Blockbuster movies like “Jurassic World” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” set a pretty high standard for cinema in 2016. Last year also saw the premiere of “Mr. Robot,” “Master of None,” “Making a Murderer” and “Jessica Jones,” as well as the end of “Parks and Recreation,” “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Show.” But a new year brings with it some fresh material for TV and movie screens that will hopefully set the bar even higher. Here are some upcoming TV series and movies to look out for in 2016.
“Legends of Tomorrow” ―premiered on Jan. 21
DC Comics is expanding its TV presence with “Legends of Tomorrow,” a spin-off of The CW’s widely-popular “Arrow” and “The Flash” that will include some characters from each of the shows — we can also expect some epic crossovers. Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvill), a time traveler, has to bring heroes and villains together to save the world from an apocalypse.
The show, developed by Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg and Marc Guggenheim, features some of our favorite heroes, including the Atom (Brandon Routh) and White Canary (Caity Lotz), and hate-to-love-them villains, like Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller). With some new heroes, like Hawkman (Falk Hentschel) and Hawkgirl (Ciara Renée), “Legends of Tomorrow” will fit in nicely with the rest of the DC Comics universe. Catch “Legends of Tomorrow” on The CW on Thursdays at 8 p.m.
“American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson” ―premieres on FX on Feb. 2 at 10 p.m.
Produced by Ryan Murphy (known for “Nip/Tuck,” “Glee” and “American Horror Story”), Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson and more, “American Crime Story” will offer an in-depth look at the infamous O.J. Simpson trial and all its intricacies. Based on Jeffrey Toobin’s book “The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson,” the series stars Cuba Gooding Jr. as Simpson, David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian and John Travolta as Robert Shapiro.
“Animals” ―premiers on HBO on Feb. 5 at 11:30 p.m.
Mark and Jay Duplass of Duplass Brothers Productions, known for HBO original dramedy “Togetherness,” Mike Luciano and Phil Matarese created the original animated comedy series “Animals,” which focuses on the lives and struggles of animals, such as pigeons, bedbugs and rats, in New York City. The Duplass brothers independently produced “Animals” with private funding, and HBO has guaranteed two seasons. Luciano, Matarese, Meghan O’Neill, Katie Aselton and Mary Holland are among the voice actors for the series.
“11.22.63” ―premieres on Hulu on Feb. 15
Starring James Franco as Jake Epping, a high-school English teacher, this mini-series, based on Stephen King’s book “11/22/63,” will explore the ramifications of changing the past and preventing the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Executive produced by J.J. Abrams, the eight-episode series also stars Chris Cooper, Cherry Jones, Lucy Fry, Josh Duhamel and more. Other productions from Abrams and King include “Carrie” and “Alias.”
“Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders” ―premieres on CBS on March 16 at 10 p.m.
For fans of the widely popular “Criminal Minds” series, this spin-off, created by Erica Messer, focuses on the International Division of the FBI, which solves crimes and helps Americans overseas. The team of the International Response Unit includes Chief Jack Garrett (Gary Sinise), tech analyst Russ “Monty” Montgomery (Tyler James Williams), anthropologist Clara Seger (Alana De La Garza), war veteran Matthew Simmons (Daniel Henney) and medical examiner Mae Jarvis (Annie Funke). The pilot episode, titled “Beyond Borders,” premiered during season 10 of “Criminal Minds” on April 8, 2015.
