Quick answer: The six Hollywood films this article previewed for 2017 all released on their announced US dates: xXx: Return of Xander Cage (20 January), The Lego Batman Movie and Fifty Shades Darker (10 February), Logan (3 March), Kong: Skull Island (10 March) and Wonder Woman (2 June 2017). Wonder Woman was the biggest of the six, at about $823 million worldwide according to Box Office Mojo.
About this list
This page was first published in early 2017 as a guide to “upcoming” Hollywood films. All six have long since been released, so we now keep it as a record of that release season, in the past tense, with the actual release dates and how each film performed. Dates are for the United States unless stated; worldwide grosses are from Box Office Mojo’s 2017 worldwide chart and are rounded.
Hollywood movies released in early 2017
1. xXx: Return of Xander Cage
Story: Xander Cage, the extreme athlete turned government agent, comes out of hiding to stop a team of rival operatives and recover a dangerous weapon known as Pandora’s Box.
Director: D. J. Caruso. Screenplay: F. Scott Frazier. Cast: Vin Diesel as Xander Cage, Samuel L. Jackson as Augustus Gibbons, Donnie Yen as Xiang, Deepika Padukone as Serena Unger, Tony Jaa as Talon, Nina Dobrev as Becky Clearidge and Ruby Rose as Adele Wolff.
The third film in the xXx series, after xXx (2002) and xXx: State of the Union (2005). It was of special interest in India because of Deepika Padukone’s role. (An earlier version of this article spelled her character “Serena Unge” and also credited Chad St. John as a writer; the credited screenwriter is F. Scott Frazier.)
Released: 14 January 2017 in India, a week before the US release on 20 January 2017. Worldwide gross: about $346.1 million.
2. The Lego Batman Movie
Story: An animated comedy in which Batman, who prefers to work alone, has to team up with a new police commissioner and an eager young orphan when Gotham City is threatened again.
Director: Chris McKay. Screenplay: Seth Grahame-Smith, Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Jared Stern and John Whittington. Voice cast: Will Arnett as Batman, Michael Cera as Robin, Zach Galifianakis as the Joker, Rosario Dawson as Barbara Gordon (Batgirl), Ralph Fiennes as Alfred Pennyworth and Mariah Carey as Mayor McCaskill. (An earlier version of this article named Mariah Carey’s character “Mayor Marion Grange”.)
Released: 10 February 2017. Worldwide gross: about $312.2 million.
3. Fifty Shades Darker
Story: The second film in the Fifty Shades series, based on E. L. James’s 2012 novel. Christian Grey tries to win back Anastasia Steele, who agrees only on new terms, while people from Christian’s past threaten their relationship.
Director: James Foley. Screenplay: Niall Leonard. Cast: Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey, Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Steele, Rita Ora as Mia Grey, Luke Grimes as Elliot Grey, Kim Basinger as Elena Lincoln and Max Martini as Jason Taylor.
Released: 10 February 2017 in the US, by Universal Pictures. Worldwide gross: about $381.5 million.
4. Logan
Story: An ageing, worn-down Logan (Wolverine), whose healing powers are fading, is drawn into protecting a young mutant girl while caring for a frail Charles Xavier.
Director: James Mangold. Screenplay: Scott Frank, James Mangold and Michael Green, from a story by Mangold. Cast: Hugh Jackman as Logan, Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier, Dafne Keen as Laura, Boyd Holbrook as the villain Donald Pierce, Stephen Merchant, Richard E. Grant and Elizabeth Rodriguez as Gabriela. (An earlier version of this article credited the script to David James Kelly; the final credits are as given here.)
Released: 3 March 2017. Worldwide gross: about $619.0 million. Logan was later nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
5. Kong: Skull Island
Story: In the 1970s, a team of soldiers and scientists sets out to explore an uncharted island in the Pacific, not knowing it is the home of the giant ape Kong.
Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts. Screenplay: Dan Gilroy, Max Borenstein and Derek Connolly, from a story by John Gatins. Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John Goodman, Toby Kebbell, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell and John C. Reilly. (An earlier version of this article listed John Gatins as a screenwriter; he has the story credit.)
Released: 10 March 2017. Worldwide gross: about $568.7 million.
6. Wonder Woman
Story: Diana, raised among the Amazon warriors on the hidden island of Themyscira, leaves home for the first time when the outside world is at war, and becomes Wonder Woman.
Director: Patty Jenkins. Screenplay: Allan Heinberg, from a story by Zack Snyder, Allan Heinberg and Jason Fuchs. Cast: Gal Gadot as Diana Prince (Wonder Woman), Chris Pine as Steve Trevor, Robin Wright as Antiope, Danny Huston, David Thewlis and Ewen Bremner. (An earlier version of this article named Jason Fuchs as the screenwriter and listed “Robin” without a surname; Robin Wright played Diana’s aunt Antiope.)
Released: 2 June 2017. Worldwide gross: about $823.0 million, the highest of the six films here.
How the six films compare
| Film | US release | Worldwide gross |
|---|---|---|
| Wonder Woman | 2 June 2017 | $823.0 million |
| Logan | 3 March 2017 | $619.0 million |
| Kong: Skull Island | 10 March 2017 | $568.7 million |
| Fifty Shades Darker | 10 February 2017 | $381.5 million |
| xXx: Return of Xander Cage | 20 January 2017 | $346.1 million |
| The Lego Batman Movie | 10 February 2017 | $312.2 million |
The biggest film of 2017 worldwide was Star Wars: The Last Jedi, at about $1.33 billion according to Box Office Mojo. For the Hollywood films of the previous half-year, see our record of Hollywood movies released in the second half of 2016, and for Hindi films of the same months, Bollywood movies released from January to March 2017.
Frequently asked questions
Which of these 2017 films earned the most?
Wonder Woman, with about $823 million worldwide, followed by Logan at about $619 million.
Who did Deepika Padukone play in xXx: Return of Xander Cage?
She played Serena Unger, alongside Vin Diesel and Donnie Yen. The film released in India on 14 January 2017, a week before its US release.
Who directed Wonder Woman (2017)?
Patty Jenkins directed it, with Gal Gadot in the title role.
When did Logan release?
Logan, starring Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, released in the US on 3 March 2017.
Release dates, credits and worldwide grosses checked in October 2026 against Box Office Mojo’s 2017 worldwide chart and the films’ published credits. Grosses are rounded and in US dollars.
1 comment
FIFTY SHADED DARKER released at 10 feb 2017 I will show!