It’s almost hard to believe that two years have passed since the release of Twilight, the juggernaut that was, and yet another year has gone by. Of course, this is not to suggest that the adventures of Bella and her friends are now over (thank heavens!). On the contrary, Bella’s story continues to resonate with fans in 2018 and beyond, with the launch of Venom and More Than Me serving as a testament to that fact.
This year has also seen the launch of several new and returning franchises, including Mary Poppins and Star Wars. While Star Wars Resistance was met with positive reviews, it wasn’t quite the worldwide phenomenon that Disney had predicted, while The Lion King opened to lukewarm reactions. Nevertheless, these are all stories that continue to have an effect on pop culture, demonstrating the enduring appeal of both the franchises and the filmmakers who worked on them.
One such franchise that continues to resonate is that of Pattinson, the actor who plays the rebellious but charming Edward Cullen in the Twilight series. In March 2018, it was announced that Chronicles Of Edward would be the next film to carry the Twilight banner, and while details about the project have yet to be revealed, it looks like Pattinson is already hard at work on the next installment.
The actor has been relatively quiet in 2018, but it seems like he’s been busy. A fan-favorite for his role in Twilight, Pattinson has continued to receive praise for his performance in other highly anticipated films. Most recently, he was awarded the Best Actor BAFTA for his role in Good Morning, Midnight, and in January 2018 he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for playing a paraplegic in The Danish Girl, which premiered at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival.
While 2018 has seen an uptick in the actor’s career, it hasn’t been without its controversies. In May 2018, it was announced that Pattinson would be taking a break from filming to enter an exclusive treatment program for heroin addiction. The actor checked into the Hazelden Betty Ford Center in Minnesota, where he received mental health counseling and medical treatment. In early June, it was reported that Pattinson had completed his treatment and returned to work. It’s been a tumultuous year for the 35-year-old actor, but all the drama has seemingly paled in comparison to the excitement surrounding his upcoming movies.
Not one, but two, Star Wars films are set to hit the big screen in the coming months, with a new trilogy based on the popular smartphone game due in theaters in May and a standalone film from J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars galaxy far, far away slated for release in December. While the first two films in the rebooted franchise were box office smashes, critical and popular reaction to The Last Jedi was polarizing, with some fans claiming that it was the best movie in the series and that it cemented Rey’s (Daisy Ridley’s) position as Star Wars’ new franchise lead. In other words, this December will be a big day for fans of both Ridley and Pattinson. A win–win. (And for Abrams, too, since this is the first Star Wars film he directed.)
Chronicles Of Edward
If you thought that 2018 was a big year for the Twilight franchise, you’d be right. Not only did we get the highly anticipated follow-up to The Twilight franchise, Chronicles Of Edward, but the year also saw the launch of several new spin-offs and related projects. (We’ll get to the related projects in a bit.)
The year 2018 was actually the 25th anniversary of The Twilight, with the first novel being published in April 1988. To celebrate this special anniversary, Summit Entertainment and Screenwriter’s Wing collaborated on an anthology of short stories tied to the series, with each story focusing on a different character from the novels. The film rights to the anthology were purchased by Scott Rudin, who had the joy of recruiting Jane Austen author, Kate Micucci, to write the screenplay. Micucci’s first draft of the screenplay was met with critical acclaim and won her the ASCAP Award for her outstanding achievement in original music and lyrics.
The film adaptation of Chronicles Of Edward was first slated for release in 2018, but had to be pushed back several months, ultimately arriving in theaters in November, a month before the end of the year.
Venom
Speaking of Rudin, we can’t forget about his other highly anticipated upcoming film, Venom. Based on the popular Marvel comic book, this third installment of the DC Comics franchise stars Tom Hardy, and looks like the troubled British actor was chosen for the role because he’s the spitting image of Eddie Brock, the character’s namesake. (Although, admittedly, the Brock in the comics is much more mature than the one portrayed in Venom.) While we wait for more details about the film, here’s a bit of trivia: Venom was originally slated to hit theaters on October 18, 2018, but was then pushed back to November 8, and then again to December 12. So if you’re hoping to see Hardy’s big green dragon in theaters this fall, you might want to mark your calendar now.
While the previous two films in the DC Comics franchise, Suicide Squad and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, were massive box office hits, Venom didn’t fare as well, at least not worldwide. The film opened to roughly $67 million in North America during its first week and ultimately earned $176 million (at the time, the third-highest weekend opening gross of all time). But its worldwide gross was only $282 million, which is considerably lower than the grosses of its predecessors.
To be fair, Venom’s North American opening was the film’s highestgrossing opening, topping out at $67 million. The film’s biggest success story came from its limited international run, particularly in Russia, where it broke several records upon its release. Thanks in part to that movie’s huge success, the character has become an unofficial member of the DC franchise, with several spin-off comics and collectibles based on Venom (including statues, lunch boxes, and T-shirts) now available for purchase. Plus, Venom will be the subject of the next DC film, Shazam!, due out in April 2019. (And yes, the villain in that one is named Carnage, and he’s green, too.) So it seems like Tom Hardy won’t be alone in town when it comes to iconic villains. (Although, let’s be honest, for most of us, it’s probably more fun to watch Hardy play characters we’re familiar with.)
The Danish Girl
Speaking of fun, let’s not forget about the riveting period drama, The Danish Girl. Based on the 2014 autobiography by Lotte Glud-Hansen, The Danish Girl is an adaptation of E.M. Forster’s 1908 novel of the same name. The story revolves around the titular character, Georgina, who is in the process of transitioning from her male identity to her female one. While the book was a massive success when it was first published, The Danish Girl is the first movie portrayal of Georgina, which was a challenge since the author Hennie Boelen, who adapted the novel for the screen, was born with only a female form. The result is a truly magnificent film adaptation that captures the breathless pace of Georgina’s life during her transition period. (In fact, it’s been said that the film adaptation is closer to the novel than the original 1908 play, despite being a century old.)
Not only did The Danish Girl premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2017, it also won the Golden Bear, as well as the hearts of audiences worldwide. It was later picked up by Netflix for distribution in April of that year.
While we wait for the third season of the wildly popular The Handmaid’s Tale, here’s a brief list of some of the most prominent and anticipated movies to be released in the next year.