5 best new movies coming to theaters in January 2019

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Escape Room via Sony Publicity, Photo Credit: David Bloomer

With every new year comes the New Year's resolutions. If yours is to get out more and see more movies in theaters then make sure you start the year off right by seeing the best new movies coming to theaters in January.

There are a lot of great new movies coming out, but equally, some pretty naff ones as well. January is known as the "Dead Month" when it comes to movie releases, which basically means the movies released are not looking to score any big awards or anything. Which usually means they are rubbish.

So you have got to be careful when you go to the theaters. It wouldn't be great popping down and spending some of your hard-earned cash, only for the movie to completely stink. Because even if it stinks, you can't get your money back. If only we could? Wouldn't that be great?

Anyway, before we get too off track, despite January traditionally being a poor month for movie releases, there are some good ones on the way. Five in fact, hence the, five best new movies coming to theaters in January.

So grab a notepad and pen. Or maybe just make sure you save the link in your phone if you prefer. Here are the movies you really want to consider going to see in theaters this month. Starting with the movie that appears to be a modern-day version of Saw.

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New images from Reign of the Supermen animated movie

With Reign of the Supermen set for a US and UK release next week, we've got a batch of new images from the sequel to last year's DC animated feature The Death of Superman; take a look here…

SEE ALSO: Watch the trailer for Reign of the Supermen

It's been months since the unfathomable death of Superman, and the world is still shaken when four Super Heroes arrive in Metropolis, all battling to be the reincarnation of the Man of Steel. Even Metropolis isn't big enough for these brawlers, it's only a matter of time until dark forces make their moves from the shadows…

The Death of Superman and Reign of the Supermen will be released in UK cinemas on January 14th as a double bill, with Reign of the Supermen then hitting digital on January 15th and Blu-ray on January 28th.

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Wellington's movie street loses another cinema

© PR Handout Image Outdoor dining at Courtenay Place  

It was the street that brought the Lord of the Rings premieres to life about two decades ago, but now Wellington's Courtenay Place leaves a gap for movie buffs.

Reading Cinemas suddenly announced on Saturday it was closing its building because of the earthquake risk.

A draft engineering report prompted the move and now further investigations are being carried out.

Tenants inside the Reading complex, which includes food stalls, a McDonalds, a pharmacy, post shop and an ANZ bank branch, scrambled on Saturday morning to put up closed signs.

After the Kaikoura earthquake in 2016, the Reading Cinemas carpark was damaged and had to be demolished.

The building was then renovated before opening again.

Down the road in 2017, the Paramount movie theatre - Wellington's oldest cinema - shut its doors after a century due to its lease running out.

Wellington Chamber of Commerce chief executive John Milford said the loss of Reading Cinemas leaves a big gap for movie fans.

"Yes it will impact - but it will only impact for a short period of time - however long it takes to either fix it, or take it down and build new," he said.

He said the assessment work could take months to complete.

"Until the engineers get in there and actually do a thorough investigation - which will probably mean taking parts of the building apart to actually view it - they won't actually be able to come up with a final outcome," he said.

City councillor Iona Pannett said officials would meet with Reading staff later this week.

She said there were many unanswered questions.

"They've had engineers in and out of that building for the last couple of years so they've got some new information... obviously there will be some questions about the long-term future of the building," she said.

Reading Cinemas has not returned RNZ's requests for an interview.

Its post on social media said the building would stay shut while the engineering work takes place.

Pictures: Golden Globes 2019: Complete Nominees and Winners List

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Fandango to Sell ‘Imax Enhanced’ Movies Exclusively in U.S., Initially on Sony Bravia TVs

Fandango's FandangoNow will become the first U.S. digital retailer to sell Imax Enhanced films released to home video, expected beginning in the second quarter of 2019 on Sony's Bravia TVs.

Imax Enhanced establishes specs for content producers and consumer-electronics makers for Imax's digitally remastered 4K HDR and DTS audio content — a proprietary encoding layer on top of the industry standards that Imax and its partners claim delivers unparalleled sound and video quality.

The first Imax Enhanced movies coming to FandangoNow are set to include Sony Pictures/Marvel's "Venom" and Sony/Studio 8's "Alpha," as well as more than 100 Imax documentary feature titles. Additionally, Paramount Pictures will launch its first Imax Enhanced titles in 2019. FandangoNow will sell the Imax Enhanced titles for the same price as 4K Ultra HD versions. The announcement was timed for CES 2019.

"This feels like a game-changer," said Cameron Douglas, Fandango's VP of home entertainment. "I see it as a differentiator for us, for people looking for the best 4K content."

Douglas said Imax Enhanced content, when viewed on compatible HDTVs, is like "HDR on steroids," referring to High Dynamic Range, a spec that dramatically expands contrast levels and color palette of video.

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Imax Enhanced represents a new rival for Dolby Laboratories' Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos enhanced video and audio technologies. FandangoNow doesn't support content in Dolby Vision, which is available through services including Apple iTunes, Netflix, Amazon and Vudu.

A feature of Imax Enhanced is that it lets content owners control technical aspects of how their works are played back on TVs and audio equipment — ideally, as close as possible to the filmmaker intended. That includes establishing a preset "Imax mode" on the devices, which may include disabling the "motion smoothing" on HDTVs (a controversial feature decried by Tom Cruise and others). In addition, Imax Enhanced titles that were shot with Imax cameras or specially formatted for Imax theaters also will include an expanded aspect ratio for the film's home release.

Terms of Fandango's pact for Imax Enhanced weren't disclosed; it's not clear whether money is changing hands among the parties. Under the promotional pact, FandangoNow is the exclusive U.S. transactional VOD service for Imax Enhanced titles.

Companies that have signed on to the Imax Enhanced initiative, announced in September 2018 in partnership with Xperi's DTS, include Sony Electronics, Sony Pictures, Paramount Pictures and Sound United, whose home-entertainment brands include Denon and Marantz.

Other device partners for Imax Enhanced include Arcam, Elite, Integra, Lexicon, Onkyo, Pioneer, TCL and Trinnov, with products expected to go on sale in select regions beginning in 2019.

FanangoNow was one of the first digital retailers to offer 4K content — back in 2014, when the service was called M-Go, a joint venture of DreamWorks Animation and Technicolor, before Fandango acquired M-Go in 2016. Today, FandangoNow claims to be the leading retailer of 4K movies, with more than 20% of transactions for 4K versions when that format is available.

FandangoNow offers more than 80,000 new-release and catalog movies and TV shows for rent or purchase, including almost 1,000 titles in 4K. The service competes with the likes of Apple's iTunes, Amazon Video, Google Play and Walmart's Vudu.

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Watch these 8 movies to make your New Year gay

2018 delivered Rafiki the first LGBT film to be released from Kenya; we saw famous writers and their career struggles in Colette and Can You Ever Forgive Me; Nick Robinson stole our hearts in Love, Simon; Rachel Weisz spat in Rachel McAdams's mouth in Disobedience and made love to a Queen in The Favourite; with The Miseducation of Cameron Post and Boy Erased we saw gay conversion therapy depicted on both sides of the spectrum.

While there have been some trans stories brought to the screen this year, its characters were played by cis actors. However, it's important to highlight transgender actress Hari Nef, who gave a fantastic performance in 2018's Assassination Nation.

2019 is bound to be another big year for the gays as films that hit major festivals get their due theatrical release. Here are eight LGBT films we're looking forward to (all descriptions are taken from press materials):

Benedetta dir. Paul Verhoeven

The Dutch filmmaker is back with his take on the true story of Benedetta Carlini, a controversial figure in the Catholic church as she was a nun who began a love affair with another woman. The erotic drama is based on the book Immodest Acts – The life of a lesbian nun in Renaissance Italy by Judith C. Brown.

The Death and Life of John F. Donovan dir. Xavier Dolan

This English-language debut for Dolan packs an all-star cast that includes Natalie Portman, Kit Harington, Thandie Newton, and Susan Sarandon. The film deals with themes such as celebrity and homosexuality as it explores the tumultuous life of TV star John F. Donovan and the connection he built through letters to a young fan.

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Giant Little Ones dir. Keith Behrman

Behrman's film follows Franky (Josh Wiggins), a teenager struggling to cope with all the pressure that comes with being that age. It only gets worse when his father (Kyle MacLachlan) leaves his mother (Maria Bello) for a man. He is left feeling angry towards his father, and confused about his own sexuality.

Portrait Of A Lady On Fire dir. Céline Sciamma

After her lesbian hit, Water Lilies, the French filmmaker is back with another. The film is a period piece set in 1700s Brittany. It follows Marianne, a painter who is commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of a bride, Héloïse. Intimacy and attraction grow between the two as they share the reluctant bride to be's last moments of freedom.

Rocketman dir. Dexter Fletcher

The film is a love letter to one of the most prominent figures in the LGBT community and one of the most accomplished musicians of all time, Elton John. Played by Taron Egerton, the film will explore the artist's early years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music, through to his career and partnership with lyricist Bernie Taupin.

Sorry Angel dir. Christophe Honoré

The French film made waves at Cannes in 2018 and will finally get its U.S. release this year. It tells the love story between a young twenty-two-year-old student, Arthur, and a thirty-nine-year-old Parisian writer, Jacques. Set in 1993, the film explores the effects of the AIDS crisis as Jacques is suffering from the disease.

Tell It to the Bees dir. Annabel Jankel

Starring Anna Paquin and Holliday Granger, this tender period drama is set in small-town, postwar Britain. After Lydia's (Granger) son takes an interest in the town doctor, Jean's, (Paquin) bee colonies, the two women form a friendship. Following the eviction of Lydia and her son, Jean opens her home to them, which raises eyebrows throughout the village as their friendship grows into something more.

Vita and Virginia dir. Chanya Button

Based on the play of the same name by Eileen Atkins, this biographical drama explores the romance between socialite Vita Sackville-West and literary icon Virginia Woolf. Gemma Arterton and Elizabeth Debicki are the forces behind this depiction of one of the most fascinating relationships in literary history. Button paints a romantic portrait of the pair from the moment their paths cross, to the publication of the work that would remain their legacy.

Which are you looking forward to seeing? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Every Single Movie We’re Looking Forward To in 2019

It's a new year, so you know what that means: new movies! Although we're still obsessed with movies that hit theaters (and Netflix) in 2018, we're also marking our calendars for 2019 movies we can't wait to see. This year's list of releases is jam-packed, not just with superhero flicks, sequels and tearjerker dramas but also live-action remakes of our favorite Disney animated features, incredible new romances and more.

According to IMDb, there are nearly 5,000 films being released worldwide this year, so how do you know which ones are worth seeing? Don't worry. We've got you covered. From Captain Marvel to Rocketman to Star Wars Episode IX, we've rounded up all the films that we can't wait to see in 2019. Whatever your taste, this list will hopefully feature at least one movie that you'll be eager to see, too. We're especially excited about how many of these films focus on powerful women.

Given that it's only January, we're certain more must-see films will be announced throughout the year. For now, these are the ones we're over the moon about.

A Dog's Way Home (Jan. 11)

From the trailer, A Dog's Way Home feels like an updated, solo version of Homeward Bound — which means it's bound to make dog lovers cry their eyes out. Bryce Dallas Howard does the voice of Bella, a dog who's separated from her family and has to travel many miles to make her way back to them.

Serenity (Jan. 25)

When his ex-wife (Anne Hathaway) asks him to drop her abusive new husband into the ocean, Baker Dill (Matthew McConaughey) gets dragged into a new reality where many secrets lurk beneath the surface. This dramatic thriller saw its original release date pushed back to Jan. 25, so we're especially intrigued now.

Miss Bala (Feb. 1)

Gina Rodriguez taps into her bad side in Miss Bala, which follows her character, Gloria, as she gets caught up in a cross-border crime ring while attempting to save her close friend from certain death. Gloria has to stay one step ahead of everyone, including police, if she wants to succeed and keep herself alive, too.

What Men Want (Feb. 8)

Ali Davis (Taraji P. Henson) is boxed out of her profession by male sports agents who think she can't hack it, but she gains an unexpected advantage when she develops the ability to hear what men are thinking.

Captain Marvel (March 8)

Higher, further, faster. Brie Larson makes her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as the title character in Captain Marvel, which explores Carol Danvers' origin story. When Earth is caught in the middle of a war between two alien races, Carol is humanity's only hope for survival.

The Aftermath (March 15)

No one rocks a period film quite like Keira Knightley. In The Aftermath, she plays Rachael Morgan, a British colonel's (Jason Clarke) wife who moves with him to Hamburg in 1946, during postwar reconstruction. During their assignment, romance brews between Rachael and Stefan Lubert (Alexander Skarsgård), the German man who previously owned the house.

Us (March 15)

If Jordan Peele's Get Out kept you up all night, be sure to catch his new movie, Us, when it hits theaters in March. Lupita Nyong'o and Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale) star in this horror movie that follows a family on vacation to the beach. Their trip turns into chaos when uninvited visitors arrive.

Dumbo (March 29)

In case the animated Dumbo wasn't enough of a tearjerker, Disney's live-action remake looks like it's going to be even more devastating. We're curious how certain scenes (like the pink elephants) will translate in this format, but we're looking forward to seeing how it all plays out.

Breakthrough (April 17)

This drama is based on the true story of John Smith (played by Marcel Ruiz), who fell through an icy lake in St. Louis in 2015 and had no pulse for nearly 45 minutes after he was recovered. His mother, played by Chrissy Metz in the film, turned to her faith to help him pull through. His miracle recovery is the subject of Breakthrough.

Avengers: Endgame (April 26)

After Thanos (Josh Brolin) wiped out half the Earth's population in Avengers: Infinity War, our favorite Marvel heroes have to scramble to put the world back the way it should be and rescue their loved ones in the process. This film will reportedly be Chris Evans' last turn as Steve Rogers/Captain America. Get the tissues ready!

Rocketman (May 31)

Sir Elton John and his husband, David Furnish, are coproducing this fantastical musical biopic about John's rise to fame ahead of the 1972 release of the song "Rocketman," for which the film is named. Kingsman's Taron Egerton will play the entertainment icon, and his transformation in the first trailer is almost unbelievable.

Ad Astra (May 24) Image: 20th Century Fox.

Space: the final frontier. In Ad Astra, astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) journeys to the outer edge of the solar system on a search for his missing father. Along the way, he attempts to unravel a mystery that threatens Earth's survival. The first look at the film, released in September, revealed Pitt in his astronaut suit.

Aladdin (May 24)

Disney has a slew of live-action remakes of its most beloved animated properties in production, including Aladdin. A brief teaser trailer was released in October, but we didn't get a good look at Aladdin, Jasmine and Genie (played this time around by Will Smith) until Entertainment Weekly released exclusive photos in early December.

Dark Phoenix (June 7)

Dark Phoenix explores one of the most infamous stories in X-Men canon: when Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) is corrupted by the Dark Phoenix, forcing her teammates to choose between her life and the lives of millions. This is another one that's sure to make fans of the franchise tear up.

Toy Story 4 (June 21)

If you miss Woody, Buzz and all their friends from Toy Story, don't fret! The gang is back for an all-new adventure in 2019, this time for a road trip that will expand their world in a whole new way. Plus, there's a new toy named Forky in town.

Spider-Man: Far From Home (July 5) Image: Bobby Bank/Getty Images.

Spider-Man: Far From Home follows directly after events in Avengers: Endgame. Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and his friends go on vacation in Europe, but a villain named Mysterioso (Jake Gyllenhaal, who confirmed his part in the film via Instagram) drags the whole trip down, forcing Peter to save them all from his machinations. We haven't seen a trailer yet, but set photos featuring Holland and costar Zendaya were released in October.

The Lion King (July 19)

Who isn't excited for this live-action remake of The Lion King? Beyoncé, Donald Glover, James Earl Jones, Billy Eichner, Seth Rogen, John Oliver and Chiwetel Ejiofor star as Nala, Simba, Mufasa, Timon, Pumbaa, Zazu and the evil Scar, respectively. It's going to be an awe-inspiring cinematic experience, just based on the cast alone.

Downton Abbey (September)

Get ready to return to Downton Abbey with the majority of the season six cast come September 2019. The first trailer doesn't reveal much about the actual plot, but it does show us some very familiar sights.

The Goldfinch (Oct. 11) Image: James Devaney/Getty Images.

Based on Donna Tartt's novel of the same name, The Goldfinch follows Theo Decker (Ansel Elgort), who is taken in by a wealthy Upper East Side family after his mother is killed in a terrorist attack at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Nicole Kidman, Sarah Paulson and Luke Wilson also star in this sure-to-be dramatic film. In set photos released in March, Kidman appears to be deep in character, potentially as Theo's late mom.

Frozen 2 (Nov. 22)

Six years after the first Frozen took the world by storm, Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell) are back in an all-new adventure that's sure to be just as impactful as its predecessor. In an interview with SiriusXM in September, Bell said there will be new characters and a story that needs to be told. Anna, in particular, will go through some serious stuff: "I'll be able to say more when the movie comes out," Bell said, "but there are a lot of very, very intimate moments for me in this movie that feel like they are from my real life." We're so ready.

Little Women (December)

🎥❤️ @LittleWomen pic.twitter.com/cAQifjE8RM

— Emma Watson (@EmmaWatson) December 19, 2018

From what we know about 2019's Little Women adaptation, directed by Greta Gerwig, fans can expect a beautifully reimagined classic for the next generation. We're still waiting for a trailer, so in the meantime, every sneak peek that star Emma Watson posts is giving us life.

Star Wars: Episode IX (Dec. 20)

The newest installment of George Lucas' generation-spanning international phenomenon Star Wars hits theaters in December and will likely feature a final showdown between Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). It'll also wrap up General Leia's (Carrie Fisher) story, which will hopefully provide some final closure for fans following her death in 2017. Disney has yet to reveal a title, trailer or poster for the much-anticipated ninth chapter of this saga, which is only hyping us up more.

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The Best New Movies Coming to Theaters

People generally don't go to movies in January, and that's a bit weird. It's January; you just got trashed at a New Year's Eve party, and now you have to go back to work. Wouldn't you want to find a way to avoid your responsibilities now that they're back with a vengeance? You can't stay in and watch Netflix every day after work.

It's a common thought that movie studios dump their worst movies in January because they know box office totals are low regardless and they can turn at least a little profit. But ever since Get Out dropped in January 2017, the month's revealed itself to be way more profitable than previously thought. This is especially true now that summer blockbuster season, once the only time to drop your expensive crowd pleasers, has now essentially become a year round tradition, with our next blockbusters coming as soon as March of next year.

Will there be another January hit as big as Get Out this year? Probably not—that movie made a shocking amount of money. But there's only one way to really find out, and that's to brave that mid-winter snow and hit the theaters in early 2019. It's one way to stay warm, at the very least. Without further ado, here are the new movies in theaters this January that we're most looking forward to.

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