As we journey into a brand new decade, we always tend to look back at the decade that was and reflect. We make our Top Ten Lists - giving you our favorite movies, characters, moments, etc. They are always challenging, therapeutic, but mostly a blast to put together!
So, as I was in the process of making one of these type of lists, an idea came to my mind that excited me. Instead of us looking back at the decade that was, how about we look forward and predict where the next decade will take us! The possibilities are truly limitless!
As I put this list together, please keep a few things in mind. Some of these things I truly do hope will happen in the upcoming years. So, some will come across as me being a fanboy. Other things on the list, are the direction I see Hollywood would go for stories. No time frame will be given, as ten years is a very long time and will be hard to point to exactly where things will fall. So without further ado, here are my predictions of the 10 Movie related things we will see things next decade!
Honorable Mentions:
Tom Brady Biopic
Blu-Rays will become this decades DVDs
Disney buys back all the Marvel properties
A24 makes a blockbuster horror film
Almost Sideways get quoted from a review
10.
The MCU will have a Rotten Movie
At the time of writing this, the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) is 23 films in and still going strong. With a full slate of films on the horizon there aren't any signs of slowing down. With their upcoming slate featuring such films as Black Widow, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Black Panther 2, just to name a few. Being owned by Disney will also add a significant amount of resources at their disposal.
With each release fans will continue to flock to the theater to watch these epic films. Being a fan of this universe and the comics, it's hard not to have a great time with each release. Marvel is showing that they want to take more risk with their films, by introducing the multiverse and more cosmic stories as well.
Being 23 films in, the MCU still has a spotless record based on the tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes!
23 films in, every film but 2 (Thor: The Dark World, The Incredible Hulk) are certified fresh by critics on Rotten Tomatoes. So the prediction is that the good luck that the MCU is having will run out and they will be given their first rotten film! The film will still cross the billion dollar mark but it won't be a spotless record anymore.
9.
Music Biopic Shared Universe?
This one, I'll admit this might be a bit of a stretch and mostly something I would love to see. The Shared Universe is something that is becoming more and more of a common occurrence at this point. With the MCU leading the way, followed by the likes of DCEU. The Dark Universe, and MonsterVerse.
For this idea to actually work they would have to get a lot of people on board and come up with a solid game plan. We don't have to go too far to see that this idea could very well become a reality. In 2017, the Tupac biopic, All Eyez on Me, released with an actor who had previously played a rapper in a different film. Jamal Woolard was cast to reprise his role from Notorious (2009) playing The Notorious B.I.G.. As an audience member, it was so awesome to see someone play the same iconic rapper in both films!
I do have some ideas of bands and rappers I would love to see have this connected universe:
Nirvana vs Pearl Jam, John Lennon w/ The Beatles vs Bob Dylan, Van Halen, Guns and Roses, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath, Flavor Flav/Public Enemy, The Wu-Tang Klan and many more. Heck, make a biopic about Madonna and have Taron Egerton play Elton John again!
8.
Netflix wins Best Picture
Now this one might happen sooner rather than later! As the 2019 Oscar race heats up - Netflix has two films that are bidding for the Best Picture Oscar (The Irishman, Marriage Story) against the likes of Parasite, 1917, Bombshell and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood! I can totally see either of the Netflix movies going home happy on Oscar night, however my personal pick is Parasite to win.
Netflix, for a long time was the only streaming service around, but recently many more companies have been craving a piece of that streaming pie! With the rise of Amazon and the new addition of Disney+, streaming has become a more prominent form to digest our entertainment. Sometimes being the first to the party means that your last for the recognition. If Netflix doesn't win this year, I think in the next few years they will eventually earn their Oscar.
7.
Jon Favreau takes over Star Wars
With the Skywalker saga finally wrapping up, I find it highly unlikely that Kathleen Kennedy renews her contract with Disney to stay on board as overseer of the Star Wars I.P. Back when Disney acquired the rights to Star Wars, fans were overjoyed for the possibility for more journeys to a galaxy far far away! In the years since that feeling has been a sour taste in many fan's mouths. The fanbase has become a toxic one that even for myself has felt like an inescapable Sarlac pit. Kathleen Kennedy, has been at the forefront of a lot of the fan backlash.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, even though being a carbon copy of A New Hope, made critics and fans alike celebrate! But every release since received more and more backlash from fans. If it was stories we didn't want to see (Solo: A Star Wars Story), a film that truly divided fans (The Last Jedi), a character that is compared to being a Mary Sue (Rey), and a complete course correction (Rise of Skywalker) - these things broke the fan base. Also with every film, there have been directors that have been fired or let go (Lord and Miller, Colin Trevorrow) for creative differences by Kathleen Kennedy. But for me the biggest thing that was wrong with how things were run was that there wasn't a guideline that they stuck to while making these films! Problems like that come from management and unforgettably that is Kathleen Kennedy!
The one bright spot for Star Wars has been on Disney+, The Mandalorian. By far the best thing that Disney has done with the Star Wars I.P., created by Jon Favreau. He would be perfect for the role as the head of Star Wars for Disney. He has the experience with the property and knows how to tell stories that has a lot of moving parts (Marvel). He's already familiar with the Disney higher-ups, as well. If he, and Dave Filoni (head of Lucasfilm Animation) as his number two take over Star Wars, I truly feel it would be in good hands and fans would be happy too!
6.
First Time Oscar Winners!
There are so many amazing actors and actresses, that I feel will finally win an Oscar sometime this next decade! Each actor that I will mention has given me some of my favorite performances of the past decade. So with that complete bias, I truly hope they continue doing amazing work and get rewarded for it as well! I'll mention the actors and actresses below along with some of the roles I loved from the last decade!
Adam Driver - Marriage Story, Paterson, Star Wars, Blackkklansman, Silence
Amy Adams - Arrival, Nocturnal Animals,
Ben Foster - Leave No Trace, Hell or High Water
Daniel Kaluuya - Get Out, Widows, Black Panther, Queen and Slim
Emily Blunt - A Quiet Place, Sicario, Edge of Tomorrow
Florence Pugh - Fighting with my Family, Little Women, Midsommar
Jake Gyllenhaal - Nightcrawler, Prisoners, Enemy,
Ryan Gosling - Blade Runner 2049, Drive, Blue Valentine, La La Land
The list is endless!
5.
Daniel Day Lewis returns
While we are on the topic of Oscar winners, let's talk about one of our favorites! Daniel Day-Lewis has gone on the record saying that he's retiring from acting, Making his final film, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread (2017).
He's a man who's is totally devoted to his craft and perfecting every role he takes! I can understand why he might want to walk away. However, I refuse to think that we have seen the last of this great performer! Just like another one of my favorite actors, Joe Pesci, the right role could bring him out of retirement! The only question now is what role would he make his comeback with. In my dream world, Quentin Tarantino would write some crazy role that he couldn't refuse! I can dream, right?
4.
A Great Video Game Movie?!?
The video game medium has been around for a very long time and has brought some amazing characters and stories. Very recently, I've been getting back into playing games. There are so many great ones now, I'm truly having a hard time catching up on all the ones I want to play!
The beautiful thing about games compared to movies, is that you have longer with the characters and story. Movies average roughly 2 hrs, where as a game could last 10-20 hrs or more depending on the type of game you play. Also, you get to control the character and have a longer time with them as well.
However, video games haven't translated to films as well as one might think. We have seen some video game franchises try to make the jump to the big screen (Tomb Raider, Resident Evil, Super Mario Bros, Mortal Kombat) but were a shell of the greatness they once were.
3.
Female Best Directors!
One of the hot topics of this last decade was put in place with a simple hashtag: #oscarsowhite. Now, I'm fully aware that while the Oscars are by no means perfect in who gets nominated, at least things are moving in better direction. More people of color are being nominated each year! Progress is progress and more is always needed! One big thing I would like to see happen is more female directors get the recognition they deserve.
The last few years we have seen some amazing films from the likes of Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman), Lulu Wang (The Farewell), Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird, Little Women), Ava DuVernay (Selma), Debra Granik (Leave No Trace), and Chloe Zhao (The Rider), just to name a few! Each visionary brings unique perspective that I appreciate. These women weave together their narratives with such ease. I hope that these women inspire more women to become future directors! I believe that more women in this decade will be nominated and we will at least see two women take home the Best Director Oscar! I can't wait to experience their films!
2.
Films surrounding the 2016 Presidential Election
One of the biggest and arguably most divisive things of the last decade was the Presidential Election. Regardless of your views of the man in the oval office, it was an important moment in our country's history. I can totally see a film about Donald Trump being made similar to the ones about George W. Bush.
Trump is a very controversial individual and could have lots of subject matter that would lend itself to the big screen. However, I would be more interested if the film follows either a member of the press, or someone on the Trump advisory staff. Having it from a different perspective could be an Ides of March situation but with more intrigue.
Whatever your political views may be, there's always an audience for political films. Based off the box office numbers from 2017's Vice, which grossed 47.8 million, I could see this subject grossing more in the right person's hands. Of course, seeing that most of Hollywood does disagree with Trump's views, there is a chance that his supporters might not like the way the film turns out. I have some strange feeling that Oliver Stone would make this type of film at some point!
1.
Harvey Weinstein Exposure
I know, I was saving the controversial films for the end of this list! The #MeToo movement has been one of the most important talking points from the last few years. The Me Too founder, Tarana Burke, first coined the hashtag back in 2006. However, it first gained traction in 2017. In late 2017, the New York times exposed the long-rumored accusations of sexual-harassment and assault by Hollywood producer, Harvey Weinstein.
The film could be a mix of Spotlight (2015) and the recent release, Bombshell (2019). It's clearly a film that Hollywood would make. The subject matter is important, not just for the people involved with heinous acts, but to the thousands of people who have yet to speak up. Also, clearly a topic of conversation that won't be going away anytime soon.
Well that's my list of predictions for this upcoming decade! It will be fun to look back in ten years and see what I got right and what I got wrong! What do you think will happen in the next decade? Let us know down below!
Adam Daly of Almost Sideways!
