Netflix Unveils Massive 2020 List of Dozens of New Original Movies

Netflix has big plans to expand its original film line-up in 2020, and it revealed some of the [...]

By Michael Hein

Netflix has big plans to expand its original film line-up in 2020, and it revealed some of the upcoming titles this week. On Friday, the official Netflix Film account posted a prolonged Twitter thread about the new projects in the works. Movie fans have a lot to look forward to in the coming months.

In an age where more and more of the box office market is going to franchise blockbusters, Netflix is becoming a more viable option for filmmakers looking to tell their own stories. The streaming platform has already taken on some ambitious projects, not all of which were guaranteed success. From Michael Bay's 6 Underground to Martin Scorcese's The Irishman, there doesn't seem to be anything Netflix won't touch.

That trend will continue in 2020, with even more lauded creators, A-list stars and unique premises. In just a few months, it may feel like Netflix is a more comfortable home for film buffs than the movie theater itself.

This is a big gap in the market Netflix can fill, especially with recent revelations about box office trends in 2019. Last month, The Verge reported that Disney had made 80% of the top box office hits for the year, between Marvel superhero movies, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, live-action remakes like Aladdin and The Lion King, new Pixar entrant Toy Story 4 and its own original properties like Frozen 2.

Of course, this near-monopoly on the market makes some uneasy, regardless of how they feel about the movies above. Thankfully, Netflix is still taking a chance on new ideas, and the company seems capable of generating excitement about those stories.

Here is what Netflix has in store for original films in 2020.

The Old Guard

The Old Guard is an adaptation of an independent comic book by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez, starring Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Marwan Kenzari, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. It follows a group of immortal mercenaries fighting various wars throughout history and influencing the world along the way.

The movie has been in the works since 2017, but it filmed this spring in Europe. So far, there is no release date in place for the movie yet.

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Miss Americana

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(Photo: Netflix)

Taylor Swift has already hinted about an upcoming documentary about her career and artistry, and now we know Netflix is releasing it in 2020. Miss Americana is directed by Lana Wilson, and takes a personal focus on Swift herself as she navigates the world of super-stardom.

Miss Americana will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival this month, but there is no word yet on when fans will be able to stream it at home.

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Mank

Film aficionados will get an all-in-one delight with Mank, which tells the story of the writing of the cinema classic Citizen Kane. Directed by David Fincher and starring Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Charles Dance, and Lily Collins, the movie may be the antidote to franchise fatigue some are feeling. Ironically, it will be a Netflix original, although there is no release date just yet.

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Uncorked

Uncorked is the directoral debut of Prentice Penny, a writer and producer known for TV shows like Happy Endings and Insecure. Penny also wrote the movie, which stars previous Netflix original movie stars like Mamoudou Athie of Unicorn Store.

The family drama centers around an ambitious restauranteur who wants to branch out, while his father wants him to take over the family business — a BBQ joint in Memphis, Tennessee. This movie does not yet have a release date either.

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Rebecca

Rebecca is an adaptation of a gothic romance novel by the same name, written by Daphne du Maurier and published in 1938. The movie was adapted once before in 1940 by Alfred Hitchcock, and now director Ben Wheatley will try his hand at it as well. The movie stars Lily James and Armie Hammer. There is no release date just yet.

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Hillbilly Elegy

Director Ron Howard is overseeing this reflection on American life starring Amy Adams, Haley Bennett, Glenn Close, Gabriel Basso and Freida Pinto. Hillbilly Elegy is reportedly about a man growing up in the midwest with Appalachian values, based on a memoir by J.D. Vance.

The movie is in post-production now, but Netflix has not set a release date yet.

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Da 5 Bloods

The latest from director Spike Lee takes us back to the Vietnam War, following five veterans returning to the battlefield. They will reportedly seek out the innocence they lost in the war.

The cast includes Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, TV star Giancarlo Esposito and Paul Walter Hauser, who was in Lee's last hit BlackkKlansman. So far, Da 5 Bloods has no release date yet.

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The Boys in The Band

The Boys in The Band is an adaptation of the play by the same name with a bit of a twist. It follows a group of gay friends who reunite for a birthday party, but find themselves with an uninvited guest. The cast includes Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Matt Bomer and Andrew Rennells. The movie filmed over the summer, and it is expected out sometime in 2020.

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To All the Boys: P.S. I Love You

Netflix is not above sequels, as proven by the upcoming To All the Boys: P.S. I Love You, previously titled To All the Boys I've Loved Before 2. The romance picks up the story of Lara Jean (Lana Condor) and Peter (Noah Centineo), with some newcomers in the mix as well. It is expected out on Netflix on Feb. 12, 2020.

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Eurovision

Musical comedy Eurovision brings Will Ferrell to Netflix, recapturing the spirit of some of his zany character-driven comedies in the last decade or two. He plays an aspiring musician, Lars, working with his partner, Sigrit (Rachel McAdams). The two will have to rise to the unlikely opportunity of representing their country in the biggest international song competition in the world.

Other stars include Demi Lovato and Pierce Brosnan in what promises to be one of Netflix's strangest original entries yet. The movie does not have a release date.

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I'm thinking of Ending Things

Writer-director Charlie Kaufman is adapting Iain Reid's book I'm Thinking of Ending Things to the screen, with the help of stars Toni Collette, Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemons, among others.

The story follows a woman going to meet her relatively new boyfriend's family on a remote farm, even while she is considering ending the relationship. Things take a horrifying turn when they get to the secluded farm, and a psychological thrill ride ensues. So far, the movie has no release date yet.

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To All the Bright Places

Next month, fans will get another romance starring Elle Fanning and Justice Smith in an adaptation of Jennifer Niven's novel. The movie is directed by Brett Haley, and follows a young couple's battle with emotional and physical hardships.

To All the Bright Places premieres on Feb. 28 2020 on Netflix.

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The Last Thing He Wanted

Anne Hathaway plays a veteran journalist in Washington D.C. in the crime mystery The Last Thing He Wanted. The story is based on a Joan Didion novel, adapted by writer-director Dee Rees. In addition to Hathaway, it stars Willem Dafoe, Ben Affleck, Toby Jones and Rosie Perez, among others.

The Last Thing He Wanted will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival later this month, but there is no word on when it will be available everywhere.

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A Fall from Grace

A Fall from Grace shows Tyler Perry expanding into the world of thrillers, and it is one of the most-anticipated releases of the year. The movie stars Crystal Fox as Grace Waters, a woman falling madly in love with a younger man after her ex-husband has an affair.

A Fall from Grace will be streaming on Netflix starting on Jan. 17 2020.

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Tigertail

Tigertail tells the story of an immigrant family over the course of a few generations, starting in Taiwan in the 1950s and ending in New York City in the present day. It is written and directed by Alan Yang, known for working on the Netflix original series Master of None with Aziz Ansari.

So far, Tigertail has no release date yet, but according to Yang, it will be out in March.

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The Willoughbys

Netflix is taking a bold step into the world of animation this year with The Willoughbys, based on a book by Lois Lowry. The movie stars Jane Krakowski, Maya Rudolph, Martin Short, Ricky Gervais, Terry Crews and many others in a surreal adventure through modern values and family structures.

So far, there is no release date for The Willoughbys yet.

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The Kissing Booth 2

Another sequel to a fan-favorite, The Kissing Booth 2 picks up the stories of Elle (Joey King), Noah (Jacob Elordi) and Lee (Joel Courtney). This rom-com also stars Molly Ringwald, and builds on the success of its 2018 predecessor — one of Netflix's first big original movie hits.

The Kissing Booth 2 will be out some time in 2020.

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The Half of It

The Half of It fits in with other Netflix originals that expand on very recognizable tropes in romance dramedies. It centers around a Chinese-American student with straight As who finds herself somehow enlisted in helping the school jock to win over his dream girl. The only issue is that she, too has fallen in love with the same girl.

The Half of It comes from writer-director Alice Wu, and does not yet have a release date.

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Dick Johnson is Dead

Another movie destined for Sundance this month is Dick Johnson is Dead, directed by Kristen Johnson and written by her and Nels Bangerter. The film is about how "a daughter helps her father prepare for the end of his life," but no information on the story or the cast is available beyond that.

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The Platform

The Platform is a speculative dystopia film about a prison where inmates are tortured with starvation and the constant presence of food they cannot eat. The movie has already earned decent ratings from critics, who have seen it in various film festivals since last fall, however, some have criticized its premise is remarkably similar to another recent sci-fi film.

"Did y'all really just rotate Snowpiercer," one person tweeted on Friday.

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Crip Camp

Netflix is releasing a documentary this year as well titled Crip Camp, the story of a summer camp for teenagers with disabilities in the early 1970s. The movie will premiere at Sundance, but there is no word on when it will reach a wider audience.

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Spenser Confidential

Mark Wahlberg stars as Spenser in this crime drama set in Boston's criminal underworld. An ex-felon, he will try to solve a muder conspiracy without landing back behind bars. The movie also stars Alan Arkin, Colleen Camp,Bokeep Woodbine, Winston Duke and Iliza Shlesinger, among others.

Spenser Confidential is based on a novel by the same name written by Ace Atkins. So far, there is no release date in place yet.

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Sergio

Sergio is an R-rated drama about the U.S. invasion of Iraq. It stars Wagner Moura as U.S. diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello, with other stars including Ana de Armas, Brian F. O'Byrne and Garrett Dillahunt. The movie will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival before making its way to Netflix some time in 2020.

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Over the Moon

An animated musical, Over the Moon follows a girl building her own rocket to travel to the moon, hoping to meet the "Moon Goddess" there. It is written by Audrey Wells and directed by Glen Keane, but little else is known about it so far. The movie is currently in post-production and due out in 2020.

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Coffee and Kareem

Coffee and Kareem stars Betty Gilpin, Taraji P. Henson, Ed Helms and Jessie Hutch, among others in a comedy directed by Michael Dowse. It follows a cop in Detroit trying to clear his own name, with his only help coming from his girlfriend's young son. There is no official release date for the movie yet.

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The Prom

Another project from Ryan Murphy, The Prom is one of Netflix's most highly-anticipated original movies coming up. It stars a group of over-the-top narcissistic theater stars storming a small, conservative Indiana town in support of a local high school girl who wants to take her girlfriend to the prom. It stars Awkwafina, Nicole Kidman, James Corden, Meryl Streep, Keegan-Michael Key, Kerry Washington, Andrew Rannells and many others.

The Prom will be out some time in 2020, but we don't know when yet.

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Out of The Fire

Netflix has nabbed Avengers star Chris Hemsworth and writer Joe Russo for an action-thriller that was just recently re-titled Out of the Fire. The movie is still listed as Dhaka on IMDb, with stars including David Harbour of Stranger Things.

Out of The Fire follows Hemsworth as a mercenary trying to rescue a crime lord's son without thinking about the consequences. It is currently in post-production, with no release date in place.

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Lost Girls

Another Sundance entry, Lost Girls is an R-rated thriller about a mother seeking her lost daughter after she feels police gave up the search too easily. It is set in Long Island, where she soon finds a string of murders on the path to finding her daughter.

The movie stars Thomasin McKenzie, Dean Winters and Amy Ryan. It is directed by Liz Garbus.

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Jingle Jangle

Finally, Netflix is already teasing one movie for the 2020 holiday season. Jingle Jangle is a musical starring Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key and Hugh Bonneville in a magical world of toys and imagination. The movie is reportedly finished, and it does not have a release date yet, but it seems safe to say we will not be seeing it until the end of the year.

As big as these announcements seem, Netflix claims they are just a taste of the slate it has to offer in 2020. In the age of the so-called "streaming wars," it is clear that Netflix is not down for the count just yet.

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