New films from Ben Wheatley, Kelly Reichardt and Shane Carruth wrap up our bumper preview.
It’s time to get your diary out and start noting down some of the cinematic delights heading our way over the next 12 months. When you’ve scribbled down all your must-sees, check back over the first part of our 2017 preview.
Eta 31 March
Based entirely in an abandoned warehouse with a shoot-out occurring between two rival Boston gangs, Ben Wheatley’s latest has all the makings of an honest-to-goodness genre classic. Brie Larson and Cillian Murphy star alongside Sam Riley, Armie Hammer and Wheatley regular Michael Smiley.
Eta 15 December
Picking up exactly where The Force Awakens left off – with a recreation of that film’s final scene and the proper funeral for a fallen hero – Episode VIII sees Rey (Daisy Ridley) continue her journey alongside Finn (John Boyega), Poe (Oscar Isaacs) and Uncle Luke (Mark Hamill). Adam Driver will also return to the dark side of the force, with Benicio del Toro also in villain mode. There are even rumours that Yoda will make a posthumous appearance.
Eta unknown
Carol director Todd Haynes is working with Brian Selznick to adapt the latter’s book for the screen. Set 50 years ago, Wonderstruck will feature the likes of Michelle Williams and Julianne Moore and simultaneously follows a young boy in the Midwest and a young girl in New York as they both seek the same mysterious connection.
Eta 13 October
Tomas Alfredson directs Michael Fassbender as Detective Harry Hole, who investigates the disappearance of a woman after her pink scarf is found wrapped around an ominous-looking snowman. Shot in Norway, this creepy sounding crime drama will also star Rebecca Ferguson and Chloë Sevigny.
Eta unknown
A remake of Dario Argento’s 1977 horror classic, this features Tilda Swinton, Chloë Grace Moretz and Dakota Johnson and tells the story of a young ballet dancer who travels to a prestigious dance academy in Berlin. However, she soon realises that something far more sinister and supernatural is going on. A Bigger Splash’s Luca Guadagnino is directing.
Eta 2 June
Gal Gadot takes centre stage DC’s hotly-anticipated summer blockbuster, having already made her debut in the role in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The story tells of the titular Amazonian princess leaving her paradise island home to save mankind from war and extinction, while saving love interest Chris Pine from various scrape along the way.
Eta early 2017
Finnish master Aki Kaurismäki is embarking on the second chapter of his ‘Port City Trilogy’ following on from the very charming Le Havre. As the title suggests, the film is informed by the ongoing refugee crisis in Europe. Frequent Kaurismäki collaborator Sakari Kuosmanen is reportedly playing the role of a poker playing restaurateur and former travelling salesman. The Berlin Film Festival is the destination for this one.
Eta unknown
This social satire, written and directed by Alexander Payne, was put on hold so he could focus on The Descendants and then Nebraska. It follows the story of a guy who realises his life would be much better if he were to shrink himself. If that’s not intriguing enough in itself, the film was shot in Nebraska, Canada and Norway. Kristen Wiig, Alec Baldwin and Christoph Waltz are set to star alongside Matt Damon.
Eta 27 January
Danny Boyle is onboard along with the original cast, and if the trailer is anything to go by, another great soundtrack. Although Irvine Welsh wrote a sequel to ‘Trainspotting’, titled ‘Porno’, this adaptation is said to be an original story. It will be interesting to see how the characters have managed to survive through the vast cultural and technological changes that have occurred in the past 20 years.
Eta 20 October
The Shallows director Jaume Collet-Serra returns to more familiar terrain with this urban action thriller. Starring Liam Neeson (of course), Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, it follows the plight of a businessman who gets caught up in a criminal conspiracy during his daily commute home.
Eta 3 March
Kelly Reichardt’s stunning new film Certain Women chronicles the intersecting lives of three women in Northwest America. Laura Dern, Michelle Williams and Kristen Stewart all feature as Reichardt’s female trailblazers, forging their own paths through life against the daily struggles of work and family.
Eta summer 2017
Duncan Jones second addition to the “Mooniverse”, which he has been working on for over a decade, stars Alexander Skarsgård and Paul Rudd. The former plays a mute bartender who goes in search of his missing partner only to wind up in hot water with a Berlin gang. Reportedly heavily inspired by Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and with Clint Mansell providing the score, we are very, very excited for this one.
Eta late 2017
Joachim Trier’s latest follows a woman starts to fall in love and discovers that she has powers beyond the realms of human capability. There’s not much else to latch on to right now, but we’re sure there will be a lot more to this one than meets the eye.
Eta late 2017
After the success of Ex Machina, Alex Garland and Oscar Isaac return with an adaptation of the first book in Jeff VanderMeer’s ‘Southern Reach’ trilogy. Natalie Portman plays a biologist who leaves for a secret and dangerous expedition into a mysterious area labelled ‘X’, where the laws of nature mysteriously don’t apply.
Eta unknown
Bale, Blanchett, Fassbender, Gosling, Portman. Welcome to big school. Oh, and did we mention that Terence Malick is directing? The long-gestating Weightless is said to comprise two intersecting love triangles set against the backdrop of the Texas music scene. Producer Ken Kao reckons it’s going to be “very edgy”. Count us in.
Eta summer 2017
The winning sadomasochistic duo of Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan are back with another heady concoction of horror and thriller mixed in with all the hot romance from the previous film (which we kinda loved). Shockingly enough, this sequel is slated for a Valentine’s Day release.
Eta summer 2017
Charlize Theron joins Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and Michelle Rodriguez in the eighth (!) instalment in the muscular auto franchise. We all know by now what to expect from the F&F films, and that’s no bad thing. Buckle up and get set for more ker-azy car-based action.
Eta unknown
Often hailed as the worst film ever made, Tommy Wiseau’s The Room is getting a faux behind-the-scenes look courtesy of James Franco. Brother Dave is on board along with Seth Rogen, Zac Efron and Bryan Cranston – the latter presumably involved on the back of Why Him? Seems a funny enough premise, but we really don’t know quite what to expect from this (un?)ironically titled film.
Eta unknown
Set in the modern-day shipping industry, The Modern Ocean explores the people who build trade routes. Sounds boring, right? Well, the cast is top notch, with Keanu Reeves, Daniel Radcliffe, Asa Butterfield, Tom Holland and Anne Hathaway all signed up. And even more excitingly, Shane Carruth is on writing and directing duties. Although currently listed as being in development, we’re ready to take the plunge.
Eta 29 September
Taron Egerton and Colin Firth are back in the sequel to 2015’s Kingsman: The Secret Service. Some extra Hollywood star wattage sees Jeff Bridges, Channing Tatum and Julianne Moore join in the very tongue-in-cheek British spy spoof shenanigans. Matthew Vaughn is directing again too, so all being well this won’t just be a shameless cash-grab.
Eta unknown
Isabelle Huppert stars as a former European Song Contest star who has fallen victim to the hands of time. After meeting and falling in love with a boxer, the pair set plans for her big comeback. We’re intrigued to see what Huppert and North Sea Texas director Bavo Defurne have in store for us.
Eta 20 October
Idris Elba and Kate Winslet are the star pairing in the latest film from Israeli director Hani Abu-Assad. Adapted from Chris Martin’s acclaimed novel, it tells the story of a pair of strangers who survive a mountain plane crash. Badly injured, they are forced to trust each other to make it to safety.
Eta 10 November
Our hearts were well and truly warmed by Paddington back in 2014. Next winter the eponymous bear will be back with Ben Whishaw again providing the voice and Paul King taking the reins as director. This time Paddington picks up a series of odd jobs in order to buy the perfect present for his Aunt Lucy’s 100th birthday, only for the gift to then be stolen. Hugh Grant, Julie Walters and Hugh Bonneville will co-star.
Eta summer 2017
Based on American journalist Michael Hastings’ 2012 book ‘The Operators’, which satirises the inside story of Afghanistan, War Machine features Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton and Ben Kingsley. Animal Kingdom and The Rover writer/director David Michôd is the primary driving force behind this one, which on paper looks like one of the year’s strongest propositions.
Eta 6 October
After Sicario and Arrival, director Denis Villeneuve will be hoping to make a big impact with this sequel, now officially titled Blade Runner 2049. Little has been revealed about the plot, but although Ridley Scott dropped out of directing (he remains a producer) Harrison Ford is reprising his role as Rick Deckard. He’s joined by Jared Leto, Robin Wright and Ryan Gosling.
Which films are you most looking forward to seeing in 2017? Let us know @LWLies
Published 1 Jan 2017
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Little White Lies was established in 2005 as a bi-monthly print magazine committed to championing great movies and the talented people who make them. Combining cutting-edge design, illustration and journalism, we’ve been described as being “at the vanguard of the independent publishing movement.” Our reviews feature a unique tripartite ranking system that captures the different aspects of the movie-going experience. We believe in Truth & Movies.
