Best Movies That Are Still Scheduled for a 2020 Release

With only two months left in 2020 and the summer movie season officially a wash, cinemas are [...]

By Russ Burlingame

With only two months left in 2020 and the summer movie season officially a wash, cinemas are struggling and cinemaphiles are jonesing for a fix. At present, there are still a handful of movies headed to theaters (assuming nothing changes), and even more fairly big ones headed to streaming platforms. Unfortunately for all involved, the cold weather in much of the US likely means the drive-in season is done for, but that doesn't necessarily mean no new movies are coming out. Some of them -- like Wonder Woman and Free Guy -- feel like they will be major cultural events if they are allowed to be released.

Others, like Coming 2 America and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, are going to be huge releases for other reasons, whether it's decades of waiting for a follow-up to a comedy classic or, in Ma Rainey's case, a look at one of the last performances of a true master of screen acting.

We've put together a list of ten movies that you can look forward to for the rest of 2020, assuming nothing changes. And, yes, there are many more indie films coming, and we'll probably look at some of those in the coming days and weeks, too, especially if the current spike in covid-19 cases continues to take a toll and theaters end up closed again.

But for now, check out the list. What movie are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments.

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey

With Keegan-Michael Key, Forest Whitaker, and TV legend Phylicia Rashad, Netflix's Christmas movie Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is likely to get people talking when it hits the platform later this month.

Due on November 13, the film is directed by David E. Talbert. Here's how Netflix describes the film:

A musical adventure and a visual spectacle for the ages, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is a wholly fresh and spirited family holiday event. Set in the gloriously vibrant town of Cobbleton, the film follows legendary toymaker Jeronicus Jangle (Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker) whose fanciful inventions burst with whimsy and wonder. But when his trusted apprentice (Emmy winner Keegan-Michael Key) steals his most prized creation, it's up to his equally bright and inventive granddaughter (newcomer Madalen Mills) — and a long-forgotten invention — to heal old wounds and reawaken the magic within.

From the imagination of writer-director David E. Talbert, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey reminds us of the strength of family and the power of possibility. Featuring original songs by John Legend, Philip Lawrence, Davy Nathan, and "This Day" performed by Usher and Kiana Ledé.

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Hillbilly Elegy

From director Ron Howard, November 24 will bring Hillbilly Elegy to Netflix just as Americans are preparing their Thanksgiving dinners. Starring Glenn Close (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Amy Adams (Man of Steel), the movie is based on the best-selling book from J.D. Vance.

Here's how Netflix describes it:

J.D. Vance (Gabriel Basso), a former Marine from southern Ohio and current Yale Law student, is on the verge of landing his dream job when a family crisis forces him to return to the home he's tried to forget. J.D. must navigate the complex dynamics of his Appalachian family, including his volatile relationship with his mother Bev (Amy Adams), who's struggling with addiction. Fueled by memories of his grandmother Mamaw (Glenn Close), the resilient and whip-smart woman who raised him, J.D. comes to embrace his family's indelible imprint on his own personal journey.

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Mank

The next film from Fight Club and The Social Network filmmaker David Fincher, Mank stars Academy Award Winner Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, Arliss Howard, Tom Pelphrey, Sam Troughton, Ferdinand Kingsley, Tuppence Middleton, Tom Burke, and Charles Dance.

The movie centers on 1930s Hollywood, as seen "through the eyes of scathing wit and alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish Citizen Kane."

This isn't the first time the story of Citizen Kane's production has come to film; HBO produced the movie RKO 281 back in 1999, which starred Liev Schreiber and James Cromwell.

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Free Guy

From Night at the Museum filmmaker Shawn Levy and star Ryan Reynolds, Free Guy is centered on the premise that Reynolds exists as a non-player character in a video game. One day, he becomes sentient, and finds himself embroiled in a real-world battle between an unscrupulous game developer (Taika Waititi) and some gamers (Jodie Comer, Joe Keery) set on getting to the truth behind some of the developer's lies.

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Death on the Nile

Kenneth Branagh's Death on the Nile, the second installment in the Murder on the Orient Express series, is set to hit theaters on December 18. It's a busy week, and it's hard to know whether this movie will actually make it to theaters, but it's the start of a few weeks of planed theatrical releases that are still far enough away that the studios haven't completely given up on it yet.

The film stars Armie Hammer, Gal Gadot, Letitia Wright, and Branagh.

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Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Chicago, 1927. A recording session. Tensions rise between Ma Rainey (Viola Davis), her ambitious horn player (Chadwick Boseman, in one of his final performances), and the white management determined to control the legendary "Mother of the Blues." Based on Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson's play.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, directed by George C. Wolfe. Starring Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Colman Domingo, Michael Potts, Glynn Turman, Dusan Brown and Taylour Paige.

Coming to Netflix December 18.

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Coming 2 America

Coming 2 America Teaser Trailer Preview

After buying up the rights for a reportedly massive amount of money, Amazon will counter-program Death on the Nile in theaters and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom at Netflix with Coming 2 America, the long-awaited sequel to Coming to America, on December 18.

The film is set to star Eddie Murphy,Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones, Shari Headley, John Amos, Tracy Morgan, Wesley Snipes and James Earl Jones.

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Wonder Woman 1984

Wonder Woman 1984 Gal Gadot
(Photo: Warner Bros. / DC Films)

Two weeks after Free Guy will hopefully kick off the blockbuster mini-season and a week after Hercule Poirot returns in Death on the Nile, Warner Bros. still (at least for now) expects to release Wonder Woman 1984. The film, which is directed by Patty Jenkins and pits Gal Gadot and Chris Pine against Pedro Pascal and Kristen Wiig, is a period piece set in the '80s that somehow brings back Steve Trevor (Pine), after he died during World War I at the end of Wonder Woman.

Wonder Woman 1984 is expected in theaters on Christmas Day.

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Soul

Pixar's Soul is headed to Disney+ on Christmas Day, marking the second time this year that Pixar has gone to the streaming platform incredibly early to bring something new to families and the second time Disney has released a blockbuster tentpole direct to Disney+ in less than 3 months (the other being Mulan).

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Monster Hunter

Last but not least, at least for now, is Monster Hunter. Set to debut in the UK on December 4, the film stars Milla Jovovich, Tony Jaa, and Ron Perlman, among others.

Here's how Sony describes it:

Behind our world, there is another: a world of dangerous and powerful monsters that rule their domain with deadly ferocity. When an unexpected sandstorm transports Captain Artemis (Milla Jovovich) and her unit (TI Harris, Meagan Good, Diego Boneta) to a new world, the soldiers are shocked to discover that this hostile and unknown environment is home to enormous and terrifying monsters immune to their firepower. In their desperate battle for survival, the unit encounters the mysterious Hunter (Tony Jaa), whose unique skills allow him to stay one step ahead of the powerful creatures. As Artemis and Hunter slowly build trust, she discovers that he is part of a team led by the Admiral (Ron Perlman). Facing a danger so great it could threaten to destroy their world, the brave warriors combine their unique abilities to band together for the ultimate showdown.

Monster Hunter is expected in theaters on December 30.

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