The Madisonian’s Most Anticipated Films of the Year

Via cinemablend.com

Via cinemablend.com

Levi Baxter, Staff Writer

2017 is primed to be chock full of blockbusters from sci-fi legends to comic book heroes. Familiar faces such as Luke Skywalker and King Kong are primed to return to glory. Not only is it possible, but it is probable that 2017 will be a banner year for the film industry. Here are The Madisonian’s most anticipated films of the year:

  1. Star Wars: The Last Jedi – December 15, 2017

Via starwars.com

“Who are Rey’s parents?” Why is Luke on an island all by himself?” These are just a few of the questions audience members had after viewing The Force Awakens which will hopefully be answered in this upcoming installment. The Force Awakens gained over $2 billion in its theatrical run; The Last Jedi could possibly overtake that total. Confirmed to be in this ensemble cast are Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher ( General Leia Organa), Daisy Ridley (Rey), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), and John Boyega (Finn). As well as some newcomers with the likes of Laura Dern and Benicio Del Toro in unspecified roles at this time.

  1. Alien: Covenant – May 19, 2017

Via denofgeek.com

Alien: Covenant is the love child of Ridley Scott and John Logan. Covenant is the second chapter in the prequel trilogy that started with Prometheus in 2012, and connects directly to the original Alien. It follows the crew of the aptly named colony ship Covenant as they are bound for an unchartered paradise, but all is not what it seems (of course). The cast includes most of the (living) crew from Prometheus plus newcomers Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, and the unkillable Danny McBride. Covenant is set to release May 19th.

  1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – May 5, 2017

Via thenextweb.com

Guardians of the Galaxy was a surprise hit on account of the fact that barely anyone had heard of the obscure group of heroes before Plus, it was actually pretty decent and not overly complicated. Vol. 2 has already garnered positive reactions from a test screening. It received an overwhelming 100 on a 100 scale surpassing The Avengers, and Iron Man 3. The plot is scarce with few details being known at this time, but we do know that the team continues their adventures as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’s parentage. Vol. 2 stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, and Karen Gillan. Newcomers to the series are Kurt Russell and Sylvester Stallone who make it interesting to see what they can bring to the Marvel table.

  1. Justice League – November 17, 2017

See caption box
JUSTICE LEAGUE (2017)
(L-r)†EZRA MILLER as The Flash,†BEN AFFLECK as Batman and GAL GADOT as Wonder Woman
Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/ ô & © DC Comics

DC Comics is obviously behind the comic book ensemble train since they trail Marvel’s Avengers by five years. One decisive blow was Batman v. Superman which divided long time fans of comic books and the characters. With Justice League, DC hopes to start their own kind of Avengers-esque movie. The plot follows Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) as he assembles the Justice League with the help of Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), and along the way, they encounter Steppenwolf (not the band), a celestial creature,  as he hunts for three “mother boxes” (powerful alien tech) for his nephew Darkseid. This plot sounds great, but considering the divisive blow that was Batman v. Superman, movie goers will be cautious.

  1. Kong: Skull Island – March 10, 2017

Via heroichollywood.com

Returning to King Kong is a return to the earliest days of the kaiju genre. With this new outing we have a  cast with some seasoned award winning actors led by Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, and John Goodman. The plot finds Hiddleston and Larson being led into the jungle of a mysterious island by Jackson’s Preston Packard. Early reviews are mixed, but the trailers promise some ferocious monster battles. With the humans likely secondary to the spectacle, Warner Bros. is hoping to launch another shared universe connecting Kong to Godzilla.

Honorable Mention

Logan – March 3, 2017

Via inverse.com

With the article not making to publication in time for Logan’s release date, Logan seemed to be the Wolverine movie everyone had been looking for. With high marks given by many, including popular YouTube movie critic Chris Stuckmann who said, “I loved it. They really didn’t hold anything back. Wolverine goes absolutely berserk on people in this movie.” Fox took a small gamble with Logan solidifying its R rating with partial nudity, violence and gore, profanity, and use of alcohol throughout. It seems to have paid off as not only are the critics in love with the film, but Logan garnered $85 million dollars in the U.S. and over $230 million in its opening weekend. This will be the final appearance by Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.