2020 is right around the corner. A new year and new movies... kind of.
We can expect some blockbuster films next year in the superhero department - Wonder Woman 1984, Black Widow and Harley Quinn spinoff Birds Of Prey - the 25th James Bond film, No Time To Die, and even a Sonic The Hedgehog film with a new and improved not-so-creepy-AF looking Sonic.
But despite 2020 marking the beginning of a new decade, it seems as though Hollywood is focused on a different era altogether. While reboots have been the craze in recent years (some good, some very, very bad), sequels appear to be the big one for 2020. As well as the Wonder Woman sequel, we'll be getting a Minions follow-up (cute, but necessary?), the ninth Fast & The Furious, Godzilla Vs Kong and The Quiet Place II, the sequel to John Krasinski scaring the shit out of us without making a sound.
But some of the biggest sequels in 2020 are coming on the back of original films made in the '80s and '90s. Yes, some are very exciting, but will they work? A quick look at some long-time-between-drinks sequels released this year alone show that maybe some people would rather the nostalgia then new installments. People love Terminator. People love Arnie. But people did not love this year's Terminator: Dark Fate; a direct sequel to 1991's critically-acclaimed Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Not even Linda Hamilton returning to the role of Sarah O'Connor after 28 years could save Dark Fate from its eventual dark fate (geddit?) of being a box office bomb.
So with that, and with today's release of the new Top Gun: Maverick: trailer (the follow-up to Tom Cruise's 1986 classic), we are taking you through the sequels coming out in 2020 that could either bring you the nostalgic feels or ruin a franchise you loved and make you wonder why Hollywood hates you and your feelings so much.
TOP GUN: MAVERICK
RELEASE DATE: 26 June, 2020
ORIGINAL FILM & RELEASE: Top Gun (1986)
Sweeping declaration: this film is a farce if it doesn't include Kenny Loggins' Danger Zone.
34 years is a very long time and enough time to wonder if this is really worth it. Yeah, it'll be cool to see Cruise back as Maverick. And Val Kilmer having to campaign on social media to get Iceman back in the sequel means his part in Maverick will be a load of fun or a load of shit.
Here are some golden quotes from Top Gun that may or may not hold up in 2020 should Maverick go down the one-liner route:
- "Take me to bed or lose me forever"
- "Sorry Goose, but it's time to buzz the tower"
- "Son, your ego is writing cheques your body can't cash"
- "You can be my wingman anytime"
BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC
RELEASE DATE: 21 August, 2020
ORIGINAL FILM & RELEASE: Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989), Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991)
If you were around in the '90s and didn't bust out an air guitar when a third Bill & Ted was announced this past March, you're lying to yourself. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter coming back as the titular characters is *ahem*... excellent... news. Hell, even The Reaper is coming back, what could go wrong? Well, one thing stands out. Both Reeves and Winter are in their 50s now. Will the Bill and Ted characters still hold up in 2020? Here's hoping. I mean, the filmmakers behind Dumb & Dumber thought people would still get around Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels as Harry and Lloyd in their 50s for the 2014 sequel.
Narrator's voice: But they didn't.
BAD BOYS FOR LIFE
RELEASE DATE: 16 January, 2020
ORIGINAL FILM & RELEASE: Bad Boys (1995), Bad Boys II (2003)
A third Bad Boys film has been in development since at least 2009 and it's admittedly a little surprising it's taken this long to come to fruition. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have both said for a long time they would be keen to return to the franchise that has grossed over $US400 million worldwide. Based on the trailer, Bad Boys For Life actually looks pretty great, even if it includes the cliche "one last time" schtick. Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when they come for you (sorry, had to).
HALLOWEEN KILLS
RELEASE DATE: 16 October, 2020
ORIGINAL FILM & RELEASE: Halloween (1978), Halloween (2018)
Yes, we know, there are actually 11 films in the Halloween franchise and 12 if you count Halloween Kills BUT the 2018 slasher is intended to be a direct sequel to the iconic 1978 John Carpenter-directed original, so let's call it even.
The critical and commercial success of the 2018 Halloween (following some truly dreadful '00s installments) revived the franchise in a big way, raking in over $255 million worldwide and demanding Michael Myers return to the big screen yet again for not only Halloween Kills, but also Halloween Ends scheduled for release in 2021.
Just like it did in 1978, it had us at Jamie Lee Curtis.
COMING 2 AMERICA
RELEASE DATE: 18 December, 2020
ORIGINAL FILM & RELEASE: Coming To America (1988)
This is an interesting one. Eddie Murphy is having somewhat of a comeback tour right now. After years of some, let's be honest, horrendous films (Norbit, The Adventures Of Pluto Nash yada yada yada), the now 58-year-old actor has garnered some Oscars buzz for his work in Netflix's October-released Dolemite Is My Name and is set to host Saturday Night Live this week - it was this show that launched his career and saw him become one of the most promising comedic actors of our time. Murphy will even return to stand-up comedy with a special currently in the works. So, returning to one of his most beloved films in Coming To America is a BIG call. Murphy will reprise his role as the King of Zamunda who heads back to the US after discovering he has a son. Look, at the very least we know Randy Watson and Sexual Chocolate are returning so that can give you comfort for now.
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