2019 Movie Forecast: Dramas
Looking for a family-friendly movie that doesn’t involve battles, guns or superpowers? Here’s what’s coming in 2019:
If you are love heartwarming films, there will be plenty to choose from this year with tug-at-your-heartstrings doggy dramas. A Dog’s Way Home, is already here, having brought its re-told Lassie tale to theaters on January 11th. Another pooch picture, The Art of Racing in the Rain, opens on September 27th. Adapted from the best-selling novel, this dog’s-eye-view story shares a canine’s perspective on life with his human. Christmas Day is the rumored release date for Call of the Wild, based on Jack London’s classic novel. Featuring a talking dog, the film stars Harrison Ford and Dan Stevens.
Dramas focusing on family dynamics are also coming in 2019. Where’d You Go, Bernadette opens on March 22nd and tells the story of a teenager who searches for her missing, eccentric mother. Expect family secrets aplenty. Guaranteed to be clean and family-friendly is Little Women, which releases on Christmas Day. With an all-star cast – Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Meryl Streep, Laura Dern, Timothee Chalamet – we think that yet another remake can definitely be justified. A far more dysfunctional family comes to the screen on March 1st when A Madea Family Funeral opens.
Viewers hoping for non-Restricted romantic films can look forward to Isn’t It Romantic, which opens on February 13th. Starring Rebel Wilson, this movie follows a young woman who winds up in an alternate reality where her life turns into a (PG-13) romantic comedy. One month later, on March 22nd, Five Feet Apart opens, also with a PG-13 rating. This is a weepy teen romantic drama featuring two leads with cystic fibrosis. Fans of the soapy historical British romantic drama, Downton Abbey, will be thrilled to see a movie based on the series opening on September 20th.
Christian moviegoers can head to the theaters on March 6th when XL:The Temptation of Christ releases. This film, out in time for Easter, depicts Christ’s temptations in the wilderness after his forty day fast. The next month brings another Christian film when Breakthrough debuts on April 17th. This faith-promoting movie retells the story of a young man who was clinically dead for an hour before being revived by the power of prayer. Fans of The Other Side of Heaven, will be excited for its sequel, opening on June 7th. This leaps a few decades ahead in the life of missionary John H Groberg: he’s back in Tonga but his faith is shaken when his sixth child is born critically ill.
Looking for a bit more excitement in the drama genre? Ad Astra, which opens on May 24th, takes an astronaut to the stars to solve mysteries that affect both his family and the survival of planet Earth. Ford v. Ferrari opens on 28 June 2019. This as-yet unrated car-racing drama tells the story of the heated rivalry between Ford and Ferrari as they struggle to win LeMans in 1966.
Fans of biopics are in for a busy year in 2019. May 10th brings Tolkien to the big screen. This film focuses on the early life of J.R.R. Tolkien, creator of Middle Earth, and covers his university studies, service in World War I, and courtship with the woman who inspired his most enchanting fictional character. England’s greatest writer also gets a turn in the megaplex: All is True, starring renowned Shakespearean actor Kenneth Branagh, portrays the final years of William Shakespeare’s life. It will open in 2019, exact date unknown.
Another true-to-life heartwarming film is coming on October 18th when A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood opens. Based on the life of Fred Rogers, iconic children’s television personality, this movie stars Tom Hanks and is sure to be uplifting. Also likely to be inspiring is The Best of Enemies. Based on a true story, this depicts civil rights activist, Ann Atwater, and her battle with C.P. Ellis, Ku Klux Klan leader over school integration.
A musical biopic comes to the big screen when Rocketman opens on May 17th. The story of Elton John, it’s almost certain to feature wild costumes and popular hits. A movie about Motley Cure opens on March 22nd but we are unsure of its rating.
Wanting more music? If you missed the blockbuster musical Cats during its live theatrical run, you will be pleased to know that a film version is releasing on December 20th. Disney is also debuting a musical this year. Descendants 3 is slated for an unconfirmed summer release date and the plot is currently under wraps.
If literary movies are your thing, you can look forward to The Personal History of David Copperfield. Adapted from the novel by Charles Dickens, this film features an all star cast including Tilda Swinton, Ben Whishaw, Hugh Laurie, and Peter Capaldi. It has an unconfirmed 2019 release date. The classic Henry James novella, The Turn of the Screw, undergoes a modern twist in its March 14th release as The Turning. It is not yet rated.
Looking for more exciting or animated family-friendly fare? Check out our 2019 forecast for animated or action/adventure movies.