The most anticipated movies of 2016

How do you top a year in movies that featured Avengers: Age of Ultron, Spectre, Mad Max: Fury Road, Inside Out, and a low-budget Indie flick (yeah, right) called Star Wars: The Force Awakens to name but a few?

Why, you follow it with a year of even bigger, more hotly anticipated screen candy, that’s how. So, what have movie buffs got to look forward to in the coming twelve months?

2016: A season of sequels and spin-offs

2016 is the season of sequels, with an absolute deluge of follow-ups, prequels, and reimagined movie classics coming your way. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, for example, has been the subject of much debate and speculation since the Man of Steel sequel was announced in 2013, whilst Captain America: Civil War, Independence Day: Resurgence, X-Men: Apocalypse, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story ensure that almost no movie posters are without a colon in 2016.

You can bet that Rogue One will be a huge hit, following the box office smash that was The Force Awakens, while the new Captain American and X-Men offerings also look set to follow the success of their predecessors.

Also released this year are Alice Through the Looking Glass and Finding Dory, two movie sequels that won’t feature explosions, Lycra-clad heroes, or epic battles.

As promised 2016 also looks set to introduce movie fans to a whole host of new characters from worlds with which they’re very familiar. Doctor Strange and Deadpool are taking the Marvel Corner, while Suicide Squad looks set to be a big hit for DC Comics. Away from the world of cartoons and comic books, Jon Favreau’s Jungle Book, a lush reimagining of the original Disney animation, may just win over the industry’s youngest viewers, while the latest Ghostbusters flick, featuring lady ‘busters, may just prove a winner.

Special mentions to… Star Trek Beyond, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny, and Spielberg’s The BFG.

First look at “Moana”

Hotly anticipated movies in 2016

So, what can we expect away from the landslide of sequels, prequels, spin-offs, and remakes? The great news is that there’s still plenty to keep even the most tentative movie fan entertained throughout the year. Take the Angry Birds Movie, for example; the game took the world of mobile entertainment to a whole new level, and the film may well score points with adults and children alike.

Moana, meanwhile, introduces an entirely new Disney princess, and Hail, Caesar! will appeal to fans of the Cohen Brothers. You won’t need to be a Harry Potter fan to enjoy Warner Bros 2016 most hotly anticipated offering, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Adapted from J.K. Rowling’s book of the same name this one’s going to be big.

First look: Michael Fassbender in “Assassin’s Creed”

What we’d really like to talk about, though, are the two massive game adaptations that look set to take the silver screen by storm in 2016. Assassin’s Creed, starring Michael Fassbender, is based on the historical action-adventure series of the same name, and will no doubt appeal to fans of any of its nine incarnations.

Warcraft, made and released by Activision Blizzard, the makers of the World of Warcraft game, is another one to watch; imagine, a movie version of the world’s biggest game, made by the world’s second hugest games studio. Hotly anticipated doesn’t quite cover it. So, why is Warcraft attracting such buzz? Well, for starters, the movie has been made thanks to Activision Blizzard’s move to create its own television and movie studio; Activision Blizzard Studios.

Bobby Kotick, the company’s CEO, said of the move, “Activision Blizzard Studios is yet another way we’re celebrating our players and fans, and we expect that our film and television productions will entertain and delight whole new audiences, as well.” He can say that again! The World of Warcraft games have a huge worldwide following; as long as the games can capture even a little of that magic on screen they’re on to a winner. Fans of the fantasy genre may well be intrigued too, introducing the game to a whole new audience.

So, there you have it; by no means a conclusive list, but just some of 2016’s most hotly anticipated movies. It’s going to be an interesting year!