20 movie moments to look forward to in 2020

A new year and new decade are upon us! 2020 is full of possibilities and plenty of movies that have the potential to make us totally geek out. And we can't wait.

To celebrate the New Year, SYFY WIRE FANGRRLS has mapped out the 20 movie moments for which we're most excited in 2020. Mark your calendars. Whether you're looking forward to sleek spies, studly superheroes, sexy Santas, or unstoppable slashers, we've got you covered. Here's our toast to the big swings, badass sequels, and bold festivals of the coming year.

With Charlie's Angels, Kristen Stewart had FANGRRLS cheering as an ass-kicking action heroine with a deliciously butch vibe. For her next venture, the Twilight star takes it up a notch while going down. Deep down. 

Directed by William Eubank, Underwater follows a team of aquatic researchers whose lives are threatened once they disturb something in the deep, dark, depths of the ocean. The trailer teases plenty of thrills and a cryptic creature — but let's be honest, they had us at a bespectacled KStew sporting a bleached buzzcut. 

Underwater opens on January 10. 

Speaking of awesome action heroines, Terminator: Dark Fate's Mackenzie Davis returns to theaters with a twisting tale of terror that has our skin crawling in anticipation. 

A modern adaptation of Henry James' novella "The Turn of the Screw," Floria Sigismondi's The Turning follows a live-in nanny (Davis) on an odd assignment. She's called to a far-flung estate to watch over some "very special" orphans, who are harboring some dark — and maybe deadly — secrets. Stranger Things' Finn Wolfhard and The Florida Project's Brooklynn Prince co-star. 

The Turning opens on January 24. 

In Suicide Squad, Margot Robbie's volatile verve made us fall hard for her live-action spin on Batman baddie Harley Quinn. But it's hard to overlook how director David Ayer's "vision" often leered at this lovable rogue and tied her to an abusive beau. In 2020, Harley's dumping her Suicide Squad booty-shorts and the Joker in Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn.  

This female-fronted superhero film is filled with talented women. Bumblebee's Christina Hodson writes. Cathy Yan directs. Robbie not only headlines but also produces. And her co-stars include Rosie Perez, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ella Jay Basco, and Ewan McGregor. From the looks of the promos, posters, and trailers, this is one bonkers movie that's full of action, antics, and fashion. We can't wait.  

Birds of Prey opens on February 7. 

Leigh Whannell made his name in horror writing Saw II, Dead Silence, and Insidious. Now, he's giving a classic Universal Monster a modern revamp by writing and directing The Invisible Man. 

Elisabeth Moss stars as a woman fleeing an abusive ex that happens to be a mad scientist. When she hears he's died, you'd think her fears would be put to rest. But something is up. The haunted house trope gets a disturbing new angle in a scary story about domestic violence, gaslighting, and an invisible man. 

The Invisible Man opens on February 28. 

Austin's SXSW has become a big destination for genre fans, as it offers debuts of some of the most-talked-about titles in horror and sci-fi. 

Joe Cornish's Attack The Block, Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One, John Krasinki's A Quiet Place, and Jordan Peele's Us all made their world premieres here at a festival bursting at the seams with excitement, stars, panels, and outrageous attractions like a sprawling Western town modeled after HBO's Westworld. To keep on top of what's going to be hot in genre in the new year, SXSW is the place to be. And you better believe SYFY FANGRRLS will be there. 

SXSW Film Festival runs March 13 to March 22.

Credit: Paramount Pictures

Speaking of The Quiet Place, the horror-thriller that had audiences scared silent is getting a sequel in 2020! 

Krasinski reunites his co-stars Emily Blunt, Noah Jupe, and Millicent Simmonds for A Quiet Place: Part II. This celebrated ensemble will collectively continue the story of the Abbott family after spending years in silence to survive an invasion of monsters who hunt by sound. However, at the end of the first film, this scrappy clan figured out how to strike back. So, it'll be thrilling to see how that cracks open the possibilities for this new chapter. 

A Quiet Place: Part II opens on March 20. 

The 1998 Disney animated classic gets a live-action glow-up with Mulan. 

Liu Yifei stars as the titular warrior who goes into battle in the guise of a man. In this exhilaratingly fresh interpretation, director Niki Caro has cut the song numbers and Mulan's quirky animal sidekicks. Her version delivers breath-taking production design, enticing stunts, a soaring phoenix, a shape-shifting witch, and callbacks that already have us tearing up in anticipation! 

Mulan opens on March 27.

Captain Marvel's Lashana Lynch takes on the codename long reserved for Bond. You know, James Bond? Daniel Craig is back as the suave secret agent in the Cary Joji Fukunaga's No Time To Die. But as this legendary ladykiller has retired from M16, some things have changed in this espionage franchise, including his double-0 designation. 

Also exciting, this Bond flick will reunite Craig with his Knives Out co-star Ana de Armas. Plus, celebrated screenwriter/actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge was brought in to give this script a polish. This suggests this Bond will have a hint of the bitingly irreverent wit found in Fleabag and Killing Eve. Will it likewise bring some killer women's fashion on the level of a coveted black jumpsuit or a violently pink gown? We'll find out this spring if looks can kill. 

No Time To Die opens on April 8. 

The opening of this trailer may be triggering as it involves a seemingly inebriated woman being molested by a stranger. However, Promising Young Woman flips the script on this terrifying scenario by revealing it's a trap set for self-proclaimed nice guys who don't care about consent. 

Written and directed by Killing Eve scribe Emerald Fennell, this revenge thriller stars Carey Mulligan as a woman on a mission. What that mission is or exactly inspired it isn't clear from this first trailer. But we know this smirking heroine is spooking the hell out of creeps played by Adam Brody and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. And that's just for starters. This plus the menacing cover of Britney Spears' "Toxic" has us rooting for this promising young woman. 

Promising Young Woman opens on April 17. 

Natasha Romanoff has been busting heads and cracking wise in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Iron Man 2. Yet it took Marvel Studios 10 years to give her a solo outing of her own, even while other Avengers were trekking out trilogies. Wonder why that is? (Spoilers: It's sexism.) 

Better late than never, Black Widow will not only star Scarlett Johnasson as the titular sharpshooter but will also fold in badass leading ladies Rachel Weisz and Florence Pugh, as well as Stranger Things daddy David Harbour. This spring, director Cate Shortland will usher audiences into a homecoming adventure rich with intrigue, action, and family drama. Bring it on. 

Black Widow opens May 1. 

Following the success of the spinoff Hobbs & Shaw, the Fast and Furious franchise returns with its ninth installment, directed by Fast 3-6 helmer Justin Lin. The film's plot is currently under wraps, but assume there will be fast cars and much collateral damage involved. 

What we know for sure is Fast and Furious 9 s cast is absolutely overstuffed with stars. Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Jordana Brewster, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel all return to reprise their roles in Dom's crew, along with Fast foes Helen Mirren and Charlize Theron. New to the series are Animal Kingdom's Finn Cole, singer Ozuna, wrestler-turned-actor John Cena, and the multi-talented Cardi B, who teased her appearance in Diesel's Instagram feed. 

Fast and Furious 9 opens on May 22. 

Our adored Keanu Reeves has been popping up in some delightfully unexpected places. In Toy Story 4, he brought his action-hero bravado to motorcycle-riding stuntman Duke Caboom. In Always Be My Maybe, he swanned in for a self-skewering — yet still swoon-worthy — cameo. And this spring, he'll mix it up with SpongeBob and Patrick in a rollicking undersea adventure. 

Directed by Tim Hill, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run throws the eponymous sea creature into a wild road trip to rescue his snail-napped pet, Gary. The trailer looks totally bonkers, and we'd expect nothing less from our favorite pineapple-dweller. 

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run opens May 22. 

Gal Gadot returns as awe-inspiring Amazon warrior Diana Prince in Wonder Woman 1984. And she's not alone. 

We don't know how director Patty Jenkins will justify bringing Steve Trevor back from the dead and into the 1980s, but frankly, we don't care. Chris Pine's looking good in a fanny pack, which is apparently his superpower. Also on board for this enticing sequel is Pedro Pascal as a smirking yuppie and Kristen Wiig as a gawky girl destined to turn Cheetah. 

Wonder Woman 1984 opens on June 5. 

Source: TriStar Pictures

In 1992, Candyman explored the horror of racism, privilege, and poverty through the tale of a vengeful spirit with a hook for a hand. Now, one of the great masters of modern horror is giving this frightful tale a fresh spin, while paying tribute to its past. 

Get Out and Us creator Jordan Peele produces and co-wrote the new Candyman with BlackKklansman producer Win Rosenfeld. Nia DaCosta directs this  "spiritual sequel" to the original, which stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II  (Black Mirror), Teyonah Parris (Dear White People), and Tony Todd, who memorably played the titular slasher in the original.

Candyman returns on June 12. 

Credit: Orion Pictures

Photo: Credit: United Artists

First, came Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Then, came Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey. Now, it's time for the Wyld Stallyns to ride again in Bill & Ted Face The Music. 

Dean Parisot directs this sci-fi sequel that reunites Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter for a radical adventure involving time-travel, rock n' roll, and fatherhood. Set 30 years after their first adventure, Bill S. Preston and Theodore Logan team up with their daughters (Aytpical's Brigette Lundy-Paine and Ready or Not's breakout star Samara Weaving) to write a song that can save the future. Excellent!

Bill & Ted Face The Music opens on August 21.

At the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Fantastic Fest brings together filmmakers, film critics, and fans for a week-long celebration of the wildest and weirdest features touring the festival circuit. 

Last year's Fantastic Fest not only boasted star-stuffed stunners like Rian Johnson's whodunnit Knives Out and Taika Waititi's dark coming-of-age comedy Jojo Rabbit, but also offered an array of challenging indies that shocked and awed. There was the stomach-turning but sweet horror of Swallow, the clever creature feature Sweetheart, and the thought-provoking and spirited doc Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street, which explored the controversy and legacy of A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge. And that's just a handful of the fascinating films SYFY WIRE saw there. 

If you want to witness the wonders of films too bold for the mainstream, Fantastic Fest is an absolute must. 

Fantastic Fest runs from September 24 to October 1. 

Credit: Universal Pictures/Blumhouse

In 2018, David Gordan Green and Danny McBride were the unlikely duo that resurrected Michael Myers for Halloween, a sequel that retconned much of the franchise spawned from John Carpenter and Debra Hill's 1978 classic. The success and new storyline paved the way for a follow-up or two. So here comes Halloween Kills. 

Green and McBride reteam with scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis, as well as Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Dylan Arnold, Omar Dorsey, and Jibrail Nantambu from their Halloween. New to the crew — but not the franchise — will be Kyle Richards, Charles Cypher, Nancy Stephens, who all appeared in the original. It's the kind of family reunion horror fans dream of! 

Halloween Kills opens on October 16. 

For years, Kumail Nanjiani's been crush-worthy for his hilarious comedy, his unapologetic nerdiness, and being deeply in love with his awesome and talented wife and collaborator Emily V. Gordon. Now, our dude is leveling up by getting superhero buff for Eternals. 

Directed by Chloé Zhao, this hotly anticipated addition the Marvel Cinematic Universe will offer a new superpowered ensemble filled with criminally hot stars. Nanjiani is joined by Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Salma Hayek, Brian Tyree Henry, Gemma Chan, and Kit Harington. Sadly, there are no images of the film available yet. This has us worried Eternals might not be a real movie, but a fangrrl dream we are collectively willing into existence. 

Eternals opens on November 6. 

Credit: Disney Animation

Rapper-turned-actress Awkwafina has been tearing it up on the big screen, stealing scenes in Ocean's 8 and Crazy Rich Asians, then winning universal praise for her dramatic turn in The Farewell. Next, she's throwing her signature spunkiness into a water dragon named Sisu for the Disney animated adventure Raya and the Dragon. 

Inspired by East Asian mythology, Crazy Rich Asians screenwriter Adele Lim has crafted an original story about the magical realm of Lumandra, where dragons were once abundant. Now, Sisu is the last of her kind. And she is the quarry of a determined warrior named Raya, played by Cassie Steel, who voices Tammy on Rick and Morty. Between the promising premise and this talented trio, this family-friendly film has us fired up for fall. 

Raya and the Last Dragon opens November 25. 

Credit: Netflix

In 2018, Netflix thrilled us with The Christmas Chronicles, an original live-action adventure that put at its center an alarmingly sexy Santa Claus, played by Kurt Russell. 

At the end of that charming holiday romp, Russell's real-life romantic partner Goldie Hawn had a cute cameo as Mrs. Claus. From the looks of the premiere promo still for The Christmas Chronicles 2, Hawn's role will be expanded in this seasonal sequel. Seeing these two together has warmed the cold cockles of our hearts for more years than we'd care to admit. So yeah, we're making this Christmas treat a part of our holiday plans. 

Christmas Chronicles 2 is expected to hit Netflix in the winter of 2020.