Happy New Year, everyone! Here’s hoping that it’s a far better one than yesteryear – in fact, it’s all but guaranteed it will be better, given the huge amount of films to look forward to over the next twelve months! That’s why this year, we’ve DOUBLED the list so we can squeeze on a load more films we already can’t wait for in 2017, and there’s already quite a few of those already!
And we’re kicking off this list with…
20 – BAYWATCH
The classic TV show that made David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson household names gets a modern update, and they seem to have gone the 21 Jump Street route by amping up the comedy and self-referential satire to give itself a pretty strong sense of humour.
Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron are the main muscles this time around, along with Alexandra Daddario, Kelly Rohrbach and Priyanka Chopra as the swimsuit-clad eye candy (which, given the route they’re suggesting they’re going in the trailer, will probably be humorously addressed at some point), and it looks to send up the original show’s tropes while also celebrating its own cheesiness.
But it’s got The Rock in it, which automatically makes it fun entertainment… most of the time.
WHEN’S IT OUT?
12TH MAY 2017
19 – THE MUMMY
Although Dracula Untold didn’t exactly wow audiences or critics (and there’s a reason: it sucked), its last-minute purpose of revitalising the Universal Monsters Universe is now given to a film which thankfully looks far more enjoyable.
There’s no Brendan Fraser or Rachel Weisz around this time, but this new version of The Mummy kick-starts this new cinematic universe with grit, darkness and a frighteningly mortal Tom Cruise coming back to life after a fateful encounter with the Egyptian entity of the title. That airplane sequence in the trailer may look like just your average Mission: Impossible deleted scene, but it paves the way for this reboot to truly make some waves with strong action, freaky visuals and even a bearded Russell Crowe, rumoured to be playing Dr. Jekyll as a precursor to his own movie.
Hopefully, it will do a much better job at setting up this universe than Dracula Untold did…
WHEN’S IT OUT?
9TH JUNE 2017
18 – TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT
Much was made of the news that, after the fourth film once more underwhelmed with critics despite raking in over $1 billion worldwide, the Transformers franchise was getting its own writers’ room – namely the question, “People actually write Transformers movies?!”
The first project to come out of this newly-formed attempt to make a cinematic universe of giant fighting robots (also in development is a Bumblebee spin-off) is the fifth film in the franchise, currently lined up to be director Michael Bay’s last at the helm. The trailer looks like it’ll be more of the same, with big CGI robots up against one another while explosions go off in the background, but it also promises a big Game of Thrones-style battle with Nazis and Anthony Hopkins all somehow involved, which we have to admit even has us a little curious.
So, just because we guiltily want to see all that carnage unfold on the big screen, we’re willing to give this the benefit of the doubt – but we’re not exactly holding our breath, either…
WHEN’S IT OUT?
23RD JUNE 2017
17 – CARS 3
It’s nobody’s favourite Pixar film, and the sequel is everyone’s most hated Pixar film, but Cars is now inexplicably on its third movie – but even then, like almost the rest of the world, the teaser has gotten our attention.
It may have received a bit of flack over its out-of-nowhere darker tone, but the teaser for Cars 3 does genuinely promise something different, which would be a huge relief if it’s even the slightest improvement on Cars 2. If not, at least that teaser is so laughably grim and intense that you had to admire the madness that must have been going on in that publicity department.
I guess we’ll have to wait and see if, like the teaser suggests, “everything changes” – maybe Lightning McQueen becomes a scooter or something…
WHEN’S IT OUT?
14TH JULY 2017
16 – PADDINGTON 2
The 2014 revival of Michael Bond’s lovable children’s character Paddington Bear was embraced by many upon its debut, and now at last the long-awaited follow-up is now in production, and promises to be even more adorable than the first.
The whole cast from Hugh Bonneville to Paddington voice Ben Whishaw is back, as is writer-director Paul King (who has Simon Farnaby along this time as co-writer), and joining them is Hugh Grant and Brendan Gleeson as new characters bound to be tons of fun starring alongside the accident-prone and marmalade-loving bear. If it’s any bit as adorable as its predecessor, then Michael Bond’s most famous creation will last quite a long time in the minds of a new generation of fans.
I wonder what Paddington will make of the whole Brexit thing, though…
WHEN’S IT OUT?
10TH NOVEMBER 2017
15 – THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE
With The LEGO Movie being such a hugely beloved insta-classic, featuring so many memorable characters, it’s only fitting that the first spin-off in this vast brick universe focused on the film’s most popular figurine: that of Batman, or in particular the gruff and holier-than-thou rendition voiced spectacularly by Will Arnett.
The resulting LEGO Batman Movie looks to be a bright, playful homage to the Caped Crusader’s entire legacy, albeit in brick form. Featuring all the classic villains from The Joker to Two-Face (with Billy Dee Williams providing his voice, meaning he FINALLY gets to play Two-Face in a movie!) and enough self-referential material to make even the most hardcore Batman fan jump with delight, not to mention the same kinetic sense of humour that made The LEGO Movie such a success, it should be top-quality family entertainment for Batfans of all ages.
On a side note, it must be particularly damning for DC when the animated LEGO version of your most popular character is in a better place right now than the adult, live-action version…
WHEN’S IT OUT?
10TH FEBRUARY 2017
14 – ALIEN: COVENANT
Although Ridley Scott didn’t exactly deliver when in 2012 he promised that prequel Prometheus would answer all the questions audiences had about the groundbreaking sci-fi horror Alien (in fact, it still to this day divides audiences with its mystery-box plotting and nonsensical characterisations), he could very well make up for all of that with this far more Alien-looking sequel to the prequel.
Michael Fassbender is back as that film’s most liked character, the robot David, and joining him is a new cast of human snacks explorers including Katherine Waterston, Danny McBride and Demián Bichir, who are all about to come face to face with the series’ iconic Xenomorph alien race. Who will get out alive this time? Will more questions that audiences have been wanting to know actually be answered? And will there, for the love of God, be a healing machine on board that ISN’T designed only for the use of men this time?!
All of these are questions that hopefully Scott will actually get around to delivering this time, as he once more returns to the vast empty realm of space that put his name on the map to begin with…
WHEN’S IT OUT?
19TH MAY 2017
13 – FAST & FURIOUS 8
Yes, it’s dumb. Sometimes, impossibly so. But even we have to admit how amazing it is to see the Fast & Furious franchise turn itself around so much after not leaving much of an impression at first, to become a global mix of action, explosions, and plenty of car chases that’s acceptable to enjoy, even at its silliest. Now, the eighth film in the series – called The Fate of the Furious over in the States, but over here is just plain old Fast & Furious 8 (boo!) – seems to be going places that raise the stakes in both the action, and also the enjoyable stupidity.
With the trailer hinting at a massive betrayal within the tight-knit band of wheel-clad outlaws, not to mention game-changing partnerships and unexpected twists and turns, we should prepare ourselves for action and macho drama that could very well spell the end of the team as we know it, and given that this film is meant to kick off a new trilogy that will ultimately end with the franchise’s final entry in 2021, the consequences could be more dire than we perhaps expected.
But there are plenty of car chases, fist fights, and Dwayne Johnson being awesome, so hopefully that can save its potential darkness from fully taking over…
WHEN’S IT OUT?
14TH APRIL 2017
12 – LOGAN
After nine outings as the character, the time has sadly come for Hugh Jackman to put away the adamantium claws for good. But thankfully, he’ll be going out with a serious bang with the third film in his own Wolverine film series, which also promises to test the most popular X-Men character like never before.
Also featuring Patrick Stewart in what might also be his final outing as Professor X, director James Mangold’s Logan looks to be the most emotional, heartfelt, and – seeing how the film has been given that gore-friendly R-rating in the wake of Deadpool’s success – bloodiest X-Men film yet, and certainly the most out of all of Wolverine’s films to date. Fans of the comics will also be able to pick up on more familiar elements such as the cyborg Reavers, and a young girl by the name of Laura, who comic nuts will instantly recognise as having more than a mere connection with Wolverine himself.
It will certainly be emotional to finally say goodbye to Jackman’s portrayal of the character, but with any luck the film will be a glorious send-off…
WHEN’S IT OUT?
3RD MARCH 2017
11 – WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES
Andy Serkis’ other greatest motion-capture creation, the revolutionary ape Caesar, faces his greatest challenge yet in this grand continuation of the rebooted Planet of the Apes franchise.
This time, he leads apekind in an all-out war against humans, who this time are led by Woody Harrelson’s terrifying-looking army colonel, who seems to have it out for the simians as much as Ralph Fiennes had it all out for Jews in Schindler’s List. As we’ve come to expect with the Apes films so far, War should be an emotional ride with some breathtaking action and wonderful visual effects, and with Dawn of the Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves back at the helm for this one, expect it to be on par with that dark, gritty film, and maybe just a little more enthralling.
It might be humanity’s last stand against these damned dirty apes, and we can’t wait…
WHEN’S IT OUT?
14TH JULY 2017
10 – DUNKIRK
Christopher Nolan gets down and dirty for his latest film, after a brief foray into sci-fi territory with Inception and Interstellar, which details a major turning point during the Second World War.
We’ve seen the battle of Dunkirk on-screen before, most notably in a stunning one-shot sequence in Joe Wright’s Atonement, but Nolan seeks to bring the battle to life like no other filmmaker has done before, by shooting much of the film on IMAX cameras and gritty 35mm film, and assembling an international cast that includes Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh, Mark Rylance and – we’re not joking – Harry Styles from One Direction to play characters for us to follow during all the chaos. It should be a spectacle to end all spectacles, especially when seeing it all unfold on those glorious IMAX screens.
But will there be a scene where Tom Hardy gets shot down like a pussy by Anne Hathaway again? Probably not, but with Nolan you never can tell…
WHEN’S IT OUT?
21ST JULY 2017
9 – THOR: RAGNAROK
One of three Marvel Studios movies due for release in 2017, Chris Hemsworth’s third solo outing as the God of Thunder could have the most potential out of all of them – mainly because of who they’ve got to direct.
Taika Waititi, director of last year’s wonderful Hunt for the Wilderpeople, is on board for this film, and if the above mockumentary – made as an extra on the Captain America: Civil War DVD to explain his absence from that movie – is anything to go by, then we’re in for a seriously funny ride as a result of that. Waititi knows how to make an adventure movie with fun characters and a great sense of humour, and it looks like Thor: Ragnarok will bring that same sensibility to the MCU, with Thor teaming up with Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk for an intergalactic journey which we already cannot wait to see.
And yes, Tom Hiddleston is also back as Loki, so all you fangirls out there had better start counting down the days…
WHEN’S IT OUT?
27TH OCTOBER 2017
8 – PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: SALAZAR’S REVENGE
Johnny Depp’s star may have waned in the past couple of years, but now he’s back in his most iconic role to help get back in people’s good books.
Captain Jack Sparrow must this time face off against Javier Bardem’s Capitán Salazar for control of the seas themselves, with the MacGuffin this time being the Trident of Poseidon which, as you may have guessed, allows its possessor to command the waves, and hopefully this time Disney will have learned its lesson by not making this one as long-winded and complicated as the most recent films in this franchise have been. With duo Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg directing this time, and Catch Me If You Can’s Jeff Nathanson writing the script instead of series regulars Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, it could very well bring this franchise – and its main star – up from beneath the surface.
Let’s hope it’s more Fast & Furious 5 than Die Hard 5, which by this point could be very easy for them to do, unfortunately…
WHEN’S IT OUT?
26TH MAY 2017
7 – BABY DRIVER
The Cornetto Trilogy is finished, his vision for Ant-Man was never fully realised (though thankfully it still turned out good), but Edgar Wright’s next film is destined to cement his position as one of today’s most adored filmmakers even more.
An original concept, though based off a music video he directed back in 2003 for Mint Royale’s “Blue Song”, Wright’s Baby Driver not only has a cool cast – featuring the likes of Ansel Elgort, Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm and Kevin Spacey among others – and a nice throwback plot to classic crime capers – this one in particular is about a young getaway driver played by Elgort who of course becomes involved in a robbery gone wrong – but, judging purely on the music video that inspired it, should contain ONE HELL of a soundtrack!
There may not be any footage released from the actual film just yet, but feel free to watch the music video itself above and you can see why it’s already on our list of films to check out this year…
WHEN’S IT OUT?
11TH AUGUST 2017
6 – SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING
One of the many standout characters in Captain America: Civil War was the introduction of Tom Holland as the newest version of Peter Parker aka Spider-Man, the third overall in fifteen years after Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. Some may groan at yet ANOTHER alternate timeline for the character, but Spider-Man: Homecoming not only seeks to welcome the character into the MCU after so many years of legal troubles with Sony, but to also be perhaps the best film featuring the popular superhero to date.
Taking its cues more from John Hughes high-school movies, Homecoming positions Peter Parker as someone struggling with maintaining his identity as a superhero while also just being a teenager going through all the typical obstacles a teen would face in this day and age. Throw in a supporting cast made up mostly of ACTUAL teenagers and not twenty or thirty-something actors pretending to be teengers, as well as Michael Keaton in the villain role as well as Robert Downey Jr. in a supporting role as Tony Stark, this could very well be the movie that finally gets Spider-Man exactly as he was portrayed in the classic comics.
Plus, we’re promised no origin story this time round (yay!), and hopefully nobody giving that “with great power…” speech either…
WHEN’S IT OUT?
7TH JULY 2017
5 – BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Disney’s current trend of remaking their classic animated films into live-action continues with their most beloved entry, Beauty and the Beast, now receiving the treatment.
Featuring an all-star cast including Emma Watson as Belle, Dan Stevens as the Beast, Luke Evans as Gaston and an endless amount of others like Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson and many more, director Bill Condon’s adaptation looks absolutely stunning and could well be one of the studio’s best-looking live-action films in years. Given how its immense view count on YouTube is already well into the millions, count on this one being a HUGE hit for the studio which up to this point has had a seriously strong few years.
Let’s hope that their newly-told tale as old as time can continue their ongoing success…
WHEN’S IT OUT?
17TH MARCH 2017
4 – WONDER WOMAN/JUSTICE LEAGUE
This is it, folks. After three very underwhelming entries so far, the DC Cinematic Universe has two chances left to finally establish itself as a superhero franchise to compete with Marvel. However, both of them do have their fair share of promising attributes, at least in the footage we’ve seen so far.
Wonder Woman, for example, is the very first theatrical solo outing for the most popular female superhero of all time (and given how she’s been around for over 75 years and is only NOW getting her own film speaks volumes about how backwards part of our society truly is). After her scene-and-film-stealing appearance in Batman v Superman, Gal Gadot finally gets a chance to play the character proper, in a thrilling back story that seems to explore her first contact with mankind and implements her heroic tendencies. She is joined by Chris Pine who seems to be doing fine in the supporting role as long-time romantic interest Steve Trevor, but this is positioned to be very much HER movie, and it could well be the first DC movie to at last inject a sense of hope and, indeed, wonder into this grim, dark universe.
The same goes with Justice League, the long-awaited team-up of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg. Director Zack Snyder may be back, but Man of Steel and Batman v Superman writer David S. Goyer thankfully isn’t; taking over the scripting reigns is BvS co-writer Chris Terrio, who also wrote the Oscar-winning Argo, and the footage above shows the same kind of snarky wit that really brought that film further to life, a refreshing notion in the thus-far humourless DC universe. Although there’s still a long way to go for it to actually be good enough to compete with the likes of Marvel, the fact that they appear to have fixed its lacking entertainment factor is a major sign that maybe, just maybe, Warner Bros and DC have finally learned their lesson on how to win over audiences and finally be a genuine, wholesome franchise for everyone to enjoy.
If not, we may be about to witness the implosion of a studio’s desperate attempt to catch up with its competitor, in the most glorious – and depressing – of back-to-back failures (though we certainly hope not!)…
WHEN ARE THEY OUT?
2ND JUNE 2017 (WONDER WOMAN)
17TH NOVEMBER 2017 (JUSTICE LEAGUE)
3 – GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2
It was the unexpected breakout hit of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, right when it was being touted as its first possible failure. But Guardians of the Galaxy went on to become one of the studio’s most beloved films, and now its inevitable sequel brings back everyone’s favourite characters as well as the off-kilter humour and glorious amounts of fun and sci-fi entertainment.
Yes, everyone from Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord to the inseparable CG duo of Rocket Raccoon and Groot – the latter now being the size of a small pot plant, because why not – is back for more outer space hijinks, as is director James Gunn who has promised a whole lot more in terms of twists, turns, and a rocking soundtrack to make it a summer blockbuster that everyone is anxiously waiting to see.
How will it tie in to the rest of the MCU, as well as their rumoured appearance in the forthcoming Avengers sequels? Nobody can possibly know quite just yet, so for now let’s just do what the Guardians themselves are doing and just enjoy the ride while it lasts…
WHEN’S IT OUT?
28TH APRIL 2017
2 – BLADE RUNNER 2049
Not gonna lie, there are PLENTY of reasons to get excited for this one.
Not only is it the long-awaited follow-up to one of the most popular sci-fi films of all time, not only is original director Ridley Scott on board as a producer, not only is original star Harrison Ford back as his OTHER most famous sci-fi character Rick Deckard (alongside a new cast that boasts the likes of Ryan Gosling, Robin Wright, Jared Leto and others)… but none other than Denis Villeneuve is directing it.
The French-Canadian director has proven continuously to be one of the great new directors of the past few years, with films like Prisoners, Sicario and most recently Arrival making their mark among Western audiences after homegrown hits like the Oscar-nominated Incendies. His slow-burn pacing, masterful use of tension, and gorgeously composed visual beauty make him an absolutely perfect filmmaker to continue this particular story, and to make things even better he has brought with him regular cinematographer and composer Roger Deakins and Jóhann Jóhannsson respectively, so no matter how this film turns out it will be an incredibly stunning piece of craftwork.
Not that Blade Runner 2049 is expected to be bad anyway, at least not by most people. The first is a classic by every definition, one that had definitely earned its cult following, and it will be extremely fascinating to see how Villeneuve brings his particular style into this vast futuristic landscape with replicants roaming about freely.
It’s bound to be a must-see for any hardcore sci-fi fanatic, as will another certain continuation of a popular sci-fi franchise…
WHEN’S IT OUT?
6TH OCTOBER 2017
1 – STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII
Not much is known about what will happen in it; hell, there isn’t even an official title for it yet. But by God, how can anybody NOT be excited for the next chapter in the Star Wars saga?
After The Force Awakens and last year’s Rogue One, the franchise has graciously returned to people’s hearts after years of waning after the ill-fated prequels. Now – or to be more specific, next Christmas – the as-yet untitled Episode VIII will further the story by expanding on its newly-introduced characters, as well as incorporate some of the old classics (barring Harrison Ford’s Han Solo who, after the events of The Force Awakens, sadly won’t be around to be called a scruffy-looking nerf herder anymore).
With Rian Johnson on double-duty as both director and writer, the Looper filmmaker should have no problem picking up where J.J. Abrams left off, with Daisy Ridley’s Rey finally coming face to face with Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, John Boyega’s Finn still in a coma, Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron still being charming as all hell, and Adam Driver’s Ben aka Kylo Ren further completing his path to the dark side. It also promises to answer a lot of questions introduced in The Force Awakens, namely who Rey’s parents are, why she seems to be rather unnaturally good with the Force, and whether Captain Phasma survived being thrown into the trash compactor on Starkiller Base, among a few others.
But more importantly, can we as a collective species keep our distance from spoilers on the Internet? Yes, we are all desperate for the latest solid word on the next Star Wars, but if we keep mum about plot details, character identities (especially franchise newcomers like Benicio Del Toro, Laura Dern and Kelly Marie Tran ) and, of course, the answers to several important questions, then the overall experience come next December will be far more worth it. This plan worked for The Force Awakens (mostly), and we can make it work again for the next instalment in the biggest movie series in the galaxy.
The only downside is, December is only twelve months away. Best get started with the busy year of movies, then…
WHEN’S IT OUT?
15TH DECEMBER 2017
ALSO OUT THIS YEAR (DEEEEEEEEEEEEEP BREATH)
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T2 Trainspotting (out: 27th January 2017)
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Fifty Shades Darker (out: 10th February 2017)
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John Wick: Chapter 2 (out: 17th February 2017)
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Kong: Skull Island (out: 10th March 2017)
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King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (out: 24th March 2017)
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Power Rangers (out: 24th March 2017)
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Ghost in the Shell (out: 31st March 2017)
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The Zookeeper’s Wife (out: 5th May 2017)
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Annabelle 2 (out: 26th May 2017)
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Despicable Me 3 (out: 30th June 2017)
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The Dark Tower (out: 28th July 2017)
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Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (out: 4th August 2017)
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American Made (out: 25th August 2017)
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It (out: 8th September 2017)
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Kingsman: The Golden Circle (out: 29th September 2017)
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The LEGO Ninjago Movie (out: 13th October 2017)
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Murder on the Orient Express (out: 24th November 2017)
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Coco (out: 8th December 2017)
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Pitch Perfect 3 (out: 22nd December 2017)
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Jumanji (out: 29th December 2017)
