VOX Cinemas – owned and operated by the cinema arm of Majid Al Futtaim Group, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
As the largest and fastest growing cinema chain in the Middle East, VOX Cinemas presently operates over 500 screens across 49 locations in 8 countries across the MENA, and is in the midst of a Dhs1.2bn investment to expand its operation to a further 300 screens by 2020.
The cinema chain has also announced grand plans to invest Dhs1.96bn to develop 600 screens across Saudi Arabia by 2023.
We at Motivate Val Morgan would like to extend our best wishes to VOX Cinemas on this milestone and look forward to many more years of success as business partners.
In an exclusive interview with Gulf Business, Cameron Mitchell, CEO of VOX Cinemas, Toni El Massih, Chief Content Officer and Michelle Walsh, Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer outline the company’s blockbuster performance over the last 20 years and why they stand strong despite the rise of streaming services.
The interview is as per below:
GB: What would you say are the three biggest highlights of the last 20 years for Vox?
Cameron Mitchell: “The first would be reopening Vox Mall of the Emirates in 2015. That cinema, even to this day, is one of the best cinemas in the world – if not the best in the world. And I think it was a massive step change from cinema as being just a place to watch movies to a place where you’re entertained. Everyone that walked in after the first week went ‘wow’ because of the LED, the graphics, the whole experience of that location.
“Number two was when we won the award for the ‘Best cinema in the world’ at Cinema Con in 2017. We are a small Middle Eastern cinema exhibitor – there’s companies around the world that are 30 and 40 times bigger than us – and for us to be invited to go to Las Vegas and be recognised as being best in the world was amazing.
“Number three would be Riyadh Park opening. There was a ban on cinemas in Saudi for 30 years and we were working with the government of Saudi Arabia for probably two years before the law changed to allow cinemas.
“Toni had hosted several teams of people from Saudi who came to Dubai and we introduced them to the UAE censors, design details and other aspects. And then roughly six months before the law changed, we approached the government and asked if we could build a four-screen cinema in a Magic Planet that we have in Riyadh – which they could use for testing. So, we committed to an investment of about $6m – $7m in advance of the law changing.
“The law changed about two weeks before we finished building the cinema. And we were the first multiplex cinema to open in Saudi Arabia after 30 years.
All of this is in line with Majid Al Futtaim’s DNA – the group is focused on the future and in always ensuring that we put our money where our mouth is and do what’s right for the business in the country.”
GB: You have ambitious plans for the Saudi market. How are you meeting such stiff targets?
Cameron Mitchell: “Normally the standard time for opening a cinema is about two and-a-half-years. But at the end of 2019, we had 90 screens open in Saudi Arabia and we’ll have 200 at the end of 2020. That’s because we are getting approvals to build these cinemas based on sketches and we’re actually designing it as we’re constructing the cinema.
“And it’s not from purely a financial perspective; we’re doing it because the government is sort of saying to us – ‘we’ve given you a licence and we’ve promised the people that you’re going to build cinemas, so please build them’.
“Most of us are working seven days a week to make sure that the standard of cinemas in Saudi Arabia is the best in the world. There’s about 10 licences granted to operators in Saudi, but as of today, we have 80 per cent market share of the screens in the kingdom.”
Michelle Walsh: “The Saudi story is also interesting because before that, we were a traditionally small market from a Hollywood Studios standpoint. But Saudi is suddenly this new frontier market.
“And more competition is coming in now, which just means we are going to have to work even harder. But we’re seeing what they’re bringing to the market and we still believe that our customer experience is far superior and our food and beverage is much better.”
GB: Can you elaborate more on your food and beverage offering? Has that been a key differentiator?
Michelle Walsh: “Food and beverage (F&B) is obviously a huge revenue stream for us and has been our focus for the last couple of years. We started with the collaboration with Gary Rhodes in Mall of the Emirates (THEATRE by Rhodes and GOLD by Rhodes), and working with him gave us a hospitality mindset. He pushed us to recruit better chefs, have better service standards and build better designed kitchens like the hotel grade ones.
“Recently, we also added food and beverage to our app to give people the chance to avoid queues. That’s a really complex process, especially for creating hot foods. So we had to completely transform our back-end operations.”
Cameron Mitchell: “You also have to look at each country individually in terms of how you serve customers, and what kind of food you might serve. For instance, in Saudi we have local chefs preparing Saudi food that has a certain sort of spice to it.
“One of the challenges in our industry is that everyone is showing exactly the same films. So for us, it has to be the other factors. What we can control is the seat, the experience, the service, the app, the food, the ambience in the foyer, the arrival experience, the exit experience and technology.”
GB: Another challenge has been the rise of streaming services, with ominous threats about the death of cinema. What are your thoughts on this?
Cameron Mitchell: “There was a little bit of nervousness a few years ago when there was one massively strong streaming company that looked like it would monopolise everything. Now, if you look, there’s multiple streaming platforms which have become what free TV used to be.
“There’s also been a lot of studies internationally that have said that streaming actually encourages people to go to the cinema more often. The experience of going to a cinema is different. If it’s just a place to watch movies, you might as well watch it at home. But we are focused on the experience – we want to be the fun, cool place to go and have fun with your friends and family.
“Also, in this region, you look at the mall culture and the social family environment we live in – everyone loves going out.”
Toni El Massih: “We also make sure that we offer content for everybody. So, it’s not only Hollywood films that we release. Out of India, every week, we have five different regional language films. We also cater to Europeans with French and Italian films and also release Korean and Chinese films. Recently, we also had a successful run with a Turkish film. We cater to all demographics.”
GB: Are you also getting into original content?
Toni El Massih: “Yes, we have partnered with Abu Dhabi’s Image Nation and NBC Saudi to produce regional content, with a focus on Egypt and Saudi Arabia. There is a strong appetite for Arabic content, but there’s hardly any films coming out of places like Saudi – this year, there’s only been one film.
“As of now, Arabic content comprises only 5 per cent of the total box office. So we are going to start producing a lot of original content and focus on commercial films. We’re not into documentaries yet, more so films that are going to attract the audience to come to the cinema.”
GB: Looking specifically at the Vox brand, when did you realise its strength and influence?
Toni El Massih: “The day we went from being Cinestar to VOX Cinema. That happened in 2011 and then we spent about six months working on the re-branding. That’s when we knew we had a very strong brand. We had a strong team, and we were confident about taking it forward and building it from there.”
Michelle Walsh: “Being part of the Majid Al Futtaim group gave us the impetus, the investment, the belief and the ambition to expand.”
GB: You have had a partnership with Motivate Val Morgan for cinema advertising since the beginning – for the last 20 years. How has the relationship evolved?
Cameron Mitchell: “Motivate, I think, is the only partner that we’ve had from day one, because they are clearly the best in the region at what they do. They are very closely aligned with us and everything we are doing, and they share that same sort of consumer focus that we have. Everywhere we go, they come with us.
“So now in the UAE, we have more than half of the market share of screens, in Saudi it’s about 80 per cent, we are about 85 per cent in Oman and in Bahrain, we’re about 60 per cent. In Lebanon, we’re about 20 per cent. We don’t disclose market share numbers for Egypt. In all of those places, Motivate’s our partner and they represent us for on-screen advertising. We have an amazing relationship with the team.”
We at Motivate Val Morgan would like to extend our best wishes to VOX Cinemas on this milestone and look forward to many more years of success as business partners.
Chevrolet – American automotive manufacturer, booked a Car Display with Motivate Val Morgan – through Benchmark, at VOX Cinemas – Mall of Egypt.
The car display featured the all-new Chevrolet Malibu 2020, and was positioned in the foyer area of the cinema from 25th November 2019 – 1st December 2019.
With a sophisticated, appearance and remarkable driving dynamics, the 2020 Malibu is ready to take you wherever the road leads.
Read more on the Chevrolet Malibu 2020 here.
Interested in booking a similar campaign? Contact us for more information on off screen opportunities across our cinema circuit.
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Women – directors and actors, are set to take charge of Hollywood in 2020!
According to World Economic Forum, the number of women behind the camera on Hollywood movies jumped to record levels in 2019, with 12 directing top-grossing films including Frozen II, Captain Marvel and Hustlers.
Additionally, a study by the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at the University of Southern California found that women made up 10.6% of directors of the top movies last year, more than double the percentage in 2018 and the highest percentage of female directors in the past decade.
2020 is already off to a good start with five of the year’s most anticipated blockbusters – Bird of Prey, Mulan, Black Widow, Wonder Woman 1984 and Eternals – all directed by women.
Birds Of Prey
Director: Cathy Yan
Release Date: February 6, 2020
Birds of Prey, will be DC’s first venture in 2020 and the first movie from the studio to come after Todd Phillips’ acclaimed Joker movie. The movie stars Margot Robbie – reprising her famous role of Harley Quinn, and will feature a few other leading ladies such as Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Rosie Perez (to name a few).
Mulan
Director: Niki Caro
Release Date: March 26, 2020
Disney’s next live action remake will not be a musical and is missing the indestructible Mushu in its first trailer. However, audiences need not fret, as this version of Mulan from Niki Caro is paving its own path and staying clear of mimicking the 1998 animated classic.
Black Widow
Director: Cate Shortland
Release Date: April 30, 2020
One of Marvel’s big releases this year will be by a female director – Cate Shortland, and follows a leading superhero – Natasha Romanoff (also known as Black Widow) played by Scarlett Johansson. Black Widow’s solo movie has been a long time coming as a result of Scarlett Johansson’s character being a popular in the Avengers series. The story of Natasha Romanova should give audiences a real chance to see her in action and outside the realm of an ensemble movie.
Wonder Woman 1984
Director: Patty Jenkins
Release Date: June 4, 2020
As a sequel starring a popular DC comics character, it’s no real surprise that Wonder Woman 1984 – directed by yet another leading female director Patty Jenkins, is topping the list of most anticipated movies in 2020. Gal Gadot will also be back to reprise her role of Diana Prince, with Kristen Wiig taking on the role of Barbara Minerva (better known as Cheetah) – the archenemy of Wonder Woman.
Eternals
Director: Chloé Zhao
Release Date: October 29, 2020
In April 2018, Marvel Studios announced that they will be developing a film based on the Comic book series Eternals. Directed by Chinese film director Chloé Zhao – known for The Rider, the film will star leading female actresses such as Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek and Gemma Chan, alongside Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington and Richard Madden. The Eternals are immortal aliens who should possibly offer much to the cosmic side of Marvel’s Phase Four.
According to a list of the most anticipated movies of 2020 by Fandango, around half will be led by women. It’s also worth pointing out that from this list, the top four movies are female-directed.
Visit the Movie Planner section of our website to watch trailers of other upcoming movies in 2020.
Sources: Variety, World Economic Forum and Fandango.
AMC Cinemas opened its newest location in Riyadh at Panorama Mall on Monday 16th December 2019.
The cinema is home to 10 screens with a total of 793 luxe reclining seats.
In celebration of the opening of the new cinema, AMC Cinemas held a special event at Panorama Mall where guests were treated to a sneak peek of the facility – a chance to sample the food on offer and a screening of their choice of the latest films in cinema (Dark Water, Jumanji: The Next Level and Ford v Ferrari).
Declaring the cinema to be officially open, Adom Aron – CEO of AMC, revealed AMC’s plans in the Kingdom. “We now have two theaters open in Riyadh, but we expect to open between eight and ten theatres by June, between 12 and 20 theatres next year, and 50 theatres in the next three, four years, and we expect to be the biggest and most luxurious cinema operator in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Mishal Alsowayan – Marketing Manager at AMC, added: “We’re very happy to open AMC Panorama, and we’re looking forward to opening more and more locations soon.”
Panorama Mall is AMC’s second location in Saudi Arabia, with the first located at King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) – also the first cinema to officially open in the country on 18th April 2018. KAFD was recently renovated to feature 405 seats which include luxe recliners and plush rockers.
The cinema exhibitor presently operates 11 screens across 2 locations in KSA.
Tickets to movie sessions at Panorama Mall, as well as the revamped KAFD location are available on AMC’s official website.
Motivate Val Morgan congratulates AMC Cinemas on its opening at Panorama Mall and warmly welcomes this new location to our cinema circuit. Contact us for cinema advertising opportunities in KSA.
Sources: Arab News, BroadcastPro and AMC Cinemas
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McVitie’s – British snack food brand, recently booked an integrated cinema campaign with Motivate Val Morgan – through Arab Reach Media Services, for the launch of Digestive Nibbles Hobnobs in Saudi Arabia.
The on-screen component included a 20 sec. ad which screened for a period of 4 weeks (17th November to 14th December 2019) at VOX Cinemas – Red Sea Mall, Al Qasr Mall, and The Roof.
The off-screen campaign – which included a sampling activity, was executed at the above mentioned VOX locations. Phase 1 of the campaign ran from 21st to 23rd December 2019 and Phase 2 ran from 28th to 30th December 2019.
Promoters were hired by the brand to oversee the 6-day sampling activity at the respective cinemas and to assist with the distribution of Digestive Nibbles to cinemagoers walking out of the auditoriums at which the brand’s ad was screening.
A sampling activation is a great way to engage cinema audiences when launching a new product into the market.
Got a product launch in mind for your brand? Contact a member of our sales team to know more on how integrated campaigns can help move your brand closer to its target audience.
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Double Delights Sampling Activity at VOX Cinemas
Disney’s record-setting year at the box office simply won’t quit until the calendar rolls over. As the year comes to a close, Disney has remained king of the 2019 worldwide box office, producing eight out of the year’s 10 highest-grossing films.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hit cinema screens the past weekend and had a strong opening at $175.5 million in the United States. While that’s not as large as The Force Awakens (2015) or The Last Jedi (2017), it’s still going to make the movie a huge hit for Disney, giving them another spot in the top ten highest-grossing US releases of 2019 – edging out Jordan Peele’s acclaimed Us, which grossed $175.05 million at the box office in the United States earlier this year. As such, Disney has produced eight of this year’s top ten, which is a truly unprecedented level of success.
With the success of numerous films including Avengers: Endgame, Aladdin and Toy Story 4 earlier this year, Disney has been growing at an astonishing rate and has earned a record-setting $10 billion at worldwide box office. The recent growth in success of Disney shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that the studio has always been a prominent player in the entertainment industry and has also begun to buy and consume its competition over the last couple of years.
The following 2019 movies also sit in the top ten, all of which were produced by Disney:
Avengers: Endgame
Worldwide Box Office: $2,797,800,564
The Lion King
Worldwide Box Office: $1,656,313,097
Toy Story 4
Worldwide Box Office: $1,073,394,813
Captain Marvel
Worldwide Box Office: $1,128,274,794
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Worldwide Box Office: $1,131,927,996
*Disney’s Marvel Studios produced Spider-Man: Far From Home while Sony handled distribution. Therefore, the film’s box office earnings doesn’t technically count towards Disney’s total for the year.
Frozen II
Worldwide Box Office: $1,165,209,889 (to date as the film is still screening in cinema)
Aladdin
Worldwide Box Office: $1,050,693,953
The only non-Disney movies to crack the top 10 in North America this year were Joker ($333.3 million) and IT Chapter Two ($211.5 million) – both titles produced by Warner Bros.
Disney has officially become the first studio in history to bring in $10 billion at the box office in a single year, and that total doesn’t count Spider-Man: Far From Home, nor does it account for the Fox titles the studio distributed following the $71.3 billion merger of the two companies earlier this year. Thus, Disney has han alarmingly good year and the competition is, without doubt, struggling to accomplish even a fraction of that success financially.
Disney’s 2020 release schedule is far less packed with anticipated movies. However, there are a few major titles including a live-action adaptation of Mulan and Black Widow and The Eternals from Marvel.
Watch trailers:
Mulan:
Black Widow:
Disney’s box office dominance is poised to continue in the new decade, as they will now be in full control of Fox content moving forward, with X-Men and Fantastic Four being two example franchises that can be used for further financial wins.
Contact a member of our sales team for cinema advertising opportunities alongside Disney Blockbusters in the upcoming year!
Sources: The Verge, CinemaBlend and The Numbers.
Martin Lawrence and Will Smith are back on the Miami beat for Bad Boys for Life – the sequel that was decades in the making.
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Will Smith, the third installment, is slated for release on 16th January, 2020.
Bad Boys for Life – the final installment in the Bad Boys trilogy is the first movie in this series not helmed by Michael Bay. How would this transition affect the final movie of the franchise? Audiences will have to wait and find out for themselves…
Watch the trailer for Bad Boys for Life 2020!
Here’s what you should know about Bad Boys for Life:
Rating
Due to violence, language and crude humour shown in the film, it can be presumed that the movie’s rating in the Middle East will end up being 18+.
Did you know: Before the main actors were due to start shooting Bad Boys for Life, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence binge-watched the first two to get into the Bad Boys spirit.
Directors
Bad Boys for Life will be directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, who have mounted episodes of FX’s drug drama Snowfall. The duo previously made the acclaimed 2015 crime drama Black, and have also been hired for Beverly Hills Cop 4.
Bad Boys II (2003) helped to define “Bayhem,” which permeated throughout early 2000s action cinema, but hopefully, the new directors will be able to recapture that particular brand of cinematic carnage.
Who’s returning from the Bad Boys cast?
It just wouldn’t be a Bad Boys film if it weren’t for the bad boys themselves, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. Both Smith and Lawrence are returning in their franchise roles as detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, and they’ll still use extreme measures to combat some of the worst crime in Miami.
Captain Howard Will Be Back
Aside from Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s characters, one of the most memorable faces from the Bad Boys franchise is Captain Howard, played by Joe Pantoliano.
Who’s joining the Bad Boys for Life cast?
Most of the actors featuring in Bad Boys for Life are new to the franchise, but there’s a pretty good mix of up-and-coming actors and well-established ones.
The big one joining the cast is Jacob Scipio, who will portray the film’s villain. His character is described as having a “vicious, taunting nature” and he has a past connection with our detectives. Scipio has appeared in quite a few television series and films such as Hunter Killer (2018) and The Outpost (2019).
Paola Nunez, a star of Mexican television and film, is also joining Bad Boys for Life. She plays Mike’s ex, who is now a criminal psychologist and head of an elite police squad called AMMO.
Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, and Charles Melton will all be part of the team.
Watch the star studded cast in action in Bad Boys for Life:
Here are some statistics for previous Will Smith films:
Aladdin (2019)
Worldwide Box Office: $1,050,693,953
UAE Admissions: Ran for 20 weeks and did over 790K admissions
Suicide Squad (2016)
Worldwide Box Office: $746,059,887
UAE Admissions: Ran for 10 weeks and did over 328K admissions
Men in Black 3 (2012)
Worldwide Box Office: $654,213,485
UAE Admissions: Ran for 13 weeks and did over 242K admissions
Bad Boys for Life is forecasted to make between $24 million – $34 million in its four-day opening weekend in the US, according to Box Office Pro.
Contact a member of our sales team to advertise alongside this blockbuster franchise.
Sources: CinemaBlend, Looper, The Numbers and MVM Analysis
VOX Cinemas opened its newest location at Nakheel Mall on The Palm in Dubai on 28th November 2019.
The cinema is home to 15 state-of-the-art screens with a total of 923 seats, and includes Theatre by Rhodes and Kids cinema experiences.
Nakheel Mall – a Dhs1.2bn project, is the latest addition to the Nakheel portfolio and brings a new level of shopping, dining and entertainment to the emirate of Dubai.
Spread across five levels, Nakheel Mall features more than 300 retail stores, restaurants, entertainment outlets and services – which include MODO department store, Depachika Food Hall, Waitrose supermarket, H&M, Trampo Extreme, Fabyland, Dubai London Clinic and Fitness First.
The mall is also the access point to The View at The Palm – a public observatory perched on the top of Palm Tower which is 230 metres above the island. The View is scheduled to open in 2020.
VOX Cinemas presently operates over 230 screens across 20 locations in UAE.
Motivate Val Morgan congratulates VOX Cinemas on its opening at Nakheel Mall and warmly welcomes this new location to our cinema circuit.
Contact us for more information on cinema advertising opportunities in UAE.
Sources: Gulf Business and VOX Cinemas
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Etihad Airways – the second-largest airline in the UAE, and the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi booked a one-of-a-kind 3D Mapping cinema campaign – through Spark Foundry (Starcom), at VOX Cinemas Red Sea Mall (Jeddah) in Saudi Arabia.
Campaign Objective:
To promote Abu Dhabi as a destination in Saudi Arabia by using innovative and immersive means of advertising within a cinema environment.
Idea:
The idea behind the campaign was to make use of ‘Projection Mapping’ technology inside the cinema – creating an immersive experience for cinemagoers.
Methodology:
The projection was executed on the main cinema screen along with two side screens (both left and right) to create a screen extension.
Sides of the theatre were covered with a piece of unique fabric to make sure the resolution of the projection matched the quality, look and feel of the main screen.
Four high-grade projectors were used for this activation.
*TAKELEAP – technology agency dedicated to creating sensational experiences, was the production company for this execution.
Content:
Etihad selected four destinations in Abu Dhabi – Ferrari World, Saadiyat Island, Warner Bros and a restaurant, to show a day in Abu Dhabi from a tourist perspective.
The filming – shot in 4K quality, was done over a 2-3 week period at the above mentioned locations and was stitched together to align with the projection mapping and to fit the extended screen.
This first ever 3D mapping cinema campaign in the Middle East ran for a period of one month (between February and March 2019), during evening shows on all days of the week. No statistics were generated for this campaign, however, element of surprise lasted throughout the duration of the campaign.
Here’s the end result:
Seeking to amplify exposure for your brand? Contact us for more information on similar innovative advertising opportunities across our circuit in the Middle East.
Sources: Spark Foundry
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Scary movie junkies, rejoice! The year ahead is packed with fright fests that will have you peeking over your shoulder and checking to make sure all the doors are locked — as all good horror movies should.
From modern adaptations of literary classics – Hansel and Gretel and The Turn of the Screw, to new installments in fan-favorite franchises – The Grudge and The Conjuring, and intriguing original tales, the slate of upcoming horror movies offers something for fear seekers from all walks of life.
Here’s a list of the most anticipated upcoming horror movies with release dates set over the course of next year:
The Grudge (January 02, 2020)
Andrea Riseborough will star in this reboot of The Grudge franchise, releasing early next year as a detective investigating the case of a young mother who murdered her entire family.
She later discovers that the mother was influenced by an angry ghost seeking revenge, as is the M.O. of the franchise. Nicolas Pesce, who recently made his directorial debut with the black-and-white horror film The Eyes of My Mother (2016) has been hired to direct the movie as well as rework a draft of the script that the studio has been working from.
Underwater (January 09, 2020)
Underwater hasn’t had the easiest road to theaters. Shot back in the spring of 2017, it’ll be almost three years later when the Kristen Stewart-fronted horror film makes its way into theaters on January 9th, 2020.
The movie follows a crew of underwater researchers who must scramble to safety after an earthquake devastates their subterranean laboratory. Trapped and running out of oxygen, they have to navigate through two miles in the dangerous depths of the ocean floor to make it to safety. Think of it as Armageddon (1998) meets The Abyss (1989).
The film is written and directed by William Eubank who also directed The Signal (2014). It stars Kristen Stewart as Norah Price, Jessica Henwick as Emily, T.J. Miller as Paul, Vincent Cassel as the Captain, and John Gallagher Jr.
The Turning (January 23, 2020)
Henry James’ novella The Turn of the Screw is one of the most popular and influential ghost stories ever written, and it’s been adapted for the screen numerous times. In 2020, the classic tale will get a new, modern take from the director of The Runaways (2010) – Floria Sigismondi with The Turning.
This version of the story will be set in modern Maine, but will still tell the story of a governess (Mackenzie Davis) tasked with caring for two young children (Finn Wolfhard and Brooklynn Prince) after the deaths of their parents. As she settles in for the job, she begins to suspect the mysterious estate where the family is living may be harboring a number of dark secrets, and may in fact be haunted.
Gretel & Hansel (January 30, 2020)
Starring IT franchise alum Sophia Lillis as Gretel and Silent Hill‘s Alice Krige as the child-eating witch, this twisted retelling of the classic Brothers Grimm story is rife with established horror talent. Journey into the dark wood alongside director Osgood Perkins – I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (2016) for a flipped take on the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale in which Gretel takes the lead and there’s isn’t a gingerbread house in sight.
Fantasy Island (February 13, 2020)
Based on the classic 1970s TV series, Fantasy Island will rely on the same basic premise as the show: People from all over the world travel to a mysterious island where guests can live out their wildest fantasies — for a price. Except this time, there will also be a killer on the loose. Michael Peña will star as the island’s enigmatic host Mr. Roarke, a role originated by Ricardo Montalban.
The Invisible Man (February 27, 2020)
This new take on H.G. Wells’ classic novel will take a curious approach to the source material, which follows Elisabeth Moss as a woman who rebuilds her life after her invisible ex-boyfriend commits suicide, before discovering that her partner might not be dead. It’s a fresh take on the popular story, and one that hopefully provides an interesting spin on the familiar story. It’s also benefitted by being Leigh Whannell’s follow-up to his exceptional sophomore feature, last year’s Upgrade.
A Quiet Place: Part II (March 19, 2020)
After the first film exceeded expectations at the box office, A Quiet Place (2018) screenwriters and director John Krasinski decided to return to the silent but deadly world.
Krasinski is back to direct and Emily Blunt is also returning to reprise her role as Evelyn Abbott, a mother trying to protect her family in a world overrun by large creatures with hypersensitive hearing.
Others reportedly joining the cast include Cillian Murphy and Djimon Hounsou.
The New Mutants (March 19, 2020)
This long-delayed, horror-centric X-Men spin-off has undergone extensive reshoots — reportedly to at least somewhat better integrate it into the Marvel Cinematic Universe — since Disney acquired 21st Century Fox in March 2019. But its underlying storyline has seemingly stayed the same. The film, starring Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy and Antonio Banderas, centers on a group of young mutants who are being held against their will inside a secret facility that’s running horrific tests on them.
Candyman (June 11, 2020)
Jordan Peele, the mastermind behind Get Out (2017) and Us (2019) continues his foray into the world of horror with a “spiritual sequel” to Bernard Rose’s 1992 cult classic Candyman, which explores issues of race and class in America. The original movie stars Tony Todd as the titular hook-handed bogeyman, who, according to urban legend, is the undead son of a slave who has haunted Chicago’s Cabrini-Green housing project since being lynched for having a love affair with a white woman in the late 1800s.
This time around, Todd will return alongside Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Colman Domingo and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who, despite reports to the contrary, director Nia DaCosta – Little Woods (2018) says isn’t taking over Todd’s original role.
The reboot was co-written by Peele and Win Rosenfeld, whose joint production company, Monkeypaw Productions, is producing alongside MGM Pictures.
The Purge (July 09, 2020)
Prepare yourself for yet another government-sanctioned night of lawless violence in The Purge 5, the fifth installment in the horror franchise set in a near-future United States where any and all crime is legal for one 12-hour period per year.
It’s still unclear whether the Everado Gout-directed Purge 5 will be another prequel like 2018’s The First Purge, or explore the fallout from the election in 2016’s The Purge: Election Year.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (September 10, 2020)
The third official installment of The Conjuring series and the eighth movie in the Conjuring universe won’t have series architect James Wan in the director’s chair. Those duties are being handled by Michael Chaves, the director of The Curse of La Llorona (2019).
The movie stars Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson are reprising their roles as paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. The plot centers around the trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who stabbed his landlord to death in the middle of a drunken struggle and claimed in court that he was possessed by a demon.
*Please Note – Movies release dates are subject to change
Which horror movies are you most looking forward to watch in the coming year?
Sources: Looper and Screenrant
