This winter is filled with heroes. Pacific demi-gods. Vin Diesels. Rebels. Milla Jovovichs. Batmans. Scarlet Johanssens. Wolverines. King Arthurs. Fassbenders. Beauties. Beasts. Power Rangers! When looked at as a whole, the movies coming over this winter feature a fantastic mix of champions. Here’s what we’re looking forward to on the big, big screen in the next few months.
Moana – November 25
Lin-Manuel Miranda! The Rock! A Disney heroine who goes on an adventure instead of getting married! The Rock again! Yeah, I’m slightly excited for this one. —Leah
This seems like it might end up being the movie that I wanted Brave to be, and I have been waiting for it since it was announced, so please give it to me now please. —Emily
La La Land – December 2
Musicals hover on the edge of genre, but I am beyond excited for this movie—it seems like a refreshing break from the endless Avenging and Star Wars-ing. The trailer looks like a blend of Singin’ in the Rain’s technicolor magic and Once’s tragic romance, so I am SOLD. —Sarah
I’m a little worried that I won’t appreciate this without having seen the aforementioned musical comedy films, but I’m hoping it’s more of a classic overlay over a modern story. That, or I’ll just bone up on my musical lore over Thanksgiving weekend. —Natalie
This is a thing? Sarah, why didn’t you tell me this was a thing? Yes, let’s do this. —Emily
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – December 16
I want this movie to end with Mads Mikkelsen’s perfect, massive face superimposed over the Death Star, and I want him to shoot lasers out of his eyes. And then I want the sequel to this movie to actually be Hannibal Season Four, but a movie. —Leah
I might actually be more excited about this movie than I originally was about The Force Awakens. I know, I know, that’s probably heresy, but rebellious loner Felicity Jones stomping across the screen just gives me goosebumps. —Molly
For months, every time I see a Rogue One ad, I think, Nooo, just hurry up and give me Episode VIII already. Then my younger self reaches through time and space and slaps me for being ungrateful for a new Star Wars movie every year, and yeah, I’m probably gonna cry when they get the Death Star plans. —Natalie
To be perfectly honest, I was kind of ‘meh’ about this for a while (despite being a dyed-in-the-wool Star Wars fan) because it seemed a little too obvious on the money-grabbing front to me. In a way it kind of still does. But then I was in a theater and saw the trailer on a big screen and just started crying? So fine, it’s emotional manipulation, but it’s effective emotional manipulation, so shut and take my money. —Emily
Passengers – Dec 23
Is there anyone who’s not excited by the combination of Chris Pratt, Jennifer Lawrence, space-explosions, and robot-bartenders? —Sarah
Why are we sending our prettiest people to die in space? —Chris
I’m in this for the robot-bartender. I want to know its story, its secret hopes and dreams, and where it wants to be in five years. —Leah
I think the word Sarah means is SPACESPLOSIONS! And I’m definitely excited about them—and about the design of that gorgeous ship. We can always use more movies which look utterly beautiful even as things are blowing the heck up. —Molly
Generation ships? People woken up decades too soon? The Adam-and-Eve dilemma of falling in love (or not) with only one option of a mate? Gimme gimme gimme. —Natalie
I am also only in it for the robot bartender. —Emily
Assassin’s Creed – Dec 23
Why would you cast Michael Fassbender and then cover his face? I’d rather just rewatch Shame. —Natalie
For some reason watching this trailer just makes me want a Red Dead Redemption movie. —Chris
A Monster Calls – Dec 23
So pretty. The trailer looked so very pretty. Might go see it just for the visuals? Depends on how depressing it is. —Emily
XXX: Return of Xander Cage – January 20
I will watch any movie that involves Vin Diesel and ridiculous forms of transportation, even—especially?—when he’s playing “a man who’s essentially a sentient Mountain Dew commercial.” A sentient Mountain Dew commercial that skies down a gosh-dang rainforest, OK? We all have strange things that make us happy and I truly hope this is one of mine. —Molly
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter – January 27
I can only claim Resident Evil 4 as my touchstone to this series, so a lot of the references in this trailer go over my head (although there’s a glimpse of Wesker and his perfectly punchable face!). But. I am really, really curious what Liz Bourke will have to say. —Chris
Rings – February 3
I know it’s a horror movie but this hits ALL of the information-technology-engineer-science-fiction buttons for me. So Samara can duplicate and house herself in any signal storage medium…is she pure data? How does she negotiate between the different formats and coding languages inherent in all of these electronic devices and networks? Does she need to commandeer a direct power source to continue accumulating data or can she generate her own? How decentralized is she? Could you stop her with blockchain? So many questions!—Chris
Seven days… Also, Samara is creepypasta. I will reward the Rings franchise for their wonderful self-awareness by buying a ticket. —Natalie
The Lego Batman Movie – February 10
Someone give me a time machine so I can see this already. NOW PLZ. —Sarah
I am confident this will be remembered as one of the greatest Batman movies of all time. If not the undisputed greatest. —Chris
What I love about this is that I assumed that The LEGO Movie was going to be the worst kind of corporate pap, but it turned out to be a lovely, heartfelt movie, with a real message about heroism. So I’m excited to see what the writers and director do with the Batman mythos here. And as much as I love Michael Keaton, Will Arnett is our best Batman. —Leah
The LEGO Movie managed to rope me in despite my assumptions that it was “just for kids,” and my experience was identical to Leah’s. I’ve never been big on any Batman movies, but I think I’ve finally found my way in. —Natalie
All obvious excitement aside, this movie fixes one of my biggest pet peeves about current Batman films, which is: WHERE IS ROBIN? So I’d go see it for that all by itself. —Emily
God Particle – February 24
The Abrams/Cloverfield team is hinting that this film will produce some stepping stones on how to link Cloverfield and last year’s very-very unrelated 10 Cloverfield Lane, while continuing to adhere to the “small stories in epic sci-fi sagas” aesthetic that made both previous films so enjoyable. But it’s only a hint, so far? There’s not even any footage or trailers to review, so enjoy this picture of an astronaut saying hello from the International Space Station. —Chris
Wait, Earth disappears? Not sure how this fits into the Cloververse, but if one of the astronauts is drinking freeze-dried Slusho!, I’m down. Which is to say, I loved it when Christopher Nolan tackled space stories, so I’m curious to see Abrams’ take on the matter. —Natalie
Logan – March 3
I can’t say no to Patrick Stewart and Hugh Jackman’s last hurrah, although I appreciate them sweetening the deal with late-era Johnny Cash. Please excuse me I have to watch this trailer over and over again. —Chris
LOGAN/CHARLES ROAD TRIIIIP! —Natalie
Still gonna make fun of the title forever, still concerned about how this can possibly play with the timeline revamp that the X-Men films are trying to set up, but more than anything I just need one good Wolverine film. Can you do that for me, movie? —Emily
Beauty and the Beast – March 17
I’m sort of angry that the trailer for this movie almost made me cry but something about Emma Watson’s incredibly earnest face plus the best all-purpose bad guy of the 2010s (Luke Evans, naturally) hit all the buttons the original animated film pushed, and then some. Or maybe I’m just really ready for a story with a happy ending. —Molly
Pretty much a cornerstone of my childhood, and with a cast like this one, it’ll be hard to keep me away. Curious about how they’re going to fold in the music… —Emily
In this for Luke Evans’ rendition of “Gaston” and Ewan McGregor adorably singing “Be Our Guest”… but not sure I’d see this in theaters. Probably at home after making sweets and the grey stuff (it’s delicious!). —Natalie
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword – March 24
Behold: the most Guy Ritchiest Guy Ritchie film to ever Guy Ritchie onto the Guy Ritchie screen. Other than a sword in a stone, does it bear any relation to the Arthur mythos with which we’re generally familiar? Does it matter? Arthur’s wearing leather pants, half the cast of Game of Thrones are in there somewhere, and Jude Law has some wicked magic. Sword! Fire! Elephant! Mud! Sign me right up. —Molly
Merlin, drop that sick beat! —Natalie
SLOW. MO. EXCALIBUR. —Emily
Power Rangers – March 24
I was baffled by Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers as a kid and I’m baffled by its nostalgic popularity now but from what I can tell from the trailer this movie reconfigures the daffy over-sugared franchise into a story of empowerment, and even hints that becoming a Ranger means joining a universal legacy of empowerment, and auuuugh, how did you do that you made something goofy into something important now I have to see if they pull it off. —Chris
The nostalgia pull could be overwhelming for me on this one. I feel like I might go see it in a weird hypnotic state, then leave the theater in a daze, shouting “What did I just do?” —Emily
Ghost in the Shell – March 31
This trailer is enrapturing, equal parts The Fifth Element and Blade Runner, with a haunting underlying theme that demands that the character–and viewer–find their way back to humanity. I will always wonder what an actress of Japanese, or East Asian, descent would have done in this role, but it looks like we’re in for a really strong story regardless.—Chris
These aren’t the only films out this winter, just the ones we’re excited to see, and we didn’t even get to the spring line-up: Valerian… Wonder Woman… Guardians of the Galaxy 2… The Justice League! What are you looking forward to seeing?
