List compiled by Eddie on 13/01/2017

After a so-so 2016 that included some downright disappointing so-called blockbusters, 2017 looks like a rather intriguing year for movie lovers that could offer some of the most unique and satisfying event films in some time.

Of course there is your usual mix of superhero fuelled popcorn entertainment and a raft of big named remakes and reimaging’s but a brief rummaging over just some of the films picked here goes to show that there’s a huge collection of potentially brilliant experiences on offer by some of the best filmmaking talent the industry has to offer.

2017 seems to be offering up a great smorgasbord of Sci-Fi entertainment in particular, reflected in a number of films listed below and this should be exciting for all of us as quite often the really memorable experiences we have at the cinema stem from films of this genre, with filmmakers pushing the boundaries of what we expect and wowing us with their mind-bending visions.

So Sci-Fi fans, my advice would be to strap in tight you’re in for quite the ride, delivered to you by some of the best in the business.

I know I for one can’t wait to get stuck into the 2017 film calendar and what it has to offer and I look forward to seeing you all at the movies. Who’s bringing the popcorn?

Happy reading and happy watching!

10. Hostiles

Directed by: Scott Cooper (Black Mass) Starring: Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike, Ben Foster

In 1892, a legendary Army captain reluctantly agrees to escort a Cheyenne chief and his family through dangerous territory.

Director Scott Cooper keeps teasing audiences with films that almost reach the next level, Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace and Black Mass all attest to this but perhaps this Western that re-teams 3:10 to Yuma stars Christian Bale and Ben Foster is finally the film to catapult this promising filmmaker to the next level.

Australian release date – TBC

9. Mute

Directed by: Duncan Jones (Moon) Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Paul Rudd, Sam Rockwell

A mute bartender goes up against his city’s gangsters in an effort to find out what happened to his missing partner.

Moon will always remain one of the great film debuts but sadly Duncan Jones has not yet been able to replicate the heights of the small budget Sci-Fi in the years following with last year’s Warcraft a particular low point for the young director. He has a chance to get back on the right path however with this long talked about semi-follow up to Moon that returns Jones to the Sci-Fi realm and with a unique and intriguing premise, Mute could just be a new Sci-Fi classic.

Australian release date – TBC

8. The Dark Tower

Directed by: Nikolaj Arcel (A Royal Affair) Starring: Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey

Gunslinger Roland Deschain roams an Old West-like landscape in search of the dark tower, in the hopes that reaching it will preserve his dying world.

As a big fan of Stephen King’s epic fantasy series of the same name I do have both equal amounts of concern and anticipation for this big screen adaptation that could go either way. The central story of gunslinger Roland Deschain and his quest to reach the mysterious Dark Tower is a good of a story as your likely to get but adapting King’s loaded material will be no easy task. A leaked trailer that found its way online late last year does show promise and the cast attached to the project certainly help make us believe.

Australian release date – July 27^th

7. The Circle

Directed by: James Ponsoldt (End of the Tour) Starring: Tom Hanks, Emma Watson, John Boyega

A woman lands a job at a powerful tech company called the Circle, where she becomes involved with a mysterious man.

James Ponsoldt has quietly been carving out an impressive filmography of late with the brilliant The Spectacular Now and The End of the Tour suggesting the filmmaker is one of the industries greatest new talents. Here working with his biggest cast, budget and idea to date, this unique sounding Sci-Fi/Thriller could be one of the years sleeper hits and the production to finally get Ponsoldt the recognition he deserves.

Australian release date – May 25th

6. World War Z: 2

Directed by: David Fincher (Gone Girl) Starring: Brad Pitt

A zombie filled follow up to the 2013 original. Plot currently unknown.

While the first World War Z was nothing more than a nice piece of silly popcorn entertainment, the fact that rumours seem to suggest star Brad Pitt has secured the services of his director friend David Fincher to helm this troubled sequel makes me well and truly excited for a film I otherwise wouldn’t be at all anticipating. Fincher + zombies = something hopefully truly awesome.

Australian release date – TBC

5. Weightless

Directed by: Terrence Malick (Knight of Cups) Starring: Michael Fassbender, Ryan Gosling, Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett

Two intersecting love triangles. Obsession and betrayal set against the music scene in Austin, Texas.

There once was a time when a new Terrence Malick film was something the whole film world looked forward to but after a few so-so years with an increasing plate of projects on the go, Malick has found himself in a bit of a career funk. Needing to make a project of worth once more, there’s no reason why Weightless can’t be the one. With an eclectic and downright amazing cast attached to the project, Weightless seems on paper to be the new Malick film we can all get excited for once more.

Australian release date – TBC

4. Annihilation

Directed by: Alex Garland (Ex_Machina) Starring: Oscar Isaac, Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson

A biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition where the laws of nature don’t apply.

2015’s Ex_Machina was one of the great films of the last decade and after a long career in the industry largely as a screenwriter, Alex Garland demands to be noticed. Once more delving into the Sci-Fi world that has treated him so well over the past, this adaption of Jeff VanderMeer’s book of the same name should be another dose of thinking-man science fiction that has the added bonus of Garland’s Ex_Machina star Oscar Isaac along for the ride once more.

Australian release date – TBC

3. Blade Runner 2049

Directed by: Denis Villenvue (Arrival) Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Jared Leto, Ana de Armas

Blade Runner sequel. Plot currently unknown.

If I was being totally honest, the idea of Denis Villeneuve directing a pot plant would get me excited at the moment as the French/Canadian director has quickly become one of the industries very best filmmakers in the space of a few hugely impressive years. Here taking the reins of his biggest and more noteworthy project to date, you get the feeling that the beloved Blade Runner world is in very safe hands with this long talked about follow up to the Ridley Scott classic of the early 80’s.

Australian release date – October 5th

2. Star Wars: Episode V111

Directed by: Rian Johnson (Looper) Starring: Daisy Ridley, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver

Having taken her first steps into a larger world in Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015), Rey continues her epic journey with Finn, Poe and Luke Skywalker in the next chapter of the saga.

It’s sad to say farewell to J. J Abrams who did so well with The Force Awakens but you get the feeling that new to the franchise Rian Johnson has stepped into a film that for all intents and purposes should be just as good as 2015’s Star Wars hit. With the prospect of more Rey, Kylo Ren and of course Luke Skywalker (hopefully BB 8 to), this new journey to a galaxy far far away should be quite the event.

Australian release date – December 14^th

1. Dunkirk

Directed by: Christopher Nolan (Interstellar) Starring: Tom Hardy, Harry Styles, Cillian Murphy

Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Empire, Canada and France are surrounded by the German army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.

Ever one to keep testing himself, famed director Christopher Nolan goes to war with his epic Dunkirk. Recruiting a star studded cast led by Tom Hardy and featuring One Direction member Harry Styles (boy I hope he can act), Nolan’s film should be one of the cinematic events of the year, demanding to be seen on the biggest screen available and when you consider Nolan has never let us down yet, Dunkirk should be a film on all movie lovers radars.

Australian release date – July 20^th

The Best of the Rest

11. Live by Night – Director: Ben Affleck (The Town) Starring: Ben Affleck, Zoe Saldana, Brendan Gleeson

“A story set in the Prohibition Era and centred around a group of individuals and their dealings in the world of organized crime.”

12. Gold – Director: Stephen Gaghan (Syriana) Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Bryce Dallas Howard

“An unlikely pair venture to the Indonesian jungle in search of gold.”

13. War for the Planet of the Apes – Director: Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) Starring: Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn

“A nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar become embroiled in a battle with an army of humans.”

14. The Lost City of Z – Director: James Gray (The Immigrant) Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Tom Holland, Sienna Miller

“True-life drama which centres on British explorer Col. Percival Fawcett, who disappeared while searching for a mysterious city in the Amazon in the 1920s.”

15. The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara – Director: Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan) Starring: Oscar Isaac, Mark Rylance

“The Kidnapping Of Edgardo Mortara recounts the story of a young Jewish boy in Bologna, Italy in 1858 who, having been secretly baptized, is forcibly taken from his family to be raised as a Christian.”

16. Wind River – Director: Taylor Sheridan (feature debut) Starring: Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen

“An FBI agent teams with the town’s veteran game tracker to investigate a murder that occurred on a Native American reservation.”

17. Bright – Director: David Ayer (Fury) Starring: Will Smith, Joel Edgerton

“Plot – undisclosed police drama”

18. Suburbicon – Director: George Clooney (The Monuments Men) Starring: Matt Damon, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin

“A crime mystery set in the quiet family town of Suburbicon during the 1950s, where the best and worst of humanity is hilariously reflected through the deeds of seemingly ordinary people. When a home invasion turns deadly, a picture-perfect family turns to blackmail, revenge and betrayal.”

19. The Snowman – Director: Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In) Starring: Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson

“Detective Harry Hole investigates the disappearance of a woman whose pink scarf is found wrapped around an ominous-looking snowman.”

20. Kong: Skull Island – Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts (The Kings of Summer) Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson

“An action/adventure story centered on King Kong’s origins.”

What movies have we missed out on? Are there some films you just cant wait to see this year? We’d love to hear from you so drop us a comment below!