2/5/16
Directed by: Ethan and Joel Coen
Starring: George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Ralph Fiennes
"A Hollywood fixer in the 1950s works to keep the studio's stars in line"
While the February release date gives me some pause, it's hard not to be excited for a Coen brothers movie. They are brilliant writers and directors who seem to have brought together a great cast for this story revolving around a 1950's production.
UPDATE: Good, but not the Coen's best outing.
2/12/16
Directed by: Tim Miller
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, T.J. Miller, Gina Carano
"A former Special Forces operative turned mercenary is subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopting the alter ego Deadpool"
With so many superhero movies coming out this year, Deadpool is definitely the one I am most looking forward to. I love the character of Deadpool, and it seems from the marketing that they are really doing the character right. If they can balance his humor and graphic violence correctly, while providing us with a solid plot line...this anti-hero could surprise a lot of people. Deadpool will provide an R-rated, crude, witty superhero film that can be nice breathe of fresh air in this cluttered genre.
UPDATE: LOVED IT. It is pretty much everything I wanted. High box office success and critical praise as well.
2/12/16
Directed by: Ben Stiller
Starring: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Penelope Cruz, Kristen Wiig
"Derek and Hansel are modelling again when an opposing company attempts to take them out from the business"
Continuing the trend of Anchorman and Dumb and Dumber, Zoolander is a comedy that gained massive popularity after it's release and has been given a sequel more than ten years later. I am not the biggest Zoolander fan, but I am interested to see if this movie can break the comedy sequel curse. It's very hard to put out a good follow up to a comedy, especially one that's so beloved of this. However, the trailer did actually make me laugh and Will Ferrell returning as Mugatu should be very entertaining.
UPDATE: Due to poor reviews...maybe wait for this one on VOD
3/11/16
Directed by: Gary Ross
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Keri Russell, Gugu Mbatha-Raw
"As civil war divides the nation, a poor farmer from Mississippi leads a group of rebels against the Confederate army."
It's hard to think that Matthew McConaughey will not be great in this movie. He portrays a poor farmer from Mississippi who leads a group of rebels against the Confederate Army during the Civil War. This will be an interesting perspective of the War, and a story that I have never heard before. McConaughey is on such a roll right now, and this seems like a character he once again can get lost in.
3/25/16
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Starring: Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Amy Adams
"Fearing the actions of Superman are left unchecked, Batman takes on Superman, while the world wrestles with what kind of a hero it really needs."
The two most iconic superheroes will now share the big screen together for the first time in history. Building off the universe DC established with 2013's 'Man of Steel', they are beginning to expand it by adding a brand new Batman and introducing Wonder Women for her film debut. When initially announced in 2013, I couldn't of been more excited for this movie but one of the latest trailers really disappointed me and has me a little nervous (will post the preceding comic-con trailer below instead). Regardless, I will be there opening weekend to see these two titans square off and begin to build the Justice League.
4/15/16
Directed by: Jon Favreau
Starring: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Christopher Walken, Lupito Nyong'o, Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley
"An orphan boy is raised in the jungle with the help of a pack of wolves, a bear, and a black panther."
As the first of two live action Jungle Book movies to be released within the next few years, Jon Favreau helms this adaptation with a star-studded cast. This film wasn't exactly on my radar until this year's Disney D23 convention, where everyone was buzzing over their presentation (more than Stars Wars or Marvel). Favreau claimed they are using the most state of the art technology to bring these characters to life and play against Mowgli. Then the teaser trailer dropped only got me more thrilled to see this spectacle in IMAX.
4/15/16
Directed by: Richard Linklater
Starring: Zoey Deutch, Tyler Hoechlin, Blake Jenner
"A group of college baseball players navigate their way through the freedoms and responsibilities of unsupervised adulthood."
The man behind one of my favorite movies of all time, 'Dazed and Confused' bring us what he's calling the "spiritual sequel" of that classic film. Instead of high school, we now follow a new group of college baseball players as they "navigate their way through the freedoms and responsibilities of unsupervised adulthood." Sounds perfect. I really enjoy Linklater's films and he does such a great job with coming-of-age stories (ex. Dazed and Confused, Boyhood). If this movie can capture the same feel, essence and humor of it's spiritual predecessor, then this has a great chance to be one of my top films of the year.
5/6/16
Directed by: Anthony and Joe Russo
Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Elizabeth Olsen. Anthony Mackie
"Political interference in the Avengers' activities causes a rift between former allies Captain America and Iron Man"
Another highly anticipated superhero movie in 2016, and we haven't even gotten to the summer yet. Not to be outdone by 'Batman v. Superman', Marvel is now pinning almost all of their heroes against each other in what's being called "Avengers 2.5'. This movie will be centered around Captain America at it's core, but the other Avengers will be playing major roles in this sequel as well. Some new faces will also be making their Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) appearances for the first time in this film. For example, Black Panther can be seen in the trailer but the biggest cameo has yet to be seen, Spiderman. Through the new deal with Sony and Marvel studios, Spiderman is being rebooted (again). He will now be part of the MCU, and will be introduced with a cameo in this movie. The Russo brothers directed the critically successful 'Captain America: Winter Soldier', and I trust them at the helm of this superhero clash.
5/20/16
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising
Directed by: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Rose Byrne, Chloe Grace Moretz, Selena Gomze
"A man , his pregnant wife and a fraternity stud clash with the wild members of a partying sorority"
While the plot seems very similar to the first [insert sorority], I still am looking forward to this movie. Comedy sequels are very rarely successful, but I am interested to see what Seth Rogen and crew can pull off. I thought Rogen and Zac Efron had great comedic timing together in Neighbors. Now that they are teaming up again, I hope that will only be amplified. Chloe Grace Moretz as the antagonist fits, so lets hope the movie does as well.
5/20/16
Directed by: Shane Black
Starring: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Matt Bomer
"A private eye investigates the apparent suicide of a fading porn star in 1970s Los Angeles and uncovers a conspiracy"
Pairing Russell Crowe and Ryan Golsing together, with a logline like that, definitely has my attention. These two actors playing off of each other could amazing and a lot of fun to watch, as the two are immensely talented. The director Shane Black has provided some off-beat comedies in the past, so i'm hoping this combination works. This could be the surprise hit of the year, or a big swing-and-miss, I'm hoping it is the former.
5/27/16
Directed by: Bryan Singer
Starring: Oscar Isaac, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender
"With the emergence of the world's first mutant, Apocalypse, the X-Men must unite to defeat his extinction level plan"
The large superhero spectacles continue, as Bryan Singer returns once again to direct another X-Men movie. In the successful 2014 entry 'X-Men: Days of Future Past', Singer did a great job of realigning this universe with the new and old ensemble. He'll have to do that once again as this movie takes place in the 80's. That means we will see younger versions of characters we already know (Cyclopse, Storm, Jean Grey), interacting with the now seasoned cast. This movie scares me in the sense that I think it will be just another world-ending type of movie, but I trust Singer can tackle it in an interesting way. Finally, Oscar Isaac as a comic book villain? I'll pay to see that.
6/15/16
Directed by: Andrew Stanton, Angus MacLane
Starring: Ellen DeGeneres, Idris Elba, Kaitlin Olsen, Albert Brooks
"The friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish reunites with her loved ones, and everyone learns a few things about the real meaning of family along the way"
The long awaited sequel from one of Pixar's best films, 'Finding Nemo', will finally hit the big screen. Dory now takes center stage and should be another big hit among kids and adults. It's hard not to trust Pixar, as a majority of their films are phenomenal and can cross generations. 'Finding Nemo' was no exception, and I believe we will see that same kind of heart, depth and comedy in this follow up. I have a lot of faith in 'Finding Dory' because it will have the same directors as it's predecessor. They also happened to direct 'Toy Story', 'Toy Story 2', 'Wall-E' and 'The Incredibles', which are arguably the best movies Pixar has ever put out. My only trepidation is Dory was such a fun side character, that her charm might wear off if she is continually the main focus.
7/15/16
Directed by: Paul Fieg
Starring: Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon
The director of 'Bridesmaids' teams up again with Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy to bring a new spin on a comedy classic. Some people may be turned off by the concept of rebooting 'Ghostbusters', but I am excited to see a new vision with an all female cast. Speaking of the cast (which is made up of 3 SNL cast members), it seems to be a collection of some of the funniest women in entertainment today. The chemistry will be there and with Paul Fieg as director, it's hard to think that this will miss the mark. Even if it does, we still got the original right?
7/29/16
Directed by: Paul Greengrass
Starring: Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, Alicia Vikander
After a one movie absence, Matt Damon is back as Jason Bourne in the fifth installment of the franchise. Not a lot has been known about this movie, but not much is needed. As long as we know that Damon and Paul Greengrass (the director) are back, then that works for me. Greengrass directed the second and third 'Bourne' films, and more recently, 'Captain Phillips' which were all very well done. If we can just get the same feeling back we did with the first 'Bourne' movie, then I think audiences will be satisfied.
8/5/16
Directed by: David Ayer
Starring: Margot Robbie, Will Smith, Jared Leto
"A secret government agency recruits imprisoned supervillains to execute dangerous black ops missions in exchange for clemency."
DC is adding a film to their new cinematic universe that is a little bit outside the box for them, which is great. Suicide Squad is putting their DC villains in the foreground, to go against an even worse kind of evil (bad vs. evil). Jared Leto will make his debut as the Joker in this new world, and he is being rumored to be the guy behind that evil. Coming off his Oscar win two years ago, Leto went full method acting for this part and I can not wait to see his version of the character. It seems to be different than previous Joker incarnations, which is important since Heath Ledger's Joker is so well imprinted into our minds. The beautiful Margot Robbie will be portraying the popular character, and Joker obsessed, Harley Quinn. I think this is perfect casting, and she will definitely be the most used Halloween costume of this year. Will Smith will surprisingly make an appearance in an ensemble movie, so that should be fascinating to watch. From everything I've seen, it all seems to fit together well and DC villains are far more interesting than Marvel's. While this may be a risk, I think David Ayer will be able to show the darkness of this world but balance that with some levity and fun. This is another comicbook movie, like "Deadpool", that is unique and can push the genre forward. Also, there will be a Batman cameo so...
8/12/16
Directed by: Greg Tiernan, Conrad Vernon
Starring: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Kristen Wiig, Paul Rudd
This is the one film on this list that I probably know the least about. Regardless, an R rated animated film from Seth Rogen and James Franco should be a hell of a good time. Supposedly, it follows a sausage in a supermarket as he interacts with other food products, which will be mainly played by Seth Rogen's friends. I still enjoy almost everything Rogen and his writing partner, Evan Goldberg, put out so this shouldn't be any different. Especially since this will be animated and has the title is called 'Sausage Party'...I mean come on. I believe this movie has been having some trouble and was pushed back, but i'm hoping for a 2016 release.
11/4/16
Directed by: Scott Derrickson
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton
"After his career is destroyed, a brilliant but arrogant and conceited surgeon gets a new lease on life when a sorcerer takes him under his wing and trains him to defend the world against evil"
The last comicbook movie for 2016 will be another installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and another origin story. However, this movie actually has me excited because of two main reasons. First, the director Scott Derrickson has mainly worked in the horror genre and i'm excited to see this mystical character get that type of treatment. This movie will be dealing with magic, going into different dimensions, and I think having this type of director can really add a special element to the visuals/story. Secondly, this is the best cast Marvel has ever assembled for a movie. Benedict Cumberbatch (who strikes a scary resemblance to Doctor Strange) will be joined by Rachel McAdams, Tilda Swinton, Mads Mikkelsen and the Oscar nominated Chiwetel Ejiofor. That cast alone will have my butt in the theatre, and putting them in the MCU just has me there opening weekend.
11/18/16
Directed by: David Yates
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Colin Farrell
"The adventures of writer Newt Scamander in New York's secret community of witches and wizards seventy years before Harry Potter reads his book in school."
Harry Potter fans rejoice! This spinoff/prequel of the Harry Potter films will return us back to that wizarding world once again. While we may not see the characters we know (since they hadn't been born yet...for a while), this talented cast will sure bring forward characters that everybody will embrace. Also, I have no doubt there will Harry Potter Easter eggs for the die hard fans. I am not a big Harry Potter fan, but I do respect how well the movies were made, especially the last few entries. David Yates directed four Harry Potter films, including the last two which were well received by both critics and fans. This will be the start of a whole new franchise, and even more money for J.K. Rowling.
Directed by: Gareth Edwards
Starring: Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Ben Mendelsohn
"Rebels set out on a mission to steal the plans for the Death Star"
With Disney's purchase of LucasFilm, the Star Wars films will continue to roll on. With the episodes being released every two years, there will be anthology films in between the new trilogy. The first 'Star Wars Story' will take place right before Episode IV, and will provide context to that opening text crawl. If you remember, the first Star Wars began with Darth Vader on a mission to find the stolen Death Star plans. This will tell that story of the rebels who originally stole those plans. So the answer is yes, Darth Vader will make an appearance in this film. The amount is unknown but I'm excited to see the most iconic movie villain back in his prime and with James Earl Jones' voice. Either way, it's amazing we are able to revisit this galaxy far, far away and continue to learn new stories. Additionally, this will have a new spin on it as Gareth Edwards made a point to say that this is Star WARS. Meaning, this film will be a war film that happens to take place in the Star Wars universe.
12/21/16
Directed by: Justin Kurzel
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons
"When Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) explores the memories of his ancestor Aguilar and gains the skills of a Master Assassin, he discovers he is a descendant of the secret Assassins society"
Trying to break the movie curse of video game adaptations, 'Assassin's Creed' is a concept that could actually work. 'Warcraft', which comes out earlier this year, will try it's hand at it first, but I think this story lends itself to be a better film. Michael Fassbender is one of my favorite actors today, and I have full confidence in anything he does. He makes very good decisions with what he puts his name on, and he has been a front runner for this movie for a long time. I think this is a character that can really do well on the big screen, but I'm interested to see if it takes itself too seriously.
Well that's it, let me know your thoughts.
-The Beef
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