2018 Movie Preview: 28 Blockbusters, Horror Movies and More That You Should See

We know most of you are still working your way through your movie watching to-do list for 2017, but there's a brand new year of promising new films on the horizon. No pressure. From epic new Marvel movies to long-awaited book adaptations, these are the films to look for in 2018.

'Annihilation'

Release Date: Feb. 23 Recent behind-the-scenes drama involving release dates and a surprising international roll out of the film on Netflix has tainted the buzz surrounding writer-director Alex Garland's follow-up to the Oscar-nominated "Ex Machina," but we're still gonna get tix. On Earth, some weird sh** is going on behind an energy barrier of sorts, and it's up to Natalie Portman and an impressive female ensemble cast to survive it. 

'Black Panther'

Release Date: Feb. 16 "Black Panther" is kicking off a very Marvel-heavy year. This film follows the titular superhero monarch (played again by Chadwick Boseman) as he returns home to Wakanda and deals with new threats within and without. 

'A Wrinkle in Time'

Release Date: Mar. 9 Lest you think Disney is focused on nothing but Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar these days, the studio is also kicking off a brand new franchise based on the popular series of sci-fi books. Between the star-studded cast and the fact that this is director Ava DuVernay's first blockbuster, there's plenty of reason to be excited for this one.

'Tomb Raider'

Release Date: Mar. 16 The original Angelina Jolie-starring "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" is probably the closest thing there is to a good video game movie, so we're hoping that appeal carries over as Alicia Vikander takes over the role of Lara Croft. This reboot draws most of its inspiration from the recent video games, showcasing a younger Lara learning the art of tomb raiding after being marooned on a deadly island.

'Pacific Rim: Uprising'

Release Date: Mar. 23 Can this sequel recapture the fun and spectacle of the original "Pacific Rim" without director Guillermo Del Toro or much of the original cast? Here's hoping. This time around, John Boyega stars as Jake Pentecost, son of Idris Elba's character. He's the new frontman in the war to protect Earth from monsters threatening to crush and invade it.

'Ready Player One'

Release Date: Mar. 30 Steven Spielberg will be back in theaters three months after "The Post," and "Ready Player One" couldn't be more different from that awards-bait entry. Based on the popular Ernest Cline novel, this sci-fi adventure takes place in an overcrowded, near-future where most people take refuge in a virtual reality utopia called OASIS. Tye Sheridan stars as a lonely teen who may hold the key to the fate of this digital realm.

'The New Mutants'

Release Date: Apr. 13 Fox is going into overdrive with the X-Men franchise in 2018. "The New Mutants" is the first of three new X-Men movies hitting next year, although you'd hardly know it from watching the trailer. This film promises to push the franchise in a very horror-influenced direction as it introduces a younger generation of mutant heroes.

'Avengers: Infinity War'

Release Date: May 4 2018 marks the tenth anniversary of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and what better way to celebrate than with a massive team-up uniting all the heroes of the MCU? "Infinity War" pits the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy against Thanos (Josh Brolin), a cosmic powerhouse hellbent on harnessing the ultimate power in the universe.

'Solo: A Star Wars Story'

Release Date: May 25 Can the world handle two new Star Wars movies in the span of six months? Alden Ehrenreich is taking over the iconic role, as "Solo" flashes back to Han Solo's early days and explores how he met Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) and Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo). It also will help establish his reputation as the coolest customer in the galaxy.

'Deadpool 2'

Release Date: June 1 Who needs Wolverine when Deadpool is now the biggest cash cow in Fox's Marvel roster? Ryan Reynolds returns to play the wise-cracking assassin. This time, he'll be joined by time-traveling soldier Cable (Josh Brolin) and the impossibly lucky bounty hunter Domino (Zazie Beetz).

'Ocean's Eight'

Release Date: June 8 After three slick, stylish "Ocean's Eleven" movies featuring the the most popular leading men in Hollywood, it's about time women got their turn. Sandra Bullock headlines this rebooted take on the franchise, with Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, Mindy Kaling, Awkwafina, and Sarah Paulson also starring.

'The Incredibles 2'

Release Date: June 15 It's hard to think of a Pixar movie more deserving of a sequel than "The Incredibles." That sequel is finally arriving in 2018, with director Brad Bird and the original voice cast returning. Plot details are scarce, but we know that the sequel picks up mere minutes after the original and deals with the chaos involved in caring for a super-powered infant.

'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom'

Release Date: June 22 Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are back for this sequel to 2015's massively successful "Jurassic Park" follow-up. This time around, the two are forced to return to Isla Nublar to rescue the island's dinosaur population from imminent volcanic destruction. Fans of the first two films will be pleased to know that Jeff Goldblum's Dr. Ian Malcolm is also back for chaos. 

'Ant-Man and the Wasp'

Release Date: July 6 Marvel Studios is rounding up its 2018 lineup with a sequel to 2015's "Ant-Man." The big news this time is that Evangeline Lilly will finally be suiting up as the Wasp and joining Paul Rudd's Ant-Man in the field. Their enemy this time is the intangible corporate terrorist Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen).

'Mission: Impossible 6'

Release Date: July 27 After a disappointing outing in 2017's "The Mummy" reboot, Tom Cruise is returning to a more reliable action movie franchise. "Mission: Impossible 6" will feature more jaw-dropping stunts as Cruise's Ethan Hunt confronts a new enemy played by Henry Cavill. We just hope this sequel justifies Cavill's infamous mustache fiasco.

'The Predator'

Release Date: Aug. 3 We're still waiting for a "Predator" movie that can live up to the original. If any director can finally pull that off, it's Shane Black. Boyd Holbrook and Olivia Munn star as a duo who lead a team of elite killers to confront the iconic alien hunters.

'Meg'

Release Date: Aug. 10 When it comes to killer shark movies, we're hoping that bigger truly is better. Jason Staham stars in this action movie (based on the Steve Alten novel) as a disgraced biologist recruited to deal with the unexpected emergence of a massive, prehistoric shark.

'Venom'

Release Date: Oct. 5 Just because Sony and Marvel Studios are cooperating these days doesn't mean Sony doesn't still have its own plans for building a shared superhero universe. "Venom" is the first result of that new push, spotlighting the villain in a story that may or may not actually feature the wallcrawler himself. We're a bit skeptical, but the fact that it stars Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock is enough to pique our interest.

'The Girl in the Spider's Web'

Release Date: Oct. 19 David Fincher's "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" may have failed to spawn the trilogy fans were hoping for, but at least the series is getting another shot on the big screen. This reboot stars Claire Foy as eccentric hacker Lisbeth Salander and Sverrir Gudnason as crusading journalist Mikael Blomkvist. It's also the first adaptation of the fourth novel in the "Millennium" series, which is the first not written by creator Stieg Larsson.

'Halloween'

Release Date: Oct. 19 The "Halloween" franchise may be the most convoluted horror series in Hollywood. But all you really need to know about the latest rebootquel is that it features Jaime Lee Curtis returning to one of her most famous roles, as Laurie Strode gears up for one last showdown with the deadly Michael Myers.

'X-Men: Dark Phoenix'

Release Date: Nov. 2 "The Dark Phoenix Saga" is one of the most beloved X-Men comic book storylines ever, but few would argue it was done justice in 2006's "X-Men: The Last Stand." Fortunately, the franchise has been given a mulligan with "X-Men: Dark Phoenix," which is set a decade after 2016's "X-Men Apocalypse." The sequel takes our mutant heroes into space, as they deal with Jean Grey's out-of-control dark side.

'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald'

Release Date: Nov 16 The original "Fantastic Beasts" had only tenuous connections to the Harry Potter franchise, but that looks to be changing with the second entry in the five-film series. Jude Law makes his debut as a younger version of future Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore. He'll join forces with oddball "magizoologist" Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) to battle the evil wizard Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) in 1920's Paris.

'Creed II'

Release Date: Nov. 21 The follow-up to 2015's "Creed" is taking the series is perhaps the only direction it could go from that point, as Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) confronts Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), the man who killed his father in the ring. And naturally, Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) is tagging along for the ride. Stallone himself was originally slated to direct, but WB has instead put the film in the hands of newcomer Steven Caple Jr.

'Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2'

Release Date: Nov. 21 Even if you weren't asking for a sequel to the 2012 original, you might be won over by the prospect of a full-fledged Disney crossover here. All of the major Disney princess will be appearing in this film, along with iconic characters from the Marvel and Star Wars universes.

'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse'

Release Date: Dec. 14 While we have to wait until 2019 for a sequel to "Spider-Man: Homecoming," that doesn't mean we can't look forward to a new solo Spider-Man adventure in 2018. This stylish animated adventure features Shameik Moore as the voice of Miles Morales, a character coming to terms with his spider-powers in a world without Peter Parker. With any luck, this film might pave the way for a whole series of Spider-Verse films spotlighting characters like Spider-Gwen and Spider-Punk.

'Aquaman'

Release Date: Dec. 21 The DCEU looks to be keeping a fairly low profile in 2018, but at least Jason Momoa's Aquaman is returning to the spotlight in a big way. This "Justice League" follow-up will explore the struggle Aquaman faces as he becomes caught in the middle of a brewing war between Atlantis and the surface world.

'Bumblebee'

Release Date: Dec. 21 "Bumblebee" will offer Transformers fans their first taste of what a post-Michael Bay franchise will look like. A prequel to the main series, this film is set in 1987 and explores the bond between the Autobot hero and a human girl played by Hailee Steinfeld. "Bumblebee" is said to draw more visual inspiration from the classic toys and animated series than its predecessors, so this one should appeal directly to old-school fans who still keep "The Touch" as their ringtone. 

'Mary Poppins Returns'

Release Date: Dec. 25 It may seem like sacrilege to attempt a direct sequel to 1964's "Mary Poppins." But with Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda starring and Miranda also handling the music, we've got a pretty good feeling about this one. The sequel is set during the Great Depression, as Ms. Poppins pays another visit to the Banks family to help guide them through a difficult time.