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| Author | Zoe Aresti |
Digital Cinema Media's (DCM) Head of Film, Tom Linay, looks ahead to the stellar film slate on offer in 2016, highlighting some of the best films that will be coming soon to a cinema near you.
Download DCM's 2016 Cinema Guide.
What a year 2015 has been for cinema. From the off, there’s been stellar performances both on screen and at the box office and records have been broken more regularly than a Leicester Square premiere.
So how does cinema follow that in 2016? Surprisingly easily actually. 2016 may not have a Bond film but it’s making up for it with the biggest selection of blockbusters, possibly ever, and the family slate will surpass even 2015.
As always though, the year kicks off with awards season, and with Quentin Tarantino, David O.Russell and Tom Hooper releasing their latest films, it’s as strong as ever. The Oscars could well be dominated once again by Alejandro González Iñárritu, who follows up his Best Picture winning, Birdman, with The Revenant, which has one of the most stunning trailers we’ve seen in ages.
February sees Derek Zoolander continuing to find out whether there is more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking. Two of the world’s greatest filmmakers, the Coen brothers return with Hail, Caesar and as usual it stars just about everyone good. There are few comedy geniuses in the world but Sacha Baron Cohen is one and he returns with the riotous Grimsby.
It’s a huge year for DC Comics as they make their big play to rival the titan of Marvel. There’s a lot riding on Batman Vs Superman: Dawn Of Justice but if the trailers are anything to go by, Warner Bros and DC are leaving nothing in the locker room, so to speak.
April sees Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron return in The Huntsman, and while the series has lost Kristen Stewart, it has gained Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain, which seems like a pretty good deal to me. Captain America: Civil War is essentially Avengers 2.5, as Iron Man, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, Ant-Man and even Spider-Man are all set to appear.
Bad Neighbours was one of the funniest and freshest films of 2014, so a sequel featuring the same team is most welcome. Three high profile sequels will be competing over May half term and while the X-Men will be the favourites, don’t rule out the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Alice, who ventures Through The Looking Glass.
After Jurassic World rocked June 2015, another 90s blockbuster makes a comeback next June. Independence Day: Resurgence has a high bar to aim for but Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman will be pushing all the nostalgia buttons and the original’s director, Roland Emmerich is once again orchestrating the destruction.
July is frankly insane. Two massive family titles, the new all-female Ghostbusters, Star Trek Beyond and Guy Ritchie’s Knights Of The Round Table: King Arthur will be packing them in. But the most exciting prospect is Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass returning to the Bourne series. DC (Should this be Comics) releases Suicide Squad in August and, like Marvel, it could be their lesser known characters that prove the most satisfying. A legendary character will be making the jump to the big screen too, and David Brent: Life On The Road will have us all squirming in our seats.
September and October sees four high profile literary adaptations looking to reach the affluent, upmarket audience that cinema delivers so well. Bridget Jones returns and this time she’s pregnant, Tom Hanks reprises his role as Robert Langdon in Dan Brown’s Inferno, Tom Cruise once again steps into the (built up) shoes of Jack Reacher and the current holiday read of choice, The Girl On The Train, looks to follow in the footsteps of Gone Girl and become a big screen sensation too.
There’s no Hunger Games next year but it’s been replaced with something potentially much bigger. Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them is from the same world as Harry Potter and the script is the first to be written by J.K. Rowling herself. Finally, the first in the new Star Wars Anthology films will dominate Christmas, as Rogue One is released. Felicity Jones leads the team who steal the plans to the Death Star which allows the rebels to attack in the original film, A New Hope. With Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) pulling the strings, it should be every bit as thrilling as The Force Awakens.
And what of the family slate? It’s no exaggeration to say it’s the biggest ever. Welcome sequels (Kung Fu Panda 3, Ice Age: Collision Course) rub shoulders with promising original titles (Zootropolis, The Secret Life Of Pets) and Pixar finally releases the sequel to one of its most beloved films with Finding Dory. It’s not just animation either, with Disney continuing to bring live-action versions of their classic animations to the big screen with The Jungle Book, starring Scarlett Johansson as Kaa and Bill Murray as Baloo. Roald Dahl’s classic tale, The BFG, also gets the big screen, live action treatment and the pedigree couldn’t be stronger. Steven Spielberg directs, Mark Rylance plays the BFG and E.T. screenwriter, Melissa Mathison penned the script. It’s going to be huge.
So, following 2015 is no big deal. Cinema constantly surprises and confounds and once again, the content on the big screen content is unrivalled in the media market. Don’t miss out on your chance to be involved.
Watch DCM's 2016 sizzle reel: