Thanks in large part to the global pandemic, theatrical movie releases were virtually non-existent in 2020, with new titles emerging often limited to streamers like HBO Max and Disney Plus.
2021, however, has proven to be one of the best years for moviegoers in living memory. Not only did we see four Marvel movies released last year (Black Widow, Shang-Chi, Eternals, and Spider-Man: No Way Home, which collectively made watching Marvel movies in order longer), but we also enjoyed the great economic action of films released in theaters like No Time to Die, Dune and The Matrix Resurrections.
Fortunately, 2022 continued in the same vein. We've already enjoyed Uncharted, The Batman, Top Gun: Maverick, Jurassic World: Dominion, Lightyear, Thor: Love and Thunder, Prey, Nope, Don't Worry Darling, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever this year, but there are still a handful left. of new movies to come before the end of the year.
Below, we've rounded up the biggest of the lot, from Babylon to Avatar: The Way of the Water. For Netflix subscribers, we've also put together a list of the biggest new Netflix movies coming in 2022.
Avatar: The Way of Water
Release date: December 16, 2022 (theater)
James Cameron is anything but prolific these days – Avatar: The Way of Water (aka Avatar 2) will only be his third movie in 25 years – but when he steps behind the camera, you know you're in for something groundbreaking. He tends to spend the long gaps between releases waiting for cinematic technology to catch up with his vision, so his return to the spectacular alien ecosystem of Pandora will feature underwater performance capture footage for the first time. in the world.
Kate Winslet (who held her breath for an incredible seven minutes on set), Jermaine Clement and Cliff Curtis join the cast along with Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana. Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang also return, though their characters are presumed dead. Although this sequel was pushed back a year as part of Disney's massive covid-19-induced release date shakeup, you won't have to wait another decade for more Avatar: Part 3 is slated for December 2024, with a fourth and fifth film. also in works.
You can check out our breakdown of the highly anticipated first trailer for the film here.
Babylon
Release date: December 25, 2022 (theater)
Set in the 1920s, in a transitional era of Hollywood where silent movies gave way to talkie, Babylon looks set to hand out even more awards to director Damien Chazelle, whose previous credits include Whiplash, La La Land and the Oscar winner First Man. . A story of "broad ambition and outrageous excess," the film follows the rise and fall of various characters during a time of decadence and rampant depravity, according to the Paramount studio.
Featuring Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Tobey Maguire among its cast, Babylon will receive a limited theatrical release on December 25, 2022, before opening in the US on January 6, 2023 and in the UK. on January 20, 2023. As for other Paramount movies, it's likely to release on Paramount Plus in the future as well.
Aquaman and the lost kingdom
Release date: March 17, 2023 (theater)
Okay, now we're moving into 2023 territory, but Aquaman 2 was supposed to hit theaters on December 16, 2022, which is why it's mentioned here. Under the less user-friendly title of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Aquaman 2 will hit the screens to continue the underwater adventures of Jason Momoa's DC superhero.
This highly anticipated sequel reunites the actor with original co-stars Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Nicole Kidman and Patrick Wilson, as well as director James Wan, and will see the title character forced to "forge an uneasy alliance with an unlikely ally." probable to protect Atlantis and the world from irreversible devastation". Expect even more comic book carnage, then.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One)
Release date: June 2, 2023 (theater)
The first episode of a two-part sequel to the 2018 hit, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) will follow Miles and Gwen as they encounter different worlds (and characters) on their journeys across the multiverse. The film's producers have already revealed that each dimension of the second Spidey movie directed by Miles Morales will "have its own unique art style" and "feel like it's drawn by the hand of a different artist," so there's chances are good that this is it. it will look even better than the excellent original. What's more, the same duo also revealed that Across the Spider-Verse could tie into the MCU after all, which means we might be seeing Tom Holland's Spidey in animated form for the first time. As with the Aquaman sequel (above), this one was originally slated for a 2022 release, but is now slated for a 2023 release.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning: Part One
Release date: July 14, 2023 (theater)
Okay, so we know this list was supposed to detail 2022 movies exclusively, but Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning: Part One (or Mission: Impossible 7, if you're in a hurry) has suffered so many schedule delays that it's worth including. as a footnote here.
Tom Cruise will have turned 60 when this seventh entry in the iconic franchise hits theaters, and it will also be the penultimate outing for the actor's celebrated action hero, Ethan Hunt. After delivering the best installments in the long-running franchise with Rogue Nation and Fallout, Christopher McQuarrie also returns behind the camera for issue #7 and its follow-up. Plot details are currently tighter than a government vault, though the film's explosive debut trailer gave us our first glimpse of Hunt and company's return to action.
To better prepare for the chaos to come, check out our ranking of the six Mission: Impossible movies released so far.