New movies 2022: the best films coming this year, from Marvel to Super Mario - and when to see them in the UK

2021 was a bumpy road for cinemas, but some of the most anticipated films of recent times finally got an outing, and there is set to be more of the same in 2022.

From long awaited comic book instalments to the return of beloved characters, there will be lots of familiar faces in multiplexes.

But there are also intriguing new prospects, such as the Harry Styles film Don’t Worry Darling, and the adaptation of hit book Where The Crawdads Sing.

Here are 12 of the most exciting looking films to come in 2022, one for each month of the year!

Belfast

What is it? Sir Kenneth Branagh’s autobiographical film about his childhood in Northern Ireland.

It has been billed as a poignant story of love, laughter and loss in one boy’s childhood amid the social and political tumult of the late 1960s.

The cast includes Dame Judy Dench as Granny, as well as Jamie Dornan as Pa, Caitriona Balfe as Ma, Ciaran Hinds as Pop, as well as 10-year-old Jude Hill as Buddy.

When can I watch it? 21 January

Death On The Nile

What is it? Sir Kenneth Branagh returns as Hercule Poirot after playing Agatha Christie’s fictional detective in 2017’s Murder On The Orient Express.

The follow-up features a cast that includes Rose Leslie, Annette Bening, Dawn French, and Letitia Wright.

Based on the 1937 novel of the same name, Death On The Nile sees Poirot tasked with finding a murderer and unravelling a love triangle while on holiday in Egypt.

When can I watch it? 11 February

The Batman

What is it? The Batman, which is directed by Matt Reeves, will see Robert Pattinson follow in the footsteps of actors including Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, Val Kilmer, Michael Keaton, and George Clooney in playing the Dark Knight.

The film also stars Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth and Jeffrey Wright as Gotham City’s police chief Commissioner Gordon.

When can I watch it? 4 March

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

What is it? April brings the third Fantastic Beasts film, The Secrets Of Dumbledore, set several years after the events of The Crimes Of Grindelwald.

Mads Mikkelsen replaces Johnny Depp as evil wizard Gellert Grindelwald as he moves to seize control of the wizarding world.

Jude Law’s Dumbledore entrusts Eddie Redmayne’s Newt Scamander to lead an intrepid team of wizards, witches and one brave Muggle baker on a dangerous mission.

When can I watch it? 8 April

Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness

What is it? Marvel delivers the next instalment of mind-bending multiverses in May with Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, which sees the return of Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role.

This time he’s accompanied by Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff, aka Scarlet Witch, fresh off her run in the hit Disney+ show WandaVision.

When can I watch it? 6 May

Jurassic World: Dominion

What is it? June will mark the release of the latest Jurassic World film Dominion, with Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard back as Owen Grady and Claire Dearing.

Alongside them will be familiar faces from Steven Spielberg’s original films: Laura Dern, Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum reprise their roles as Dr Ellie Sattler, Dr Alan Grant and Dr Ian Malcolm.

When can I watch it? 10 June

Where the Crawdads Sing

What is it? This eagerly anticipated adaptation of Delia Owen’s bestselling novel of the same name stars Normal People’s Daisy Edgar-Jones and Harris Dickinson.

Edgar-Jones will play Kya, the abandoned “Marsh Girl”, who seeks solace in nature in the coming-of-age story set in North Carolina in the 1950s and 60s.

When can I watch it? 22 July

Secret Headquarters

What is it? This superhero film stars Owen Wilson, Michael Peña and Jesse Williams, and follows a child who begins to suspect his father might be a superhero after discovering a secret headquarters in his basement.

He shares it with his friends, and they start to believe that his estranged father might have a secret double life, and an adventure ensues.

When can I watch it? 5 August

Don’t Worry Darling

What is it? Celebrity couple watchers will finally get to see the film that brought Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles together when Don’t Worry Darling is released in September.

The psychological thriller sees the musician star opposite Florence Pugh, while Wilde is back in the directing chair following up her teen comedy, Booksmart.

It is set in the 1950s in an isolated, utopian community in the California desert and features an unhappy housewife and her husband who harbours a dark secret.

When can I watch it? 23 September

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One)

What is it? Even the staunchest superhero hater found it hard to dislike 2018’s Into The Spider-Verse, an inventive animated take on the Marvel hero that was as visually stunning as it was genuinely funny.

The much-anticipated sequel looks set to deliver more colourful action, a cast of super-powered characters, and laughs for the whole family.

Even if you don’t consider yourself a superhero fan, this one should be on your radar.

When can I watch it? 7 October

The Fabelmans

What is it? This semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama film directed by Steven Spielberg will be loosely based on the legendary director’s childhood growing up in Arizona.

It stars Paul Dano, Seth Rogen and Michelle Williams.

When can I watch it? 23 November

Untitled Mario Movie

What is it? Still without a finalised title, the announcement of an animated feature based on Nintendo’s long-running series of video games about the portly plumber turned many heads.

Strangely, Charles Martinet - who has provided the iconic voices to Super Mario and a whole host of the series’ other characters - won’t be starring, although he is said to be making a “surprise” cameo.

Mario will be played by Chris Pratt, Princess Peach by The Queen’s Gambit’s Anya Taylor-Joy, and Luigi by Charlie Day, known for his leading role in long-running comedy It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

When can I watch it? 21 December

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