My MOST Anticipated Books, Films & T.V Shows of 2018..

Hello Again Guys!

Yesterday I was scrolling around on the Chapters Website, and I got SO excited seeing all the new books that are coming out over the next few months. I then started checking out what Movies & TV Shows are up-and-coming for 2018 as well.. and I came across so many incredible looking things.. that I decided I absolutely HAD to make a blog post about it.

It kind of scares me how many things I need to go to the movie theater to see/ record on my PVR & buy from the Bookstore. My poor wallet. 2018 is going to be one hell of a year, if this is any indication of what’s to come.

Since I haven’t actually seen any of these movies, watched any of these shows.. or read any of these books yet.. I will just give you guys a brief summary about my first impressions of each one… and I will then attach the Google Plot Summary for each one/as well as a photo of it from Google Images.

And off we go..

Upcoming 2018 MOVIES

1.) “Ready Player One”

Directed by Stephen Spielberg

Release Date: March 30th/2018 in Canada

“It was the dawn of new era, one where most of the human race now spent all of their free time inside a videogame.”
― Ernest Cline, Ready Player One

“Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline is hands down one of my all-time favorite books.. EVER. It isn’t a genre I would normally read, but it’s my fiancé Ryan’s favorite book and he urged me to pick it up. I fell in love with it immediately! The world building was outstanding, and the premise is equal parts disturbing & brilliantly futuristic. It takes Virtual “Reality” to a epic level. I can’t wait to see this book adapted for the big screen.. by none other than the legend Stephen Spielberg himself. This one is going to be amazing, I just know it. If you haven’t read this book yet, I highly suggest you do before March!

Google Movie Plot Summary

(From filmmaker Steven Spielberg comes the science fiction action adventure “Ready Player One,” based on Ernest Cline’s bestseller of the same name, which has become a worldwide phenomenon. The film is set in 2045, with the world on the brink of chaos and collapse. But the people have found salvation in the OASIS, an expansive virtual reality universe created by the brilliant and eccentric James Halliday (Mark Rylance). When Halliday dies, he leaves his immense fortune to the first person to find a digital Easter egg he has hidden somewhere in the OASIS, sparking a contest that grips the entire world. When an unlikely young hero named Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) decides to join the contest, he is hurled into a breakneck, reality-bending treasure hunt through a fantastical universe of mystery, discovery and danger. Spielberg directed the film from a screenplay by Zak Penn and Ernest Cline.)

2.) “Isle of Dogs”

Directed by Wes Anderson

Release Date: March 23rd/2018 in Canada & USA

First off, I am a HUGE/slightly obsessed Wes Anderson fan. “Moonrise Kingdom”, “The Royal Tenenbaums”, and “The Life Aquatic” are just a few of my favorites. Wes Anderson is an absolute genius, and every single one of his films is perfection. The color palettes alone are breathtaking! “Isle of Dogs” looks so so good, and the animation is mind-blowingly good. I will be seeing this one opening night for sure.

Google Movie Plot Summary

(In the future, an outbreak of canine flu leads the mayor of a Japanese city to banish all dogs to an island that’s a garbage dump. The outcasts must soon embark on an epic journey when a 12-year-old boy arrives on the island to find his beloved pet.)

3.) “Annihilation”

Directed by Alex Garland (Director of Ex-Machina)

Release Date: February 23rd/2018

Holy SHIT this movie looks cool. I just showed Ryan the trailer, and he was blown away. “Ex-Machina” is one of the greatest movies I’ve ever seen.. and I will watch ANYTHING Alex Garland directs next. I have a feeling this will be just as amazing, if not even better. I also am kind of in love with Natalie Portman, so that’s a plus. This film is sort of impossible to describe after watching the trailer.. it looks futuristic, alien-like.. and like an all female adventure into a horrifying looking alien world. I can’t wait for this one. I highly suggest you guys watch the trailer.. it needs to be seen to believe.

Google Movie Plot Summary

(A biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition where the laws of nature don’t apply. Based on Jeff VanderMeer’s best-selling Southern Reach Trilogy, Annihilation stars Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny and Oscar Isaac. It was written and directed by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, 28 Days Later).

4.) “Game Night”

Directed by John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein

Release Date: March 2nd/2018

This movie has a really clever plot idea, and it looks equal parts funny and twisted. I LOVE love love Jason Bateman, and he continues to impress me lately.. with “The Gift” and “Ozark”. Also who doesn’t love Rachel McAdams? This is basically the story of a “Game Night/Murder Mystery Party” that is very intense.. and has fake criminals and police.. all as a part of this “Game”…. But what happens if something is going on for real.. or is it all part of the GAME?! I love the plot, it’s very reminiscent of the 1997 film “The Game” starring Sean Penn.

Google Movie Plot Summary

(Max and Annie’s weekly game night gets kicked up a notch when Max’s brother Brooks arranges a murder mystery party — complete with fake thugs and federal agents. So when Brooks gets kidnapped, it’s all supposed to be part of the game. As the competitors set out to solve the case, they start to learn that neither the game nor Brooks are what they seem to be. The friends soon find themselves in over their heads as each twist leads to another unexpected turn over the course of one chaotic night.)

Upcoming 2018 TV SHOWS

1.) “Sharp Objects”

HBO

Mini-Series

Directed By Jean-Marc Vallée

Release Date: Summer 2018

OhmyGOD am I excited for this one. “Sharp Objects” is in my opinion the absolute BEST of Gillian Flynn’s books. I loved “Gone Girl” obviously, but “Sharp Objects” was my fav. It was so incredible dark and twisted.. at times hard to read, but overall one of the most amazing thrillers I’ve ever read. When I found out HBO was making this into a TV Show/Mini-Series I almost threw up I was so excited. I love Amy Adams, and this casting choice is perfection. I’m counting down the days to this one. Once again, if you haven’t read this book yet, you absolutely MUST before this Summer.

Google TV Show Plot Summary

(A reporter confronts the psychological demons from her past when she returns to her hometown to cover a violent murder. Sharp Objects is an upcoming American miniseries starring Amy Adams, based on Gillian Flynn’s novel of the same name. It will be developed by Marti Noxon, with Jean-Marc Vallée as director.)

2.) “”Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams”

Program Creator, Ronald D Moore

A Sci-Fi Anthology (10 Episodes)

An Amazon Prime Exclusive

Release Date: January 12th/2018 (Already Out!)

Starring: Bryan Cranson, Steve Buscemi, Richard Madden (aka Robb Stark), Greg Kinnear, Anna Paquin… and so many more!

This 10 Episode Anthology series is 100% going to be the next “Black Mirror”. This looks absolutely fucking amazing. I can’t even tell you how excited I am for this. Every episode tells it’s own story… and stars so many incredible actors.. like Bryan Cranston.. Steve Buscemi.. Juno Temple.. and Anna Paquin!!! I could go on and on. Each stand-alone episode is inspired by short stories written by the sci-fi legend Philip K Dick, who wrote the EPIC book “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”, which was the inspiration behind the beloved film “Blade Runner”. This series is going to be the greatest.

Google TV Shows Plot Summary

(“Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams” is a 10-episode science-fiction anthology series that journeys into unique worlds beyond the reach of the imagination. Based on short stories written by Dick, each stand-alone episode is inspired by a different story, adapted by a team of leading British and American writers. The all-star cast changes with each episode and includes Bryan Cranston, Steve Buscemi, Greg Kinnear, Timothy Spall and Anna Paquin. “Electric Dreams” is a co-production between the U.K’s Channel 4 and Amazon Prime Video.)

3.) “Castle Rock”

Created By, J.J Abrams

HULU

Based On, The Stories By Stephen King

Release Date: February 17th/2018

(It said in a press release that the series “combines the mythological scale and intimate character storytelling of King’s best-loved works, weaving an epic saga of darkness and light, played out on a few square miles of Maine woodland.- Wikipedia)

“Castle Rock” is the fictional town Stephen King has set many of his stories in… “Doctor Sleep”, “The Dead Zone”, and “Revival” to name a few. This new Hulu produced creation, is a horrifying show based on many of Stephen King’s famous characters. It actually stars Sissy Spacek (Carrie), and Bill Skarsgård (who literally played IT the clown). This looks creepy as hell, and will be a very nostalgic and amazing treat for any Stephen King fan out there.

Google TV Plot Summary

(Castle Rock is an upcoming American psychological horror web television series created for Hulu. It is based on the stories of Stephen King, intertwining characters and themes from the fictional town of Castle Rock.)

“Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.”
― Stephen King

4.) “Mosaic”

HBO & Steven Soderbergh

Release Date: January 22nd/2018

It is being released in two forms: as an IOS Mobile App/ and as a 2018 television drama.

Basically a “Choose Your Own Murder Mystery Adventure, For The Technology Age”

This is maybe the most unique, and inventive things I have seen television do in YEARS. HBO has always been leading the pack in terms of quality.. but THIS is on a whole new level. This new show.. is a murder mystery with a HUGE twist… You can control the outcome.. on your own PHONE. It’s like a grown-up “choose your own adventure”, and I couldn’t be more excited. I have NO idea how this will work or play out.. but it has 100% got my full attention. Not only is this being done by HBO… but with Steven Soderbergh involved.. how can it not be genius?

Wikipedia TV Plot Summary

(Mosaic is a 2017 murder mystery by Steven Soderbergh, being published by HBO. It is being released in two forms: as an IOS App and a TV Show. Mosaic is similar to an interactive movie while the user cannot affect the plot, they can choose from which perspective the same plot is viewed, and learn different facets of it. Users can also investigate on their own time background documents, emails, news clippings, voice mails, police reports, and the like in a “Discoveries” option. HBO plans to release Mosaic as a six-episode television series on January 22, 2018. The television series will contain largely the same content as the app, but without the interactivity or the ability to research documents, and will be slightly shorter)

Upcoming 2018 BOOKS

1.) “Providence”

By Caroline Kepnes

Release Date: June 18th/2018

Caroline Kepnes is one of the most fantastic writers EVER. Her two books “You” and it’s sequel “Hidden Bodies” are honestly 2 of my fav books of all-time. As soon as I heard she had a new book coming out, I dropped everything in the quest to pre-order it. I can’t WAIT to read this… and I know it’s going to be amazing. Also I forgot to mention above, but her amazing/terrifyingly creepy novel “You”, is about to become a TV Series very soon.. and I can’t wait.

Indigo/Chapters Plot Summary

(A propulsive novel that is part love story, part detective story, and part supernatural thriller—from the acclaimed author of You whose work Stephen King describes as “hypnotic and totally original”
Best friends in small-town New Hampshire, Jon and Chloe share a bond so intense that it borders on the mystical. But before Jon can declare his love for his soul mate, he is kidnapped, his plans for a normal life permanently dashed.
Four years later, Chloe has finally given up hope of ever seeing Jon again. Then, a few months before graduation, Jon reappears. But he is different now: bigger, stronger, and with no memory of the time he was gone. Jon wants to pick up where he and Chloe left off . . . until the horrifying instant he realizes that he possesses strange powers that pose a grave threat to everyone he cares for. Afraid of hurting Chloe, Jon runs away, embarking on a journey for answers.
Meanwhile, in Providence, Rhode Island, healthy college students and townies with no connection to one another are suddenly, inexplicably dropping dead. A troubled detective prone to unexplainable hunches, Charles “Eggs” DeBenedictus suspects there’s a serial killer at work. But when he starts asking questions, Eggs is plunged into a whodunit worthy of his most outlandish obsessions.
With an intense, mesmerizing voice, Caroline Kepnes makes keen and powerful observations about human connection and how love and identity can dangerously blur.
Advance praise for Providence
“The infinite talent of Caroline Kepnes shines through every page of this extraordinary tale. Equal parts tender, magical, and eerie, Providence is sure to be one of the best thrillers of the year.”—Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl …“Caroline Kepnes’s Providence is an inventive, dark fairy tale/love story for the twenty-first century, a compulsively readable novel about the complexity of love, relationships, and the monsters we allow ourselves to become. Plus, I have a new favorite character, named Eggs.”—Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts and The Cabin at the End of the World
“Told in her unique style, Caroline Kepnes has stretched and reimagined what a paranormal thriller can be. Propulsive, creepy, and entertaining, Providence is a modern mystery from a gifted storyteller.”—Iain Reid, bestselling author of I’m Thinking of Ending Things)

2.) “All The Beautiful Lies”

By Peter Swanson

Release Date: April 3rd/2018

I think this might be my most anticipated read of 2018. I love Peter Swanson SO much, and I have been obsessed with his books ever since reading “The Kind Worth Killing”. That book was so good… it’s almost in-describable. It might be the greatest thriller ever written. To say I have high hopes for this book, would be a giant understatement.

Indigo/Chapters Plot Summary

(From the acclaimed author of Her Every Fear and The Kind Worth Killing comes a diabolically clever tale of obsession, revenge, and cold-blooded murder—a sly and brilliant guessing game of a novel in the vein of Ruth Ware, Paula Hawkins, and Patricia Highsmith. Harry Ackerson has always considered his stepmother Alice to be sexy and beautiful, in an “otherworldly” way. She has always been kind and attentive, if a little aloof in the last few years. Days before his college graduation, Alice calls with shocking news. His father is dead and the police think it’s suicide. Devastated, Harry returns to his father’s home in Maine. There, he and Alice will help each other pick up of the pieces of their lives and uncover what happened to his father. Shortly after he arrives, Harry meets a mysterious young woman named Grace McGowan. Though she claims to be new to the area, Harry begins to suspect that Grace may not be a complete stranger to his family. But she isn’t the only attractive woman taking an interest in Harry. The sensual Alice is also growing closer, coming on to him in an enticing, clearly sexual way. Mesmerized by these two women, Harry finds himself falling deeper under their spell. Yet the closer he gets to them, the more isolated he feels, disoriented by a growing fear that both women are hiding dangerous—even deadly—secrets . . . and that neither one is telling the truth.)

3.) “Anatomy of a Scandal”

By Sarah Vaughan

Release Date: January 23rd/2018

I don’t know a lot about this book, other than the fact it’s being give AMAZING reviews all over town. It’s one of those books that I don’t want to look into too deeply, because I don’t want to have anything spoiled for me. It seems like it’s full of crazy twists, and I don’t want to risk finding any of them out. I will attach the official Indigo blurb.. but if you are worried about possibly getting any information about it at all, skip it. It doesn’t have any spoilers.. but sometimes it’s better to go totally blind.. you know what I mean?

Indigo/Chapters Plot Summary

(You want to believe your husband. She wants to destroy him.
“One of the season’s most buzzed-about thrillers.”—Bookish
“A strong choice for book clubs. Former political correspondent Vaughan makes an impressive debut with this savvy, propulsive courtroom drama.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Vaughan offers gripping insight into a political scandal’s hidden machinations and the tension between justice and privilege…Absorbing, polished.”—Booklist (starred review)
“Skillfully interweaving the story of the unfolding scandal, Vaughan gradually reveals just how shockingly high the stakes are…Sinewy…engrossing, twist-filled.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
An astonishingly incisive and suspenseful novel about a scandal amongst Britain’s privileged elite and the women caught up in its wake. Sophie’s husband James is a loving father, a handsome man, a charismatic and successful public figure. And yet he stands accused of a terrible crime. Sophie is convinced he is innocent and desperate to protect her precious family from the lies that threaten to rip them apart. Kate is the lawyer hired to prosecute the case: an experienced professional who knows that the law is all about winning the argument. And yet Kate seeks the truth at all times. She is certain James is guilty and is determined he will pay for his crimes.
Who is right about James? Sophie or Kate? And is either of them informed by anything more than instinct and personal experience? Despite her privileged upbringing, Sophie is well aware that her beautiful life is not inviolable. She has known it since she and James were first lovers, at Oxford, and she witnessed how easily pleasure could tip into tragedy. Most people would prefer not to try to understand what passes between a man and a woman when they are alone: alone in bed, alone in an embrace, alone in an elevator… Or alone in the moonlit courtyard of an Oxford college, where a girl once stood before a boy, heart pounding with excitement, then fear. Sophie never understood why her tutorial partner Holly left Oxford so abruptly. What would she think, if she knew the truth?)

4.) “The Last Time I Lied”

By Riley Sager

Release Date: July 10th/2018

“Final Girls” was one of the best books I read in 2017, and I would read anything Riley Sager comes out with next. “The Last Time I Lied” looks fascinating, and like it’s right up my alley. Is it July yet?!

Indigo/Chapters Plot Summary

(In the new novel from the bestselling author of Final Girls, The Last Time I Lied follows a young woman as she returns to her childhood summer camp to uncover the truth about a tragedy that happened there fifteen years ago.
Two Truths and a Lie. The girls played it all the time in their tiny cabin at Camp Nightingale. Vivian, Natalie, Allison, and first-time camper Emma Davis, the youngest of the group. The games ended when Emma sleepily watched the others sneak out of the cabin in the dead of night. The last she–or anyone–saw of them was Vivian closing the cabin door behind her, hushing Emma with a finger pressed to her lips. Now a rising star in the New York art scene, Emma turns her past into paintings–massive canvases filled with dark leaves and gnarled branches that cover ghostly shapes in white dresses. The paintings catch the attention of Francesca Harris-White, the socialite and wealthy owner of Camp Nightingale. When Francesca implores her to return to the newly reopened camp as a painting instructor, Emma sees an opportunity to try to find out what really happened to her friends. Yet it’s immediately clear that all is not right at Camp Nightingale. Already haunted by memories from fifteen years ago, Emma discovers a security camera pointed directly at her cabin, mounting mistrust from Francesca and, most disturbing of all, cryptic clues Vivian left behind about the camp’s twisted origins. As she digs deeper, Emma finds herself sorting through lies from the past while facing threats from both man and nature in the present. And the closer she gets to the truth about Camp Nightingale, the more she realizes it may come at a deadly price.)

Random Other Honorable Mentions In The Book Category.. Coming in 2018