Hollywood will be shooting a plethora of big-name movies next year which will be closely followed until their release in 2018.
Star Wars Episode IX and Han Solo
With "Rogue One", the first spin-off of the Star Wars saga, achieving huge success worldwide, Disney is planning to begin shooting a second one in January which tells the story of a young Han Solo. The famous smuggler immortalized by Harrison Ford will be played by Alden Ehrenreich. A few months later, in April, director Colin Trevorrow ("Jurassic World") will begin production of the ninth episode of "Star Wars" at Pinewood Studios in London.
Release dates: May 2018 (Han Solo) and May 2019 ("Star Wars IX")
The Batman
Ben Affleck will be behind and in front of the camera for the next Batman instalment. He's expected to begin shooting this latest episode, which he will be writing and producing, in the spring. The movie will also star Jeremy Irons, J.K Simmons and Joe Manganiello.
Release date: 2018
Jurassic World sequel
Juan Antonio Bayona will step into Colin Trevorrow's shoes for the sequel to the 2015 blockbuster which brought in $1.6bn at the box office. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, the stars of the first movie, will begin shooting the second one in February-March in London and Hawaii.
Release date: June 2018
Robin Hood: Origins
This new adaptation of the Robin Hood story will begin production in Budapest in January, with the British actor Taron Egerton ("Kingsman") in the title role. It will also star Jamie Foxx, Ben Mendelsohn and Jamie Dornan ("Fifty Shades of Grey").
Release date: March 2018
A Star is Born
Bradley Cooper will direct his first film in California in early 2017. For his first work as a director, the actor has opted for a new adaptation of the musical "A Star is Born". Following in the footsteps of Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand, Lady Gaga will be playing a young actress in search of fame and fortune.
Release date: September 2018
Avatar 2
Almost ten years after the first episode, which still is the world number one box-office film of all time, James Cameron is finally set to return to planet Pandora. According to the actor Stephen Lang, shooting will begin in 2017 with Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver and Zoe Saldana.
Release date: December 2018
Mary Poppins Returns
In early 2017, Rob Marshall ("Chicago", "Nine") will bring Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and Ben Wishaw to London to film a follow-up to the famous Disney movie which was released in 1964. The new Mary Poppins production is set 20 years after the first one so the Banks children are now adults.
Release date: Christmas 2018
The Alchemist
In mid-2017, Laurence Fishburne will begin shooting an adaptation of the philosophical tale by Paulo Coelho that he has been working on for many years. The novel, which was released in 1988, tells the story of a young Spanish shepherd's quest for hidden treasure that starts in Andalusia and ends in the Egyptian pyramids.
Release date: 2018
Black Panther
Having first appeared in "Captain America: Civil War," the African prince is now set to have his own movie adventure which will begin shooting in Atlanta in January. Chadwick Boseman will star in the title role alongside Forest Whitaker, Lupita Nyong'o, Angela Bassett and Martin Freeman.
Release date: February 2018
The Irishman
Over 20 years after "Casino," Martin Scorsese will begin shooting this Frank Sheeran biopic in February or March with Robert De Niro, one of his favorite actors. Sheeran is suspected of having killed the labor union leader Jimmy Hoffa in 1975. This ninth collaboration between the renowned director and actor will also star Al Pacino and Joe Pesci.
Release date: 2018
