Last year, we saw some of the best films Hollywood had to offer. From “The Hateful Eight” to “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” to “Mad Max: Fury Road” to “Jurassic World,” 2015’s best films set the bar pretty high for years to follow. So what will 2016 bring? Well, hopefully, we’ll get movies that are just as tasteful and masterfully done. Here are some upcoming candidates for this month.
“Hail, Caesar!” (Feb. 5)
This film from Oscar award-winning filmmakers Ethan and Joel Coen stars a random set of cast members, including Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill. And we know just how funny these last two are — ahem, “21 Jump Street” and “22 Jump Street,” anyone? “Hail, Caesar!” is about a Hollywood “fixer” named Eddie (Brolin), who cleans up messes for stars in Hollywood in the 50s. When a group called The Future kidnaps Baird Whitlock (Clooney), who’s starring in a production of “Hail Caesar,” Eddie has to save him.
“Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” (Feb. 5)
Originally written as a parody novel by Seth Grahame-Smith, this book-to-movie adaptation stars Douglas Booth, Lena Heady, Lily James, Charles Dance, Suki Waterhouse and more. This film takes Jane Austen’s timeless classic “Pride and Prejudice” and adds a modern twist: a zombie apocalyspe.
“Zoolander 2” (Feb. 12)
Fifteen years after Ben Stiller directed comedy classic “Zoolander,” he’s back with a star-studded sequel. Stiller, Owen Wilson, Christine Taylor and Will Ferrell return, while Penelope Cruz, Justin Bieber, Olivia Munn, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kristen Wiig, Macaulay Culkin, Kim Kardashian West, Demi Lovato and Ariana Grande joined the cast. This time around, Derek (Stiller) and Hansel (Wilson) return to modelling only to have to stop a conspiracy to eliminate the world’s prettiest people.
“Deadpool” (Feb. 12)
Tim Miller is making his directorial debut with this highly-anticipated and long-awaited movie starring Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson. “Deadpool” takes the Marvel universe down a dark alley with its eponymous anti-hero Deadpool, Wilson’s alter ego. When Wilson finds out he has terminal cancer, he volunteers for an experiment that will heal him — and give him superior strength. When the experiment gives Wilson not only healing abilities but also painful scarring and a disturbed mind, and his girlfriend kidnapped, the ex-special forces operative becomes a mercenary and hunts down the man responsible. The film also stars T.J. Miller, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, Gina Carano, Brianna Hildebrand, Stefan Kapičić, Jed Rees and more, and Stan Lee will make his signature cameo appearance.
“How to Be Single” (Feb. 12)
Anything with British comedian and actress Rebel Wilson is guaranteed to be a side-splitter. Wilson, along with former co-star Leslie Man (“Pitch Perfect” and “Pitch Perfect 2”), as well as Lily Collins (“The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones” and “Love Rosie”), Alison Brie (“Get Hard” and “Mad Men”), Dakota Johnson (“Fifty Shades of Grey” and “Black Mass”), Anders Holm (“The Interview” and “The Internship”) and others comprise the cast of this rom-com directed by Christian Ditter, known for “French for Beginners” and “Love, Rosie.” Based on the novel by Liz Tuccillo, this film, set in New York City, follows a group of single people searching for love in relationships, one-night stands or something in between, and each has to learn how to be single amidst constantly changing definitions of love.
“Race” (Feb. 19)
This biographical drama releases just in time for Black History Month, and what better way to celebrate equality than to depict the up and coming of Jesse Owens, played by Stephan James. The film also features Jason Sudeikis, Jeremy Irons, Giacomo Gianniotti, Amanda Crew, Carice von Houten and others, and it tells the story of Jesse Owens’ race to making history and becoming a champion in the Berlin 1936 Olympics while challenging Adolf Hitler’s Nazism and notion of a superb Aryan race.
“Triple 9” (Feb. 26)
For fans of action-packed crime thrillers like “Kingsman: The Secret Service” and “Sicario,” this film, starring Gal Gadot (“Fast & Furious” franchise and upcoming “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”), Teresa Palmer (“Wolf Creek” and “Warm Boddies”), Kate Winslet (“Titanic” and “Insurgent”), Aaron Paul (“Breaking Bad” and “Need for Speed”), Norman Reedus (“The Walking Dead” and “The Boondock Saints”), and more, is sure to be a hit. The Russian mob extorts a group of corrupt cops into pulling off a heist that involves a “999,” which is police code for “officer down.”
