With the weather starting to show signs of warmth, and the Oscars all wrapped up (hooray for Leo!), you might be planning to start going outside more and getting some much-needed sun and exercise, right?
Wrong.
We've got 20 reasons to spend more time on the sofa with chips and salsa. Here are the first 10:
10. Independence Day: Resurgence
June 24
The aliens are back - this time with a whole lot more firepower. Meanwhile, in the 20 years since the first invasion, the humans have manipulated left-behind alien devices to advance their own weapons and technology.
Will Smith is out (apparently his pricetag was too high) but Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman are back, and Liam Hemsworth will join them - presumably borrowing his older brother's Hammer of Thor to whack some aliens.
9. How to Talk to Girls at Parties
TBD 2016
The title might have gotten your attention, but this movie isn’t at all what you’re thinking. Based on a short story of the same name, How to Talk to Girls at Parties is a Romeo and Juliet-inspired sci-fi romantic comedy involving aliens and punk rock.
It stars Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning, Matt Lucas, and Ruth Wilson, and is directed by John Cameron Mitchell, the man behind Hedwig and the Angry Inch and, most recently, Rabbit Hole.
8. The Conjuring 2
June 10
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga reprise their roles as paranormal investigators and authors Ed and Lorraine Warren, who travel to England to investigate poltergeist activity at a council house in Enfield. Expect your usual fare of horror lighting, jump scares, and a whole lot of creepiness.
7. Pete’s Dragon
August 12
Disney first announced its reboot of the 1977 musical three years ago, noting this one would not be a musical. From the teaser trailer, it looks to have a more dramatic tone, but likely will maintain the whimsical enchantment of the source material.
As with the original, the story follows a young orphan named Pete who has managed to survive living alone in the woods thanks to his friendship with an invisible dragon named Elliott.
6. Midnight Special
March 18th
Writer/director Jeff Nichols (Mud, Take Shelter) delves into the sci-fi genre in the upcoming Midnight Special, which follows a father, Roy (Michael Shannon), who goes on the run to protect his young son Alton (Jaeden Lieberher), a boy with supernatural powers that even Roy can’t comprehend.
Despite the supernatural elements, the story promises to be intimately human, as Roy and Alton’s journey explores the bonds of love and trust, and the nature of faith. Bonus points: the film also stars Adam Driver (that's Kylo Ren from The Force Awakens).
5. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
November 18
Return to the world of wizardry with the first in J.K. Rowling's new trilogy, penned specifically for the big screen. David Yates, director of the last four Harry Potter films, is at the helm of this story, which takes place about 70 years before Harry Potter's adventures. Eddie Redmayne is Newt Scamander, a "Magizoologist" sent to track down a host of magical creatures set loose in New York.
4. The BFG
July 1
Who better to bring Roald Dahl’s classic to life than the legendary Steven Spielberg? He’s directed plenty of child-centric films – A.I., E.T., Indiana Jones, The Adventures of Tin Tin – but based on the teaser, The BFG reminds us most of Hook.
Mark Rylance plays the big friendly giant, while newcomer Ruby Barnhill plays Sophie, as the two team up to warn the Queen of England about some decidedly unfriendly giants, like Bloodbottler (Bill Hader) and Fleshlumpeater (Jemaine Clement).
3. Doctor Strange
November 4
Marvel’s second movie of 2016, like Ant-Man last year, introduces a lesser-known but sure-to-entertain hero in Doctor Strange. The story follows a surgeon who, attempting to heal his damaged hands, unlocks an array of dark magics that he must conquer – you know, for the good of the human race.
One thing that has us excited is the cast, which is arguably the best of any Marvel film – Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mads Mikkelsen, Tilda Swinton… oh, and did we mention Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange? Score.
2. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
March 25
Batman and Superman unite! And fight? Apparently Batman is none too pleased about the damage Superman left behind in Man of Steel. The film introduces a host of DC characters, including Jessie Jesse Eisenberg as the new Lex Luthor, Gal Gadot is Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa (that’s Khal Drogo for you GoT fans) as Aquaman, and Ezra Miller may pop up as the big screen's Flash. More than anything, we’re curious to see how Ben Afflek fares in his second superhero role – hopefully his performance as Batman will help us forget all about 2003’s maligned Daredevil.
1. Star Wars: Rogue One
December 16
Get ready for a whole slate of Star Wars spinoffs (young Han Solo and Boba Fett movies are reportedly in the works). Rogue One, set in the time between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, will be the first.
Directed by Gareth Edwards (Monsters, Godzilla), it follows a band of rebel fighters trying to steal the Empire’s plans for the Death Star – those same plans that one day allow a guy named Luke to fire that “one in a million” shot. After the success of The Force Awakens, this is likely to be another huge hit for a galaxy far far away.
Did we miss some? Not to worry, we'll be back soon with another 10 movies to look forward to in 2016.
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