Beauty and the Beast
Rumoured to be opening at February’s Berlin film festival, Bill Condon’s live-action fairy tale benefits from a feminist revamp, Emma Watson in the lead and what looks like an absolute shed-load of cash. Dan Stevens is her ugly crush; other roles, not all of them talking crockery, are taken by (deep breath) Ewan McGregor, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Luke Evans, Emma Thompson, Josh Gad, Stanley Tucci, Ian McKellen and Kevin Kline. The trailer has already whipped Fifty Shades Darker into second place as the most viewed in 24 hours.
A Christmas Carol
Bennett Miller follows Foxcatcher, the intense story of a deeply creepy and disturbed billionaire wrestling fan who turns murderer with ... a cheery Dickens Yuletide classic. That said, it does feature ghost action and child mortality so perhaps Miller’s not gone too left-field after all. Details are sketchy, but Tom Stoppard is scripting.
Coco
Initially, Disney’s Moana looked sticky. Calls of cultural appropriation rang out at first sight of the Polynesian toon; the film has gone on to be the studio’s most successful, and best-loved, since Frozen. Which gives us renewed faith in the fate of Pixar’s Mexico effort, which ran into early difficulties when the Mouse House tried to copyright the phrase Dia de los Muertos for merchandising purposes.
A petition picked up more than 21,000 signatures and, since then, much of the movie has changed, including concerted efforts to bring on board people actually from the country. Anthony Gonzalez voices a 12-year-old boy whose actions retrigger a century-old mystery; Benjamin Bratt and Gael Garcia Bernal head up the support, while Toy Story 3’s Lee Unkrich directs.
Cruella
The internet suggests, variously, that this might not hit cinemas until 2018, and that it’ll be the big smash of next Christmas — and we’re banking on the latter. A live-action spin-off centring on the overcoat-loving criminal from 101 Dalmatians, our spirits are raised by the fact it a) stars Emma Stone and b) is scripted by Jez Butterworth.
Despicable Me 3
Cuddly bad-guy Gru and those insufferable irrepressible little minions are back for a third box-office takeover. Plot details are thin, but you could pretty much write it yourself at this stage.
Paddington 2
Possibly the most charming children’s film ever made, 2014’s Paddington emerged from a glut of dubious pre-publicity to storm our hearts and the globe’s box office (it also did great things for marmalade sales). And the plot summary for this follow-up sounds reassuringly low-key: Paddington, now happily settled with the Brown family and a popular member of the local community, picks up a series of odd jobs to buy the perfect present for his Aunt Lucy’s 100th birthday, only for the gift to be stolen.
We can’t see too much going awry with a story like that — and new cast additions Brendan Gleeson (as someone called “Knuckles” McGinty) and Hugh Grant (as a fabulously vain actor) only make us more in love with this one already.
Wonder Woman
Is this really a family film? Despite oh-so-serious Marvel origins plus that skimpy costume? We think so, anyway. Gal Gadot returns from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as the surprisingly elderly superhero; Chris Pine is her soldier squeeze.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Tom Holland’s extended cameo in the last Avengers film as a teenage boy with a very sticky secret went down a treat. So hopes are high for his first solo vehicle — plus Michael Keaton is top baddie the Vulture, and Zendaya possible love interest Michelle. One caveat: we don’t want too much perving over Maria Tomei’s Aunt May by Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark.
A Star is Born
Few people anticipated Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut would be a wildly camp X Factor ancestor musical with Lady Gaga in the lead. But we’re happy he’s keeping things fresh and hoping for an all-ages knees-up from this weird sounding number (produced by — but, of course — Clint Eastwood).
