Spoiler Warning: Minor spoilers may be present for some of the titles on this list.
Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful time on New Year’s Eve ringing in 2024. As we pack away the last of the Christmas ornaments and begin to figure out what day of the week it is, it’s also time to look ahead! As I do every year, I’ve picked out a handful of films, television shows, and video games that I think are worth keeping an eye on over the next twelve months.
And you never know, one of these might make a great Christmas present when December rolls around. Is that the first time you’ve heard someone talk about Christmas 2024? I certainly hope so!
2023 was a decent year… at least in terms of entertainment. There were some solid television shows, excellent video games, and exciting films that kept us entertained. Here’s hoping that 2024 can continue the trend!
As always, a couple of caveats before we get started. All of this is the entirely subjective opinion of just one person. There are going to be tons of entertainment experiences to get stuck into in 2024 – so if your favourite doesn’t make the list this time around, or if I include something that sounds atrocious to you, that’s okay! This is far from an exhaustive list, and all I’ve done is pick a handful of titles that appealed to me.
It’s also possible that some or all of these titles will be delayed. Between strikes, the pandemic, and other issues, the creative process is more complicated than ever – so no release date can be considered safe or set in stone. Any of the titles we’re going to talk about today could miss their intended release/broadcast date – and some could even slip into 2025 or beyond.
With all of that out of the way, let’s get started! I’ve picked six films, six television series, and six video games that I’m looking forward to in 2024, and I’ll briefly talk about each of them.
Films
I didn’t watch that many films in 2023. As my health has declined, I’ve found it impossible to get to the cinema, so I’m stuck waiting for films to release on DVD or a streaming platform! That being said, I had a blast with last year’s Super Mario Bros. Movie… so I’m hopeful that there’ll be a solid film or two in 2024.
Film #1:
Wicked: Part One
I’ve been following the production of Wicked for a while – and the film is due to be released in November, all being well. I was incredibly lucky to see the stage production in London, and I fell in love with the story and its wonderful songs. The musical seemed to be crying out for a proper big screen adaptation, and I’m so glad that it’s finally getting one! The inclusion of Tony- and Grammy-award winner Cynthia Erivo is sure to be fantastic, and I look forward to seeing what Ariana Grande might do with the role of Glinda, too.
At some point in its production, Wicked was cleaved in two. The theatre production is close to three hours long, so splitting it into two films could make sense – depending on how much new content has been added. As long as Wicked hasn’t been over-stretched, I think it should be a net positive, at any rate!
Film #2:
Twisters
The 1996 film Twister has long been a favourite of mine. Disaster films are kind of a guilty pleasure for me, and Twister was definitely one of the better additions to the genre from the ’90s. So this reboot/reimagining has piqued my curiosity – though whether I can truly say I’m “excited” about it is an open question! Not every film can be given a sequel, and not every intellectual property can sustain being spun off into a franchise… and for me, Twister is firmly a one-off type of film.
So it remains to be seen whether Twisters can recapture the magic of the original film, or tell a story that will be as enjoyable. But I’m content to give it a chance to impress me, and at the very least I expect to see high-quality visual effects that should make the titular tornado (or might that be tornadoes, plural?) better than ever.
Film #3:
Despicable Me 4
Gru and the Minions are coming back for another outing – and I’m quite looking forward to that! I enjoyed Minions: The Rise of Gru a couple of years ago, and while I’m not any kind of super-fan, the Despicable Me series and spin-offs have usually been good for an evening’s entertainment.
Despicable Me 4 will hopefully be more of the same; another wacky adventure with Gru, the Minions, and the rest of the family. I don’t know much about the plot, but it seems like most of the voice cast are reprising their roles. Fingers crossed for a bit of fun!
Film #4:
Civil War
Civil War comes along at an interesting time – with political tensions on the rise in the United States. I fear that some of its social commentary may be a little heavy-handed, but I’m willing to give the film a chance. Hopefully it can build up an engrossing narrative either way! Director Alex Garland may not be a well-known name, but he was nominated for an Academy Award for 2014’s Ex Machina, and I also enjoyed his 2018 picture Annihilation. So there’s reason enough to be optimistic!
The film will star Kirsten Dunst, playing a journalist reporting on the “rapidly escalating” conflict. I wouldn’t say I have sky-high hopes… but I’m definitely going to tune in when Civil War makes its way to a streaming platform later in the year.
Film #5:
Dune: Part Two
If you’ve been a regular reader for a while, you might remember that back in 2020 or 2021 I said that I was worried about Dune: Part Two! The novel Dune has been notoriously difficult to adapt, and I feared that a lacklustre reception to the first film might’ve meant Part Two would be canned. Thankfully, Dune was one of the best films of 2021 – meaning that its sequel has leapt to the top of my must-watch list!
Picking up where 2021’s Dune left off, Part Two will bring the story to a conclusion. The principal cast from the first picture are all returning, and Dune: Part Two looks set to be one of the year’s biggest sci-fi blockbusters.
Film #6:
Alien: Romulus
The Alien series… well, let’s just say it probably has more flops than hits at this point. But I’m still willing to give Alien: Romulus a chance! The film is picking up the baton for the long-running sci-fi/horror series, and its main selling-point right now is that it’s set in between the first two films in the series. There’s scope, perhaps, for an exciting story set in the same universe.
I’m not familiar with any of the cast or crew… but that can be a good thing sometimes! If I’m being realistic, I don’t expect Alien: Romulus to blow me away, but if it’s good enough it might just lay the groundwork for the success of the upcoming Alien TV series or other projects.
Television Shows
Most of the TV shows coming up in 2024 are new seasons of ongoing productions, but there are a few new titles in the mix that sound potentially interesting. 2023 felt like a good year for TV (and streaming series), so hopefully there’ll be more successes this year, too.
TV Show #1:
Star Trek: Discovery
Season 5
Let’s get the obvious one out of the way first! Although I found myself burning out on Star Trek partway through 2023, Discovery’s fifth and final outing could just be the project that pulls me back in. After four seasons of “the whole galaxy is in danger and only Burnham can save it!!!” Discovery seems ready to finally try out a different premise. It’s unfortunate that the change came too late to save the show – and if Season 5 turns out to be a cut above the rest, we might be lamenting that Discovery’s writers and producers didn’t do this sooner.
I have a specific concern about the series finale – i.e. that it was never written to be a finale, and that worry bleeds over into the rest of the season. This is going to be the crew’s final outing, but if the story wasn’t written that way in the first place… can it be satisfying enough? I guess we’ll have to wait and see!
TV Show #2:
Election Night(s)
This one’s a bit “out there,” so bear with me! 2024 is going to be a big political year, with elections taking place in the United States and almost certainly here in the UK, too. Election night programming is incredibly interesting to me, and watching the results come in – often in the middle of the night – can feel quite tense and even exciting.
I find much of the passion and enthusiasm behind individual candidates or political factions to be a younger person’s game; as you see more and more elections play out, the claim of any of them being the “most important in our lifetimes” starts to wear thin! But that doesn’t mean election night programming can’t be fun, and in the United States in particular, there’s a lot on the line. Big questions persist over both the Republican and Democratic parties and their presumptive candidates of choice… so it could be a fascinating night in November.
TV Show #3:
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Season 2
Season 2 of The Rings of Power was also on my list of things to look forward to in 2023, so it’s fair to say that production is taking a while! After Season 1 had been filmed in New Zealand, production switched to the UK due to pandemic regulations, necessitating some major changes. That partially explains why it’s taking so long… but after a break of potentially two full years, it will be a challenge for the show to pick up where it left off.
Not everyone liked The Rings of Power… and I get that. But I named it my favourite series of 2022 for a reason, and there were some fantastic character-driven stories in the mix – some of which I’d love to see more of this time. With a new production location and several re-cast characters, Season 2 could also be the kind of “soft reboot” that wins over some of the show’s critics.
TV Show #4:
Fallout
There are quite a few video game worlds and settings that feel ripe for a big screen or streaming adaptation – and this time it’s Fallout getting the small-screen treatment. The first Fallout games were CRPGs in the late 1990s, but the series was later acquired by Bethesda, who’ve now made or published four 3D action-RPG titles. Fallout is set in a post-apocalyptic future, one in which a major nuclear war has devastated much of the world. But notably, it has a lot of ’50s Americana aesthetic and musical trappings – which have created a unique world ripe for further exploration.
I would expect the first season of an adaptation like this to play things fairly safe – i.e. not to stray too far from the source material. So I think we can expect to see vault-dwellers in blue boiler suits, irradiated mutants, ’50s-inspired designs, and a lot of post-apocalyptic ruins! As to the show’s story, though… we’ll have to tune in to find out!
TV Show #5:
Manhunt
Not to be confused with a film or several other TV series of the same name, 2024’s Manhunt focuses on the aftermath of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the search for his killer, John Wilkes Booth. American history – and the Civil War in particular – has been an interest of mine for some time, so Manhunt is exactly my kind of show!
The story of John Wilkes Booth’s attempted escape from justice is an interesting one; he broke his ankle immediately after firing the shot that killed Lincoln, struggled to escape the Washington area by boat, and was eventually cornered in a barn. The miniseries will focus on the chase – and how federal officials were able to track down the most wanted man in the country. It should be a fascinating retelling of the story.
TV Show #6:
Star Wars: The Acolyte
Could Star Wars finally be stepping away from the time period and characters that we’re most familiar with? It seems so, because The Acolyte is purportedly set a full century before The Phantom Menace, tying into Disney’s “High Republic era” that has been featured in a few novels and comics. That alone has piqued my curiosity, as I’ve argued for a long time that what Star Wars needs to do is explore different settings and new characters.
I haven’t been overly impressed with Star Wars on Disney+ so far. The exception was The Book of Boba Fett, which I genuinely did not expect to enjoy as much as I did! But there’s potential in The Acolyte… and I shall be tuning in with my fingers crossed!
Video Games
2023 will undoubtedly be remembered as a good year for gaming as a medium! There were some fantastic titles released over the last twelve months… so how will 2024 compare? My pick for “game of the year” ended up being a title that wasn’t even on my radar… so there could be some surprises in the mix, too!
Video Game #1:
Expeditions: A MudRunner Game
MudRunner and SnowRunner are unique titles, carving out their own very particular driving simulation niche. Expeditions looks set to build on the off-road driving gameplay of those earlier titles, while adding a few new features into the mix, too. Off-road driving can be difficult to get right – even in racing titles – and the way it’s been handled in this series so far has been fantastic.
The addition of a scientific element to Expeditions could help it stand out from its predecessors, as will things like piloting a drone. But at its core, driving a variety of off-road trucks and vehicles through incredibly challenging environments is going to remain Expeditions’ bread-and-butter. And I think it’s going to be a blast! These titles have always been fun, challenging, and something a little different – so there’s a lot to look forward to as the series continues.
Video Game #2:
Little Kitty, Big City
If you aren’t excited to play Little Kitty, Big City… do you even have a heart? Jokes aside, the game looks adorable! Players will take on the role of a black cat who’s trying to get home after getting stranded in a city, and developers Double Dagger Studio have promised that we can make friends with other animals, wear cute hats, and cause chaos! What’s not to like?
After Stray took the “playing as a cat” idea in a somewhat serious direction a couple of years ago, Little Kitty, Big City looks to be a more lighthearted affair. A bright and cartoony art style feels pitch-perfect for this game, and I’m crossing my fingers and hoping for some cute and adorable kitty cat fun!
Video Game #3:
Star Wars: Dark Forces
(Remaster)
I’m quite interested to see what Nightdive Studios can do with one of the Star Wars franchise’s best-remembered titles of the ’90s! Dark Forces was a “Doom clone” first-person shooter, one that had a fairly strong story set in between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. This remaster won’t transform the game, but will make it playable on modern machines and offer things like widescreen support and higher frame-rates.
It’ll be a blast to replay Dark Forces for the first time in… well, a long time! Some recent Star Wars games (and films) haven’t lived up to expectations, so stepping back in time to one that did feels like it should be a sure thing. As long as Dark Forces can avoid being released in a broken state, this feels like a guaranteed hit.
Video Game #4:
Open Roads
Open Roads sounds like a title that could offer quite a different experience. Billed as an “interactive movie,” and sporting an art style that looks almost hand-drawn, the game will feature a mother-and-daughter duo on a road trip… with elements of exploration and mystery. Publisher Annapurna Interactive – who are responsible for titles like Donut County and Kentucky Route Zero – promise that the game will feature a “unique and engaging interactive dialogue system,” which sounds pretty fancy!
The clips and images that I’ve seen of Open Roads so far have definitely piqued my curiosity, and I’ll be interested to see what the “interactive movie” feels like to play when it’s released.
Video Game #5:
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
Hunting ghosts seems to be the name of the game in Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. The game promises to be emotional and atmospheric, with dual protagonists and a story where player decisions can lead to “dramatic consequences.” I’m always up for a bit of ghost-busting… and as a new property, Banishers might just be a title that stands out in a gaming landscape littered with franchises and sequels.
Developers Don’t Nod have pedigree, having created acclaimed titles like Life is Strange and Vampyr. At least in terms of graphical fidelity, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden looks set to be the developers’ most impressive – and challenging – title yet.
Video Game #6:
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
Flight Simulator 2024 is already controversial in some circles, coming so soon after the most recent entry in the series. The current Flight Simulator was supposed to be supported for longer, but it seems as if development switched pretty quickly to a new title instead. Hopefully, though, Flight Simulator 2024 will be able to push through all of that and represent an improvement over an already visually stunning title.
I’m not a hard-core simulator enthusiast, and what I appreciated about Flight Simulator (the 2020 version; names are confusing) was its level of accessibility to the layperson. For professional pilots the realism can be cranked way up… for those of us looking for more of an arcadey experience, it can be dialed back. Hopefully Flight Simulator 2024 will be equally as accessible!
So that’s it!
We’ve taken a look at six films, six television shows, and six video games that I’m looking forward to this year. As the dust settles on 2023 and things start to get back to normal after the disruption of the holiday season, there are already some highlights to look forward to. January can feel like a depressing month, sometimes… but there are definitely things to feel positive about as a new year gets underway!
I hope you had a fantastic New Year’s Eve, and let me once again wish you and yours a Happy New Year!
Trekking with Dennis isn’t going anywhere, and across 2024 I hope to talk in more detail about some of the titles discussed above – as well as anything else that comes along and captures my interest! See you out there!
All titles listed above are the copyright of their respective studio, publisher, broadcaster, distributor, etc. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.
Trekking with Dennis 