What you may need to know:

1. Set in 1983, ten years after the last one. McAvoy finally goes bald. Happens to the best of us.

2. Lots of new faces. Do we even care anymore?

3. Hugh Jackman’s hanging up his adamantium claws after 2017’s stand-alone Wolverine movie. His role here will probably amount to a brief cameo.

4. This is also the last time Jennifer Lawrence will have to paint herself blue. Well, for a role. What she does in her private life is none of our business.

5. Oscar Isaac’s big bad Apocalypse still looks pants.

6. Although the same was said about Evan Peters’ Quicksilver, and he was one of the best things in Days of Future Past (2014).

7. Broadsheet prognosis: X-Fatigue.

Release Date: May 19, 2016.

What you may need to know:

1. Steven Spielberg directs Mark Rylance in Disney adaption of the Roald Dahl classic.

2. By all accounts he was a bit of a dick. Dahl that is, not Spielberg. Or Rylance.

3. John Williams is back. Huzzah!

4. The BFG was Melissa Mathison’s (E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial) last movie. I’m welling up already.

5. This footage is probably far from finished, but the BFG is looking a bit Uncanny Valley.

6. Broadsheet prognosis: A scrumdiddlyumptious phizzwizard.

Release Date: July 22 2016.

What you may need to know:

1. Biopic of screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston), one of the “Hollywood Ten” blacklisted in 1947 for refusing to testify to US Congress about ‘communists’ in the movie industry.

2. Trumbo’s credit for writing Roman Holiday wasn’t restored until 2011, 25 years after his death and nearly 60 years after the film’s release.

3. This has been out for the past month across the pond. Reviews have been decent.

4. “Tonight, Matthew, I’m going to be Kirk Douglas.”

5. He might be Walter White to you, but he’ll always be Tim Whatley to me.

6. Broadsheet prognosis: HUAC in the U.S.S.R.

Release Date: February 5, 2016.

What you may need to know:

1. Jane Hammond (Natalie Portman) seeks aid from Dan Frost (Joel Edgerton) when she is targeted by a gang of outlaws.

2. “In a world…” Classic.

3. This has had a very troubled gestation. Original director Lynne Ramsay left on the first day of production. Gavin O’Connor then took over. Ewan McGregor replaced both Jude Law and Bradley Cooper, and Joel Edgerton replaced Michael Fassbender.

4. Combined with distribution troubles, high production costs and traditional audience apathy for Westerns in general, and the prognosis doesn’t look too healthy.

5. Broadsheet prognosis: Western woes.

Release Date: January 29

Mark blogs at Whybother.ie

What you may need to know:

1. Set in 1970s LA, two private eyes (Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling) investigate an apparent suicide and uncover a conspiracy.

2. Fans weren’t exactly thrilled with writer/director Shane Black’s take on Iron Man 3 (2013).

3. But Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) is the best movie you’ve never seen.

4. No pants Gosling makes a change from no shirt Gosling.

5. This looks great, in fairness.

6. Broadsheet prognosis: Disco noir.

Release Date: June 3, 2016.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N_E7u8te-s

What you may need to know:

1. Hank Williams biopic with Tom Hiddleston and Elizabeth Olsen.

2. Hiddleston sets out his stall for an Oscar nod in 2017.

3. Great song in fairness.

4. Best YouTube comment: “I am looking forward to see this movie. I love country music and Tom Hiddleston and of course he is standing next to a horse, my favourite animal ever. =)”

5. Still waiting for Feel The Noize: The Storee of Slade. With Guy Martin as Noddy Holder.

6. Broadsheet prognosis: Complete and utter Hank.

Release Date: February 5, 2016.

Mark blogs at Whybother.ie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJP3db3R014

What you may need to know:

1. It’s Bill Murray, people.

2. Murray fangirl Sofia Coppola directs this hour-long Christmas special. With gorgeous George Clooney, Amy Poehler, Chris Rock, David Johansen…

3. …And Miley Cyrus. Licking an aluminium Festivus stripper pole and dry humping an elf. Probably. Begone, vile woman.

4. No Carol Kane? Shame. Murray and Johansen could’ve had a Scrooged (1988) reunion.

5. Broadsheet prognosis: Less singing, more jokes.

Release Date: December 4 (Netflix).

Mark blogs at Whybother.ie

What you may need to know:

1. Archaeologist Don Verdean (Sam Rockwell) swaps professional ethics for cold, hard cash.

2. Broad comedy from Napoleon Dynamite writer/director Jared Hess.

3. He’s not good at broad comedy.

4. In all honesty, it looks like the outtakes will be funnier than the movie.

5. Martin McDonagh’s A Behanding in Spokane is just begging to be adapted. With the original cast.

6. Broadsheet prognosis: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Don’t.

Release Date: December 11 (VOD)

Mark blogs at Whybother.ie

What you may need to know:

1. More anthropomorphic animals from the House of Mouse.

2. Directed by Byron Howard (Tangled) and Rich Moore (Wreck-It Ralph). With the vocal talents of J.K. Simmons, Jason Bateman and (ahem) Shakira Shakira.

3. It’s more of a clip than a trailer.

4. If the rest is as funny, they’re on to a winner. Chunk love Sloth.

5. This is going up against Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Yikes.

6. Broadsheet prognosis: Good luck with that.

Release Date: March 25, 2016.

Mark blogs at WhyBother.ie

What you may need to know:

1. DCI John Luther (Idris Elba) is brought out of retirement to catch a cannibalistic serial killer. Om nom nom.

2. It’s a BBC “Special Event” don’t you know.

 3. Six episodes, 4 episodes, 2 episodes… these are getting shorter.

4. Michael Smiley and Dermot Crowley are back. Ruth Wilson was too busy.

5. Meet the new coat. Same as the old coat.

6. Broadsheet prognosis: You know nothing, John Luther. Sorry… I had to.

Release Date: 15 December (BBC).

Mark blogs at Whybother.ie