Silver Screen in 2016: exciting films coming up this year
Tarantino, Sorrentino, Finding Nemo... film buffs, your 2016 calendar is here. Déja vu reigns with reboots of Ab Fab and Ghostbusters, but there's plenty of fresh and seasoned talent
Scarlett Johansson Hail Caesar! Film Still ©
January:
The Hateful Eight
Quentin Tarantino's eighth feature, new Western The Hateful Eight stars seasoned collaborators Samuel L. Jackson and Kurt Russell, and is set to a score composed the legendary Ennio Morricone. (8 January)
Room
Lenny Abrahamson adapts Emma Donoghue's bestselling novel to the silver screen in what might be the gentlest film ever made about abduction. Catch our interview with the award-winning director of Frank and Room here. (15 January)
The Revenant
Everyone's talking about the performance of Leonardo di Caprio's career: from Birdman director Alejandro González Iñárritu comes yet another Oscar contender. Not for the faint hearted, The Revenant is a harrowing tale of one man's quest for vengeance, in blistering conditions. (15 January)
The Assassin
Taiwanese director Hou Hsiou-Hsien, known for his dedication to social realism, makes his first foray into wuxia with The Assassin. It competed for the Palme D'Or at Cannes to gain awards for best director and best soundtrack. A luminous, Tang dynasty martial-arts drama rife with mystery and suspense. (22 January)
The Big Short
Steve Carell, Brad Pitt, Christian Bale and Ryan Gosling join forces in Anchorman director Adam McKay's new adaptation, of eponymous non-fiction book by Michael Lewis about the financial crisis. (22 January)
The 33
Starring Antonio Banderas, Rodrigo Santoro and Juliette Binoche, The 33 follows the real life crisis of the collapse of a Chilean copper mine, which trapped 33 miners underground for 69 days. (29 January)
Youth
After winning an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film with The Great Beauty, Sorrentino's follow up Youth is definitely worth getting excited for. Starring Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel, Youth looks to be a stunningly shot, heartfelt exploration of decadence and excess. With Rachel Weisz and Paul Dano also making appearances, we're keeping a beady eye on the Italian director's latest stylish release. (29 January)
Still from Sorrentino's 'Youth', Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel
Spotlight
With nods for this year's Oscars, Tom McCarthy's Spotlight tells the true story of the Catholic sex scandals uncovered by the Pulitzer Prize-Winning team at The Boston Globe in 2002, and stars Rachel McAdams, Michael Keaton and Mark Ruffalo. (29 January)
February:
Dad's Army
Fans of the original sitcom will be pleased to hear that an all-British cast including Catherine Zeta Jones, Bill Nighy and Michael Gambon (to name but a few of the veterans on board) will be taking to the silver screen for an ambitious reimagining. With Dad's Army's original writer David Croft at the helm, the adaptation looks to be in pretty safe hands. (5 February)
Concussion
Will Smith and Gugu Mubatha Raw star in a dramatic thriller based on the true story of Dr. Bennet Omalu, an American immigrant and forensic neuropathologist who discovers an unsettling truth about brain trauma in football players. From Kill The Messenger director Peter Landesman, Concussion is already getting Oscar nudges. (12 February)
Pride And Prejudice And Zombies
Adapted from the satirical bestselling novel comes a feminist reimagining of Jane Austen's classic tale of social hierarchy and marriage in 19th century England – against the backdrop of a zombie uprising. Starring Lily James, Douglas Booth and Lena Heady, this period comedy-horror is one of the year's most anticipated releases. (12 February)
A Bigger Splash
The latest film from I Am Love director Luca Guadagnino is a heady remake of French cult classic La Piscine. Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes star alongside Dakota Johnson and Matthias Schoenaerts. Less erotic thriller than stylish psychodrama, Guadagnino's shows his consistent talent in cleverly observing human desire and idiosyncrasy. (12 February)
Dakota Johnson, 'A Bigger Splash' film still
Zoolander 2
News of the return of gormless but big-hearted supermodel Derek Zoolander has triggered a lot of hype, and controversy (Benedict Cumberbatch's mocking portrayal of an androgynous model caused uproar in November). Still, no doubt we can expect a big turnout at the box office. (12 February)
I Saw the Light
Biopic about Country singer Hank Williams, and the damaging effect of celebrity on his mental health, stars Tom Hiddleston alongside Elizabeth Olsen and comes from Children of Men director Marc Abraham. Hiddleston's the man of the moment so no doubt it will get a wide release. (12 February)
Bone Tomahawk
Grisly fusion of Western and Horror, Bone Tomahawk follows a group of men, led by Sheriff Franklin Hunt (Kurt Russell) who set out into far reaches of the Wild West to rescue one member’s kidnapped wife. But the search isn't a straightforward one and they find terrors awaiting them, unwittingly following cannibalistic captors into their caves. Patrick Wilson and Matthew Fox also star. (19 February)
Freeheld
Starring Ellen Page and Julianne Moore as real life partners Laurel Hester and Stacie Andree Freeheld – inspired by an eponymous documentary of 2007 – tells the true story of a gay couple who fight to change the bill on pension inheritance rights when one is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Steve Carell also stars. (19 February)
Hail, Caesar!
The Coen Brothers' latest sparky comedy is set in the Golden Age of 1950s Hollywood, and film follows Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin), a Hollywood film crew member trying to uncover the whereabouts of a colleague who mysteriously vanishes on set. With George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Ralph Fiennes and Tilda Swinton, you don't get bigger names than this. (26 February)
Scarlett Johanssen, 'Hail Caesar!' film still
March:
Dheepan
Un Prophète director Jacques Audiard's new film won the Palme D'Or at Cannes 2015, and tells the story of a Sri Lankan Tamil warrior who flees to France, only to find that more violence awaits him and his new family. (4 March)
Truth
Cate Blanchett stars in political docu-drama from director James Vanderbilt. Based on the memoirs of Reagan Era journalist Mary Mapes', Truth focuses on the controversy surrounding the 'Killian documents', and the final days of Mapes and anchor Dan Rather at CBS News, and also stars Robert Redford. (4 March)
Secret in their Eyes
Tense thriller starring Julia Roberts and Chiwetel Ejiofor as FBI investigators who find themselves faced with the murder of one of their own children and spend thirteen years seeking to discover the truth. Nicole Kidman stars as their long term district-attorney. A twisting chiller with a big name cast. (4 March)
Anomalisa
The inimitable Charlie Kaufman, whose past credits include existential masterpieces Being John Malkovich and The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind again explores themes of isolation and failures of communication in new film Anomalisa: a brilliantly conceived and sensitively scripted piece of filmmaking. (11 March)
Kung Fu Panda 3 (3D)
The Pandas are back, and out in full, cuddly force. Po must return home to face his heritage. Voiced by Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Seth Rogan, here's hoping it's as awesome an adventure as the last. (11 March)
The Witch
Chilling period horror from first time director Robert Egger won Best Debut award at the London Film Festival and Best Director at Sundance. A sense of collective paranoia and mass hysteria seemingly reminiscent of Miller's Crucible, The Witch is an unsettling and spooky first feature from this talented new director. (11 March)
High-Rise
Ben Wheatley's adaptation J.G. Ballard's High Rise may have divided critics, but is still worth attention for its all star cast: Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons and Sienna Miller all feature. A masterpiece of dystopian literature, written in 1975, High-Rise is set in a luxury apartment block in near-future London, and charts the building's descent into a state of physical ruination and moral depravity. (18 March)
The Pearl Button
Chilean director Patricio Guzmán’s follow-up to the hauntingly beautiful documentary Nostalgia for the Light is a meditative and lyrical exploration of Chile’s history and national identity. (18 March)
Patricio Guzman's 'The Pearl Button' film still
Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice
With the appeal of Ben Affleck versus Henry Cavill, new Marvel marvel will no doubt appeal to more than the comic-con crowd. A huge budget, ambitious work from sci-fi legend Zack Snyder (Watchmen, The 300) we can rely on this battle between two superhero greats to clean up at the Box Office. (25 March)
Disorder
Matthias Schoenaerts and Diane Kruger in new home invasion thriller directed by the promising French director Alice Winocour, who brought us Augustine. Winocour's slick new thriller looks to be full of twists, turns and enough suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat, and an electric soundtrack from French techno DJ Gesaffelstein. (25 March)
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2
Need we say more? The cast return for a second insight into the madcap life of a loud family of Greek American ex-pats. We're expecting lots of dubious etymology, Windex, and of course, the ever memorable Aunt Voula. (25 March)
The Club (El Club)
Winner of last year's Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, No director Pablo Larraín's bleak new film follows the arrival of a crisis counsellor at a quarantined Chilean beach town where disgraced Catholic priests and nuns are held secluded for acts of criminality and abuse. Given Larraín's past emphasis on political themes, we expect his latest will be a poignant and masterful piece of cinema. (25 March)
April:
Eddie The Eagle
Upcoming biopic about famous Olympic ski jumper Michael Edwards, AKA Eddie The Eagle, will Taron Egerton (Kingsman) in the lead role alongside the likes of Hugh Jackman and Christopher Walken. Director Dexter Fletcher's past credits include Wild Bill, expectations are high for this British release, though Edwards has already expressed concern about the film's 'poetic license'. (1 April)
Victoria
Filmed entirely in one single shot, new German film Victoria won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival 2015 for outstanding contribution to cinematography. A tense and immersive thrill ride from director Sebastian Schipper, Victoria has left audiences feeling as if they've just been on a wild night out in central Berlin rather than watching its drama unfold in the safety of the cinema. (1 April)
The Jungle Book
Following on from Cinderella marking a trend in new live action versions of Disney Classics comes The Jungle Book. From Iron Man director Jon Favreau, this looks to be a high octane thrilling adventure, with animals voiced by Scarlett Johansson, Idris Elba and Bill Murray among other big names. (15 April)
Midnight Special
Sci-fi adventure from Mud director Jeff Nichols tells of a father and son relationship dominated by the boy's supernatural abilities. With a cast list that features the likes of Michael Shannon, Kirsten Dunst and Joel Edgerton – regulars on the alternative circuit – we're keen to see how the action will unfold. With Nichols at the helm, hopes are high. (15 April)
The Huntsman: Winter's War
The follow up to alt-fairy tale action adventure Snow White and the Huntsman boasts an all-star cast including Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain, The Huntsman: Winter's War. Oscar nominated director Cedric Nicolas-Troyan serves up this dark offering. (22 April)
Louder than Bombs
Norwegian director Joachim Trier cast Jesse Eisenberg, Amy Ryan and Isabelle Huppert in this subtle film about a war photographer's untimely death and her family's response to their grief. The Palme D'Or nominated film reflected a trend at last year's Cannes for evocative features with an introspective focus on the arts. (22 April)
Jesse Eisenberg, 'Louder Than Bombs' film still
Demolition
After the wide success of 2014's Wild, expectations are high for Jean-Marc Vallée's next feature. Jake Gyllenhaal plays an investment banker whose wife is killed in a tragic car crash; Naomi Watts the woman who comes to his rescue. (29 April)
Son of Saul
László Nemes’s harrowing directorial debut, Son of Saul, portrays life in a concentration camp from the unusual perspective of Saul, a Sonderkommando prisoner at Auschwitz. Winning the Grand Prix at Cannes 2015, this looks to be a remarkable but devastating jewel among 2016's international releases. (29 April)
Captain America: Civil War
Next up in the Avengers franchise, Civil War follows a feud between Chris Evans' Captain America and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man. (29 April)
May:
Snowden
After the success of Laura Poitras' recent documentary CitizenFour, we were more than a little apprehensive at the news of an impending biopic. But with Oliver Stone (Platoon, Natural Born Killers) at the helm, we're excited to see how the Oscar winning director will spin one of the U.S.'s biggest conspiracies, Edward Snowden's leaks and subsequent fugitive status, into a worthy drama. In Stone we trust. (13 May)
Mustang
New Turkish film about sisterhood and repression has been causing a buzz ever since its Cannes premiere. A portrait of five free-spirited girls imprisoned at their home in Antolia by their strict grandfather, there looks to be something House of Bernarda Alba meets Copolla's Virgin Suicides in Deniz Gamze Ergüven's shimmering direction. (13 May)
X-Men: Apocalypse (3D)
The ninth (yes, ninth) instalment in the X-Men franchise is the sequel to last year's Days of Future Past. Will Apocalypse bring something new to the franchise's well worn territories? The title seems to suggest it should. (19 May)
June:
The Nice Guys
Pegged as an "American mystery thriller comedy" you might be confused as to the tone of Shane Black's latest film (though if you caught his debut Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, you probably have a good idea). Ryan Gosling joins Russell Crowe as a 1970s private detective hired to solve two separate but coincidental cases: the death of a porn star and a girl's disappearance. (3 June)
The Boss
Melissa McCarthy brings her unique comic flair into the foreground in husband Ben Falcone's The Boss, a light hearted comedy about an ex-Billionaire embezzler who decides to build a 'girl scout brownie empire' in an attempt to regain her place at the top. (10 June)
Mother's Day
Pastiche movie stars a host of big female names including Susan Sarandon, Christina Ricci, Sharon Stone, and Courteney Cox, and revolves around the relationships of a group of different mothers and their children.
July:
Tale Of Tales
From Matteo Garrone, director of brutal realist mafia flick Gomorrah, comes Tale of Tales. Watch Salma Hayek devouring the heart of a huge beast in this gruesome fantasy horror, based on a set of 17th-century Italian fairy-tales. Also starring Vincent Cassel and Toby Jones, a rich and allegorical film that is perhaps the antithesis to Kenneth Branagh's saccharine Cinderella. (1 July)
'Tale of Tales' film still
The Legend of Tarzan
The spate of live action remakes continues with David Yates' Tarzan – he's more than qualified to the realms of action adventure, notable past credits including the final four Harry Potter films. The film also stars heartthrobs Alexander Skarsgård and Margot Robbie as the ill-fated couple, plus support from Christoph Waltz and Samuel L. Jackson will no doubt draw box office crowds. (8 July)
Absolutely Fabulous
Yes, you read it here first. Ab Fab is back, and sillier than ever: the original cast return as Edina, Patsy and Saffy, but Lumley and Saunders will also be joined by none other than Cara Delevingne, Rebel Wilson, Kim Kardashian. It may not be 'good', but it will surely be entertaining. (8 July)
Ghostbusters
It was only a matter of time before the '80s classic received a fresh lick of paint – a lick that's coming in the form of Kristin Wiig, Chris Hemsworth and Melissa McCarthy. From the director of Bridesmaids, there aren't many who could improve on that slime-covered funk-fest, but we think Paul Fieg has a good shot; original phantom fighters Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver also put in appearances. We know who you're gonna call come 15 July.
The BFG
One of Roald Dahl's best loved works is coming to the big screen, in the very capable hands of Steven Spielberg and the team at Disney. Sophie is back with the BFG along with snozzcumbers, Whizzpopping and the Sultan of Baghdad, and Mark Rylance takes on the role of the gentle, endearingly incompetent giant. (22 July)
Star Trek Beyond
The third in the Star Trek reboot series, the new film will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original series. Trekkies will be pleased to hear that the cast from the previous two films will reprise their roles, alongside newcomers Idris Elba and Sofia Boutella. Few plot details are out, but watch this space. (22 July)
Finding Dory (3D)
Little explanation needed: Nemo may be safe and sound, but the ever-forgetful Dory (memorably voiced by Ellen Degeneres) won't stop swimming off on the hunt for her mother and father. Pixar rarely puts a foot wrong – we're fully prepared to be charmed once again by the submarine adventures of small fish with big dreams. (29 July)
Untitled Next Bourne Chapter
After the success of last year's The Martian, nobody's complaining about seeing a little more Matt Damon on screen. The actor will return to UK cinemas on 29 July for his fifth reprisal of the Jason Bourne role, alongside Julia Stiles, Alicia Vikander and Tommy Lee Jones.
August:
Suicide Squad
A new film, based on the DC Comics antihero team of the same name follows a trend for the 'extended universe' of comic book characters (see above: Batman vs Superman). With Jared Leto taking on the Joker (a role he apparently took so seriously that co-star Will Smith never actually met him in person), and starring the likes of Cara Delevigne and Margot Robbie, this is a high octane super-villain thrill ride. (5 August)
Ben Hur
Anyone attempting to tackle Ben Hur on screen after William Wyler's Golden Age masterpiece – it won 11 Oscars on its 1957 release – has to be a little bonkers. But that's exactly what Timur Bekmambetov has decided to do: with Jack Huston as Judah and Morgan Freeman as Sheik Ilderim, this biblical epic has a lot riding on its shoulders. (12 August)
September:
Bridget Jones's Baby
Their eyes met over blue soup with string, now Bridget and Mark are to become parents in the third film in the series. Hugh Grant has flown the nest due to 'artistic differences', but Renée Zellweger and Colin Firth reprise their roles and will be joined by Patrick Dempsey. (16 September)
The Magnificent Seven
Steve McQueen made a name for himself with the original Western adventure: now Southpaw director Antoine Fuqua has reanimated it for a modern audience. We're sceptical. (16 September)
October:
Inferno
After Bridge of Spies', everyman actor Tom Hanks is Hollywood's Golden Boy once again. Ron Howard returns to the director's chair for the fourth in the Da Vinci code series, starring Hanks and Felicity Jones. (14 October)
November:
Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them
Anyone who was left lamenting the end of the Harry Potter franchise can be reassured: we're about to be greeted by a prequel. Starring Eddie Redmayne as author Newt Scamander, the film follows the New York wizard seventy years before Harry Potter reads his book at Hogwarts. (18 November)
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'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' trailer
December:
Star Wars: Rogue One
If you thought the Star Wars franchise was over, think again: Rogue One sees the first in an anthology of stand-alone stories from the Star Wars universe. Felicity Jones takes on the lead female role, and Lucasfilm produces. (16 December)
Assassin's Creed
Rarely do computer games make for good cinematic reboots, but we're suspending judgement on this one because of its credentials. Macbeth director Justin Kurzel reunites the captivating Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard for an ambitious film version of the 15th Century adventure game Assassin's Creed. (26 December)
The Light Between Oceans
Not one, but two Fassbender releases scheduled for December, we're in for a treat in 2016. The Light Between Oceans sees the Irish actor star alongside Alicia Vikander, Rachel Weisz, and Slow West co-star Caren Pistorius. Given director Derek Cianfrance's past credits (The Place Beyond the Pines, Blue Valentine), we expect this drama – about a lighthouse keeper and his wife who raise an adrift foundling – to be resonant and moving. (26 December)
Unscheduled but noteworthy...
Silence
Martin Scorsese adapts a 1966 novel by Shūsaku Endō, about two Jesuit Portuguese priests who travel to Japan and find themselves on the receiving end of violent persecution. Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver star.
Jane Got a Gun
Tongues have been wagging about this film for almost two years. Natalie Portman's much anticipated Western has run into a number of hiccups, but finally looks set for a 2016 release. Joel Edgerton and Ewan McGregor bring up the rear of Jane Got A Gun's noteworthy cast.
Can't wait to watch?
Read our list of 2015's best cinematic offerings
Looking Back: The Best Films of 2015
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