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2023 had its own set of notable films from big directors across the world. And now, with us rolling into the first week of 2024, expectations from the audience are high. Cinephiles and fans across the world are waiting with bated breath for the big-budget films, the highlight films of the year, and signature movies from major directors.
And 2024 has it all on offer. Starting from big studio productions to films from critically acclaimed filmmakers, the audience will have their options to pick from. The year will actually see multiple major names from amongst the director's gallery return to the silver screen with their latest offerings.
In this article, we list out some of our personal favorites that we will be keeping an eye out for. These directors have proved their worth time and again, and are hailed as masters at their craft. With so many great films already on the roster, 2024 seems like a promising year for film enthusiasts.
Francis Ford Coppola, Ridley Scott, and 5 other famous directors returning with films in 2024
1) Francis Ford Coppola - Megalopolis
Francis Ford Coppola is widely considered among the most talented and greatest directors of all time. With a penchant for screenwriting, directing as well as producing, Coppola has contributed a lot to not only Hollywood but to the whole world of cinema.
He is the director who gave the world brilliant films like The Godfather trilogy, Apocalypse Now, and more. However, the last time the audience got to enjoy one of his new films was back in 2011 when he made Twixt, a horror drama. But 2024 is set to see the famous filmmaker return to the large screen with his latest work.
2024 will see the release of Megalopolis, an epic sci-fi drama written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The film is set to feature an ensemble of prominent actors like Adam Driver, Jason Schwartzman, Aubrey Plaza, Nathalie Emmanuel, Giancarlo Esposito, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, and many more in pivotal roles.
Principal photography for the film began in November 2022 and ran till March of 2023. Currently, without any distributor, Megalopolis is yet to receive a theatrical release date. However, there is a chance that it will not arrive till late 2024.
2) Bong Joon-Ho - Mickey 17
Bong Joon-Ho is undoubtedly one of the most talked about and acclaimed directors from South Korea. His mastery over the craft has crossed boundaries and made itself evident even to the international audience.
Boon Joon-Ho has given us amazing films spread across genres like Okja, Memories of Murder, Snowpiercer, and Parasite. Keeping in mind what the director has been rolling out all these years, his upcoming film is already at the top of our list of must-watch movies of 2024.
Mickey 17 is an upcoming sci-fi film from the house of Warner Bros. Pictures with Bong Joon-Ho at its helm as the screenplay writer as well as director. The film is an adaptation of Edward Ashton's 2022 sci-fi novel, Mickey7. It is set to star Robert Pattinson, Mark Ruffalo, Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette, and others in pivotal roles.
Bong Joon-Ho's Mickey 17 is set to arrive in theaters on March 29, 2024.
3) Ridley Scott - Gladiator 2
Sir Ridley Scott is a famous English filmmaker with a career spanning over 50 years. With his breakthrough film, Alien (1979), he had successfully launched a franchise that has run for over 44 years now, with the latest installation, Alien: Romulus, set to release in 2024. Scott is among the producers of the film.
Other than his extra-terrestrial horror films, the director has also worked in some of the most successful and popular films set in a historical time period. Be it 1942: Conquest of Paradise, Kingdom of Heaven, Exodus: Gods and Kings, Gladiator, or his most recent work, Napolean. Similarly, his next film is also set in historical Rome as a sequel to his 2000 hit, Gladiator.
Gladiator 2 is an epic historical drama from Paramount Pictures, currently set to release in theaters on November 22, 2024. Sir Ridley Scott is set to return as the director of the movie with a screenplay written by David Scarpa. The cast features Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, and others in pivotal roles.
4) Tim Burton - Beetlejuice 2
Tim Burton is one of the most celebrated American filmmakers, and the one who propagated the genre of gothic horror and fantasy which the audience had never experienced before. Some of his most iconic films include Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, the Batman duology, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Dumbo.
Burton's breakthrough film came in 1988 with the fantasy horror comedy from the house of Warner Bros. Pictures, Beetlejuice. The film starred Alex Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder, Jeffrey Jones, Catherine O'Hara, and others in pivotal roles alongside Michael Keaton as the titular character.
After 36 long years, the film is set to get a sequel in 2024. Beetlejuice 2 was officially announced in May 2023 with the cast featuring some returning faces alongside the new additions. Keaton, O'Hara, and Ryder reprise their roles with Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci, and Willam Dafoe joining the cast.
Beetlejuice 2 is currently set for a theatrical release on September 6, 2024.
5) Dennis Villeneveu - Dune 2
Dennis Villeneuve is undoubtedly one of the best Canadian directors out there. With a career spread over 30 years now, he has made a name for himself with internationally acclaimed films like Prisoners, Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, Dune, and others.
Villeneuve kicked off his feature directorial career with August 32nd on Earth in 1998, which was a critic's favorite for the year. He then went on a roll, making internationally acclaimed films one after the other, gathering multiple festival accolades along the way.
After his success story with the long-awaited sequel to the 1980s classic sci-fi action, Blade Runner, Villeneuve moved to reboot the 1984 David Lynch space opera, Dune, in 2021. Created as a two-part adaption of Frank Herbert's 1965 sci-fi epic novel of the same name, the second and final installation of his series is set to arrive in theaters on March 1, 2024.
The original film already had a star ensemble featuring the likes of Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Javier Bardem, and others. Dune 2 will see Florence Pugh, Léa Seydoux, Christopher Walken, Souheila Yacoub, and Austen Butler as the main cast.
6) George Miller - Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
George Miller is an icon in himself, most popular for his dystopian action franchise, Mad Max. However, the Australian director has not only worked in the action genre but also made exemplary films under the fantasy and drama genres.
George Miller kicked off his career in 1971, making short films like St. Vincent's Revue Film and Violence in the Cinema, Part 1. But his feature directorial debut, Mad Max and its sequels, propelled him to fame, making him an icon under the action film genre. He then moved to comedies and dramas, making films like The Witches of Eastwick, Babe, and Happy Feet.
But his return to his first film series with Mad Max: Fury Road again got him an explosive feedback from the audience and critics. For those of you who love watching the dystopian Australian landscape in his films, Miller is returning in 2024 with a spin-off prequel movie to Mad Max: Fury Road that would delve into the story of Imperator Furiosa, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
The film is set to star Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Charlee Fraser, Nathan Jones, Daniel Webber, and others in pivotal roles. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is set to release in theaters across the US on May 24, 2024.
7) Robert Eggers - Nosferatu
Robert Houston Eggers is one of the most notable names among America's new generation of filmmakers. Initially working as a production designer and part of the crew in theaters and short films, Eggers made his debut as a director for a feature length movie in 2015 with the horror flick, The Witch.
Following the success of his debut film, Eggers made the critically acclaimed Robert Pattinson-Willam Dafoe starrer, The Lighthouse, in 2015. His last work was the epic historical action film, The Northman, which released in 2022.
Throughout his films, Eggers has established a striking visual style and a recurring usage of mythological and folkloric elements.
With his upcoming film, Nosferatu, arriving at the end of 2024, we will need to wait for almost another year to see how his style reflects on the gothic horror. The film is set to star Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Lily-Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe, Emma Corrin, and others in pivotal roles.
Nosferatu is set to release in theaters across the US on December 25, 2024.
These were some of our favorite picks of films coming in 2024 which will see big names returning on the director's chair. If you are a cinema enthusiast or just enjoy watching good films in general, 2024 is set to be a great year for you.
