Welcome to Breaking Geek, a column where uber-geek Nick “Dollface” Doll offers commentary and reactions to the most interesting news of the week (or whatever he feels like), using his expansive knowledge of all things geek! 

It has been a really rough decade for Disney, am I right? The studio hasn’t been profitable since the purchase of Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm, two brands that have really let the House of Mouse down with flop after flop. 2018 has been slightly better, with the huge success of A Wrinkle In Time and Star Wars finally paying off big-time with Solo: A Star Wars Story. But otherwise, 2018 is so far another disappointing year for Disney at the box office, with Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, The Incredibles 2, and Ant-Man and the Wasp all keeping people away from their local multiplex.

One wonders how Disney could possibly afford 20^th Century Fox, especially since they will be taking on that studios sagging franchises including X-Men, Deadpool, and Avatar.

But… maybe, just maybe, there is hope in 2019. I will be going through all of Disney’s major tent pole releases for 2019, though I gotta’ say, with titles like Captain Marvel, Dumbo, Avengers 4, Aladdin, Toy Story 4, The Lion King, Frozen 2, and Star Wars: Episode IX, 2019 is looking pretty dismal. Disney is going to crash harder than Movie Pass.

All kidding aside, I’ll cover these upcoming releases one by one, with some of what we know, and my thoughts.

Captain Marvel – March 8, 2019

“Carol Danvers becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races.”

Boom! Marvel’s first female superhero to not share the title with an Ant-Man. Take that, DC (oh… wait…). And, this little film should tie in heavily to Avengers 4, hopefully more-so than Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Starring Academy Award winner Brie Larson as Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel, Jude Law as Mar-Vell, and villain extraordinaire Ben Mandelson as the head Skrull, this film has another solid cast! Like all Marvel Studios films. Returning are younger versions of Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), as well as the Ronan the Kree (Lee Pace) and Korath (Djimon Hounsou) who may have died in Guardians of the Galaxy, but are very much alive in the 1990s, when the film is set. Written by a cast of writers more vast than even Spider-Man: Homecoming, the film is being be co-directed by Ryan Fleck, and Marvel’s first female director, Anna Boden.

This one will be a hit. We all know it. Will it be as big as Black Panther? Doubtful, but it could defiantly surpass Wonder Woman with that Marvel magic and Avengers 4 anticipation. Black Panther was just as much a movement as a superhero film, so maybe Captain Marvel can energize woman in the same way Black Panther did minorities?

Either way, I can’t wait to see this film, not only because it gets us one step closer to seeing Thanos again, but because Larson as the title character should be amazing, I always enjoy Lee Pace, and ‘90s nostalgia is on its way, in force!

Dumbo – March 29, 2019

I haven’t seen a live-action remake of a Disney movie since the studio became obsessed with them, and I’m not about to change that up with Dumbo.

Directed by Tim Burton (Burton + Disney = Money and Hot Topic merchandise), Dumbo stars Eva Green, Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, and Alan Arkin, among others. That’s quite a few actors who have worked with Burton before, and must trust his vision, even as I have been questioning the director’s talents as of late.

If The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast are any indication, Dumbo should be another big hit for Disney. I only wonder if Captain Marvel is a little too close to Dumbo’s release date. Though they are for slightly different demographics (which do overlap quite a bit), the sheer screen space Disney will demand in March for both movies worries me as someone who manages a movie theater.

Avengers 4 – May 3, 2019

What really needs to be said about Avengers 4, that hasn’t been said a thousand times already? We all have our theories. We all know that Captain Marvel will join the remaining Avengers to take on Thanos and perhaps save their lost friends (and half of life in the Universe)? We all want to see it. We all know who the players are. We all know it’s going to smash the box office to smithereens.

RELATED: Does Avengers: Infinity War Hold Up After Home Video Release? | A Breaking Geek Discussion

My biggest fear when a Marvel Studios movie is nearing release is whether they can maintain the quality of films they are releasing, and this goes double for Avengers 4. If that movie is a let down… I don’t know what I’ll do (keep on living, I suppose).

Moving on!

Aladdin – May 24, 2019

Disney’s second live-action remake of 2019! Wowzers. They are chugging that Kool-Aid.

Aladdin is directed by Guy Ritchie, a normally awesome director who has a rocky track record with movies not set this century, based on King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. I also think his style may be lacking in what will likely be a PG rated film?

Will Smith is your new Genie, and most of the cast, including Naomi Scott as Jasmine, Mena Massoud as Aladdin, and Marwan Kenzari as Jafar, are racially correct for the roles they are playing. There has been a bit of controversy though, with the “browning” of white extras used in the background of some shots.

But, there will be singing and dancing, including a new song! And it’s a primo release date, even if it comes out just as quickly after Avengers as Solo: A Star Wars did this year. Like Dumbo, there is less overlap between Aladdin’s audience and a Marvel audience, compared to the overlap of Marvel Studio and Star Wars, not that it was the release date that caused Solo to flop hard… for a Star Wars film.

Even if Guy Ritchie turns out another stinker, the name alone should carry this film as it has all the live-action releases before it. I am pleased Disney is trying more auteur type directors in Ritchie. Sure, Burton fits that mold as well, but he’s been with Disney forever.

Toy Story 4 –June 21, 2019

I don’t want this movie. I love Toy Story 3. It was the perfect ending for a beloved franchise, with our heroic toys getting their ride into the sunset moment at the end, though not as literal as in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

But, like Jones, these toys won’t leave well enough alone, so… they’re back!

Look, I trust the team at Pixar. I just wish they had picked an original project or a sequel to a franchise that doesn’t already have a solid trilogy with a beginning, middle, and clear end.

But, yeah… another billion for Disney here.

The Lion King – July 19, 2019

What the…? ANOTHER live-action remake? If you can even call The Lion King that, because won’t all the animals be animated?

It’s got real talent, directed by Jon Favreau (The Jungle Book, Iron Man), and a voice cast that includes Eric Andre, Seth Rogen, Donald Glover, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Keegan-Michael Key, James Earl Jones, Beyonce, and Billy Eichner.

This one seems to have the highest potential for great success of all the live-action remakes of animated classics in 2019, because people fucking love The Lion King. I though, will continue skipping these dumb remakes. Because they are dumb. Dumb. I’ll watch my version, the OG version.

Artemis Fowl – August 9, 2019

The name rings a bell, but I had to look this property up.

Now I know it is based off a series of eight science fiction novels by Eoin Colfer, focusing on criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl II. Here’s Disney’s synopsis for the film from IMDB:

“Artemis Fowl the second, a young Irish criminal mastermind, kidnaps the fairy LEPrecon officer Holly Short for ransom to fund rescuing his father. Once a transaction is made, they go onto a hunt for the evil pixie Opal Koboi and rush to save Artemis Fowl senior from the Arctic.”

Directed by Kenneth Branagh, the film stars Judi Dench, Josh Gad, and a bunch of people I’ve never heard of, though Ferdia Shaw plays title character Artemis Fowl II.

This one may be a goner, dumped at the end of summer, based on a property I knew nothing about until now. Surely, it is a children’s movie or young-adult film, but even Disney hasn’t been having luck with those types of films lately…

Jungle Cruise – October 11, 2019

Watch out, Pirates of the Caribbean and Country Bears Jamboree, Jungle Cruise is the new film based of a ride you cannot miss! The Rock is wearing beige and is back in the jungle, his home away from home following Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Rampage.

It’s Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. Nice cast, but there is still a lot we don’t know about the film, aside from it being an action/adventure compared to Indiana Jones, as all action/adventure movies tend to be (including WB’s Aquaman). Another weak release month with perhaps a weak title, considering Dwayne Johnson has proven he is not solid as a rock this year at the box office.

Frozen 2 – November 27, 2019

Just, let it go already.

Kidding, but, to this day, I have still never heard that song. So, bully for me!

I’ve also never seen the film, so I have no opinion. This will make a billion dollars. I know that.

Another billion to Disney! These giant blockbusters are adding up fast.

Star Wars: Episode IX – December 20, 2019

Maybe you’ve heard of this one too, though likely you’ve heard of ALL these films, except for Artemis Fowl (though you might know more than me).

Similar to Avengers 4, how much do I really need to tell you about this film? Unlike Avengers 4, the main reason I don’t want to go into detail is that I don’t want to incite a Star Wars conversation, though I may have just done so by mentioning that. And by my very intentional picture choice to rile up Last Jedi haters (sorry, not sorry)!

J.J Abrams is back to directing, and newcomers to the trilogy include Matt Smith, Keri Russell, Dominic Monaghan, and Richard E. Grant. Billy Dee Williams is even back as Lando! Let’s hope it’s great and not entertain any other possibility… yet. Try to wait until it comes out to bash it.

…

There you go. ALL the movies you will be watching in 2019. You’re welcome.

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