Entertainment

Bad Guys, Beasts And Aliens: 5 Movies We Can't Wait To See In 2016

by Liam Feldstein
Warner Bros. Pictures

As far as movies go, 2015 was notable for its range of releases.

From the artistic ("The Revenant" and "Ex Machina") to the action-packed ("Mad Max: Fury Road" and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"), audiences were treated to some highly-anticipated and successful films.

Sure, 2015 was great, but we are ready for what's new. Here are the five movies EliteDaily can't wait to see in 2016:

"Suicide Squad"

We wish we could say that Warner Bros. and DC are coming off a hot film with “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” but the superhero movie didn't receive the warmest reception. In fact, it's been a long time since a movie has incited such vitriol, as fanboys everywhere — including this author — recoiled at how the studio decided to present this classic showdown.

Thankfully, "Suicide Squad" appears to be reigniting the DC hype train to 1.21 gigawatts and forcing everyone to forget about the debacle of BvS.

The cast is jam-packed with talent — Joel Kinnaman ("Robocop," "House of Cards"), Margot Robbie ("Wolf of Wall Street"), Will Smith ("The Fresh Prince") — and a truly shocking version of The Joker brought to life by Jared Leto. And as always, Jai Courtney is somehow part of another potentially huge movie because he has the best agent in Hollywood.

Will "Suicide Squad" be WB/DC's answer to Disney/Marvel? Maybe. We'll find out in August.

"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"

If you're reading Elite Daily, there's a solid 86 percent chance you watched all the "Harry Potter" movies and a 64 percent chance you read the books. The percentage definitely drops when you bring in JK Rowling's meta spin-off novella, which was already part of the HP universe as a textbook for young Hogwarts students.

With Rowling serving as the screenwriter, this movie had built-in hype from the jump. Tack on the casting of talents such as Eddie Redmayne and Colin Farrell, and you've got the potential for a classic fantasy movie. And who doesn't want to dive back into the world of whimsical magic and learn more about the history of wizards?

The David Yates film is set to release on November 18.

"Manchester by the Sea"

Not to be outdone by the likes of big-budget blockbusters, this American drama sounds like it's going to impress audiences with another solid performance from Casey Affleck. (Seriously, are we finally at a point where it's safe to say both Casey and Ben are talented as f*ck?)

We won't dive into plot details — there are few to begin with — other than noting how the movie is actually being filmed in Massachusetts, with some principal photography taking place in the North Shore. With the exception of "Fever Pitch," the Commonwealth has churned out classics for years, and the Afflecks have had a hand in almost all of them including "The Town," "Gone Baby Gone" and "Good Will Hunting."

Lastly, toss in Michelle Williams and Kyle “More Underrated Than Avocado” Chandler, and we've got hype on all kinds of levels.

This film is slated for November 18, too.

"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"

Say it with me: "Star Wars," so hot right now. Last year's return to the greatest trilogy of all time was explosive, to say the least, and now we've got a spin-off movie set before the events of New Hope. We'll finally learn how the Rebels obtained the secret plans of the Empire's original Death Star.

If you don't understand why this movie is such a big deal, we're going to firmly ask that you leave. Nobody wants your Debbie Downer 'tude clouding up our excitement over Ben Mendelsohn being a "Star Wars" villain or potentially seeing a badass Darth Vader slice up some Rebel scum.

Honestly, December 16 can't come sooner.

"Assassin's Creed"

We're probably going to catch some flack for putting this movie in our last spot, but that's why comment sections exist. In the past, video game adaptations haven't fared well on the silver screen — "Doom," "Super Mario Bros.," "Street Fighter," "Resident Evil," "Silent Hill," "Hitman," "Bloodrayne," "Alone in the Dark," "Prince of Persia," "Double Dragon,"... wait, where were we?

Despite the past failures of other franchises, "Assassin's Creed" has a lot going for it with the likes of Jeremy Irons, Marion Cotillard and Michael “My Chain Hang Low” Fassbender playing the main roles. Reportedly, the story is entirely new, so we won't have to watch Fassbender do the same sequence of actions over and over or run through trees like some Tarzan wannabe. And with Justin Kurzel behind the camera, mastermind of last year's "Macbeth" (with Fassbender and Cotillard too), "Assassin's Creed" could make video game movies tolerable for once.

Currently, "Assassin's Creed" is set to release on December 21.

There you have it folks, the five movies we're anticipating in 2016. Disagree with the choices? Let us know in the comments!