Now that the dust has settled on a successful awards season, and after a dismal January and February filled with a glut of lackluster releases, April looks to capitalize on the last month’s momentum to regain solid grosses at the box office when compared to 2023. A few bright spots this past March, including Dune: Part Two, Kung Fu Panda 4, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, and Godzilla vs. Kong: The New Empire (Surprise! They’re all sequels!!!) will remain solid second options if some of the April new releases are sold out, if you want to see it again on $5 Tuesday screenings, or end up less than stellar. Here are some of the titles to keep an eye on this month, and as always, make sure you check the local listings before heading out to your favorite Showplace Cinemas or AMC Theaters locations.
The First Omen (April 5): Legacy horror IP reboots have been hit (Halloween and Scream) or miss (The Exorcist: Believer) over the last few years, but one franchise that’s been waiting in the wings for almost two decades is ready to show you how it all began. Boasting a cast of international actors like Bill Nighy (Love Actually), Charles Dance (Game of Thrones), Ralph Ineson (The Witch), Sonia Braga (Kiss of the Spider Woman), and newcomer Nell Tiger Free, veteran TV director Arkasha Stevenson hopes this holy ensemble can deliver a new classic.
Monkey Man (April 5) – In one of the most unlikely feature film directorial debuts of all time, Writer/Producer/Director/Actor Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) stars as an unnamed man who takes on the caste system single-handedly to help the poor and powerless in his community. Produced by none other than genre champion Jordan Peele (Nope, Get Out) and receiving a lengthy standing ovation at this year’s South by Southwest Film Festival, this actioner aims to start a new John Wick-esque series for Patel & Co.
Civil War (April 12) – Sure to be one of the most talked-about releases of 2024, Writer/Director Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation) takes us on a politically charged journey through a fractured, near-future United States. Starring Kirsten Dunst (Spider-Man Trilogy), Wagner Moura (Narcos), Cailee Spaney (Priscilla) as a group of embedded journalists, and Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) as the president, this film looks to provoke, frighten, and entertain in equal measure.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (April 19) – For fans of classic ensemble war movies like The Dirty Dozen and new classics like Inglorious Basterds, Director Guy Ritchie (Sherlock Holmes, Snatch) brings his characteristic high-brow action set pieces and low-brow comedic sensibilities to this period tale of a ragtag group of British soldiers who carry out guerilla warfare against the Germans during World War II. Henry Cavill (Man of Steel, Mission: Impossible – Fallout), Henry Golding (Snake Eyes, Crazy Rich Asians) and Alex Pettyfer (Magic Mike) star.
Abigail (April 19) – A group of criminals get more than they bargained for when they are trapped in a mansion with the young ballerina daughter of an underworld crime boss. Needless to say, fans of 2022’s M3GAN will be lining up to see yet another creepy girl slasher fest. Directed by the team behind Scream V and VI (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett) and co-starring Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), Kathryn Newton (Ant-Man and the Wasp – Quantumania), Dan Stevens (The Guest) and Matthew Goode (Watchman), this movie is sure to deliver all the jump scares and claustrophobic gore you can handle.
Challengers (April 26) – An injured and bitter tennis phenom (Zendaya) must now coach her husband (Mike Faist) out of a losing streak against her former lover and his former best friend (Josh O’Connor), erupting into an erotic Australian doubles-style love triangle. Originally slated for release during the WGA and SAG strikes, MGM pushed the opening back to spring in hopes they have a winner on their hands, especially with the post-Dune: Part Two success of its star. This romantic dramedy is the latest feature effort from award-winning Italian Director Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name).