What Will Be the Highest-Grossing Motion picture of 2016?

Photo: Pixar, Twentieth Century Fox, Lucasfilm

When all is said and done, volition the biggest hit of 2016 be an R-rated superhero movie released in Feb? At $311 million and counting, Deadpool is likely to stop inside hitting altitude of a massive $400 million domestic haul — more money than whatever movie made in the entirety of 2014, when American Sniper and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 topped the year-terminate list. If Deadpool manages to hold onto its crown for the side by side several months, that will exist the motion-picture show's terminal remarkable feat, but at that place are 9 upcoming contenders that accept their eyes on that aforementioned prize.

Batman five. Superman: Dawn of Justice
At present that Deadpool has broken records outside the summertime picture season, will Batman 5. Superman dominate with its unusual March release? This matchup of Earth'south ii biggest superheroes is a sure bet to out-earn the recent Man of Steel ($291 million domestically), but whether it tin friction match The Dark Knight Rises — which made $448 meg subsequently following one of the well-nigh acclaimed superhero movies of all time — is less clear. Certainly, Warner Bros. is counting on a big haul: The moving-picture show is infamously expensive, and it's intended to get the cornerstone for a shared DC universe that mimics Marvel's movie continuity.

Captain America: Ceremonious War
When you're citing the predecessor for this picture show, practice yous mention Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which fabricated a solid $259 million, or the $459 million Avengers: Historic period of Ultron? While Civil State of war is meant to be a direct sequel to the former, it's as stuffed with superheroes every bit the latter, though I practise wonder if the matchup betwixt Batman and Superman a few months earlier volition dent Civil War'south big rumble between one-time friends Captain America and Iron Man. In any case, a gross north of $300 million seems assured, though just ane other Marvel film has passed $400 1000000 without the word "Avengers" in its title (2013'south Fe Man 3, which made $409 million).

Finding Dory
For a good several-year streak, Finding Nemo remained Pixar'southward highest-grossing movie ever, only recently falling to acclaimed Oscar-winners Toy Story 3 and Within Out. Can this Dory-focused follow-up outdo the 2003's original's then-staggering $339 million and take back the Pixar throne? In its favor: Most Pixar sequels outgross the previous entry (the only exception beingness Cars 2), and star Ellen DeGeneres has become a massive media mogul in the years since the first film, with a talk testify that volition provide incredible reach and promotion for Dory. Just to make information technology to the upper tier of Pixar successes, yous've got to accept more than name value going for you: There has to exist a sure kind of magic to your movie, and we'll see if Dory can boast it.

Independence 24-hour interval: Resurgence
Could this long-overdue sequel hitting the nostalgia sugariness spot and become this year'southward Jurassic World? Consider that the starting time moving-picture show, released xx years ago, was past far the highest-grossing film of 1996, topping out at $306 million. (That moving picture likewise did so well overseas that, at the time, it was the 2d-largest worldwide grosser always.) However, there are a few potential debits hither: Original star Will Smith chose not to return, and the marketing entrada has failed to produce a moment as galvanizing equally the first picture's famous White Business firm explosion. In the two decades since Independence Day, we've seen plenty of postal service-apocalyptic stories and CGI aliens, so what does this sequel bring to the table that feels new?

Ghostbusters
The original Ghostbusters wasn't the highest-grossing film of 1984 — Beverly Hills Cop squeaked by with that honor — but y'all'd be forgiven for thinking and so, since the film has had such an appropriately long afterlife. A sequel released 5 years later couldn't fifty-fifty earn one-half of the beginning flick's $242 million gross, but reviving this franchise has long been a priority for Sony, and they found a fresh new direction with director Paul Feig's all-female take. Yep, it's a picayune odd that they kept the teaser trailer under wraps for then long — every other summer blockbuster-to-be was advertising ages ago — but the flick is a bona fide headline-maker and, if information technology's adept, this could be the biggest female person-fronted one-act ever made.

Suicide Squad
It can exist awfully profitable to color outside the traditional superhero lines: The comedically out-there Guardians of the Galaxy became i of Marvel's biggest hits, while R-rated Deadpool has now outgrossed the more traditional X-Men movies information technology was spun off from. All this is to say we wouldn't exist surprised if Suicide Squad, with its novel collection of DC Comics baddies (including fan favorite Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie) really makes more than than Batman v. Superman, which looked on paper similar a surer bet. That bully recent trailer, cut expertly to Queen, has only primed the pump.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Information technology'due south been five years since the final Harry Potter film was released, but fans of J.Chiliad. Rowling's wizarding earth are simply as ardent as always. Can they lift this spin-off, starring Eddie Redmayne, to the heights that other Potter films reached? The menses setting (it takes place in the 1920s) may work against it, and none of the original stars found their mode into this one, then the connection volition be sold primarily on Rowling's name. Nevertheless, Warner Bros. is forecasting big returns, and they'd exist pleased as punch if this hitting the $300 million mark that the Potter movies normally topped out around.

Moana
WithFrozen having earned an center-popping $400 million, expectations are high for the next family musical from Walt Disney Animation Studios. Set in the South Pacific, this one has a lot of things going for information technology: Its empowered young heroine volition pull in girls, while voice actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is a strong depict for boys; directors Ron Clements and John Musker fabricated Disney classics like The Little Mermaid and Aladdin; and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda had a mitt in the songs. Frozen set a high-water marking that will be difficult to beat, but Disney Animation is on a real coil.

Star Wars: Rogue One
Finally, we come to the year's almost intriguing box-office question marking. Lucasfilm now intends to release a Star Wars movie every annum, and while Rogue 1 will follow The Strength Awakens — which has earned $928 million, making it the biggest domestic grosser of all time — it'southward not supposed to be a sequel to that film. This side story really takes place before 1977's franchise-starting A New Hope, and chronicles a band of outlaws trying to steal the plans for the Decease Star. Will there notwithstanding be the same intense level of audience date with a cast comprised generally of character actors, none of whom are playing familiar Star Wars figures like Han Solo or Princess Leia? And will moviegoers understand that this much-darker-looking picture show is a stand-alone prequel to the original franchise, or will it get out them asking, "Where's Rey?" Nine months out, nosotros're still lacking even an official teaser-trailer for this one, then how information technology will perform is anybody'due south judge.

What Will Be the Highest-Grossing Movie of 2016?