Top 10 Anticipated Releases of December 2018

After “Transformers: The Last Knight,” mainstream audiences officially started to get sick of Michael Bay’s overblown film franchise. While Bay remains a producer on this prequel, Travis Knight of studio Laika seems to be taking the series in another direction. The trailers are reminiscent of “The Iron Giant,” as Hailee Steinfeld’s Charlie befriends the titular Autobot. Bringing the idea of “Transformers” back to its retro roots, “Bumblebee” could be one of the season’s most pleasant surprises with the right balance of heart, action, and nostalgia.

#9: “Mary Queen of Scots” Release Date: December 7, 2018 [U.S.]

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Earlier in 2018, Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie competed against one another in the Best Actress race. Now, in this upcoming period piece, Ronan stars as the titular Mary, Queen of Scots while Robbie transforms herself as Queen Elizabeth I. The film chronicles the Rising of the North, which drew a line between countries and cousins. Focusing on two of the most powerful women who ever lived, this film not only has the potential to be historically interesting, but also relevant to today’s political climate.

#8: “The Orville” – Season 2 Release Date: December 30, 2018

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When “The Orville” premiered in 2017, most critics wrote it off as another lowbrow Seth MacFarlane show. Throughout its first season, though, this sci-fi series gained a loyal following with many fondly comparing it to “Star Trek: The Next Generation”. Actually, some have argued that it’s more faithful to Gene Roddenberry’s vision than “Star Trek: Discovery.” Although it appeared “The Orville” might meet the same fate as “Firefly”, Fox fortunately green-lit a second season, which will hopefully maintain the same levels of creativity, humor, and bold storytelling as season one.

Earning phenomenal reviews and the Golden Lion award at the Venice International Film Festival, Alfonso Cuarón’s latest triumph is destined to receive a Best Picture nomination. If “Roma” can pull off a victory in Oscar’s top category, it would be the first foreign-language film, as well as the first Netflix release, to do so. Whatever award season brings, this story of a middle-class Mexican family has been praised as Cuarón’s most personal film to date, making it one of the year’s most essential viewings.

Producer Peter Jackson re-teams with longtime collaborator Christian Rivers for this ambitious adaptation of Philip Reeve’s novel. Combining elements of “Mad Max” and “Howl’s Moving Castle,” “Mortal Engines” centers on two young protagonist who are quite literally steam-punks. Getting kicked out of a mobile city following an assassination attempt, our heroes embark into the post-apocalyptic world in search of a resistance. While the story admittedly sounds a bit familiar, the mind-blowing visuals and inventive settings should guarantee a unique experience.

On the heels of the NES and Super NES Classic Editions, it was only a matter of time until Sony followed Nintendo’s example with a PlayStation mini console. Whether you missed out on owning a PS1 back in the day or you’re simply nostalgic for retro gaming, this dedicated console comes complete with 20 preloaded titles, including “Final Fantasy VII,” “Tekken 3,” and “Wild Arms.” Now if we could just get a Nintendo 64 Classic to park beside it, we could party like it’s 1999!

Almost two decades ago, Jason Momoa made his acting debut as a lifeguard on “Baywatch: Hawaii.” So, we guess you could say that his entire career has been building up to him playing Arthur Curry. While the DCEU has hit some pretty rough waters, “Aquaman” may demonstrate why you need to just keep swimming. Patty Jenkins finally gave us the “Wonder Woman” movie we deserved and we’re optimistic that director James Wan can do the same for Aquaman, especially after seeing the kickass trailer.

Disney has been revisiting a lot of their classic films as of late, but “Mary Poppins Returns” stands out as a sequel rather than a remake or reimagining. Back to help the now grownup Banks children, Mary Poppins seemingly hasn’t aged a day with Emily Blunt inheriting the role from Julie Andrews. So, does that mean Mary is a Time Lord? In any case, the all-star cast, enchanting production values, and Marc Shaiman’s musical score already have us feeling Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

#2: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” Release Date: December 14, 2018 [U.S.]

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Coming out 25 years after “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm,” “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” could be another animated superhero movie that unexpectedly outshines some of its live-action counterparts. Produced by the same duo behind “The Lego Movie,” this film shifts the focus from Peter Parker to Miles Morales. Peter still plays a crucial role, however, teaching his younger protégé what it means to be a hero. Throw in Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man Noir, Peni Parker, and um…Spider-Ham … and you have a web-crawling adventure waiting to be unraveled. Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: “Just Cause 4” Release Date: December 4, 2018 “On the Basis of Sex” Release Date: December 25, 2018 [U.S.] “Runaways” – Season 2 Release Date: December 21, 2018

#1: “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” Release Date: December 7, 2018 [U.S.]

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2018 was the year of crossover events and Nintendo might’ve saved the best for last. The newest entry in the “Super Smash Bros.” series more than earns the “Ultimate” in its title, as the developers worked in every playable character from the previous games. They didn’t stop there, inviting Simon Belmont, King K. Rool, the Inklings, and other newcomers to the fight. The bonus of getting to play on the go should make this the definitive “Super Smash Bros,” even if it cost Luigi his life.