The football game lived up to expectations, but what about the movie trailers? Since 30-second spots were priced upwards of $7 million, only the biggest movies would show up. Even then, full trailers were saved for YouTube as most of those ads announced that the movies were happening and then directed audiences online to learn more about the movie. It’s a disappointing trend; I miss the days when the big reveal was on the screen.
The only movie that spent BIG felt like Universal’s Wicked. That trailer got a full minute on the broadcast and did a fine job of showing what the Land of Oz looks like in 2024. What is funny about the trailer is that they didn’t show anyone singing, and they aren’t letting the general audience know that this is Wicked Part 1.
I’ve collected many of the trailers that were shown during the Super Bowl, but now you can watch them in their full-length glory.
Deadpool & Wolverine
(In Theaters - July 26th)
As Marvel’s big Superhero movie for 2024, there are lots of expectations for Deadpool & Wolverine (formally Deadpool 3). It’s a crossroads for the MCU as the 2023 slate didn’t exactly set the world on fire. So Disney and Marvel will look toward Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman to reignite interest in the genre. Can Deadpool & Wolverine save the MCU? Find out this summer.
Inside Out 2
(In Theaters - June 14th)
Remember when a Disney sequel was a rare thing? Nowadays everything is a sequel. Inside Out is one of my favorite Pixar movies, but outside of the Toy Story franchise, doing an animated sequel has traditionally been a bad idea. Maybe that will change with Inside Out 2, but I’m not confident about it.
A Quiet Place: Day One
(In Theaters - June 28th)
A Quiet Place is one of those strangely compelling series. The logic behind them instantly falls apart, but both of the main entries are quite good. This new spin-off is a prequel to the original films, and even though A Quiet Place: Part 2 already showed the perspective of a family on Day One, this time Lupita Nyong’o (Black Panther, Us) is the face of the franchise.
The Fall Guy
(In Theaters - May 3rd)
I don’t know what to make of The Fall Guy. On one hand, it looks like a fake movie that a commercial agency made. On the other hand, it reminds me of the intro to Singin’ in the Rain but extended out to a full-length movie. Even though Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt are attached, this is from the director of Bullet Train, so I’m not sure this will be a smash.
Wicked
(In Theaters - Thanksgiving)
What more is there to say about Wicked? Well, plenty. This trailer shows that Universal has made a sizable investment in a movie they expect to be a smash. While Wicked features Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as the leads, the cast also has contributions from Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton), Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum. And even if the trailer didn’t show anyone singing, I have to believe a future trailer will showcase a sample right? Right!?
Twisters
(In Theaters - July 19th)
In my 2024 preview, I mentioned being excited about Twisters
Now that I’ve seen the first trailer, I’m even more excited. The original is one of those easy-to-watch natural disaster movies, that has stood the test of time. Maybe this one has the stuff to match its glory.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
(In Theaters - May 10th)
Disney and 20th Century are betting big on the newest entry of the Planet of the Apes. This is another prequel entry in the franchise, but I have to wonder how much juice this franchise has for prequels after completing a trilogy of them.
Monkey Man
(In Theaters - April 5th)
Since the football game went into overtime, this aired after the game was supposed to end. Did Universal get a discount? That’s probably something I’ll never know, but an ad was run for the upcoming directorial debut of Dev Patel. Monkey Man looks incredible from this first trailer and has instantly become one of my most anticipated movies of the spring.
Despicable Me 4
(In Theaters - July 3rd)
This is technically the sixth Minions movie that Illumination has made so whenever you might think movie studios are out of ideas, look no further. I’m sure there’s still an audience for these movies because they continue to make, but you should know exactly what to expect with another one of these.
IF
(In Theaters - May 17th)
IF, short for imaginary friend, is a new movie from John Krasinski (A Quiet Place). This trailer has been making the rounds for the last week or so, but it begins with a funny riff on The Office and continues into explaining the concept behind the new movie.