2024 is shaping up to be a tumultuous year for the world, so the comedy movie slate will need to get us through some (knock-on-wood) eventful times. Thankfully, plenty of fun films have headed to our screens, from returns of beloved animation franchises to swoon-worthy rom-coms starring Hollywood's biggest stars. Below, read our list of the best comedy movies to watch out for throughout the year.
'Mean Girls: The Musical'
Release Date: January 12, 2024
Starring: Angourie Rice, Reneé Rapp, Auliʻi Cravalho, Christopher Briney, Jacquel Spivey, Bebe Wood, Avantika, Tina Fey, Jenna Fischer, Busy Phillips, Tim Meadows, and Jon Hamm
The beloved 2004 comedy received a musical makeover this year, with an adaptation of the Broadway version based on Cady and the Plastics. Hope you kept your Barbie looks, 'cause on Wednesdays, we wear pink.
Trailer: HERE
'The Book of Clarence'
Release Date: January 12, 2024
Starring: LaKeith Stanfield, RJ Cyler, Omar Sy, Anna Diop, David Oyelowo, Micheal Ward, Alfre Woodard, Teyana Taylor, Caleb McLaughlin, James McAvoy, and Benedict Cumberbatch
The Harder They Fall filmmaker Jeymes Samuel released his revisionist spin on a classic Hollywood Biblical epic. Clarence (Stanfield), an ordinary man living in 29 A.D. Jerusalem, tries to capitalize on the rise of Jesus Christ by claiming to be a new Messiah sent by God to free himself of debt and gain a life of glory.
Trailer: HERE
'Fitting In'
Release Date: February 2, 2024
Starring: Maddie Ziegler, Emily Hampshire, Djouliet Amara, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, and Ki Griffin
This semi-autobiographical dramedy by writer-director Molly McGlyn follows 16-year-old Lindy (Ziegler), who is "unexpectedly diagnosed with a reproductive condition, MRKH syndrome. The diagnosis upends her plans to have sex, her presumptions about womanhood and sexuality, her relationship with her mother, and most importantly, herself," per the film's description.
Trailer: HERE
'Lisa Frankenstein'
Release Date: February 9, 2024
Starring: Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, Liza Soberano, Henry Eikenberry, Joe Chrest, and Carla Gugino
Writer Diablo Cody's monstrous rom-com is about a gloomy high schooler named Lisa (Newton) and her love interest, a long-dead Victorian corpse (Sprouse). "After horrific circumstances bring him back to life, the two lovers embark on a murderous journey to find love, happiness, and a few missing body parts along the way," reads the synopsis. Sounds romantic.
Trailer: HERE
'Drive Away Dolls'
Release Date: February 23, 2024
Starring: Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Colman Domingo, Pedro Pascal, Bill Camp, and Matt Damon
In this comedy road trip from Ethan Coen, free spirit Jamie (Qualley) and her calm bestie Marian (Viswanathan) set off on an "impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way," per the film's description.
Trailer: HERE
'Problemista'
Release Date: March 1, 2024
Starring: Julio Torres, Tilda Swinton, RZA, Isabella Rossellini, Greta Lee, Spike Einbinder, Laith Nakil, Larry Owens, and Megan Stalter
Comedian Julio Torres writes, directs, and stars in this surrealist comedy about an aspiring toymaker from El Salvador who takes a job with unhinged artist Elizabeth (Swinton) to keep his visa and stay in the U.S.
Trailer: HERE
'Ricky Stanicky'
Release Date: March 7, 2024
Starring: Zac Efron, John Cena, Jermaine Fowler, Andrew Santino, Lex Scott Davis, and William H. Macy
A trio of friends have been running a longtime con: They came up with a fake friend, Ricky Stanicky, to use whenever they need an excuse for their immature antics. When the ruse goes too far and their partners demand to meet Ricky, the men hire a washed-up actor (Cena) for "the role of a lifetime." Things quickly go off the rails in this return to the classic raunchy R-rated comedy.
Trailer: HERE
'Kung Fu Panda 4'
Release Date: March 8, 2024
Starring: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, Ian McShane, Awkwafina, Viola Davis, and Ke Huy Quan
2024 is a big year for beloved animated franchises making a return. The fourth Kung Fu Panda film (and the first in the franchise since 2016) follows Po (Black) as searches for his successor as the Dragon Warrior while fighting a new villain called The Chameleon (Davis).
Trailer: HERE
'Wicked Little Letters'
Release Date: March 29, 2024
Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Anjana Vasan, Joanna Scanlan, Gemma Jones, Malachi Kirby, Lolly Adefope, Eileen Atkins, and Timothy Spall
In this comedy based on a true story (no, really), a 1920s seaside town is turned on its head when the town elders begin receiving profanity-laden letters. A foul-mouthed woman named Rose (Buckley) is put on trial for the national scandal, but as other women in the town investigate the crime, including Rose's prim neighbor Edith (Colman), they find that Rose may not be the culprit.
Trailer: HERE
'Música'
Release date: April 4, 2024
Starring: Rudy Mancuso, Camila Mendes, J.B. Smoove, Francesca Reale, and Maria Mancuso
Why It's Worth Watching: Real-life couple Mancuso and Mendes star in this fantastical rom-com loosely based on the former's life (and co-starring his real mom). "Música is a coming-of-age love story that follows an aspiring creator with synesthesia, who must come to terms with an uncertain future, while navigating the pressures of love, family and his Brazilian culture in Newark, New Jersey," per the film's description.
Trailer: HERE
'How to Date Billy Walsh'
Release date: April 5, 2024
Starring: Charithra Chandran, Sebastian Croft, Nick Frost, Guz Khan, Lucy Punch, Kunal Nayyar, and Tanner Buchanan
Why It's Worth Watching: Amelia (Chandran) and Archie's (Croft) lifelong friendship is threatened when Amelia falls for American transfer student Billy Walsh (Buchanan), despite Archie being secretly in love with her.
Trailer: HERE
'The Idea of You'
Release Date: May 2, 2024
Starring: Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine
You're probably more familiar with this as "the Anne Hathaway movie that may or may not be based on Harry Styles fan fiction." Officially, it's a rom-com adaptation of Robinne Lee's 2017 novel of the same name. It follows Solène (Hathaway), a single mother in her 40s, who has a secret relationship with the lead singer of the fictional boy band August Moon (Red, White, and Royal Blue's Galitzine) after they meet at a concert.
Trailer: HERE
'Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story'
Release Date: May 3, 2024
Starring: Jerry Seinfeld, Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Amy Schumer, Hugh Grant, Max Greenfield, Christian Slater, Bill Burr, Daniel Levy, James Marsden, Jack McBrayer, Thomas Lennon, Bobby Moynihan, Adrian Martinez, Sarah Cooper, and Fred Armisen
Seinfeld writes, directs, and stars in this star-studded comedy biopic about the "cutthroat and breakneck race to invent the Pop Tart." Per the film's description, "Kellogg’s and Post, sworn cereal rivals, race to create a pastry that will change the face of breakfast forever. A tale of ambition, betrayal, sugar, and menacing milkmen."
Trailer: HERE
'IF'
Release Date: May 17, 2024
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Cailey Fleming, Fiona Shaw, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Maya Rudolph, Jon Stewart, Bobby Moynihan, Sam Rockwell, Sebastian Maniscalco, Christopher Meloni, Richard Jenkins, Awkwafina, and Steve Carell
Director John Krasinski switches gears from the terrifying Quiet Place franchise to an adorable magical adventure. After a young girl named Bea (Fleming) gains the ability to see imaginary friends (called "IFs" for short) who have been abandoned by the kids they helped, she and her father (Reynolds) start working to reconnect the forgotten IFs with their kids.
Trailer: HERE
'Babes'
Release Date: May 17, 2024
Starring: Ilana Glazer, Michelle Buteau, Hasan Minhaj, and John Carroll Lynch
This rom-com, which is co-written by Broad City star Glazer and serves as Pamela Adlon's directorial feature debut, "follows the aggressively single Eden (Glazer), who becomes pregnant from a one-night stand and leans on her married best friend (and mother of two), Dawn (Buteau), to guide her through the gestation and beyond," per Deadline.
Trailer: HERE
'The Garfield Movie'
Release Date: May 24, 2024
Starring: Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Harvey Guillén, Brett Goldstein, and Bowen Yang
Here's another movie with Chris Pratt voicing an update on an already iconic cartoon character. (To be fair, the last one, Super Mario Bros. ended up being pretty great.) The latest adaptation of the lasagna-loving, Monday-hating cat will see Garfield reuniting with his absent father, voiced by Samuel L. Jackson. Okay, call us intrigued.
Trailer: HERE
'Summer Camp'
Release Date: May 31, 2024
Starring: Diane Keaton, Kathy Bates, Alfre Woodard, Beverly D'Angelo, Nicole Richie, Josh Peck, Betsy Sodaro, Dennis Haysbert, and Eugene Levy
This adorable comedy from the producers of Book Club brings together a new group of esteemed actresses for a fun adventure. This time, it's a trio of lifelong friends (Keaton, Bates, and Woodard), who reconnect during a reunion for their childhood summer camp.
Trailer: HERE
'Ezra'
Release Date: May 31, 2024
Starring: Bobby Cannavale, William Fitzgerald, Rose Byrne, Robert De Niro, Tony Goldwyn, Vera Farmiga, Rainn Wilson and Whoopi Goldberg
This heartfelt dramedy centers on struggling stand-up comedian Max Bernal (Cannavale), who lives with his father (De Niro) and co-parents his son on the autism spectrum, Ezra (Fitzgerald), with his ex-wife (Byrne). Per the film's description, "When forced to confront difficult decisions about their son’s future, Max and Ezra embark on a cross-country road trip that has a transcendent impact on both their lives."
Trailer: HERE
'Inside Out 2'
Release Date: June 14, 2014
Starring: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Tony Hale, Liza Lapira, and Maya Hawke
In this sequel to the beloved 2015 coming-of-age film, Riley is now 15 and going through a lot, so Joy (Poehler), Sadness (Smith), and the rest of the emotions we met via the then-11-year-old have to make way for a whole new set of feelings taking over the controls. So far we've only met one new emotion, Anxiety (voiced by Maya Hawke), and truly cannot wait for more.
Trailer: HERE
'A Family Affair'
Release Date: June 28, 2024
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, Joey King, Liza Koshy, and Kathy Bates
This rom-com follows the ambitious Zara (King), her widowed mother (Kidman), and her narcissistic movie star boss Chris Cole (Efron). When Zara finally decides to quit, she discovers her attempt to cut ties with her boss didn't work, since he's started dating her mom.
Trailer: TBA
'Despicable Me 4'
Release Date: July 3, 2024
Starring: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Pierre Coffin, Miranda Cosgrove, and Steve Coogan
Details are still under wraps for the fourth film following Gru (Carell), Lucy Wilde (Wiig), and their girls, but one thing we know: There will be Minions.
Trailer: HERE
'The Fabulous Four'
Release date: July 26, 2024
Starring: Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler, Megan Mullally, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Timothy V. Murphy, and Bruce Greenwood
Why It's Worth Watching: This friendship comedy follows three lifelong besties (Sarandon, Mullally, and Ralph) who "travel to Key West, Florida to be bridesmaids in a surprise wedding of their college girlfriend Marilyn (Midler). Once there, sisterhoods are rekindled, the past rises up again in all its glory, and there are enough sparks, drinks and romance to change all their lives in ways they never expected," per the film's description.
Trailer: TBA
'My Old Ass'
Release date: August 2, 2024
Starring: Maisy Stella, Aubrey Plaza, Maddie Ziegler, Maria Dizzia, and Percy Hynes White
Why It's Worth Watching: During a mushroom trip in the summer before college, Elliot (Stella) "comes face-to-face with her older self (Plaza), who gives her words of wisdom and a warning: don’t fall in love with a boy named Chad," per the Sundance hit's description.
Trailer: TBA
'Jackpot!'
Release date: August 2, 2024
Starring: John Cena, Awkwafina, Simu Liu, and Seann William Scott
Why It's Worth Watching: Many have wondered whether a lottery ticket is a blessing or a curse, but this action-comedy from Paul Feig takes this to the next level. Per EW, when Katie (Awkwafina) finds herself with a winning lottery ticket, she becomes the latest target in the Grand Lottery, "a new contest in an economically challenged California that allows others to seize the ticket (and its prize) if they kill the winner by sundown."
Trailer: TBA
'Wicked Part 1'
Release Date: November 27, 2024
Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Jeff Goldblum, and Michelle Yeoh
This long-awaited film adaptation of the iconic Broadway musical puts a new spin on The Wizard of Oz. Before Dorothy touched down, before they became the Wicked Witch and the Good Witch, Elphaba and Glinda were just two young women who formed an unlikely friendship in Oz.
Trailer: HERE
'My Ex-Friend's Wedding'
Release date: TBA
Starring: Ariana DeBose, Amanda Seyfried, Megan Stalter, Liza Koshy, and Chloe Fineman
Why It's Worth Watching: This description sounds like a recipe for belly laughs: "Four childhood best friends [who] get a drunken voicemail from their former best friend on the eve of her wedding day—confessing that she thinks she’s making a mistake—set out to stop her wedding and rekindle the friendship they once shared."
Trailer: TBA
