peele has been pretty quiet about the details of what fans can expect with Nope, aside from it starring Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, and Steven Yeun, but once that first trailer drops, it’s going to make a lot of noise.
Don’t Worry Darling: Olivia Wilde’s Sophomore Directorial Feature
Olivia Wilde transitions from comedy to psychological thriller with her second feature film Don’t Worry Darling. The story details are slim besides the basic premise of a 50s housewife discovering a disturbing truth about her husband, but the cast makes the film instantly enticing.
With the MCU Hawkeye's fan favorite Florence Pugh and Harry Styles leading and Chris Pine, Wilde, Gemma Chan, and Kiki Layne in supporting roles, the film is sure to draw attention. That small teaser that was released last year got rave reactions on social media making the wait for that first full trailer before its September 23rd release agonizingly long.
Illumination’s Untitled Mario Movie: Piping Up a Victory
Illumination’s upcoming Mario movie certainly has an uphill climb given the profoundly confused reaction to the voice casting, mainly Chris Pratt as Mario, but not all hope is lost. This is Mario after all and given Mario’s popularity, his name alone will get people to show up.
At the very least, Illumination has proved they can create instant crowd pleasers and barring any more hiccups, the Mario movie could be a huge holiday hit when it releases on December 22nd.
Killers of the Flower Moon: Scorsese’s Latest has a Killer Cast
Legendary director Martin Scorsese returns with Killers of the Flower Moon, a crime Western with a very stand out cast. The film will see Scorsese reunite with both Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro and have Jesse Plemons and Brendan Fraser join as well.
Even with there being no release date currently set for Killers of the Flower Moon, just the simple news of a new Scorsese film, especially with this cast, instantly makes it a top mention in 2022 films and one that could be a big breakout during awards season.