Thugs of Hindostan, 2.0, Zero, The Nun, Aquaman, The Predator: Films to look out for in remainder of 2018

The last quarter of 2018 seems promising with mixed releases in Bollywood and Hollywood. With a mix of genres and storylines, the theatres have a lot to offer to audiences before ushering in 2019. Here are some movies you ought to catch. Hollywood The Nun

What it’s about: This is the fifth installment in The  _C_onjuring  franchise after the 2013 film of the same name followed by its 2016 sequel and its spin-offs about the haunted doll, Annabelle and  Annabelle 2 . The demonic nun Valak, who came to life from a painting and terrorised paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) in The Conjuring 2, is back in The Nun. The narrative follows Taissa Farmiga as Sister Irene who, along with Demian Bichre as Father Burke, is sent to an abbey in Romania to investigate the death of a young nun. The Nun will hit theatres on 7 September. Who’s in it: Demián Bichir, Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet, Bonnie Aarons and Ingrid Bisu. Why it may work: Corin Hardy’s _The Nun_ is an origin movie and audiences will get to find out where this character came from. The new installment is rife with macabre and Gothic locales including the Transylvanian mountains, Corvin Castle, Sighisoara and rural Romanian villages. It is sure to drive home the horror. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

What it’s about: A sequel to _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ , this upcoming fantasy drama will throw light on how Newt Scamander, the introverted, magical zoologist, joins hands with Albus Dumbledore, to take down the dark lord Gellert Grindelwald. Who’s in it: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller, Zoë Kravitz, Callum Turner, Jude Law and Johnny Depp. Why it may work: With the collaboration of the greatest-wizard-ever-to-be-born and the nutty Scamander, Potter fans are sure to go in an adrenaline high, not to mention Depp’s nerve-chilling reprisal as Grindelwald. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

What it’s about: The film, which is set in “another universe, that looks and sounds like yours — but it’s not,” introduces Brooklyn teen Miles Morales (Dope’s Shameik Moore), the son of an African-American father (Brian Tyree Henry) and Puerto Rican mother (Luna Lauren Velez), who learns the ropes under the tutelage of a reluctant teacher in Peter Parker. As he takes on menacing foes and saves the world one life at a time, he come to grips with his web slinging powers and grows into his role as Spider-Man. The film is slated to release on 14 December. Who’s in it: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Jake Johnson, Liev Schreiber, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez and Lily Tomlin. Why it may work: The film, which marks the debut of Hailee Steinfeld’s Spider-Gwen, will be a shift from the general Spider-Man narratives into a completely different sphere. Bob Persichetti’s treatment will be something most fans will be eager to discover through the film. The Predator

What it’s about: From the outer reaches of space to the backwoods of southern Georgia, the hunt comes home to the world of Shane Black’s take on the 1987 blockbuster, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers. The Predator strikes worldwide on 14 September. Who’s in it: Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen and Sterling K Brown. Why it may work: This time around, the predators have genetically enhanced themselves with DNA from other species. With only Boyd Holbrook and his ragtag crew of mercenaries able enough to prevent what could be the end of the human race, the new version ought to be an edge-of-the-seat entertainer for most. Aquaman  

What it’s about: This film will mark Aquaman’s first independent appearance since 2016’s  _Justice League_ . Arthur Curry, who is the unwilling ruler of the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, is embroiled in a battle between surface dwellers that threaten his oceans and his own world, who are ready to revolt and invade the surface. Aquaman will hit cinemas on 21 December. Who’s in it: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Nicole Kidman. Why it may work: The movie might delve into the origins of Aquaman, a character which most DC fans have been wanting to know the story of. Bollywood Love Sonia

What it’s about: Depicting the tale of a young girl’s journey of finding her sister, Love Sonia charts Sonia’s transformation from the young, innocent girl to a troubled woman embroiled within the dark world of a global sex trade network. The film is directed by Tabrez Noorani and produced by David Womark. Love Sonia is set to hit the theatres on 14 September. Who’s in it: Freida Pinto, Demi Moore, Mark Duplass, Manoj Bajpayee, Rajkummar Rao, Richa Chadha, Anupam Kher, Adil Hussain, Sunny Parwar and Mrunal Thakur. Why it may work: With powerful performances and a hard-hitting portrayal of the dark underbelly of sex trade, the narrative of Love Sonia is already creating ripples in the film festivals that it released in. Love Sonia seems to be packed with poignant moments delivered by ace performers. Tumbbad

What it’s about: The horror fantasy is touted to be a “thrilling roller-coaster ride that questions the roots of human greed while providing entertainment of the purest kind.” Who’s in it: Sohum Shah, Jyoti Malshe and Anita Date. Why it may work: A one-of-a-kind treatment by director Rahi Anil Barve opened the Venice Film Festival in 2018. Most await the Indian release to discover the horror for themselves. Thugs of Hindostan [caption id=“attachment_5106011” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Aamir Khan. Image from Twitter/@samidsiddiqi91[/caption] What it’s about: The film is set in the period from 1790 to 1805. The narrative will not be a historical film but a fiction set in that period. The film’s plot is based on Philip Meadows Taylor’s 1839 novel Confessions of a Thug, which deals with a thug called Ameer Ali, whose gang of thugs posed a dangerous challenge to the British Empire in India during the early 1800’s. The film is slated to release this Diwali on 7 November. Who’s in it: Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Ronit Roy. Why it may work: Aamir Khan’s magnum opus is one of the most anticipated releases of 2018. Most characters sport an old world look for the film. Bachchan and Khan’s performances will be a must watch for fans. 2.0 [caption id=“attachment_4291593” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Poster for 2.0/Image from Twitter[/caption] What it’s about: In 2.0, Rajinikanth will reprise his Enthiran avatar as Dr Vaseegaran and the robot Chitti, while Akshay Kumar will essay the antagonistic part of the evil scientist Dr Richard. The film also marks Akshay’s debut in the Tamil film industry. It hits the screens on 29 November. Who’s in it: Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar and Amy Jackson. Why it may work: Made on an astronomical  budget of over Rs 360 crore,  2.0 is touted to be the costliest production ever in India. Recently, some more money, reportedly around Rs 100 crore, was  infused into the production  in order to get the VFX quality enhanced to state-of-the-art standards. Even the satellite rights of the film has been sold to ZEE at a staggering  Rs 110 crore,  which is so far the biggest amount in terms of regional cinema. Hence, most fans will be eagerly waiting for the film’s release. Zero

What it’s about: The narrative of the film charts the story of a vertically challenged man, played by Shah Rukh Khan. It was also  reported  that the US schedule will include NASA as one of its locations. SRK had pulled off a similar feat when he had shot at the International Space Station for Swades.  Who’s in it: Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma. Why it may work: SRK’s never-seen-before avatar will surely be a crowd puller. Aanand Rai’s treatment to the narrative will be an added attraction.