Transparent–Season 5: The 2018 premier of “Transparent” season five is definitely on the top of my list. If you’ve yet to watch the series, it’s the recipient of a Golden Globe and multiple Emmys, and it well- deserved them. Its gritty depictions of the interior lives of a Southern Californian family are almost too believable. You’re bound to leave the show with a greater perspective for the complex lives we lead in search of love and purpose, and you’ll definitely laugh along the way, too. –Kendall Morris, Arts & Life
Isle of Dogs: The first thing that comes to mind is the release of Wes Anderson’s new film, “Isle of Dogs,” which premieres March 23. I’m a huge fan of Anderson as a director; he just has such quirky, beautiful films with the best casts and amazing music. My favorite film of his is “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” and he created “Isle of Dogs” with the same stop-motion animation style, so I’m especially excited about that. –Taryn Allen, Arts & Life
Fourth addition to the Cormoran Strike series: I am looking forward to the next Cormoran Strike novel, the latest book in the mystery series written by J.K. Rowling under the pen name Robert Galbraith. The release date of the book has not been confirmed yet, but it is expected to come out sometime in 2018. A good mystery novel is always a pleasure, especially when written by the Potter creator whose clever voice can’t even be masked by a pseudonym. –Ellie Lochhead, Opinions
New music: 2018 is going to be another year of shifting sound and meaning within the world of popular music. 2017 was a year of new sounds, of different ways of communicating beautiful thoughts through music. I look forward to 2018 continuing that trend. The sonic landscape is ripe for experimentation nowadays, and who knows what certain artists can come up with in 2018. Maybe new Kanye? –Justin Cygan, Copy
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: I’m very excited for the release of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” in December. After three Spider-Man reboots over the last decade, this new movie will focus on Miles Morales rather than Peter Parker, which is exciting in its own right. I’m also very excited because this movie has an absolutely amazing art style that combines the art of comic books with a futuristic use of color to really make this movie a marvel. –Caitlan Gannam, Photography
“Winds of Winter”: Fans of George R. R. Martin, creator of “Game of Thrones,” know that Martin has indicated that the sixth book in the seven-book series is very likely to be finished soon, hopefully in 2018. Last January, Martin said that he planned to have it done in 2017, but also admitted that he said the same thing the year before. The sooner “The Winds of Winter” is printed the better so that loyal fans can continue living in the lands of Westeros and the North until season eight comes out on HBO in 2019. –Maya Pinon, Copy
Atlanta–Season 2: Donald Glover has proven himself to be one of the most innovative talents in the industry. Fans of Glover or of comedies in general should look forward to March 1 for the premiere of “Atlanta,” season two. Focusing on two cousins trying to prevail in the Atlanta rap scene, Glover used the show’s gritty, grounded presence in the first season and was able to develop memorable episodes each capable of solid storytelling whilst still being an entertaining comedy. In this golden age of television, do not let “Atlanta” fall by the wayside. –Daniela Santos, News
Ocean’s 8: Heist movies are one of my deepest media loves, and “Ocean’s 11” is a king among men in that subgenre. The upcoming all-female “Ocean’s 8” is on its way to being the queen among men. Its all-star cast features big names like Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Anne Hathaway, Rihanna and a slew of others. The trailer alone has me insanely hyped (almost entirely for Rihanna’s badass, hacker character) and, at this point, the movie could do almost anything and still be groundbreaking with its female ensemble cast in the realm of male-dominated action films. Even without considering the cultural significance and inevitable internet debates, the movie is bound to be a blast and is well worth heading to theaters to see. –Monica McFadden, Podcast
