41. The Lion King
Apparently another “live action” remake of a Disney classic, but in fact a photorealistic CGI rendering, in the recent Jungle Book style (with which The Lion King shares director Jon Favreau). Donald Glover voices Simba, the princely cub, while Chiwetel Ejiofor is mean old Scar, the lionly uncle who is out to grab the throne for himself.
42. Matthias & Maxime
By and large, critics gave Xavier Dolan’s last two films – It’s Only the End of the World and The Death and Life of John F Donovan – a wide berth, but we’ve got a sneaking suspicion this return to the Canada of Mommy might mark a return to form. Dolan stars as well as directs, alongside long-term collaborator Anne Dorval.
43. The Kitchen
AKA Widows But the Husbands Aren’t Dead, Just in Prison. We’re anticipating some pretty juicy accent work in this one, set in 1970s Hell’s Kitchen and starring Melissa McCarthy, Margo Martindale and Elisabeth Moss.
44. Ford v Ferrari
Matt Damon and Christian Bale team up as American car designer Carroll Shelby and his British driver Ken Miles in a stirring tale of American triumph (Ford) over dastardly continentals (Ferrari). James Mangold (Logan) directs.
45. Rocketman
With the unexpected success of Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, hopes are high for this film about another music-industry icon of a similar vintage, Elton John. Taron Egerton plays the erstwhile Reg Dwight, Jamie Bell his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. Dexter Fletcher, who finished Bohemian Rhapsody after director Bryan Singer left it, gets an actual credit this time.
46. Charlie’s Angels
A slight heart-sinker, this – do we really need another reboot? – until you clock the cast: Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Elizabeth Banks, who also directs. This time round, according to Stewart, there’s a great network of international angels, all giving each other a leg-up. She’s also described it as “woke”, but let’s not eye-roll just yet.
47. Gemini Man
Two people in dire need of a hit are Will Smith (especially) and Ang Lee. The former still mired in the worst run of his career; the latter coming off a couple of duds. Hopefully this will do the trick: a slightly deja-vu-plotted sci-fi about an ageing assassin pitted against a younger clone of himself, who can predict his every move.
48. The Downton Abbey movie
The teaser trailer didn’t give an awful lot away, but we’re expecting tears, laughter, silver platters and waspish one-liners from Maggie Smith in this big-screen outing for Julian Fellowes’s artistos v underlings mega TV hit.
49. The Goldfinch
Classy adaptation of the Donna Tartt novel by Brooklyn director John Crowley. Ansel Elgort is the art-loving kid who pinches the eponymous painting after being caught in a museum bombing, then embarks on a career of antiques forgery while trying to hang on to his precious artwork.
50. The Hustle
Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson star in a gender-flipped remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels directed by – in an unusual twist – The Thick of It’s Chris Addison. Tim Blake Nelson goes from Buster Scruggs to their biggest mark.
