Most Anticipated Films for the Second Half of 2016

With the year coming to the half way mark I thought I might list some of my most anticipated films for the remainder of the year (that I have yet to see).

Before I begin I have decided not to include films coming out in the upcoming months that I have already seen. (They'll be listed below)

So here it goes...

(In no particular order)

1. Weightless (Dir. Terrence Malick)

Many critics say that Knight of Cups, Malick's last film, fell into a self parody of his own style but I think it was the advancement of an artist at the top of his game. Malick is known for taking his time to finish a movie (his second movie came out in 1978 and his third came out in 1998). Weightless was film around about 2011 (back-to-back with Knight of Cups) and we've been waiting ever since to see what Malick has in stall for us.

The cast includes Michael Fassbender, Rooney Mara, Natalie Portman, Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benicio Del Toro, Val Kilmer and Holly Hunter. As with Knight of Cups we don't know how heavily each actor will be in the movie as Malick is known to cut entire performances out of a movie, as he did with The Thin Red Line. Where most film makers will try and sell you the emotion that their movie contains, Malick's make you believe the emotion and he gets better at that with age.

No release date yet but Malick is apparently shooting a new film later this year so this one must be ready anytime soon, so maybe the Venice Film Festival in August.

2. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Dir. Gareth Edwards)

I probably don't need to talk about this movie too much to sell it to you but I'll go ahead anyways. Rogue One is the first in a series of Star Wars spin-offs (that will include a Han Solo spin-off) and from the trailer you should be hyped. From the trailer the movie looks like it wants to put the 'wars' in 'Star Wars'. The cast also looks like the perfect model for diversity. With actors like Donnie Yen (Ip Man), Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland) and Riz Ahmed (Nightcrawler) being the main examples but to take it one step further the movie has a female lead, played by Felicity Jones.

The special effects department seems to be at their best by doing what The Force Awakens did so great but managing to give it a dated feel like the original trilogy. Alexander Desplat takes the helm from John Williams to compose the score for the movie and to top it all off... Darth Vader.

Comes out 15th December and you can expect me to be at the midnight screening.

3. La La Land (Dir. Damien Chazelle)

La La Land is the follow up Chazelle's debut, Whiplash, which was the run away indie breakout of 2014 as it ended up with three Oscars. Chazelle continues with the music based film here. The movie stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone with JK Simmons (who was the best thing about Whiplash). Instead of an aspiring Jazz drummer, this time it's a Jazz pianist and it's set in LA not New York.

As this is Chazelle's second film no one else this year has the pressure he has to make a good follow up film. If the movie flops it could mean another Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko) is upon us. However if the film is a succsess, Chazelle will probably be able to do what ever film he wants to next.

It's the opening film of the Venice Film Festival in August so we'll probably see it between around December or January as the USA release date is December).

4. Loving (Dir. Jeff Nichols)

Loving is the return to Nichols's indie roots after his first studio film with Midnight Special. After premiering at Cannes the film was a favorite for an award, especially an acting one but walked out empty handed however the film has gained much traction for the upcoming Oscar season. The film is also a MAJOR chance for the Oscars to rid of their apparent 'racist' nominations from the last two years as it tells the story of a mixed race couple who are sent to prison for getting marries in 1958 (in Virginia).

The main couple (Richard and Mildred Loving) are played by Joel Edgerton (who was in Midnight Special) and Ruth Negga (Warcraft). Also you can't have a Jeff Nichols film without Michael Shannon so he's in it too.

It comes out in November in the USA so maybe December or January here.

5. The Neon Demon (Dir. Nicolas Winding Refn)

After coming off the very mixed reception of Only God Forgives, no matter what Refn choose to do next was going to be interesting for so many reasons. Like Loving it premiered at Cannes but with Refn's style it might be a while before another Jury award him an award like they did in 2011. It also might be a while until his films aren't 'booed'. Booed? Yes, but for a reason. Refn is a director who relies on images to tell his story and that I respect.

The Neon Demon stars Elle Fanning, Christina Hendricks and Keanu Reeves, which is cast that you wouldn't think of putting together any day of the week. The film is sure to be a colour drenched one so if you're colour blind like Refn himself, your enjoyment of the film might be dulled.

The film just came out in the USA but no word of when it will come out in Australia.

6. Silence (Dir. Martin Scorsese)

Director Marin Scorsese (Wolf of Wall Street) hasn't made a relgious movies since 1997's Kundun and they never fared to well at the box office but the critics have always enjoyed them. For the second time since their first team up, Silence doesn't star Leonardo Dicaprio but they make up for it with some other big names such as Liam Neeson, Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver.

This has been a passion project for Scorsese for a long time and the movie follows two Jesuit priests as they travel to Japan to look for their mentor. Of the major films coming out this year this is the one (that has yet to be seen) that is a shoe in for Oscars.

December 22 in Australia.

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So those are my six, what are yours?

Other film I'm looking forward to include Star Trek: Beyond, The Light Between Oceans, Snowden, Arrival, The Founder, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, The Lost City of Z, Café Society, Manchester by the Sea, Jason Bourne, Elle, Rules Don't Apply to name a few.

Films I have seen but yet to come out yet include Toni Erdmann, Paterson, Captain Fantastic (September 8), High-Rise (August 18), The Handmaiden and Swiss Army Man (July 14, which is also a good alternative to Ghostbusters)

Also coming soon a top of year (so far) list will be coming soon.