Box office successes, like “Guardians of the Galaxy” and last year’s “Gravity,” received positive feedback from audiences and critics, leaving fans hoping for more films with space-based excitement. BYU-Hawaii students can expect to see more science fiction movies in theaters in the months to come as the popular space-themed trend continues. The next sci-fi movie, planned to hit theaters on November 7th, is “Interstellar.” The film, directed by Christopher Nolan, stars Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Michael Caine. Chris Wiley, a sophomore from Oregon studying music composition, said he’s looking forward to it. “I like this idea of conquest in space. They’re looking for a new place for humanity to survive outside of the solar system.” Wiley continued, “The special effects look so real. And it looks like there’ll be themes of sacrifice for your family and for humanity.”Another anticipated sci-fi movie coming next year is “Star Wars: Episode VII.” Erik Adams, a senior from Oregon majoring in Biology, said, “I’m so excited for it. I’m curious to see how it will turn out since Disney is producing it now. I heard that in the original story plot there was supposed to be another three films so I was wondering when we would see some more.”The film will feature Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher who will all reprise their roles as Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia respectively. It is being directed by J.J. Abrams, the director of “Star Trek” and “Super 8.” The movie is set to release on Dec. 18, 2015.Not all sci-fi movies coming out sound as appealing to some students. David Henderson, a freshman from California studying psychology, was not happy when he heard that “Avatar 2” is in production. “Please tell me that’s not true? The first movie was just a commentary on the American ratification of Native Americans so it just felt like a super forced message. The action was cool, but I’m not excited about an ‘Avatar 2’ at all.”“Avatar 2” is set to release in November 2016 and is being directed by James Cameron. According to Screenrant.com, the film will be set in the underwater of the first film’s planet and will involve revolutionary motion capture photography to catch the aquatic scenes.Other sci-fi and space-themed movies being released in the upcoming years include “Terminator 5” on July 1, 2015, and “Star Trek 3” in 2016.
Writer: Joshua Mason ~ Multimedia Journalist
