Netflix is currently neck-deep in awards season, pushing its two biggest contenders, Bradley Cooper’s Maestro and Todd Haynes’ May December, for Oscar consideration. By now, the king of the streamers is a well-oiled machine that succeeds even without trying, and 2024 doesn’t seem to be an exception.
It must be said, though, that Netflix’s 2024 movie slate seems a tad more subdued than in previous years as the ramifications of the 2023 Hollywood strikes will be felt throughout this year. However, Netflix has several highly anticipated shows in 2024, plus a healthy collection of original and acquired content. Indeed, Netflix always has several popular movies in the pipeline, and its original slate for this year is promising. From long-awaited sequels to refreshing original bets, Netflix’s most anticipated movies of 2024 will surely keep it on top of the streaming wars.
8. Good Grief (January 5)
Dan Levy is quite a gifted writer. A four-time Emmy winner, Levy rose to stardom as the co-creator, writer, director, and star of the CBC series Schitt’s Creek. Now, he’s on the Netflix train with the dramedy Good Grief, about a man who is reeling over the recent deaths of his partner and mother, and who goes on a Paris getaway with his friends.
Joined by Academy Award nominee Ruth Negga and the ever-underrated Himesh Patel, Levy leads what seems to be a feel-good dramedy about grief and acceptance. Good Grief looks ideal for a late-night watch, hitting all the same vibes as films like Under the Tuscan Sun and Eat Pray Love. Powered by Levy’s charm, Good Grief might be the feel-good film this January.
7. Irish Wish (March 15)
A new contender for the best romance movies on Netflix arrives in March. Lindsay Lohan stars in the romantic fantasy movie Irish Wish opposite Ed Speelers of Eragon fame. The film follows Maddie, a young woman who agrees to be the bridesmaid at the wedding of the apparent love of her life, who’s marrying her best friend. After making a wish while in Ireland, Maddie wakes up as the bride, but realizes her true soulmate is someone else entirely.
With a premise as delightfully ludicrous as this, Irish Wish could be a so-bad-it’s-good classic in the making. The film marks Lohan’s second collaboration with Netflix after 2022’s rom-com Falling for Christmas. Perhaps it’s the millennial in me, but I’m all for LiLo claiming the title of Netflix rom-com queen, and Irish Wish seems like the perfect vehicle to do it.
6. Damsel (March 8)
Millie Bobby Brown is undoubtedly Netflix’s reigning queen. The 19-year-old Stranger Things breakout has carved a place for herself at the streamerthanks to her role in the aforementioned show and hits like the Enola Holmes series. This year will see her starring in yet another Netflix film, the fantasy-adventure Damsel.
The plot centers on Princess Elodie, a young woman who marries a handsome prince, only to discover she’s being offered as a sacrifice to pay an ancient debt. Thrown into a cave with a dragon, Elodie must rely on her wits to survive. Damsel co-stars Oscar nominee Angela Bassett, plus Robin Wright, Ray Winstone, and Nick Robinson. The film arrives on March 8 and promises to be another steppingstone in Brown’s blossoming career.
5. Rebel Moon Part 2: The Scargiver (April 19)
Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. Its numbers were also quite ho-hum, especially considering Netflix was promoting it as the steamer’s version of Star Wars. Still, Zack Snyder’s movies benefit from being discovered, and there’s no better place to do that than Netflix. With three months to go until the release of the sequel, Rebel Moon – Part 1: A Child of Fire can still sneak into audiences’ hearts.
Part 2 – The Scargiver will arrive on April 19 and continue the story by centering on the ongoing battle against the Motherworld. Only time will tell if Rebel Moon is indeed the Star Wars-esque franchise Netflix wants it to be. One thing is for sure: you can expect two director’s cuts because that’s just how Snyder rolls.
4. Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (no release date announced)
Thirty years after he last played Axel Foley, Oscar-nominee Eddie Murphy returns to the role that made him a superstar in Netflix’s Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. The plot will see Foley returning to Beverly Hills after the death of an old friend. Joined by his estranged daughter and her ex-boyfriend, Foley will investigate corruption within the Beverly Hills Police Department.
Axel F. will mark Murphy’s third collaboration with Netflix after Dolemite Is My Name and You People. Expectations are high, considering the original trilogy remains highly beloved, Murphy’s previous nostalgia sequel, Amazon Prime’s Coming 2 America, somewhat underperformed, however. But if anyone can make this work, it’sMurphy, and who doesn’t want to see Axel Foley back in action?
3. The Old Guard 2 (no release date announced)
Gina Prince-Bythewood’s 2020 superhero film The Old Guard was an impressive hit. It features an ensemble cast led by Oscar-winner Charlize Theron as a group of immortal mercenaries on a revenge mission. Over a year after its release, Netflix gave the green light to a sequel to be directed by Victoria Mahoney.
Details about the plot remain vague, but most of the original cast, including Theron, KiKi Layne, Marwan Kenzari, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Oscar-nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor, will return. Joining them are Oscar-nominee Uma Thurman and Henry Golding in undisclosed roles. The Old Guard is among Netflix’s most successful action films, and the sequel has everything going for it to be even better.
2. The Electric State (no release date announced)
Simon Stålenhag’s graphic novel The Electric State will receive a live-action adaptation courtesy of Netflix and the Russo Brothers (Citadel). Millie Bobby Brown will star opposite an all-star cast, including Chris Pratt, Oscar-winner Ke Huy Quan, and Oscar-nominee Stanley Tucci. Set in an alternate, dystopian version of 1997, where Earth has been ravaged by a robotic war, the plot follows Michelle, a teenage girl who travels the countryside with her toy robot in search of her brother.
The Russo Brothers have been very hit-or-miss for Netflix. The Electric State has an appealing premise, a promising cast, and a studio willing to throw money at it to make Stålenhag’s vision come to life. If the Russos can rein in their worst impulses, this can potentially be a major win for Netflix.
1. A Family Affair (no release date announced)
Speaking of hit-and-miss directors, Richard LaGravenese is back behind the camera for the upcoming Netflix romantic comedy A Family Affair. A gifted writer behind hits like The Fisher King, The Bridges of Madison County, and Behind the Candelabra, LaGravenese is a more uneven director. His efforts, from the sappy rom-com P.S. I Love You to the underrated YA gem Beautiful Creatures, are never quite as great as they could be.
LaGravenese will direct A Family Affair, which follows a young woman working as an assistant for a movie star whose life changes when he falls for her mother. The plot sounds utterly silly, but a cast including Zac Efron (The Iron Claw) and Nicole Kidman might elevate the material. We will always need a good rom-com, and A Family Affair could very well be just that.
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