By Jenna Dorsi and Sophie Willard

It’s time to say goodbye to 2019 and hello to a new year full of films by and about women. Women and Hollywood has compiled a helpful guide of 15 of the most-anticipated films expected in 2020 — so be sure to mark your calendars accordingly.

There are plenty of action pics to look forward to, including superheroine fare like “Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn),” directed by Cathy Yan, which sees Margot Robbie’s antiheroine Harley Quinn team up with a crew of other fan-favorite female characters from DC Comics titles. There’s the overdue origin story for Scarlett Johansson’s Marvel character, “Black Widow,” from director Cate Shortland. Plus, there’s Patty Jenkins’ sequel “Wonder Woman 1984,” with Gal Gadot returning in the titular role. 2020 will also see the premiere of Disney’s live-action “Mulan.” The wartime action-adventure story about a daughter bringing honor to her family is directed by Niki Caro.

Established directors such as Sally Potter and Haifaa Al-Mansour will be unveiling projects next year: Potter reunites with her “Ginger & Rosa” star Elle Fanning for “The Roads Not Taken,” a story about a father and daughter, and Al-Mansour refocuses on Saudi society with “The Perfect Candidate,” a portrait of a young female doctor runs for local office.

The upcoming year will also include a number of biopics, and films based on true events, including the life story of singing legend Aretha Franklin in “Respect,” directed by Liesl Tommy and starring Jennifer Hudson. Meanwhile, Philippa Lowthorpe’s “Misbehaviour” will examine the intersection of feminism and race and how it impacted the 1970 Miss World beauty pageant.

“Rocks,” a London-set tale of teenage girlhood, and a refreshingly collaborative project from director Sarah Gavron and writers Theresa Ikoko and Claire Wilson, launches in the UK in April, while Reed Morano has Blake Lively-starrer “The Rhythm Section” out in January. Valentine’s Day will see the release of Stella Meghie’s generational tale of black love, “The Photograph,” starring Issa Rae, while Clea DuVall’s “Happiest Season,” starring Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis, offers a long overdue same-sex holiday rom-com at the end of the year.

These are but a few of the projects to anticipate over the coming year, and undoubtedly more exciting films starring and made by women will be announced over the coming months. Here’s to a new decade of positive change and progress!

To keep up-to-date with the year’s women-centric, directed, and written films, check out our monthly previews, sign up for our weekly newsletter, and take a look at our Films By and About Women page.

“The Rhythm Section” – Directed by Reed Morano (January 31)

“The Rhythm Section”: Paramount

Reed Morano’s follow-up to 2018’s “I Think We’re Alone Now” will finally find its way to audiences. Based on Mark Burnell’s Stephanie Patrick spy novels, “The Rhythm Section” follows Blake Lively as a woman seeking vengeance against the people who intentionally crashed the plane her family was on. We’re always here for a female-led action film, and can’t wait to see Lively kick butts and take names.

“Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)” – Directed by Cathy Yan; Written by Christina Hodson (February 7)

“Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)”

Anyone fortunate enough to have seen Cathy Yan’s feature debut, “Dead Pigs,” on the festival circuit will be looking forward to her take on DC’s Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey; and for those unfamiliar with Yan’s work, the recent bombastic trailer and colorful posters have sparked plenty of interest. With “Dead Pigs,” Yan confidently juggled an ensemble cast, intertwining stories, a mixture of humor and pathos, and striking visuals — all of which seem to be on the cards with this tale of Harley’s emancipation. With a script penned by rising star Christina Hodson (“Bumblebee”), some out-of-the-box casting choices, and a decidedly chaotic title character, “Birds of Prey” looks set to shake up the mostly male-dominated — and now rather staid — superhero genre, and introduce more beloved female characters from the DC universe, including Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), and Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead).

“The Photograph” – Written and Directed by Stella Meghie (February 14)

“The Photograph”

With three films finished in as many years (“Jean of the Joneses,” “”Everything, Everything,” and “The Weekend”), writer-director Stella Meghie is one of the most prolific directors working today. The fact that she’s a black woman working at the studio level makes this even more noteworthy. Universal describes her latest, “The Photograph,” — starring Issa Rae and Lakeith Stanfield — as “a sweeping love story about forgiveness and finding the courage to seek the truth, no matter where it may lead you.” With Rae’s character delving into the secrets of her mother’s past, it seems like this will be a generational tale of black love; it’s super refreshing to see a studio banking on such a tale for its Valentine’s Day release.

“First Cow” – Directed by Kelly Reichardt; Written by Kelly Reichardt and Jonathan Raymond (March 6)

Set in the early 1800s Pacific Northwest, a quiet but skilled cook John Magaro) travels west and joins a group of fur trappers in Oregon Territory. There he finds a true connection with a Chinese immigrant (Orion Lee) who’s also seeking his fortune, and soon the two collaborate on a successful business — which is contingent on secretly involving a nearby wealthy landowner’s prized milking cow. Kelly Reichardt has written the film along with Jonathan Raymond, on whose novel it’s based. “First Cow” marks Reichardt’s return to the Western genre, after 2010’s critically acclaimed “Meek’s Cutoff.” Reichardt is certain to bring her delicate touch to depicting rural America once again.

“The Roads Not Taken” – Written and Directed by Sally Potter (March 13)

“The Roads Not Taken”

Just recently, it was announced that filmmaker Sally Potter is to receive a top honor at the 40th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards in January 2020. It’s easy to see why: Potter made her feature debut with 1983’s “The Gold Diggers,” and has been making innovative and varied films ever since. Her more recent credits include 2017’s “The Party,” a dark comedy that reflects the UK’s landscape of political turmoil. Now Potter sets her sights on a more intimate story, which she revealed she had finished writing in 2015, starring Javier Bardem and Elle Fanning, respectively as a father and daughter. A more recent Deadline article has hinted that Bardem’s character “has several parallel lives,” so here’s hoping for more metaphysical intrigue à la her adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s “Orlando.”

“Misbehaviour” – Directed by Philippa Lowthorpe; Written by Rebecca Frayn and Gaby Chiappe (March 13 in the UK)

“Misbehaviour”

“Misbehaviour” is a dramedy about the 1970 Miss World beauty pageant, which was disrupted by the Women’s Liberation Movement, and made history when it crowned the first black Miss World, Jennifer Hosten. This film stars costume drama queen Keira Knightley, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who wowed in period flick “Belle” and, more recently, in Julia Hart’s “Fast Color.” The film is also being co-produced by Left Bank Pictures, the company behind “The Crown,” so its attention to detail is likely to thrill fans of period films.

“Mulan” – Directed by Niki Caro; Written by Lauren Hynek, Elizabeth Martin, Amanda Silver, and Rick Jaffa (March 27)

“Mulan”

Disney fans have another live-action remake of a beloved animated film to look forward to with Niki Caro’s “Mulan.” Liu Yifei stars in the title role. The period pic centers on a young woman who masquerades as a man and becomes a soldier in order to prevent her elderly father from being drafted back into the Chinese military when Northern Invaders attack. We can’t wait to see this new take on the legend of Mulan, and how its realistic battle scenes will compare to the animated ones. It will also be great to see another woman-helmed tentpole film released by the Mouse House.

“Rocks” – Directed by Sarah Gavron; Written by Theresa Ikoko and Claire Wilson (April 24 in the UK)

“Rocks”

In an illuminating interview earlier this year, director Sarah Gavron (“Suffragette,” “Brick Lane”) told us about the intensely collaborative process that she, her cast, crew, and writers Theresa Ikoko and Claire Wilson undertook in making their film about teenage girlhood. Gavron says that rising star Ikoko describes the film as “a love letter to her big sister and young black women who often have to be stronger and more resilient than their years should require.” Through workshops with teenage Londoners, the writers and director assembled a cast of ordinary girls who helped “create the world, characters, and details of the film.” According to Gavron, throughout production they eschewed established hierarchy, with Ikoko stepping in to guide lead actress Bukky Bakray through particularly difficult scenes, and “Anu Henriques, the associate director, effectively [becoming] my co-director during the shoot.” With glowing reviews coming out of TIFF, LFF, and other film festivals, it seems the unorthodox methodology has paid off — teamwork makes the dream work.

“Black Widow” – Directed by Cate Shorthand; Written by Jac Schaeffer and Ned Benson (May 1)

“Black Widow”

Once the only female Avenger in the MCU — for decidedly too long — Natasha Romanoff, AKA Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), frequently appeared throughout the franchise, not only in the “Avengers” films, but also “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” and of course “Iron Man 2,” in which she made her debut. Yet, despite the clamor for a solo appearance, Natasha never had her own cinematic outing. Now with the MCU’s next phase of films, Disney is rectifying that. Many will think, quite fairly, it’s a bit too late, but with some uneven characterization throughout the franchise having done her a disservice, and a wealth of ideas to adapt from the comics, there’s certainly plenty of scope to expand upon Black Widow’s story, and provide the definitive portrayal of this heroic spy with a traumatic past. With Rachel Weisz and Florence Pugh rounding out the supporting cast, it’ll certainly be refreshing to see Natasha interact meaningfully with other women.

“Wonder Woman 1984” – Directed by Patty Jenkins; Written by Patty Jenkins, Geoff Johns, and Dave Callaham (June 5)

“Wonder Woman 1984”: Warner Bros. Ent.

Wonder Woman’s gonna party like it’s 1984, and we are like totally going to be there. While most plot details are still being kept under wraps, we do know that Gal Gadot returns in the titular role, and there’s going to be big hair, neon colors, malls, and Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor. Pedro Pascal also joins the cast as a yuppie who may have nefarious intentions, as does Kristen Wiig — who looks set to have a busy summer — as Barbara Minerva AKA Cheetah. Here’s hoping for some more epic battle scenes, and maybe a shopping montage or two.

“Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar” – Written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo (July 31)

2011’s “Bridesmaids” signaled a change in the world of comedy movies, ushering in a new era of female ensemble-led, bawdy, raucous shenanigans, and providing an alternative to the casual misogyny that had permeated the genre for much of the previous decade. It also helped launched Melissa McCarthy, and “Saturday Night Live” alums Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph into the mainstream. Now, Wiig and her “Bridesmaids” co-writer Annie Mumolo reunite to write and star in a new comedic adventure, playing best friends on a vacation that inevitably goes a bit wrong. While Mumolo had just a small on-screen credit as “Nervous Woman on Plane” in their 2011 collaboration, she’s enjoyed a steady career as an actress in the likes of “Bad Moms” and TV’s “Angie Tribeca,” and we can’t wait to see the two writer-actresses spark off one another both on the page, and on-screen.

“Respect” – Directed by Liesl Tommy; Written by Tracey Scott Wilson (August 14)

“Respect” is a biopic about the legendary songstress Aretha Franklin, named after one of her most iconic songs. Jennifer Hudson will star as Miss Aretha. It’s going to be great to see Hudson, who won an Oscar for her performance in “Dreamgirls,” take center stage in another musical role. The fact that she’s bound to be donning fabulous, retro costumes is just the cherry on top.

“Happiest Season” – Directed by Clea DuVall; Written by Clea DuVall and Mary Holland (November 20)

Clea DuVall steps behind the camera to tell the story of a couple whose holiday plans don’t go as expected. A woman’s (Kristen Stewart) plans to propose to her girlfriend (Mackenzie Davis) at a holiday family function are thwarted when she realizes her girlfriend hasn’t come out to her family. Finally, a film to fill the void in the beloved holiday romcom genre that will focus on a same sex couple.

Expected in 2020, But No Official Release Dates Yet

“The Perfect Candidate” – Directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour; Written by Haifaa Al-Mansour and Brad Niemann

“The Perfect Candidate”

Haifaa Al-Mansour has been encouragingly busy since her 2012 feature debut, “Wadjda,” captured interest and inspired headlines around the world as the first feature to ever be shot entirely inside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Since then, Al-Mansour — also the Kingdom’s first female filmmaker — has gone on to make a Mary Shelley biopic and Netflix’s “Nappily Ever After,” but she still has a passion for telling stories about Saudi society. Like “Wadjda” and her 2005 documentary “Women Without Shadows,” “The Perfect Candidate” delicately casts a critical eye over the antiquated customs that limit women’s freedoms and autonomy in Saudi society. In an interview with us, Al-Mansour had plenty to say about the cultural and social changes her country has undergone since she first started making films, and we look forward to seeing her newest project address them with its story of a young female physician who decides to run for local office.

Untitled Jennifer Lawrence pic – Directed by Lila Neugebauer; Written by Elizabeth Sanders

While she’s been directed by both Jodie Foster and Susanne Bier in the past, and her breakout role was in Debra Granik’s “Winter’s Bone,” it’s been a while since we’ve seen Jennifer Lawrence working with other women. When she hasn’t been busy with the “X-Men” and “Hunger Games” franchises, she’s appeared in films such as “Passengers” and “Red Sparrow,” which both came under fire from critics and culture writers for their perceived misogyny. After a bit of a sabbatical (she was last seen in this summer’s “Dark Phoenix”), it’s encouraging to see that Lawrence has a new female collaboration on the books. Plot details are currently under wraps, and little is known about first-time screenwriter Sanders, but all eyes are on acclaimed theater director Neugebauer, who marks her transition into film with this project. Ten years ago, Granik helped raise Lawrence’s profile; it seems this new partnership just might do the same for Neugebauer.