Hotly Anticipated Films for 2017
We were lucky enough to have some pretty great cinema in 2016, but what’s 2017 got in store for us?
It’s a big year for superheroes with Spider-Man: Homecoming and Logan all set for release over the year, whilst Disney are working hard on sequels including The Incredibles 2 and Pirates of the Caribbean FIVE; Dead Men Tell No Tales.
Lovers of Dave, Stuart and all the other Minions will be pleased as Despicable Me 3 are set to be stirring up more chaos and someone’s also gone and made a whole film about smiley faces, thumbs up and that aubergine in the upcoming Emoji Movie.
With so many new releases on the calendar, Team RFC have put together, in order of release, the new year’s most hotly anticipated films…
Lost in London
Not only is this Woody Harrelson’s directorial debut, this is also the world’s first ever live film. Starring Owen Wilson and Willie Nelson, the film is loosely based upon a night Harrelson spent in a London jail cell after breaking the ashtray in the back of a cab. What makes this different to a live stage production being broadcast to screen is that there’ll be 14 different locations, 30 cast members and a single 100-minute-long take, actual LIVE into cinemas. Harrelson says if it doesn’t work out that he’ll just jump into the Thames, so either way, enjoyable viewing…
Live broadcast (did we mention it’s live?) in cinemas on 19th January 2017. Check out the trailer here.
T2: Trainspotting
This sequel to the massively popular 1996 film features the original cast – which includes Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller and Robert Carlyle – as they pick up 20 years later. We see McGregor’s Mark Renton return to Scotland to make amends with old friends Spud and Sick Boy whilst avoiding the psychopathic Franco who has only recently been released from prison. We’ve been waiting two decades for this one…
Due for release on 27th January 2017. Check out the trailer here.
Fifty Shades Darker
The second in this trilogy of Mum Porn sees Ana Steele (Dakota Johnson) try to move on from her relationship with romanticised sadomasochist, Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan). Christian tries to convince a wary Ana to resume their romance under a new arrangement because this dude can’t have a relationship that doesn’t include a contract apparently. As the pair begin a normal relationship, his past threatens to tear them apart.
Due for release on 9th February 2017. Check out the trailer here.
Kong: Skull Island
Alright, we don’t know who decided that Kong needs another outing but we reckon seeing the big bad ape in 3D again is going to be pretty amazing. Set in the 70s, a team of explorers and soldiers, including Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson (“I’ve had it with these motherf*cking apes on this motherf*cking plain…” #sorrynotsorry), John Goodman, Brie Larson and John C. Reilly, are brought together in the deep of this Pacific island, unaware that they’re in the hands of monsters and Kong, the King.
Due for release on 10th March 2017. Check out the trailer here.
Beauty and the Beast
This tale as old as time sees Emma Watson play the book-smart Belle as she’s captured by the Beast (Dan Stevens aka that bloke from Downton) in this live action remake of the 1994 Disney classic. Starring many famous voices such as Emma Thompson as Mrs Potts, Ian McKellen as Cogsworth and Ewan McGregor as Lumiere (outrageous accent alert), Belle takes the place of her inventor father as the Beast’s prisoner, which also gives Belle a handy escape from the horrific Gaston – who no one is as quick, slick or in possession of a neck quite as thick as. Soon the Beast and Belle bond and find themselves falling in love, despite him being an actual monstrous beast and her being, frankly, a total babe.
Due for release on 17th March 2017. Check out the trailer here.
Power Rangers
Based upon the 1995 film and TV series, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, we meet five teenage student outcasts who accidentally discover the Power Coins – the source of the original Rangers’ powers. This triggers a total mare involving a Zeo Crystal and some chick called Rita Repulsa. Rita comes after them and former Red Ranger, Zordon, has to teach the teens to become the new Power Rangers.
Due for release on 24th March 2017. Check out the mighty morphin trailer here.
Ghost in the Shell
This film has already had its share of controversy as the American sci-fi action, which is based on the Japanese manga of the same name, was accused of whitewashing when it cast Scarlett Johansson in the lead role of The Major. Johansson’s protagonist, a cyborg counter-cyberterrorist field commander (try fitting that on your passport) and her team combat cyber criminals and hackers, but now they face a new enemy that will stop at nothing to sabotage their artificial intelligence technology.
Due for release on 29th March 2017. Check out the trailer here.
Fast and Furious 8
Don’t pretend you weren’t hugely surprised when Fast & Furious 7 turned out to be one of the highest-grossing movies of ALL TIME. Of course, that means an eighth, ninth and tenth are on their way… Number eight is officially called Fast 8 and it’s all about Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) as he betrays his family and teams up with new villain, Cypher, played by Charlize Theron. They even have a little snog. It’s all outrageous.
Due for release on 14th April 2017. Check out the trailer here.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Set two months after the first film, the superhero team – made up of Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Groot and more – as they travel through the cosmos to help Peter Quill (aka Star-Lord) learn more about his parentage. More superhero stuff, basically.
Due for release on 28th April 2017. Check out the trailer here.
Baywatch
Slo-mo running never looked so good. The red swimsuits are back, this time being filled by Zac Efron, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Alexandra Daddario and Priyanka Chopra. Filmed in Miami and Georgia, we see lifeguard Mitch Buchannon (Johnson) and his new recruit, Matt Brody (Efron) as they uncover criminal plots, save drowning children and just generally look pretty damn hot. It looks totally tongue in cheek, thankfully, and more importantly than anything else, David actual Hasselhoff is due to make an appearance.
Due for release on 26th May 2017. Check out the trailer here.
The Mummy
This reboot of the long-running franchise stars Tom Cruise who is thrust amongst the chaos of the uprising of an ancient princess, who had her destiny unjustly taken from her when she was alive. She wakes in the modern era along with the terror and malevolence that she’s been brewing up for millenniums… Can Tom save the day? Probably.
Due for release on 9th June 2017. Check out the trailer here.
Rock That Body
Basically, a male stripper somehow ends up dead during a bachelorette party in Miami. Starring Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon and Zoe Kravitz, that’s pretty much all the info we have on this one.
Due for release on 16th June 2017. There’s no trailer yet, so…
Cars 3
We’re mainly anticipating the third Cars film because of how totally dark the trailer is. Featuring Lightning McQueen as he has a full on smash up during a race, we really just want to know if he lives.
Due for release on 16th June 2017. Check out the trailer here.
Wonder Woman
In the early 20th century, the Amazonian princess and immortal warrior, Diana (Gal Gadot) meets American military pilot Steve Trevor, played by Chris Pine, when he’s washed up on the shore of the all-female island of Themyscira. After learning of World War I, she takes it upon herself to bring an early end to the worldwide dispute (totes naive). She soon discovers her immortal powers and sees her true destiny of being an absolute badass.
Due for release on 23rd June 2017. Check out the trailer here.
The House
There’s very little info on this one so we’re basing it purely on the fact that it stars Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler as they open a basement casino in their house after destroying all their kid’s college fund money.
Due for release on 30th June 2017. There isn’t a trailer. Just use your imaginations.
Dunkirk
“What is a ‘Dunkirk’?” cried thousands of Harry Styles fans… *rolls eyes forever*
This British World War II film – which stars the Directioner, probably not for that long – re-tells the awful story of the Dunkirk evacuation as allied soldiers from Britain, France and Belgium become surrounded by the German army on the beaches between 26th May and 4th June 1940. Directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Tom Hardy and Kenneth Branagh, it looks to be entirely heartrending stuff.
Due for release on 19th July 2017. Check out the trailer here.
Baby Driver
This is Edgar Wright’s American directorial debut, said to be inspired by the music video for Mint Royale’s Blue Song which saw Noel Fielding as a music lover slash getaway driver for a gang of bank robbers. The film, starring Ansel Elgort, Lily James, Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm and Kevin Spacey, sees Elgort as the getaway driver for thieves who all get in trouble when a robbery goes wrong.
Due for release on 11th August 2017. There’s not an actual official trailer anywhere yet.
Justice League
Following the events that occurred in Batman V Superman months prior which saw the latter sacrifice himself for the sake of humanity, Bruce Wayne aka Ben Affleck aka Batman and Wonder Woman join forces with a team of metahumans including The Flash, Cyborg, Aquaman and the newly resurrected Clark Kent – can’t keep a super man down – as they assemble to face the threat of Steppenwolf and the Parademons who are set to cause monumental chaos in their hunt for three Mother Boxes on Earth.
Due for release on 17th November 2017. Check out the trailer here.
Coco
Disney and Pixar are having a break from chucking out sequels with this one. Coco follows 12-year-old Mexican boy, Miguel, who sets off a chain of events that all relate to a century-old mystery which leads to a family reunion like no other.
Due for release on 22nd November 2017. There’s no trailer yet so sit tight…
Star Wars: Episode VIII
The second installment in the Star Wars sequel trilogy (what does it all mean?!), there are very few details on this one but Luke Skywalker, Kylo Ren, Leia and C-3PO will be back. Word on the Death Star is that Gary Barlow is cameoing as a Stormtrooper…
Due for release on 15th December 2017. There’s no trailer yet so just use the force.
Pitch Perfect 3
We don’t know much about this third installment of a-ca-fun just yet but we DO know that Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfield and Brittany Snow will be back, Ruby Rose will also be starring and, sadly, The Treblemakers will not feature… a-ca-scuse me?! So don’t get pitch slapped, horizontal run to the cinema and get a toner in the queue. A-ca-believe it.
Due for release in December 2017. There’s no trailer yet so you’ll just have to wait, pitches.
Tully
Starring Charlize Theron as Marlo, a mother of three including a newborn, is given a night nanny by her brother as a gift, because a three-pack of Primark babygros isn’t good enough anymore. Marlo is hesitant at first but soon forms a unique bond with Tully, the nanny, played by Mackenzie Davis (whose past film credits include ‘I Just Want My Pants Back’ and ‘Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town’, so…)
The release date is still TBA and there’s no trailer. Watch ‘I Just Want My Pants Back’ til they release more info.