Monica Nickelsburg’s January 6, 2016, GeekWire preview named 16 genre films and TV shows expected that year. It was a forward-looking, non-ranked list—not a retrospective verdict or a guide to what is streaming now. The dates and services below are the plans reported at the time.
The picks span superhero stories, fantasy, science fiction, horror, and reboots. They are presented in the order used by the original preview, which said its selections were “in no particular order.” Read the original GeekWire article by Monica Nickelsburg.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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| 2 |
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| 3 |
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| 4 |
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The War of the Worlds (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] | $26.73 | Buy on Amazon |
The 16 films and series on the 2016 preview list
1. The X-Files
The six-episode revival reunited Fox Mulder and Dana Scully with creator Chris Carter. GeekWire reported a January 24 premiere on Fox.
2. Suicide Squad
David Ayer’s DC antihero film featured Margot Robbie, Will Smith, Cara Delevingne, and Jared Leto. Its reported theatrical date was August 5.
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3. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
The crossover brought Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman together, with Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. The preview listed March 25 as its theatrical date.
4. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Set in the wizarding world, the film stars Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander and takes place in the American wizarding community 70 years before Harry Potter’s story. GeekWire noted that the title had previously been published as a book presented as a textbook, and reported a November 18 theatrical date.
5. Deadpool
Ryan Reynolds stars as a former special-forces operative transformed by government experiments into a weapon. The preview described the comic-book film as R-rated and reported a February 12 theatrical release.
6. Captain America: Civil War
The Marvel ensemble story centers on a government registration measure for people with superhuman abilities. Iron Man and Black Widow were among the characters shown in the trailer cited by GeekWire; its reported theatrical date was April 4.
Rank #2
7. Westworld
HBO’s series revisits the premise of the 1973 film: robots in a Western-themed park malfunction. GeekWire reported an HBO window in 2016 and reproduced the network’s description of the show as “a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the future of sin.”
8. Luke Cage
The Netflix series follows wrongly convicted, super-strong Cage as he escapes prison and becomes a hero for hire. The preview anticipated a fall premiere, while its summary line stated only that it was planned for Netflix in 2016.
9. Ghostbusters
Paul Feig’s reboot stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon as Manhattan ghost hunters. GeekWire reported June 8 as the theatrical date.
10. X-Men: Apocalypse
The X-Men join forces against a larger threat in this entry in the film series. Its reported theatrical date was May 27.
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11. The Magicians
Syfy’s adaptation of Lev Grossman’s trilogy follows young adults testing the limits of magic and reality. After a pilot preview in December, the series was scheduled to premiere January 15 on Syfy. The novels are the source material, but the preview does not suggest that reading them is necessary before watching.
12. The Neon Demon
Nicolas Winding Refn’s horror film centers on an aspiring model in Los Angeles and women obsessed with her beauty and vitality. The preview gave a 2016 theatrical and Amazon Prime release window, without a specific date.
13. DC’s Legends of Tomorrow
The CW series follows time traveler Rip Hunter as he assembles heroes to prevent a future catastrophe. GeekWire reported a January 21 premiere on The CW.
14. Warcraft: The Beginning
This fantasy film draws on the Warcraft game world. Its reported theatrical date was June 10.
Rank #4
15. Emerald City
NBC’s present-day reimagining of Oz was framed as a darker fantasy of warriors, witches, and a heroine from Kansas. The preview listed a 2016 NBC window without a specific date.
16. Doctor Strange
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as surgeon Stephen Strange, who encounters magic and the occult after a car accident. GeekWire reported November 4 as the theatrical date.
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This is a snapshot of what one publication anticipated in January 2016. The listed dates and distribution plans are historical claims from that preview; they do not establish whether a title is currently available to stream, rent, or buy in any particular country. The list also does not rank the titles or compare their quality.
For readers interested in the literary connections, the clearest ones in the list are Lev Grossman’s trilogy behind The Magicians and J. K. Rowling’s earlier book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Those are source-material connections, not evidence that the screen adaptations follow every detail of their books.
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