Happy New Year to one and all. And if youre not too blurry-eyed to read this column after last nights revelry, lets take a look at what 2016 has in store for us, movie-wise.
To begin with, there will be no first-of-the-year crime thriller starring Liam Neeson. What, no Taken 4? Or Non-Stop 2?
In fact, there dont seem to be any Neeson action films on the horizon.
How can we get along without a sexagenarian pounding on bad guys? Oh, wait, Bruce Willis is still up for Die Hard-style antics, and he appears to have several such pictures on tap for 2016.
Meanwhile, January will kick off the year with a pair of sequels: the animated Kung Fu Panda 3 and Ride Along 2.
And an alien attack in The 5th Wave.
And a possessed doll in the horror film The Boy.
Which seems like an appropriate way to begin a year that once more promises plenty of sequels and alien attacks and horror films.
There will also be plenty of tentpole pictures, which is how the movie industry refers to potential blockbusters that financially prop up the studios.
The biggest of the big guns appear to be Marvel and DC comic-book heroes battling each other.
DC is first, as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opens March 25, with Batman (Ben Affleck) and Superman (Henry Cavill) at each others throats.
Then, on May 6, comes Captain America: Civil War with Captain America (Chris Evans) and Ironman (Robert Downy Jr.) squaring off and forcing the Avengers to take sides.
Other expected box-office smashes include X-Men: Apocalypse (No. 9 in the franchise), the Pixar animated feature Finding Dory (sequel to Finding Nemo), Independence Day: Resurgence, The BFG (Steven Spielberg adapting Roald Dahl), Ghostbusters (a distaff remake), Star Trek: Beyond (the 13th Trek film and No. 3 in the reboot franchise) and an as-yet-untitled Bourne sequel starring Matt Damon (No. 4 with Damon, No. 5 in the series).
Three of this years sequels are rather belated follow-ups to original films that were hits over a decade ago Finding Dory (which is technically a prequel); My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, with Nia Vardalos again starring and writing the script, and most of the original cast returning; and Independence Day: Resurgence, which comes 20 years after its predecessor, but without Will Smith, who declined to climb aboard this time.
Other sequels include Zoolander 2, The Divergent Series: Allegiant, The Best Man Wedding, Barbershop: The Next Cut, Amityville: The Awakening, The Huntsman: Winters War (follow-up to Snow White and the Huntsman), Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Alice Through the Looking Glass (a sequel to Tim Burtons Alice in Wonderland), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Poltergeist, Now You See Me 2, The Purge 3, Ice Age: Collision Course, Mechanic: Resurrection, Inferno (third in the Da Vinci Code series), Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, Underworld 5, Quija 2 and, yes, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (set between the Star Wars prequels and the original films).
Remakes scheduled include Ben-Hur, The Jungle Book, The Legend of Tarzan, Ghostbusters, Petes Dragon and Jumanji. And since there have been earlier films about country singer Hank Williams and the King Arthur/Sir Lancelot/Queen Guinevere triangle, perhaps I Saw the Light and Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur can also be considered remakes.
For that matter, the same could be said of a pair of films about Jesus and his mother, respectively The Young Messiah and Mary.
Theres also an upcoming thriller titled When the Bough Breaks with a plot that appears to be the same as the 1992 shocker The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. Remake? You decide.
Comic-book characters getting their own films include Marvels Deadpool and Gambit, both framed as extensions of the X-Men franchise, and Doctor Strange. And DCs Suicide Squad is also on the schedule.
And then theres Warcraft and Assassins Creed, both based on video games.
And Pride and Prejudice and Zombies based on the satirical best-seller.
And the Harry Potter spinoff, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
And no less than 14 cartoon features.
And finally, for those who enjoy seeing golden oldies on the big screen, Cinemark theaters and Fathom Events and Turner Classic Movies have already announced their 2016 schedule.
First up is Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, to play this month, with The Maltese Falcon, The Ten Commandments, Ferris Buellers Day Off, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Planet of the Apes among those that are on the way.
To begin with, there will be no first-of-the-year crime thriller starring Liam Neeson. What, no Taken 4? Or Non-Stop 2?
In fact, there dont seem to be any Neeson action films on the horizon.
How can we get along without a sexagenarian pounding on bad guys? Oh, wait, Bruce Willis is still up for Die Hard-style antics, and he appears to have several such pictures on tap for 2016.
Meanwhile, January will kick off the year with a pair of sequels: the animated Kung Fu Panda 3 and Ride Along 2.
And an alien attack in The 5th Wave.
And a possessed doll in the horror film The Boy.
Which seems like an appropriate way to begin a year that once more promises plenty of sequels and alien attacks and horror films.
There will also be plenty of tentpole pictures, which is how the movie industry refers to potential blockbusters that financially prop up the studios.
The biggest of the big guns appear to be Marvel and DC comic-book heroes battling each other.
DC is first, as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opens March 25, with Batman (Ben Affleck) and Superman (Henry Cavill) at each others throats.
Then, on May 6, comes Captain America: Civil War with Captain America (Chris Evans) and Ironman (Robert Downy Jr.) squaring off and forcing the Avengers to take sides.
Other expected box-office smashes include X-Men: Apocalypse (No. 9 in the franchise), the Pixar animated feature Finding Dory (sequel to Finding Nemo), Independence Day: Resurgence, The BFG (Steven Spielberg adapting Roald Dahl), Ghostbusters (a distaff remake), Star Trek: Beyond (the 13th Trek film and No. 3 in the reboot franchise) and an as-yet-untitled Bourne sequel starring Matt Damon (No. 4 with Damon, No. 5 in the series).
Three of this years sequels are rather belated follow-ups to original films that were hits over a decade ago Finding Dory (which is technically a prequel); My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, with Nia Vardalos again starring and writing the script, and most of the original cast returning; and Independence Day: Resurgence, which comes 20 years after its predecessor, but without Will Smith, who declined to climb aboard this time.
Other sequels include Zoolander 2, The Divergent Series: Allegiant, The Best Man Wedding, Barbershop: The Next Cut, Amityville: The Awakening, The Huntsman: Winters War (follow-up to Snow White and the Huntsman), Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Alice Through the Looking Glass (a sequel to Tim Burtons Alice in Wonderland), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Poltergeist, Now You See Me 2, The Purge 3, Ice Age: Collision Course, Mechanic: Resurrection, Inferno (third in the Da Vinci Code series), Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, Underworld 5, Quija 2 and, yes, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (set between the Star Wars prequels and the original films).
Remakes scheduled include Ben-Hur, The Jungle Book, The Legend of Tarzan, Ghostbusters, Petes Dragon and Jumanji. And since there have been earlier films about country singer Hank Williams and the King Arthur/Sir Lancelot/Queen Guinevere triangle, perhaps I Saw the Light and Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur can also be considered remakes.
For that matter, the same could be said of a pair of films about Jesus and his mother, respectively The Young Messiah and Mary.
Theres also an upcoming thriller titled When the Bough Breaks with a plot that appears to be the same as the 1992 shocker The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. Remake? You decide.
Comic-book characters getting their own films include Marvels Deadpool and Gambit, both framed as extensions of the X-Men franchise, and Doctor Strange. And DCs Suicide Squad is also on the schedule.
And then theres Warcraft and Assassins Creed, both based on video games.
And Pride and Prejudice and Zombies based on the satirical best-seller.
And the Harry Potter spinoff, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
And no less than 14 cartoon features.
And finally, for those who enjoy seeing golden oldies on the big screen, Cinemark theaters and Fathom Events and Turner Classic Movies have already announced their 2016 schedule.
First up is Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, to play this month, with The Maltese Falcon, The Ten Commandments, Ferris Buellers Day Off, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Planet of the Apes among those that are on the way.
