My 2018 Entertainment Preview

It’s day 2 of the New Year, and, as usual, this time of the year is full of good intentions and optimism.

Of course, as someone who loves films and stories, one of my resolutions is to watch more movies and TV shows –that is, when I finish catching up with last year’s!

In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to share my personal 2018 preview. Here are the movies, TV shows and moments I’m looking forward to experience in this new year:

The MCU comes full circle

I was a latecomer to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first movie I watched of the bunch was The Avengers (2012), and it successfully picked my interest in the franchise.

So many movies later, I’ve come to truly appreciate it all the stories, characters, and above all: the great care that was put into creating something unique, universal and simply fun. It might seem silly, but it’s not easy to just have fun watching movies nowadays! Everything must be dissected and broken down into pieces inside the pits of Internet hell, so it can subsequently turn into a digital war.

Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing where it all leads to, especially with the first act of this line-up’s conclusion: Avengers: Infinity War. I can’t wait to see my favorite characters face their biggest obstacles yet, and, hopefully, come out stronger by the end of it.

On the other hand, I can’t underplay my excitement about Black Panther as well. He was definitely one of the best additions made in Civil War (2016), and with a wonderful team that genuinely seems to be passionate about the film they have made, how can you not be excited?

The MCU is reaching its peak, and for all the ill-fated trends it unintentionally has inspired, it would be foolish to dismiss all the good it has done for the superhero genre, as well as the creativity and artisanship that it has taken in order to get to this point.

‘Solo’: the second Star Wars Story hits the big screen

Let me start by clarifying that I’m not one of the people who has been excited about this film. At all. In fact, if I could have my way to explore one of the OT characters with more depth, I would probably choose Kenobi instead of Han.

Alas, I don’t get to have my way yet, so here we are talking about a movie almost everyone is uninterested in. However, as the second ‘Star Wars Story’, it has a lot to live up to. After all, from all the films announced and released by Lucasfilm since its revival in 2015, this is the one with the most potential to disappoint or underperform.

Still, we can’t ignore that there’s a great team behind this production. From a very talented cast to Lawrence Kasdan’s writing and now John Williams’ music….it’s an all-star team, and we should expect nothing but a 5-star film!

Teaser trailer for Star Wars Episode XIX

We are halfway there, as the Sequel Trilogy is coming to an end!

And after a second chapter that caused a very discordant reception amongst fans –I, for one, side with those praising the film-, I think both detractors and admirers will agree that the first images of the last film will be exciting –or at least intriguing- to watch.

Just a glimpse of the footage, and we’ll probably have a slight idea of what direction we’re going with when it comes to the conclusion of this tale. Personally, I hope they won’t feel obligated to pander to one side of the fandom or the other after strong social media reactions regarding The Last Jedi. Instead, I hope they do exactly what the story needs by exploring new themes and taking our characters in exciting new directions.

If there’s a teaser trailer for Episode XIX it will probably be released by the end of the year, or we might just have to wait to 2019. I do hope we get to see a few frames of the last chapter, as I’m beyond curious and eager to see how the team will wrap up this story.

Castle Rock premieres

Since we have to wait one more year for IT: Chapter Two, I’ll have to satisfy my Stephen King-cravings with Castle Rock. The series, which features a few actors that have worked on other Stephen King properties –including Sissy Spacek and Bill Skarsgård- will apparently present places and characters from various S.K. books, uniting them in a small, shared universe of their own.

If it succeeds, it might achieve what The Dark Tower could not: giving us a version of the united S.K.-universe. I can’t wait!

Card Captor Sakura returns

As a fan of animé -and someone who spent an inordinate amount of time drawing her own Clow cards and playing with them during recess-, one of the most exciting news I received last year was the confirmation of a new anime series that will continue the story of Sakura and her friends.

While looking back at it now might be a little jarring, I still remember with fondness watching the original animé and enjoying every second of it!

Card Captor Sakura was surprisingly progressive, presenting interesting ideas and concepts that might shock today’s audiences. It also has characters with a lot of heart and an uplifting, unsullied innocence that is just as refreshing as the risks it takes. I do hope they stay true to that spirit of the original manga and TV show, but that the mythology and characters will evolve enough to warrant more stories in years to come.

Westworld returns

One of my favorite TV shows of 2016 is about to come back!

This dystopian story that includes mistreated robots, cowboys, samurais and lots of blood, is anything but just another story of machines taking over.

Westworld works as a subtle, sometimes heartbreaking, always beautiful exploration of humanity and the soul. Like its famous maze, it was an odd, irregular and sometimes confusing journey in itself. But, boy, was it wonderful!

I’m very intrigued as to how they will continue the story, now that most of the questions were answered and they delivered a great ending that could work as the perfect conclusion for the entire thing. Will Season 2 continue to keep us on our toes? I do hope so!

A promising year in Animation

We’ve had some great animated films in the last few years, but also a couple of offbeat and unfortunate choices –Emoji movie, we are all looking at you!-. This year, however, promises to be full of great stories, as some veterans in animation take the helm to deliver exciting films by going back to beloved stories and styles of animation.

I’m particularly excited about The Incredibles 2, Wreck-It Ralph 2 and Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs. With the first two continuing great stories presented by Pixar and Walt Disney Studios, and Anderson’s return to stop-motion animation, we are probably in for some great flicks that might just cleanse our palate from the more mediocre ventures of 2017.

Freddie sings again in Bohemian Rhapsody

Although I’m not a fan of biopics, if there’s one person in this world whose story I would like to explore, that would be Freddie Mercury’s. He had one of the most distinct voices that have marked and touched all generations since Queen hit stardom. On a personal level, Freddie’s voice tugs at my heartstrings, so evidently I’ve been quite excited about the upcoming film since it was announced.

However, due to the multiple obstacles and controversies that it has met along the way, I’m not quite certain that the film will turn out to be what we all hope it is. Still, I’ll remain hopeful for as long as I can, and if not now, one day Freddie will receive the cinematic treatment he deserves.

Naoko Yamada’s Rizu to Aoi Torri

Last year I watched the beautifully crafted A Silent Voice, one of the most creative and emotional films I’ve seen in the last few years. It’s a pity that the large majority of Western audiences haven’t even heard about it yet.

All in all, I can’t wait to see what Director Naoko Yamada has in store for us. Even if her next movie, Risu to Aoi Torri is just half as strikingly beautiful and haunting as A Silent Voice, I will be content! I’ll keep an eye out for it throughout the year.

What are your most anticipated films and TV shows of 2018? Feel free to share them in the comments.