Sci-fi movies make up one of Hollywood’s biggest markets, and there are lots of exciting releases to look forward to in 2024. The best sci-fi movies allow viewers to explore vast and imaginative worlds, providing a sense of escapism. 2023 saw a number of successful sci-fi movies debut, from franchise installments like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to the original film The Creator. 2024 will have an upward trend for the genre, with far more releases slated.
2024 will see book adaptations, video game adaptations, original sci-fi films, and the return of major franchises like Alien, Planet of the Apes, Godzilla, and Mad Max. These movies are set to be directed by some of the best talent in the film industry, including Bong Joon-ho and Denis Villeneuve. Due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, many films have seen delayed release dates. While hopefully many of 2024’s films are set now, it’s still possible they could be pushed back again. If all goes as planned, 2024’s sci-fi lineup could make it one of the best years ever for sci-fi films.
15 Distant
January 19, 2024
Distant
- Director
- Josh Gordon , Will Speck
- Cast
- Anthony Ramos , Naomi Scott , Zachary Quinto , Kristofer Hivju
- Rating
- PG-13
- Genres
- Action , Sci-Fi
The first sci-fi movie of 2024 is one that’s seen a rocky road to release. Distant was shot during the COVID-19 pandemic and was originally set to release in March 2022. The film was pushed back three times before finally setting on a January 2024 release date. With a cast that includes Anthony Ramos, Naomi Scott, Zachary Quinto, and Kristofer Hivju, Distant will follow an asteroid miner whose ship crashes on an alien planet. There, he must contend with his AI spacesuit and his environment as he attempts to rescue his crew member and survive.
14 Dune: Part Two
March 1, 2024
Dune: Part Two
- Release Date
- March 1, 2024
- Director
- Denis Villeneuve
- Cast
- Timothee Chalamet , Zendaya , Florence Pugh , Austin Butler , Rebecca Ferguson
- Genres
- Sci-Fi , Thriller , Drama , Adventure
Dune: Part Two is one of the most-anticipated sci-fi movies of 2024, especially after its delay from its original November 2023 release date. Directed by Denis Villeneuve and starring an ensemble cast headlined by Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler, and Rebecca Ferguson, Dune has the chance to be one of the biggest films of the year. The film will conclude the story established in Dune: Part One, bringing the events of Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel to a close and setting up an adaptation of its sequel.
13 Spaceman
March 1, 2024
Adam Sandler is back to dramatic roles for his first ever sci-fi film, Spaceman. The Netflix original will follow Sandler as an astronaut sent across the galaxy, where he’ll encounter a mysterious creature who helps him keep his life from falling apart. Aside from Sandler, Paul Dano, Carey Mullihan and Isabella Rossellini star in the movie. Spaceman is based on the novel Spaceman of Bohemia, written by Jaroslav Kalfař.
12 Mickey 17
March 29, 2024
Mickey 17
- Release Date
- March 29, 2024
- Director
- Bong Joon-ho
- Cast
- Robert Pattinson , Naomi Ackie , Steven Yeun , Toni Collette , Mark Ruffalo , Holliday Grainger
- Genres
- Sci-Fi
South Korean director Bong Joon-ho received international acclaim for Parasite, building great anticipation for his upcoming sci-fi movie, Mickey 17. The film is set to star Robert Pattinson, Toni Collette, and Steven Yeun. Mickey 17 is one of the few sci-fi movies releasing in 2024 that isn’t connected to a larger franchise. The story follows a disposable human employee named Mickey, who is sent to colonize the ice world Niflheim. Mickey can be regenerated every time he dies, making him the perfect candidate for such a dangerous mission — though it may not go as smoothly as expected.
11 Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
March 29, 2024
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
- Release Date
- March 29, 2024
- Director
- Gil Kenan
- Cast
- Finn Wolfhard , Mckenna Grace , Logan Kim , Celeste O’Connor , Carrie Coon , Paul Rudd , Bill Murray , Dan Aykroyd , Ernie Hudson
- Genres
- Action , Comedy , Supernatural
Reboots aren’t often met with praise, making Ghostbusters: Afterlife’s success a huge accomplishment. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is in the works, with Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Finn Wolfhard set to reprise their roles. The film was delayed from its original December 2023 release date due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, which will likely ramp up anticipation further when it does debut.
10 Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
April 12, 2024
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
- Release Date
- April 12, 2024
- Director
- Adam Wingard
- Cast
- Dan Stevens , Rebecca Hall , Brian Tyree Henry , Kaylee Hottle , Fala Chen
- Genres
- Action , Adventure
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will be the fifth movie in the MonsterVerse and a sequel to 2021’s Godzilla vs Kong. For fans of giant monster action movies, the film is set to continue in the franchise’s usual brand of storytelling. Godzilla x Kong was delayed to a new release date in order to avoid competing with Dune and the other blockbusters in March. It will see Brian Tyree Henry and Rebecca Hall reprising their roles from the previous installment. For Godzilla fans, the Japanese film Godzilla Minus One will also release on December 1, 2023.
9 Rebel Moon: Part 2 — The Scargiver
April 19, 2024
Rebel Moon: Part Two – The Scargiver
- Release Date
- April 19, 2024
- Director
- Zack Snyder
- Cast
- Sofia Boutella , Ed Skrein , Anthony Hopkins , Djimon Hounsou , Michiel Huisman
- Genres
- Action , Adventure , Sci-Fi
Zack Snyder has become one of the most popular directors in Hollywood in recent years. Rebel Moon Part 1 was released on Netflix on December 22, 2023, and Part 2 will follow shortly after on April 19, 2024. Snyder’s original science-fiction epic is highly anticipated, promising tons of action and a mature tone. Rebel Moon takes major inspiration from Star Wars, as well as classic samurai films like Seven Samurai. Though the first film received negative reviews, the completion of the story in part 2 could benefit the sci-fi series.
8 Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes
May 24, 2024
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
- Release Date
- May 24, 2024
- Director
- Wes Ball
- Cast
- Kevin Durand , Freya Allan , Peter Macon , Owen Teague , Eka Darville , Sara Wiseman , Neil Sandilands
- Rating
- r
- Genres
- Action , Sci-Fi
While Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes reboot was a disaster, the 2010s reboot trilogy was a great success due to the direction of Matt Reeves. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a follow-up to War for the Planet of the Apes, and it will be the first film of a new trilogy. The movie will star Owen Teague as Cornelius, the son of Caesar, as well as The Witcher star Freya Allan.
7 Furiosa
May 24, 2024
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
- Release Date
- May 24, 2024
- Director
- George Miller
- Cast
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II , Chris Hemsworth , Anya Taylor-Joy
- Genres
- Adventure , Sci-Fi , Action
Mad Max: Fury Road was one of the best movies of the 2010s, as well as being a great reboot to George Miller’s classic sci-fi films. The primary difference between Fury Road and most reboots is that Miller himself returned to direct it. He’ll also be directing the prequel film, Furiosa, which will release in 2024. The spinoff will follow Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa, the character Charlize Theron portrays in Fury Road, as well as Chris Hemsworth as Fury Road antagonist Immortan Joe.
6 A Quiet Place: Day One
June 28, 2024
A Quiet Place: Day One
- Release Date
- June 28, 2024
- Director
- Michael Sarnoski
- Cast
- Lupita Nyong’o , Joseph Quinn , Alex Wolff
- Genres
- Drama , Horror , Science Fiction
A Quiet Place was a massively successful debut for John Krasinski as a writer and director, with both the movie and its sequel being commercial and critical successes. A Quiet Place: Day One is a prequel film led by Michael Sarnoski, who previously directed the film Pig. The prequel is set to star Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, and Djimon Hounsou. With great talent involved, the franchise appears to be in safe hands as Krasinski takes a backseat as a producer.
5 Transformers One
September 13, 2024
Transformers One
- Release Date
- September 13, 2024
- Director
- Josh Cooley
- Cast
- Scarlett Johansson , Chris Hemsworth , Brian Tyree Henry , Jon Hamm , Laurence Fishburne , Keegan-Michael Key
- Genres
- Animation , Action , Adventure
The Transformers returned to theaters for the start of its new saga with Transformers: Rise of the Beasts in 2023. While this series is set to continue, Transformers One is actually going to be an animated prequel film exploring the relationship between Megatron and Optimus Prime in their early days on Cybertron. Brian Tyree Henry will play Megatron, and Chris Hemsworth will play Optimus Prime. Scarlett Johansson is also set to appear as the Transformer Elita, meaning the cast of Transformers One has multiple A-list stars.
4 Borderlands
August 9, 2024
Borderlands
- Release Date
- August 9, 2024
- Director
- Eli Roth
- Cast
- Cate Blanchett , Kevin Hart , Jack Black , Ariana Greenblatt , Florian Munteanu , Jamie Lee Curtis
- Genres
- Action , Comedy , Sci-Fi
Video game adaptations have become more popular in recent years, and the upcoming Borderlands movie will add another one to the list in 2024. Based on the massively popular game, the film is set to be a summer blockbuster, starring Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Jamie Lee Curtis. Borderlands is intended to be a sci-fi action and comedy movie and is directed by Inglourious Basterds star Eli Roth.
3 Alien: Romulus
August 14, 2024
Alien: Romulus
- Release Date
- August 16, 2024
- Director
- Fede Alvarez
- Cast
- Cailee Spaeny , David Jonsson , Archie Renaux , Isabela Merced , Aileen Wu , Spike Fearn
- Writers
- Fede Alvarez , Rodo Sayagues
The Alien franchise has been hit or miss since the first two movies, with Prometheus and Alien: Covenant both receiving mixed reviews. The upcoming installment is the first since Alien: Resurrection not directed by Ridley Scott, who will instead be producing. The film will be led by horror director Fede Álvarez and Priscilla star Cailee Spaeny. The film will take place between the original Alien and Aliens.
2 Sonic The Hedgehog 3
December 20, 2024
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
- Release Date
- December 20, 2024
- Director
- Jeff Fowler
- Cast
- Ben Schwartz , Colleen O’Shaughnessey , Lee Majdoub , Idris Elba , James Marsden
- Genres
- Action , Adventure , Comedy
The Sonic the Hedgehog movies have been surprisingly successful so far, with growing anticipation for the third installment due to the possibility of Shadow the Hedgehog joining the franchise. The popular character was hinted at in the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 post-credits scene and will hopefully be the antagonist of the third chapter. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 veers into sci-fi territory and is set to see most of its cast return, though Jim Carrey has not been confirmed as Dr. Eggman after announcing his retirement from acting.
1 The Electric State
Unknown date in 2024
Netflix has another major sci-fi release in 2024 in The Electric State, a film adaptation of Simon Stålenhag’s graphic novel of the same name. The movie is being directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the creators behind Avengers: End Game, and has an enormously talented cast headlined by one of Netflix’s biggest stars, Millie Bobby Brown. Chris Pratt, Ke Huy Quan, Brian Cox, Giancarlo Esposito, Anthony Mackie, and more star in supporting roles, though some of them will be voicing various robot characters.