Story by Grant Dillard, Staff writer
2018 is rapidly coming to a close, but that doesn’t mean that there’s any shortage of potentially great movies coming out. With so many to pick from, here’s a handful of films to keep an eye out for the remainder of the year.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald: Nov. 16
The next chapter of the “Harry Potter” prequel series will hit theaters this weekend. The new installment focuses on Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and his friends as they go up against Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), the original Dark Lord of the Wizarding World. Fans of the first eight “Harry Potter” films may be more excited for this film than the last one, as “The Crimes of Grindelwald” features younger versions of iconic characters from the original series, like Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) and a human version of Lord Voldemort’s pet snake, Nagini (Claudia Kim).
Creed II: Nov. 21
“Creed II” definitely has some big shoes to fill, as the first “Creed” was a surprisingly great addition to the “Rocky” series. This new installment focuses on Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) going up against Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), the man who killed Adonis’ father, Apollo Creed. Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), Bianca (Tessa Thompson) and Adonis’ mother Mary Anne Creed (Phylicia Rashad) also return from the last film.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: Dec. 14
This animated adventure is the latest “Spider-Man” film from Sony after “Venom” back in October. As this movie is produced by Sony, it is unconnected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” looks to be a much better film, as it focuses on Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), a teenager who takes the mantle of Spider-Man in an alternate universe. But things start to get interesting when Peter Parker (Jake Johnson), the traditional Spider-Man who everyone knows and loves, ends up being transported to Miles’ world along with several other Spider-People including Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage) and Spider-Ham (John Mulaney). Boasting a gorgeous animation style and a talented voice cast, viewers can look forward to what may be the most unique piece of “Spider-Man” content this year, in what’s already been a great year for media regarding the character.
Aquaman: December 21st
The latest installment in the DC Cinematic Universe comes to theaters in late December, and it looks to be another potential success, much like last year’s “Wonder Woman.” Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) finds out he is the heir to Atlantis and returns there to challenge his brother, King Orm (Patrick Wilson) for the throne. Meanwhile, another threat known as Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) looks to cause trouble as well. Based on the trailers and press regarding the film, viewers can expect dazzling visuals, exciting action scenes, and an all-star cast that also includes Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Dolph Lundgren, and many more.