GDU

When the clock strikes midnight on 31 December and ticks over into the new year, movie enthusiasts should raise a glass and cheers to 2017 because it’s set to be a major year for film.

Fans can look forward to an extensive lineup of incredible movie releases over the next 12 months featuring a variety of themes and trends.

For example, while we will continue to see more comic-based movies hit the big screen, in the coming year there will be an emphasis on crossover character appearances, meeting expectations for multiple superheroes in a single viewing – Iron Man in Spider-Man: Homecoming and Hulk in Thor: Ragnarok.

It’s also the year major movie franchises come to an end such as the third and final Wolverine movie, Logan, which will see Hugh Jackman put down those claws and step away from the X-men character, Resident Evil will bid farewell to fifteen years and six movies with the release of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, while the high speed Fast & Furious franchise come an end when Vin Diesel and friends unleash The Fate of the Furious.

Fortunately, 2017 will also see the progression of a few franchises including Star Wars VIII, which will continue to follow Rey on her journey to becoming a Jedi, plus there’s the highly anticipated second installment in the erotic romance series 50 Shades series, 50 Shades Darker (don’t act like you’re not secretly counting down the days).

For comic fans, there’s a second Guardians of the Galaxy movie and Thor’s story continues out there in the galaxy with Hulk joining him in Thor: Ragnarok.

But perhaps the more exciting movie trend for 2017 (well at least for me), will be a focus on women in historical and kick ass roles.

Behind every ground breaking, history-making achievement there was a group of women and that’s the message behind Hidden Figures.

Documentary, The Eagle Huntress tells the story of a 13-year-old girl who fought through inequality to achieve her dreams in the male-dominated world of falconry.

And of course, there’s the long awaited Wonder Woman movie, which is not only the first solo flick for the character but the first comic-based movie in the DCU and MCU to be led by a female hero (why it has taken so long is beyond me, let’s ask Marvel…).

On that note, here are 27 movies (more like 30 but the number didn’t make for a catchy title) coming in 2017:

* These dates a subject to change.

Assassin’s Creed – 1 January

Passengers – 1 January

XXX: Return of Xander Cage – 19 January

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter – 26 January

Split – 26 January

50 Shades Darker – 9 February

Don’t act like you don’t want to see how this story develops (even if you already know because you’ve read the books three times #guilty).

Hidden Figures – 16 February

These ladies finally get a little recognition.

The Great Wall – 16 February

Newsies: The Broadway Musical – 19 February

fFrom the producers of The Lion King… say no more.

Rings – 23 February

Finally find out how the cursed tape came to be.

Logan – 2 March

Kong: Skull Island – 9 March

The Eagle Huntress – 16 March

Beauty and the Beast – 23 March

LIFE – 23 March

Power Rangers – 23 March

New group, new uniforms and new attitudes – welcome to a new era of Morphin Time.

The Lego Batman Movie – 30 March

The Fate of the Furious – 12 April

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – 25 April

Gifted – 27 April

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword – 11 May

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales – 25 May

Wonder Woman – 1 June

Let’s give her as much love as possible and prove people DO want to see more women leading in their own comic-based movies.

The Mummy – 8 June

Transformers: The Last Knight – 22 June

Spider-Man: Homecoming – 6 July

Thor: Ragnarok – 25 October

The Justice League – 16 November

Star Wars: Episode VIII – 14 December

All Eyez on Me – TBC

Which movies are you excited to see in 2017?