The new year is a time for all of us to reflect on who we are and who we want to be. It is a time for resolutions, self-improvement, and goals. However, with January’s midway point behind us, and most of our resolutions resigned to the ever growing scrap-heap labelled “next year,” it is worth considering what TV shows and movies we can look forward to binge watching over the next 12 months.
Beginning in the realm of internet streaming, Amazon Prime’s “The Grand Tour” season three will be released on Jan. 18. Ostensibly a car show, “The Grand Tour” is built around the friendship and adventures of its three hosts, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May. Clarkson, Hammond and May, are long-time friends and coworkers, whose constant bickering, mocking and challenging of each other means the show never has a dull moment. In addition to track tests of exciting sports cars, the show also sends the hosts on adventures to a variety exotic destinations including Mongolia, Hong Kong, and Columbia, to complete a number of amusing challenges. Season two of “The Grand Tour” was a masterpiece, and you can expect to see the same quality in season three. “The Grand Tour” is exclusively available on Amazon Prime, and will be likely to feature 12 episodes at around one hour long each.
In what is likely to be the most anticipated TV release of the year, the eighth and final season of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” arrives April 14. The show features a myriad of complex, interconnecting stories, all of which are likely to come together as the decisive battle for the fate of Westeros grows ever closer. Filmed on a dazzling array of locations, and with a star studded cast including the likes of Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen), Kit Harington (Jon Snow) and Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister), “Game of Thrones” has been an absolute sensation during its eight year run with HBO. Given its propensity for shocking twists, the final season is set for a wild and invigorating conclusion.
Looking to feature length films, 2019 does have its own score of potential blockbusters waiting to be released. Two in particular that are likely to draw massive crowds will be “Avengers: Endgame,” which is presumably the climax of the Avengers storyline, and “Star Wars: Episode IX,” the final episode of the current trilogy. Both of these film series have had tremendous appeal, and expectations are extremely high. The Avengers find themselves in battle with the Titan, Thanos, who has wiped out half the population of the Universe, for his own nefarious ends. The Avengers failure to stop Thanos in the previous film, “Avengers: Infinity War” sets up a dramatic final battle in “Avengers: Endgame” which will arrive in theaters on April 26.
“Star Wars Episode IX” promises to finish the story of Rey, Finn, and Poe’s fight against Kylo Ren and the First Order, who seek to dominate the galaxy. The main battle of the trilogy is now fully set up, with Rey committed to becoming a Jedi, while Kylo Ren has now become fully enveloped by dark side of the force. Many fans left the previous episode, “The Last Jedi,” disappointed, and the following film, “Solo,” was something of a flop, so the pressure is on director JJ Abrams to deliver a success in the final chapter of this story. The tragic death of Carrie Fisher has left a hole in the cast, and “Episode IX” is likely to be something of a tribute to Fisher’s memory. “Episode IX” hits the big screen Dec. 20, 2019, just in time for Christmas crowds.
Disney is truly busy in 2019, with remakes of “Aladdin,” “The Lion King” and “Dumbo,” as well as a sequel to the instant classic “Frozen” all set for releases throughout 2019.
The sequel to “It” will also reach the big screen in 2019. The movie remake of Stephen King’s classic novel was something of a sensation in 2017, and fans have been eagerly awaiting the sequel.
There are plenty of good television shows and movies on the way in 2019. So start procrastinating on those New Year’s Resolutions, and get settled into the best the film industry has to offer this year!