Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Pork Pie and Thor: Ragnarok are coming to NZ screens in 2017.
Oscar-winning director Ben Affleck's latest thriller has the potential to be the period gangster film we've all been waiting for. The film that Public Enemies, Lawless and Gangster Squad weren't. There has to be place for the 'Tommy' machine gun in modern cinema.
NZ Release Date: January 26.
Maybe "exciting" isn't the best word to describe anticipation for this movie, considering how grim it appears to be. But any new work from acclaimed playwright/screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan (Margaret, You Can Count On Me) is cause for celebration, and his latest film is generating some of the most positive notices of his already-glittering career. Casey Affleck is looking more and more like a lock for the Best Actor Oscar, and if Live By Night gets any Oscar love, as appears to be the intention, Ben and Casey can carpool to the ceremony.
NZ Release Date: January 26.
Although its trailer is a very shoddily-edited piece of film marketing, some cool moments nevertheless shine through, making it hard not to get excited for this remake of Geoff Murphy's Kiwi classic Goodbye Pork Pie. Coming at a time when populist Kiwi cinema is at its most robust, this has the potential to be a real crowd-pleaser. Fingers crossed.
NZ Release Date: February 2.
When he's on form, there's no greater visual stylist working in Hollywood than Gore Verbinski (Mousehunt, Pirates of the Caribbean). His next film looks like a return to the creepy form of his 2001 remake of The Ring. It's been far too long since we had a properly scary gothic horror (Crimson Peak was great, but never scary) and my hopes are high for this one.
NZ Release Date: February 23.
Keanu Reeves' kick-ass comeback was an unfettered love letter to the action genre, and by the looks of the trailer, the sequel is looking a little more Terminator 2 than Beverly Hills Cop II. The addition of burgeoning action heroine Ruby Rose to the already awesome cast makes this all the more exciting.
NZ Release Date: TBC, likely first quarter.
The pleasures of Marvel's most surprising movie weren't entirely evident in the initial trailers for the film, so I'm not letting the so-so trailer for the awesomely-titled follow-up quell my excitement about spending more time with these characters. Especially Drax.
NZ Release Date: April 25.
It's always exciting when a filmmaker uses the power they have accrued to mount a film that might otherwise not get made. Such is the case with the new movie from master director Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Trilogy, Interstellar) - it's almost impossible to imagine any other filmmaker getting the green light for a widescreen epic about an event widely described as an "evacuation". I can't wait to see him bring one of World War II's most amazing stories to a wide audience.
NZ Release Date: July 20.
The very existence of this movie would appear to call into question certain aspects of Ridley Scott's iconic original. Such as the widely-held perception that Harrison Ford's Deckard (30-year-old spoiler alert) ... is a replicant himself. That said, Terminator: Genisys 'solved' its own ageing android problem, albeit gracelessly. The stunning visual gravy revealed in the just-released trailer strongly supports the choice of Denis Villeneuve (Arrival) as director.
NZ Release Date: October 5.
Marvel Studios has a proud tradition of inspired directing choices, but they really outdid themselves when they hired our Taika to helm the third Thor film, which has some ground to make up after the lacklustre second entry. As demonstrated in his hilarious What Thor Did During Civil War short, Waititi's unique comedic sensibilities appear to align beautifully with star Chris Hemsworth's burgeoning comedic stylings.
NZ Release Date: November 2nd.
For the record, I absolutely loved Rogue One, more so than The Force Awakens, which prioritised course correction and audience reassurance over exploring anything new. Rogue One projected a greater understanding of the mythic power of the Star Wars universe, which is what I'll be looking for from director Rian Johnson (Looper, Brick) who will hopefully have the freedom to explore some new areas in the next "official" entry in the saga.
NZ Release Date: December 14.
Also very exciting: Alien: Covenant, The Great Wall, Spider-Man: Homecoming, War For The Planet of the Apes, Wonder Woman, Justice League and The Dark Tower. And heck, I can't deny that I'm excited to see The Fate of The Furious. I'm only human.
OPINION: The syllabus covers everything from marketing choices to the singer's fandom.