Spoiler Warning: Beware minor spoilers for some of the titles below.
Although I can scarcely believe I’m writing these words… 2024 is officially halfway over! The summer solstice has passed, the nights are getting longer, and before you know it the leaves will be falling from the trees and we’ll be thinking about getting the Christmas decorations out of storage! Maybe that’s a depressing thought for some of you, but I gotta be honest: I love the autumn and winter seasons!
The last day of June marks the halfway point of the year, and I think that makes it a good opportunity not to look behind, but ahead. In late December I’ll dish out my annual End-of-Year Awards, but today is about looking forward to some of the entertainment experiences we might enjoy between now and Christmas. I’ve picked six films, six video games, and six television shows that I think could be fun to watch or play in the second half of 2024.
As always, a couple of caveats! This list is just one person’s subjective opinion, so if I highlight a production that looks just awful to you, or if I miss something that you think is super obvious… that’s okay! There are loads of things to get excited about and I can’t cover all of them. Secondly, with strikes, pandemics, and other possible issues, it’s possible that some or all of these titles will miss their intended release dates or even slip back into 2025. Everything listed below is scheduled for 2024 at time of writing, but things can change!
With all of that out of the way, let’s look ahead to some of the entertainment experiences we might be enjoying between now and New Year’s Eve.
Films:
I have to be honest: I haven’t seen any brand-new films so far this year! There are a couple on my radar from the first six months of 2024: Civil War, for instance, and the two-part Rebel Moon, but I just haven’t made time for any of them yet. Hopefully that’ll change… I’d love to get a review or two written in the weeks ahead!
Film #1:
The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim
2024 is shaping up to be an interesting year for Tolkien fans. The Rings of Power is returning for its second season, but we’re also getting the first of several brand-new projects: War of the Rohirrim. Set a hundred years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, War of the Rohirrim will focus on the “Riders of Rohan” and the King of Rohan Helm Hammerhand. Helm and his men will defend their kingdom… and presumably establish the legendary fortress of Helm’s Deep.
One interesting thing about this film is that it’s animated rather than live-action, and its success could pave the way for more animated Middle-earth projects, perhaps. Director Kenji Kamiyama is well-known in Japan for his work on anime titles like Ghost in the Shell and Eden of the East. As someone who doesn’t know the first thing about anime… I’ll be very curious to see what comes of this fusion of Tolkien’s world with a uniquely Japanese filmmaking style.
Film #2:
Megalopolis
Francis Ford Coppola’s epic film has been decades in the making, and the legendary director has poured a lot of his time, effort, and talent into creating it – and no small amount of his own money, too. I genuinely don’t know what the result will be; are we going to get a picture comparable to the likes of Coppola’s own Apocalypse Now… or a truly spectacular flop? Some folks seem to have already decided that Megalopolis will be the latter, but until I’ve seen it for myself I don’t want to pass judgement!
The film is set against the backdrop of a New York-inspired city having been destroyed, and the attempts to rebuild it being hampered by a corrupt elite. There could be an interesting message there, perhaps, given events out here in the real world. Either way, I’ll be curious to see what this long-awaited film actually looks like when the dust settles.
Film #3:
Horizon: An American Saga
Parts 1 & 2
Some folks will tell you that the western died a long time ago… but I don’t think that’s really true! There have been fewer westerns produced in recent years than there were at the genre’s peak, but new titles are still making their way to the big screen. Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga is one of them – and the first two of a purported four-part series are slated to be released this year. I love a good western, and some recent titles in the space have done very different things, from gritty realism to flipping traditional narrative archetypes on their head.
Horizon: An American Saga is set before and after the American Civil War, and all we really know at this stage is that it will depict different characters and families as they settle the western portion of the United States. There are some good actors in the ensemble cast, including Kevin Costner himself, Avatar’s Sam Worthington, Will Patton, and Michael Rooker from The Walking Dead.
Film #4:
Moana 2
I felt it was a tad unfortunate that the original Moana was released the same year as Zootopia, as the latter film seemed – for a time, anyway – to have really captured the attention of a younger audience! Over time, however, I think Moana has done very well for Disney, and is arguably one of the corporation’s last animated feature films to have been a major success in its own right. Disney has since pivoted to sequels and live-action remakes… which is why we’re getting not only Moana 2 but a new adaptation of the original film!
Disney’s sequels have always struggled with one problem: what comes after “happily ever after?” For most of the company’s animated films, the answer has been “not much,” with the resultant pictures going straight-to-video or being worked into Disney Channel series! But Frozen II showed that Disney can do high-quality sequels on the big screen… so there’s hope for Moana 2, at least.
Film #5:
Red One
Santa Claus gets kidnapped? And his chief of security, The Rock, has to rescue him? That sounds like the setup for a film that could be absolutely awful… or maybe brilliant! Truth be told, I love a good Christmas story, and Red One seems to be putting an action-comedy spin on the whole “Christmas is in danger” concept that’s become a timeless holiday staple.
Red One features a stellar cast, including Chris Evans, J.K. Simmons, and Lucy Liu alongside Dwayne Johnson. A couple of years ago I was hearing talk of the film being the first part of a kind of “expanded universe” of holiday-related films. Not sure if that’s still going ahead, but Red One could be a fun title regardless. Whether it’ll be the kind of classic that we’ll want to return to at Christmas time every year… I’m not sure! But you never know.
Film #6:
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The most evil penguin in the world – and one of cinema’s great villains – is finally returning this Christmas! Vengeance Most Fowl will see the long-awaited return of Feathers McGraw, and he seems set on getting his revenge on those who wronged him all those years ago! I’m genuinely looking forward to this one – the Wallace and Gromit pictures have all been a ton of fun, and stop-motion with plasticine figures is something genuinely different in an animation landscape overrun by CGI.
As to the plot… I confess that I’m not entirely convinced that returning to a storyline from a previous adventure is the right move. I could certainly have entertained the idea of telling an entirely new story. But I’m definitely going to be checking out Wallace and Gromit’s latest adventure no matter what!
Television:
The first half of 2024 has seen some interesting TV shows. My current favourite has to be Netflix’s 3 Body Problem, which has belatedly been renewed for two further seasons. I have a review you can find by clicking or tapping here if you’re interested! But there’s more to come, and the next six months promise some new and exciting programmes to enjoy.
TV Show #1:
Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy
Here at Trekking with Dennis, we love and support the Lego Star Wars specials on Disney+! There have been three so far: one Christmas-themed, one Halloween-themed, and one set in the summertime. All have been fantastic, light-hearted takes on Star Wars… and given the bitterness and division in the Star Wars fan community, that can be just what we all need to see sometimes!
Rebuild the Galaxy sounds like it will be a time-travelling tale of undoing mistakes and restoring the correct timeline… with a few fun alternative ideas about Star Wars in the mix, too. Darth Jar Jar, anyone? Hopefully it’ll be a ton of fun, with Mark Hamill and Ahmed Best joining in to voice their iconic characters.
TV Show #2:
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Season 2
As I said when I took a look at The Rings of Power’s upcoming second season a few weeks ago, there are reasons to be positive as the series returns after a two-year hiatus. But I also don’t see any kind of reboot or resetting of a series that, in some quarters, has proven to be controversial, which could mean that this incredibly expensive production will continue to struggle to win over both longstanding fans of Middle-earth and a wider audience.
For what it’s worth, I enjoyed what The Rings of Power did. Particularly when the series stepped away from big questions about Sauron’s reign and the shape of the world and told smaller, more character-oriented stories, I felt there were sparks of genius. And I will never not be interested in a high-budget production that expands our understanding of one of the original, foundational fantasy worlds. Maybe The Rings of Power is imperfect, and maybe Season 2 won’t be the soft reboot that it arguably needed… but I’m still looking forward to it!
TV Show #3:
Phineas and Ferb
Season 5
This one is tentative, but Phineas and Ferb’s return is supposedly still on the schedule for 2024. We don’t have anything official on that, and we haven’t seen any trailers, but it would be great to see Phineas and Ferb back on our screens this autumn or winter. I felt that the TV film Candace Against the Universe was fantastic, and if the writers have found new and exciting storylines for the kids and Dr Doofenshmirtz, we should be in for a fun time!
Phineas and Ferb has become one of my “comfort shows,” and I often drift back to it on days when I’m struggling with my mental health. From my perspective, I’m really happy at the prospect of getting some new adventures with Phineas, Ferb, Perry the Platypus, and the rest of the gang. The challenge for any revived or renewed series is finding a way to recapture the magic of those earlier seasons… and finding a better justification for a return than “because money.” I’m crossing my fingers… but I’m more than happy to wait until 2025 or even 2026 if it means better episodes and stories.
TV Show #4:
Those About To Die
Those About To Die is a series focusing on gladiators in the Roman Empire. It will star Anthony Hopkins as the Roman Emperor… and that’s about all I know at this stage! The trailer left me with echoes of Game of Thrones (and not just because of the presence of actor Iwan Rheon) with themes of politicking, backstabbing, and control of the Empire all seemingly in play.
There hasn’t been a big-budget production set in ancient Rome for quite some time, so I’ll be curious to see what director Roland Emmerich can do with this unique setting. Hopefully we’ll get some action and excitement at the very least!
TV Show #5:
Star Trek: Lower Decks
Season 5
I really need to climb out of my Star Trek doldrums and watch Season 4 of Lower Decks before I can get too excited about Season 5! Unfortunately, this is set to be the final outing for Mariner, Boimler, and the rest of the crew of the Cerritos, as Paramount cancelled the series earlier this year. Hopefully we’ll get a fitting send-off for an enjoyable series and cast of characters.
Lower Decks has been an interesting experiment for the Star Trek franchise – one that would probably have worked better were it not drowned out, at times, by too many other Star Trek productions on our screens all at once. But I hope this won’t be the end for the franchise’s flirtation with animation – it’s a format that has worked well. Lower Decks also took Star Trek back to an older, more episodic style of storytelling, which is something I continue to appreciate.
TV Show #6:
Leonardo da Vinci
I’ve been a big fan of Ken Burns’ work for a long time, and Leonardo da Vinci will be the acclaimed filmmaker’s first documentary about a non-American subject. Da Vinci led a fascinating life, and I have no doubt that we’ll all learn a lot about the legendary scientist and artist through this new two-part miniseries.
Ken Burns has a unique style that makes his documentaries for PBS really stand out, so I’m looking forward to seeing what his take will be on one of the greatest polymaths of the Renaissance era.
Video Games:
Don’t tell anyone, but I think I already know what my “game of the year” will be when I hand out some imaginary statuettes in December! Little Kitty, Big City is an adorable and incredibly fun title, but I’ve also had fun in the first half of 2024 playing EA Sports PGA Tour… a golf game. There’s a lot more to come before Christmas rolls around, though!
Video Game #1:
Star Wars: Outlaws
One of the things I’ve argued that Star Wars needs to do is step away from the Jedi, Sith, and the Force and show us more about how the regular citizens of the galaxy live. Outlaws seems poised to do just that, focusing on the criminal underworld that we’ve caught glimpses of in other productions. This is, however, a Ubisoft open-world title – and Ubisoft’s particular formula for making games like that is arguably played out at this point. Not to mention there are about a dozen different “editions” of the game, all of which offer some kind of exclusive content and cost a lot more money!
I wouldn’t say that I have sky-high expectations for Outlaws, and having come away from last year’s Jedi: Survivor feeling pretty disappointed, this is a game I admit that I have reservations about. If it all comes together, though, I think we could finally get that personal Han Solo-inspired adventure that many Star Wars fans – myself included – have been interested in for a long time. Just please… don’t make protagonist Kay Vess another “secret Jedi in disguise!”
Video Game #2:Life By You
I was all ready to tell you about how genuinely excited I was at the prospect of a proper competitor to The Sims… only to belatedly learn that publisher Paradox cancelled Life By You just months before it was scheduled to be released. That’s disappointing – not only for those of us who might’ve wanted to play it, but for the developers who’d been working on it for over five years at this point.
The Sims has had this genre almost all to itself for a long time, and the result has been a game drowning in expensive add-ons and “content packs.” Life By You could, perhaps, have shaken up a stale genre and done things differently. We’ll never know what might have been.
Video Game #3:
Star Trucker
Euro Truck Simulator meets science fiction! If that sounds like fun to you, maybe you’ll like Star Trucker. As the name suggests, it’s a game about piloting – or should that be driving? – cargo ships in a sci-fi setting. It looks like a ton of fun; the kind of “cozy game” that I can find myself losing hours of my life playing!
Star Trucker hadn’t been on my radar at all until I saw it at Xbox’s Summer Showcase event a few weeks ago, but now I’m definitely curious to give it a go. I’ve played a fair amount of games like Euro Truck Simulator and Train Simulator, and taking that kind of gameplay to a weirder outer space setting seems like it could be a blast.
Video Game #4:
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
I have to be honest with you: I’m not sure about this one. Something about the marketing material for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is just rubbing me the wrong way, and the game’s visuals feel decidedly underwhelming, too. Still, as a child of the ’80s I feel a strong connection with the Indiana Jones series… and after recent films have failed to impress, surely Indy is overdue for a hit?
The likes of Tomb Raider and Uncharted have shown that video games can do incredibly well with these kinds of historical mystery-adventures, so it could be great to give the granddaddy of the genre one more chance in the video game realm. Maybe, just maybe, I’m wrong about this one and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will be the kind of rip-roaring adventure I’m looking for. Fingers crossed, eh?
Video Game #5:
Super Mario Party Jamboree
I’ve had a soft spot for the Mario Party series since I played the first entry on the Nintendo 64 way back when! It’s great to see that Nintendo is keeping this fun, family-friendly party series around, and even more so to see that a couple of game boards from those early N64 titles are being recreated this time around. It looks like there will be plenty of fun to be had for Mario and the gang!
As the Nintendo Switch begins to wind down and rumors of a new console have even been confirmed by Nintendo, Super Mario Party Jamboree could end up being one of the last big first-party titles created for the machine. With more than 100 mini-games, seven game boards, and a robust online mode, it seems like it’ll be a great send-off for the Switch.
Video Game #6:
Tales of the Shire
Tales of the Shire feels like it could be The Hobbit meets Animal Crossing! Pitched as a life sim set in the world of Tolkien’s Middle-earth, it looks like there will be a lot of customisation for both player characters and their Hobbit-holes, and a lot of fun, cozy gameplay to get stuck into.
There’s a lot of Middle-earth content on the way, including several new films that were announced earlier in 2024. There’s definitely space for a title like Tales of the Shire… let’s just hope it fares better than Gollum did last year!
So that’s it!
We’ve taken a look at a handful of films, TV series, and video games that I think are worth keeping an eye on as the second half of 2024 gets underway. Though it scarcely seems like any time has passed since we were taking down the last of the Christmas ornaments (and I still have an uneaten Christmas pudding in my cupboard), time’s marching on, and the autumn and winter seasons will be upon us before too long!
I hope I’ve given you an idea or two, at any rate. There are plenty of interesting-sounding titles that didn’t make the list this time around, and as I noted just last year, some of my favourite entertainment experiences came out of nowhere and completely surprised me! So I hope there will be some unexpected titles in the mix in the second half of 2024, too.
As the summer season gets underway, I wish you all the best.
All titles discussed above are the copyright of their respective owner, distributor, studio, broadcaster, publisher, etc. Some images and promotional artwork courtesy of IMDB and IGDB. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.
Trekking with Dennis 