2015 proved to be a record-breaking year for movies with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” well on its way to becoming the highest grossing movie of all time. We saw the end of the “Hunger Games” franchise, the rebooting of several franchises including “Jurassic Park” and “Mad Max,” and many incredible films with original concepts. As far as it is currently scheduled, 2016 looks to be a mirror of last year with superhero films front and center, as well as the reboots and returns of some beloved franchises. Let’s dig into the most anticipated movies of the new year.
Prepare to return to your childhood this year, after 13 years of waiting, we’re getting the sequel to “Finding Nemo.” “Finding Dory” is about our favorite forgetful fish and the search for her family. We’re also getting the third installment of “Kung Fu Panda” and the fifth film in the “Ice Age” franchise. Years after it was announced, “The Angry Birds Movie” is finally being released in May, and its reception will be interesting, considering the decrease in popularity that the popular mobile game has experienced in recent years. After a knockout trailer, excitement for Disney’s “Zootopia” has greatly increased, as has the excitement for “The Secret Life of Pets,” another animated comedy about anthropomorphic animals. Although no footage has yet to be seen, anticipation is also brewing for Disney’s “Moana.”
Disney's "Zootopia"
In 2016 we’ll witness the return of “Barbershop,” “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” “Independence Day,” “Bourne,” and “Ghostbusters,” all of which are getting long-awaited sequels (although Ghostbusters is apparently a reboot). We’re also invited to return to the world of "Harry Potter" when Warner Bros. releases “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”–the franchise’s first spin-off–in November. The first of the announced “Star Wars” spin-offs (“Star Wars: Rogue One”) will also premiere in December of this year.
The "Harry Potter" spin-off "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"
On the comedy side of things we’re getting “Ride Along 2,” Kevin Hart’s next project, and “Neighbors 2” with Seth Rogen and Zac Efron. Efron is also seen in “Dirty Grandpa,” an R-rated screwball comedy with none other than film legend Robert DeNiro as the titular grandfather. Ben Stiller returns to the role of “Zoolander” after 15 years, bringing along an all-star cast of veterans and newcomers to his hilarious world of self-obsessed modeling. “Race,” the Jesse Owens biopic starring “Selma’s” Stephan James will be released in February, after “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi,” Michael Bay’s war movie, premieres in January.
Interestingly enough, there are a couple of video game adaptations coming to the big screen in 2016. The genre is generally known for consisting mainly of “bad” movies, but this year's slated films “Ratchet and Clank,” “Warcraft,” and “Assassin’s Creed” hope to change that in their respective release dates of April, June, and December.
Still, as stated before, the bulk of the year’s excitement belongs to the comic book films that are set to grace the screen. In March we will see DC Comics superheroes Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman on the big screen together–the first time in film history–in “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.” Later on in the year, DC Comics will also release “Suicide Squad,” a movie about a team of supervillains forced to do tasks for a shady division of the government. The film boasts an all-star cast including Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Cara Delevingne, and Academy Award winner (and “Thirty Seconds to Mars’" frontman) Jared Leto. Leto will be the first person to portray the sinister Joker since the death of Heath Ledger in 2008.
Not to be outdone, Marvel Comics is releasing four films this year. The first one (through their 20th Century Fox division) will be “Deadpool” in February, which promises to be an R-rated, bloody, and hilarious film that will serve as a bit of an antidote to the (mostly) family friendly superhero movies that we’ve become used to. Later in the year we’ll get “X-Men: Apocalypse,” which will finally introduce the younger versions of Storm, Cyclops, and Jean Grey.
"Deadpool"
Through its Cinematic Universe (“Avengers” and “Guardians of the Galaxy”) Marvel is releasing “Captain America: Civil War,” which will pit Captain America against Iron Man and finally introduce the African superhero Black Panther to the universe. Later in the year they will release “Doctor Strange,” a film based on the comic book sorcerer of the same name. It should be mentioned that Disney owns Marvel, Lucasfilm (the “Star Wars” films), and Pixar, so between the films released under those companies as well as its own films–including the live-action “Jungle Book” remake due this year–Disney is about to experience possibly their biggest year ever.
As usual, though, 2016 will be a great year for all movies and theater seats should have no problem being filled if these cinematic projects live up to their considerable promise.
