An all-IP-driven Top 10 that includes spinoffs, sequels, and prequels was produced by Fandango based on their survey of the most anticipated new releases of 2024.
OVERVIEW
As per Fandango, the most eagerly awaited 2024 films are all spinoffs, prequels, or sequels to already-existing properties.
Deadpool 3, Beetlejuice 2, and Ghostbusters: The Frozen Empire are the three most eagerly awaited films.
Both live-action and animated films make up the remaining 10 spots in the Top 10.
According to a recent survey, the most eagerly awaited 2024 films are all spinoffs, prequels, and sequels based on intellectual property. As 2023 draws to an end, the formal release dates of several big films have been confirmed for the upcoming year. The aforementioned encompasses wide-release extensions for Oscar-winners, debuts in prominent franchises like Marvel Cinematic Universe and The Planet of the Apes, and films like Dune: Part Two and Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers that saw their release postponed from 2023 due to the twin Hollywood strikes.
According to Deadline, Fandango just polled viewers to find out which 2024 films they were most looking forward to. It turns out that all ten of the highest grossing films are really installments in already-established franchises. The MCU’s Deadpool 3, the classic sequels Beetlejuice 2 and Ghostbusters: The Frozen Empire, Dune: Part Two, and Venom 3 are ranked in order of highest grossing films. Despicable Me 4, Inside Out from Pixar, Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim, Gladiator 2, and A Quiet Place: Day One came after those.
There’s Still Hope for Original Films in 2024
There are a few factors that could account for the concentration of franchises on the list, even though this poll shows a huge interest in IP blockbusters among audiences. The first is that the theatrical business is heavily IP-driven, and studios have arranged their major tentpoles well in advance, often ahead of many of 2024’s original films, in order to avoid going up against one another. Second, there may still be a lot of original hits in 2024 since, even for those films with release dates, popular originals usually generate buzz in the month before they open rather than several months beforehand.
Actually, there are already a number of unique films scheduled that have the potential to become blockbusters. Blumhouse, the studio behind the critically acclaimed horror film M3GAN (which debuted in early 2023), is responsible for two of these films. Two of their upcoming films are related to that project: the horror film Imaginary, which puts a macabre twist on a beloved childhood aspect, and the haunting pool film Night Swim, which is produced by James Wan of M3GAN.
There are a ton of other 2024 films that don’t follow well-known intellectual properties. These include the science fiction thriller I.S.S. starring Ariana DeBose, the horror comedy Lisa Frankenstein starring Diablo Cody, and the road trip crime film Drive-Away Dolls starring Ethan Coen, all of which are scheduled to debut by the end of February 2024. They also come in a range of costs. Although it has yet to be determined which of them will truly succeed, a sizable number of unique films are opening at the box office; yet, unlike blockbusters associated with massive franchises, these will need to generate buzz more naturally.
Source: The deadline
