6. Kong: Skull Island
Release Date: March 10, 2017
Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Cast: Brie Larson, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Toby Kebbell, John Goodman, John C. Reilly, Corey Hawkins, Tian Jing, Jason Mitchell, Thomas Mann, Shea Whigham, John Ortiz
It’s not entirely clear what the specific plot is about in Kong: Skull Island, but the film is the next step in a shared cinematic universe that will eventually see Kong go head-to-head with Godzilla. Reports indicate the story is about a man (Hiddleston) who travels to the mythical island after his brother is stranded there trying to retrieve the mythical serum Titan which is believed to be the cure for all illnesses and diseases. The man must lead a rescue team to save his brother while confronting the creatures that inhabit the island. The king of said island, is of course, Kong himself. A much bigger Kong.
7. War for the Planet of the Apes
Release Date: July 14, 2017
Director: Matt Reeves
Cast: Judy Greer, Woody Harrelson, Andy Serkis
Amidst all the white noise of cinematic universes is the Little Franchise That Could, the one that manages to still feel fresh and self-contained while tackling Big Ideas™—The Planet of the Apes. Rounding out the trilogy that began in 2011, Matt Reeves’ War for the Planet of the Apes finds the hyper-realistic CGI Apes—mobilized by the hero-primate Caesar—in all-out war against a militarized human militia led by a big bald baddie colonel played by Woody Harrelson. The trailer looks gorgeous, complete with sweeping action sequences and a morality tale that promises to be both intense and emotionally rich. It also looks like Reeves is leaning into the darker elements of the subtext this time which, given our current climate, will hit even closer to home.
8. Power Rangers
Release Date: March 23, 2017
Director: Dean Israelite
Cast: Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Becky G., Ludi Lin, Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Banks, Patrick Sabongui, Sarah Grey, Lisa Berry, David Denman, Anjali Jay
Alright, there were a few I left off this list in order to put this one on mainly because I believe Power Rangers is either going to surprise us all and be an insanely fun popcorn flick, or it’s going to be a complete and total trainwreck, and an embarrassing one at that. This is one of those franchises I’m not sure ever needed to be touched again, but then again I thought the same thing about Transformers. Multiple sequels and millions of dollars later definitely proved me wrong about that one. I was a fan as a kid so maybe there’s enough nostalgia left in me to enjoy it. Maybe not. But at least Bryan Cranston is in it, which alone makes it worth a watch.
9. Alien: Covenant
Release Date: May 19, 2017
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Noomi Rapace, Billy Crudup, Katherine Waterston, Guy Pearce, Danny McBride
To this day, I really don’t even know what the vast amount of Prometheus detractors were really detracting about. The film is as taut, wondrous, unnerving and squirm-inducing as anyone could’ve possibly wanted from a film in the Alien franchise. I suppose, for the sake of argument though, it was noticeably lacking in actual aliens. So far, then, Covenant should check every box. Ridley Scott and the xenomorph are officially reunited for the first time since ’79 and it looks terrifying in the most fun way. Promising signs include: the self-awareness that the original’s tagline—”In space, no one can hear you scream”—can never be topped, with the new tagline getting straight to the point: “Run.” Prometheus went a little abstract, but here Ridley seems like he’s done with the heady pontificating. Savage aliens, snarky robot, stunning visuals, decimated chest cavities, protruding mouth dripping slime. Save the date.
10. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Release Date: May 5, 2017
Director: James Gunn
Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan
Set to the all-new sonic backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand.
We had the opportunity to visit the set of GOTG 2 last summer and most of what we learned has been released online already, but if you love the Guardians, there’s even more to love in the sequel!
