2017 holds plenty of uncertainty, but great sci-fi movies look like a sure thing. We'll see the return of Rick Deckard in Blade Runner 2049 and finally get some Luke Skywalker in the eighth installment of the Star Wars saga. But 2017 is full of exciting releases, crossing huge franchises, wonderful one-offs, and some more artsy types as well. These are the films that have us excited for 2017 (and few that we'll likely be skipping.)
Must Watch
Blade Runner 2049
Release: 6 October, 2017
Fresh off from reprising his role as Han Solo in 2015's The Force Awakens, Harrison Ford returns to another one of his most iconic films in Blade Runner 2049. Although Ridley Scott won't behind the helm of Rick Deckard's return to the silver screen, the film is in the very capable hands of a Denis Villeneuve, director of the great 2016 sci-fi flick Arrival. Some puzzling casting choices aside (Ryan Gosling?), we can't help but be agonizingly excited for the return to the grimy world of Blade Runner.
Ghost In the Shell
Release: 31 March, 2017
Ghost In The Shell is one of the most incredible works of science fiction ever created. Beginning as a manga, and (as most mangas do) becoming a stellar piece of science fiction anime, this Japanese work of art is finally getting a live-action treatment. Although faced with some whitewashing criticism for selecting Scarlett Johansson to play an Asian role, the sets, tone, and mood of the film so far match up nicely with the source material. Let's hope it avoids the horrible "beautiful woman in skin-hugging spandex who kills people" trope that is far too overused already.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Release: 5 May, 2017
Guardians of the Galaxy remains Marvel Studios' greatest sleeper film, a cast of characters more obscure than any of Marvel's previous titles while still being arguably one of the best films they've ever made. From the looks of things, the plot will be business as usual as Star Lord and crew roam the galaxy for more adventure. It's hard to say if the charm of the original will be able to sustain a second film (or an entire franchise for that matter). But one thing is certain, this movie looks fun as hell.
War of the Planet of the Apes
[youtube ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEP1Mk6Un98&t[/youtube]
Release: 14 July, 2017
We're the first to eye roll when Hollywood creates remakes that no one ever wanted. No, we didn't need a Total Recall remake where they don't even go to Mars. But the new Planet of the Apes franchise is a rare exception, simply because the films are just so damn good. Somehow, the last two films, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, have kept us completely enthralled while also receiving high marks from critics. From the looks of things, War of the Planet of the Apes only wants to continue that trend.
Logan
Release: 3 March, 2017
We know, another Wolverine movie, but at least this one is shaping up to be refreshingly different. Logan loosely follows the comic book story Old Man Logan and will be Hugh Jackman's curtain call to the claw-popping anti-hero. All we know is that Professor X and X-23 are also in it, and Ryan Reynolds thinks it's Oscar worthy. Other than that, it looks like a road trip film with some serious action sequences. What's not to like? There are other superhero flicks to check out in 2017 as well, especially Spider-Man: Homecoming, but the X-Men always felt more science-y than your normal run-of-the-mill superhero, so Logan gets a place on this list.
Alien: Covenant
Release: 19 May, 2017
Oh my, yes. Ridley Scott returns to Alien. Following the beautifully shot yet tortuously confusing Prometheus, Alien: Covenant brings back Michael Fassbender and an all-new ship—the Covenant. There's a couple things to glean from the recently released trailer. One: It looks brutal. I mean really brutal. Two: It looks somewhat formulaic. Of course, you can't tell much from one trailer, but it looks awfully similar to the original Alien with a crew haplessly stumbling upon a creature of their worst nightmare. There's even a quarantine showdown between two characters, also seen in the 1979 original. Let's hope Ridley Scott found a way to break the mold with this one.
Looks Promising
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Release: 21July, 2017
This film has a lot of things going for it. It's adapted from a French comic and also puts one of the most well-known French sci-fi directors at the helm—Luc Besson, of Lucy and The Fifth Element fame. The trailer is also just packed with weirdness and good, old-fashioned science fiction. These few beautiful minutes alone makes us yearn for an adaptation of The Incal. Who knows? Maybe Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets can be the beginning of a French sci-fi renaissance of sorts.
The Circle
Release: 28 April, 2017
Base on a novel by Dave Eggers, The Circle may be the first science-fiction thriller about Silicon Valley. Following the steps of dystopian shows like Black Mirror, this film deals with a real world question: What if a tech company becomes too powerful and too pervasive? With a star-studded cast—Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, John Boyega—it's hard to image this film will fail. Then again, Passengers had a pretty good cast, too.
Power Rangers
Release: 24 March, 2017
It's hard to be a kid of the 90s and not be at least a little excited for Power Rangers. Although we see several ways this film could go off the rails (insufferable teenage acting ranks pretty high), Power Rangers looks like a fun beat 'em up film in a high school context. It certainly seems to strip away some of the campiness that made Power Rangers so charming in the first place, and we're not quite convinced whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.
The Space Between Us
Release: 3 February, 2017
Although this film isn't your average sci-fi film—more like a Martian coming-of-age story—it gives a welcome respite for human-killing aliens and other explosion-prone films in 2017. The story is about the first boy born on Mars and his desire to someday visit, or even live, on Earth. What's interesting is the theoretical biology and the physiological differences that could develop between the humans living on Mars compared to us earthlings. Although the film has the potential to go south quickly with all that extra sappiness, we're hoping for a refreshingly different bildungsroman in space instead.
A Cure for Wellness
Release: 17February 17, 2017
We're not really sure what to think of this one, but it certainly looks... interesting. The plot follows a strange "wellness" facility that also doubles as a house of horrors—or so it would seem. Although this looks like it trends somewhat toward the horror end of the spectrum rather than science fiction—it's directed by the guy behind The Ring film after all—hopefully A Cure For Wellness will be a surprise hit.
Guardians
Release: 23 February, 2017 (In Russia)
Guardians basically looks like a Russian Marvel movie—and we're cool with that. If you'd like a brief respite from watching New York City get destroyed (again) to instead watch some death-defying action over Moscow skies, Guardians might just be the thing. There's also a gun-wielding bear in the trailer, so that basically makes it a must.
The Dark Tower
Release: 28 July, 2017
We don't really know much about this film other than Matthew McConaughey will be the Man in Black with Idris Elba as Roland Deschain. Oh, and Stephen King's The Dark Tower series is phenomenal. So far so good, but the film—and likely subsequent films—are more of a retelling than a strict adaptation, so who knows how good the movie will actually be. We'll remain optimistically hopeful.
God Particle
Release: 27 October, 2017
Recently confirmed, God Particle will be the third installment in J.J. Abrams Cloverfield universe, following 2016's 10 Cloverfield Lane. We don't know much about the film itself, other than it has a pretty deep cast and that it'll take place on ISS. But a piece of viral marketing (above), made for 10 Cloverfield Lane, gives us a glimpse into what we might can expect from what is quickly becoming on of the most interesting sci-fi franchises out there.
Maybe Skip
Underworld: Blood Wars
Release: 6 January, 2017
Remember when we said the "beautiful woman in skin-hugging spandex who kills people" trope was getting worn out? Let us present to you Underworld: Blood Wars. This could be a Very Fine Film, but the Underworld series, now on its fifth film, already feels like three too many.
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
Release: 27 January, 2017
See previous.
Transformers Whatever
Release: 23 June, 2017
Michael Bay, haven't you done enough?
