The Most Buzzworthy Films of 2016

Get up to speed on all the year’s tentpole releases in our extensive gallery covering 2016 from beginning to end.

The first of many sequels filling theaters this year is this Miami-set follow-up to 2014's hit Kevin Hart/Ice Cube cop comedy. Olivia Munn joins in the silliness, as do Tyrese Gibson, T.I. and Ken Jeong.

The 'Blade' and 'Punisher' movies were R-rated Marvel productions, but this is the first "hard-R" entry in its superhero universe. The ultraviolent (and hilarious) trailer makes us forget that star Ryan Reynolds once played Green Lantern.

Polish that Blue Steel, because supermodels Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) and Hansel (Owen Wilson) are back on the catwalk after preening offstage for the past 15 years. Expect a ton of celebrity cameos and plenty of spy-spoof nonsense.

Young-adult dystopias come and go, but the 'Divergent' series chugs along, now in its third installment. Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) escape Chicago, only to find that the city needs them more than ever.

The Justice League is to DC Comics what the Avengers are to Marvel, so we're anxious to see this first chapter in a multi-year saga, in which Batman (Ben Affleck) and Superman (Henry Cavill) meet un-cute. Plus: Wonder Woman and Aquaman!

Melissa McCarthy brings her trademark ribaldry back to the big screen as a disgraced tycoon who joins forces with employee Kristen Bell to kick ass… and sell brownies. The trailer promises good nasty fun.

It worked for 2010's 'Alice in Wonderland' and 2015’s 'Cinderella,' so Disney gives another of its animated classics the live-action treatment. Here, Mowgli's animal companions are voiced by an all-star cast led by Bill “Bare Necessities” Murray.

Out of all the many 2016 superhero movies, we're the most excited about this one, thanks to a killer trailer that shows the good Captain (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) duking it out as mortal enemies.

Now that Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) have declared a truce with their old neighbor (Zac Efron), they face a new threat: sorority girls! Chloë Grace Moretz and Selena Gomez lead the pack. (Photo is from 2014's 'Neighbors.')

You've flung these ill-tempered avian warriors at countless pigs on your smartphone, but have you ever wondered how the birds got to be so angry in the first place? This prequel to the blockbuster game tells all – in 3D, no less.

Mutant maestro Bryan Singer takes the X-Men into the 1980s, as they battle both Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac), the oldest and evilest mutant on Earth, and Reagan-era fashion. Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender and the rest of the gang return.

Tim Burton hands the reins over to 'Da Ali G Show' veteran James Bobin, whose buddy Sacha Baron Cohen joins the 'Alice in Wonderland' (2010) cast. The story is only kind of based on Lewis Carroll's 'Through the Looking-Glass.'

2013's 'The Conjuring' (pictured) scared the daylights out of us, so we can't wait to see what returning director James Wan and stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga have in store as the Warrens investigate more ‘70s horrors – this time in England.

Pixar sequels can be a mixed bag. On the one hand, you have 2010's 'Toy Story 3.' On the other, 2011's 'Cars 2.' But we've got high hopes for this new quest, starring 'Finding Nemo''s (2003) forgetful sidekick.

Twenty years after we saved the Earth in 1996's oddly abbreviated 'ID4,’ a new wave of aliens is on the attack in... 'ID8'? Anyway, we're happy to see several of the first film's cast members back in the saddle, even if Will Smith is AWOL.

We can think of a few things that "BFG" might stand for, but in this case it means "Big Friendly Giant." Director Steven Spielberg returns to family fare with his adaptation of Roald Dahl's beloved 1982 children's book.

Those weary of a sequel-heavy 2016 may flock to this animated comedy, 100% based on original material. Produced by the studio behind the 'Despicable Me' phenomenon, 'Secret Life' comes with quite a pedigree.

An all-female remake of the 1984 classic? We say “why not” – especially with Paul Feig in the director's chair, reuniting with his 'Bridesmaids' (2011) stars Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy. It's a risk, but we think it'll pay off.

The first trailer, loaded with quips and blasting the Beastie Boys, divided some audiences, but we're excited to see what 'Fast & Furious' (2009) director Justin Lin brings to the proceedings. We're guessing lots of action.

After 2012's Jeremy Renner-starring 'Bourne Legacy' was met with a shrug, fans must be elated that Matt Damon (seen here in 2007’s ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’) is returning to the franchise. The suddenly ubiquitous Alicia Vikander also stars.

This year’s other DC superhero blockbuster is actually about a team of supervillains, including Will Smith as Deadshot and Jared Leto filling some very big shoes as the Joker. Will it work? We're dying to find out.

In the wake of 'The Hateful Eight' and, um, 'The Ridiculous Six' comes this remake of the famous 1960 Western (pictured). You can't beat the new cast, which includes Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke.

Some material just has "Tim Burton" written all over it, and so it is with Ransom Riggs' 2011 young adult novel about a decidedly surreal orphanage. Burton directs, Asa Butterfield stars, Eva Green plays the titular character.

Surprised? 2012’s ‘Jack Reacher’ (pictured) wasn’t a huge hit in the U.S., but its worldwide box office was strong enough to warrant a sequel. Tom Cruise returns as the freelance lawman; Colbie Smulders joins him in this twist-laden thriller.

Casting this iconic Marvel sorcerer went back and forth for years, but Benedict Cumberbatch is the perfect choice. He's joined by a stellar cast including Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams and Tilda Swinton. Most intriguing.

This Harry Potter spin-off may not feature any of the 'Potter' cast – and why should it, since it takes place in 1920s New York? – but with J.K. Rowling herself penning the screenplay, anticipation for this fantasy is through the roof.

The brouhaha over 'The Force Awakens' has barely died down, yet we already have another 'Star Wars' film to look forward to. This prequel allegedly focuses on the Rebels who stole the Death Star plans, leading to the events of 1977's 'Star Wars.'

Morten Tyldum, the director of 2014's 'The Theory of Everything,' helms an original sci-fi romance packed with star power: Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt play lonely space voyagers, and that's pretty much all we know for now.

Not all video games translate well into feature films – but then, not all star Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. Fassbender plays two roles in a centuries-spanning war between the Assassins and the Templars.