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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 3 JANUARY 2016 39 This Week anticipated films of 2016 over whether superheroes should allow their powers to be curtailed by government. If that sounds a tad dull to you fear not, Mar- vel are offering up something for adults with a sense of humour and fun thanks to Deadpool – the comic book giant's bona fide trickster figure, here played by Ryan Reynolds in what seems like a passion project for all involved. Also throwing X-Men's Colossus into the mix, the film sees cancer- patient-turned-superpowered- mercenary Wade Wilson (Rey- nolds) on a quest to rescue his girlfriend from the clutches from the evil Ajax (Ed Skrein) – leaving a trail of bloody bodies and foul- mouthed wisecracks in his wake. DC Comics's contribution to the dark side of the superhero coin will be Suicide Squad, which is prominent for its irresistible premise – a gang of villains is employed by government for 'sui- cide' missions nobody else would take – and the appearance of Jared Leto as the iconic Joker… though Margot Robbie taking on the role of Joker's love interest Harley Quinn is not to be sniffed at ei- ther. With director David Ayer at the helm – who proved he could more than manage an ensemble cast with last year's Brad Pitt war- time thriller Fury – there's hope for this being the rough diamond of the tentpole comics adapta- tions pile. But Marvel's Doctor Strange could also potentially inject a new flavour into their – otherwise pret- ty militaristic – superhero uni- verse. Starring the beloved Ben- edict Cumberbatch as the titular surgeon-turned-mage, Scott Der- rickson's film could bring a much- needed aura of exotic magic to this otherwise pretty mechanized world, and with the likes of Tilda Swinton, Mads Mikkelsen and Chiwetel Ejiofor also on board, some solid acting chops are also be expected. Derrickson himself being something of a horror vet- eran – with the likes of Sinister, The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Deliver Us from Evil under his belt – should also help in spicing up the Marvel brand a little bit. Cumberbatch, a pretty ubiqui- tous presence following his mas- terful turn in BBC's Sherlock, also makes an appearance in Zoolander 2, a follow up to the far-better-than-it-should-have- been original from 2001. Directed by Ben Stiller, it sees Stiller and Owen Wilson returning as dim- witted male models Derek and Hansel – who are once again im- plicated in an international plot, and once again have to face off with their dreaded foe, Jacobim Mugatu (Will Ferrell). The other high-profile comedy of 2016 will likely be Whiskey Tango Foxtrot – a humorous angle on the war in Afghanistan, based on the mem- oir by Kim Barker and starring Ti- na Fey as a journalist who strikes up an unlikely relationship with her Scottish counterpart (Martin Freeman) on the field. On the more high-brow comedy front – or at least the more stylis- tically polished – we'll be getting a Coen Bros. screwball misad- venture courtesy of Hail Ceasar! which contrary to what you may assume, is not set in ancient Rome, but in 1950s Hollywood, and fol- lows the misadventures of actor Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) as he's kidnapped by an organisa- tion calling itself The Future. And possibly bridging the gap between comedy and the genre- franchising that'll be on display whole year round, is Pride and Prejudice vs Zombies, a cin- ematic adaptation of what has al- ready become something of a stale joke in the (sub)literary world. But judging by the trailer, this 'mash- up' gets the balance between farce and supernatural terror just about right – it could potentially be Sean of the Dead in Jane Austen's uni- verse. Stretching the artistic limits of genre is, however, Danish direc- tor Nicolas Winding Refn's forte, and the director of Drive and On- ly God Forgives appears to have found eager playmates in Keanu Reeves, Elle Fanning and Chris- tina Hendricks, as he embarks on an as-yet enigmatic journey to detail the lives of 'image obsessed' characters from Los Angeles with Neon Demon. Though very little details have emerged about the project so far, we can expect this from Refn: that it'll be stylish and violent. Three heavyweights of Ameri- can cinema will also be chipping in their respective contributions this year, a fact for which we should perhaps be thankful given the onslaught of big studio and franchise products continuously peddled our way. Martin Scorcese wanders far from his New York comfort zone with Silence, a long- gestating project with a history of behind-the-scenes production drama that focuses on the disas- trous attempt by two Jesuit Por- tuguese priests – played by Liam Neeson and Andrew Garfield – to seek out their mentor in Japan. It's the appearance of Silence on the scene that forced famed Span- ish auteur Pedro Almodovar to change the title of his latest film into Julieta which, in its focus on a female character at different stages of her life appears to be a return to the 'women-centered' films that defined his early career. Meanwhile, Richard Linklater (Boyhood) also delves back into his past with Everybody Wants Some which he describes as be- ing the 'spiritual successor' to his classic coming-of-age film Dazed and Confused (1993), it being the story of a group of colleague base- ball players in the 1980s, negoti- ating the difficult transition from youth to adulthood. And the previously reclusive au- teur-to-end-all-auteurs Terrence Malick continues an unprece- dented streak in productivity with Weightless. Not much is known about this 'musical drama', save for the fact that it boasts an impressive en- semble cast – which is becom- ing standard for Malick – that includes Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Natalie Portman, Rooney Mara, Cate Blanchett, Val Kilmer, Clifton Collins Jr., Benicio del Toro and Michael Fassbender. Here be monsters: Eddie Redmayne stars in this Harry Potter prequel-cum- spinoff-cum-cash cow Regency rocked: Pride and Prejudice vs Zombies re-imagines the Jane Austen classic Space caper: Felicity Jones leads the pack in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Head to head: Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill in Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice All female Ghostbusters? Colour us interested