Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. II releases on May 5
Sit back, buckle up, and join us on this journey into the future to see what cinematic delights 2017 has in store.
2017 is going to be one of the best years ever for geeks who love movies. Comic book movies are still all the rage, so you can expect many more of those. However, there are also a handful of other titles that you'll want to add to your must-see movies list for 2017. The movies we have selected below run the gamut from action to drama, from fantasy to science fiction, and some don't fit so neatly into one label or another.
1. Logan (March 3)
Logan is a soft sequel that takes place in the near future and explores a different aspect of the Wolverine's story: one that's more personal, intimate, and ripe for dramatic discovery. The trailer feels dark and moody, which gives me hope that this will be a mature film with deep themes worth unpacking.
2. Power Rangers (March 24)
Based on the internationally-popular action series, Power Rangers is a reimagining that reboots the story in a darker, moodier direction without sacrificing the fun antics of the original. The trailer looks a bit cheesy at times, but that's nothing new when it comes to this franchise.It's clear that Power Rangers has been made to have nostalgic appeal, but even if you've never seen the TV show, you'll probably enjoy this one if you like superhero movies. It has all the same ingredients, so why not?
3. Ghost In The Shell (March 31)
It is actually a live-action adaptation of a manga series of the same name. The premise revolves around a hacker who wants to sabotage a major company's artificial intelligence technology and the ensuing drama of that conflict. There was actually an animated film based on this series made back in 1995. And it received an incredible reception, mostly praising the thoughtful treatment of complex characters. Some even say it's one of the best animes ever made. If this live-action adaptation can get anywhere close to that, then it will be a definite treat for sci-fi fans.
4. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (May 5)
Guardians of the Galaxy surprised me quite a bit by how fun and adventurous it managed to be, especially considering that I had zero experience with the source material and wasn't familiar with any of it. Am I excited for the second installment? You bet. It looks great — no, it looks better. Based on the trailer alone, it appears that the producers took everything good about the first film and ramped it up without ruining what made it great in the first place. We won't know for sure until May comes around, but I personally have high hopes.
5. Transformers: The Last Knight (June 23)
The franchise does have a lot of fans, and they're dying for the next film to come out, so if you're one of them, you'll be happy to know that The Last Knight is slated for the summer. Could this be the best Transformers yet?
6. Spider-Man: Homecoming (July 7)
The Spider-Man franchise has already been done twice on the big-screen, first with Tobey Maguire and then with Andrew Garfield. Now we have another reboot on the horizon, this time starring Tom Holland, and with a new vibe and vision for the story and characters. With support from other notable actors and actresses like Marisa Tomei, Robert Downey Jr., Donald Glover, and Jon Favreau, it looks like Homecoming could be something special. Whether you're a fan of Spider-Man or not, this is one film worth checking out.
7. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (July 21)
Watching the trailer for Valerian, one can't help but feel an intense connection with The Fifth Element, the 1997 cult classic that was both inventive and imaginative. This connection isn't strange at all when you consider that Luc Besson is behind both films.
Valerian is certainly the more beautiful of the two — computer graphics have come a long way in 20 years — but it's still unclear how deep or complex the actual story will be. Will it be a dumbed down version of The Fifth Element or will it live up as a kind of spiritual successor?
8. The Dark Tower (July 28)
The Dark Tower series is one of Stephen King's best-known works, starting with the The Gunslinger and spanning over 4,000 pages across eight books. It's so vast that it can't be pigeonholed into one genre — a must-read blend of fantasy, science fiction, horror, and even Western.It's unclear how much of the series this film will adapt or how true to the canon it will be. All we know so far is that it will star Tom Taylor as the protagonist, Idris Elba as the gunslinger, and Matthew McConaughey as the main villain.
9. Blade Runner 2049 (October 6)
Blade Runner is one of those films that gets included on every single list of movies all geeks should watch ASAP. It's beautiful, it's thought-provoking, and it's haunting to the point where it will stick with you long after the film ends. The trailer for Blade Runner 2049 is fantastic, and it suggests that this sequel will capture the same dreary, noir, depressing atmosphere of the original while telling a new story worth telling. If you loved the first, you cannot skip this.
10. Justice League (November 17)
Are you tired of superhero movies yet? No? Did you love Marvel's The Avengers and all of its sequels but still aren't satisfied and thus you don't mind seeing how the DC Comics version of a superhero team would play out? Then Justice League is for you!
Directed by Zack Snyder, you can expect to see Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, and more as they fight against Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons. Hopefully superhero fatigue won't overtake audiences before this film hits the big-screen!
11. Star Wars: Episode VIII (December 15)
With The Force Awakens succeeding as well as it did, it's a no-brainer that Disney is going to milk the franchise for all it's worth. And seeing how well Rogue One lived up to expectations, I think it's safe to say that Episode VIII is going to be nothing short of excellent.
It's still too far out to say anything about it with certainty. We don't even have a trailer to show you yet! But what more do you really need to know? If you saw and liked The Force Awakens, then you simply have to watch this.
Which Movies Are You Excited to Watch? These aren't the only geeky movies to put on your list, of course. Others worth mentioning include King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Thor: Ragnarok, Alien: Covenant, Geostorm, Kong: Skull Island, and War for the Planet of the Apes.Now it's your turn. Which of the above movies do you actually want to see? Are there any other films you feel we missed off the list? Please share your thoughts with us by leaving a comment down below!