VFX at the Movies, Summer and Autumn 2024

Sizzling Special Effects

Scripts, actors and cinematography are all well and good, but incredible visual effects are what really make a movie pop.

And although we’ve already had a few VFX-heavy film fixes this year – we’re talking Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part 2, Gil Kenan’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and Shawn Levy’s Deadpool & Wolverine – the majority of MOVIE movies are yet to hit cinemas.

So, without further ado, mustardFX brings you our picks of the flicks, with visuals to make your heart beat faster than ten tins of Red Bull. We give you VFX at the Movies this summer and autumn 2024.

August = Alien

Fede Álvarez’s Alien: Romulus is one of the most hotly anticipated movies of 2024. It is, of course, the latest entry in the now 45-year-old Alien franchise. Back when Ridley Scott directed the first film, the xenomorph was simply a man dressed up in a monster suit.

Needless to say, CGI is now being used to bring that acid-blooded extra-terrestrial to life courtesy of Image Engine (3 Body Problem, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, The Mandalorian et al). The Vancouver-based VFX house has been tasked with bringing 2024-level effects to this beloved horror franchise, and we’re positively salivating at how much more photo-realistic one of cinema’s most terrifying creatures will be.

It’s released in the UK on 16 August – book your seat early to avoid disappointment.

September’s On Genius Alert

Late summer welcomes a movie with the potential to knock the ball out of the park. Francis Ford Coppola, that giant of 70s cinema (The Godfather, Apocalypse Now) hasn’t directed a film since 2011’s low budget Twixt. But now he’s back, with a project so ambitious it’s been given a name to match.

Megalopolis, from its teaser trailer at least, seems to have more in common with his skyscrapingly ambitious 70s movies. Centred around the aftermath and reconstruction of New York City following a natural disaster, there’s scope-a-plenty to sprinkle on some special effects stardust… you’d think.

Yet it’s been a bumpy ride to the big screen. Scurrilous (maybe) reports suggest that Coppola sacked his entire VFX team, and that other members of the crew were either given the boot or resigned. But pushing the gossip aside, the trailer hints at a movie unlike any other, with VFX house Rise taking credit for whatever’s made it to the big screen.

And with a $120 million budget (financed almost entirely by Coppola himself) this beauty will surely make a noise. 27 September is the date for your diary.

October’s Spider-Man Spin-Off

Mid-autumn ushers in Venom: The Last Dance, the latest film in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe series. Tom Hardy once again stars as Eddie Brock, an investigative journalist with so much more to offer than typing skills. Brock is, of course, the host of Venom, an alien symbiote that imbues him with super-human abilities.

John Moffatt and Aharon Bourland are on Visual Effects Supervisor duties, while Greg Baxter is the Visual Effects Producer. ILM, DNEG, Digital Domain, Rodeo FX, and Territory Studio are among the VFX houses employed on the film.

Released on 25 October – be there, or be square!

November’s Superstar Sequel

A rare non-sci-fi effects movie arrives in November in the shape of the long-gestating Gladiator II. Ridley Scott’s original chariot for Russell Crowe was the game-changer of 2000, with a simply awesome digitally-created Colosseum, as well as a phenomenal CG-assisted resurrection of actor Oliver Reed (who died mid-production).

So, down to business – the sequel, now starring Paul Mescal as Lucius Verus, has 24 years’ worth of advancements in digital tech to wow us with. From the trailer, it looks like Ridley Scott is once again harnessing the very best that VFX has to offer right now.

The special effects wizards responsible for this second coming are ILM (them again!),

Framestore, and SSVFX, while the VFX Production Supervisor t-shirt is worn by Mark Bakowski. Keep 15 November free of all commitments.

Another One in November?

If Gladiator II is likely to be a ‘no kids allowed’ movie, then at the opposite end of the cinematic spectrum is Wicked. This is the first of a two-part film adaptation of the Wizard of Oz-inspired stage musical also going by the name of Wicked.

If your expectations include a candy-coloured fantasy world where talking goats, flying chimpanzees and magical fairies are as real as double-decker buses, then you’re unlikely to be disappointed.

It’s all brought to life by Industrial Light & Magic and Framestore (yes, the same names come up again for good reason!). Wicked makes its UK debut on 22 November, but maybe it’s best to save this cracker for Christmas.

These are just a few of the VFX-saturated movies coming your way later this year, and we’ve not even looked at Kraven The Hunter, Mufasa: The Lion King, Monster Summer and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Any one of these could be walking away with 2025’s Best Visual Effects Oscar, but which one will snatch gold? The VFX gloves are off!

Do you have the VFX skills we’re looking for?

Great! You’ll be delighted to hear that the mustardFX team has a constant stream of brilliant jobs landing on its desk, so why not give us a call? And if you’re an FX studio looking for your next star turn, we can definitely help you with that. The number to dial is 0117 929 6060.