Ethan Anderton's 10 Most Anticipated Movies Of 2017

The first weekend of theatrical releases in 2017 arrives in just a couple days, but since it's January, we're still getting rollover from awards season mixed with garbage that doesn't deserve a release date at any other time. So we're already looking forward to some of the more exciting movie releases coming this year, and the movies that I'm looking forward to the most range from blockbuster sequels to movies from filmmakers who haven't delivered a new film in a few years.

After the jump check out Ethan Anderson's 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2017.

As good as the first trailer for this third attempt at a proper solo Wolverine movie was, I'm still trying to keep my hype in check for this one. Since this is supposed to be Hugh Jackman's last time donning the adamantium claws as Wolverine (unless he gets coaxed into a Deadpool team-up), it appears the Australian actor and director James Mangold are pulling out all the stops to give us the Wolverine movie fans have been waiting for. Watch the trailer right here.

Keanu Reeves putting the suit back on and digging into his armory again is all I need to know to be excited for this one, but there were just too many other movies that I was a little more excited to see. This time we get to see Laurence Fishburne reunited with his co-star from The Matrix, and I can't wait to see what kind of gunfighting is employed here. Watch the trailer right here.

James Ponsoldt has become one of the directors with films that I'll look forward to just because he's in the director's chair. Until now, Ponsoldt has delivered movies like Smashed, The Spectacular Now and The End of the Tour, all Sundance darlings. But this will be the first time he's tackled a more high profile project with a cast that includes some big names, including Tom Hanks in what appears to be a rare villain role, Emma Watson venturing into sci-fi thriller territory for the first time, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens lead John Boyega. Watch the trailer right here.

You might think I'm crazy for not getting excited about a new Alien movie from director Ridley Scott, but Prometheus left a bad taste in my mouth. The red-band trailer that arrived over the holidays has instilled some new faith in me, but this is one where I'm trying to keep my expectations a bit lower, just so I don't end up being disappointed. At the very least, the cast that includes Katherine Waterston, Michael Fassbender, Danny McBride and more is reason enough to cautiously optimistic. Watch the trailer right here.

When you have a script from Mark & Jay Duplass, and director Jeffrey Blitz reteaming with his Rocket Science star Anna Kendrick, my curiosity is piqued. However, I can't say that I'm as excited as I am curious to see what Blitz can do with Kendrick after their collaboration 10 years ago. The ensemble cast that includes Stephen Merchant, Craig Robinson, June Squibb and more certainly has appeal, but I just don't know if it'll deliver something worth getting excited about. Watch the trailer right here.

We all know Aaron Sorkin (seen above in The Social Network) can write one hell of a script, but at some point this year we get to see if he can direct. Molly's Game will mark Sorkin's directorial debut, and while the film doesn't have a release date yet, it's expected sometime late in the year after production finishes later this month. Jessica Chastain will star in the film as Molly Bloom, a former young athlete who becomes the target of an FBI investigation after operating a high-stakes international poker game. I can't wait to hear what kind of snappy dialogue Sorkin has crafted for this one.

When The LEGO Batman Movie was announced, I wasn't confident that a feature film focusing on this strong supporting character could sustain itself. But all the trailers that have been released so far continue to get me way more excited for this than any of the live-action DC Comics movies (even though Wonder Woman looks like it should deliver later this year). It has the same tongue-in-cheek humor of The LEGO Movie, and Billy Dee Williams as Two-Face, which is just awesome. Watch the trailer right here.

In just a few minutes of screentime, Tom Holland's portrayal of Spider-Man quickly became a favorite of Marvel Cinematic Universe fans, and now he gets his own movie. The promise of Robert Downey Jr. having a key part in shaping the webslinger's superhero career is already enticing, but the fact that we have former Batman star Michael Keaton playing the villain Vulture is what really turned my head. This could be the best Spider-Man yet. Watch the trailer right here.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was a sequel that improved upon Rise of the Planet of the Apes in all the right ways, making it one of the better blockbusters sequels of the past decade. Now the next chapter escalates the conflict between apes and humans with Caesar and his army evolving more every day, and Woody Harrelson as a military leader who will do anything to stop them from taking over the planet. The visual effects have gotten even better since the second film and we should be in for an outstanding battle. Watch the trailer right here.

Plenty of Marvel fans look at Thor as the franchise that hasn't quite been up to par with the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but with What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople director Taika Waitit behind the camera, I couldn't be more excited to see how the God of Thunder's franchise changes things up a bit. We already know Hulk will be a key part of the movie, with Planet Hulk elements tied into the story, and I have a feeling we'll get a Thor movie completely unlike the previous two installments. Plus Cate Blanchett plays the villain Hela, so you just know that's going to be good.

If Ridley Scott were returning to direct Blade Runner 2049, I'd be a little skeptical, if only because of my disappointment in Prometheus. But with Denis Villeneuve behind the camera, especially after his sci-fi turn behind the camera with Arrival, this looks positively fantastic. The teaser trailer has a mysterious vibe that delivers a legacy-quel premise with plenty of questions that need to be answered, and I can't wait to see what sci-fi noir Los Angeles is like after all these years. Watch the trailer right here.

Knowing little to nothing about this movie, it might seem odd to put this on my list of anticipated movies. But that's just how much I love Paul Thomas Anderson (above) as a director. And when you take into account the fact that he's reteaming with his There Will Be Blood star Daniel Day-Lewis, that just makes it all the juicier. The untitled movie is supposed to be set in the heart of the 1950s London fashion scene, but beyond that, we have no idea who Day-Lewis is playing or what the story is about. But this expected sometime towards the end of the year.

It's been a few years since we've gotten a new film from Shaun of the Dead and Scott Pilgrim vs the World director Edgar Wright. Thankfully, that changes this year, and it's going to be a movie that comes with an even more tasty soundtrack than we're used to getting from the filmmaker. The story follows a young getaway driver (Ansel Elgort) who is nearly mute and suffers from a condition that leaves a constant ringing n his ears, so he relies on his own personal soundtrack to drown out the noise so he can do what he does best. That's pretty much all I need to know.

Since the first Guardians of the Galaxy surprisingly became my favorite Marvel Studios movie, you can bet your ass that I'm excited to see what director James Gunn brings to the table with the sequel. It has a lot of hype to live up to, but all the footage we've seen so far (including the publicly unreleased Comic-Con footage) makes me confident that this will kick off the blockbuster summer the right way. It's going to be tough to go wrong with Baby Groot stealing the show with his tiny little limbs. Watch the trailer right here.

Being part of the crew of massive Star Wars fans here at /Film, it should come as no surprise that I absolutely cannot wait to see the next chapter in the new trilogy of the iconic sci-fi saga. The ending scene of The Force Awakens finally revealed Luke Skywalker to us, leaving audiences with a slew of questions about what he's been doing, how he'll react to Rey tracking him down, and just what happens next. We're meant to pick up almost immediately after those closing moments when Episode VIII begins, but beyond that, we know next to nothing about what happens next. We don't have a snippet of footage or even a title yet, but hopefully, that will change soon.

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Based on the movies I'm excited about, this is already shaping up to be a great year for movies, and we don't even know which films we'll end up loving at the Sundance Film Festival later this month. Plus, there are plenty of movies that end up getting release dates later in the year, contending for awards and whatnot, that will continue to spice up 2017 as time goes on.

What are you excited to see in 2017?