The Girl on the Train

Hailed as the next big thing in the lurid tradition of airport paperback that spawned best-selling successes such as Gone Girl, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and a few novels that weren’t adapted by David Fincher, The Girl on the Train arrives as this fall’s hottest release...

It’s officially 2016. Our Best of 2015 lists have all been published and the new year is upon us, which means it’s time to start looking to the future. Yes, 2015 was a particularly good year for movie fans, but 2016 looks pretty impressive too. You like Coen Bros. movies? We got one of those. You like Star Wars? Yup, one of those too. Critically acclaimed horror movies? Sure. Pixar? Of course. Movies where your favorite superheroes beat the crap out of each other? WE GOT TWO OF THOSE. We put together a quick list of the 25 movies — a mix of both blockbusters and indies — that we can’t wait to see next year. This will probably change as the year goes on (our 2015 list included Jupiter Ascending, Aloha and Tomorrowland so we’re not perfect), but based on what we know right now, this is it. Here are the movies we’re looking forward to the most in 2016, in the order of release date (those with no release date are listed in alphabetical order).

In what’s destined to be next year’s ‘Gone Girl,’ Tate Taylor’s ‘The Girl on the Train’ follows another mysterious disappearance told by an unreliable narrator. But Taylor (‘The Help’) doesn’t want you to think the film’s protagonist, Emily Blunt’s Rachel Watson, is just another Amy Dunne. There’s more loneliness in Blunt’s character, an alcoholic divorcee grappling with addiction.

Like Doctor Strange, The Girl on the Train just keeps hogging all the great actors, leaving none for the rest of the world. The latest addition might be the best yet, as Lisa Kudrow has hopped aboard the upcoming adaptation of Paula Hawkins’ best-selling thriller novel, joining Emily Blunt and Rebecca Ferguson in what is quickly becoming the Mount Rushmore of awesome women.

The adaptation of the best-selling mystery novel The Girl on the Train already boasts the incredible duo of Emily Blunt and Rebecca Ferguson, and while it may have just lost Chris Evans, it did gain Justin Theroux, who — along with his eyebrows — has been captivating us weekly in the increasingly great second season of The Leftovers. Oh, and this very well-cast new movie also has an official release date.

The Girl on the Train’s casting is chugging along (sorry) quite nicely. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation breakout Rebecca Ferguson recently joined Emily Blunt and Haley Bennett in the adaptation of the thriller novel from director Tate Taylor (The Help), rounding out the awesome cast of women. And now the DreamWorks production has its eye on a couple of men, with Jared Leto and Chris Evans circling leading roles in the upcoming film.

After her breakout performance in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, chances are you’ve been fan-casting Rebecca Ferguson in just about everything (cough, Captain Marvel, cough). While the actress won’t be appearing opposite Channing Tatum in Gambit, she has lined up a pretty great new role in an adaptation of the Hitchcockian thriller The Girl on the Train.

The Girl on the Train, like The Goldfinch, has the potential to move from the New York Times best-sellers list to the box office top 10. Dreamworks optioned the rights to Paula Hawkins’ debut novel last year before the book even hit the stands, which should tell you that the adaptation of The Girl on the Train could be as big of a hit in theaters as its source material is on shelves.