Honourable Mentions
- T2: Trainspotting - 27th January
- The Lego Batman Movie - 10th February
- John Wick: Chapter Two - 10th February
- Ghost in the Shell - 31st March
- King Arthur: Legend of the Sword - 12th May
- Baywatch - 26th May
- Cars 3 - 16th June
- Transformers: The Last Knight - 23rd June
- The Dark Tower - 28th July
- Jumanji - 22nd December
20. Murder on the Orient Express
I wouldn't blame you if you had know idea that this movie was coming out next year. We have seen no footage, posters, or even images from the movie. Maybe that's to be expected since it's coming out towards the end of November. So, why is it on the list? This is a movie that has already sold me on a) the fact that it's an Agatha Christie adaption, which is a factor alone which makes me intrigued to see how it is handled, and b) the star power that is already involved in the movie. This movie is packed with an impressive array of stars, including Kenneth Branagh (who is also directing the movie, and you may know as Gilderoy Lockhart of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" fame), Johnny Depp, Daisy Ridley, Dame Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi, Penélope Cruz, Josh Gad, Michael Peña, and Michelle Pfeiffer. Phew. That is quite the cast, and they're all fairly well known for their great performances so matter what they're cast in (Johnny Depp is maybe the one exception as of late but as long as he's playing an eccentric character then we should be OK). Hopefully, with this cast, this movie will end up being something great to see.
Release Date: 22nd November
19. It
Yet another horror reboot but here's one which might have quite a bit going against it. This isn't like Friday the 13th, where they can just constantly remake the same movie with a different bunch of random teenage actors to get slaughtered by a faceless killer, or another torture franchise like Saw which is a pretty similar practice. This is a recreation of an old cult classic, and is recasting a role which was made iconic by Tim Curry in 1990. Nonetheless, I can't help but get excited by everything we've seen so far. The promised focus on the section of the source material where the main characters are kids promises an enhanced sense of vulnerability and threat throughout the movie. This might be a divisive opinion as well, but I am a big fan of the new actor and design for Pennywise the Clown seen above. Bill Skarsgård is a much younger choice for the role than Tim Curry was but the younger age, in addition to the much more old-fashioned look of the clown character, hopefully means that the kids are going to be going up against a more frightening and potentially more sadistic version of the character than we've ever seen before.
Release Date: 8th September
18. Power Rangers
I feel like I have to assure you guys that I'm not joking that this movie is up here on my list. Power Rangers was always a fun part of my childhood. I still remember the early days of the original Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, the dinosaur one, and a couple of others. Yes, this movie looks ridiculous. Yes, it looks pretty generic. Yes, the designs are completely unrecognisable. However, I have just have to admit that this movie simply looks like a lot of fun. I'm not expecting great things (and clearly neither are Lionsgate going by how the release date has been firmly set for two weeks after Kong: Skull Island, and a week after Disney's live-action Beauty and the Beast), but rather I am expecting a cheesy, over-the-top action movie which harkens back to my childhood. Not only that, but the cast is actually pretty great. Bryan Cranston and Bill Hader are signed onto the movie, while Elizabeth Banks as villain Rita Repulsa already looks like an inspired casting choice. Is it going to be bad? Almost certainly, but is it going to be a fun movie to watch? Definitely.
Release Date: 24th March
17. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Now we come to the movie on the list that I am probably the most concerned about (which is saying something considering we were just talking about the flipping Power Rangers), and that's largely down to Johnny Depp's recent track record and the declining quality of the Pirates franchise towards the end of it's current four-movie run. Look, there's no way about it, Johnny Depp just hasn't been great as of late, and the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie was not good at all. That said, I've got high hopes for this one. The trailer is much more dark and scary than we saw in the last few movies in the series, and even reminds me of the greatness of the first entry to an extent. You've got Javier Bardem playing a creepy villain, and, so long as he doesn't chew the scenery and go too much over the top, he could prove to be the bad guy the series needs right now. Not only that, but Orlando Bloom will be returning to the series after a long hiatus as Will Turner, with the kid we see in the trailer supposedly being his son. It looks like Disney are taking all the right steps to get this franchise back on track, and I'm cautiously optimistic to see what the result is.
Release Date: 26th May
16. The Mummy
Why are Universal attempting to set up a shared universe for their monster franchises? I cannot fathom why they think that this is a good idea, but I nonetheless can't help but feel excited to see the new big screen adaptation of the Mummy, starring Hollywood's favourite daredevil actor, Tom Cruise. At the very least, if you're looking to kick start a brand, there's worse people to pick for your lead than Tom Cruise. The trailer was actually surprisingly violent and intense, particularly in the plane sequence at the start, which is promising. The special effects and the make-up on the Mummy herself in the movie also look to be on point. I am not actually off put either by the fact that Universal are clearly ditching he horror roots and elements of the franchise is favour of a straight-up action packed summer blockbuster, especially since the action does look great. The primary concern here is that the movie will spend far too much time setting up the future of this series in a desperate attempt to convince audiences that this is actually justified and worthwhile. As long as the movie doesn't focus too much on these elements, however, we are hopefully in for a good (albeit silly) time with this one.
Release Date: 9th June
15. The Fate of the Furious
Who knows how the Fast and the Furious franchise is still standing after 8 movies? As time goes on, these movies are becoming increasingly ridiculous, over-the-top and straight-up mind boggling. Orange Lamborghini fighting a submarine? Who cares about common sense? A wrecking ball taking out a bunch of pursuing cars? Apparently Universal think they're producing a Looney Tunes movie. This series keeps attracting big stars as well, with new additions to this instalment including Charlize Theron as villain Cipher, and Helen Mirren in an undsclosed role, while Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Kurt Russell and Jason Statham also return to the scene. It looks crazy, off-the-wall, and brain cell killing stuff. Which is exactly why I want to see it. The trailers attempt to lure you in with a big change to the status quo of the series with Vin Diesel turning on the crew. Universal, listen up: this is not what people care about. They want big, fun, ludicrous action set pieces for 2 hours, and that's exactly what I want (and expect) from this movie.
Release Date: 14th April
14. Kong: Skull Island
Hey, remember when I said Universal were going crazy with their shared Monsters universe? Well, apparently Warner Bros. want a little slice of that action because next up is Kong: Skull Island as a continuation to their own shared universe for all their skyscraper climbing monsters, including Godzilla and the titular ape of this picture. Like quite a few of the movies I've mentioned already, I'm in this movie for visual spectacle. Kong himself looks excellent just going by the trailers alone, while the other creatures which inhabit Skull Island also have really interesting designs. The movie itself also has a really interesting colour scheme to it, and looks really well-filmed (though that might be down to a bit of trailer editing magic). The cast is great as well, including big names Tom Hiddleston, Oscar winner Brie Larson, John Goodman, and Samuel L. Jackson. I'm not expecting great things from this movie, but it's been a long time since King Kong was last on the big screen, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the studio has done with this version of the famous beast.
Release Date: 10th March
13. Alien: Covenant
Look, Prometheus was a big step back for the Alien series. It raised too many questions for its own good and answered none of them, the characters weren't particularly likeable, and, perhaps worst of all, the only one of the iconic Xenomorphs in the movie was seen at the very end, and even then it looked a bit wrong. Alien: Covenant, on the other hand, looks to be a return to form for Ridley Scott and the crew. Yes, Scott is back in the directing seat once again but this does look to be a far simpler story than that of Prometheus harking more back to the first movie than the later complexities of Prometheus or absurdities of Alien: Resurrection. It's just a crew on a ship being hunted by a violent, unstoppable alien. Simple but effective. The ship environment is sure to provide a far more claustrophobic horror environment than any other horror movie that's set for release next year. Not only that, but the set designs that we've seen so far as excellent, the marketing is nostalgic, and the cast is excellent, including Katherine Waterston, Danny McBride, Guy Pearce (surely playing another creepy role), and a double dose of Michael Fassbender in two roles. What's not to love?
Release Date: 19th May
12. Beauty and the Beast
Disney are just on a roll right now, aren't they? Not only are their animated features receiving critical acclaim across the board, but they are also exceeding all expectations with regards their live-action adaptions of their old classics. Two of these are currently among my best movies of last year, with both Pete's Dragon and The Jungle Book opening to critical acclaim. Next up on their list, though, could prove a much bigger challenge for the studio as they adapt the first animated movie to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture. However, everything about this remake looks on point for the most part. Everything but Ewan McGregor's dodgy French accent appears to have been incredibly well handled. The visuals of the movie in particular look to have been lifted right out of the animated movie and put on the big screen again. The cast is also largely perfect. Emma Watson hopefully won't be too much of an issue as Belle, but Dan Stevens already seems to be ingenious casting as the Beast, while whoever cast Sir Ian McKellan as Cogsworth deserves a pay raise. The big draw for me and I would guess many other fans, is the music. The music of the original is still wholly recognisable today and has proven itself timeless. Seeing these, and new songs from original composer Alan Menken, on the big screen is something I can't wait to see come March.
Release Date: 17th March
11. Thor: Ragnarok
To some extent, Thor has been the black sheep of the MCU. This is the one Marvel franchise people tend to point to when asked about issues within this universe, and to be fair, The Dark World gives them good reason to. However, the next instalment in the series, Thor: Ragnarok, looks to change that in a big way. Director Taika Waititi is a really interesting choice to put at the helm for this entry in the series, but he already seems to be expanding the scope of this franchise despite his indie film roots. Not only will the film be visiting Earth briefly (hopefully with the promised cameo of Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange as seen in that movie's post-credits scene), but Thor will also be traveling throughout the universe, accompanied by Tom Hiddleston's Loki, Anthony Hopkins' Odin, and will even be joined by Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner/the Incredible Hulk. The big casting in this movie though is in the villains of the piece, with not only Karl Urban and Internet meme Jeff Goldblum entering the fray, but Oscar winner Cate Blanchett as primary villain Hela. This new star power, along with the adaption of a number of comic storylines and the brilliant special effects Marvel is known for, is hopefully going to bring Thor out of the shadows of his Avengers teammates at last.
Release Date: 3rd November
10. Dunkirk
You'll soon notice that this is the only movie on this list based on a true story and this is largely down to how well director Christopher Nolan and his marketing department have already shown off this movie. Visually, it looks like Nolan and the crew are on point as ever, with incredible effects and war sequences on display in small sections in the trailers. The cast is also impressive, though the addition of Harry Styles is certainly questionable - although it may work out alright, ultimately it may end up being nothing more than stunt casting. Besides this, however, we have Nolan regulars Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy, as well as well-known actors including Mark Rylance and Kenneth Branagh (who you may remember from an earlier movie on here). The main thing that gets me excited for this one, however, is Nolan's track record for great writing and exploring the characters involved in the events of the movie. Hopefully we'll be able to see all of the soldiers in the movie explored to some extent so that we can establish emotional connections to them so that we can truly feel the weight of the events of the rest of the movie, because there will surely be some tragedy to some characters. I'm feeling confident on this one though. In Nolan we trust.
Release Date: 21st July
09. Wonder Woman
I wonder if DC were surprised when the trailers for Wonder Woman were released. After all, they're surely not used to getting an almost universally positive reception to their movies, but that's what Wonder Woman has been receiving so far. After all, Gal Gadot's performance was one of the great parts of Batman v Superman this year, and the World War I setting gives the movie a unique tone and setting to any other superhero movie on the horizon right now. The action of the movie looks incredible, something also helped by the setting, and already includes trench warfare, battles on horseback, airborne dogfights, and even the glimpses of the battles on the beach between the soldiers and the Amazons that Diana was raised with. What's more, director Patty Jenkins actually seems to understand this character, and seems set to be given significant character development throughout he movie until the character reaches the position she was in by the start of Batman v Superman. A great cast, fantastic set design, visually breathtaking, and with so much more going for it, Wonder Woman looks to be the movie that will change the fate of the DCEU for the better. Warner Bros. could be in serious trouble if this one doesn't go to plan.
Release Date: 2nd June
08. Kingsman: The Golden Circle
I absolutely loved the first Kingsman movie, as audiences worldwide. Fun, nostalgic, and extremely violent, the movie was a love letter to the spy genre while also bringing a comedic element to the film. Plus any movie which can make English gentleman Colin Firth into a serious action star deserves some recognition. Now, 3 years later, the franchise is set to expand its rank and world-buidling significantly, as Eggsy, Roxy, and Merlin (all once again played by Taron Egerton, Sophie Cookson and Mark Strong respectively) travel to the United States to team up with their American counterparts, the Statesmen, to take on Julianne Moore's villain Poppy. We haven't seen anything from the movie yet in terms of footage (not surprising given that it was recently pushed back to October next year), but these small plot details, as well as the new cast members (which also include Channing Tatum, Halle Berry, and Jeff Bridges as Statesmen agents) while Matthew Vaughan and the crew are also back at the helm, are enough to get me seriously excited to see this movie. It's potentially a bit concerning that Colin Firth has been confirmed to have some involvement in the movie considering the effectiveness of his death in the first movie. As long as either it is kept to small flashback sequences or we are given a satisfying explanation for why he would be back, however, then this might even just be another one of the movie's positives.
Release Date: 6th October
07. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Marvel movie 2/3 coming out next year (and you know that the third one is going to be coming up due to my love for the superhero genre). The Guardians of the Galaxy were the franchise that truly decided whether or not audiences would trust in Marvel to do what they liked. Who ever would have thought that a movie about a talking raccoon, a sentient tree, and the rest of a gang of misfits would gross over $770 million worldwide to become one of 2014's biggest summer money-makers. Next May finally sees the return of the Guardians in a movie set to further expand the cosmic realms of the Marvel universe, bringing in a great new group of cast members including Kurt Russell as Peter Quill/Star-Lord's father, Sylvester Stallone, Pom Klementieff, and Elizabeth Debicki as new villain Ayesha. The trailer for the movie looks excellent and already looks like it will be both one of the best comedies and best action movies of next year. The effects are incredible, and it looks much larger in scale than the last movie. One potential issue might be the overuse of Baby Groot, but this shouldn't be a problem if they continue on their success of the first movie and give all of the Guardians an equal amount of character development throughout the movie. Can this one be as successful as the first movie, and just as good? Here's hoping.
Release Date: 5th May
06. Logan
Yes, yet another superhero movie makes the list. This one's here for a number of reasons but the big one sets it apart from all the rest: this is the last time we're going to be seeing Hugh Jackman in the role of Logan/Wolverine. 17 years after Jackman first took up the role in the original X-Men movie, the saga of the Wolverine will finally come to an end next year. Everything about the trailer cements that this is going to be an emotional rollercoaster of the movie, with not only Jackman's character seemingly reaching the end of his life, but also Patrick Stewart's Professor X. Either of these characters could die in this movie, but we've been promised a satisfying send-off for a character who we have grown to love and a performance which has become so iconic. Not only this, but the movie has been assured an R-rating (that's a 15-rating in the UK), which points to one of the most comic book accurate movies of next year. Violent and emotional, "Logan" is a movie I can't wait to see. Thankfully, we've not got too long a wait.
Release Date: 3rd March
05. Spider-Man: Homecoming
Of all 3 Marvel movies coming out next year, this one of course takes the top spot on the list. After his fantastic introduction in Civil War this year, I (along with the majority of audiences) could not wait to see what would come next for the latest incarnation of Spidey. Everything was looking good for this movie even before the release of the first trailer. Tom Holland has quickly become my favourite version of Spider-Man, due to his perfect blend of the nerdy Peter Parker and the snarky Spider-Man, while the rest of the cast also give plenty of good reason for excitement, including Michael Keaton as the villainous Vulture, and the return of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man. The trailer just made ensured that we all had plenty of good reason to be excited. The visuals of the movie look excellent, the movie is clearly sticking to it's comic-book roots (I'm just saying, under complete Sony rule, we never would have seen web wings on that suit), and the expanded focus on Peter's high school life makes the film look like it will have a more John Hughes-vibe than any other Spider-Man movie. Not only that, but director Jon Watts has actually managed to make the Vulture intimidating! As comic book fans will know, any movie that can do that must be at least a little bit special.
Release Date: 7th July
04. Blade Runner 2049
Sequels to old, classic movies are becoming a part of the modern film industry more and more nowadays. Normally, when a studio threatens to touch one of their precious childhood or classic franchises, fanboys will light up their torches and take to Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and any other form of social media. With this little blog, I am unashamedly among them. However, the sequel to Blade Runner has been met with a positive reception since the start, largely thanks to a returning Harrison Ford, the new cast (including Ryan Gosling, Robin Wright, and Jared Leto), and the signing on of director Denis Villeneuve, who's currently scoring four to four on directing with Enemy, Prisoners, Sicario, and Arrival under his belt. The trailer is extremely atmospheric and tense, and if that's any indication of what the movie itself will be like, then there's reason here to be excited. Not to mention that it's beautifully shot. All in all, this one looks like it will be a visual spectacle, a superbly acted movie, and a film as ambiguous and thought-provoking as the original. Bring it on.
Release Date: 6th October
03. War for the Planet of the Apes
I've already been through what I thought about the recent trailer for War for the Planet of the Apes in my recent trailer recap but I just have to reiterate that this is an incredible trailer, for this continuation of a series which I have loved. This movie promises a more vicious and potentially frightening Caesar than we've seen before, hopefully providing a chance for Andy Serkis to show off even more depth to this character, while once again demonstrating a different side to the ape culture: that of the war time. Maybe what excites me most is how different this movie seems to be compared to the other two movies in the series. This movie is no longer about diplomacy and relations between species, but about how the disagreements between two groups can escalate to all-out war between the two, and if there is an possible way back when the best of them all, their leader, seems to be content with ploughing forward to victory. It's an exciting new direction for the series, and a movie which I cannot wait to see come summer next year.
Release Date: 14th July
02. Star Wars: Episode VIII
Star Wars: The Force Awakens was, in my opinion, 2015's best movie. It was a masterpiece, with excellent characters, effects, and it was a worthy follow-up to the legendary original trilogy. Around a year from now sees the follow-up to this movie, acting as the eighth main entry in the Star Wars franchise. We'll finally see the continuation of the scene with Rey (played brilliantly by Daisy Ridley) and Luke Skywalker (a returning Mark Hamill), the return of characters from the last movie and the originals alike, and the introduction of new characters and faces to the franchise, including big names Laura Dern and Benecio Del Toro. This entry in the series seems to be wrapped in even more mystery than The Force Awakens was before it's release. We still have no indication of plot, who the new characters are, any new locations, a proper first look at footage, or even a title for this instalment. It just goes to show the power of Star Wars then, that we don't have to have seen anything to be just as, if not even more excited, about this movie than most other movies coming out next year.
Release Date: 15th December
01. Justice League
After all the faults of the DC Extended Universe, this movie really shouldn't be at the top of the list. Yet, here we are: Justice League. Lower your pitchforks, everybody, we have every reason to be optimistic about this movie as well: the cast is phenomenal, the writers (actually surprisingly) seem to have taken on board all of our criticisms and started to inject more humour into this universe, and the effects of these movies look as on point as they have been since "Man of Steel" back in 2013. However, what sets this one apart for me is my love of these characters. I have loved these characters for years, in their live-action, animated, and comic book incarnations. Therefore, what more explanation do you need for why this one has topped my list? Like the Avengers, this is the first time we are going to be seeing these characters being brought together on the big screen, and the little taste we got of the chemistry between them in "Dawn of Justice", for all the faults that movie has (and my rating undoubtedly should have been much lower), this gives us great reason to look forward to the formation of the Justice League at last in November next year.
Release Date: 17th November
No comments:
Post a Comment