This Week In Trailers

A certain film is coming out in a week's time, and it's one that's had Hollywood pumping out trailers like no man's business. Yes it would seem virtually every Studio is eager to capitalize on the huge audience that the film in question brings, and show their little adverts in front of the movie. Now of course I'm talking about Disney and Lucasfilm's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), and it's no wonder it's such a popular one for trailers, as ticket pre-sales have exceeded 2016 records by miles. For us then, this week not only meant the excitement of another Star Wars movie, but it also meant we got to see a whole bunch of trailers drop online a little before-hand. So let’s take a look at the lot that have debuted this week, and you can let me know which movie you're most excited for after seeing these in the comments... There's a lot of great stuff here people.

The Shack

First to debut was the trailer for Stuart Hazeldine's The Shack (2017), from Summit Entertainment, where we got a pretty in-depth look at what to expect from the film (which is often a good thing when it's a less well known one). As some of you may already know though, we’ll be getting yet another book adaptation as The Shack will be joining the likes of 'Annihilation,' 'Rebel in the Rye,' 'Wonder,' and 'The Mountain Between Us,' to adapt a novel for its overarching story next year. This one in particular will be based on William P. Young's story of the same name (adapted for screenplay by John Fusco), and will thus focus on Mack Phillips after his daughter goes missing in a forest. Mack (played by Sam Worthington) will find himself on a journey to re-discover his faith in the forest with a group of strangers. Worthington will be accompanied by a cast that includes Octavia Spencer and Tim McGraw when the film hits US theatres on March 3rd 2017. There, ‘The Shack,’ will likely offer a sweeter alternative to the darker 'Logan' during it's opening weekend.

The Belko Experiment

Next was an intriguing trailer for MGM's thriller The Belko Experiment (2017), and again, what this first look did best was to show off the premise of the story. That's probably this film's biggest selling point after all, as it follows a group of 80 employees locked in their office under a life-or-death social experiment. Now that may sound/look a bit silly, but if you think back to the Joker's boat experiment in 'The Dark Knight,' we realize the themes a premise like this can explore can be very interesting. How will they make a whole film out of it? Well, we'll have to wait and see, but with James Gunn writing (let’s remember what a crazy yet successful movie his 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' was) and Greg McLean directing, there sure is the potential for a very thrilling ride indeed. That's especially the case with stars such as John Gallagher Jr., Tony Goldwyn, Adria Arjona, John C. McGinley, Melonie Diaz and Michael Rooker in the office, and with Tyler Bates on the music it's all looking good. 'The Belko Experiment,' first premiered at the 2016 Toronto Film Festival and was acquired by Blumhouse, Orion Pictures and High Top Releasing for a US release on March 17th 2017. Opening against 'Beauty and The Beast'? I wouldn't worry; this isn't really a family film...

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

James Gunn has been busy. Yes, after a great little tease a month ago, the first full trailer for Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), dropped this week, and it had fans across the world talking about one thing in particular: Baby Groot. Also, whilst the trailer reveals very little about the film itself (a good thing as far as I'm concerned) it did give us a look at that continued humor and character dynamics, as well as the improved cinematic approach. On that note, James Gunn has gone on record saying it's his "favorite movie of all time," which is a pretty big deal, so everyone's expecting something even greater than the first film for this sequel. The second Guardians will now follow Marvel's winning box office formula, debuting on the first weekend in May (May 5th) state-side, and earlier across the world. The film stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel and Kurt Russell, and will of course feature music from Tyler Bates as well as various artists in the much anticipated 'Awesome Mix Vol. 2.'

The Mummy

Universal will be hoping Alex Kurtzman's The Mummy (2017), can get the ball rolling for a franchise and become one of their biggest hits of 2017, but if the luke-warm reception to this trailer is anything to go by then things aren't looking too hopeful at all. However, in reality I think the lack of overall interest is actually down to the trailer itself, as it doesn't give the audience anything much to grab hold of apart from seeing Tom Cruise . There are very few hints to the overarching story, nor is there a distinct vibe - instead we get an odd mix of horror, action and fantasy beats all rolled into one. It could easily be a small miss-step towards something greater though, as Alex Kurtzman is a very talented director, and matching him with this awesome cast (Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella, Annabelle Wallis, Russell Crowe, Jake Johnson) should be a recipe for success. The story follows an entombed Mummy who suddenly awakens in the modern era where she uses her ancient powers to haunt us all. The Mummy will be released in the US on June 9th.

Transformers: The Last Knight

On Tuesday we got to see the much anticipated Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) trailer, where it seems it's all business as usual for the franchise. Yes, this first look is littered with explosions, action and awesome CGI to make for another surprisingly great trailer. Audiences and sceptics alike jumped up and down shouting about how "this could be the first 'good' movie" in the franchise, but remembering that this happens every time, some people aren't quite so convinced. Regardless of all that, 'Transformers: The Last Knight,' will likely bring in more big bucks for Paramount this year as people flock to see what is apparently the last of these films to be directed by Bay. Intrigue around Optimus Prime's attack on Bumble Bee will probably spark interest too (many guess he's being controlled by 'Unicorn') and of course there's always the anticipation surrounding the controversial historic element as well (some of the film will take place during WWII). Full plot details are yet to be revealed, though we know it's a sequel to 'Transformers: Age of Extinction,' and that it will thus star Mark Wahlberg and Stanley Tucci, as well as Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson and John Turturro who will reprise their roles from the first 3 movies. 'Transformers: The Last Knight,' will hit theatres on 23rd June 2017.

The Circle

Next was our first look at tech-thriller The Circle (2017) from Europa Corp, and whilst it would be easy to rely on this amazing cast for their first trailer, I think they made a wise move here in showing off the great ideas this story can play with too. After all, the movie is based on the acclaimed Dave Egger novel (adapted for screenplay and directed by James Ponsoldt) and thus follows a young tech worker at The Circle who finds herself in a perilous situation regarding privacy, surveillance and the future of mankind. Privacy is an important issue for many, and it will be interesting to see how this film explores those ideas. Of course lots of us will go in with the confidence that James Ponsoldt knows what he's doing (especially after 'The End of the Tour,') and matching him with this cast that includes Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, John Boyega and Karen Gillan, will likely draw the director his biggest numbers yet. 'The Circle' will be released worldwide on April 28th 2017.

Fifty Shades Darker

Fifty Shades Darker (2017), in front of Rogue One? Is that really the right audience? Well, something tells me this is aimed more at playing in front of the upcoming romantic sci-fi movie 'Passengers,' as that will likely attract a more adult and female audience. The second trailer for this 'Fifty Shades of Grey' sequel consequently showed some pretty adult stuff (though I'm sure a green-band edition will be played in front of some movies) and showed off scenes that Universal will be hoping attract even more audience members. Remember the first trailer did break records with its viewing figures in its first 24 hours of release, and even if this second look didn't quite match the previous, it was still popular across the internet. The second movie of the Fifty Shades series is directed by James Foley, and will see a wounded Christian Grey trying to entice Ana Steele back into his treacherous life. The film will star Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson, ¿Donde está Kim Basinger? (2009), Bella Heathcote, Rita Ora and Luke Grimes, and will be released on February 10th 2017.

Baywatch

Another more adult trailer hit yesterday with Baywatch (2017), a comedy from Horrible Bosses director Seth Gordon that adapts the hit US TV show for the big screen. The benefit of going to the cinema of course is that we'll get to see all the sexy action and glorious locations in gleaming detail, but it also means (with this new cast) that we get some eye-candy for Paramount to bring in even more audience members next year. Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario, Kelly Rohrbach, Priyanka Chopra and Jon Bass certainly bring appeal to many in that department, but luckily from this trailer it would seem that's not all they're relying on, as it's jam-packed with great humour and action. 'Baywatch' will appropriately be released at the start of the summer movie season on May 26th 2017.

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Last to be released was another little treat from Marvel; this time in the form of a trailer for Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). This will of course be the first solo film produced by Sony/Columbia where they receive help from Marvel Studios, following the historic deal that allows the character to exist in the MCU, as well as in Sony's own movies. The film itself is directed by Jon Watts and was written by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley. It was also produced by Sony's Amy Pascal and Marvel's Kevin Feige. In the film, we will seemingly follow Peter Parker's tricky life at high school, where it looks like there'll be plenty of laughs and great character beats as our awesome new Spidey (who we got a taste of in 'Captain America: Civil War') interacts with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), and high-school pupils Michelle (Zendaya), Ned (Jacob Batalon), and Liz (Laura Harrier). Tom Holland's Spider Man will go up against Michael Keaton's The Vulture, Bokeem Woodbine's Shocker and Michael Chernus' Tinkerer when the film hits US theatres on 7th July next year.

War for the Planet of the Apes

Last of all, we got a trailer for 20th Century Fox's War for the Planet of the Apes (2017), the third installment in the critically acclaimed Planet of the Apes reboot franchise. Of course what many like about these films is not only the epic blockbuster action, but it's also the emotional intelligence, and luckily this trailer looks like a winner in both of those departments. We see Ape vs Man taken to a whole new level as Ceasar (Andy Serkis) and his species come under attack from 'the Colonel' (Woody Harrelson) and his men in a sprawling war. A gripping adventure is likely to unfold; something that's definitely expected with director Matt Reeves and many of the predecessor's team returning. 'War of the Planet of the Apes,' stars Andy Serkies, Woody Harrelson, Judy Greer and Steve Zahn, and will be released on July 14th 2017.

So there we have it; a damn lot of trailers, and who knows, we may see even more in the coming days (ahem, 'Fast 8.'). Which of these movies are you most excited for after seeing the trailers though? Let me know in the comments below.