March is a month with one foot in winter and the other in spring. You get glimpses of warmer weather one day, and then snow the next. That means the word “unseasonable” gets thrown around a lot in March, but this year it’s going to take on a whole new meaning. That’s because, thanks to last year’s writers’ and actors’ guild strikes, many films will be arriving in theaters this March that would have normally been released in peak cinema seasons like summer or the winter holidays.
Like much of Hollywood’s output these days, the movies arriving in March are part of franchises, adaptations of stories from other mediums, or in some cases, both. Don’t feel discouraged, though! We’ve prepared a handy guide to the big releases this month along with their previous franchise installments and the books that inspired them for you to check out.
Dune: Part Two
Release Date: March 1, 2024
After a several-month delay, director Dennis Villeneuve’s blockbuster adaptation of the second half of Frank Herbert’s legendary science fiction novel, Dune, finally hits theaters on March 1, 2024. This installment follows the exploits of Timothèe Chalamet’s Paul Atreides as he and his allies fight back against the oppressive forces controlling the planet Arrakis all while contending with his prophesized destiny. New cast members joining for this installment include Florence Pugh, Austin Butler and Christopher Walken.
If you still need to watch the first part of Villeneuve’s Dune adaptation or want a refresher, it is available at the library.
If you want to read the book before the film, we have that for you as well.
Kung-Fu Panda 4
Release Date: March 8, 2024
This new installment in Universal Pictures' animated, anthropomorphic animal comedy franchise finds the Jack Black-voiced titular character making plans to become a spiritual leader. Those plans are disrupted by a villainous chameleon sorcerer, voiced by Viola Davis, with the powers of all the villains from the previous films. New cast members also include Awkwafina and Ke Huy Quan.
Want to do a rewatch of all of the movies in the series? Check these out:
Arthur the King
Release Date: March 22, 2024
In this feature film based on a true story, Mark Wahlberg stars as the captain of an adventure racing team whose life is changed when he encounters a wounded, stray dog named Arthur while he and his team are on an arduous 430-mile race through the Dominican Republic. Wahlberg’s co-stars include Simu Lin and Nathalie Emmanuel.
If you’re looking to hear this story from the perspective of the man who experienced it, Mikael Lidnord’s (Wahlberg plays Lidnord in the film) Arthur: The Dog who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home is available as an e-book or a streaming audiobook.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Release Date: March 22, 2024
This film continues the story of 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife where McKenna Grace played the granddaughter of original Ghostbuster, Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), who helps revive her family’s legacy after moving to a remote and rural Oklahoma town. Frozen Empire finds the extended Spengler family and the original Ghostbusters back in business on the mean streets of New York. When an ancient entity is unleashed that threatens to bring about a new ice age, the new and original generation of the titular characters must join forces to save the world. New cast members include Patton Oswalt and Kumail Nanjiani.
Want to rewatch the three films in this series?
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