We’ve already given you the run-down of all the Jewish pop culture we loved in 2017. And while there’s no way to predict what we’re going to love in 2018, we can make some educated guesses (most begin with “Meghan Markle” and end with “Royal Wedding”).
18 things to mark on your calendar, stat:
1. January 1, 2018: the Bachelor premieres. (We also hate that this is the first thing on our list, but it is what it is). And we are *so* ready to hate-watch it with you. (We can’t confirm that there are any Jewish contestants, so who will we rank in our 2nd Annual Bachelor Nation Jewish Geography Power Rankings?!?)
2. January 3, 2018: In much better TV news, grown-ish premieres. . A spin-off of black-ish starring Yara Shahidi as her character heads off to college, we are ready to see the true college experience (albeit with much more beautiful people) on screen. (Why is this on our list? There are Jews in college. grown-ish takes place at college. Hence, ish.)
3. January 5, 2018: Our favorite show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend returns.. We’ll be listening to “Remember That We Suffered” on repeat until then.
4. An undisclosed date during first few months (hoping earlier rather than later) of 2018: Fauda season 2 comes to Netflix. The thriller set in the West Bank premieres in Israel on December 31, 2017, so we are praying it comes to the United States quickly.
5. February 9, 2018: The WINTER OLYMPICS begin! Who doesn’t love to watch curling?? JK…. we are excited to root for all the members of the tribe competing. Especially this Orthodox Jew nicknamed the “Hebrew Hammer” (we have so many questions) who hopes to be Israel’s first speed skater.
6. February 13, 2018: Moriel Rothman-Zecher’s debut novel, Sadness is a White Bird, will be released. Rothman-Zecher tells the tale of a young Israeli soldier whose best friends are Palestinian twins. Author Michael Chabon writes, “Nuanced, sharp, and beautifully written, Sadness Is a White Bird manages, with seeming effortlessness, to find something fresh and surprising and poignant in the classic coming-of-age, love-triangle narrative, something starker, more heartbreaking: something new.” We’re pre-ordering it now.
7. February 23, 2018: the science-fiction thriller Annihilation premieres. Starring Natalie Portman, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Oscar Isaac, we may be too scared to see this film in theaters…… but Natalie playing a biologist venturing into an unknown ecological (or alien??) disaster zone called Area X is simply *too good* to skip. Also did we mention Oscar Isaac?
8. March 9, 2018: A Wrinkle in Time, directed by Ava DuVernay and starring Oprah, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Chris Pine, and newcomer Storm Reid, premieres. The 1962 science fiction classic by Madeleine L’Engle tells the tale of Meg Murry, who travels through time to find her father.
9. April 3, 2018: Meg Wolitzer’s new novel The Female Persuasion will be released. OK, Amazon has the vaguest description up: “At its heart, The Female Persuasion is about the flame we all believe is flickering inside of us, waiting to be seen and fanned by the right person at the right time. It’s a story about the people who guide and the people who follow (and how those roles evolve over time), and the desire within all of us to be pulled into the light.” What the hell does that mean?! But we are still so excited (especially because her other novel, The Interestings, was one of our books that take you *right back* to summer camp).
10. May 7, 2018: The 2018 Met Gala, co-hosted by Amal Clooney, Rihanna, and Donatella Versace.The theme is “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” Weird to be on our Jewish list of 2018 things? Maybe. But we’re excited to see how Jewish celebs dress for the theme. Large Stars of David? Ugly Hanukkah Sweaters? A visual embodiment of the War on Christmas? BRING IT ON!
11. May 19th, 2018: Meghan Markle will marry Prince Harry in the most anticipated wedding of the year. (Sorry, anyone else getting married in 2018: not. your. year.) While they’re definitely not getting married under a chuppah, Meghan’s last husband was Jewish (which started the rumor that Meghan herself was a member of the tribe). Also! Meghan is reportedly considering a wedding gown by Israeli designer Inbal Dror. While this is definitely just a fake leak to throw us off the scent, we can’t help but hope…. Regardless of what she wears, we are beyond excited for this biracial American divorcée to join the Royal Family.
12. June 8, 2018: Ocean’s 8 premieres,starring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Rihanna, Sarah Paulson, Mindy Kaling, Awkafina, Helena Bonham Carter, and Anne Hathaway….who are all apparently in an epic group chat. We’re justifying our inclusion of this with an emphasis on the “ish” in “Jewish”: Anne Hathaway’s husband is Jewish, and he’s going to be cheering on his wife, so we will cheer her on as well. And everyone else. (Shh, we know it’s a stretch just let us be hype about this amazing movie).
13. June 15, 2018: In other anticipated movies that are not Jewish (but will have us as fans, and we’re Jewish, so we’re going to write about them), The Incredibles 2 premieres. Practically no details about the film have been released. But it’s been 13 years since The Incredibles premiered, and you can guarantee that the audiences will be filled with 20- and 30-somethings.
14. July 20, 2018: One last HYPE sequel that we cannot wait to watch is MAMMA MIA 2. In the wise words of Beanie Feldstein…
DON’T MIND ME SOBBING AT THE MAMMA MIA 2: HERE WE GO AGAIN TRAILER. IT’S ALL I’VE EVER ASKED FOR IN THIS LIFE AND THERE IS NO ONE MORE EXCITED.
— Beanie Feldstein (@BeanieFeldstein) December 21, 2017
The sequel doesn’t feature Meryl Streep (WHO made this decision??) but the story of the young Dynamos, and also Cher will be there.
15. We don’t know when in 2018 this is coming: GLOW SEASON 2 will be gracing our (Netflix) screens. We know 2017 was Alison Brie’s year, but we can’t wait to watch what she does next year.
16. Also in unknown premiere dates: Big Little Lies season 2! The show definitely starts filming in spring 2018, starring Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley, and Zoe Kravitz (#RedemptionforBonnie!!)
17. October 4, 2018: Leonard Cohen’s collection of poems, The Flame, will be released. These poems were selected by Cohen in the last few months of his life, and feature a selection from his notebooks (which he kept in poetic form). This will be his final book, and feature his poems, but also lyrics, prose, and illustrations.
18. November 6, 2018: Last but not least, Americans will return to the polls in the Midterm Elections. If you mark any date in your calendar, it should be this one.
What are you most looking forward to in 2018?
