Seth Johnson
The last two years have been unpredictable when it comes to events, but the 2022 calendar is still full.
To go along with our more detailed monthly events calendar, we’ve compiled a list of events you may want to plan around in the new year. So go ahead and grab that wall calendar you just received for Christmas and get ready to mark some dates.
This list includes nationwide releases of movies, music and books along with local museum exhibits coming to North Central Florida.
Hopefully, the year will run smoothly and everything releases as promised (looking at you, “Top Gun: Maverick”), but if not, we’ve gotten used to striking out plans by now. And this handy list will quickly give you something else to look forward to.
Books
January 4:
If you’ve entered a second-hand bookstore or Goodwill, you’ve seen the name Danielle Steel. The author of more than 140 novels returns with the release of “Invisible,” a contemporary romance.
And for Steel fans, she’s scheduled to release another novel, “High Stakes,” in March.
January 11:
Not sure what was in the water nine months before Jan. 11, but a lot of books are scheduled for release.
First, Hanya Yanagihara will release her newest novel “To Paradise,” a work of both historical and future fiction. Laid out in three sections, the action in each takes place 100 years apart–1893, 1993 and 2093.
Yanagihara’s last release, “A Little Life” (2015), won the Kirkus Prize and earned finalist status for the Man Booker Prize and the National Book Award. Both tomes clock in at more than 700 pages, so make a pot of tea or coffee before starting.
Also on Jan. 11, financial guru Dave Ramsey will release “Baby Steps Millionaires.”
And lastly (for us, at least), on Jan. 11 New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth George will release “Something to Hide,” her 21st Inspector Lynley novel.
January 25:
To round off the month, Isabel Allende will send her new novel, “Violeta,” into the world. The Chilean author has sat firmly in the limelight since her novel “The House of the Spirits” in 1982, winning a movie adaption in 1993.
She’s sold more than 65 million copies of her books, with translations in 35 languages.
February 22:
“The Founders” is a forthcoming book about Silicon Valley and some of its major players who got their start at the same company: PayPal.
“Today, PayPal’s founders and earliest employees are considered the technology industry’s most powerful network,” the book description on Amazon reads. “Since leaving PayPal, they have formed, funded, and advised the leading companies of our era, including Tesla, Facebook, YouTube, SpaceX, Yelp, Palantir, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Airbnb, among many others.”
Author Jimmy Soni’s name recognition lags compared to an Allende or James Patterson (coming up soon), but he’s established himself within the field.
His last book, “A Mind at Play,” earned him the 2017 Neumann Prize for the best book on the history of mathematics for a general audience along with the Middleton Prize given by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
March 1:
Author V. E. Schwab returns in March with “Gallant,” a new book independent of her other series. Gallant spins around the question of what happens when a shadow meets the object that makes it.
A New York Times bestselling author, Schwab has published more than 20 books in mostly the YA genre, and Netflix is working on an adaptation of one of those works.
March 7:
A pairing of enormous influence, Dolly Parton and James Patterson will unite to publish “Run, Rose, Run” the first week of March. And Parton fans will undoubtedly be running themselves to listen to Parton’s album of the same name that will release the same day to accompany the book.
March 8:
Not to be outdone by Elizabeth George’s 21st Inspector Lynley novel released in January, C. J. Box will unveil “Shadow Reel,” the 22nd Joe Prickett novel for those keeping track.
With millions of copies sold, Box, like Steel, is a familiar name to most readers even if they haven’t read him. Well, here’s a chance to pick up Box. Or wait till number 23 comes out.
March 15:
Harlan Coben will release “The Match” to follow up on “The Boy From The Woods.” Coben’s mysteries are well-renowned, with multiple Netflix adaptations like “The Five,” “The Woods,” “Safe,” “The Stranger” and “The Innocent.”
Netflix is scheduled to release many more Coben mysteries after signing a five-year deal for 14 releases in English, French, Spanish and Polish.
More great novels are sure to pop up further into the year along with surprises no one expected to top the charts.
Movies based on books:
The movie section is split in two: those based on books, and all others. We’ll start with movies adapted from print.
Death on the Nile―February 11
A rework of Agatha Christie’s 1939 novel of the same name, “Death on the Nile” was set to premier in 2019. Production delays bumped it to 2020, then the pandemic pushed it back further.
Director Kenneth Charles Branagh also headed up the 2017 adaption of Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express,” which grossed $455 million internationally as of late 2017.
Branagh will return as Detective Hercule Peroit along with notables Gal Gadot, Russell Brand and Tom Bateman.
Where the Crawdads Sing―July
A more recent novel, “Where the Crawdads Sing” released in 2018 and found success on top of the New York Times bestselling list for 32 non-consecutive weeks. The book also claimed Amazon’s spot for most sold fiction book for 2019.
Resse Witherspoon added the book to her reading club and her production company, Hello Sunshine, picked up the book to produce. But Witherspoon will not appear in the film.
Set in a 1969s North Carolina, the story revolves around Kya Clark, known as “marsh girl,” who raised herself in, well, the marsh.
If the book’s success translates even a little to the screen, “Where the Crawdads Sing” will find an amle audience.
Salem’s Lot―September
A Stephen King adaptation, “Salem’s Lot” was previously converted to a 1979 miniseries with another one in 2004, featuring Rob Lowe.
The movie comes not quite on the heels of another King movie―”It.” The 2017 film won nine awards and earned nominations for a slew of others.
Gary Dauberman, who co-wrote “It,” wrote the screenplay for “Salem’s Lot” and will also direct the film.
All Quiet on the Western Front―2022
Written by a German WWI veteran, “All Quiet on the Western Front” stirred up controversy at its release in 1929. The mixed views didn’t hinder sales: More than 1 million copies sold in German and 800,000 English copies.
The novel earned an immediate adaption in 1930 and won Academy Awards for best picture and best director. Unfortunately, reception in Germany met violence by the Nazi Party.
The movie got banned and the book was added to the burn list―along with its sequel. The world as a whole accepted the book with a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931.
The novel got a second adaption in 1979, and the 2022 Netflix movie sits in post-production. Filming began in March 2021, and Daniel Bruhl, from “The Falcon” and “The Winter Soldier,” will serve as a lead actor as well as producer.
Persuasion―2022
Jane Austen returns to the big screen so grab some crumpets and point a pinky in the air while drinking your tea. This latest adaptation of Austen’s 1817 book will feature Dakota Johnson in the lead role and will be released sometime this year.
The book was packaged as a 2007 TV movie, which followed a 1971 and 1995 adaption. With this newest film though, “Persuasion” still lags behind “Sense and Sensibility” as well as “Pride and Prejudice” for number of adaptations.
Regular Movies:
Avatar 2―December
Just 12 years after “Avatar” broke the box office and earned the spot of highest grossing film of all time, James Cameron returns with “Avatar 2.” No pressure.
Maybe Cameron wants to reclaim the title for highest grossing film after “Avengers: Endgame” captured the spot in 2019.
Regardless, audiences will likely flock back to the planet Pandora once the film releases. And if nostalgia alone isn’t enough, the movie features returning actors Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington, plus Michelle Yeoh and Kate Winslet.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore―April
The Harry Potter spinoff will return with Jude Law as Dumbledore, along with a host of other familiar faces. Written by J.K. Rawling, the film will continue to follow Newt Scamander, Eddie Redmayne, years before Harry gets sorted into Gryffindor.
Top Gun: Maverick―May
It’s back to the danger zone for Tom Cruise.
Scheduled for release summer of 2020, “Top Gun: Maverick” beats even “Avatar” for length between the sequel and the original: 35 years.
This time, Cruise plays the instructor in a high flying action film. The trailer portrays more than any words.
Jurassic World: Dominion―June
The dinos are back with Chris Pratt and Jeff Goldblum. Enough said.
And there’s not much more to say, the plot has been kept under wraps. Even IMBd has nothing but question marks.
Mission: Impossible 7―September
Tom Cruise fans rejoice. You get two for the price of two in 2022. Given the gap between production of “Top Gun: Maverick” and its release, Cruise filmed another heart-pounding film.
The seventh installment of Mission: Impossible series. You may want to rewatch those first few films to brush away the cobwebs.
Now for rapid fire. Here’s all the superhero movies coming soon.
- The Batman―March
- Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness―May
- Thor: Love and Thunder―July
- Black Adam―July
- Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse 2―October
- The Flash―November
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever―November
- Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom―December
Music
The Lumineers will drop their album “BRIGHTSIDE” on Jan. 14.
Kiefer Sutherland, of acting fame, will release “Bloor Street” on Jan. 21. The title song of the same name is already out.
Bastille will launch their fourth album, “Give Me The Future,” on Feb. 4.
Alt-J is following suit and will unveil their fourth album “The Dream.” A single from the release, U&ME, is already out.
Dolly Parton will have an exciting March 7 with the publication of her book and 12-song album “Run, Rose, Run.”
Machine Gun Kelly will release his sixth album, “Born With Horns,” sometime in early 2022, with blink-182 drummer Travis Barker producing the album.
In July, Swedish House Mafia dropped their first single in a decade, and an album, “Paradise Again,” will follow up the release in 2022.
Some rumors continue floating through the internet that Beyonce might come out will a new album this year. We’ll have to wait and see.
Museums
Here are some upcoming exhibits coming to local museums.
Harn Museum of Art in Gainesville
Starting March 1, the Harn will feature an exhibit titled She/Her/Hers: Women in the Arts of China. Visitors will have plenty of time to see the art with the collection staying until 2024.
From March 22 until Oct. 30, COPIA II: Bringing To Light Photographs From The Permanent Collection will display at the Harn. The display will have new photos that the museum has obtained over the last six years along with rarely displayed photographs.
The new exhibit Speechless: Text and Image in Global Culture will finish off the year, running from May 31 until Dec. 30. This collection will look at how words have affected religious, political and social agendas through the years.
The James Museum
Located in St. Petersburg, the James Museum may be worth the drive for one of its future exhibits. You can read Ronnie Lovler’s review of a current display, Warhol’s West, that ends on Jan. 9.
- Away From Home: American Indian Boarding School Stories
- January 28, 2022 – March 16, 2022
- Ansel Adams: The Masterworks & Clyde Butcher: America The Beautiful
- April 9, 2022 – July 31, 2022
- Black Pioneers: Legacy In The American West
- September 3, 2022 – January 8, 2023
The Cummer Museum in Jacksonville
This Jacksonville museum will have its regular display along with two special exhibits this year.
- American Perspectives: Stories from the American Folk Art Museum Collection
- February 11, 2022 to May 22, 2022
- Buddha and Shiva, Lotus and Dragon: Masterworks from the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection at Asia Society
- June 25, 2022 to September 18, 2022
Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville
The museum has several limited exhibits that will be here and gone. Tiny Titans: Dinosaur Eggs and Babies started last year and will run through Feb. 20, 2022.
Two other limited time exhibits, Inner Beauty and Our Changing Climate, will also arrive at the museum. Special travelling exhibits will also stop by including one on the Megalodon.
Lightner Museum in St. Augustine
The Lightner will house several collections this year for Floridians to enjoy.
- Tom Schifanella: Faces of the Alcazar
- October 29, 2021 to March 7, 2022
- Picturing a Nation: American Art from the Lightner Museum
- October 29, 2021 to September 30, 2022
- Bouke de Vries: War and Pieces
- Exhibition Opening April 1, 2022 at 5:00 p.m.
- Contemporary Chronicles of St. Augustine
- Exhibition Opening April 1, 2022 at 5:00 p.m.