So 2016 is now finally over and we can put the shitty year it was behind us and look forward to what is to come in 2017. Now where 2016 was a really strong year for more smaller Indie films, 2017 is shaping up to be one of the biggest years for the blockbuster in recent history. So many massive highly anticipated films are set for 2017 releases that i had a to cut a list of 20 huge films down to just 10…… a task that i spent 30 minutes adjusting, constantly debating whether to swap films or leave them. So before i go on with the top 10 i’ll now get to some honourable mentions that didn’t make painfully didn’t make the list.

These honourable mentions are in no particular order to avoid driving myself insane. The first lot that missed out are both DCEU films releasing in 2017; Wonder Woman and Justice League. This is such a shame, as if you asked me even 6 months ago i’d have both making the list but with what ‘Suicide Squad’ and the ‘BvS Theatrical Cut’ turned out like it’s hard for me to stay optimistic about the future of these films. Two highly anticipated sequels to fantastic action films also didn’t make this list….. John Wick: Chapter 2 and Kingsman: The Golden Circle. ‘John Wick’ was an amazing surprise in 2014 boasting a return for Keanu Reeves with incredibly choreographed action sequences so the hype for this sequel is huge. ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’ was another sleeper hit with hilarious comedy, awesome action sequences, and it put Sofia Boutella on the map. Another painful relegation from this list is the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok that is going to be also starring Hulk, Dr Strange, and Planet Hulk????? But there may be another Marvel film that made the list. There were also two horror films that missed out on the list for different reasons; Stephen King’s IT and Saw: Legacy. The first movie adaptation of Stephen King’s horror classic ‘IT’ i cannot wait for, if nothing else just to see how it compares to the 1990 mini-series. And yes you read correctly…… there is an 8th Saw film definitely coming out for Halloween this year, is it going to suck? Probably, but as a fan of the series i can’t deny that i’m looking forward to seeing what they do after a 7 year absence.

Now that the honourable mentions have been taken care of, lets get into the list.

#10 – THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS

Bet you didn’t expect to see this on the list, especially over some of those in the honourable mentions. But i really enjoyed, in fact i loved the complete ridiculousness and and pure insanity of ‘Furious 7’ so much that seeing how outrageously entertaining this movie could be has me pumped to see it. And especially after seeing the trailer it is clearly going to feature all of the crazy action, explosions, fights, and chases you’d expect to see from a Fast and Furious film….. which has me genuinely looking forward to the cinema experience. I’m not expecting anything spectacular in terms of story but when i am in the theatre watching a submarine crash through ice whilst in a high speed chase with a group of cars i’m not going to give an ounce of shit about the story. Each film seems to be topping the last in terms of insanity so this can only be better.

#9 – POWER RANGERS

Go Go Power Rangers!!! I grew up with this band of villain fighting teenagers and boy do they look different. This latest movie adaptation is attempting to make the rangers slightly more mature than the TV show in order to try and reach a wider audience, but not so mature that it will prevent kids from seeing it. As a result everything is getting a drastic redesign and new origin including Rita Repulsa, Alpha 5, the Putty Patrol, and the Power Rangers themselves. Personally, i welcome the redesigns as it makes sense to change it up a bit and it all fits within this new universe they are setting up. The first trailer for the film was pretty impressive, it looks to be a very entertaining and action packed origin story for the rangers and my nostalgia cannot wait to see it.

#8 – BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Disney loves their live-action remakes, and no film is safe now that arguably one of their best animated films is getting the live-action treatment. Beauty and the Beast is an incredible animated film which features fantastically written characters, a great thrilling story, and some of the most memorable songs in Disney’s history. Being such a beloved film every little detail is going to be picked at and analysed with extreme detail. And from what i have seen so far Disney looks to be nailing every goddamn element. The casting has been amazing, whether it is Luke Evans as Gaston, Dan Stevens as Beast, or Emma Watson as Belle every decision has been so perfect i already can’t picture other actors in those roles…. and the movie isn’t even out. The set design and costuming looks absolutely stunning as though it has been ripped straight out of the original animated film. I have no doubt this is going to be a huge success critically and financially even in the packed month that is March 2017.

#7 – ALIEN: COVENANT

Is it a prequel to Alien? Is it a sequel to Prometheus? Whatever you want to call it, this movie looks absolutely INSANE. The original ‘Alien’ is a classic Horror film that was intense and terrifying in every second as you progressed through the corridors of the Nostromo with a deadly Alien lurking. And contrary to what may be the more popular opinion i absolutely LOVED 2012’s ‘Prometheus’, so much so that is was hands down one of my favourite movies of that year. This looks to be combining all of the lore in Prometheus with that in Alien and acting as a way to bridge the gap between the two films. And the trailer is just amazing, it’s stunning, brutal, gruesome, haunting, and it looks like it is going back to the horror roots that made Alien so memorable. The film features mostly new characters with a familiar face in Michael Fassbender showing up and i cannot wait to see what twists Ridley Scott has in store for us.

#6 – KONG: SKULL ISLAND

Kong is back, and this time he is bigger than he’s ever been. This movie had an awesome trailer showing off the beautiful cinematography, brand new characters, and crazy intense action. Kong is going to absolutely destroy everything that stands in his way from humans to Skullcrawlers and whatever random creatures lurk within Skull Island. Starring amazing actors including but not limited to Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Sam L Jackson, and John Goodman means there are going to be fantastic performances to look forward to accompanying the massive action. The other thing that has me really looking forward to this movie is that we don’t know what is going to happen in the story, he isn’t going to be taking a damsel in distress and he’s definitely not going to die on the Empire State Building. Finally we will have a King Kong who lives, and he has to as in the future we will be getting a King Kong vs Godzilla crossover that cannot come early enough.

#5 – SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING

Now that we have the best on screen Spider-Man established in the MCU’s Civil War he is getting his own movie where he can unleash all the jokes he wants whilst taking down Michael Keaton as Birdman…. sorry, Vulture. It looks like this could have a chance at being the best Sony Spider-Man film after the trailer that was released showed so much promise. The humour looks on point, Tom Holland is perfect for the Peter Parker role and it looks like it is going to be an awesome superhero film as well as a great coming of age film. And as the deal with Marvel allows Sony to feature some of their already established superheroes in their films, this means they will be taking full advantage of that by bringing Iron-Man into the mix. Sure, he’ll have a very limited role in the film but it should do great to really connect this Sony film to the Marvel universe.

#4 – LOGAN

We all knew it was coming sooner or later, but no-one wanted to admit that it was true. Hugh Jackman, the perfect and ONLY Wolverine is getting ready for his final outing and it looks like he will be going out with a BANG. This is a very different Wolverine movie, the trailer shows that this is going to be a very dark, brutal, and gritty take on the Wolverine character whose healing powers look to be diminishing, showing his old age. He looks like a very damaged character who has clearly been through a lot and will now be going on one final mission as one of the last remaining mutants to protect X-23 from being hunted down and killed. It’s like Mad Max combined with the closest you will ever get to a Last of Us film. As the finale and farewell to this now legendary and iconic character Logan is going to be an emotional visit to the theatre amongst the other great films being released in March.

#3 – GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: VOL 2

Guardians of the Galaxy went from a completely unknown property to one of the biggest and most profitable films overnight. It was an instant hit with it’s fantastic, hilarious characters, great action, awesome story, and incredible directing by James Gunn. Think about this, i was able to rock up to a screening of the first Guardians of the Galaxy 1 week before its release, without pre-purchasing a ticket, and got a seat in a maybe half-filled theatre. Something that is sure to be impossible once this hotly anticipated sequel arrives. With James Gunn returning to direct the sequel featuring an extended cast of heroes and villains one cannot possibly not be excited for what is to come. This movie looks like it is going to be bigger, more action packed, funnier, and just be a better movie all round. Which sounds impossible seeing as though i gave the first film a strong 10/10…….. but this movie has Baby Groot, so anything is possible.

#2 – WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is 2014 was hands down my favourite movie of that year. It was more than i could have possibly wanted from a sequel to Rise of the Planet of the Apes. But it was so damn good that it now sits at NUMBER 6 on my favourite films of ALL TIME……. So it’s safe to say that i am counting down the seconds until this movie hits theatres and i can be blown away by the war that has been teased since 2011. Caesar is furious, the humans have attacked his home, bought war to his doorstep, and he has no other choice but to fight back. The trailer for this movie was so gripping, emotional, action packed, and damn right fucking AWESOME. I am getting chills just writing about this movie and it is so damn far away. Andy Serkis is the KING of performance capture, so expect another flawless performance from him, and the fact that we now have Woody Harrelson as the opposing force to the apes is awesome. Everything about this film including the return of Director Matt Reeves is leading towards the capping off of an epic trilogy that will continue to lead on towards tying in to the original Planet of the Apes somewhere down the line.

#1 – STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII

Don’t say you were surprised….. What other property in existence could possibly finish above a sequel to one of my favourite movies of all time?….. IT’S FUCKING STAR WARS!!!! This movie is so far away, and we have seen no official promotional material for this film yet but the name alone beats my hype for anything coming out in 2017. It is the continuation of the main episodes, the continuation of the Skywalker Saga, and the continuation of the new and old Star Wars characters everyone seems to love. And you know what that means guys…… YES, this IS following Rey, Finn, and the little orange ball robot, so no more confusion and pointless questions….. please. This is also going to be the final time we get to see out Princess, our General, Carrie Fisher as Leia Organa on the big screen. How will they handle her character? I don’t know…. But i have the utmost faith in Disney, in Lucasfilm, and in Director Rian Johnson to do right by her and by her beloved character.

And with that, my preview of what is to come in 2017 is done. And that isn’t even all of them, not even half, i could spend all day writing about all the big blockbusters releasing in 2017 but this is about all i can handle. It is going to be a massive year at the movies so sit down, grab your popcorn, grab your drink and enjoy.