And there ends 2019. Before we get on to looking at what’s to come in the action heroine arena for 2020, let’s quickly review what was saw this year from the film out of the 2019 preview. It was al mix of hits and misses – but probably skewed, rather disappointingly, towards the latter. Anna, Dark Phoenix, the Charlie’s Angels reboot and Terminator: Dark Fate all severely underperformed at the box-office. With even Battle Angel not exactly setting up a franchise, probably only Captain Marvel should be considered as a definitive hit. And it probably says something that I haven’t seen it yet. Our film of the year probably goes to She Never Died, which managed not just to match but surpass its predecessor. And with that… on to 2020, which should have at least a couple of definitive hits on the schedule!
Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (7 Feb)
We’ll start with what seems certain to be the clunkiest title of the year, which everyone will refer to as Birds of Prey. Or maybe BoP. On the plus side: Harley Quinn was pretty much the best thing about Suicide Squad and Margot Robbie has repeatedly proven herself very watchable e.g. Terminal. On the other… Well, that trailer is a mess. I’ve watched it several times, and still have no clue what the film is about, It’s clearly a girl-gang/girl-power film, but I’ve got a horrible feeling it’s going to end up closer to Spice World than Switchblade Sisters. We will see.
Black Widow (1 May)
From Marvel to DC, and a project which has been in the works since at least 2004. Traction grew after her arrival in in Marvel Cinematic Universe, and though she’s not the first superheroine film in its renaissance. will have to fill the large shoes of Avengers: Endgame, merely the biggest box-office hit in the history of cinema. [I’m not counting Spiderman: Far From Home, because reasons] Scarlet Johansson has proven a good fit for the character, and has an action pedigree, even if Ghost in the Shell was underwhelming. I am cautiously optimistic for this one.
Enola Holmes (TBA)
This is the first entry of what’s hoped will be a franchise. The characters are based on the books by Nancy Springer, about the adventures of Sherlock Holmes’s teenage young sister. Millie Bobby Brown from Stranger Things plays the title character, who in this movie will be investigating the disappearance of her mother. Henry Cavill is Sherlock. The makers will be hoping no-one links it to Holmes and Watson, a turkey which won the 2019 Razzie for worst picture.
Gretel and Hansel (31 Jan)
Directed by Oz Perkins, the change in the traditional title was to stress she is the focus of the story, with her considerably older than her little brother (16 and 8 respectively). Perkins had described it as a “coming-of-age story,” though the basic premise remains as in the Grimm fairy-story: the siblings are trapped in and having to escape from, the house belonging to a witch (Alice Krige). The trailer definitely seems to put this into the “folk horror” category, not far from Perkins’s previous I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House.
Gunpowder Milkshake (TBA)
Certainly possessing the best action-heroine cast of 2020. Karen Gillan, Carla Gugino, Michelle Yeoh, Lena Headey and Angela Bassett? Okay, you have my attention. Not much more is known about this one, beyond a bare synopsis: “A secret sisterhood comes to the rescue of a mother-daughter assassin team.” Yep, still interested: Headey and Gillan are the family slayers in question, and the non-female cast is led by Paul Giamatti. I did enjoy director Navot Papushado’s previous feature, Big Bad Wolves, so if this can deliver on the potential of its cast, I’ll be there.
Monster Hunter (4 Sep)
Alice may be done, but the Paul W.S. Anderson collaborations with his wife, Milla Jovovich, on video-game adaptations continue on. This was a carry-forward from last year’s preview, but now appears fully set for September. A teaser trailer leaked in June, including Jovovich and co-star Tony Jaa, but that has been about it. Based on the response to their Resident Evil films, I expect this to be decent mindless entertainment, while fans of the video-games howl in outrage at how it isn’t exactly the same as on their computers…
Mulan (27 Mar)
Disney’s strip-mining of its animation vaults continues apace. But who can be surprised when the results include the #2 (The Lion King), #8 (Aladdin) and #25 (Dumbo) films world-wide in 2019? If I’d to predict, I’d say this will come in between Aladdin and Dumbo. Hard to say if the controversy over cast members’ pro-Beijing stance will hurt it: could be just a few Twitteratti who care. I know I don’t. This looks suitably serious, and the apparent absence of any comic sidekick should help in that department.
Pixie (TBA)
Limited information about this, but the synopsis is: “To avenge her mother’s death, Pixie masterminds a heist but must flee across Ireland from gangsters, take on the patriarchy, and choose her own destiny.” The tone appears to be comedy-thriller, which does help to defer the eye-rolling experienced following the bit about taking on the patriarchy. Hopefully it’ll go easy on the wokeness. Olivia Cooke stars, in the title role.
Promising Young Woman (17 Apr)
Speaking of woke… Going by the trailer (in the playlist below), this one appears to be betting on an exacta of SJW talking points: college sexual assault and rape while drunk. “A young woman, traumatized by a tragic event in her past, seeks out vengeance against men who cross her path.” Worth noting: “Promising young man” is what they called Brock Turner, student athlete and convicted rapist. I do sense the message here is considered more important than the medium, but a decent cast including Carey Mulligan and Bo Burnham, might salvage it.
The Rhythm Section (31 Jan)
Pushed back a year from its original scheduled release date of Feb 2019, So let me copy-paste: This will star Blake Lively as Stephanie Patrick, “a woman who seeks to uncover the truth behind a plane crash that killed her family. Patrick was also meant to be on the flight. After she discovers that the crash was not accidental, she embarks on a mission to track down those responsible by assuming the identity of an assassin.” It’s based on the novel by Mark Burnell, which “is not a thriller about the hunt for a terrorist, although that is the path Stephanie takes, and it’s not a story about revenge, although justice for her family is her initial motivation. Rather, The Rhythm Section is the story of Stephanie’s attempt to reclaim herself.”
The Serpent (5 Jan)
Not to be confused with the upcoming TV miniseries of the same name, this gets the year started, being released this Sunday. It doesn’t exactly look big-budget, while the plot is generic spy story #4, and I quote: “given a special assignment but then set up by her own agency.” Yawn. However, the trailer has its moment – the heroine letting loose with two automatic weapons simultaneously stood out – and if there’s as much action as it seems, could be fun. Interestingly, the film appears to have been written and directed by its star, model Gia Skova.
Run Hide Fight (TBA)
“17-year-old Zoe Hull uses her wits, survival skills, and compassion to fight for her life, and those of her fellow classmates, against a group of live-streaming school shooters.” In the wake of recent events, this may potentially be skating on the thin ice of good taste, unless handled correctly. We’ll see. Thomas Jane and Radha Mitchell play Zoe’s parents, though it’ll be the feature debut of Isabel May as Zoe. Horror icon Barbara Crampton is also present.
Tribal Get Out Alive (9 Apr – UK)
Hmm, perhaps Birds of Prey has some contest as the most clunky title of 2020? But what interests me most is star Zara Phythian (right), someone we’ve been keeping an eye on since 2016. Here’s a synopsis: “Elite military personnel Caitlin Ross retires from service after suffering from PTSD. Along with former team member and close friend Brad Johnson, they are hired by young, troublesome millionaire Richard Kenning to clear and secure the land and property he has recently inherited. It soon becomes apparent they are being hunted and the race is on to get out alive.”
Two of Us (28 Jan)
Originally known (in the trailer, for example) as Dead Earth, it’s the story of two young Thai women who try to survive after the zombie apocalypse. Zombies, unsurprisingly, ensue, if the trailer is anything by which we should judge it. According to the IMDb, it was shot in 9 days at an abandoned resort in Thailand. And a very long time ago, back when director Wych Kaosayananda was known as Kaos, he gave us Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, still the worst-reviewed film in the history of RottenTomatoes.com, with 118 reviews, none positive. Hey, the only way is up!
Underwater (10 Jan)
There was a spell at the end of the eighties when this kind of oceanic action films were popular e.g. The Abyss, Leviathan, Deepstar Six. But it seems like a while, so are we ripe for a resurgence? Kristen Stewart is the big name in a cast that also includes T.J. Miller and Vincent Cassel. The film follows a crew of underwater researchers who must scramble to safety after an earthquake devastates their subterranean laboratory. But going by the trailer, the earthquake appears not to be the last of their problems… Cthulhu. I hope it’s Cthulhu…
Wonder Woman 1984 (5 Jun)
If I was a betting man, I’d wager this one will take most money of these. It does appear a little less emotionally-intense than the first film, which focused on the hell which was World War I. This might be a more conventional comic-book approach, though I’ll admit to having been super-stoked by the trailer. In particular for its extremely cool use of an orchestral version of New Order’s Blue Monday, which managed to be retro-nostalgic and cutting edge at the same time.
Zombinatrix (TBA)
From the potentially sublime to the utterly ridiculous (hopefully, deliberately). The synopsis, as submitted to the IMDB by lead actress and co-writer Bianca Allaine: “A Dominatrix is brutally murdered by thugs. Returning from the grave as Zombinatrix, she takes great pleasure in incorporating her sadistic S&M kinks into killing anyone crossing her path. After all, she is into whips and BRAINS.” If it isn’t getting Oscar consideration this time next year, I say we storm Hollywood. :)