2015 was a fantastic year for the cinema. It had everything from new installments in popular series like Star Wars, The Hunger Games, and Jurassic Park, to great stand-alone films such as Inside Out and Selma. As this year comes to a close, we all have one question on our minds: "What's new in 2016?"
There are dozens of awesome movies to look forward to in the new year, but here are ten that are on my must-see list.
1. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
As a huge Harry Potter fan, I believe Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them promises to be one of the best films of the year. It follows Newt Scamander, a magizoologist (or magical zookeeper for you Muggles) in J.K. Rowling's magical universe. It is set in the 1920's in New York City, where a briefcase full of magical creatures has just been opened. It stars Eddie Redmayne and is written by Rowling herself, so I'm sure it won't disappoint.
2. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
This is the movie all superhero fans have been waiting for. What's better than the two most famous superheroes working together to fight crime? The two most famous superheroes working against each other. As Lex Luther says in the trailer, it'll be "the greatest gladiator match in the history of the world: Son of Krypton versus Bat of Gotham."
3. X-Men: Apocalypse
2016 is the year for great superhero movies. X-Men: Apocalypse centers around the first mutant, Apocalypse. He is immortal, making him the most powerful mutant, and wants to cleanse the world of humans. Only Raven and Charles Xavier can stop him from wiping humans off the face of the earth.
4. Suicide Squad
Suicide Squad is another film I'm extremely excited to see next year. Just as we see heroes fighting each other in Batman v Superman, we see villains working together in this movie. Personally, I'm excited to see what happens when a group of psychopathic villains are recruited to execute covert missions as part of a relatively questionable plan from the government. As if the plot weren't enough to get you to the theater, the film also has an all-star cast (Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Cara Delevingne, and so many more).
5. The Jungle Book
Since I'm going to be part of the Disney College Program next semester, I'm obviously going to have a few Disney movies on this list. The Jungle Book, based on the stories by Rudyard Kipling, is a live-action retelling of Disney's animated feature from 1967. It's about Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves in the jungle. It features Idris Elba, Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, and several other fantastic actors.
6. Finding Dory
For more than 12 years, Disney's Finding Nemo has been a favorite of millions of people, children and adults alike. In 2016, it's finally getting a sequel. Ellen Degeneres will be reprising her role as the forgetful fish Dory, who will be searching for her family with the help of friends Nemo and Marlin.
7. The Free State of Jones
This film may not be high on most 2016 movie lists, but I believe it's one to watch. Matthew McConaughey stars as Newton Knight, a Southern farmer who leads a group of rebels against the Confederate troops in the Civil War. It has a solid plot and a fantastic cast, so don't miss this one.
8. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Since Star Wars: The Force Awakens premiered, the Star Wars franchise has been receiving a lot of attention. Rogue One may be a spin-off, but I'm sure it'll be hugely successful. Set between the first and second trilogies of the saga, it focuses on a group of rebel spies out to steal the plans for the Empire's new weapon: the Death Star.
9. Moana
I know, I know, another Disney movie. However, I truly believe Moana will be a huge hit. Moana, the first Disney princess since Anna and Elsa, is a young girl from the South Pacific who is on a mission to find a fabled island, along with the demi-god Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson).
10. Captain America: Civil War
This movie is a huge step for the Marvel franchise. It centers around a conflict between Captain America and Iron Man and includes almost all of the Avengers. It might also introduce a certain spider-like superhero to the Marvel cinematic universe.
2016 is going to be an amazing year for film (and a terrible year for our wallets), so there are loads of movies that could've made it onto this list and didn't. These are just the movies I'm looking forward to in the new year. What movies are you looking forward to in 2016?
