In 2018, sequels will cast their spell in Hollywood

Just like Bollywood, Hollywood too will be gripped by the sequel mania in 2018. Here’s a look at some of the most-awaited films.

Fifty Shades Freed

Releasing on: Feb 9
The final film in the Fifty Shades trilogy, this is a sequel to Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) and Fifty Shades Darker (2017). Starring Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Steele and Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey, this time the story sees them tie the knot and enjoy wedded bliss until they are haunted by their past.

Watch out for: Steamy scenes and high-octane car chase sequences in this erotic thriller.

The new mutants

Releasing on: April 13
The 11th instalment of the X-Men franchise chronicles the struggles of a group of young mutants who are held in a secret facility and how they try to escape from it. It features Anya Taylor-Joy (who was seen in horror flicks like The Witch and Split), Maisie Williams (of Game of Thrones fame) and Charlie Heaton (seen in Stranger Things).

Watch out for: A far cry from the earlier X-Men films, this has horror elements and is inspired by the works of Stephen King and John Hughes.

Avengers: Infinity War

Releasing on: April 27
It doesn’t get bigger than this. In the sequel to 2012’s Marvel’s The Avengers and 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, The Avengers join hands with Guardians of Galaxy to take down the powerful Thanos (Josh Brolin) who wants to ruin the universe. Joining them in this effort will be other heroes such as Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Ant-Man and Black Panther.

Watch out for: A plethora of stars descending on the silver screen including Robert Downey Jr, Chris Pratt, Chris Evans, Bradley Cooper, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Ruffalo, Vin Diesel, and Paul Rudd.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Releasing on: May 25
This prequel tells the story of Hans and Chewbacca before they joined the Rebellion. Themed as a space Western, it is centered on a young Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich), the roguish smuggler who meets Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker in the Mos Eisley Cantina in Star Wars (1977).

Watch out for: Emilia Clarke and Woody Harrelson who will be seen in the film. It is directed by Academy Award winner Ron Howard who had earlier helmed A Beautiful Mind, Da Vinci Code, and Frost/Nixon.

Deadpool 2

Releasing on: June 1
After the stupendous success of the 2016 film Deadpool, fans are keenly awaiting the second instalment. Ryan Reynolds returns as the wisecracking mercenary/ antihero who battles shape-shifting ninjas in his trademark style.

Watch out for: Josh Brolin who will be seen as Nathan Summers, a time-travelling cybernetic mutant soldier and Deadpool’s nemesis.

Ocean’s Eight

Releasing on: June 8
A sequel to and an all-female reboot of Ocean’s Trilogy, it stars Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts, Rihanna, Sarah Paulson, Olivia Munn, Mindy Kaling and Anne Hathaway. Sandra will be seen as Debbie Ocean, sister of Danny (George Clooney) who assembles a team of women to pull off a heist at the Met Gala.

Watch out for: Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Zayn Malik, Serena Williams, and Anna Wintour in cameo appearances.

The Incredibles 2

Releasing on: June 15
Eleven years after The Incredibles, which saw a retired family of undercover superheroes plunge into action to save the world, the sequel is back. This time, the focus is on Helen aka elastigirl (voiced by Holly Hunter), the eldest daughter of the Parr family taking matters in her hands. Things take a turn when the family along with their friend Frozone (voiced by Samuel L Jackson) joins hands to combat the new villain in town.

Watch out for: John Ratzenberger, who has earlier lent his voice to Hamm in the Toy Story franchise and Mack in the Cars franchise, as the sinister underminer.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom 

Releasing on: June 22
A sequel to Jurassic World (2015), and the fifth instalment of the Jurassic Park film series, the film revolves around Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard)’s efforts to rescue the remaining dinosaurs as they are at the risk of being extinct due to a dormant volcano’s eruption. Though the trailer, which released earlier this month, failed to make an impact on cine-goers, it remains to be seen how will the film fare at the box office.

Watch out for: Jeff Goldblum reprising his role as Dr Ian Malcolm from the original film and its 1997 sequel.

Sicario 2: Soldado

Releasing on: June 29
The sequel to the 2015 sleeper-hit Sicario features federal agent Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) reuniting with the temperamental officer Alejandro (Benicio del Toro) in a bid to fight the drug war between US and Mexico. Emily Blunt, who earned critical acclaim for her portrayal of an idealistic FBI agent, will be missing in action this time around.

Watch out for: The drug war taking an ugly turn with terrorists being trafficked across the US border from Mexico.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Releasing on: July 6
The sequel of Ant-Man (2015) sees Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) trying to balance his home life as a father with his responsibilities as Ant-Man, when he is entrusted with a new mission.

Watch out for: Evangeline Lilly as The Wasp who teams up with Ant-Man to bring down the villain by kicking some butt.

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

Releasing on: July 13
This is the third instalment of the Hotel Transylvania franchise and the sequel to Hotel Transylvania 2 that released in 2015. The 3D computer-animated fantasy-comedy film sees Dracula and friends on a luxury Monster Cruise Ship captained by a direct descendant of Abraham Van Helsing, the monster slayer.

Watch out for: Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, David Spade, and Mel Brooks reprising their roles as the quirky members of the famous monster family.

Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again

Releasing on: July 20
A sequel of the 2008 hit Mamma Mia, it goes back in time to show how a young Donna (Lily James) led her life and rewinds to the present where Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), who is Donna’s daughter, realises that she needs to take risks like her mother.

Watch out for: Cher lending her vocal talent to the tracks.

M:I6-Mission Impossible

Releasing on: July 27
The story of the franchise’s sixth instalment has been kept under wraps. It will feature the usual suspects namely Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Michelle Monaghan, Alec Baldwin and Sean Harris. This time, however, they will be joined by Henry Cavill, Vanessa Kirby, Sian Brooke and Angela Bassett.

Watch out for: Tom Cruise’s gravity-defying action sequences up close as this will be the first film from the franchise to be released in 3D.

The Predator

Releasing on: August 3
This is the fourth instalment of The Predator series. Set between 1990 and 2010, it is about an ex-Marine who discovers the existence of fierce aliens and how he battles them. Shane Black, who starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the original that was released in 1987, is directing the sci-fi film.

Watch out for: The visual effects used by Black to make the predator look even deadlier as it preys on innocent people.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix

Releasing on: November 2
2018 will be a great year or X-Men fans as they will get to watch two diverse sequels of the Marvel comic characters. This 13th instalment of the series feature the original stars such as James Mcavoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence.

Watch out for: Sophie Turner, who shot to fame as Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones as Dark Phoenix, the main antagonist.

Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-it Ralph 2

Releasing on: November 23
A sequel to the 2012 hit, it follows the adventures of Ralph and his best friend Vanellope von Schweetz in the Internet data space. The fantasy, sci-fi film features John C Reilly, Sarah Silverman, and Taraji P Henson.

Watch out for: Iron Man, Gamora from Marvel, Yoda, and Princess Leia from Star Wars and several Disney princesses making a cameo in this film.

Mary Poppins Returns

Releasing on: December 25
A sequel to the 1964 film Mary Poppins, this sequel that is being made after 54 years, will feature Emily Blunt as the protagonist. Set in 1935, during the era of the Great Depression in UK, the now grown-up Jane and Michael Banks, along with Michael’s three children – Annabel, Georgie and John – are visited by their former nanny (Mary Poppins) following a family tragedy which has left them numb and joyless. With Rob Marshall, who directed the Academy Award-winning Chicago, helming the film, it will be interesting to see how he envisions this musical fantasy.

Watch out for: Colin Firth and Meryl Streep who will be seen in the film.