Can Universal repeat last year's Box Office success?
Will the 2015 Box Office champ defend its crown?
Universal Pictures had a fantastic year at the box office in 2015. Provided below are some films on Universal's 2016 slate that could help lead to a repeat performance.
Ride Along 2 (January 15, 2016): "Kevin Hart and Ice Cube lead the returning lineup of Ride Along 2, the sequel to the blockbuster action-comedy that gave us the year’s most popular comedy duo. Joining Hart and Cube for the next chapter of the series are director Tim Story, as well as Cube’s fellow producers—Will Packer, Matt Alvarez and Larry Brezner—who will produce alongside Cube" (www.universalpictures.com).
Hail, Caesar! (February 5, 2016): "Four-time Oscar®-winning filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men, True Grit, Fargo) write and direct Hail, Caesar!, an all-star comedy set during the latter years of Hollywood's Golden Age. Starring Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and Channing Tatum, Hail, Caesar! follows a single day in the life of a studio fixer who is presented with plenty of problems to fix" (www.universalpictures.com).
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (March 25, 2016): "Gold Circle Entertainment and HBO present a Playtone production of My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, the long-awaited follow-up to the highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time. Written by Academy Award® nominee Nia Vardalos, who stars alongside the entire returning cast of favorites, the film reveals a Portokalos family secret that will bring the beloved characters back together for an even bigger and Greeker wedding" (www.universalpictures.com).
The Boss (April 8, 2016): "Academy Award®-nominated star Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, The Heat, Tammy) headlines The Boss as a titan of industry who is sent to prison after she’s caught for insider trading. When she emerges ready to rebrand herself as America’s latest sweetheart, not everyone she screwed over is so quick to forgive and forget" (www.universalpictures.com).
The Huntsman: Winter's War (April 22, 2016): "Long before the evil Queen Ravenna ([Charlize] Theron) was thought vanquished by Snow White’s blade, she watched silently as her sister, Freya ([Emily] Blunt), suffered a heartbreaking betrayal and fled their kingdom. With Freya’s ability to freeze any enemy, the young ice queen has spent decades in a remote wintry palace raising a legion of deadly huntsmen—including Eric ([Chris] Hemsworth) and warrior Sara ([Jessica] Chastain)—only to find that her prized two defied her one demand: Forever harden your hearts to love" (www.universalpictures.com).
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (May 13, 2016): The sequel to the R-Rated comedy brings back director Nick Stoller and stars Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron, Dave Franco, Ike Barinholtz and Liz Cackowski. Chloe Grace Moretz and Selena Gomez join the cast as presumed members of the sorority. Posted below is the trailer for Neighbors.
WARCRAFT (June 10, 2016): "Legendary Pictures' WARCRAFT, a 3D epic adventure of world-colliding conflict based upon Blizzard Entertainment's globally-renowned universe, is directed by Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code) and is written by Charles Leavitt and rewritten by Duncan Jones. The producers are Charles Roven, Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni and Alex Gartner. Stuart Fenegan, Jillian Share and Brent O'Connor serve as executive producers. Blizzard's Chris Metzen co-produces" (www.universalpictures.com).
The Purge 3 (July 1, 2016): The third movie in the socio-political horror franchise from Blumhouse Productions will feature the return of Frank Grillo as Sergeant. At this point little else is known about the film but posted below are the trailers for The Purge and The Purge: Anarchy.
The Secret Life of Pets (July 8, 2016): "For their fifth fully-animated feature-film collaboration, Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures present The Secret Life of Pets, a comedy about the lives our pets lead after we leave for work or school each day. Comedy superstars Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet and Kevin Hart make their animated feature-film debuts in The Secret Life of Pets, which co-stars Ellie Kemper, Lake Bell, Jenny Slate, Bobby Moynihan, Hannibal Buress and Albert Brooks. Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and his longtime collaborator Janet Healy produce the film directed by Chris Renaud (Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2), co-directed by Yarrow Cheney and written by Brian Lynch and Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio" (www.universalpictures.com).
Bourne 5 (July 29, 2016): Bourne 5 (no official title)sees the return of director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum) and superstar Matt Damon (The Martian) back to the franchise. Filming is currently underway with plot and story details being kept under wraps.
Bridget Jones's Baby (September 16, 2016): The third movie in the 15 year old trilogy is headlined by Renee Zellweger (Chicago), Colin Firth (Kingsman: The Secret Service) and Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy). The romantic comedy finds Bridget Jones pregnant and unknowing of who the father is.
Kevin Hart: What Now? (October 14, 2016): The stand-up comedy concert movie sequel to Let Me Explain. The comedy special was filmed in Philadelphia’s sold out Lincoln Financial Field in front of 50,000 fans.
Ouija 2 (October 21, 2016): Ouija 2 will be directed by Mike Flanagan and feature an all new cast. Annalise Basso, who previously worked with Flanagan on Oculus, is one of the female leads. Ouija made $102.5 million worldwide off of a $5 million budget. Source: The Hollywood Reporter
The Great Wall (November 23, 2016): Matt Damon (The Martian), Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man) and Andy Lau (House of Flying Daggers) star in the $150 million U.S.-China co-production. "The story, based on an original idea by Legendary CEO Thomas Tull and World War Z author Max Brooks, explores the mysteries behind the construction of The Great Wall in China as we follow two 15th century British soldiers who get caught up in the havoc caused by some inhuman element that the builders are trying to keep out" (http://collider.com/matt-damon-the-great-wall-charles-roven/).
