The good news about 2015 was that exhibitors and distributors made more money than ever before. A stunning four films from that year currently sit in the all-time top 10 box office chart. The bad news was that, once again, sequels dominated. Inside Out, The Martian and 50 Shades of Grey were the only "original" films in the top 10. We can't promise that next year's mainstream will be any fresher: more Marvel, more Star Wars, more Kung Fu Panda.
But there are a great many odd films kicking about the shady undergrowth. You can read about The Revenant elsewhere in this issue.
Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight opens next week. We hope to see the later section of the calendar fill up with such treats as Martin Scorsese's The Silence, Ana Lily Amirpour's The Bad Batch and Nicolas Winding Refn's The Neon Demon and Jim Sheridan's The Secret Scripture.
Until then, savour and dread 50 films that will get noticed in 2016. They don’t all look terrific. Indeed, some sound bloody awful. But these are the landmarks of the cinematic year.
JANUARY 15TH
CREED
The latest film in the Rocky cycle - directed by Ryan Coogler of Fruitvale Station - has received the series' best reviews since the opening film.
ROOM
Lenny Abrahamson's searing adaptation of Emma Donoghue's novel finally hits home territory. Brie Larson stunning as the imprisoned mom.
JANUARY 22ND
THE BIG SHORT
Adam McKay attacks the financial crisis in a satirical style that has generated unexpected recognition from awards bodies. Christian Bale stars.
JANUARY 29TH
SPOTLIGHT
Forensic examination of the Boston Globe's investigation into clerical sexual abuse. Michael Keaton and Rachel McAdams head a starry cast.
FEBRUARY 5TH
DAD'S ARMY
Fans of the classic BBC sitcom are wary. But the casting - Michael Gambon as Godfrey, anyone? - has allayed fears. Don't panic!
TRUMBO
Bryan Cranston stars as Dalton Trumbo, the blacklisted writer who gave us Roman Holiday and Spartacus.
FEBRUARY 10TH
DEADPOOL
It's your first proper superhero film of the year. Ryan Reynolds plays some costumed thug or other.
FEBRUARY 12TH
THE SURVIVALIST
Excellent post-apocalyptic drama from Northern Irish whizz-kid Stephen Fingleton. Martin McCann stars.
ZOOLANDER 2
Did you know the first fashionista romp was a flop? Well, they're having another go.
FEBRUARY 19TH
BONE TOMAHAWK
It's a sort of horror western with Kurt Russell and Richard Jenkins. Get out of my way! I don't want to miss a second.
FEBRUARY 26TH
HAIL, CAESAR!
The Coens return with a satire featuring Josh Brolin as a brash Hollywood fixer. Surely, it can't fail.
MARCH 4TH
LONDON HAS FALLEN
Sequel to the ludicrous Olympus Has Fallen. Can Gerard Butler save Blighty from maniacs? Probably.
MARCH 11TH
ANOMALISA
If a better film than Charlie Kaufman's serious animation is released in 2016 I'll eat my own foot. Moving. Strange. Disturbing.
KUNG FU PANDA 3
Just take our money now, why don't you? Sure to look lovely.
THE WITCH
Robert Eggers's folk horror has taken an age to get here since receiving raves at Sundance 2015. It had better live up to the good word.
MARCH 18TH
HIGH RISE
Still your thumping heart. Ben Wheatley has cast Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons and others in his adaptation of a key JG Ballard text.
SING STREET
John Carney, director of Once, returns to the Dublin of his youth with a promising musical.
MARCH 25TH
BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE
Do you really need us to tell you any more about this?
ZOOTROPOLIS
Disney's latest animation goes among a city inhabited by anthropomorphic cats, dogs and pigeons.
APRIL 15TH
THE JUNGLE BOOK
The first of two imminent takes on Rudyard Kipling's classic. This is the one with Scarlett Johansson as Kaa.
APRIL 22ND
THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER'S WAR
Not-much-requested sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman.
MILES AHEAD
Don Cheadle IS Miles Davis. So What? Don't try and be clever. It sounds sub-zero cool.
APRIL 29th
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR
The latest from the Marvel universe kicks off movie summer before real spring has left us.
SON OF SAUL
Among the most praised films at last year's Cannes, László Nemes's film tells an awful story from Auschwitz.
MAY 13TH
ANGRY BIRDS
Ah, the clanking wheels of Hollywood. Big-screen spin off from the game nobody's talking about any more.
GREEN ROOM
We heartily endorse Jeremy Saulnier's funny, violent thriller. Patrick Stewart is among the Neo-Nazis besieging the kindly punk rockers.
MAY 19TH
X-MEN: APOCALYPSE
The Marvel franchise that Fox greedily keeps from Disney's claws continues into its umpteenth episode.
MAY 27TH
ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS
Belated sequel to that Johnny Depp thing that took enough money to fund three world wars. Promises to have little to do with Lewis Carroll.
JUNE 3RD
WARCRAFT
Duncan Jones, he of Moon and Source Code, finally delivers his adaptation of the sprawling fantasy game World of Warcraft. Hmm? You never know.
JUNE 24TH
INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE
That awful Terminator thing made a fortune in China. So this probably makes financial sense. A sequel to the 1996 alien-invasion epic, of course.
THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS
Universal animation that does what its title suggests. The trailer is a hoot (and a woof and a meow).
JULY 1ST
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS: THE MOVIE
Seems almost a creaky a notion as the Dad's Army film . Anyway, the original cast are all still upright and willing.
JULY 8TH
THE LEGEND OF TARZAN
There is truly nothing new under the cinematic sun. David "Harry Potter" Yates directs Alexander Skarsgård and some monkeys.
JULY 15TH
GHOSTBUSTERS
The all-female reboot includes Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig and others. I’ve heard worse ideas.
JULY 22ND
THE BFG
It could be huge! Ha ha! Mark Rylance stars as the Big Friendly Giant in Steven Spielberg's live-action take on a Roald Dahl classic.
STAR TREK BEYOND
Busy weekend, this. Justin Lin (of the Fast & Furious franchise) boldly goes where JJ Abrams has gone before. Idris Elba has signed up as the baddie.
JULY 29TH
FINDING DORY
Pixar's sequel to Finding Nemo promises decent people a great deal of decent fun.
THE BOURNE SOMETHING OR OTHER
Matt Damon is back, thank heavens. At time of press they haven’t come up with a title.
AUGUST 5TH
SUICIDE SQUAD
DC's Not The Avengers focuses on a gang of super-somethings that only aficionados have heard of. Well, it worked for Guardians of the Galaxy.
SAUSAGE PARTY
Stars Seth Rogen as a sausage in an "adult animation". WE ARE NOT MAKING THIS UP.
AUGUST 19TH
DAVID BRENT: LIFE ON THE ROAD
The anti-hero of The Office is back. Look, it's got to be better than Derek. Right? Right?
AUGUST 26TH
BEN-HUR
Remake starring Jack Huston. I didn't order this. Take it away.
SEPTEMBER 16TH
BRIDGET JONES'S BABY
When we last saw Bridget Jones, Twitter had yet to be invented.
SEPTEMBER 23RD
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
Remake of the remake of The Seven Samurai featuring Denzel , Chris Pratt and at least five others.
OCTOBER 14TH
INFERNO
You thought those Dan Brown adaptations had gone away? They haven't.
OCTOBER 28TH
DOCTOR STRANGE
Marvel finds a quiet spot to launch Benedict Cumberbatch as the peculiar wizard with the merry quiff.
NOVEMBER 11TH
BILLY LYNN'S LONG HALFTIME WALK
It's awards season again! Ang Lee's latest stars Joe Alwyn and Garrett Hedlund in a take on Ben Fountain's satirical war novel.
NOVEMBER 18TH
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
David Yates is a busy man this year. A few months after Tarzan he delivers this Harry Potter spin-off. Will make billions.
DECEMBER 16TH
ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY
Whether you're nine or 90, they'll be making Star Wars films until you die. This spin-off stars Felicity Jones and (it says here) the late Peter Cushing.
DECEMBER 26TH
ASSASSINS CREED
Director Justin Kurzel and star Michael Fassbender move from Macbeth to the popular video game. Why not?
