15 Most Anticipated Movies of 2017

What's even more exciting than awards season? The movies hitting the big screen next, of course! From superheroes to Disney princesses, epic sequels to long-awaited prequels, see what movies coming out in 2017 already have everyone buzzing.

The Most Anticipated Movies of 2017

"Logan" (March 3) — Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart

Directed by James Mangold, "Logan" is Hugh Jackman's last solo outing as the Wolverine, seventeen years after his first appearance in "X-Men." Set in a distant apocalyptic future, Logan fights a sinister force with the help of a young girl named Laura Kinney, a female clone of Wolverine. What makes this narrative compelling and grounded is its mature rating—promising a meaningful ending for the character.

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"Kong: Skull Island" (March 10) — Brie Larson, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson

The latest iteration of "King Kong," "Skull Island" is set in the 1970s, following a group of soldiers and explorers who stumble upon the giant ape. Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, the new movie has an impressive cast, including Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hiddleston among others. As the trailer shows, the movie boasts a series of visceral footages of gorilla warfare with monstrous set pieces.

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"Beauty and the Beast" (March 17) — Emma Watson, Dan Stevens

Emma Watson and Dan Stevens star in the live-action renaissance of the 1991 animated film as the free-spirited Belle and the misanthropic Beast, a prince transformed into a furry behemoth by a witch's curse. Whether the film remains true to the original fairy tale, written by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, is yet to be seen. However, one thing is certain: Watson delivers her on-screen singing debut with mellifluously strong pipes as the trailer shows.

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"The Fate of the Furious" (April 14) — Vin Diesel, Charlize Theron

This time, it is the super-dark tone of "The Fate of the Furious" that revs up the throttle for the "Fast & Furious" franchise. In this latest installment (number 8), the main protagonist, Dom (Vin Diesel), betrays his family and aligns himself with Ciper (Charlize Theron), an evil genius high-tech terrorist. Rest assured that the shocking plot will include a series of insane car chases and powerhouse twists that will make fans wanting more!

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"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" (May 5) — Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper

Remember the motley crew from the first "Guardians"—Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Rocket Raccoon (voice of Bradley Cooper) and Groot (voice of Vin Diesel)? Well, they're back for the sequel! Also returning is writer-director James Gunn to tell their continuing adventures, focusing more on Peter's mysterious father (Kurt Russell)— and let's not forget, baby Groot is now a little baby tree in "Vol. 2." How's that for a teaser?

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"Alien: Covenant" (May 19) — Katherine Waterston, Michael Fassbender

While Ridley Scott's 2012 "Prometheus" left audiences baffled, the latest chapter in his sci-fi horror franchise is more on-point, with the crew of a spaceship discovering a seemingly beautiful universe populated by a cluster of mysterious lifeforms. Set as a prequel to the 1979 original "Alien," "Covenant" has a new heroine Daniel (Katherine Waterston) who looks and acts like Sigourney Weaver's iconic character, Ripley. Joining Waterston is the star of "Prometheus," Michael Fassbender who portrays dual roles in the movie.

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"Wonder Woman" (June 2) — Gal Gadot, Chris Pine

2017 looks very exciting and promising for the fans of the famed Amazon princess. After her breakout role in "Batman v Superman," Wonder Woman will finally have her first solo movie with Patty Jenkins at the helm, and Gal Gadot in the title role. A period piece set during World War I, the film will explore the personal and character traits of the famed Amazon warrior, and will help explain her presence in the modern world.

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"Spider-Man: Homecoming" (July 7) — Tom Holland, Michael Keaton

The latest attempt to revitalize the superhero with "spidey sense," "Homecoming" stars Tom Holland as Spider-Man. In the new movie, he will face a villain named Vulture (Michael Keaton) while Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) guest-stars. With the rave reviews Holland received for his Spider-Man cameo in 2016’s "Captain America: Civil War," this iteration is off to a good start.

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"War for the Planet of the Apes" (July 14) — Judy Greer, Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson

Matt Reeves returns and helms "War for the Planet of the Apes," the third installment of the reboot series. Set two years after the events of the 2014 "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," the new movie follows a harrowing war story as Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his band of apes face an epic battle against an army of humans led by a cold-hearted Colonel (Woody Harrelson). And in the process, it offers up yet another strong strain of connective tissue between the new franchise and the old, aside from Caesar.

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"Dunkirk" (July 21) — Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy

Based on the survival story of 1940 Dunkirk evacuation, Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk" portrays the miraculous rescue mission that ultimately saved thousands of British, French and other Allied soldiers trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk France and driven to the sea with Nazis closing in. Does it sound too simplistic of a story? Think again— especially, since "Dunkirk" was shot entirely on a large-scale IMAX film stock. It is safe to say that the movie is expected to offer more spectacle than meets the eye.

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"Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" (July 21) — Cara Delevingne, Dane DeHaan

From Luc Besson, the visionary director of "The Fifth Element" and "Lucy," comes a comic book inspired sci-fi adventure, rooted in the classic graphic novel series, "Valerian and Laureline." In the film version, set in the 28th century, special peace operatives Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) embark on a mission to intergalactic city of Alpha to fight sinister forces motivated to destroy the future of mankind. Echoing a massive spectacle-appeal that is reminiscent of that of "The Fifth Element," the movie trailer has piqued a lot of interest since its debut at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con.

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"The Dark Tower" (July 28) — Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey

A film adaptation of Stephen King's famed "Dark Tower" series, "The Dark Tower" is a hybrid of fantasy, sci-fi, western, and horror. Idris Elba stars as the gunslinger Roland Deschain while Matthew McConaughey plays the film’s villain, Walter Padick. Directed by Danish filmmaker Nikolaj Arcel, the movie follows the adventures of Deschain in the mythical Mid-World, a magical spin on the Old West. This film version of Stephen King's magnum-opus sounds very promising!

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"Blade Runner 2049" (Oct. 6) — Ryan Gosling, Jared Leto, Ana de Armas

Denis Villeneuve helms this sequel to Ridley Scott's 1982 masterpiece "Blade Runner" set in 2049, thirty years after the events of the first film when a new "blade runner," LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling) discovers a long-buried secret that could unleash chaos in epic proportions. Based on Villeneuve’s directorial work on "Arrival," one of the best films of 2016, “Blade Runner 2049” is bound to be cinematically rich, clever, and sublime.

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"Thor: Ragnarok" (Nov. 3) — Chris Hemsworth, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hiddleston

In "Ragnarok," the Norse god of thunder, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), embarks on an intergalactic quest meeting up with Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and faces supervillain Hela (Cate Blanchett). Meanwhile, he finds a new love interest in Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson). Directed by Taika Waititi, this third installment in Marvel's "Thor" series appears to be a lot of fun as there are more gods and monsters added into the mix.

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"Star Wars: Episode VIII" (Dec. 15) — Daisy Ridley, Mark Hamill

The saga continues with "Star Wars: Episode VIII," and writer-director Rian Johnson takes over its reins. The cliffhanger of the last episode, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," shows new heroine Rey (Daisy Ridley) bringing Jedi master Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) his old lightsaber on a remote intergalactic island. In the process, it has sparked many burning questions, including Rey’s background, mystery behind Luke’s whereabouts, the developing relationship between Rey and Luke, and the most important of them all— will Episode VIII be a new mold of Star Wars, something entirely different and brilliant, not a hybrid, and certainly not beholden to the original 1977 "Star Wars?"

Watch the movie announcement:

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