The quality of big screen entertainment is high for the discerning gent in 2017 with a number of acclaimed and anticipated film releases set for the next 12 months. Focusing specifically on the sequels and reboots for this year, Elysium Magazine picks its top five stories that act as prequel for the original, follow on from the initial blockbuster or simply look to reboot a story that was told differently in the past. Feast your movie-going eyes on this!
Kong: Skull Island
The 2005 film, King Kong, told the famous story of a giant ape that was transported back to America like a fairground attraction. Whilst the foundations were laid for Skull Island – in that we knew it was a place of weird, wonderful and huge beast, there’s still much to be said about what true nightmares the island actually holds. Kong: Skull Island aims to do just that: a team of explorers (Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson and John Goodman) encounter a gigantic ape and other monstrous creatures after traveling to an uncharted island in the Pacific Ocean. Chaos ensues.
Release date: early March 2017
Alien: Covenant
Let’s face it, the last Alien film from 2012 – Prometheus – left us with more unanswered questions rather than shed more light about the creature that incubates in a living host before popping out it’s chest. So let’s try again: bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, members (Katherine Waterston and Billy Crudup) of the colony ship Covenant discover what they think to be an uncharted paradise. However, while there, they meet David (Michael Fassbender), the synthetic survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition. The mysterious world soon turns dark and dangerous when a hostile alien life-form forces the crew into a deadly fight for survival.
Release date: mid May 2017
Baywatch: The Movie
The hit beach show of the late 80s and early 90s where everyone is beautiful is back and this time it’s a movie. Keeping the same characters from the earlier show, with a few new additions to spice things up, lifeguard Mitch Buchannon (Dwayne Johnson) and a brash new recruit (Zac Efron) uncover a criminal plot that threatens the future of the bay. Expect more beautiful people.
Release date: late May 2017
Spider Man: Homecoming
There are been many attempts to tell the story of Spider Man with stints from XXXX and Andrew Garfield staring in numerous films over the past decade or so. This time, it is part of linking back to the wider Marvel storyline: thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, young Peter Parker (Tom Holland) returns home to live with his Aunt May. Under the watchful eye of mentor Tony Stark, Parker starts to embrace his newfound identity as Spider-Man. However the double-life of his normal daily routine and the high-flying superhero is a tough gig for one so young. Distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just a friendly neighbourhood superhero, Peter must soon put his powers to the test when the evil Vulture emerges to threaten everything that he holds dear.
Release date: early July 2017
War for of the Planet of the Apes
The final part in the trilogy of what is arguably the best series of Planet of the Apes movies, Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless colonel (Woody Harrelson). The apes, reeling from huge losses at the hands of the colonel, look to Caesar – himself wrestling his darker instincts – to lead the army and avenge his kind. As the story finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both of their species and the future of the planet.
Release date: mid July 2017