My 10 Most Anticipated Films of 2016

2015 is almost over, which doesn’t feel remotely real considering how fast this year has gone by. It seem appropriate to look ahead to 2016, which will feature a ton of sequels, comic book films – the Hollywood we know so well. Today I look at the 2016 U.S. release schedule, and pick 10 of my most anticipated films of the 2016. Let’s get to it!

Do note that even though I’m located in Denmark, wherein films like The Hateful Eight or The Revenant won’t release until 2016, I recognize these films as 2015 films.

Without further ado, let’s talk about my ten most anticipated films of 2015!

1. Silence – TBA 2016 – Directed by Martin Scorsese.
2. Captain America: Civil War – 6th of May, 2016 – Directed by the Russo Brothers.
3. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – 16th of December, 2016 – Directed by Gareth Edwards.
4. Deadpool – 12th of February, 2016 – Directed by Tim Miller.
5. Doctor Strange – 4th of November, 2016 – Directed by Scott Derrickson.
6. The Nice Guys – 20th of May, 2016 – Directed by Shane Black.
7. The Jungle Book – 15th of April, 2016 – Directed by Jon Favreau.
8. Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising – 20th of May, 2016 – Directed by Nicholas Stoller.
9. Assassin’s Creed – 21st of December, 2016 – Directed by Justin Kurzel.
10. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – 25th of March, 2016 – Directed by Zack Snyder.

At first glance, some of you might be surprised how I’ve left off both Suicide Squad and Star Trek Beyond, but rest assured I am really excited about the films. However, while I’m certain that Jared Leto will give a great performance as The Joker, I’m not on board with the look of his character – and I’m hesitant to place Star Trek Beyond on my top ten now that J. J. Abrams isn’t directing the film.

Now, back to the list – let’s talk about the top three. Let’s talk about why I’m excited for Rogue One: while I’m not a huge fan of Monsters and Godzilla, Gareth Edwards is clearly a very talented director, and a huge Star Wars fan as well. I really, really love Star Wars, and I’m definitely intrigued by the plot of this film: stealing the plans for the first Death Star. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that one of my favorite actors will be joining the universe – the great Mads Mikkelsen.

Moving on to Civil War, here’s why I’m excited: I remember a week or two prior to Civil War being announced. I remember how I had just re-read Marvel’s Civil War-event, and even though it isn’t a perfect comic book, it was the one concept I wanted to see on the big screen. Tony Stark and Steve Rogers against one another, not because they necessarily hate each other – but simply because they don’t see eye to eye anymore. I remember how I stated that I’d probably never see a version of Civil War on the big screen, because Downey Jr. and Chris Evans were probably not signed on to do a film like this one in the middle of the third Marvel Cinematic Universe phase. And then they announced it… It was absolutely surreal for me, and I cannot wait to see this film.

Finally, here’s why I’m excited for Silence: This is a movie blog. I am a movie fan. And there is no ‘auteur’ I adore more than Martin Scorsese. The Departed, Taxi Driver, and Goodfellas are some of my favorite films of all-time. Naturally, I’ve been excited to see his next project Silence for quite a while. We still don’t know the exact release date of the film, but it is aiming to screen at the Cannes Film Festival prior to releasing in late 2016. I am fairly intrigued by the plot and the casting news, even though Daniel Day-Lewis and Benicio Del Toro are not signed to the project as first reported. Silence is based on the book of the same name by Shusaku Endo, which follows two Jesuit priests (played by Andrew Garfield & Adam Driver) who travel to Japan to spread the gospel of Christianity and to find another Jesuit priest (played by Liam Neeson) who has supposedly apostatized.

What movie are you looking forward to the most in 2016? Sound off in the comments.

I’m Jeffrey Rex