8. Welcome to Marwen (December 21)
Robert Zemeckis’ new film looks pretty interesting but there hasn’t really been too much buzz around its upcoming release.
“Welcome to Marwen” is inspired by the Jeff Malmberg 2010 documentary “Marwencol” and stars Steve Carell as Mark Hogancamp, a man whose memory is wiped away after a violent attack and who builds a miniature World War II village in his yard which helps him recover from the traumatic experience.
Considering its release date coincides with that of DC’s “Aquaman” and the Transformers prequel “Bumblebee”, we don’t expect “Welcome to Marwen” to be a box office hit, but at least we hope it will be a good movie.
9. Aquaman (December 21)
“Aquaman” is James Wan’s first superhero film and the third film to star Jason Momoa as the titular character, after the disappointing “Justice League” and his cameo from “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”.
Although we are having our doubts whenever a new DC film is released, the trailers for “Aquaman” showcase some very impressive CGI and based on the early screening reactions, it seems like the DC universe is in good hands on James Wan’s hands, with IGN movies podcast host Tom Jorgensen even calling it “the best DC film since The Dark Knight”.
10. Bumblebee (December 21)
“Bumblebee” is a prequel to the 2007 film “Transformers” and the first film in the series not to be directed by Michael Bay.
The “Transformers” series is a wreck so we wouldn’t have included “Bumblebee” on this list unless for new director Travis Knight, whose previous film “Kubo and The Two Strings” was one of the best animations of 2016. Even more, from what we’ve heard, “Bumblebee” will be set in the 1980s and will have more of an “Iron Giant” vibe, so it might turn out better than expected.
11. Capernaum (December 14)
Winner of the Jury Prize and nominated for the Palme d’Or award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, this Lebanese drama tells the story of Zain (Zain al Rafeea), a 12-year-old boy who flees his family and sues them for their neglectful parenting. Critics called the film emotional, realist and praised the outstanding performances from its children actors.
“Capernaum” was also selected as the Lebanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the upcoming 91st Academy Awards and is nominated for the same category at the 76th Golden Globe Awards.
12. VICE (December 25)
Directed by Adam McKay (“The Big Short”, “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy”), “VICE” stars Christian Bale as Dick Cheney, the man who was Vice President of the United States during George W. Bush’s administration and who was called the most powerful Vice President in American history. Similar to Gary Oldman’s transformation as Winston Churchill in last year’s “Darkest Hour”, Christian Bale looks completely unrecognizable as the former VP and we can’t wait to see his portrayal of Dick Cheney.
“VICE” has six nominations at the upcoming Golden Globes Awards, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Director and Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Christian Bale. We expect the film to do well at the Oscars too.
13. Destroyer (December 25)
Nicole Kidman looks amazing in the trailer for Karyn Kusama’s upcoming crime film and we really hope that it won’t disappoint us.
Kidman will play Erin Bell, an LAPD detective who is haunted by her past when she worked as an undercover agent within a Californian gang. The film also stars Sebastian Stan as Chris, Bell’s partner from the past.
“Destroyer” was first screened at the Telluride festival back in August and was well-received by critics who lauded Kidman’s central performance and called it something different to anything she’s ever done before. For this role, Nicole Kidman has also been nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.
14. Holmes & Watson (December 25)
Written and directed by Etan Cohen, this upcoming film puts a totally different spin on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective. “Holmes & Watson” will star Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as the titular characters and, unlike recent Sherlock Holmes adaptations, it will be more of a comedic mystery film. The film’s impressive cast also features Ralph Fiennes, Rebecca Hall, Pam Ferris, Hugh Laurie, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon in secondary roles.
This will be the third time Ferrell and Reilly will star together in a film after “Talladega Nights” and “Step Brothers” and you can’t say they don’t make an iconic duo.
15. Stan & Ollie (December 28)
Looking at the trailer for Jon S. Baird’s new film, they couldn’t have chosen two better actors to portray the legendary comedy duo.
“Stan & Ollie” will feature Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly as Laurel and Hardy, two of the most famous comedians of all time whose work together during Hollywood’s Golden age revolutionized film forever.
The film will be set in 1953, when the two already legends embarked on a tour of live shows in Britain and Ireland. However, despite the tour’s great success, the tensions between the two partners and Ollie’s declining health caused struggle and threatened their personal and professional relationship.