2017 is the Rocky VI of years. 2016 was such a hotbed of hate, suffering and poor decisions, that it can only be compared to Rocky V. Therefore, 2017 is presented with two facts that dictate how it should go about it’s business:
Thankfully, our old trusting friend the mass media (!) have dug deep to at least give us films, TV shows and video games that can potentially turn things around. Good old faceless multi-media conglomerates, always so caring!
- There is no possible way in can be worse
- It has a lot of making up to do
Thankfully, our old trusting friend the mass media (!) have dug deep to at least give us films, TV shows and video games that can potentially turn things around. Good old faceless multi-media conglomerates, always so caring!
Movies
I was going to do this in chronological order, but we’re here for a good time, not an organised one (never thought I would hear myself say that). It does however mean I have to open with a film we know nothing about, but without a doubt the one I would use my one time only time travel ticket to see - Star Wars Episode VIII.
Much like the House of Mouse did with Marvel after purchasing them, Disney has seen to it that the good times are back in the galaxy far, far away. Two films deep into this new era, and everything is rosy. We left Episode 7 in a promising state, with Rey and Luke Skywalker stood atop a grassy hill ready to for one hell of a Jedi montage, complete with moving rocks, jumping off things, and hopefully fighting some seagulls. We have no reason to doubt that this won’t be another film of the year candidate when it releases on December 15th.
Next years slate of Marvel movies may be sans a big team-up movie as we had in both 2016 and 2016, but it will be the first triple header ever from the MCU. Things kick off with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 on May 5th, following on from the out of nowhere mega hit of 2014. Everyone is back, and plot details are thin on the ground going off the trailer, but we know from several sources that Star Lord will be in search of his Dad.
Much like the House of Mouse did with Marvel after purchasing them, Disney has seen to it that the good times are back in the galaxy far, far away. Two films deep into this new era, and everything is rosy. We left Episode 7 in a promising state, with Rey and Luke Skywalker stood atop a grassy hill ready to for one hell of a Jedi montage, complete with moving rocks, jumping off things, and hopefully fighting some seagulls. We have no reason to doubt that this won’t be another film of the year candidate when it releases on December 15th.
Next years slate of Marvel movies may be sans a big team-up movie as we had in both 2016 and 2016, but it will be the first triple header ever from the MCU. Things kick off with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 on May 5th, following on from the out of nowhere mega hit of 2014. Everyone is back, and plot details are thin on the ground going off the trailer, but we know from several sources that Star Lord will be in search of his Dad.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is making no small bones about this being Spidey’s true big return to Marvel (the subtitle is a little on the nose in that regard). Despite being a Sony movie and not a Disney one, it will follow on from Civil War, and feature Tony Stark/Iron Man. The first trailer gave me hope that they have finally found the right mix of nerdy, awkward school aged Peter Parker, and the quippy-whippy, maximum effort Spider-Man. By far and away the superhero movie I am most looking forward to, so July 7th can’t come fast enough.
Thor: Ragnarok will close the year out for the MCU on November 3rd, and while we don’t have a trailer yet, it is clear already that the Thor formula has been thrown out the window after The Dark World underwhelmed. New director Taika Waititi doesn’t make normal films (What We Do in the Shadows being perhaps his most well known work), and the info we know so far is “out there” to say the least - it will apparently see Thor and Hulk on a buddy cop esque trek through the galaxy, will at one point include Hulk in gladiator armour ala Planet Hulk, it has JEFF FREAKIN GOLDBLUM in it, and of course this video below:
Fox have dialled down their Marvel content, only offering up Hugh Jackman’s final portrayal of everyone’s favourite amnesiac killing machine when Logan (or as it will forever be known on Foul Ent, “Requiem for a Wolverine”), shambles painfully into town on March 3rd. With the superhero genre trying to branch into every other perceivable genre as of late, Logan looks to be doubling down on the introspective drama that first appeared in The Wolverine. It’s risky, and could potentially fall under the weight of its own glumness, but I’d be lying if I said the trailer didn’t have me intrigued.
DC kind of just went along with how torrid 2016 was, failing to resurrect their ailing, slapdash movie universe with two epic misfires in the form of BvS and Suicide Squad. In all of their rushing to catch up with Marvel, they have face planted the first three hurdles, and people may give up caring if their two 2017 movies don’t turn things around. Wonder Woman represents their best chance in my eyes. The trailers have gone over universally well, and it is out of chronology with the first three DCEU movies, meaning it is free to be its own thing come June 2nd.
This all leads to November 17th, and the first Justice League movie. And I’ll throw my hands up - I keep forgetting the movie is coming in 2017. The Avengers was inescapable ahead of its 2012 release, but DC’s fumbles have meant that hype for Justice League may depend entirely on Wonder Woman's performance and killer trailers in the lead up. The first Comic Con footage was interesting (apart from Ezra Miller’s Flash, who gave me horrible Jesse Eisenberg Lex Luthor flashbacks), but so was Suicide Squads, and we all know what happened there.
Oddly, DC’s most surefire hit is The LEGO Batman Movie, if the first LEGO Movie is anything to go by. If they are willing to go all in with the February 10th release, they could gain some fan love from the most unexpected of places just in time for the build to Wonder Woman.
That rounds out superheroes, but 2017 has much more to offer thankfully.
Perhaps none have me more worried and excited in equal measure than March 24th Power Rangers. On the one hand - Bryan Cranston as Zordon, Bill Hader as Alpha 5, Elizabeth Banks as Rita Repulsa, Zords, and the greatest theme song in the history of time brought back into our lives. On the other hand - the unknown cast, the leaked image of Alpha 5 “the sexual predroid”, divisive costumes and Zord designs, and a trailer that put exactly no fears to bed.
Perhaps none have me more worried and excited in equal measure than March 24th Power Rangers. On the one hand - Bryan Cranston as Zordon, Bill Hader as Alpha 5, Elizabeth Banks as Rita Repulsa, Zords, and the greatest theme song in the history of time brought back into our lives. On the other hand - the unknown cast, the leaked image of Alpha 5 “the sexual predroid”, divisive costumes and Zord designs, and a trailer that put exactly no fears to bed.
A much more solid bet arrives on October 6th with Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Kingsman: The Secret Service surprised everyone when it came out in 2014, and whilst that movies MVP Colin Firth looks to be sitting this one out (for obvious reasons), his replacements aren’t too shabby - Sweet Channy T, Jeff Bridges, Halle Berry, Julianne Moore, Pedro “Red Viper” Pascal, and . . . Elton John. No trailer yet, but the film will apparently show Eggy (Taron Egerton) travel to the US to meet the Kingsman’s American counterpart, the Statesmen.
Keeping things going with yet another sequel to a surprise hit, War for the Planet of the Apes comes out on July 14th, and will see some of the last pockets of humanity go up against Andy Serkis’ MVP (Most Valuable Primate) Caesar. It has the same team behind it as Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and it looks likely to carry on the rebooted series solid track record.
Keeping things going with yet another sequel to a surprise hit, War for the Planet of the Apes comes out on July 14th, and will see some of the last pockets of humanity go up against Andy Serkis’ MVP (Most Valuable Primate) Caesar. It has the same team behind it as Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and it looks likely to carry on the rebooted series solid track record.
Rounding out my list (I’ve got time for lip service for Kong: Skull Island but not much else), we find hit-and-hoper Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. I’m an apologist for the Pirates trilogy which has seemingly retroactively been deemed cliché and naff, but On Stranger Tides was an undoubted mess. My expectations are not high, but Jack Sparrow is never not in with a shout of making a fun movie (Johnny Depp’s real life heel turn notwithstanding).
TV
I’m afraid with TV, the list of things I know are coming fit into one of two categories - returning series, or new superhero IPs. For example, Marvel/Netflix are bringing us three presents in 2017, starting on March 17th when Iron Fist drops. The final piece of the puzzle before The Defenders team up special, Danny Rand/Iron Fist has yet to be introduced in the previous 4 Marvel/Netflix series, but in the comics he and Luke Cage are usually partners in crime fighting. Finn Jones will play Iron Fist, and was always fun as Loras Tyrell in Game of Thrones, so hopes are high.
Speaking of The Defenders, that too will arrive in 2017, though we don’t know when. It began filming in October 2016, with Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist all involved, so I suspect it will get a late summer release. We’re also getting The Punisher stand alone series, warranted after he stole the show in Daredevil S2, but as that hasn’t started filming yet it won’t likely be with us until right at the tail end of the year.
Those that read my 2016 awards know that the choice for best TV show was a straight shootout between Stranger Things and the eventual winner. Though it ultimately came in second place, I could not be more hyped for S2. S1 was perfect, and while it wrapped everything up satisfyingly, it did still leave the door open for a tonne more questions. No date yet, but anticipation will run uninterrupted until it finally lands.
Those that read my 2016 awards know that the choice for best TV show was a straight shootout between Stranger Things and the eventual winner. Though it ultimately came in second place, I could not be more hyped for S2. S1 was perfect, and while it wrapped everything up satisfyingly, it did still leave the door open for a tonne more questions. No date yet, but anticipation will run uninterrupted until it finally lands.
That leaves me with the follow up to the eventual winner of my best TV show of 2016 award - Game of Thrones S7. I am so thankful that we now know for sure that we are building to the ending, as at some points in S4 and S5 it truly felt like it would never come. S6 started to show the good guys winning again, and with only 13 episodes left spread over two seasons to finish things off, the payoffs will be coming thick and fast when the 7 episode run airs in mid summer.
Video Games
As I mentioned in those aforementioned 2016 awards, video games failed to inspire me in 2016. 2017 will not be the same. We’re getting the years first tentpole game pretty soon, when Horizon: Zero Dawn drops on March 1st. Built around what I call the “blueprint game” structure of open world RPG combat-and-collectathons (see: Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Mad Max etc.), it will hopefully find a way to make it self unique enough to capture the imagination.
Early on this year, we’ll also be finally getting our hands on two long overdue games. Firstly, South Park: The Fractured But Whole unfortunately got delayed into 2017, but the extra time in development meant it’s predecessor The Stick of Truth one of the best games in the dying days of the PS3, so it’s only an inconvenience more than a reason to worry.
Did you know it’s been 10 YEARS since the last proper Tekken game? Sure we’ve have Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and Street Fighter x Tekken, but Tekken 7 has been in development for far too long. We still don’t have a set date, but Q1 of 2017 is the accepted window. It can’t possibly be worth the wait, but it is an odd numbered Tekken game, which are the good ones (even a decade on Tekken 6 still burns).
It’s been longer still since the world got to enjoy a Crash Bandicoot game (a good one anyway). And while the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is just a remake of Crash 1, 2 and 3, it will still be great to welcome him back into our lives in early 2017.
2015’s rebooted Star Wars: Battlefront was a wet fart of a game. Just a joyless cash-in that somehow had less content that the PS2’s Battlefront II - no storyline, not single player, no Galactic Conquest, no prequel content, no space battles, no nothing. It will be getting a sequel in 2017, and while the jury is still very much out, it has been reported that it will indeed have a single player campaign. Give me that and droidekas and you have a sale!
Now the big fish I know I’m landing (until it goes the way of every other Rockstar game and gets delayed) - Red Dead Redemption 2. The worst kept secret in gaming, we knew it has been coming for years, but that didn’t stop the internet from losing it’s mind when the below trailer finally released us from this awful purgatory we’d been stuck in since the first RDR in 2010. Just watch this, soak it in, and think of the plentiful beavers we’ll all be slaying in Autumn.
Now the big fish I know I’m landing (until it goes the way of every other Rockstar game and gets delayed) - Red Dead Redemption 2. The worst kept secret in gaming, we knew it has been coming for years, but that didn’t stop the internet from losing it’s mind when the below trailer finally released us from this awful purgatory we’d been stuck in since the first RDR in 2010. Just watch this, soak it in, and think of the plentiful beavers we’ll all be slaying in Autumn.
And finally, wrapping up this entire 2017 preview article, we have a new console arriving imminently. Nintendo have finally sent the Wii U down river for a long overdue Viking funeral, and are about the drop the Nintendo Switch into our lives. It’s gimmicky, as are all Ninty consoles post Gamecube, featuring a portable screen so it can be played anywhere. We’ll be getting our first giant heaping of information in January, but here is the sizzle reel that nearly stole Red Dead’s thunder when it dropped on the same day.
I knew before launch that the Wii U was a dumpster fire waiting to happen, and I happened to win a Wii without ever considering buying one, so this is the first time I’ve considered buying a Nintendo console in over a decade. Why? Well partly due to the as yet unconfirmed but heavily rumoured Pokemon Sun/Moon and Super Smash Bros Wii U ports, and the highly likely new Mario game, but my hype at this point is almost entirely due to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
I have never been more excited for a game in my life (my YouTube history of watching near enough every Lets Play preview that exists is testament to this), and even if the other games I mentioned don’t come to fruition, I’d still consider getting my hands on the Switch if Breath of the Wild reviews are as good as they could be. It is simply too tantalising not to own.
I have never been more excited for a game in my life (my YouTube history of watching near enough every Lets Play preview that exists is testament to this), and even if the other games I mentioned don’t come to fruition, I’d still consider getting my hands on the Switch if Breath of the Wild reviews are as good as they could be. It is simply too tantalising not to own.
Thank you for reading! What are you looking forward to in 2017? Let me know below.
By Darren Gutteridge
@TheGutteridge
Darren is a columnist and a co-host on almost all our podcasts, including PopScorn and Gotta Cast 'Em All. He is a long time blogger, known for his previous website The Gutteridge Log, and his in-depth analysis and explanation of pop culture media.
@TheGutteridge
Darren is a columnist and a co-host on almost all our podcasts, including PopScorn and Gotta Cast 'Em All. He is a long time blogger, known for his previous website The Gutteridge Log, and his in-depth analysis and explanation of pop culture media.