2015 was a fantastic year for Hollywood, with a record setting $11 Billion spent at the box office. From "Mad Max: Fury Road" to "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" we have witnessed a historic year in film-making both critically and commercially. So, what will the new year bring us?
Here is my list of the top 10 most anticipated films of 2016.
Honorable Mention: "GhostBusters"
This Kristen Wiig led reboot of the classic 1984 film looks...promising? I'm really not sure how to feel about this film. Any "Saturday Night Live" fan will recognize the cast full of current "featured players" (Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon) and SNL alumna Kristen Wiig, all of which are joined by Melissa McCarthy. Will this film live up to the original? Probably not. Why is it on my list? I'm not sure. It could turn out to be a great addition to the Ghostbusters story, or it could be a transparent attempt to cash in on nostalgia. We'll find out when Ghostbusters hits theaters on July 15.
10. "Warcraft"
"Warcraft" (June 10th) is an upcoming epic based on the hit video game series. Led by "Source Code" director Duncan Jones, this film promises to deliver heart-stopping action and stunning visuals sure to attract any action fan, and not just fans of the series itself. Admittedly, when I first heard they were making a movie based on the computer game, I was less than thrilled. Movies based on video games are notoriously bad, and I figured this adaptation wouldn't buck that trend. Until, of course, I saw the jaw-dropping trailer for the film. I don't imagine I'll be first in line, but this is a film that screams IMAX.
9. "The Jungle Book"
This live action adaptation of the classic Disney animated film is stacked with both a star-studded cast and award-winning director Jon Favreau at the helm, "The Jungle Book" is sure to draw in families and fans of the original. Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, and Ben Kingsly all lend their voices to the film in what are sure to be memorable performances. Set to release on April 15, "The Jungle Book" is shaping up to be the family film of the year.
8. "Assassin's Creed"
This one might be a long shot. Another Video Game adaptation, "Assassin's Creed" is set to release on Dec. 21. To date, we have not seen a single trailer, teaser, or even poster for this film. Michael Fassbender takes the lead roll as Callum Lynch, a man with a mysterious lineage filled with legendary members of the secret Assassin society. Fans of the series can predict the foundation of the film, with the protagonist exploring his ancestor's memories and gaining knowledge and experience vicariously through "genetic memories." As I mentioned, little is known about this film. However, I have faith that the award-winning cast can create an adaption that is both faithful to the source and entertaining enough to create a whole new fan base for the series.
7. "Finding Dory"
"Finding Dory" is the long awaited sequel to the 2003 Disney/Pixar classic "Finding Nemo." With Ellen DeGeneres returning as Dory, the forgetful friend of Nemo's father, "Finding Dory" will no doubt set records for its April release. Although it has been 12 years since the release of "Finding Nemo," the film will still resonate and attract children of all ages and the twenty-somethings who are still fans of the original.
6. "X-MEN: Apocalypse"
ANOTHER SEQUEL! Are we noticing a trend here? X-Men: Apocalypse stars James McAvoy returning as "Professor Xavier," and Oscar Issac as the titular character "Apocalypse." Along with returning cast like Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique) and Michael Fassbender (Magneto) we are also going to see the introduction of "Psylocke," pictured above, played by Olivia Munn. After the success of "Days of Future Past," it's hard to argue that the eighth film in the X-men series will be anything short of a monster in the box office. You can catch "X-Men: Apocalypse" when it reaches theaters on May 27.
5. "Captain America: Civil War"
"Five?!? Are you kidding me?!" Look, I know these films have a massive fan base and I know this movie will probably make over a billion dollars at the box office and I will definitely be there in an IMAX theater on opening night, but "Civil War" can't get past the 5 spot on my list. There really isn't much to say about this film. You're going to see it. I'm going to see it. Everyone you've ever met is going to see it. I'll just drop the trailer here so you can watch it for the 10th time. Oh, and there's also the rumor fact that we will finally see Spiderman in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So there's that. You can see "Civil War" when it comes out on May 6th.
4. "Deadpool"
"Deadpool" (very NSFW) sees Ryan Reynolds returning to the roll of Marvel's favorite anti-hero. The film was originally in production in 2014, but was cancelled when 20th Century Fox decided that an R-rated comic book film wasn't going to attract enough viewers. Then, thankfully, some test footage leaked online and spread across the Internet like a wildfire. A few months later we had our first confirmation that the movie was back in production, and is in fact coming to theaters on Feb. 12. From what we've seen, we can expect to see a unique style of comic book film unlike any other movie released this year, or any other.
3. "The Nice Guys"
"The Nice Guys" stars Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling as two men investigating the disappearance of a woman. Simple plot, but that is not a bad thing. The hilarious first trailer is what really put this movie on my radar and placed it so highly on my list. I don't think this will necessarily make the most money at the box office, but this dark take on the classic "buddy cop" comedy gives us all something to look forward to this summer, when "The Nice Guys" lands in theaters on May 20. Check out the trailer for yourself. (NSFW) Note: This is the only film on the list that is not a sequel, remake, or part of an established series.
2. "The Suicide Squad"
Will Smith (as Deadshot) leads this group of DC Supervillains on an action-packed ride to capture The Enchantress (played by Cara Delevingne). "Suicide Squad," based on the stable of comic-book villains, also stars Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, and Jared Leto stepping into the roll of The Joker. The appeal of this film is that, for the first time, we are getting an entire film focused on the villains. It is a "Bad vs. Evil" scenario in which the best of DC's rogues gallery are showcased and portrayed in a dark and serious tone. This is not something that could have happened ten years ago, but with the recent rise of comic book culture in the United States, fans around the world will finally get to see their favorite bad guys in their very own movie. This is also the live-action debut of Harley Quinn, and the highly anticipated film return of the Joker. "Suicide Squad" is set to release on Aug. 5. If you haven't seen it yet, here is the phenomenal Comic-Con Trailer.
1. "Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice"
"Batman V. Superman." My most anticipated film of 2016, for obvious reasons. This is a historic film, marking the first time in history that we are seeing Batman and Superman on screen together. Not to mention the inclusion of Wonder Woman (played by Gal Gadot) and Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and the rumored appearances by The Flash and The Green Lantern. This film is stacked with award winning writers, directors, and actors like Ben Affleck, Jesse Eisenberg (as Lex Luthor), and Henry Cavill. We are guaranteed to see an epic encounter between the pop-culture icons. The film isn't set to release until March 25, but the hype-train has been building ever since the announcement at the 2013 Comic-Con in San Diego. Aside from being an epic reboot of the Batman franchise, and a sequel to 2012's "Man of Steel," the film is set to be the launching point for DC's brand new Cinematic Universe.
And that's my list! What did I miss? Of course, this is all just my opinion and not based on any box office predictions, just based purely on my own anticipation for each film. As I mentioned, 2015 was the biggest year in the history of the film industry, and if this list is any indication, 2016 just might shatter that record.































