Upcoming Movies You Should Be Hyped About: February 2019

photo courtesy of mashable.com

This February, everything is awesome.

VELVET BUZZSAW

(Feb 1, Netflix and limited theatrical run)

     In Netflix’s new horror film Velvet Buzzsaw, a group of art connoisseurs purchase the works of a dead artist… only to discover that his art harbors a dark and mysterious supernatural force. The movie stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Renne Russo, and Toni Collette. The movie’s writer/director, Dan Gilroy, is an acclaimed screenwriter who made waves with his directorial debut, Nightcrawler, back in 2014.

THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART

(Feb 8)

     The first Lego Movie was so awesome that it spawned a whole universe of Lego films, including The Lego Batman Movie and The Lego Ninjago Movie. The Second Part sees the return of Emmet (Chris Pratt) and Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) as they confront a sinister new enemy, General Mayhem. The movie stars Will Arnett, Tiffany Haddish, Stephanie Beatriz, Nick Offerman, Charlie Day, Alison Brie, Maya Rudolph, and others.

ISN’T IT ROMANTIC

(Feb 13)

     Rebel Wilson stars in Isn’t It Romantic, a comedy about a NYC architect who—after hitting her head—finds herself trapped in the PG-13 world of a romantic comedy. That premise might sound vaguely similar to last year’s I Feel Pretty, but I’m crossing my fingers and hoping that Isn’t It Romantic makes a better impression. Liam Hemsworth and Adam DeVine play Wilson’s competing love interests.

HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U

(Feb 13)

     You might remember 2017’s Happy Death Day as a fun, spooky, and silly B-slasher flick in which Tree (Jessica Rothe) lives the same day over and over, being killed by the same masked assailant. In Happy Death Day 2U, Jessica suddenly gets stuck in the cycle again, but with a new murderer to unmask. I don’t exactly predict great things from 2U, but even if it just delivers more of the same, it’ll probably be worth a watch for horror fans.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD

(Feb 22)

     How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World sets Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and Toothless on a quest to find the Hidden World, a haven for dragons. Along the way, they’ll have to face off against a powerful new foe, Grimmel (F. Murray Abraham), and react to the discovery of a second Night Fury (Toothless’s rare and powerful breed of dragon). The How to Train Your Dragon movies have all been wonderful, and early reception indicates that The Hidden World will stay true to form.

HONORABLE MENTION:

ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL

(Feb 14)

     Alita: Battle Angel is an action tentpole film from director Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Spy Kids) and producer James Cameron (Titanic, Avatar). It follows Alita (Rosa Salazar), a robot who awakens in a post-apocalyptic world and unlocks her potential in a series of conflicts with shadowy, sinister forces. Alita looks like a lot of loud CGI spectacle, but that can go different ways—huge success like Avatar or total flop like Mortal Engines. We’ll see which way Alita goes when it hits theaters Feb 14.