With 2015 almost over, it’s time to start looking ahead to what 2016 has in store. Now, we know that withStar Wars: The Force Awakensopening this year, it is going to be a tall order trying to top 2015. However, 2016 certainly seems intent on giving it a try. This could be the biggestbox officeyear yet!
It would be very hard for one film to compete with the massiveness that isStar Wars: The Force Awakens. And that is why one shouldn’t even contemplate trying to go head on with that mack truck of a cinematic spectacle. If one, however, takes all the films from 2016 together, they certainly serve notice that the rest of the movie industry hasn’t been asleep these past few years.
And the best part? The slate for 2016 is probably the most diverse, for tentpole properties, that we have seen in years. We have films to satisfy yoursuperherotastes, your comedic tastes, your dramatic tastes and even your Star Wars taste. Okay, I know that we probably could’ve just said sci-fi instead of singling outStar Wars, but lets be honest, the release of anything STAR WARS related is pretty darn big deal right now.
This doesn’t even take into account that we’ll have a new installment in theGhostbustersfranchise! If you look at all the films that are slated to be released, it is almost enough to make one wonder what year this is. We have films that reinvigorate franchises from the 80s (Ghostbusters), the 90s (Independence Day: Resurgence) and of course the various sequels to movies released in the 2000s and beyond.
So sit back and get ready to be stoked, because in addition to all the reboots and sequels, there are some new films on the docket that will surely inspire more reboots and sequels. I know it might seem like we are taking a tongue and cheek approach to this list. It might seem like we are just biding time untilStar Wars: Episode VIIIcomes out, but that is clearly not the case. What we have done is try and bring you the films that will hopefully make the biggest waves at the box office (and the biggest dent on your cinematic mindset). So without further adieu, enjoy our “27 Big Movies you may’t Miss in 2016”!
271Hail, Caesar!- February 5th
Four-time Oscar-winning filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men, True Grit, Fargo) write and directHail, Caesar!, an all-star comedy set during the latter years of Hollywood’s Golden Age. StarringJosh Brolin,George Clooney,Ralph Fiennes,Tilda Swinton,Channing Tatum,Scarlett Johansson,Jonah Hilland Frances McDormand,Hail, Caesar!follows a single day in the life of a studio fixer who is presented with plenty of problems to fix. Who doesn’t love a Coen Bros. movie, right? And with their skewed take on just about everything, this film could possibly be the best send up of the filmmaking world. EVER.
262Deadpool- February 12
Based upon Marvel Comics' most unconventional anti-hero,Deadpooltells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.Ryan Reynoldsis that rare actor that can handle both comedy, action, and drama. In the role of Wade Wilson/Deadpool, we just might have an answer to Robert Downey, Jr.’s Tony Stark/Iron Man. For superhero fanatics, or just plain fans of action movies,Deadpoolis a can’t miss proposition.
253Zoolander 2- February 12
A sequel toBen Stiller’s 2001 hit comedy revolving around male fashion model Derek Zoolander. Okay, simply knowing thatBen Stiller,Owen WilsonandWill Ferrellare returning is enough to make us want to see this film. But the plot finds Derek and Hansel teaming up withPenélope Cruzto stop an evil madman from killing all the beautiful people in the world. And the trailers are drop dead funny! We’re taking what we know aboutZoolander 2and running with it. This could end up being the best comedy sequel of the year!
244Zootopia- March 4
The modern mammal metropolis ofZootopiais a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it’s a melting pot where animals from every environment live together-a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. But when optimistic Officer Judy Hopps arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big, tough animals isn’t so easy. Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with a fast-talking, scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde, to solve the mystery.Jason Batemanvoices Nick Wild? Count us in! That actor could recite the phone book and we’d show up.
235Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice- March 25
Fearing the actions of a god-like superhero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman vs Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before. One has to love the dark direction that director Zack Snyder has taken this film. If the early trailers are any indication,Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justicecould be 2016’sStar Wars: The Force Awakens. With it’s multi-layered characters and a nod to today’s global political situation, this film might be more timely than ever.
226The Huntsman: Winter’s War- April 22
Long before the evil Queen Ravenna was thought vanquished bySnow White’s blade, she watched silently as her sister, Freya, suffered a heartbreaking betrayal and fled their kingdom. With Freya’s ability to freeze any enemy, the young ice queen has spent decades in a remote wintry palace raising a legion of deadly huntsmen, including Eric (Chris Hemsworth) and warrior Sara (Jessica Chastain). Only now she has found that her prized two have defied her one demand: Forever harden your hearts to love. When Freya learns of her sister’s demise, she summons her remaining soldiers to bring the Magic Mirror home to the only sorceress left who can harness its power. But once she discovers Ravenna can be resurrected from its golden depths, the wicked sisters threaten this enchanted land with twice the darkest force it’s ever seen. Now, their amassing army shall prove undefeatable…unless the banished huntsmen who broke their queen’s cardinal rule can fight their way back to one another.Chris HemsworthandJessica Chastainswirling swords and vanquishing foes? This sounds like a winner to us. With a set design and effects that are surely bound to be eye-popping,The Huntsman: Winter’s Warpromises to bring a cold thaw to Spring!
217Captain America: Civil War- May 6
Captain America: Civil Warpicks up where Avengers: Age of Ultron left off, as Steve Rogers leads the new team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. After another international incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability and a governing body to determine when to enlist the services of the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers while they try to protect the world from a new and nefarious villain. In what seems like a sequel toAvengers: Age of Ultron, the nuance that Civil War seems to have is precisely what makes it so interesting. With all the personalities of The Avengers, it is about time that their greatest enemy ends up being themselves.
208Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising- May 20
This second installment in the highly popular Neighbors series sees Kelly (Rose Byrne) and Mac (Seth Rogen) again on the offensive as a sorority headed byChloe MoretzandSelena Gomezmoves in next door. One can only imagine where the laughs will come in this sequel, but one thing is for sure there will be laughs aplenty. Also making this film stand out is how it isn’t even a tentpole film and it is considered a big deal. We essentially have a dialogue film yet the anticipation for it is akin to an X-Men film. Which leads us to…
199X-Men: Apocalypse- May 27
Since the dawn of civilization, he was worshiped as a god.Apocalypse, the first and most powerful mutant from Marvel’s X-Men universe, amassed the powers of many other mutants, becoming immortal and invincible. Upon awakening after thousands of years, he is disillusioned with the world as he finds it and recruits a team of powerful mutants, including a disheartened Magneto (Michael Fassbender), to cleanse mankind and create a new world order, over which he will reign. As the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) with the help of Professor X (James McAvoy) must lead a team of young X-Men to stop their greatest nemesis and save mankind from complete destruction. Given the layered acting chops that Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy and Jennifer Lawrence have shown sinceX-Men: Days of Future Past, one can only imagine what they bring to this newest installment of the X-MEN universe. While a lot of superhero franchises seem to be chasing something, the X-MEN are boldly beating their own drum, forging their own path, and making 2016 something special in the process.
1810Warcraft- June 6
Blizzard Entertainment’sWarcraftuniverse is a rich fantasy setting that revolves around the epic conflict between the opposing forces of the Horde and the Alliance. Since its debut in 1994,Warcrafthas developed a loyal following across the globe, with several bestselling, award-winning PC games and a range of popular licensed products including novels, action figures, apparel, comic books, board games, and more. World of Warcraft, Blizzard Entertainment’s subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game set in the Warcraft universe, is the most popular game of its kind in the world. Its most recent expansion, “Wrath of the Lich King,” is the fastest-selling PC game of all time, with more than 2.8 million copies sold in its first 24 hours of availability and more than 4 million in its first month. With a video game behind it that has taken on an almost mythic status, how canWarcraftnot be seen as one of next years most important films?
