Some of 2016’s best films were shot in the Boston area, starred Massachusetts-born celebs, or both! Manchester By The Sea scored big at the Oscars, while Patriot’s Day and The Accountant served up the action audiences crave. The upcoming year in movies already promises to bring incredible special effects and story lines, along with an exciting summer blockbuster season.
Here are 9 movies set to be released this year that have connections to Massachusetts. Mark your calendars!
1. Beauty & The Beast (March 17)
Okay, so Emma Watson isn’t from Boston, but she did attend Brown University! This re-imagining of the Disney animated classic has had audiences waiting with baited breath for its release. Now the wait is almost over. Let’s see if it lives up to the hype.
2. Power Rangers (March 24)
I must admit, I was a huge Power Rangers fan back in the 90’s, so I’ll probably see this one out of nostalgia. With a cast that includes Pittsfield native Elizabeth Banks as super-villain Rita Repulsa and Breaking Bad star, Bryan Cranston as the voice of Zordon, this film might actually be pretty good!
3. Song To Song (March 24)
The tagline for this limited-release film is “Two intersecting love triangles. Obsession and betrayal set against the music scene in Austin, Texas.” It stars Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, Michael Fassbender and Harvard graduate, Natalie Portman.
4. Gifted (April 7)
This guaranteed tear-jerker stars two Massachusetts natives – Chris Evans from Sudbury and Jenny Slate from Milton. It’s the story of an average Joe raising his niece after his sister’s death. When it’s discovered that the little girl is a math whiz, everybody wants a piece of her and Evans’ character must struggle to give the child the “normal life” he promised to his sister.
5. Free Fire (April 21)
Set in Boston and executive produced by Martin Scorsese, you may be expecting another The Departed, but critics say that this movie offers nearly as much comedy as violence.
6. The Wall (May 12)
This war film stars former pro-wrestler-turned-actor John Cena as a US soldier pinned down with a wounded comrade by an Iraqi sniper who is playing mind games with them. Cena is a West Newbury native and he does a pretty mean Gronk impression!
7. Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (May 19)
Plainville, MA author Jeff Kinney’s wildly popular Wimpy Kid series has already been made into three other movies, now this sequel features a whole new cast and a roadtrip! Fun for all ages.
8. Baywatch (May 26)
This comedic film adaptation of the 90’s television show stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Zac Effron and former Newton resident, Priyanka Chopra. David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson will also be on hand, as well as comedians Hannibal Burress and Rob Huebel.
9. Churchill (June)
The trailer is not yet available on this one and there is no firm release date, but with a cast that features Brian Cox, Miranda Richardson and Boston-native John Slattery, this historical period-piece is sure to pack a punch. We do know that it is set in June 1944, days before the Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, in World War II.