This image released by Disney shows Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast in “Beauty and the Beast,” a live-action adaptation of the studio’s animated classic. The film will be in theaters on March 17. (Disney via AP)
Fifty Shades Darker (Feb. 10)
The sequel to “Fifty Shades of Grey,” based on the books by E.L. James revolves around mysterious billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) trying to win back his love interest, Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson). Women from Grey’s past threaten their happily ever after, however, in this suspenseful romance hitting theaters just before Valentine’s Day.
Beauty and the Beast (March 17)
Possibly one of the most anticipated movie of 2017, the live-action remake of Disney’s critically-acclaimed animated film will star Emma Watson as Belle, Dan Stevens as The Beast, Luke Evans as Gaston, Josh Gad as LeFou, Sir Ian McKellan as Cogsworth, Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts and Ewan McGregor as Lumiere. This all-star cast promises to do the classic 1991 princess film justice. While it will follow the original tale (as old as time), we can expect some small changes, such as Belle being an inventor and building upon her intellect and independence.
Baywatch (May 19)
The remake of this popular 90s show, starring Zac Efron, Dwayne Johnson, Alexandra Daddario, Priyanka Chopra and Kelly Rohrbach focuses on a group of California beach lifeguards that stumble upon a murder that needs to be solved. This action-packed comedy promises to be filled with equal parts abs and quippy one-liners, and is going to be a must see this summer.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (May 26)
The fifth installment of the Pirates series finds our favorite Captain Jack Sparrow, reprised by Johnny Depp, on another epic adventure: this time in search of the legendary Trident of Poseidon in order to control the seas and destroy an old enemy, Captain Salazar, and his legion of vengeful ghost pirates that have escaped from the Devil’s Triangle. The movie will star Orlando Bloom, Javier Bardem, Kaya Scodelario, Geoffrey Rush and Brenton Thwaites, among others.
Wonder Woman (June 2)
The other major D.C. film coming out this year follows the beginnings of Wonder Woman, an Amazon princess, who leaves her secluded island to try to use her amazing strength for good in World War I, eventually becoming one of the world’s greatest heroes. The star, Gal Godot, has signed a three-movie contract with D.C., so we can expect to seeWonder Woman sequels in the future.
Transformers: The Last Knight (June 23)
The fifth, and allegedly “final” film of the Transformers franchise comes out this year. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Peter Cullen, Isabela Moner and Josh Duhamel, the movie is about Optimus Prime trying to find an ancient artifact on Earth that will help save his dying home planet, Cybertron. These movies are always action-packed and this final installment promises to be just as exciting, as we all watch what unfolds with our favorite alien, robot cars.
Despicable Me 3 (June 30)
Our favorite animated movie is back and better than ever with a third installment. Illumination brings back Steve Carell, Miranda Cosgrove and Russell Brand as well as Kristen Wiig, Steve Coogan and Trey Parker as we follow Gru and his adopted daughters, alongside everyone’s favorite Minions, as they discover Gru’s long-lost twin brother and a ridiculous new villain- a forgotten 80’s child star vying for respect and the nation’s affection.
Justice League (Nov. 17)
Starring Gal Godot, Amy Adams, Ben Affleck, Jesse Eisenberg, Henry Cavill, J.K Simmons and Ezra Miller, the next installment in the D.C. Comic movie franchise brings together all your favorite superheroes to defeat the ultimate villain- Steppenwolf, played by Ciarán Hinds (an exciting pick for Game of Thrones fans). Bruce Wayne, inspired by Superman’s bravery at the end of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, sets out to round up other metahumans, including many we have not yet seen on the big screen, namely Cyborg, The Flash, and Aquaman, to battle demons and other evil. Rumor has it that director Zack Snyder already has a sequel to Justice League in the works for a loose release date in 2019.
Star Wars Episode VIII (Dec. 15)
This long awaited film from George Lucas will pick up right where the events of 2015’s ‘The Force Awakens” left off. It continues the adventures of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), Rey (Daisy Ridley), and Finn (John Boyega) as they continue to fight for the resistance against Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Riding on the recent success of “Rogue One” and being the last film to star Fisher before her death, we can expect a huge box-office weekend from Episode VIII. The movie will reveal and develop the relationship between Luke and Rey. Unfortunately, the rest of the plot details have been kept pretty well under-wraps, as is Star Wars tradition.
Pitch Perfect 3 (Dec. 22)
The Pitch Perfect series has been gaining popularity steadily since the first movie came out in 2012. The next part of this trilogy will bring back some of our favorite characters, such as Beca (Anna Kendrick), Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson), Emily (Hailee Steinfeld), Chloe (Brittany Snow) and Aubrey (Anna Camp). While little is known about the plot right now, we can be sure it will include some a-ca-awesome music and some hilarious scenes from this stellar mix of girls.
With 2017 being the year of the remake, sequel and revival, other movies we have to look forward to this year include Spiderman: Homecoming, Cars 3, Logan, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, The Mummy and Thor: Ragnarok among many others.
Julia Mancini is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at Julia.mancini@uconn.edu.