There have been some great movies to hit theaters already in 2016. The Witch, Zootopia, and 10 Cloverfield Lane have all been fantastic, but there are still more movies to come this year!
Here are our Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2016!
10. Ratchet and Clank
It's not often that we get a movie based off of video games... if ever. With that being said, classic playstation series Ratchet and Clank is coming to the silver screen, and it looks promising. With an art style that should appeal to fans of recent Disney/Pixar films, and an established fanbase, Ratchet and Clank should garner interest from a fairly wide demographic. Ratchet and Clank is scheduled to be in theaters April 29, 2016.
9. The Jungle Book
We live in a world where movies that we adore are getting remade. While plenty of these remakes seem to add very little to the equation, The Jungle Book will at least be significantly different in terms of visuals. From what we have seen, this film already seems to be begging for an Oscar nomination for visual effects. The Jungle Book has some major shoes to fill, but hopefully this start-studded cast (including Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Walken, Idris Elba and more), can help breathe some life into this remake. The Jungle Book will be in theaters April 15, 2016!
8. The Conjuring 2
Boo! Did we scare you? Probably not, but that's not to say that the next film on our list won't! The Conjuring was a pleasant surprise for horror fans, with it being one of the most highly praised horror films in quite some time. Unfortunately, the tangentially related film, Annabelle, failed to stir up the same buzz or accolades, and appeared to be a quick cash-in. Thankfully, we are getting the proper sequel that it deserves. With the original writers and director returning alongside the original Warrens, Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, we are fully expecting a film that will scare and entertain. The Conjuring 2 will be in theaters June 10, 2016!
7. Captain America: Civil War
We know what you're thinking. "How is this not higher on our list?" First off, consider all of the movies that are going to be fantastic that didn't even make the list. Captain America: Civil War has us excited as movie and comic book fans. So why not put it higher. Civil War is going to be good. It could be great. It won't be bad. Disney and Marvel do a great job protecting the integrity of their Marvel Cinematic Universe. Which means that we haven't seen them take any particularly major risks. That's not a bad thing. Don't fix what isn't broken. With that being said, much like Madden and Call of Duty, we know what to expect each and every year. Thankfully, that means Civil War SHOULD be pretty good. Captain America: Civil War will be in theaters May 6, 2016.
6. Demolition
If you visit Demolition's page on Rotten Tomatoes, you will see that the critics are already split right down the middle. So with it currently only being rated at a 54%, why are we still so excited to watch this film? Two words: Jake Gyllenhaall. He may have a few misses here and there on his resume, but he typically isn't the reason a movie is bad. He's got the acting chops to be considered one of the greats of his generation. Don't believe us? Check out Prisoners, Nightcrawler, and End of Watch, then get back to us.
Demolition is currently being screened at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, and while some don't seem to be on-board, others are walking away loving it. This quirky and off-beat film has all the makings of a cult-classic, and we can't wait to see it in theaters after its limited release on April 8, 2016.
5. Suicide Squad
If a movie about forcing a team of super villains doesn't get you excited enough, don't forget to consider the fact that this film is being directed by the same guy, David Ayer, who brought us Training Day (writer and producer), Fury, and End of Watch. Both of those films are visceral, heart-wrenching, and have some really great performances. We can't wait to see a "superhero" film directed by someone as exciting as any other film maker in the business right now. Also, if you think you will love him or not, you have to admit that you're curious at how good Jared Leto's Joker could be. Suicide Squad is set for release on August 5, 2016.
4. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Lumos Maxima! For those of you in the dark, let us shine some light on the newest film set within the magical world of Harry Potter. While many of us are still having to deal with the Harry Potter film series ending in 2011, J.K. Rowling has been hard at work on her first screenplay! This is the first time that we have seen this universe outside of the United Kingdom, and for American fans of the films and books, that should be enough to stir up great excitement. One of the most exciting aspects about Fantastic Beasts that many probably aren't talking about, is the inclusion of a muggle (non-witch or non-wizard) within our main group of heroes. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is slated for a November 18, 2016 release.
3. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Rogue One is shrouded in mystery, but what we do know, is that this will give us a whole new perspective to the wars of Star Wars. The first of the standalone Star Wars Anthology Series will focus on the ground level of the battles raging between the light and the dark. It is also being directed by another filmmaker that we are excited about, Gareth Evans, the director of 2014's Godzilla and 2010's Monsters. Do we even really need to say anything other than "Star Wars?" We'll be seeing it in theaters December 16, 2016!
2. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
The release of Batman v Superman (March 25, 2016), is so close that we can taste it! You will not find a shortage of doubters on in the internet, but regardless of their complaints of what they have seen in the trailers, there is one thing that launches this film so high on our list: Batman. When it was first announced that Ben Affleck would be playing titular hero, Batman, many were not pleased. Many of those fans had flashbacks to the less-than-stellar Daredevil film, but honestly, Ben Affleck wasn't what made that movie bad. We also have to take into consideration that Affleck is an extremely successful filmmaker, garnering accolades for The Town, and an Academy Award for Argo. The man isn't just a Hollywood hunk, but a man with a great directing, writing, and acting resume.
Even if we through all of that out of the window, the direction in which Zack Snyder appears to be taking the Caped Crusader appears to be the most volatile and visceral version of the hero that we may have ever seen. Even if the movie as a whole isn't great, we have high hopes that Ben Affleck's Batman might be the best version of Knight from Gotham that we have ever seen on film. Oh, and WONDER WOMAN!
1. Green Room
"What? Never heard of it!" A24 is a film studio that you may have been hearing a lot about lately, without even realizing it. One of their films, Ex Machina, made our Top Movies of 2015 list. Their film, Room, has propelled actress Brie Larson (or should was say Academy Award Winning Actress) into the limelight. We gave their movie, The Witch, high praise in our review on Worth a Watch.
"But what is it about the the actual film that we should be excited about?"
In our review of 10 Cloverfield Lane, we mentioned the great performance by John Goodman, and how strange it was to see him play such a creepy character. In Green Room, we are going to get a similar experience with Sir Patrick Stewart. In Green Room, Patrick Stewart appears to be the leader of a group of skinheads that a group of punk-rockers have to fight to survive and escape from. While it seems to follow some of the survival horror tropes, the unique setting and premise has us excited to see something that we haven't quite seen before in theaters on April 15, 2016.
The following trailer is the Green Band trailer. If you want the full effect check out the VERY NSFW Red Band Trailer for Green Room.