Every year we think filmmakers can’t improve upon what we’ve seen that year, and the following year we’re proven wrong – yet again. Perhaps unsurprisingly, 2017 has been no different – from bringing our favourite fairy tale to life, to teaching us some lessons about life, we’ve sat back and marvelled at the creative geniuses behind these box-office blockbusters.
Even though there’s still a few films to come, here are the most popular (and successful) films of 2017 so far:
1. Guardians of the Galaxy 2
This hits the top of the list thanks to it being one of the highest grossing films this year (likely to be beaten by Star Wars: The Last Jedi), netting a massive $1.1 billion in the box office (not bad from a budget of $200 million, huh?). Therefore, it probably goes without saying that the sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy (which was released in 2014) was a roaring success.
Critics hailed the film as being the ‘most fun’ of 2017, suggesting it didn’t disappoint fans (of either Chris Pratt or the first film). Repeating many of the tricks of its predecessor, the film gave fans more of what they loved, which, even though this meant the film lost some of its ‘freshness’, it did evoke the same happiness as the first – and that’s all that matters, right?
2. Wonder Woman
Comic fans have waited years for this, and thankfully, it didn’t disappoint. With a budget of $149 million, the producers went all out to bring a film that breathed new life into the ever-
declining genre of superhero blockbusters.
Evolving from her cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Wonder Woman took on her inner Amazonian princess wonderfully, being full of nobility, resolve and innocence throughout. Combining fantasy with history, the film boasted plenty of CGI and a good dose of feminism. This modern-day Wonder Woman (played by Diana Prince) is all brawn, beauty and brains, and that’s why this was one of the most successful films of the year.
Wonder Woman has been incredibly popular for some time now, there is a huge amount of merchandise available; fans can get their hands on t-shirts, bags and figurines, just to name a few. In fact, the Wonder Woman franchise was so popular, there was even a slot game released to celebrate the film.
3. Beauty and the Beast
Whether you’re a fan of Disney or not, you couldn’t help but be spellbound by this magical film, featuring the English Rose herself – Emma Watson. It followed the wonderfully successful The Jungle Book, which was released in 2016 and proved that the magic of Disney films wasn’t lost through high-tech animations. In fact, Beauty and the Beast went one step further, as it was the first ever animated film to receive an Oscar nomination for best picture.
The original Beauty and the Beast (released in 1991) is often regarded as the best Disney film ever made, so the producers had a lot to live up to – hence the $160 million budget. However, fans were not left disappointed as the star-studded cast (including Sir Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, Ewan McGregor and Dan Stevens – to name but a few) brought this enchanting tale to life, earning the film a whopping $1 billion at the box office (only the 29th film to ever do so).
4. Dunkirk
Last, but by no means least, is this dramatic account of Dunkirk – the WWII evacuation in 1941 on France’s beaches. This film had a budget of $100 million, fuelling plenty of drama, intrigue and chaos.
From the start, viewers were thrown straight into the disorder a number of civilian boatmen (namely, Mark Rylance), fighter pilots (headed up by Tom Hardy), commanders (chiefly, Kenneth Branagh) and infantrymen (including Harry Styles and Fionn Whitehead), faced. Throughout the film, the heroism, cowardice, selfishness and sacrifice of these characters were played out in sharp definition.
Unfortunately, we haven’t got room to mention some of the other epic films that have graced movie screens this year (e.g. Baby Driver, Justice League and Logan). Hopefully, however, this list hasn’t just demonstrated the outstanding quality of films this year, but has also added to your anticipation of how filmmakers are going to top this list next year.