Film edited by Cal Reid
Wonder Woman 1984
Following the smash success of the first feature, Patty Jenkins returns to helm a flashy sequel that sees the return of Gal Gadot as Diana Prince and, joyfully, Chris Pine in the role of Steve Trevor. By the looks of the trailer released earlier in December, it appears as though the film is taking some stylistic elements from Thor: Ragnorok, especially when it comes to the revamped version of an 80s disco classic. New members of the cast include Kirsten Wiig as the villainess Cheeta, and Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord. We’ve seen some astonishing action shots in the trailer, and it definitely promises the same kind of thrills and spills that were prevalent in the first feature. Release date: 5 June
Birds of Prey
In 2016, unsuspecting audiences were assaulted with a catastrophe so unforeseen it sent the internet into a frenzy. Suicide Squad was a huge kick in the balls for ordinary cinemagoers and comic book fans. That being said, there were a few things that shone in the two-hours of darkness. One of them being Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn. Finally separated from the travesty that was Jared Leto’s Joker, we see Harley out on her own, teaming up with several other dangerous dames from the DC universe such as Black Canary and Huntress who end up being menaced by the ruthless gangster Black Mask portrayed devilishly by Ewan McGregor. Release date: 7 February
Top Gun: Maverick
Do you feel the need? Because I do! Yes, it’s the year we finally get to see the long awaited follow-up to the ultimate 80s (slightly homoerotic) action flick. It’s been thirty-one years since Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer nearly instigated World War III – they flippantly blew up a Soviet jet – and Maverick is back training pilots at the Navy’s toughest flying academy, still holding the rank of captain due to him being a reckless son-ofa-bitch. Of course. Considering Cruise’s recent track record of action films it’s likely he will deliver what we all want, and if the flying sequences in the trailers are anything to go by, it’ll be taking us all down the highway to the danger zone – cue the electric guitar! Release date: 17 July
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
2016 was a pretty bum year for blockbuster movies, especially since we had to put up with the foul remake/ reboot of the original Ghostbusters. Now, let’s get one thing straight; there is nothing wrong with changing the genders of characters, however unnecessary it may seem. That however, does not give filmmakers the excuse to make so something which is so bloody terrible and humourless it makes you want to emigrate to an island in the South Seas. The Ghostbusters remake is irredeemably crap, the sort of thing I’m pretty sure contravenes the Geneva Convention. As such it is with great pleasure that we can now look forward to a followup that seems to try and do something different with the formula, admittedly in the same vein as Stranger Things. But hey, it has Paul Rudd and that’s never a bad thing.
Release date: 10 July
The Personal History of David Copperfield
From Armando Iannucci, creator of The Thick of It and Death of Stalin, comes this numerous reimagining of Charles Dickens’ classic novel. With Iannucci’s signature style of humour, and featuring a vast of familiars including Peter Capaldi, Ben Wishaw and Paul Whitehouse, the film has already garnered great praise. This is nothing new with Iannucci’s work which has constantly offered delightful mixes of comedy and social commentary, although more on the darker side if one remembers the ferocious swearing-poet that was Malcolm Tucker. This may offer a slight change in tone to Iannucci’s work, but still with that same signature touch. Release date: 24 January
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