Women are amazing creatures. When they put their minds to it, things get accomplished. The world has women to thank for computer programming and WiFi, Monopoly, medical syringes, immunosuppressive drugs, Kevlar, central heating, fire escapes, caller ID, chocolate chip cookies and ice cream makers, and the discovery of radioactivity, among many other things. They’ve been powerful world leaders, inspiring athletes, and broken boundaries in the creative arts.
This Sunday, March 8th, is International Women’s Day celebrating all those achievements and the awesome power of women. To celebrate, we’ve rounded up 18 movies hitting theaters this year with women in the lead.
1. The Invisible Man – Release Date: In Theaters Now
In The Invisible Man, Leigh Whannell’s reimagining of the classic H.G. Wells novel, Elisabeth Moss plays Cecilia, a woman who has recently escaped her abusive husband. No stranger to playing competent women who fight the status quo, Moss kills it in the role. When her ex-husband, Adrian, apparently dies by suicide, unsettling events start unfolding around Cecilia – almost like an unseen force is stalking her. Soon, she’s convinced that Adrian is not only alive but thas figured out a way to make himself invisible. The only problem is, no one believes Cecilia so she has to trust her own gut instincts and knowledge of her ex to protect herself and the found family she loves.
2. Swallow – Release Date: March 6, 2020
At first glance, wealthy, put-together housewife Hunter (Haley Bennett) appears to have it all: A life of luxury, a handsome and successful husband, a gorgeous home and a new baby on the way. But Hunter’s easy life is just a veneer: In reality, her in-laws are overbearing and her husband, distant and controlling. As Hunter slowly starts to break down under the weight of isolation and oppression in Swallow, she turns to a subversive and dangerous compulsion in order to break of the cage others have put her in.
3. Never Rarely Sometimes Always – Release Date: March 13, 2020
Not all remarkable women fight monsters or supervillains, are rich or save the world. Some of the strongest, most resilient women are the ones who endure the horrors of everyday life. Such is the case for teenage cousins Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) and Skylar (Talia Ryder) in Never Rarely Sometimes Always. Growing up in the backwoods of rural Pennsylvania, Autumn feels trapped when she accidentally gets pregnant. The two girls decide to go to New York City to get her an abortion. What follows is a story of courage and love, bravery and difficult decisions in a scenario that is all too common.
4. A Quiet Place Part II – Release Date: March 20, 2020
Sequel to the 2018 hit, fiercely protective mom, Evelyn (Emily Blunt), must take her three children out into the world, this time without her husband, Lee (John Krasinski), at her side in A Quiet Place Part II. Faced with a hostile world full of deadly creatures that are attracted to the slightest bit of sound, Evelyn soon connects with other survivors. When she learns other humans might be even deadlier than the alien creatures that hunt them, she has to protect her children and get them to safety.
5. Mulan – Release Date: March 27, 2020
One of the fiercest women in film this year is Hua Mulan. Mulan is a new retelling of the story of the Chinese maiden from a small village who disguises herself as a man in order to take her father’s place in the army. Swordplay, martial arts, archery skills and horseback riding make Mulan one of the most skilled fighters you’ll see on screen. Lead actress Yifei Lei turned herself into a real-life warrior for the role, fitting for a character who ultimately defeats the invading forces to save all of China.
6. Antebellum – Release Date: April 24, 2020
Outside of a teaser trailer, the plot details of Antebellum have been kept well under wraps. But if Janelle Monáe is playing the lead character, rest assured she’s going to be tough, no shrinking violet. Monáe plays Veronica Henley, a well-known author who is successful and accomplished in life. But in a Jordan Peele-like twist, Veronica suddenly finds herself trapped in a horrifying reality reliving the antebellum South and must solve the mystery and escape before it’s too late.
7. Black Widow – Release Date: May 1, 2020
Finally, the quiet pivot point of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, the glue that holds the Avengers together, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) is finally getting her own Black Widow movie. Over the years, we’ve seen Nat transform from a calculating assassin and spy to a respected leader and trusted friend before committing the ultimate sacrifice to undo Thanos’ genocide and save not just the world, but the entire universe. The Black Widow has often been given a bad rap, labeled as two-faced or opportunistic. But Nat ultimately proved that there is no one in the MCU with more courage, loyalty, or foresight and we can’t wait to see her one last time in her standalone set after the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
8. Legally Blonde 3 – Release Date: May 8, 2020
Elle Woods is back, baby! Reese Witherspoon made her an icon in the first Legally Blonde back in the ’90s, crushing expectations and subverting gender stereotypes. Elle proved that pretty women can also be smart, successful, and driven. Not only did she go toe-to-toe with her male classmates in law school, despite no one having faith in her, but she managed to outperform them and beat a patriarchal system – all fairly progressive in the ’90s. Seventeen years ago, the sequel was released and while it wasn’t quite as charming as the first, Elle Woods was still feisty and in control. We can only guess she’ll remain our feminist icon in head-to-toe pink in Legally Blonde 3.
9. The Woman In The Window – Release Date: May 15, 2020
The insanely respected yet somehow still criminally underrated Amy Adams stars in The Woman in the Window, based on the novel of the same name by A.J. Finn. In a Hitchcockian, Rear Window setup, Adams plays Anna Fox, a child psychologist who spends her time as a recluse thanks to her acute agoraphobia. She passes the time by watching movies and TV, drinking, and spying on the neighbors, particularly the picture-perfect Russell family. However, when the woman disappears, Anna suspects foul play. Anna must trust her gut and her own mind to figure out what’s real and what’s a lie in order to unravel the mystery.
10. Wonder Woman 1984 – Release Date: June 5, 2020
Another fierce warrior woman on this list is Diana of Themyscira, but you better know her as Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman 1984 finds Gal Gadot’s Diana navigating the 80s, but this time, she’s up against a formidable opponent in the form of Cheetah (Kristen Wiig), a supervillain who possesses super strength, agility, and cunning – but she’s not the only enemy Wonder Woman faces. The power-hungry Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) messes with forces he doesn’t understand and threatens to unleash devastation unless Diana stops him.
11. Jungle Cruise – Release Date: July 24, 2020
Granted, when most people think of Jungle Cruise, the first attached star they think of is likely Dwayne Johnson. But Johnson himself and all the marketing have made it clear it’s just as much Emily Blunt’s movie – and, in fact, she might steal the movie from him. Blunt plays Lily Houghton, a lady adventurer who is clever and learned, brave and dashing. Think Indiana Jones or Rick O’Connell with perfect lipstick. Resourceful and determined, she sets out to find a mythical tree in the heart of the Amazon forest. That’s where Johnson comes in; Lily hires his character, Frank, a riverboat captain, to be her guide down the Amazon river. But she clearly needs no help otherwise – she’s more than capable of handling herself.
12. Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar – Release Date: July 31, 2020
When Kristen Wiig is involved with a comedy, you know it’s going to be a good time. Add Annie Mumolo of the legendary Groundlings comedy troupe, and it’s even better. They play quirky best friends Barb and Star, two Midwestern homebodies who decide to go on their very first vacation…to Vista Del Mar, Florida. Soon they find themselves embroiled in an adventure they never asked for, romantic relationships and, oh yeah, a villain’s evil plot to destroy the whole town. Barb and Star might be naive fish out of water, but by golly, when Barb and Star go to Vista Del Mar, you better believe they’ll rise to the occasion.
13. Monster Hunter – Release Date: September 4, 2020
No list of ferocious women would be complete without Milla Jovovich, who has been kicking ass and taking names since before half the women on this list even had their first role. She was born to play powerful, action-heavy roles and Monster Hunter, based on the classic video game series, is exactly that. Jovovich plays Lieutenant Artemis, a career military officer who is beloved by the soldiers who follow her. When she and her troops are suddenly sucked into a world overrun with vicious monsters, she has to keep it together long enough to keep her soldiers alive and survive – all while swinging a Giant Jawblade Great Sword. Jovovich was made for this role, honestly.
14. The Witches – Release Date: October 9, 2020
Not every woman on our list is a hero or protagonist – some of them are deliciously diabolical villains, like Anne Hathaway, who plays the evil, child-hating Grand High Witch in The Witches. She has one simple, single-minded goal as the big bad of the movie: Turn all of England’s children into mice by having the witches buy up all the sweet shops in the UK and then lace their chocolates and candies with a nasty potion. The Grand High Witch is scheming as she is terrifying, with an over-the-top personality, and Hathaway relishes roles where she can get campy and play up the tongue-in-cheek drama. To say it will be a ton of fun to see her in this role is an understatement.
15. Respect – Release Date: October 9, 2020
The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” is arguably the most empowering ballad of all time. “R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me” has been a rallying cry and anthem for women everywhere since it was first released in 1967. That’s over half a century of being an icon and inspiration. In Respect, Aretha is played by the ultra-talented Jennifer Hudson, who possesses a set of pipes to rival the Queen of Soul herself. The biopic chronicles Aretha’s life from a young girl singing in the choir at her father’s church to international superstardom as a woman. Her story is as inspiring as the music she sang and in the capable hands of Hudson, her story is bound to be a remarkable one.
16. Halloween Kills – Release Date: October 16, 2020
The original Final Girl, Laurie Strode. Jamie Lee Curtis has been an icon in the role for over 40 years. Her cat and mouse, hunter and hunted game with her estranged, psychotic serial killer brother, Michael Myers, has enthralled us as no other horror franchise has. That’s all thanks to Curtis in the role of Strode, who has gone from a scared, naive babysitter to a stone-cold defender of others and one who is more than capable of playing Michael’s game. Halloween Kills continues their epic saga of good vs. evil and we can’t wait to see what happens next.
17. The Eternals – Release Date: November 6, 2020
The second Marvel movie on this list, The Eternals is the purest ensemble movie in this article. But the immortal alien race is led by more than one fascinating woman and deserves to be showcased. The Eternals are co-led by Ajak (Salma Hayek) the wise and most spiritual of them all. Fiercest among them is Thena (Angelina Jolie), a noted warrior among their kind. Sersi (Gemma Chan) is a humanity-loving Eternal who is the pivot point of the movie as she falls in love with mortal Dane Whitman (Kit Harington). Makkari (Lauren Ridloff) will make history as the MCU’s first deaf superhero, not to mention her blazing speed. And Lia McHugh is Sprite, who injects a bit of youth into the ancient beings by remaining eternally young. The Eternals will break ground in many ways and it will be fascinating to watch the cast’s chemistry with each other.
18. Raya and the Last Dragon – Release Date: November 25, 2020
Last but not least is Raya of Raya and the Last Dragon, Walt Disney Animation’s first original film since Moana in 2016. Pulling from Southeast Asian influences, the story is set in the fictional realm of Kumandra. Lone warrior Raya (voiced by Cassie Steele) is on a journey to find the last dragon in the world. We saw a tiny snippet of footage at last year’s D23 and from what we saw, Raya is courageous and kind, skilled and smart. She may not be a Disney princess (that we know of) but she’s right at home with the other capable, clever women of Disney’s animated pantheon.
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