22 movies we can't wait to see in 2022

We're nearly halfway through the year and there have already been some great films hitting the big screen, but luckily for movie fans there's plenty more to come. Here are some of the films we are most looking forward to in 2022...

June

Jurassic World: Dominion, 10 June

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After suffering pandemic-related delays, the highly anticipated dinosaur blockbuster Jurassic World Dominion is finally about to hit cinema screens. The final instalment in the Jurassic World trilogy, after 2018's well received Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and 2015's Jurassic World, the film sees Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard reprise their roles as dinosaur trainer Owen and Jurassic World's former operations manager Claire. The story picks up four years after the destruction of Isla Nublar, with dinosaurs now living, and hunting, alongside humans all over the world.

Lightyear, 17 June

It's the movie Toy Story fans have been waiting for - a spin-off from the iconic Pixar film series which serves as an origin story for beloved space ranger Buzz Lightyear. While Toy Story features the toy version of Buzz, the new film will feature the "real-life" hero who inspired the character in the franchise. Captain America star Chris Evans voices the titular young astronaut. To infinity...and beyond!

Spiderhead, 17 June, Netflix

This original sci-fi thriller starring Chris Hemsworth is based on a dystopian short story by George Saunders and follows a prisoner in a state-of-the-art penitentiary who begins to question the purpose of the emotion-controlling drugs he's testing for a pharmaceutical genius. Inmate Jeff (Miles Teller) comes to care for another prisoner, Rachel (Jurnee Smollett), and tries to outmaneuver the experiments of the prison to save her.

The Black Phone, 22 June

Supernatural horror film The Black Phone has a fairly petrifying premise. A 13-year-old boy is kidnapped by a sadistic serial killer and is being held in a soundproof basement. His chances of survival increase when he discovers that he can communicate with the murderer's previous victims through a disconnected phone, and they are dead set on helping him escape. It's sure to be a terrifying turn from Ethan Hawke as the masked killer, while newcomer Mason Thames has been earning strong reviews as the abducted child.

Elvis, 24 June

Well this looks like a must-see for Elvis Presley fans. Co-written and directed by Baz Luhrmann, this biographical musical drama chronicles the life and career of The King, from his early days as a child to becoming a pop star and movie star, as well as his complex relationship with his manager Col. Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks. American actor Austin Butler has already garnered acclaim for his portrayal of the music icon.

July

Minions: The Rise Of Gru, 1 July

Everyone's favourite little yellow creatures are back. Animated comedy Minions: The Rise of Gru is the sequel to 2015's spin-off prequel Minions and is set after the events of the first film in the 1970s, as 12-year-old Gru (Steve Carell) is growing up in the suburbs. A fanboy of a team of supervillains known as the Vicious 6, Gru hatches a plan to become evil enough to join them. Needless to say, it does not go well.

Thor: Love and Thunder, 8 July

2017's Thor: Ragnarok was a rare treat, a superhero movie with far more laugh-out-loud moments than your usual blockbuster. The unparalleled Taika Waititi is back in the director's chair for this sequel, so we're hoping for more of the same. Oscar-winner Natalie Portman is returning as Jane Foster after nearly a decade, and the chemistry between her and Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder looks to be cracking.

The Gray Man, 15 July Netflix

Well this looks like a rollicking watch. This big-budget Netflix thriller from directors Anthony and Joe Russo has an all-star cast, including Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans and Ana de Armas, and looks to be packed to the gills with action. It follows a shadowy CIA agent (Gosling) who accidentally uncovers damning agency secrets and is forced to go on the run by his psychopathic former colleague (Evans) and international assassins.

Where the Crawdads Sing, 22 July

Normal People star Daisy Edgar-Jones leads this much-anticipated big-screen adaptation of Delia Owens' bestselling novel Where the Crawdads Sing. She plays Kya, an abandoned girl who raised herself in the dangerous marshlands of North Carolina, ostracised from the local community. When she becomes involved with a young man from town who is later found dead, she is immediately cast as the main suspect.

August

Bullet Train, 5 August

Brad Pitt leads the ensemble cast in this action comedy thriller as seasoned assassin Ladybug. He wants to give up the life but is pulled back in by his handler Maria Beetle (Sandra Bullock) who instructs him to collect a briefcase on a bullet train heading from Tokyo to Kyoto. Once onboard, he and the other competing assassins onboard discover that their objectives are all connected. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Michael Shannon and Zazie Beetz also star.

Beast, 12 August

Don't you just love a good survival thriller, and all the better if it involves Idris Elba?! Beast sees the Luther star play Dr. Nate Samuels, a recently widowed man who returns to South Africa on a long-planned trip with his two teenage daughters. They visit a game reserve managed by an old family friend and fellow wildlife biologist, but soon a ferocious, man-hunting lion begins stalking them. Their journey of healing turns into a fight where their resilience will be tested.

September

Don't Worry Darling, 23 September

The buzz around this one is unavoidable but it's sure to live up to expectations. This psychological thriller film from director Olivia Wilde stars Harry Styles and Florence Pugh as Jack and Alice, a young married couple living in the seemingly perfect company town of Victory during the 1950s, which was created by the mysterious company Jack is working for. When Alice realises that everything is not as it seems, cracks begin to appear in their blissfully utopian lives.

Hocus Pocus 2, 30 September Disney+

Children of the 90s rejoice! The much-loved 1993 fantasy-comedy Hocus Pocus is finally getting a sequel, with Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy and Doug Jones all reprising their roles. Set twenty-nine years after the events of Hocus Pocus, three high-school students must work together to stop the Sanderson sisters who have returned to present-day Salem.

October

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Part One, 7 October

The sequel to 2018's inventive and wildly eccentric Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse follows Miles Morales/Spider-Man (Shameik Moore) as he goes on an adventure across the multiverse with Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld ) and new team of Spider-People who must face a powerful villain.

Halloween Ends, 14 October

Halloween Ends is the sequel to 2021's Halloween Kills

The long-running saga of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode comes to a chilling climax in the final installment of the slasher franchise. The sequel to 2021's Halloween Kills, and the thirteenth instalment of the Halloween franchise, the film will see Jamie Lee Curtis and Nick Castle reprising their roles of Myers and Strode for the last time. Will Strode be able to end Michael Myers' rule of terror and prevent future victims from being attacked? Only time will tell.

Black Adam, 21 October

One of Hollywood's most beloved stars has finally got his own superhero movie and we are here for it. Dwayne Johnson heads up Black Adam as the titular DC antihero who he recently said "speaks to my DNA" more than any acting role he has taken on before. The film, which is considered to be both a spin-off and a prequel of the 2019 Shazam! movie, sees Black Adam being feed from his earthly tomb after 5,000 years of imprisonment and unleashing his unique form of justice on the modern world.

November

Amsterdam, 4 November

From Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle writer/director David O. Russell comes Amsterdam, a drama bursting at the seams with quality actors. Among the large ensemble cast are Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Rami Malek, Chris Rock, Zoe Saldaña, Anya Taylor-Joy, Michael Shannon, Taylor Swift, Timothy Olyphant, Mike Myers, and Robert De Niro. It is set in the 1930s and follows three friends who witness a murder, become suspects themselves, and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American history.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, 11 November

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, hits screens on 11 November. Image via IMDB

Fans are eagerly awaiting director Ryan Coogler's sequel to 2018's epic Black Panther. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will sadly miss Chadwick Boseman's brilliant presence as T'Challa following the actor's death in 2020 after a private battle with cancer, with Marvel choosing not to recast his role, but Lupita Nyong'o, Daniel Kaluuya, Martin Freeman and Letitia Wright are among the returning cast members.

Thirteen Lives, 18 November

Viggo Mortensen and Joel Edgerton star in Thirteen Lives

The news story of the Thai cave rescue mission gripped people all over the world in 2018. Thirteen Lives, Ron Howard's biographical survival drama based on that true story, is coming to screens this November starring Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell and Joel Edgerton. It follows the rescue mission that is assembled in Thailand after a junior football team and their coach become trapped in a cave for a period of 18 days.

Disenchanted, 24 November, Disney +

Disenchanted coming to Disney + on 24 November. Image via IMDB

We've already heard a lot about the sequel to the 2007 film Enchanted. Disenchanted kicked off filming last summer in Ireland, with stars Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey and Maya Rudolph delighting fans as they shot the movie in and around Wicklow and Dublin. The film is set ten years after Giselle's (Adams) happily ever after. When she questions her happiness, she inadvertently turns the lives of those in the real world and Andalasia upside down...

December

Avatar: The Way of Water, 16 December

The highly-anticipated sequel to James Cameron's 2009 blockbuster Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water sees Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, and Giovanni Ribisi reprising their roles from the original film, while new cast members include Kate Winslet, Edie Falco, Michelle Yeoh, Jemaine Clement, and Vin Diesel. The film finds Jake Sully living with his newfound family formed on the planet of Pandora. Once a familiar threat returns to finish what was previously started, Jake must work with Neytiri and the army of the Na'vi race to protect their planet.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods, 23 December

Shazam! Fury of the Gods hitting cinemas on 23 December. Image via IMDB

The sequel to 2019's eminently likeable superhero flick Shazam!, Shazam! Fury of the Gods sees Zachary Levi returning in the titular role, while Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou, Rachel Zegler, Helen Mirren, and Lucy Liu will also star.

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