Eight films to look out for later this year, plus one for the future

Dunkirk Film Poster

Big tent-pole super-hero films dominate the summer once again as the second half of 2017 gets under way. But what films should people be looking at away from the usual spandex-clad multiplex fodder? Here's just a few that I have my eye on.

Watch out for reviews and more.


Dunkirk (TBC, July 21)

Christopher Nolan's latest epic is about Dunkirk - the evacuation of over 300,000 Allied troops from Dunkirk in 1940 by the British and French Navies assisted by hundreds of civilian vessels.

Nolan's plots are usually a closely guarded secret but this is surely a film to watch on the biggest screen possible - IMAX if possible - as Nolan's film try to avoid the use of CGI where possible.

You can recognise Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy amongst the regular cast that Nolan uses but you might also have spotted Kenneth Branagh in the trailer.

Younger film fans may be interested to know that Harry Styles (yes, that Harry Styles) also appears in this film.

Unfortunately, the UK certificate is yet to be announced although some of the trailers have been rated 12A (and the film itself has been given a PG-13 rating in the US)

A 12A rating could see some One Direction fans finding it difficult to catch up with Harry Styles in this film.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (Cert 12A, August 2)
It might look like a superhero film but Valerian should have some fine European sensibilities as well as being a feast for the eyes.

An adaptation from a colourful French graphic novel series from the 1960s, you can see where director Luc Besson was influenced when he made The Fifth Element and Lucy but you'll also see the influence of Avatar in this costly sci-fi epic.

There's starring roles for Cara Delevingne and Dane DeHaan but pop fans will also recognise Rihanna who makes an appearance.

Of course, there's every chance that this could be a glorious failure, but Besson's originality will ensure it's different, no matter how it's received.





Atomic Blonde (Cert 15, August 9)

An adaptation of a graphic novel set in the final days of the Cold War in the 1980s that's been turned into an action film. A thumping 80s sound track, Charlize Theron as an ice cold spy channeling John Wick, and a bit of humour from James McEvoy - what's not to like?

The Limehouse Golem (Cert 15, September 1)

Starring Oldham's Olivia Cooke, this film also features the ever-reliable Bill Nighy in a period crime drama about a series of murders carrying a distinctly Jack the Ripper style vibe about it.

Goodbye Christopher Robin (Cert TBC, September 29)

Starring Domnhall Gleeson, Margot Robbie, and Kelly Macdonald, this looks to be a film for Winnie the Pooh fans - the story about A.A. Milne and his relationship with his son, Christopher Robin, with the background of his famous books. The trailer appears to be channelling Finding Neverland - about J.M. Barrie and Peter Pan but we'll have to see if the finished film can match the Johnny Depp film.

Blade Runner 2049 (Cert TBC, October 6)
It's been 35 years since the original Blade Runner was released, and Denis Villeneuve is in the director's chair for one of the longest awaited sequels in science fiction cinema. Villeneuve was responsible for last year's intelligent science fiction film Arrival and hopes are high for this sequel which has also been co-written by Hampton Fancher - who had a hand in the original film too.

We've already had the poor Ghost in the Shell movie this year - the original manga was itself influence by Blade Runner - and you can understandably see echoes of the same themes running through Blade Runner 2049.

There are misgivings about Ryan Gosling being the lead character in the new Blade Runner but Villeneuve can pull this film off if the script is good.

Murder on the Orient Express (Cert TBC, November 3)

A star studded retelling of the classic Agatha Christie novel, with Kenneth Branagh donning the moustache of the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. He's got a lot to live up to with multiple versions on TV and film plus inevitable comparisons to Peter Ustinov and David Suchet.

Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi (Cert TBC, December 15)

The Disney hype-machine will be well under way later this year, but at the moment Star Wars is flying under the radar. We all know that will change as the leaves fall from the trees though.

After the success of Episode 7 all eyes will be on the latest episode of the proper Star Wars saga after last year's diversion with Rogue One.

Plot details remain scarce although there's probably a lot of red herrings out there to confuse committed Star Wars fans who go looking on the internet.

Although Carrie Fisher had finished her filming for Episode 8 before her death late last year emotions will be high in Star Wars fans at the conclusion of this film as it seems likely the character of Princess Leia will be written out of Episode 9.

... one more thing

That's just some of the films generating interest this year and that's before we start mining the DC and Marvel superhero movies due later this year.

One film that was recently announced is the latest effort in Hollywood's attempt to make a critically acclaimed popular video game movie - the latest box-office failure being Duncan Jones' Warcraft.

Sony Pictures owns the rights to Uncharted - the popular video game series on Playstation - and they recently announced that Tom Holland will be playing Nathan Drake.

Holland will be appearing in Spider-Man: Homecoming in a matter of weeks and it seems fairly clear that Sony have wisely decided to make the Uncharted movie a prequel to all the games rather than attempt to make something that fans of the series would claim just looks like a boring overlong cut-sequence.

It's a brave move and I'm sure we will hear more about the film in the future if Spider-man is a hit.