Suicide Squad
Release date: August 5th
Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice may be grabbing all the headlines right now, pitting The Dark Knight against Krypton’s Last Son, but it looks like a bunch of hardened criminals could be the ones who end up saving the DC Cinematic Universe.
Up to this point, DC have been keen to emulate Marvel’s release strategy, but in a shorter space of time, cramming as many cameos as they can into Batman V Superman. While it’s easy to see why the company have chosen this approach, too many characters could heighten the sense of ‘superhero fatigue’ that’s growing among some audiences… which is exactly why Suicide Squad is so important.
[zergpaid]With the emphasis placed squarely on a team of super villains, Suicide Squad looks set to take comic book movies into uncharted territory – exploring the dark underbelly of crime and justice. The eclectic cast and the stunning, operatic trailer have increased our anticipation for the project tenfold, but what we’re undoubtedly most excited about is the cinematic debut of Harley Quinn, alongside her ‘puddin,’ Mr J.
Will Jared Leto live up to the legacy left by Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson? Will Margot Robbie’s performance as a deranged Harley steal the show? And can Will Smith succeed in a villainous role? The answers to all that and more will be hitting cinemas near you at the beginning of August.
– David Opie
Kubo and the Two Strings
Release date: August 19th (US), September 9th (UK)
It’s easy to give Laika a pass on the sheer virtuoso work put into each of their movies. The studio behind the stop-motion epics Coraline, ParaNorman, and (the slightly less epic) The Boxtrolls, Laika repeatedly manages to produce proudly strange and wondrously bizarre little movies, that marvel in pure cinematic craft as much as they resonate emotionally. And even when their films don’t reach the height of their potential, the fact that the studio is encouraging its smaller fans to cultivate creativity and curiosity through non-traditional means more than makes up for a slump in the storytelling department.
There’s hope that 2016 will see no such slump, however, as the company will put out Kubo and the Two Strings – a story about a small boy from an unassuming fishing village who must embark on a quest to find a magical suit of armor and claim his place in the lineage of his family’s mysterious warrior past. The giddy potential for Laika’s beautiful stylistic makings to intermingle with the colorful shadings of feudal Japan is a Best Animated Oscar just waiting to happen, and a ringer of a cast — from Rooney Mara to Charlize Theron — ensure that Disney will have steep competition in the animated department this year.
– Mitchel Broussard
Doctor Strange
Release date: October 28th (UK), November 4th (US)
The Marvel Universe has dealt with Asgardian gods, Inhumans, talking racoons, guys who can shrink to the size of insects, sentient machines, and walking nine-foot trees. But now get ready for something really weird. If you thought that Marvel’s opened up some strange new worlds so far, then wait till you get a load of Dr. Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme.
Once a talented surgeon, Dr. Stephen Strange searched the world for a way to the fix the hands he ruined in a car accident, but instead he got a promotion to being the most powerful wizard in this plane of existence – charged with protecting us from all manner of supernatural threats.
If we’re going to all the strange places, weird creatures, and alternative dimensions of Doctor Strange, then you’re going to need a terribly compelling cast to hook the ordinary audience member. With Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Madds Mikkelsen, Rachel McAdams, Michael Stuhlbarg, and, of course, Benedict Cumberbatch, all onboard, this may be the most prestigious cast put together for a superhero movie ever – which may be Doctor Strange’s most compelling magic trick of all.
It would not be misleading to say that Marvel has got big plans for Strange, and the door he opens to other fantasy and horror inspired characters. It’s a gamble, but as Marvel Studios has proved again and again, the gamble usually pays off.
– Adam Donaldson
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Release date: November 18th
When Potterheads and film fans alike heard that J.K. Rowling would be revisiting the wizarding world in a trilogy written specifically for the silver screen, many dissolved into puddles of incoherent joy. The idea that we’ll get to see an American version of that beloved universe — where we learn that Muggles are known as “No-Maj” and the governing body is called the “Magical Congress of the United States” — makes us giddy at the potential for all manner of other interesting variations on familiar themes.
The icing on the cake, of course, is the exciting mix of familiar faces in the cast: Eddie Redmayne of Les Misérables fame will take the helm as magizoologist Newt Scamander, while Samantha Morton, Ezra Miller, Colin Farrell and Jon Voight lend their talents as an eclectic mix of supporting characters. If that doesn’t get you excited, well, just watch the teaser and see how long you can resist the anticipatory euphoria.
– Joseph Meli