If you thought 2015 was filled with superhero movies and sequels, then get ready for 2016! The year ahead for films looks like quite the action-packed fest, from Superman and Batman together on-screen with Wonder Woman and the Flash, to a Marvel Civil War and the hilarity of Deadpool, the comics will once again be jumping onto the big screen.
Sequels and reboots litter the list of upcoming films as well. We will revisit the worlds of Finding Nemo and Independence Day, just to name a couple. The year is not without original films, including new properties from the Coen Brothers and Martin Scorsese, cross your fingers for the second one. Here are 20 of the most anticipated films of 2016.
1. Finding Dory
The sequel to the much loved family classic, Finding Nemo, Finding Dory follows the amnesiac character Dory, and will explore the idea of her being reunited with her family. The film will take place six months after the original and will be set off the coast of California. Several key players return including director Andrew Stanton, Albert Brooks as Marlin and of course, Ellen DeGeneres as Dory.
Joining the party are Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy who play Dory’s parents, and Ty Burrell and Ed O’Neill who play a beluga whale and octopus who befriend the characters on their journey. We first heard from Disney themselves about the sequel in April of 2013, and it was slated for a November, 2015 release date.
On September 18, 2013, it was announced that the film would be pushed back to a June 17, 2016 release. Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur was moved to the November 25, 2015 slot to allow more time for production of the film. On November 10, 2015, the first trailer of the film was released on YouTube. After the long wait, we are finally getting the film so many people have wanted. Whether you’re 4 or 92, you’re probably excited for this one.
2. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Based on the book of the same name by the author of the Harry Potter series J.K Rowling, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a spinoff of the Harry Potter film Series and will be directed by David Yates, who directed the last four Harry Potter films.
The film will be written by J.K Rowling in her screenwriting debut. It is the first of a trilogy, which will be released on November 18th 2016. The second and third films of the trilogy will be released in November 2018, and November 2020, respectively.
The film stars Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler, Samantha Morton, Ezra Miller, Colin Farrell, Faith Wood-Blagrove, Carmen Ejogo, Jon Voight and Ron Perlman. It follows Redmayne’s character Newt Scamander, and his arrival at the Magical Congress of the United States of America. Central to the story and this meeting is a magically expanded briefcase which houses a number of dangerous creatures and their habitats.
A trailer was released on December 15th 2015. There has been quite the hype for this film this year, especially as a spin-off of such as popular series and the casting hype surrounding the film as well, these component are leading to quite the anticipation for fans.
3. Deadpool
People are pumped for this one. After being in development for about a decade, with different studios and writers connected, we are finally getting the Deadpool spin-off movie we wanted.
Ryan Reynolds will reprise his role from X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and said that this version of Deadpool would be more “authentic” than the one that appeared in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and would be more similar to the comic-book character. This means breaking the fourth wall and Deadpool’s dark and twisted sense of humor.
In Deadpool, after being subjected to an experiment which leaves him with new abilities, Wade Wilson hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life. The film also stars Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, T. J. Miller, Gina Carano, Brianna Hildebrand, Stefan Kapičić, and Leslie Uggams, and will be directed by Tim Miller, who will be making his directorial debut.
The screenplay comes from the team of Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who gave us Zombieland and The Joe Schmo Show. Deadpool is scheduled for release on February 12, 2016, in North America and will be one of the most anticipated films of the early part of the year and is sure to do quite well during that down time for the box-office.
4. Hail, Caesar!
Directed, produced, edited, and written by Joel and Ethan Coen, Hail, Caesar! was first revealed in 2004, the film was originally set to take place in the 1920s and follow actors performing a play about ancient Rome. The Coens shelved the idea until late 2013, when they stated it was in development. It is their first collaboration that features them as writers and directors since Inside Llewyn Davis.
The film will be released on February 5, 2016, and will open the Berlin International Film Festival on February 11, 2016. The stacked cast includes Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Jonah Hill, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Channing Tatum, and Ralph Fiennes. The plot follows Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) who is a Hollywood “fixer” helping the production of the upcoming film entitled Hail Caesar starring famous actor Baird Whitlock (George Clooney).
When a hungover Whitlock is kidnapped by a group named The Future, Mannix is the one in charge of collecting $100,000 and rescuing him. Universal and Working Title released the official trailer on October 9, 2015. A film from the Coen brothers, such masters of the craft, is always anticipated, Hail, Caesar! could join their sparkling resume of great films.
5. Assassin’s Creed
Based on the successful videogame series of the same name, Assassin’s Creed is an upcoming action-adventure film directed by Justin Kurzel. The film stars Michael Fassbender as Callum Lynch and Aguilar. Lynch is an original character created for the film. He is a descendant of the Assassin’s and with genetic links to Aguilar, an assassin in 15th century Spain.
The film follows Lynch who relives Aguilar’s memories to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to confront the Templars—age-old enemies of the Assassins—in the present day. Marion Cotillard, Michael K. Williams, Ariane Labed, Jeremy Irons, and Brendan Gleeson also star. The film is set in the same universe as the games, with an original story expanding on the mythology and lore from the series. It is set for a December 21, 2016 release date.
The film was originally announced in May 2013 to be released on May 22, 2015, which was later pushed back the following month to June 19, 2015. In November 2013, the film was pushed back once again to a new release date of August 7, 2015. In September 2014, the film was pushed to an unspecified 2016 release date, which was revealed to be December 21, 2016 in January 2015. After all of these delays, we finally get to see a film adaptation of the beloved game series, even if it does have an original story.
6. Ghostbusters
Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones are the new Ghostbusters. An all-female reboot, directed by one of the hottest directors in comedy Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, The Heat, Spy), is set to hit the screen on July 15, 2016.
The film is written by Paul Feig and Katie Dippold, the team who gave us The Heat. Chris Hemsworth, Andy Garcia, and Neil Casey are featured, alongside cameos from original stars Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Annie Potts, and Sigourney Weaver.
The reboot follows Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) and Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy), a pair of unheralded authors who write a book positing that ghosts are real. A few years later, Gilbert lands a prestigious teaching position at Columbia University, but her book resurfaces and she is laughed out of academia. Gilbert reunites with Yates and others when ghosts invade Manhattan and she and her team have to save the world.
Although some are not too excited about this reboot, or the all-female cast, some of the funniest people in comedy are working on this, and it has the utmost blessing from the creators, so it should be quite the laugh-riot.