In the blink of an eye, half a year has passed. It has been quite a good year for films with major blockbusters, award-winning films, reboots and sequels in the last six months such as Disney/Pixar's Finding Dory, Apprentice, Deadpool, Marvel's Captian America: Civil War and Disney's Zootopia!
On top of that, Singapore became a hot destination for film premieres and red carpet events where we welcomed international Hollywood stars like the cast and director from Marvel's Captain America: Civil War; cheering on the stars from 'The Huntsman: Winter's War'; setting a Guinness World Record with Ghostbusters' Paul Feig and Melissa McCarthy; and recently, taking selfies with Chow Yun Fat at the Cold War 2 promotional tour!
Here are 15 movies we can't wait to catch in the second half of 2016!
(Ghostbusters, Star Trek Beyond, Suicide Squad)
The female-led reboot as the paranormal investigating team in upcoming Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters is a fresh take on the 1984’s comedy franchise. While there are different views on how the film will turn out to be, we’re pretty stoked to see Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones teaming up as the kickass ghost-busting ensemble!
Star Trek Beyond is the highly anticipated installment in the globally popular Star Trek franchise. Fast and Furious director Justin Lin is at the helm of this epic voyage of the U.S.S. Enterprise and her intrepid crew. In this followup, the beloved Enterprise is destroyed, leaving its members fighting to save their lives.
(Don't miss the Star Trek Movie Marathon!)
Probably one of the most anticipated film of 2016, the anti-hero crime squad executing dangerous black ops missions is the ensemble to look out for, especially hearing all the creepy stories from Jared Leto going ‘method’ for his Joker character. The film also stars Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Will Smith as Deadshot and Cara Delevingne as Enchantress.
(Learn about all the characters in Suicide Squad!)
(The Shallows; My Love, Sinema; Sully)
Blake Lively stars in the shark thriller The Shallows where she is forced to swim to a giant rock for safety, 200 yards from shore, after getting bitten by a great white shark. There are many shark-related epics that might not be as great as Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, but The Shallows, according to early reviews, is one that is deserving to catch.
Local movie My Love Sinema is an inspirational romance drama directed by Tan Ai Leng and stars Tosh Zhang, Cheryl Wee and Cherry Ngan. Inspired by the Italian classic ‘Cinema Paradiso’, the film brings a little nostalgia to moviegoing experience at a kampong village in the 1950s.
This is set to be another role for Tom Hanks to bag his next golden Oscar statuette. Inspired by the real-life story of Captain Sully Sullengerger where he landed the plane on the Hudson river successfully, with all 155 lives accounted for. While the media and public praised him to be a hero, an investigation unfolds that threatens his reputation and career.
(Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children; Ouija: Origin Of Evil; Inferno)
Based on the best-selling novel, director Tim Burton gives a spin to the motion picture experience of ‘peculiar’ children living in a magical place. Jake (Asa Butterfield) discovers that only his own special “peculiarity” can save his new friends.
(Learn the special powers of each 'peculiar' character!)
If you love a good horror film, and one that is about a game that summons and communicate with the paranormal world, don’t miss the prequel to the 2014 box office hit Ouija. While the first instalment was butchered by critics, it did so well in box office numbers that the studios even set a slightly higher budget of $6million for this followup, albeit still a very lean amount in Hollywood terms. Horror veteran Mike Flanagan will direct the film.
Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon character is wildly popular among fans of his books. Tom Hanks reprises his role in the franchise, following 2006’s The Da Vinci Code and 2009’s Angels & Demons. This time around, the fate of the entire human race is at stake, Robert Langdon must team up with Dr. Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones) to try and recover his memories and stop a madman from unleashing a plague inspired by Dante’s Inferno.
(Marvel's Doctor Strange; Trolls; Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them)
Next up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the superhero Marvel’s Doctor Strange. It’s finally time for us to swoon over Benedict Cumberbatch! He stars as the egotistical neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange whose life changes when a car accident limits Strange’s use of his hands, sending him on a maddening quest for a miracle cure.
Now, if we just can put Loki and Dr Strange together… it’ll be perfect!
It’s very easy to fall in love with these colourful Trolls, especially when you have a stellar voice cast who are going to sing in it! The ever charismatic Justin Timberlake who also produces the show, will lend his voice to the movie together with Anna Kendrick, James Corden, Zooey Deschanel, Russell Brand, James Corden, and Gwen Stefani!
It’s going to be a colourful trollin’ experience in the theatres!
The Harry Potter fans must have been waiting long for this! Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them is a spinoff from the Harry Potter series - and sort of a prequel to the other films because it is set in the same magical universe as the Potter series, except it takes place in New York City and years before Harry Potter attended Hogwarts. Also, this is author J.K. Rowling’s first screenplay!
(Rogue One: A Star Wars Story; Assassin's Creed; Sing)
We may need to wait another year to catch the next Episode of the Star Wars series, but this Star Wars spinoff, the first standalone Star Wars anthology film is getting us all excited for more galactic battles! Set in the Star Wars universe shortly before the events of A New Hope, the story centers on a group of rebel spies on a mission to steal the plans for the Death Star.
It stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Riz Ahmed, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Jiang Wen and Forest Whitaker.
For those who are unaware, Assassin’s Creed is a ridiculously successful gaming franchise by Ubisoft, and Michael Fassbender will be playing the lead in the film adaption that is set to open at the end of this year. Word has it that the movie ‘won’t make a killing’ at the box office, said the gaming company.
Having seen the underwhelming responses from the recent game-to-film adaption Warcraft: The Beginning, we’re not sure how will Assassin’s Creed fair.
In the world populated by all animals, its citizens can not only hold a tune, they belt out pop songs in octaves we humans can’t even match. Voiced by some of your favourite Hollywood stars such as Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane and Scarlett Johansson, this musical comedy features more than 85 hit songs, and will definitely end your 2016 on a high note!
(Check out the latest trailer of Sing!)
What are your thoughts? Did any of your favourite movie make the list? Tell us in the comments section or cast your votes in the poll below (multiple choices allowed)!
Which movies are you looking forward to catch in the second half of 2016?