Top 10 Most Anticipated Releases of January 2019

Before you jump to any conclusions, no – Joss Whedon sadly isn’t making another “Firefly” movie. 2019’s “Serenity” stars Oscar-winners Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway as a divorced couple. The two are reunited, however, in a plot to murder the new husband of Hathaway’s character. Director Steven Knight previously brought us “Locke,” which managed to tell a gripping story that was entirely confined to a car. We’re interested to see what Knight can accomplish with a larger scale and an ensemble cast in this neo-noir thriller.

Based on Deborah Harkness’ “All Souls” book trilogy, this British television adaptation is making its way to North American through the streaming services Sundance Now and Shudder. Teresa Palmer stars as Diana Bishop, a witch who enters a forbidden relationship with vampire Matthew Clairmont, played by Matthew Goode. Together, these star-crossed lovers must protect an ancient text possessing the power to unlock the secrets behind their magical world. For anyone who appreciates a good supernatural romance or binge-worthy tv, this one sounds like a must-watch.

While they got off to a rocky start, live television musicals have been hitting mostly high notes as of late with productions of “The Wiz,” “Hairspray,” and “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Fox notably enjoyed great success with “Grease: Live” three years ago, pulling in over 12 million viewers and winning five Emmys. “Rent: Live” brings the Tony-winning Broadway show to the small screen. Since this musical is all about seizing the day, the special should inspire audiences to live 2019 to the fullest, embracing all 525,600 minutes of the year.

Initially scheduled to come out last March following its debut at TIFF, “The Upside” was delayed due to the Harvey Weinstein scandal, but has since found its footing. This remake of 2011’s “The Intouchables” stars Bryan Cranston as a quadriplegic billionaire and Kevin Hart as an unemployed ex-con, who both give each other new leases on life. While we’re not expecting the film to outshine the original, the inspired casting should make for a poignant buddy picture with a good balance of laughs and tears.

We only got six new episodes of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” in 2018, as Tina Fey was reportedly busy working on the musical version of “Mean Girls.” The good news is that the second half of Season 4 is on the way with seven episodes; the bad news is that this will be the final season. We’re just not ready to say goodbye to Kimmy, Titus, and Yuko the robot. This may not be the end, though, as a feature film continuation is reportedly on the table. However it plays out, we’ll savor every moment of season 4 part 2.

In many respects, this CBS All Access series is to “Star Trek” what “The Last Jedi” is to “Star Wars.” “Star Trek: Discovery” earned mostly glowing reviews from critics, and even praise from some fans, who believed that it boldly took the franchise to new places. Others however, have argued that the show betrays Gene Roddenberry’s original vision by deviating too heavily from the classic formula, criticizing its gritty tone and emphasis on action. Nevertheless, we’re interested to watch the series grow and see how the overall fan consensus will evolve over time.

Ever since the original zombie classic received a remake on the GameCube, fans have wondered when Capcom would give “Resident Evil 2” an update of its own. It took multiple console generations, but the long-awaited remake was announced in 2015, and officially unveiled at E3 2018. Using the same game engine as “Resident Evil 7” and adopting the over-the-shoulder view from “Resident Evil 4,” this is the return to Raccoon City we’ve been waiting for. And to think, the remake is coming out just in time for its predecessor’s 21st birthday.

The first season of “True Detective” became a cultural phenomenon ,with many citing it as a highpoint in a golden age of television. Although Season 2 wasn’t hated per se, it was widely viewed as a major step backwards for a series that started so strong. With an actor of Mahershala Ali’s caliber in the lead role and a mystery that spans three time periods, the anthology crime drama looks primed to make comeback with its third season after a hiatus of almost four years.

Although “Unbreakable” was somewhat underappreciated at back in 2000 when it was released, the film is retrospectively held in high regard for being well-ahead of its time. Coming out only four months after the original “X-Men,” the movie predicted our current fascination with superheroes. We were then all caught off-guard when “Split” was revealed to be a standalone sequel to M. Night Shyamalan’s 2000 film. And now “Glass” brings Kevin Crumb, David Dunn, and Elijah Price together, which should make for a fascinating crossover in an era where cinematic universes are all the rage.


Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

“A Dog’s Way Home”
Release Date: January 11, 2019 [U.S.]

“Onimusha: Warlords”
Release Date: January 15, 2019

Just to give you an idea of how old “Kingdom Hearts II” is, “Tangled,” “Wreck-It Ralph,” “Frozen,” and “Big Hero 6” have all come out since then. Within that time frame, we’ve also gotten several tie-in games to hold us over until “Kingdom Hearts III,” which for the longest time looked like it would never see the light of day. Square Enix is finally opening the door, however, delivering what might be the most anticipated game of the past thirteen years. From the looks of the numerous trailers… they’ve put that time to good use.