WITH A NEW year comes the excitement of thinking about all the great films awaiting you in the 12 months ahead.

There are, as usual, plenty of movies that you’ll get to see next year – so here are some to look out for.

The Lighthouse   

Dave Eggers (The Witch)’s second feature is a real treat for the eyes. Shot on Academy ratio in black and white, it stars Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe as two ‘wickies’ or lighthouse keepers who are sent to spend a week on a remote island. By turns horrifying, sexual, and weird, it’s a fascinating watch. Not for the faint-hearted, though. Out in late January.

Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

Margot Robbie is back as Harley Quinn. In this, she must team up with superheroes Black Canary, Huntress and Renee Montoya to save a young girl from an evil crime lord in Gotham City. Out in February.

Sonic the Hedgehog

Yes, Sonic is coming to the big screen. And in this film he must stop Dr Robotnik from achieving world domination. Out in mid-February in Ireland.

A Quiet Place 2

There’s no trailer yet for the sequel to the excellent, edge-of-your-seat A Quiet Place, but regardless it’s one you need to put on your must-watch list. Due out in March.

Mulan

The latest in Disney’s live-action remakes of its classic animated films is Mulan. Out in March.

The Lovebirds

Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae team up for this romantic comedy about a couple who, while on the brink of breaking up, get embroiled in a murder mystery. Due out in April.

No Time To Die

He’s ba-ack. Bond will return to our screens with a script that was co-written by Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Which means there’s less of the Bond stereotypes of old ahead, surely. Due out in October.

Black Widow 

Another year, another glut of superhero movies. One of this year’s most-anticipated ones is Marvel’s Black Widow, which stars Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, an Avengers member and agent of SHIELD, who’s finally getting her own time to shine. This standalone film is directed by Kevin Feige and also stars David Harbour and Florence Pugh.

The Personal History of David Copperfield

The wonderfully sharp Armando Iannucci turns his eye towards the Dickens novel David Copperfield, with Dev Patel as the titular character in a lovely example of colour-blind casting. Starring alongside him are Hugh Laurie, Tilda Swinton, Paul Whitehouse and more. Released in January. 

Artemis Fowl

This Disney adaptation of the Eoin Colfer books has had a bit of a delayed release, but that won’t stop the anticipation as young people flock to see their hero on the big screen. Due out this summer.

Wonder Woman 1984

The next Wonder Woman film is also directed by Patty Jenkins, and brings us back to 1984 when Wonder Woman/Diana Prince has to battle Maxwell Lord and Cheetah. The good news is that new stars include Kristen Wiig, who is always a joy on screen. Due out this summer.

In the Heights

The original theatrical version of this helped to bring Lin Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) to national attention in the US, so it was only a matter of time before it hit the big screen. The musical is set over three days in the Hispanic-American neighbourhood of Washington Heights. Out this summer.

Tenet

Until a few weeks ago, the plot of this new Christopher Nolan film was kept top secret. What we do know is that it will be an action thriller in a very Inception-y vein, and will star John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Michael Caine, and Kenneth Branagh. Hoyte van Hoytema, Nolan’s frequent director of photography, is back and will be shooting the film on 70mm and IMAX. So we know it will look great anyway… Due out this summer.

Ghostbusters Afterlife

A pair of young children move with their mum to a small town – and then some strange happenings help them discover their links to the Ghostbusters of old. Starring Paul Rudd and Fill Wolfhard. Out in the summer.

Bill & Ted Face the Music

Excellent! Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter reprise their roles for a film about Bill and Ted in middle age. Due out in August.

Last Night in Soho

The latest from Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Baby Driver), this is described as a London-set psychological horror and stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith and Diana Rigg. Wright is said to have been inspired by British horror films including Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now, which sounds great to us. Due out in September 2020.

Dune

Denis Villeneuve (Enemy, Blade Runner 2049) tackles this new adaptation of the 1965 Frank Herbert novel. It has a massive cast including Jason Momoa, Stellan Skarsgard, Timothée Chalamet, Oscar Isaac and Rebecca Ferguson to name but a few. You’ll have to wait for December 2020 for this.