Sci-fi fans have been very fortunate lately, with unforgettable films like Ex Machina, The Force Awakens, and 10 Cloverfield Lane gracing the big screen. It seems our fortune is only set to improve in the coming year, because with all of the awesome titles being released in 2017, the majority of them are science-fiction.
1. Logan
Release Date: March 3, 2017
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant
Since 2000, the X-Men franchise has revolved around Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. That unfortunately comes to an end in Logan, which is set up to retire the character. Instead of taking place directly after X-Men: Apocalypse, Logan takes place in the future, where mutants aren't quite what they used to be. Wolverine's healing ability is fading, and together with Professor X, they have to protect X-23 (Wolverine's young female clone) from Mister Sinister and his evil schemes. This plot paired with a hard-R rating makes for an interesting and emotional send-off for everyone's favorite mutant.
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2. Life
Release Date: March 24, 2017
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds, Rebecca Ferguson
Is there life beyond Earth? This is a question that has been asked time and time again throughout dozens of sci-five movies, and Life is ready to tackle the concept in its own way. What' really interesting about this one is that it is set in present day, posing the possibility that alien life could be encountered at any moment. Plus, the movie looks like a combination between Alien and Gravity, so that's enough to get me excited.
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3. Power Rangers
Release Date: March 24, 2017
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Banks, Bill Hader, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Becky G., Ludi Lin, Dacre Montgomery
To be honest, I know absolutely nothing about the Power Rangers. I never watched it as a kid, I never played with the action figures, all I knew was that they came in different colors. After watching the trailer, I'm definitely ready to give the Power Rangers movie a try. The trailer gives off strong Chronicle vibes, and with the star power of Bryan Cranston and Elizabeth Banks, I'd say this movie is on the right path. Plus it has RJ Cyler from Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, so that's cool too.
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4. Ghost in the Shell
Release Date: March 31, 2017
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Michael Pitt, Michael Wincott, Juliette Binoche
Like with Power Rangers, I'm not very familiar with the source material for Ghost in the Shell. However, I do know that Scarlett Johansson has major star power, and from what I've seen in trailer, she's bringing out her Lucy chops for this one. The trailer itself in full of questions and intrigue, and the simple idea of Scarlett playing a cyborg is exciting.
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5. The Circle
Release Date: April 28, 2017
Starring: Tom Hanks, Emma Watson, John Boyega, Karen Gillan, Bill Paxton, Patton Oswalt
Is there a better possible cast line-up than the all-star team of The Circle? We have Tom Hanks, the man who can do no wrong, playing a powerful and possibly sinister businessman in a futuristic tech company. He's joined by Emma Watson, an extremely talented actress who's successfully breaking out of her Harry Potter shell. Along with Doctor Who star Karen Gillan and Star Wars newcomer John Boyega, this film packs enough talent to merit awards potential. Don't believe me? Just watch the trailer.
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6. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Release Date: May 5, 2017
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Kurt Russell, Karen Gillan, Michael Rooker, Nathan Fillion, Sylvester Stallone
Marvel seems to hit gold with every single movie they put out, but one of the biggest surprises was Guardians of the Galaxy. A team of stange characters that most people hadn't heard of turned into massively popular characters thanks to James Gunn's hilarious and action-packed film. The sequel looks like it'seems going to raise the bar, with all new characters and villains to meet while the original team try to figure out who Peter Quill's father is. And come on, who isn't excited for Baby Groot?
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7. Alien: Covenant
Release Date: May 19, 2017
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterson, Guy Peace, Noomi Rapace, James Franco
The Alien franchise has been a bit of a mixed bag from the beginning. It started out great, and then started to go downhill. Prometheus had its ups and downs, but it finally looks like the franchise is back on track. The trailer for Alien: Covenant brings back the pure claustrophobic terror of the first film, with some fresh new faces to battle the Xenomorph threat.
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8. Transformers: The Last Knight
Release Date: June 23, 2017
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Hopkins, John Goodman, Stanley Tucci, Josh Duhamel, Laura Haddock
In my opinion, the first Transformers was pretty good. After that, we got three terrible sequels. Most fans have lost hope in the franchise and in director Michael Bay, but there is a glimmer of hope in the fifth installment. One of the main problems in the series is that the movies focus on humans too much, and we don't get enough of the titular Transformers. In the trailer for The Last Knight, we got to see a whole lot of Transformers action, including a possible shot of Optimus Prime turning on Bumblebee. Also, they got Anthony Hopkins to join the cast, so there has to be some hope right? Right?
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9. Spider-Man: Homecoming
Release Date: July 7, 2017
Starring: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Donald Glover, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Zendaya
After multiple failed Spider-Man movies and their following recast, we may have finally hit the jackpot. Tom Holland's Spider-Man in Civil War was amazing (pun intended), and every Spider-Man fan in the world is excited to see him in his own movie. Now throw in Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and Michael Keaton as Vulture, and you have one heck of a story coming up.
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10. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Release Date: July 21, 2017
Starring: Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Ethan Hawke, Clive Owen, Rihanna, John Goodman
Luc Besson is an incredible sci-fi director, as you can tell from The Fifth Element. His newest sci-fi epic, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, looks beautiful to say the least. Well, then again, so did Jupiter Ascending. Nevertheless, the film looks like it has all of the potential to be a massive box-office hit. Let's just hope that the odd ensemble cast doesn't bring it down.
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11. The Dark Tower
Release Date: July 28, 2017
Starring: Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey, Katheryn Winnick, Jackie Earl Haley
Stephen King's popular books series is finally coming to the big screen this year with Idris Elba front and center. The series is known for mixing different genres together, including western, science-fiction, and fantasy. Stephen King's books usually produce unforgettable films, and with this kind of cast, there's no way that The Dark Tower won't be amazing.
12. Blade Runner 2049
Release Date: October 6, 2017
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Jared Leto, Ana de Armas, Robin Wright, Dave Bautista
Blade Runner is one of the greatest sci-fi films ever created, and after many years of waiting, we'really finally getting a sequel. Harrison Ford is returning as Rick Deckard, but this time the spotlight isn't on him. Instead, Ryan Gosling steps into the franchise as Officer K, a man looking for secrets that I can't wait to learn. Hopefully Harrison Ford doesn't meet the same fate that he did in The Force Awakens however.
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13. Thor: Ragnarok
Release Date: November 3, 2017
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Ruffalo, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Karl Urban, Tessa Thompson, Jeff Goldblum
Although we don't know the exact plot for the film yet, we know that the end of the world is coming for Asgard. When we last saw Loki, he was sitting on the throne of Asgard, but in the mid-credits scene from Doctor Strange, Loki was loose in New York. Apparently part of the plot features Thor and Loki trying to retrieve Odin while Asgard crumbles. With both Doctor Strange and Hulk set to show up in the film, Ragnarok is looking more like an Avengers team-up movie, with a possible Infinity Stone in the mix.
14. Justice League
Release Date: November 17, 2017
Starring: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Henry Cavill, J.K. Simmons, Jesse Eisenberg, Amy Adams, Jeremy Irons
Ok, so maybe the DCEU hasn't been off to a great start. So far we have three movies to reflect on, and all three are critically panned. We do have a Wonder Woman movie to look forward to, but in terms of pure sci-fi enjoyment, perhaps Justice League can raise the spirits for DC films. Along with characters we already know like Superman and Batman, we also get an awesome Aquaman and a quippy Flash to join the team. So, you know, fingers crossed everyone!
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15. Star Wars: Episode VIII
Release Date: December 15, 2017
Starring: Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Benicio Del Toro, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Gwendoline Christie
Not that longoing ago, in the very Galaxy that we'really in now, J.J. Abrams gave us a new hope for the Star Wars franchise. We were all gifted with a brand new cast of characters, including immediate fan favorites such as Rey, Poe Dameron, Kylo Ren, and Finn, but now we get to see their journies unfold even more. There are so many questions left to be answered, and that builds our excitement more and more for the upcoming Episode in the Star Wars saga.
See Also
New & Upcoming Horror Movies Coming For You In 2017
25 Of The Most Anticipated Action Movies Of 2017
Upcoming Teen Movies To Be Excited About In 2017
Whether these films will be great or not is yet to be determined, but all I can say is that 2017 is looking good for fans of science-fiction. Whether you like epic space battles or dark, personal stories, I have no doubt that you'll be pleasantly surprised.