Where 2021 saw a lot of movies coming off the shelf and theaters being overtaken by big blockbusters trying to revive a dormant box office, 2022’s line-up of movies feels more like a return to normalcy. DC and Marvel are firing on all cylinders to bring some potentially box-office smashing hits to theaters and big franchises like Mission Impossible, Jurassic World, and Avatar are set to make big returns. In between the blockbusters, many big originals like Jordan Peele’s Nope and Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling show signs of being breakout hits and who knows what indie and streaming hits are going to take the world by storm. It looks like it’s going to be a fun year at the movies in theaters or at home, so let’s look at my most anticipated movies of 2022.

Scream

Release Date: January 14^th

Ghostface is back in the upcoming fifth installment of the Scream franchise from Ready or Not directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and this new entry shows some promising potential. The past and present collide as Sidney (Neve Campbell), Gale (Courteney Cox), and Dewey (David Arquette) return to action when a new Ghostface killer is hunting a new group of teens in Woodsboro. Not much is known about this new entry given how tight-lipped the cast and crew have been, but there have been plenty of twists, turns, and bloody kills teased that could make this a great reentry for the franchise. Reactions from critics, so far, have been very positive and knowing what Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin did with Ready or Not, their vision of Scream could launch the franchise into a very exciting future.

The Batman

Release Date: March 4^th

Ever since the first trailer dropped for Matt Reeves’ The Batman at DC FanDome, it’s been one of my most anticipated superhero movie in quite some time. From the more detective mystery narrative that sees Batman (Robert Pattison) stuck in a dangerous game with The Riddler (Paul Dano) that brings out historic corruption within Gotham and the Wayne family to the much darker tone and cinematography that lives up to the Dark Knight name, Matt Reeves looks like he’s going to deliver a Batman movie unlike anything we’ve seen before.

With him also including deeper story building for Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz) and Penguin (Colin Farrell), it feels like The Batman is really building a complex Batman world and creating some strong story threads to get hooked on. The Batman could be game-changing for a DC struggling to find its identity on the big screen and it flat-out looks like it could be a contender for the best Batman movie of all time.

X

Release Date: March 18^th

Ti West, director of The House of the Devil and a V/H/S alum, is set to deliver his next horror film X. The film follows a filmmaking crew whose plan to shoot an adult film at a secluded farmhouse ends up taking a dark turn when the farm’s reclusive couple takes a violent interest. As of this writing, X’s trailer has only been live for a few days and has already become an obsession of mine. X has the right kind of Texas Chainsaw vibes, and its premise is made incredibly enticing with the dark mystery of the couple that’s alluded to well in the trailer. Not to mention, its cast of Brittany Snow, Kid Cudi, Jenna Ortega, and Mia Goth can’t be beat, and West has shown a strong pedigree for originality in horror to make X an early candidate for the best horror movie of the year.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Release Date: April 8^th

After becoming a breakout hit before the pandemic tanked movie theaters, Sonic’s next big screen adventure looks to bring in more elements from the games – mainly some key characters. Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) once again goes toe to toe with Dr. Eggman (Jim Carrey) as they hunt for a powerful Emerald, but they aren’t alone in doing so. Sonic’s best friend Tails (voiced by Colleen O’Shaughnessy) is making his debut and we know that at some point Eggman is going to have Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) by his side. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 looks like it’s bringing together the right pieces to get fans excited and hopefully it can amplify the fast-paced fun of the original to create a great sequel.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Release Date: May 6^th

The Marvel Cinematic Universe will go deeper into the multiverse than ever before with the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. After reuniting with Wanda/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) takes a trip through the multiverse where he meets horrifying new enemies – including himself. Multiverse of Madness is said to be the MCU’s take on gothic horror and it very well could be with horror icon Sam Raimi in the director’s chair.

The first trailer that appeared after No Way Home certainly had horror vibes and will be a must watch for MCU fans as there are plenty of new heroes and alternate versions of heroes we’ve already met rumored to appear. We already know that Xochitl Gomez will debut as America Chavez (Miss America) and it’s been heavily rumored that Ghost Rider could make his debut so Multiverse of Madness could be the most insane Marvel movie to date.

The Black Phone

Release Date: June 24^th

Sinister writer C. Robert Cargill and director Scott Derrickson are reuniting this year on their highly anticipated adaptation of Joe Hill’s 2004 short story The Black Phone. The film follows a young boy named Finney (Mason Thames) who finds himself in a battle for survival against a deranged serial killer called The Grabber (Ethan Hawke) and can only rely on help from the voices of The Grabber’s past victims he hears through a disconnected black phone. Derrickson and Cargill look like they’ve crafted an excellent thrill ride with The Black Phone that blends coming of age character beats with truly horrifying catch your breath moments. The Black Phone has already garnered high praise from its world premiere at Fantastic Fest for Derrickson’s direction and Hawke’s performance and shows a lot of potential be a strong summer hit for Blumhouse.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One)

Release Date: October 7^th

The long-awaited sequel to the 2018 smash hit Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse finally comes to theaters in October with Across the Spider-Verse (Part One). The sequel will see Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) come together with Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099 (voiced by Oscar Issac) to tackle a new threat and meet some new Spider-heroes along the way. Not much is known about the story, but you can expect to see plenty of different heroes join Miles and Miguel. Personally, I’m hoping we might see Hobart Brown as Spider-Punk or maybe even animated versions of Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and/or Tom Holland just for the hell of it. Either way, look for Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) to be a huge theater hit when it comes in October.