20 Most Anticipated 2017 Movies

We say it every time, but is this the biggest year for cinema yet?

By Alex Leadbeater /

There may still be four months of 2016 left, but in terms of massive, highly anticipated tentpoles there's just a handful more to come. It's awards season, so we're not lacking in quality films (I broke down the pick of litter last week), but, when it comes to the mega-hyped blockbusters, most are arriving after the new year.

Advertisement

Now it's a bit of a cliché to state that the next year of cinema looks to be oh-so-much-better than the one we're currently in, but this time it feels apt; 2017 does seriously look amazing. Sure, there's a lot of dreck set to be unleashed - new Transformers, new Fifty Shades, new Pirates Of The Caribbean - but that's true of every year. When you take in the big releases - major studio films, return from great directors and some long-in-the-pipeline passion projects - then it paints a much prettier picture.

There's Jedi, apes, caped crusaders, blocky caped crusaders and a lot, lot more besides. Sifting through the plethora of confirmed release, here's the twenty 2017 films we're most excited for.

20. Beauty And The Beast

What Is It? The fifth in Disney's live-action remake of animated classics (Pete's Dragon was so good it counts), Bill Condon's film takes on the big one: Beauty And The Beast. Emma Watson is Belle, Dan Stevens the Prince, Luke Evans Gaston and an all-star cast's voicing the various animated trinkets.

Advertisement

When's It Out? 17th March

Why Will It Be Awesome? Disney are bossing their remake enterprise at the moment - things were shaky at first, with Maleficent a particular low-point, but The Jungle Book showed they could make charming movies that honoured the originals while in some ways improving them too - so there's no reason to doubt the cynical idea any more. The cast is also stellar, with Stevens particularly the most exciting. The teaser trailer rivalled The Force Awakens' in terms of immediate views, so expect a box office destruction.

Any Concerns? Beauty And The Beast being one of the Mouse House's standout films (it's their only movie nominated for Best Picture) means there's less room for improvement and a larger legacy to sour, although the main sticking point is Condon, whose previous blockbuster work was on Twilight.

Advertisement