A record-breaking film at the 2022 Oscars, probably the most anticipated biopic of the year, ultra-violent Vikings and three first ladies of the United States, here’s what caught our eye this month in terms of movie trailers. Oh, and Brad Pitt in an action comedy.

Belfast (biography, dir. Kenneth Branagh)

Described by Kenneth Branagh as his “most personal film” and partly inspired by his own biography, Belfast takes us back to 1969, when little Buddy (Jude Hill) lives a happy childhood with his parents (Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan) and grandparents (Judi Dench, Ciarán Hinds) in the titular city. Only adults in the family will find it more and more difficult to protect Buddy from what the history books have called the “The Troubles”, the smoldering conflict between different ethnic and religious groups that has bloodied Northern Ireland for three decades.

Cool Fact: Belfast made history at the Oscars this year, making Branagh the only filmmaker nominated for seven different categories throughout his career.

Coming out in cinemas on March 18.

Elvis (biography, music, dir. Baz Luhrmann)

“When things are too dangerous to say, sing.” It is hard to find a better line that describes the musical exorcism of the hardships of the African-American community in 1940s Memphis. Spellbound by the spirit of gospel songs, a young Elvis Presley realizes that music will be his life in this Baz Luhrmann film that has been in development for more than eight years. Will some members of the audience grumble about casting Austin Butler as the king of rock’n’roll? Most likely, but they will definitely be captivated by Luhrmann’s flair and energy.

Cool Fact: There are moments in this trailer where Austin Butler looks like David Bowie or Freddie Mercury, which leads us to believe that the film is more about exploring the essence of a megastar and not necessarily the detailed biography of Elvis Presley.

Coming out in cinemas on June 24.

The Northman (action epic, dir. Robert Eggers)

What could make you kill your own brother? This is the starting point of this star-studded action-filled epic by Robert Eggers, a director catapulted into the world’s attention at just 30 years old with the horror movie The Witch. After two independent films, Eggers now takes over a big-budget production featuring Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe and Claes Bang, the Danish actor who became known worldwide after starring in The Square and the BBC production Dracula. The film revolves around Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård), a young Viking on his quest to kill his uncle, who has murdered his own brother to steal the throne.

Cool Fact: Björk overcomes her reluctance to make a comeback on the big screen 22 years after the trauma she suffered at the hands of Lars von Trier on the set of Dancer in the Dark, and appears here playing the role of the Seeress.

Coming out in cinemas on April 29.

The First Lady (drama series, created by Aaron Cooley)

Susanne Bier directs this Showtime anthology series starring Viola Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer and Gillian Anderson as three of the first ladies of the United States – Michelle Obama, Betty Ford and Eleanor Roosevelt, respectively. If Hollywood is usually obsessed with power, that is, it is tempted to make movies about American presidents and not about their consorts, The First Lady changes the perspective and re-evaluates the image of these women who supported (and advised) their husbands in all difficult decisions.

Cool Fact: In a statement about the series, these first ladies are labeled “enigmatic heroines”, which makes us wonder if Aaron Cooley also means to reveal their lesser-known deeds.

World premiere on April 17.

Bullet Train (action, dir. David Leitch)

Brad Pitt is pushing 60 and seems to adopt Bruce Willis’ style in terms of career choices: the actor will star in not one, but two action comedies (the other one is The Lost City). In Bullet Train, he plays Ladybug, a hitman who wants to give up this line of work, only to be tricked into accepting one last job. What he doesn’t know is that on the bullet train where he should collect an important briefcase are four other assassins (two of them named Lemon and Tangerine) with the same mission. Obviously, what follows is so violent that it would make even Quentin Tarantino jealous… Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Sandra Bullock, Masi Oka and Hiroyuki Sanada play supporting roles.

Cool Fact: The film is based on the novel Maria Beetle by the popular Japanese author Kōtarō Isaka. It must be said that the original characters were Asian.

Coming out in cinemas on July 15.

Paris, 13th District (romance, dir. Jacques Audiard)

Winner of the Palme d’Or in 2015 for Dheepan, Jacques Audiard returns with Paris, 13th District, a black-and-white film following the relationships between four characters, three women and a man, in today’s Paris. Audiard had the inspiration to turn to two female screenwriters, Céline Sciamma and Léa Mysius, for this adaptation of three short stories written by American author Adrian Tomine, which talk one by one about immaturity, screen addiction, egocentrism and vulnerability. In the spotlight, we have Émilie (Lucie Zhang), Camille (Makita Samba), Nora (Noémie Merlant) and Amber Sweet (Jehnny Beth), and their relationships allow Audiard to reinvent himself and approach a genre that was unfamiliar to him until now.

Cool Fact: The film’s original soundtrack, signed by Rone, a French electronic music artist, was rewarded with the Cannes Soundtrack Award in 2021.

Coming out in cinemas on March 11.

Julia (biography, drama series, created by Daniel Goldfarb)

You only have to watch the two seasons of the excellent British crime TV series Happy Valley to realize that Sarah Lancashire is one of the best English actresses there is. And something tells us that Lancashire will gain even more popularity with the new lead role in Julia, the upcoming HBO series in which she plays the legendary Julia Child. Of course, many have already seen the 2009 film Julie & Julia, starring Meryl Streep as the French gastronomy expert, but hopefully, the HBO series will not settle just for the anecdotal aspects of Child’s biography, rather it will go deeper and explore the combination of talent, candor and stubbornness that turned her into an American television star.

Cool Fact: The episodes’ titles are inspired by popular French dishes, such as “Coq au Vin” and “Beef Bourguignon”.

Premiering on HBO Max this spring.