Action and superhero movies such as 'Logan' and 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' as well as live-action adaptation of manga 'Ghost in the Shell' are included in the list.
- Dec 31, 2016
AceShowbiz - Cinemas are going to be flooded with movie adaptations in 2017. As DC and Marvel continue their competition by bringing more superheroes to the big screen, manga, novels and classic tales alike provide material for new feature films. With the best sources and perfect formulas, these potential blockbusters have generated a lot of buzz, months before they're due to arrive.
Offering a preview to some of these titles, AceShowbiz presents the list of Most Anticipated Movie Adaptations of 2017. Dominating the list are action and superhero movies like "Logan", "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2", "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and "Wonder Woman". There are also animated comedy "The Lego Batman Movie", thriller "It" based on Stephen King's novels and musical fantasy pic "Beauty and the Beast" that offer wider selection for moviegoers.
LOGAN
You don't want to miss Hugh Jackman's last appearance as Wolverine in "Logan". Unlike the previous two films, which were targeted for teens and young adults, the new and last sequel is rated R as director James Mangold aims to make the movie a more adult affair with its "strong brutal violence and pervasive language." Plot details are still kept under wraps, but it's been widely believed that the story is based on "Old Man Logan" comic book, which means Logan will be depicted as an older guy whose "abilities aren't what they once were." It's set in the future of 2024 when mutant-kind's numbers have been dwindling and young mutants are turned into weapons. With Patrick Stewart's Professor X also becoming much older, Logan needs the help of his female clone mutant Laura Kinney/X-23 (Dafne Keen) to protect his only family from Boyd Holbrook's Donald Pierce, the leader of the criminal cyborg The Reavers.
GHOST IN THE SHELL
Good news for manga series fans is here, as the highly-anticipated movie adaptation "Ghost in the Shell" is hitting theaters in the spring. Starring highest-grossing actress Scarlett Johansson, this live-action movie recreates the iconic animated series as an international retelling with a global cast. Despite some serious backlash over its apparent whitewashing of the beloved Japanese character, commenters are raving about the faithful take following the release of the first trailer as well as the visually-stunning setting. Anime director Mamoru Oshii even praised Johansson's portrayal of the Major, a special ops, one-of-a-kind human-cyborg hybrid who leads an elite task force known as Section 9. Once he saw her in action, Oshii said that she went "above and beyond my expectations."
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2
"Guardians of the Galaxy" became a critical and commercial success back in 2014 with its humor, action and visual effects among others. This year, the cosmic superheroes are back with more allies in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2", as Yondu Udonta (Michael Rooker), Nebula (Karen Gillan) and a fresh face, Mantis (Pom Klementieff), become new members of the Guardians. Not only following Chris Pratt's Peter Quill/Star Lord and co. in their new adventures, but also the movie is giving more highlight on the family element as Star Lord unravels the mystery of his parentage. Director James Gunn has also promised to give the female characters a chance to shine, by exploring the sisterhood of Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and Nebula.
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING
The wall-crawler is getting his own movie franchise for the third time in 15 years as Marvel is handling the production of Sony's Brooklyn-based superhero. Following the lukewarm response to the two "The Amazing Spider-Man" movies starring Andrew Garfield, Sony threw their ego away and turned their head to Marvel. The latter studio tries to create a Spider-Man movie they see fit into their Marvel Cinematic Universe, already introducing the new Spidey in "Captain America: Civil War with Tom Holland taking on the role. In the upcoming solo film, the younger version of Peter Parker is facing his daily problem as a teenager while at the same time trying to prove what he's capable of as a superhero by facing off against the big bad, Vulture, portrayed by Michael Keaton. Endowed with a great ability at a young age, Holland's Peter is no more wiser than the previous two older versions, but thankfully Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is here to give him guidance, or at least an upgraded suit.
THOR: RAGNAROK
In the last stand-alone movie for the hammer-wielder titled "Thor: Ragnarok", Chris Hemsworth returns as the titular armored superhero who has to save his homeworld of Asgard from the ragnarok, which is Norse mythology for apocalypse. You can see more of Thor and Loki's (Tom Hiddleston) love-hate relationship as the two must team up to find their father, Anthony Hopkins' Odin, whose fate was left in mystery in 2013's "Thor: The Dark World". Suffering the same fate as Thor who was sidelined in "Captain America: Civil War", Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner a.k.a. Hulk is also back in action with the God of Thunder in the third "Thor" movie, making it merrier than ever before.
WONDER WOMAN
"Wonder Woman" will prove that DC Movie Universe is not dead just yet following the critically-panned "Man of Steel" and "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice". Being the first live-action movie about the legendary comic book character, it's expected to play major role in establishing the expanding DCEU, with Patty Jenkins, whose credits include Oscar-winning movie "Monster", serving behind the lens. Fans and critics already went crazy when the first trailer was premiered at this year's San Diego Comic Con, revving up anticipation even further. Gal Gadot portrays the Amazonian princess and she already earned praises following her debut as the superheroine in "Batman v Superman" despite critics claiming she lacked the right "look."
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
The next Disney live-action remake after "Cinderella", "Beauty and the Beast (2017)" follows in the footsteps of its original by being a musical. To keep it fresh, though, it tweaks several things here and there, including Belle's backstory in which she's depicted as an inventor instead of her father. It will also include a new character, Cadenza the grand piano who is portrayed by Stanley Tucci, as well as feature new songs from Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken. Boasting an impressive cast consisting of Emma Watson, Dan Stevens and Luke Evans as well as acting veterans like Kevin Kline, Emma Thompson and Ian McKellen, this movie is undoubtedly worth every cent spent on tickets.
THE DARK TOWER
The long road to an adaptation of Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" began in 2007 and is finally materialized at Sony Pictures Entertainment with Nikolaj Arcel as director. Dubbed more of a new take instead of a typical adaptation, it's confirmed to serve as the sequel to the novel series, as it features the Horn of Eld which is related to a scene from the end of the final book. Not wasting all the efforts put to bring the story to the big screen, Arcel cast two of the best living actors for the main roles, with Idris Elba playing the Gunslinger, who roams the Old West-like landscape in search of the dark tower, and Matthew McConaughey as the antagonist Man in Black, an ageless sorcerer who also seeks to reach the titular tower in an attempt to rule over its seemingly infinite kingdoms.
IT
Another highly-anticipated movie adaptation of Stephen King's classic novel is also heading to theaters in the coming year. Based on King's gigantic tome, "It" centers on a group of seven friends called The Losers' Club who set off on a quest to destroy an ancient shape-shifting evil that primarily appears in the form of a clown known as Pennywise. Pitched for an R-rating, "Mama" director Andy Muschetti's theatrical retake on the supernatural horror tale represents a more faithful recreation of one of King's greatest literary works. The titular clown is portrayed by Bill Skarsgard, whose physical build is perfect for the role. "He's really tall and lanky, and feels a little clown like in his movement," said producer Dan Lin.
THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE
One of the most popular characters from "he Lego Movie" is getting his own spin-off movie. While Ben Affleck's Batman is busy teaming up with Wonder Woman, The Flash and Aquaman in "Justice League", Will Arnett returns to voice the Caped Crusader in "The Lego Batman Movie". The computer-animated movie follows the Gotham City hero who sulks in his Batcave while his disappointed butler, Alfred (Ralph Fiennes), tries to get him to take a greater interest in his adopted son, Robin (Michael Cera). Despite being darker and edgier than "The Lego Movie", the spin-off still has humor as shown in the trailer.
