With that announcement that Hoyts cinemas are reopening on July 2, we’re counting down the days until we can recline with surround sound, popcorn, choc-tops and above all else, a good movie on the big screen.
While safety measures are still in place, Australians can once again enjoy new films in a way that can’t be replicated in your living room.
We’ve compiled a list of the 10 biggest films to see at the cinema in 2020 so you can get excited and start making plans.
Note: Australian release dates are confirmed at the time of publishing.
1. Mulan (pushed indefinitely)
When the Emperor of China (Jet Li) issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Army to defend the country from Northern invaders, Hua Mulan (Yifei Liu), the eldest daughter of an honoured warrior, steps in to take the place of her ailing father. Masquerading as a man, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her inner-strength and embrace her true potential.
Mulan is an epic journey that will transform our heroine into an honoured warrior and earn her the respect of a grateful nation — and a proud father.
The film also stars Donnie Yen, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An and Li Gong.
2. Tenet (pushed indefinitely)
Armed with only one word — Tenet — and fighting for the survival of the entire world, the Protagonist (John David Washington) journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real-time. Not time travel. Inversion.
Tenet is directed by Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk, The Dark Knight) and also stars, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Clémence Poésy.
3. Unhinged (July 30)
Academy Award winner, Russell Crowe, stars in Unhinged, a timely psychological thriller that explores the fragile balance of a society pushed to the edge, taking something we’ve all experienced – road rage – to an unpredictable and terrifying conclusion.
Rachel (Caren Pistorius) is running late to work when she has an altercation at a traffic light with a stranger (Crowe) whose life has left him feeling powerless and invisible.
Soon, Rachel finds herself, and everyone she loves, the target of a man who decides to make one last mark upon the world by teaching her a series of deadly lessons. What follows is a dangerous game of cat and mouse that proves you never know just how close you are to someone who is about to become unhinged.
4. The New Mutants (August 27)
Rahne Sinclair (Maisie Williams), Illyana Rasputin (Anya Taylor-Joy), Sam Guthrie (Charlie Heaton) and Roberto da Costa (Henry Zaga) are four young mutants being held in an isolated hospital for psychiatric monitoring.
Dr Cecilia Reyes (Alice Braga), believing the teenagers are a danger both to themselves and to society as a whole, keeps a close eye on them as she struggles to teach them how to rein in their mutant abilities.
When newcomer Danielle “Dani” Moonstar (Blu Hunt) joins the other patients in the facility, strange occurrences begin to take place. The hospital’s patients are plagued by hallucinations and flashbacks, and their new mutant abilities — and their friendships — will be tested as they battle to try to make it out alive.
5. A Quiet Place Part II (September 3)
Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family (Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe) must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realise that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path.
Also stars Cillian Murphy, Djimon Hounsou and Wayne Duvall.
6. The King’s Man (September 17)
As a collection of history’s worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man must race against time to stop them.
Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Stanley Tucci, Gemma Arterton, Harris Dickinson, Ralph Fiennes and Rhys Ifans.
7. Trolls World Tour (September 17)
Trolls is an irreverent comedy extravaganza with fun and boppy music.
From the creators of Shrek, Trolls stars Anna Kendrick as Poppy, the optimistic leader of the Trolls, and her polar opposite, Branch, played by Justin Timberlake.
Together, this unlikely pair of Trolls must embark on an adventure that takes them far beyond the only world they’ve ever known.
Also stars Gwen Stefani, Zooey Deschanel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and James Corden.
8. Wonder Woman 1984 (October 1)
Fast forward to the 1980s as Wonder Woman’s (Gal Gadot) next big-screen adventure finds her facing an all-new foe: The Cheetah (Kristen Wiig).
Barbara becomes obsessed with the divine — including, later, Wonder Woman’s own origins — and makes a Faustian bargain in order to become a demigod herself, the Cheetah. Robin Wright and Connie Nielsen will return as Amazon warriors in flashbacks to Diana’s childhood.
Also stars Chris Pine and Pedro Pascal.
9. Death on the Nile (October 8)
While on holiday in Cairo, Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is approached by successful socialite Linnet Doyle (Gal Gadot). She requests his help in deterring her friend Jacqueline de Bellefort (Emma Mackey) from hounding and stalking her.
Linnet had recently married Jacqueline’s fiancé, Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer), which has made Jacqueline bitterly resentful.
10. Black Widow (October 29)
Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha (Scarlett Johansson) must deal with her history as a spy and the broker relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
Also stars Florence Pugh, David Harbour (Stranger Things) and Rachel Weisz.
11. No Time to Die (November 12)
James Bond’s (Daniel Craig) peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Right) from the CIA turns up asking for help.
The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain (Rami Malek) armed with dangerous new technology.
Craig leads an all-star cast and returning to the 007 franchise is Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw and Lea Seydoux.
12. Top Gun: Maverick (December 26)
Top Gun: Maverick, which premieres in cinema June 25 2020, sees Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, back where he belongs — pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot.
In this new instalment, Maverick finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialised mission.
Here, he encounters Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (played by Anthony Edwards).
The film also stars Mad Men’s Jon Hamm, Ed Harris and of course, Val Kilmer, who is returning as “Iceman”.