8 Upcoming Sci-Fi Movies That Could Be Better Than Star Wars: The Last Jedi
The Force may be stronger in these ones.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is X-winging its way to cinemas and anticipation is through the roof. While it absolutely should be, there are other sci-fi movies in the pipeline that you should be no less excited about.
Naturally, the fans are keen to find out how Rey will fare under the tutelage of Luke Skywalker, whether there's redemption in Kylo Ren's future and what the deal is with Supreme Leader Snoke, but the sheer hype surrounding the movie doesn't necessarily mean it will be the best in its class.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens arrived in 2015 to similar fanfare, but most critics would agree the end product was eclipsed by another movie that could be classed as science fiction in the film of the year stakes, Mad Max: Fury Road.
This year has already played host to some must-see additions to the genre, from simian threequel War of the Planet of the Apes, to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and the good news is that there are plenty more on the event horizon.
Some may even give what's left of the Jedi order a run for their money...
8. Blade Runner 2049
Considered one of the most acclaimed sci-fi movies ever made, Blade Runner is a masterclass in neo-noir filmmaking and one of the best things Harrison Ford has ever appeared in that doesn't have the words 'star' or 'wars' in the title.
It's taken more than two and a half decades to gets a sequel off the ground, and now it's almost here, the anticipation and trepidation are approaching critical mass.
Blade Runner 2049 has the potential to be more of a thinking man's alternative to The Last Jedi, if it's anything like its predecessor, which explores weighty themes such as existentialism and the future implications of technology.
Although the stakes are high when you're making a sequel to one of the genre's finest, there are reasons to be positive about the movie, namely Ford's involvement and Ridley Scott's producer and story developer credits.
Perhaps it will even definitively answer the question that sci-fi fans have been debating since 1982 - is Deckard a Replicant?