MORE foreign films are expected to hit Chinese theaters this year, testing their profitability in China, the world’s second-largest film market. These are some of the hot U.S. films in 2017 expected to be screened in China in the next 12 months as predicted by Chinese media. Most China release dates are yet to be announced.

    xXx: The Return of Xander Cage

    U.S. release date: Jan. 20

    Vin Diesel reprises his role as an extreme athlete-turned-superspy in the long-gestating Paramount threequel, directed by D.J. Caruso. Samuel L. Jackson returns to the franchise with a slew of newcomers: Donnie Yen from “Rogue One,” Thai action star Tony Jaa, Nina Dobrev from “Vampire Diarie,” Bollywood star Deepika Padukone and “Orange Is the New Black” breakout Ruby Rose round out the cast.

    The Lego Batman Movie

    U.S. release date: Feb. 10

    The Lego Movie spinoff zooms in on the “Dark Knight,” voiced again by Will Arnett, who must fight Gotham City criminals while raising a boy he adopted. Chris McKay — who worked as an animation co-director on the 2014 animated movie — directs the Warner Bros. release, also featuring Jenny Slate, Rosario Dawson, Ralph Fiennes, Zach Galifianakis, Michael Cera, Mariah Carey and Billy Dee Williams among the voice cast.

    Logan

    U.S. release date: March 3

    Hugh Jackman brings out the claws for one final time in his third “Wolverine” film, after which he’ll retire from the role he’s held since 2000’s “X-Men.” Directed by James Mangold, the gritty Fox follow-up takes place in the future, with Logan suffering from a diminished healing factor. Patrick Stewart and Boyd Holbrook also star.

    Ghost in the Shell

    U.S. release date: March 31

    Scarlett Johansson stars as a cyborg policewoman in the Paramount reimagining of Mamoru Oshii’s seminal 1995 anime film. Her character was renamed The Major from the original Motoko Kusanagi, after the whitewashing criticism of the casting. Takeshi Kitano also stars in the action flick, directed by Rupert Sanders.

    King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

    U.S. release date: May 12

    Charlie Hunnam stars as the titular monarch in Guy Ritchie’s gritty take on the medieval legend’s reign. The Warner Bros. reimagining also stars Jude Law, David Beckham and Djimon Hounsou.

    Alien: Covenant

    U.S. release date: May 19

    Ridley Scott once again returns to helm the franchise he began with 1979’s “Alien.” It is described as a second chapter in an “Alien” prequel trilogy (following 2012’s “Prometheus”), with the colony ship Covenant discovering a paradise world on the far side of the galaxy, only to learn it’s actually a dangerous world whose only inhabitant is the synthetic David.

    Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride and Carmen Ejogo star in the Fox film, with Michael Fassbender from “Prometheus” returning as the android David and Noomi Rapace appearing as Dr. Elizabeth Shaw.

    Wonder Woman

    U.S. release date: June 2

    Gal Gadot plays the titular heroine in the origin story of how Diana Prince, an Amazon princess, leaves her island home to become the DC warrior. Also starring Chris Pine and Robin Wright, the Warner Bros. title is helmed by Patty Jenkins, making her the first woman to direct a studio superhero film.

    Dunkirk

    U.S. release date: July 21

    Christopher Nolan’s WWII drama centers on the British military evacuation of the French city of Dunkirk in 1940, one of the biggest battles during the war. Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Cillian Murphy, Kenneth Branagh and Harry Styles are among the cast of the Warner Bros. film.

    War for the Planet of the Apes

    U.S. release date: July 14

    Andy Serkis returns as the reluctant leader of the genetically evolved apes in the follow-up to 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes and the 2014 sequel “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.” Matt Reeves again directs the Fox film, also starring Judy Greer, Steve Zahn and Woody Harrelson.

    Justice League

    U.S. release date: Nov. 17

    Zack Snyder directs the second major ensemble film to come out of the DC Extended Universe (following “Suicide Squad”). Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Amy Adams, J.K. Simmons, Jesse Eisenberg and Willem Dafoe are among those in the ensemble superhero movie.

    Murder on the Orient Express

    U.S. release date: Nov. 22

    Kenneth Branagh directs and stars in the Fox adaptation of Agatha Christie’s classic mystery novel, also featuring Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Michael Pena, Judi Dench, Leslie Odom Jr. and Tom Bateman.

    The story centers around a murder onboard the famous train and introduces Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, who must solve the case while being surrounded by duplicitous passengers.

    (SD-Agencies)