We are officially at the midway point of the year, so here’s a break down of some of the upcoming 2016 films generating a lot of buzz…
[symple_heading style=”” title=”Ghostbusters” type=”h1″ font_size=”” text_align=”left” margin_top=”30″ margin_bottom=”30″ color=”undefined” icon_left=”” icon_right=””] Release Date: July 14
When news broke about the all-female reboot, it was met with a lot of conjecture as to whether it could live up to the original films. Fans of the Ghostbusters franchise were divided as to whether ladies Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wig and Leslie Jones could live up to the likes of Bill Murray and Dan Ackroyd. Not only is director Paul Feig experienced in being at the helm of female-led comedies such as Bridesmaids, The Heat, and Spy, but the women in question have also proven their skills. Both McCarthy and Wig starred in the successful comedy Bridesmaids, and McKinnon and Jones are current cast members on the show Saturday Night Live.
Amongst the debate, the heart of the issue on message boards, YouTube comments, and forums was “Can Women Be Funny?” And I say yes – absolutely.
[symple_heading style=”” title=”Jason Bourne” type=”h1″ font_size=”” text_align=”left” margin_top=”30″ margin_bottom=”30″ color=”undefined” icon_left=”” icon_right=””] Release Date: July 28
Guess who’s back? Jason Bourne. The upcoming film will be number five in the franchise, and the fourth time Matt Damon reprises his role as the skilled spy agent. Not only does Damon return, but director also Paul Greengrass, who directed the original Bourne Trilogy.
If you haven’t seen the previous Bourne films, here’s a quick recap: Jason Bourne is an assassin working for the C.I.A. who at first has no idea who he is to extreme memory loss. The films follow his travels around the world as he attempts to piece together his history, whilst also evading his agency, who are desperate to capture him. The film is known for its choreographed fight scenes, where Bourne is able to use pretty much anything at his disposal to escape his captors. So check it out if you’ve ever wondered how to kill someone with a ballpoint pen.
[symple_heading style=”” title=”Suicide Squad” type=”h1″ font_size=”” text_align=”left” margin_top=”30″ margin_bottom=”30″ color=”undefined” icon_left=”” icon_right=””] Release Date: August 4
Ever wondered what happens to the villains in superhero films? Well, you can find out in the much-anticipated release of the Suicide Squad. Over the last couple of years, comic book to film adaptations have either been hit or miss. The success of the Christopher Nolan directed Batman films saw the rise of the comic book film genre going into a darker and grittier direction, so less camp and more brooding. But with the recent failure of the Fantastic Four reboot, saw that sometimes doom and gloom can be lacklustre and dull, and who needs another origin story?
So just when you thought there couldn’t possibly be another comic book film, enter the Suicide Squad, from the DC Universe. The film tells the story of a group of imprisoned super villains being rounded up by the government, led by Amanda Waller (played by Viola Davis) to complete deadly missions. Actors Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, are just some of the all-star cast portraying the villains.
[symple_heading style=”” title=”Don’t Breathe” type=”h1″ font_size=”” text_align=”left” margin_top=”30″ margin_bottom=”30″ color=”undefined” icon_left=”” icon_right=””] Release Date: September 01
When three teenagers plan to rob a blind man’s house, they didn’t expect for him to fight back. When it premiered at the 2016 South by Southwest festival, Don’t Breathe was met with praise and quickly became a festival favourite.
Starring Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, and Daniel Zovatto as the thieves, the trio are desperate to get out of their deadbeat town in Detroit, and the safe in the basement at the Blind Man’s house has what they need – cash. They figure it’ll be an easy job, but once inside the house their plans go awry. It’s the old horror movie trope of the predator becoming the prey, but Don’t Breathe seems to pull of it well.
[symple_heading style=”” title=”Girl On The Train” type=”h1″ font_size=”” text_align=”left” margin_top=”30″ margin_bottom=”30″ color=”undefined” icon_left=”” icon_right=””]
Release Date: October 6
Adapted from the popular novel of the same name, The Girl on the Train follows Rachel Watson (played by Emily Blunt), coming to terms with her life now that she’s divorced. She wakes up one day covered in cuts and bruises and has no recollection as to what has happened to her, but then finds out her neighbour is missing via a news report.
Similar to the 2014 film Gone Girl, where it was able to successfully pull off the unreliable narrator method, The Girl on the Train plays with the same idea. The film explores love, revenge and all things sinister festering beneath the surface in white picket fenced suburbia.
[symple_heading style=”” title=”Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” type=”h1″ font_size=”” text_align=”left” margin_top=”30″ margin_bottom=”30″ color=”undefined” icon_left=”” icon_right=””] Release Date: November 18
When the Harry Potter series ended, the world waited on baited breath as to whether J.K. Rowling would write new material about the boy-who-lived. Technically, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them isn’t about Harry Potter and his days as an adult, but rather it’s a textbook Hogwarts students receive whilst in study. The book was released in 2001 under the pseudonym of Newt Scamander, a fictitious author in the Harry Potter universe.
Based on the book, the film will tell the story of Newt Scamander (played by Eddie Redmayne), an introverted and eccentric explorer, and his time in New York during the 1920s. Also starring in the film are Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, Ezra Miller and Ron Pearlman. The film, directed by David Yates, will be the first in a trilogy series.
[symple_heading style=”” title=”Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” type=”h1″ font_size=”” text_align=”left” margin_top=”30″ margin_bottom=”30″ color=”undefined” icon_left=”” icon_right=””] Release Date: December 16
In 2015, Star Wars: The Force Awakens was a commercial and critical success; so now all eyes are on the upcoming standalone Star Wars film Rogue One. Whilst there have been rumours of troubles behind-the-scenes, spurred by the news of reshoots, director Gareth Edwards has reassured fans that reshoots were always part of the plan. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he stated: “We always knew we were coming back somewhere to do stuff. We just didn’t know what it would be until we started sculpting the film in the edit.”
The cast includes Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen and Australian actor Ben Mendelssohn. And if that isn’t enough to get you Star Wars fans excited, well perhaps an appearance by Darth Vader will. The film comes out just in time for Christmas.
What films will you be checking out this year?