21 Most Anticipated Movies of 2017

2017 is lining up to be a massive year for film. Big-name sequels, blockbuster reboots, and some interesting new film projects are in the works, so, looking ahead to what’s on the cinematic horizon, here are our 21 most anticipated films for 2017:

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

Release date: 3 February 2017

The upcoming and supposedly last RE sequel, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter is looking to mark the end of the film franchise with a bang. Milla Jovovich returns as series protagonist Alice in the sequel, which picks up right after the last film, Resident Evil: Retribution, and sees Alice as the only survivor of what was meant to be humanity’s last stand against the undead. In returning to where it all began, she then finds out that the Umbrella Corporation is gathering its forces for a closing strike against the only remaining survivors of the apocalypse.

Lego Batman Movie

Release date: 9 February 2017

If Batman’s moments from The Lego Movie were anything to go by, this should be a hilarious look into the world of Bruce Wayne. Will Arnett once again returns to voice the blocky superhero, with Zach Galifianakis and Michael Cera voicing the Joker and Dick Grayson/Robin respectively. However, there are big changes brewing in Gotham, and if Batman wants to save the city from The Joker”s hostile takeover, Batman may have to drop the lone vigilante thing, try to work with others and maybe, just maybe, learn to lighten up.

John Wick: Chapter 2

Release date: 10 February 2017

John Wick: Chapter 2, which is the direct sequel to 2014’s dog-loving assassin action flick starring Keanu Reeves, is making its way to cinemas this year, and we couldn’t be more excited. The first movie is one of our favourite action flicks of the past couple years and the second is looking to up the ante in every department. John Leguizamo also returns, along with newcomers Common, Ruby Rose, Riccardo Scamarcio, and Laurence Fishburne, who will star alongside Reeves for the first time since The Matrix.

Logan

Release date: 2 March 2017

March will see the arrival of Hugh Jackman’s final appearance as Wolverine in Logan. The film reunites the star with The Wolverine director James Mangold, and is set to follow Deadpool by being R-rated, so expect a fair amount more violence this time around. The film will be prominently based on the Old Man Logan comic book, and the cast also includes Sir Patrick Stewart, Boyd Holbrook, Richard E Grant, Stephen Merchant, Elisa Neal and Eriq La Salle. Here’s hoping Logan goes out with a proverbial bang…

Kong: Skull Island

Release date: 8 March 2017

Hollywood’s beloved giant ape, King Kong, is set for a reboot this year, and while we haven’t seen a lot, you do get glimpse of the iconic beast thanks to the film’s first trailer. Starring Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, and John Goodman, Kong: Skull Island takes a darker, more monstrous look at the legendary creature, and ups the scale of the big ape in order for him to go toe-to-toe with Godzilla in 2020’s Godzilla v King Kong, which will be a titanic battle and part of Legendary’s fast-expanding cinematic monster universe.

Power Rangers

Release date: 23 March 2017

Saban’s super-powered team is getting a third shot at the big-screen in a revamped and gritty take on the Power Rangers in 2017, and from what we’ve seen, it has definitely caught our attention. The film follows five troubled teenage student outcasts – Zack, Kimberly, Billy, Trini, and Jason – become the Power Rangers after learning that their town of Angel Grove and the world its self are threatened by Rita Repulsa (Elizabeth Banks) and her alien forces.

Life

Release date: 23 March 2017

Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds make contact with an alien organism in the first trailer for their space thriller Life. The film follows the International Space Station’s six-member crew as it discovers the first evidence of extraterrestrial life on Mars. The life form, unfortunately, proves more intelligent than they expected.

Ghost in the Shell

Release date: 29 March 2017

Whether you’re a fan of 90s anime and manga, or you simply love futuristic Japanese cityscapes and high-octane fight scenes, Ghost in the Shell, is certainly worth a look. Ghost in the Shell follows Scarlett Johansson as The Major, a special ops, one-of-a-kind human-cyborg hybrid who leads the elite task force Section 9. Devoted to stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists, Section 9 is faced with an enemy whose singular goal is to wipe out advancements in cyber technology. Loaded with an all-star international cast, Ghost in the Shell looks to be set to deliver a true-to-form representation of the beloved anime, while also introducing new fans to the futuristic Japanese cyberpunk world of the franchise.

Fate of the Furious

Release date: 12 April 2017

The Fast & Furious franchise isn’t slowing down anytime soon, and the long-running series sees its eighth release in April 2017. Vin Diesel is back to head up the film, with Tyrese Gibson, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Kurt Russell, and Jason Statham all reprising their respective roles. Clint Eastwood’s son, Scott Eastwood, has also been added to the cast, and Charlize Theron is playing the new villain in the movie.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Release date: 25 April 2017

The undeniably charming Guardians of the Galaxy gets its highly-anticipated sequel this year, which will continue the thread of Marvel’s intergalactic misfit heroes. Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, and Dave Bautista reprise their roles, with Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel returning to voice Rocket and Groot respectively. Kurt Russell is also set to make an appearance, although there’s some mystery surrounding his role. Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn will helm once again, which will see the film take an important step in moving the MCU into the meat of Phase 3 to link up with the Avengers: Infinity War Part 1.

Alien: Covenant

Release date: 19 May 2017

The anticipated follow-up to Prometheus arrives in May, with Michael Fassbender and Noomi Rapace reprising their roles from the first film, while director Ridley Scott once again steps behind the camera. Alien: Covenant tells the story of the crew of the colony ship Covenant that lands on a remote planet where an android named David David (Fassbender) is the sole inhabitant. Katherine Waterston, Danny McBride, Jussie Smollett, Demian Bichir, Callie Hernandez, Alexander England also star. The film is being touted as far scarier than Prometheus, harking back to the original high-tension Alien trilogy, and of course, given the name, the sequel will tie up with the original Alien films in a much more cohesive way.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Release date: 26 May 2017

Johnny Depp returns as Captain Jack Sparrow with Geoffrey Rush back on board as Barbossa, Orlando Bloom resurfacing as Will Turner, and a terrifying new adversary, Captain Salazar, played by Javier Bardem, in the mix for another Pirates of the Caribbean adventure. After being hunted down by his old nemesis, Captain Jack’s only hope of survival lies in seeking out the legendary Trident of Poseidon, a powerful artefact that bestows upon its possessor total control over the seas.

Wonder Woman

Release date: 2 June 2017

Warner Bros. and DC finally showcased a full trailer for Gal Galdot’s Wonder Woman film at Comic Con last year, and it’s given some high expectations for the next entry in the ambitious cinematic universe from DC. Wonder Woman takes place in the 1920s, almost 100 years before her appearance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Chris Pine also stars, and it’s looking to be an important chapter ahead of the Justice League movie.

The Mummy

Release date: 9 June 2017

Universal is looking to kickstart its classic monsters movie universe in earnest with its latest reboot of The Mummy. This time, Alex Kurtzman is wrote and directed the film, with Sofia Boutella taking on the monstrous title role. Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe are on board, and if it works, expect to see Universal’s plans for a classic-monster movie-a-year progressing at speed.

Transformers: The Last Knight

Release date: 23 June 2017

The intergalactic robot war is getting another cinematic instalment in 2017 with The Last Knight, marking Michael Bay’s fifth and supposedly final entry into the series. Mark Wahlberg will reprise his role as Cade Yeager from Transformers: Age of Extinction. Anthony Hopkins also joins the cast, and after skipping the last instalment, Josh Duhamel will return as William Lennox, who appeared in the first three films. Like previous Transformers movies, we do know that the sequel will play on historical events, and follow Optimus Prime’s search for the Quintsessons, who were said to have created the Transformers.

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Release date: 7 July 2017

After his scene-stealing moments in Captain America: Civil War, expectations are high for Marvel’s shot at its own web-slinging hero. After coming to a deal with Sony to regain the rights of its classic superhero, Spider-Man: Homecoming will see Spidey in his standalone movie to tie into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Tom Holland will head up the film as Peter Parker /Spider-Man, and Robert Downey Jr has also been cast to appear as Tony Stark / Iron Man. The chemistry between the two actors was fantastic in Civil War, and we can’t wait to see more when Homecoming lands in July.

War of the Planet of the Apes

Release date: 14 July 2017

In the third instalment of the rebooted Planet of the Apes franchise, the conflict between humans and apes hits a boiling point, which forces Caesar and his apes into a deadly conflict with an army led by a ruthless Colonel. Andy Serkis once again provides motion capture for Caesar, with Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, Amiah Miller, Karin Konoval, and Terry Notary all joining the cast.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Release date: 21 July 2017

The upcoming movie based on the Valerian and Laureline graphic novel series is being helmed by The Fifth Element director Luc Besson, and it stars Dane DeHaan, Clive Owen, Ethan Hawke, and some other notable names. Besson will take the iconic source material into a unique and epic science fiction saga with a contemporary makeover. The story follows Valerian and Laureline who embark on a mission to the intergalactic city of Alpha, a metropolis comprised of thousands of different species from all over the universe. It looks to be a spectacular visual onslaught mixed up with some interesting characters.

Thor: Ragnarok

Release date: 25 October 2017

Although Thor was seen last year in Avengers: Age of Ultron, it’s been since November 2013 that the God of Thunder led his own movie. This year, Thor: Ragnarok will finally return moviegoers to his world, where the blonde Avenger must confront the gods when Asgard is threatened with Ragnarok, the Norse apocalypse. In classic Marvel fashion, there aren’t too many details available at the moment, but it has been confirmed that Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk will feature in the film.

Justice League

Release date: 16 November 2017

Easily one of the biggest films arriving in 2017 is Justice League, which will see DC’s biggest heroes, including Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Cyborg, and Aquaman unite for the first time on the big-screen. Zack Snyder returns to direct the movie which picks up after the events of Batman v Superman, Bruce Wayne searches the globe for other superhumans to form the Justice League. The film has the star power, eye-candy, and fandom to make it something truly special, and while the first trailer doesn’t show too much action, but gives us an idea of how things are going to come together in Justice League: Part 1.

Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi

Release date: December 2017

Following the colossal success of The Force Awakens, the next chapter of the Star Wars franchise arrives in December 2017 to take the saga forward. Taking over the directing duties of JJ Abrams is Rian Johnson, who helmed the brilliant sci-fi flick, Looper. Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, and Oscar Isaac will all be returning, with some new and familiar character also set to play a bigger role in the sequel. Being the second film in the new trilogy, expectations are high for this one.

What movie are you most excited for in 2017? Let us know by tweeting @MenStuffZA and commenting below.

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