10 Movies That Could Be The Major Surprise Hits Of 2018
Venom could be this year's Logan.
As movies like Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle, It, The Greatest Showman and Get Out proved, the biggest movies of the year aren't always the ones you see coming a mile off.
Everybody knows that Fast and Furious, Star Wars, Marvel and Pixar movies will make a boatload of money and be well-reviewed, but there's something more satisfying about seeing a small indie drama blow up and become a hit, or a risky, modestly-budgeted blockbuster take the box-office by storm.
Looking ahead to 2018, it's a big, big year on the franchise front, but there are also a lot of lesser movies that could break out and become the next big thing that gets everyone talking.
There are Oscar-darling directors returning to the scene, popular movie stars attempting to kick-start new franchises, and countless low-budget horror flicks that are begging to become the next Get Out, or Split.
Sure, these movies could fly straight under the radar and barely make a splash, but they each have the potential to completely own the year ahead, remaining firmly in the discussion going into 2019 and beyond.
10. The House With A Clock In Its Walls
The Movie: Eli Roth's adaptation of John Bellairs' 1973 horror novel, The House With A Clock In Its Walls will follow Lewis Barnavelt, a recently orphaned 10-year-old boy who discovers that his uncle's old house is hiding a dark, magical secret.
Jack Black and Cate Blanchett will star, and though Black's inclusion makes it seem like the movie will lean heavily on the comedy, the fact that Roth - who is known for the Hostel series - is directing suggests this will be both scary and funny.
Why It Could Be A Hit: The House With A Clock In Its Walls is a fantasy-horror based on a popular "scary" book that's aimed at kids.
And as it happens, Jack Black recently starred in a fantasy-horror based on a popular "scary" book that's aimed at kids, a movie he propelled to box-office and critical success - Goosebumps.
Sure, the Goosebumps brand probably helped, but its popularity proved there's an appetite for this type of movie. The House With A Clock In Its Walls is also opening in a quiet September, something that's benefited scary movies in the past (like IT last year).