There has been a lot of scuttlebutt over the past week or so about what a terrible summer it's been for the movies. Box office is down and there appears to be a dearth of real blockbusters on the horizon. It's led to some predictable “The sky is falling!” stories from media looking for something scandalous to write about. Well, take a deep breath, people. Hollywood knew this summer was weak months ago.
The movie business is a creative business and unless there are movies people are dying to see, it can only sustain a certain level of success. 2014 has a long way to go, however. From “Guardians of the Galaxy” to “Gone Girl” to “Interstellar” to “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay” to “Exodus: Gods and Kings” to the final “Hobbit” movie, there are a ton of broad hits on the way that could make an impact on pop culture (and those are just the big studio movies). And, of course, there's 2015.
Next year finds “Star Wars: Episode VII,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Fast & Furious 7,” “Tomorrowland,” “Jurassic World,” Pixar's “Inside Out,” “Minions,” a new James Bond and, oh yeah, the last “Hunger Games” flick, among other notables. Something suggests that even if half these movies severely disappoint (and that seems unlikely), moviegoers and Hollywood are going to be A-OK next year. But, forget about 2015. What about 2016?
Yes, it's not that far out to review the slew of highly anticipated flicks that could make 2016 surpass 2015. Don't believe it? Check out the embedded gallery below and judge for yourself.