Home   What's On   News   Article

Hugh Jackman, Idris Elba, Keanu Reeves and Star Wars all feature in the top 10 films of 2017 to get excited about

KM Group film writer Mike Shaw lists the films he's most excited about for 2017.

1. John Wick: Chapter 2

Scheduled release: Friday, February 17

An action movie with barely a hint of CGI or needless things like subplots, 2014’s John Wick was a huge breath of fresh air. Keanu Reeves starred in the film about an ex-hitman who comes out of retirement to avenge his dog (yes, really). John Wick: Chapter 2 has one of the same directors as the first part and many of the same cast, including the ageless Keanu.

Keanu Reeves as John Wick Picture: PA Photo/David Lee/Warner Bros
Keanu Reeves as John Wick Picture: PA Photo/David Lee/Warner Bros

2. Logan

Scheduled release: Friday, March 3

After 17 years, Logan is Hugh Jackman’s last time playing Wolverine. This film is adapted from the Old Man Logan comic book story and will see him reunited with Patrick Stewart as Professor X. James Mangold, director of The Wolverine (2013) returns for this one too. The superb trailer is soundtracked by Johnny Cash’s version of Hurt and suggests an intriguing, slower-paced mutant movie.

Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman

3. Ghost in the Shell

Scheduled release: Friday, March 31

Based on the Japanese manga and 1995 anime film, Rupert Sanders’ Ghost in the Shell stars Scarlett Johansson as Major, a special-ops human-cyborg on the trail of a nefarious computer hacker. The footage so far looks incredible and I’m eager to see how closely this huge budget adaptation sticks to the source material.

Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson

4. Dunkirk

Scheduled release: Friday, July 21

Christopher Nolan makes a war movie. If that’s not enough to sell you, this depiction of the Battle of Dunkirk and evacuation stars Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hardy and Mark Rylance and Nolan says it’s his most visually immersive and grandiose work to date – strong words from the director of Interstellar and Inception.

Kent actor Sir Mark Rylance
Kent actor Sir Mark Rylance

5. The Dark Tower

Scheduled release: Friday, July 28

The long, long, looooong awaited adaptation of Steven King’s acclaimed series of sci-fi-fantasy-western novels finally hits cinemas. The Dark Tower is intended as the first in a series, which may include a tie-in TV series. It stars Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey.

Using a key narrative device from King’s books, it sounds like director Nikolaj Arcel has created something that doesn’t wander too far from the books, but will still manage to surprise hardcore fans.

Idris Elba Picture: BBC
Idris Elba Picture: BBC

6. American Made

Scheduled release: Friday, August 25

Tom Cruise and director Doug Liman reunite for American Made, the true(ish) story of a former airline pilot who became a drug smuggler and then a undercover operative for the US government in the 1980s. The last time these two worked together was on Edge of Tomorrow in 2014 and that turned out pretty damn great.

Cruise is the pilot/smuggler/operative which should provide plenty of opportunities to ride motorbikes and do ridiculous stunts at high altitude.

Tom Cruise Picture: PA Photo/Warner Brothers
Tom Cruise Picture: PA Photo/Warner Brothers

7. The Death of Stalin

Scheduled release: Summer 2017

Armando Ianucci has only directed one film so far, but that one film, In The Loop, is one of the best British comedies of the last 10 years.

For his second he’s adapted Fabien Nury’s graphic novel The Death Of Stalin, which follows the days after Stalin’s death, and the jostle for power that ensued.

The film will feature Olga Kurylenko, Steve Buscemi, Michael Palin and Paddy Considine. I can only hope that we get to hear Michael Palin deliver some of the fantastically rude dialogue Ianucci’s work is famous for.

Michael Palin Picture: BBC
Michael Palin Picture: BBC

8. God Particle

Scheduled release: Friday, October 27

A team of astronauts on a space station find themselves completely alone after an experiment apparently causes Earth to disappear and changes the physics around them.

That’s ordinarily enough to grab my attention, but do you know what makes me really, really curious about this film? It’s the third part of the Cloverfield film anthology.

9. Star Wars: Episode VIII

Scheduled release: Friday, December 15

A Star Wars film is guaranteed to make obscene amounts of cash, which means Disney has been able to make a bold choice in director for Episode 8.

The keys have been handed over to Rian Johnson, whose last feature film was Looper in 2012.

At present, there’s not much to know about where the follow-up to The Force Awakens will go, other than it stars much of the previous film’s cast.

Even though Episode VII hasn’t held up to repeated views and Rogue One was slightly disappointing, the 10-year-old part of me will be forever excited about a new Star Wars film.

Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Picture: PA Photo/Lucasfilm
Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Picture: PA Photo/Lucasfilm

10. The Greatest Showman on Earth

Scheduled release: Christmas Day

I love musicals and The Greatest Showman on Earth promises to be a great, big old-fashioned, toe-tapping musical about P.T. Barnum.

Hugh Jackman will star in a highly-fantastical take on the circus impresario’s life, directed by first-timer Michael Gracey. Barnum said, “There’s a sucker born every minute” and perhaps I’m proving him right, but I can’t help it. I love musicals!

Close This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies.Learn More