A fresh set of exciting movies is quickly on it’s way to theaters. 2017 is going to be a huge year for movie fans; studios will be bestowing countless exciting flicks that movie buffs will definitely be interested in seeing. Some of these movies may fail and others will succeed, but there is no denying that the hype and anticipation for these movies is substantial. VistaNow has prepared a list of 15 movies that you should be on the lookout for in 2017:
#15. “It”
Genre: Horror/Drama
Starring: Bill Skarsgard and Jaeden Lieberher
Release Date: September 8, 2017
Plot Summary: “In a small town in Maine, a group of outcasted children face the issues of being kids while also being stalked by a clown named Pennywise.”
The last time Hollywood tried to adapt Stephen King’s “It” (1990), it did not work out so well. However, horror fans and Stephen King lovers are more than confident that Bill Skarsgard and Andres Muschietti will do the 1138 page book an incredible service by casting a spell of fear, horror and distraught into audiences around the world.
#14. “War for the Planet of the Apes”
Genre: Sci-Fi/Action
Starring: Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn and Judy Greer
Release Date: July 14, 2017
Plot Summary: “Caesar and his nation of genetically evolved apes wage war on an army of humans.”
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes” (2011) and its sequel “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” (2014) exceeded audiences’ and critics’ expectations and provided sci-fi and action fans with an exciting and intense story with great motion capture performances. “War for the Planet of the Apes” (2017) is expected to do the same since the story will focus on an all-out war between humans and genetically altered apes while “Hunger Games” (2011-2015) actor Woody Harrelson will portray the film’s antagonist.
#13. “Alien: Covenant”
Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Danny McBride, Guy Pearce and Noomi Rapace
Release Date: August 4, 2017
Plot Summary: “A colony ship named Covenant arrives on what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark and dangerous world whose only inhabitant is a cyborg who survived the Prometheus expedition.”
“Prometheus” (2012) left audiences with several unanswered questions, so, naturally, hype and anticipation for it’s sequel, “Alien: Covenant” (2017) has been booming in “Alien” franchise (1979-present) fans’ minds.
#12. “Kingsman: The Golden Circle”
Genre: Action/Comedy
Starring: Taron Egerton, Julianne Moore, Channing Tatum, Halle Berry, Mark Strong and Jeff Bridges
Release Date: June 16, 2017
Plot Summary: “The Kingsmen’s headquarters is attacked by a mysterious, new villain which causes Eggsy and Merlin to align with the American Statesmen in order to save the world.”
The wildly successful and entertaining spy/comedy/action hit “Kingsman: The Secret Service” (2014) will be receiving a smashing and riveting sequel that will massively entertain audiences and feature the incredible talents of Julianne Moore, Halle Berry and Jeff Bridges.
#11. “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales”
Genre: Adventure/Fantasy
Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Javier Bardem, Brenton Thwaites, Kaya Scodelario, Kevin McNally, Keith Richards, Stephen Graham, Martin Klebba and Geoffrey Rush
Release Date: May 26, 2017
Plot Summary: “Captain Jack Sparrow searches the seas for the trident of Poseidon while trying to flee from a ghost pirate and his crew.”
To be honest, the teaser trailer for “Dead Men Tell No Tales” (2017) did not impress me that much and it would be an understatement to say that “On Stranger Tides” (2011) was an abomination to the franchise, but there is still plenty of excitement in the air for the fifth “Pirates of the Caribbean” film that will feature the return of everyone’s favorite swashbuckler Captain Jack Sparrow and the long awaited resurgence of Orlando Bloom as Will Turner.
#10. “Beauty and the Beast”
Genre: Romance/Musical
Starring: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Ian McKellen and Emma Thompson
Release Date: March 17, 2017
Plot Summary: “A monstrous beast and a young woman fall in love.”
Disney pleased audiences and critics with its two previous live action adaptations (“The Jungle Book” [2016] and “Cinderella” [2015]) so it is more than reasonable to assume that Disney will do so again with “Harry Potter” (2001-2011) actress Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast/Adam.
#9. “John Wick: Chapter Two”
Genre: Action
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Ruby Rose, Common, Ian McShane, John Leguizamo, Bridget Moynahan and Laurence Fishburne
Release Date: February 10, 2017
Plot Summary: “The continuing adventures of former hitman John Wick.”
If you have not seen “John Wick” (2014), you are really missing out because this is one of the best action movies to come out in years and it is my favorite action movie of all time. Plus, this film will reunite “Matrix” (1999-2003) duo Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne so it is safe to assume that “John Wick: Chapter Two” (2017) is going to be phenomenal.
#8. “Kong: Skull Island”
Genre: Thriller
Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Toby Kebbell, Corey Hawkins and John C. Reilly
Release Date: March 10, 2017
Plot Summary: “A story about the origins of King Kong.”
People who have seen the trailer for “Kong: Skull Island” (2017) have compared the film with “Apocalypse Now” (1979) so it is safe to assume that this one will be absolutely phenomenal. Everyone’s favorite giant gorilla will be returning to the big screen in March of 2017; you do not want to miss it.
#7. “Logan”
Genre: Action/Drama
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook, Richard E. Grant and Stephen Merchant
Release Date: March 3, 2017
Plot Summary: “Logan’s healing abilities are fading, the X-Men have been killed by Nathaniel Essex and Charles Xavier is suffering from Alzheimer’s; filled with rage over his broken life, Logan ventures on a vengeful journey with his female clone and the persistence to kill Nathaniel Essex.”
A bittersweet moment awaits for “X-Men” (2000-present) fans in “Logan” (2017) because Hugh Jackman has confirmed that this will be the last time he will portray the character of Wolverine/Logan. This raises many questions about Logan’s fate and the story’s events that fans cannot wait to see answered.
#6. “Thor: Ragnarok”
Genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Anthony Hopkins, Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson, Jeff Goldblum, Karl Urban, Benedict Cumberbatch and Mark Ruffalo
Release Date: November 3, 2017
Plot Summary: “Thor battles the destruction of the Norse apocalypse; Ragnarok.”
Thor, unfortunately, was not present in Marvel’s recent hit that featured almost all of the Avengers (“Captain America: Civil War” [2016]), so Marvel fans can definitely expect Chris Hemsworth to shine in “Thor: Ragnarok” (2017). Thor’s return is enough to get fans excited for “Ragnarok” but the confirmation of the Hulk appearing in the story has fans counting down the days until it’s release.
#5. “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2”
Genre: Adventure/Sci-Fi/Comedy/Action
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Chris Sullivan, Karen Gillan, Elizabeth Debicki, Kurt Russell and Sylvester Stallone
Release Date: May 5, 2017
Plot Summary: “Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot continue their adventures while also discovering Peter Quill’s true parentage.”
#4. “Wonder Woman”
Genre: Fantasy/Action
Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Connie Nielsen, Elena Anaya, Lucy Davis, David Thewlis and Danny Huston
Release Date: June 2, 2017
Plot Summary: “An Amazonian princess and warrior leaves her island home to guide a pilot back home and battle evil in World War I.”
The first and most powerful female superhero of all time is finally getting her own live action film. “Wonder Woman” (2016) boasts an amazing cast who are traveling through the dark background of World War I. The trailers showcase this film’s intense action, influential story and a strong female lead. This is definitely not one you want to miss this year.
#3. “Spider-Man: Homecoming”
Genre: Sci-Fi/Action
Starring: Tom Holland, Donald Glover, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Michael Keaton Zendaya, Angourie Rice and Jon Favreau
Release Date: July 7, 2017
Plot Summary: “Peter Parker begins to navigate his new identity as everyone’s favorite web-slinger; Spider-Man.”
Superhero fans have been craving a solo Spider-Man film for two years now and while Tom Holland’s excellent role in “Captain America: Civil War” (2016) did please audiences, Marvel’s upcoming “Spider-Man” solo film will have fans flocking to the theaters to see Michael Keaton’s Vulture take on Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.
#2. “Justice League”
Genre: Sci-Fi/Action
Starring: Ben Affleck, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Gal Gadot, Ray Fisher, Henry Cavill, J.K. Simmons, Willem Dafoe, Amber Heard, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane and Ciaran Hinds
Release Date: November 17, 2017
Plot Summary: “Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince begin to recruit Earth’s greatest heroes to battle a powerful enemy.”
The colossal failures of “Batman Versus Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016) and “Suicide Squad” (2016) caused audiences to steer clear of DC superhero films altogether, but the trailer for “Justice League” (2017) indicates that DC may have learned a lesson from its failures. The trailer presents a funny, energetic and witty story that almost tops Marvel’s “The Avengers” (2012) while also showering fans with footage of Aquaman/Arthur Curry that could officially end any and all Aquaman jokes.
#1. “Star Wars: Episode VIII”
Genre: Sci-Fi
Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Benicio Del Toro, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Gwendoline Christie, Laura Dern and Andy Serkis
Release Date: December 15, 2017
Plot Summary: “Rey continues her epic journey with Finn, Poe and Luke Skywalker.”
Be patient; all of your questions will finally be answered in December. Like “Prometheus”, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (2015) raised so many questions that fans are dying to see answered and it ended on a tremendous cliffhanger. “Star Wars” fans will be slightly satisfied when “Rogue One: A ‘Star Wars’ Story” (2016) opens, but the amount of satisfaction they will feel when the opening theme to “Star Wars: Episode VIII” begins will surely cause a massive uproar of excitement that will make the hype over “Rogue One” look like nothing.
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