For avid readers looking forward to seeing their favourite characters transcend from the pages of books to the wide screens of theatres, 2020 may have been rather disappointing. Many movie release dates were pushed back, especially those who – as we would say, die die (others would just say stubbornly) – want to release their expensive, big-budget projects once cinemas opened up. As a result, we see a high volume of movies coming out this year (while others may only see the light in 2022) and a lot of them will be movie adaptations of books. Of the lot, here are 5 movies you really don’t want to miss!
‘SAS: Red Notice’ by Andy McNab
Starring: Sam Heughan, Ruby Rose, and Andy Serkis
Synopsis:
“Deep beneath the English Channel, a small army of vicious terrorists has seized control of the Eurostar to Paris, taken 400 hostages at gunpoint and declared war on a government that has more than its own fair share of secrets to keep.
One man stands in their way. An off-duty SAS soldier is hiding somewhere inside the train. Alone and injured, hes the only chance the passengers and crew have of getting out alive. Meet Andy McNab’s explosive new creation, Sergeant Tom Buckingham, as he unleashes a whirlwind of intrigue and retribution in his attempt to stop the terrorists and save everyone on board including Delphine, the beautiful woman he loves.”
Release date: March 16
‘Without Remorse’ by Tom Clancy
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Jodie Turner‑Smith, and Jamie Bell
Synopsis:
“An elite Navy SEAL uncovers an international conspiracy while seeking justice for the murder of his pregnant wife in Tom Clancy’s ‘Without Remorse’, the explosive origin story of action hero John Clark – one of the most popular characters in author Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan universe. When a squad of Russian soldiers kills his family in retaliation for his role in a top-secret op, Sr. Chief John Kelly (Michael B. Jordan) pursues the assassins at all costs. Joining forces with a fellow SEAL (Jodie Turner-Smith) and a shadowy CIA agent (Jamie Bell), Kelly’s mission unwittingly exposes a covert plot that threatens to engulf the U.S. and Russia in an all-out war. Torn between personal honor and loyalty to his country, Kelly must fight his enemies without remorse if he hopes to avert disaster and reveal the powerful figures behind the conspiracy.”
Release date: April 30
‘Those Who Wish Me Dead’ by Michael Koryta
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Nicholas Hoult, and Jon Bernthal
Synopsis:
“When fourteen-year-old Jace Wilson witnesses a brutal murder, he’s plunged into a new life, issued a false identity and hidden in a wilderness skills program for troubled teens. The plan is to get Jace off the grid while the police find the two killers. The result is the start of a nightmare.
The killers, known as the Blackwell Brothers, are slaughtering anyone who gets in their way in a methodical quest to reach him. Now all that remains between them and the boy are Ethan and Allison Serbin, who run the wilderness survival program; Hannah Faber, who occupies a lonely fire lookout tower; and endless miles of desolate Montana mountains.
The clock is ticking, the mountains are burning, and those who wish Jace Wilson dead are no longer far behind.”
Release date: May 14
‘Death on the Nile’ by Agatha Christie
Starring: Gal Gadot, Rose Leslie, Emma Mackey
Synopsis:
“The peace and tranquillity that was temporarily existent on a cruise along the Nile, on the S.S. Karnak, is destroyed after one of the passengers, Linnet Ridgeway has been murdered. She was young, stylish and beautiful, a girl who had everything – until she lost her life. Renowned Belgian detective Hercule Poirot is entrusted with the important task of identifying which one of the passengers is the killer before they strike again.”
Release date: Sept. 17
‘Dune’ by Frank Herbert
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, and Jason Momoa
Synopsis:
“In the year 10191, a spice called melange is the most valuable substance known in the universe, and its only source is the desert planet Arrakis. A royal decree awards Arrakis to Duke Leto Atreides and ousts his bitter enemies, the Harkonnens. However, when the Harkonnens violently seize back their fiefdom, it is up to Paul (Kyle MacLachlan), Leto’s son, to lead the Fremen, the natives of Arrakis, in a battle for control of the planet and its spice.”
Release date: Oct. 1