10 Movies That Could Be The Major Surprise Hits Of 2018

8. Mortal Engines

A Quiet Place
Universal Pictures

The Movie: Produced and written by Lord Of The Rings helmer Peter Jackson, Mortal Engines promises to deliver on that same epic fantasy feel that made the first three Middle Earth movies absolutely spectacular.

It's based on the novel by Philip Reeve, and is set in a post-apocalyptic world where entire cities have been mounted on wheels and must hunt each other down for resources.

Why It Could Be A Hit: Mortal Engines is one of few "original" blockbusters opening in 2018 (yes, it's based on a book, but this is its first time onscreen).

Audiences have never seen this concept play out on film, and the freshness of the idea combined with slick, glossy, $100 million production values will result in a lot of interest being drawn towards it.

It's also releasing at the start of December, a month that's generated a ton of hits in the past. Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle, The Greatest Showman and Avatar all exceeded expectations after launching during the Christmas period, so there's a precedent here, and Mortal Engines could well be the next movie to join that esteemed club.

And, the last time Peter Jackson fostered a project helmed by an up-and-coming director, we got the superb District 9. No pressure, Mortal Engines.

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Contributor

Danny has been with WhatCulture for almost nine years, and is currently Doctor Who Editor and WhoCulture Channel Manager, overseeing all of WhatCulture's Whoniverse coverage. He has been writing and video editing for 10+ years, and first got a taste for content creation after making his own Doctor Who trailers and uploading them to YouTube (they're admittedly a bit rusty by today's standards). If you need someone to recite every Doctor Who episode in order or to tell you about the making of 1988's Remembrance of the Daleks, Danny is the person to ask.