20. Black Mass
Synopsis: The true story of Whitey Bulger, the brother of a state senator and the most infamous violent criminal in the history of South Boston, who became an FBI informant to take down a Mafia family invading his turf.
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Johnny Depp, Sienna Miller, Joel Edgerton
Director: Scott Cooper
Release: September 18
Whenever I look for films that could be contenders to make this list, I always look at the star power each movie will offer. With Black Mass, we have the prospect of seeing two of the most talented actors in the world in Cumberbatch and Depp work with director Scott Cooper, who directed Jeff Bridges to an Academy Award in 2009. Then, when you look at the synopsis and release date, all signs point to this film being in the Oscar race next season. The combination of Cumberbatch and Depp is the factor that really made me excited for this film because they both have very unique acting styles, and I cannot wait to see their personalities come together on the big screen for the first time.
19. Pan
Synopsis: The story of an orphan who is spirited away to the magical Neverland. There, he finds both fun and dangers, and ultimately discovers his destiny -- to become the hero who will be forever known as Peter Pan.
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Levi Miller, Rooney Mara, Garrett Hedlund
Director: Joe Wright
Release: July 24
I must admit that I am a sucker for any storyline set in Neverland. The story truly is a timeless classic, and with every twist of the tale, something comes along that reinvents and makes the story of Peter Pan fresh for a brand new generation. With this adaption, we get the prequel to it all. Captain Hook isn't Captain Hook yet and Pan himself doesn't seem to know what all is going on. I love the direction this film seems to be heading in, but the main reason to anticipate this film for me is Hugh Jackman's presence. Jackman is one of the best actors working today, and now he gets to take on the roll of Blackbeard. If you check out the trailer for this movie, Jackman seems to be having a blast with this role. Surrounding him with newcomer Miller (Pan) and young, upcoming thespians like Mara and Hedlund and you have many reasons to be excited for Pan.
18. Cinderella
Synopsis: A live-action retelling of the classic fairy tale about a servant step-daughter who wins the heart of a prince.
Starring: Lily James, Helena Bonham Carter, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Release: March 13
Disney has recently adapted the story of Sleeping Beauty into live action with the 2014 hit, Maleficent. In 2010, they gave Alice in Wonderland the live action treatment, and both films had tremendous success at the box office. Naturally, Disney then begins to search for more of their older animated classics to bring to life like never before for a brand new audience, and in March, Disney will bring their most famous princess back to the big screen, Cinderella. This is reason enough for me to be excited for this film, but then you tell me that the Fairy Godmother will be played by Carter and the stepmother will be portrayed by Blanchett and you'll see me opening day.
17. The Fantastic Four
Synopsis: A group of scientists are mutated into superpowered beings and must become heroes to save the world.
Starring: Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell
Director: Josh Trank
Release: August 7
The Fantastic Four have made plenty attempts to make it big on the silver screen, but unfortunately to not a lot of success, which is quite a shame considering that every other comic book franchise has had success lately. This group of heroes will return in a rebooted start for the franchise in 2015, and this time around, we have an extremely talented and promising cast to bring Mr. Fantastic and company to life. Teller, Mara, Jordan, and Bell are more than capable of turning The Fantastic Four into a success, and being directed by Josh Trank, the mind behind the 2012 surprise hit Chronicle, surely helps.
16. The Good Dinosaur
Synopsis: Arlo, a 70-foot-tall teenage Apatosaurus, befriends a young human boy named Spot.
Starring: Neil Patrick Harris, Judy Greer, Bill Hader, John Lithgow
Director: Peter Sohn
Release: November 25
Pixar took 2014 off unintentionally. They originally had The Good Dinosaur slated to be released this past year, but some internal directorial problems halted production and pushed the release date back to November 2015. No matter how many director changes and creative tweaks have been made to this movie, this is still Pixar we're talking about, and we should expect nothing short of yet another animated classic. This story takes place in a world where the dinosaurs never went extinct as Arlo befriends a human child and goes on an incredible journey. The voice talent in the film also look extremely talented and I cannot wait to see Pixar back at the top of their game.
15. The Jungle Book
Synopsis: An orphan boy is raised in the jungle with the help of a pack of wolves, a bear, and a black panther.
Starring: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Idris Elba, Neel Sethi
Director: Jon Favreau
Release: October 9
Disney once again continues its trend to bring some of their earliest animated classics to the big screen in a brand new light in October with The Jungle Book. This story is one that I can imagine being solidly done with a live action twist, and the cast that director Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Chef) is packed with talent. Murray will voice Baloo, Johansson does the wily snake Kaa, and Elba brings Shere Khan to life. Newcomer Sethi will be the lone actual human on the screen as he portrays Mowgli. This is a kind of passion project for Favreau as he is already dropping hints at some behind the scenes pictures and moments on social media. Disney is clearly behind it, and if they're behind it, I'm sold!
14. Minions
Synopsis: Minions Stuart, Kevin and Bob are recruited by Scarlet Overkill, a super-villain who, alongside her inventor husband Herb, hatches a plot to take over the world.
Starring: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud, Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm
Directors: Kyle Balda and Pierre Coffin
Release: July 10
When Despicable Me hit theaters in 2010, audiences around the globe immediately fell in love with Gru's sidekicks, the Minions. Their popularity has grown so much that Universal is giving these guys their own movie, a prequel of sorts as the Minions are searching for the most despicable owner they can find. I admittedly love the Minions and their crazy hi-jinks. With Bullock and Hamm on board with Coffin and Renaud returning to voice the many Minions, July 10 cannot come soon enough.
13. Terminator: Genisys
Synopsis: After finding himself in a new time-line, Kyle Reese teams up with John Connor's mother Sarah and an aging terminator to try and stop the one thing that the future fears, "Judgement Day".
Starring: Arnold Schwarzeneggar, Jason Clarke, Jai Courtney, Emilia Clarke
Director: Alan Taylor
Release: July 1
I understand I am in the minority when I say that I still love the Terminator franchise. I enjoyed the third and fourth installment more so than I think anybody else did, so I'm very excited and intrigued to see Schwarzeneggar back in action in the franchise that made him a superstar. The first trailer looked extremely promising and the cast around Arnold is filled with talent and potential. Jason Clarke is one of the best up and coming actors in the business and Jai Courtney is apparently the go to guy nowadays to reboot a franchise. Alan Taylor has shown his ability to direct a good action film with already having Thor: The Dark World on his resume. I'm just thrilled that Arnold and Co. is back.
12. Untitled Steven Spielberg/Tom Hanks Spy Thriller
Synopsis: An American lawyer is recruited by the CIA during the Cold War to help rescue a pilot detained in the Soviet Union.
Starring: Tom Hanks, Billy Magnussen, Amy Ryan, Alan Alda
Director: Steven Spielberg
Release: October 16
Usually, if a film has yet to get a title or a trailer and all we know is the cast and crew, it won't make my list of most anticipated films for the upcoming year. However, when Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks are involved, I don't care what they're doing; I'm in! Hanks is my favorite actor and Spielberg is my favorite director; anytime they've worked together, whether it be Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me If You Can, or The Terminal, they just have a knack for producing classics. Now, they're tackling a spy thriller with a script penned by Joel and Ethan Coen. October 16 can't get here soon enough.
11. Joy
Synopsis: A story based on the life of a struggling Long Island single mom who became one of the country's most successful entrepreneurs.
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Edgar Ramirez
Director: David O. Russell
Release: December 25
Director David O. Russell has delivered two of my favorite films of recent memory in Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle, and next Christmas, his next film reunites Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper to bring to life the story of Joy Mangano, the entrepreneur who gave the world The Miracle Mop. This film just feels like yet another hit for Lawrence who is undoubtedly my favorite actress going right now. Russell directed both Lawrence and Cooper to Oscar nominations in Playbook and Hustle, so the expectations are high for this film, and I expect this cast and crew to make this film just as fantastic as those two films.
10. Mission: Impossible 5
Synopsis: The plot is unknown at this time.
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Release: December 25
Once again, we have a film making the list without a plot or title, but this is the Mission: Impossible franchise we're talking about here, a franchise that continues to get better with every installment. The last film, Ghost Protocol, was by far the best in the series and Cruise and company will be looking to build off that franchise momentum. I'm stoked to see that Renner is returning as I loved the dynamic his presence brought to the screen opposite of Cruise, who has had a career resurgence in the last few years thanks to some solid action films (see 2014's Edge of Tomorrow). McQuarrie knows his way around directing Cruise in an action film as he has Jack Reacher on his resume, one of Cruise's more underrated works as of late.
9. Ant-Man
Synopsis: Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.
Starring: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll
Director: Peyton Reed
Release: July 17
This latest film from Marvel probably would not have been ranked this high had it not been for the surprise juggernaut of 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy, where Marvel proved that they are more than capable of delivering high quality movies outside of Iron Man and Captain America. Ant-Man is yet another departure from the Marvel stereotypical film as the story of Scott Lang is not as well known as the story of Bruce Banner. However, at this point, who has any right to question Marvel's ability to make a film like Ant-Man great?
8. Inside Out
Synopsis: Told from the perspective of the emotions inside the mind of a little girl.
Starring: Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan
Directors: Pete Docter and Ronaldo Del Carmen
Release: June 19
Pixar first of two outings in 2015 will be released in June with the highly anticipated Inside Out. Pete Docter returns to the directing chair after delivering such animated classics as Monsters Inc. and Up. Docter has assembled a top-notch voice cast led by Poehler and Hader to bring this unique and creatively original idea to the big screen. The first trailer for this film was a stroke of genius and after having to go an entire year without Pixar, June 19 is going to be a day of rejoicing.
7. Tomorrowland
Synopsis: Bound by a shared destiny, a teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor embark on a mission to unearth the secrets of a place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory.
Starring: George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Judy Greer, Hugh Laurie
Director: Brad Bird
Release: May 22
Disney is on a roll as of late and when they decide to delve into original material, they have delivered mightily. In May 2015, they will take on another intriguingly creative film with Tomorrowland. The first trailer released for this movie was stunning and is solely responsible for the movie skyrocketing up to this spot on this list. Any time you get George Clooney to sign on to your film, you already have me excited because Clooney usually doesn't sign up for sub-par material. Plus, director Brad Bird has indeed given us animated classics like The Incredibles and Ratatouille, but he also is the genius behind Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol. He can do it all, and I fully anticipate him crafting yet another fantastic film with Tomorrowland.
6. Jurassic World
Synopsis: Twenty-two years after the events of Jurassic Park, Isla Nublar now features a fully functioning dinosaur theme park, Jurassic World, as originally envisioned by John Hammond. After 10 years of operation and visitor rates declining, in order to fulfill a corporate mandate, a new attraction is created to re-spark visitor's interest, which backfires horribly.
Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jake Johnson, Ty Simpkins
Director: Colin Trevorrow
Release: June 12
Admittedly, I was not as pumped about this movie as I am now about six months ago. I had only ever seen the first installment in this franchise. This new film was set to be reboot of sorts with a rather unproven director at the helm. Then, a couple of factors came into play that caused this film to rocket up this list. First of all, Chris Pratt was cast. Pratt had a breakout year in 2014 with his roles in The LEGO Movie and Guardians of the Galaxy, and with his continued presence on NBC's Parks and Recreation, Pratt slowly began to become one of my favorite actors around. The second factor was the release of the film's first trailer which was dynamite and packed with everything I wanted it to be packed with. The packed summer of 2015 is going to be awesome!
5. Spectre
Synopsis: A cryptic message from James Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.
Starring: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris
Director: Sam Mendes
Release: November 6
The James Bond franchise has hit its stride ever since Daniel Craig became 007 in Casino Royale. Craig's resume, consisting of Quantum of Solace and Skyfall in addition to Royale, is small yet classical. In 2015, Craig will return to the role that has made him a worldwide star in Spectre. There are numerous reasons to be excited for this Bond installment. Aside from the return of Craig, the return of director Sam Mendes who was the man behind the camera for Skyfall, arguably the best Bond film ever made, is so exciting to see! Mendes just has a knack for doing films like this, and if Spectre is half as great as Skyfall, we'll be in for a tremendous treat. Also, Waltz is playing one of the villains in the film. Waltz is a two-time Academy Award winner...for playing villains. Spectre has potential to reach brand new heights for the timeless franchise.
4. Furious 7
Synopsis: Deckard Shaw seeks revenge against Dominic Toretto and his family for the death of his brother.
Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham
Director: James Wan
Release: April 3
I got into the Fast and Furious franchise a little late considering that the first film I saw was the fifth installment, Fast Five. But man was that an awesome one to start with? Since then, I've journeyed back to the beginning of the franchise all the way up to the most recent sixth installment, and starting with the fourth film, this franchise just continues to improve. These films have everything you want in an action movie, but this film contains a little something extra seeing that it is the late Paul Walker's last film. The cast, especially Vin Diesel, were unashamedly and noticeably shaken up by the death of their beloved costar. This film is undoubtedly dedicated to his memory, meaning that these actors are going to leave it all out on the line in this film. I'm in for one last ride.
3. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2
Synopsis: After being symbolized as the 'Mockingjay' Katniss Everdeen and District 13 engage in an all-out revolution against the autocratic Capitol.
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Donald Sutherland, Julianne Moore
Director: Francis Lawrence
Release: November 20
In any other given year, the conclusion to one of my favorite franchises would be a no-brainer number one on this list. However, 2015 is not a normal year (see #1 and #2). All that to say, I'm still beyond stoked to see how Lawrence and Company bring The Hunger Games franchise to a close. As I mentioned previously, Jennifer Lawrence is my favorite actress working nowadays, and what she has done with the character of Katniss Everdeen is a portrayal for the ages. The action and stakes for this installment are obviously raised significantly, and the conclusion to this film will be discussed for months perhaps years after the film's release. There are so many reasons to anticipate the arrival of November 20.
2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Synopsis: A continuation of the sage picking up after Star Wars VI- Return of the Jedi.
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford
Director: J.J. Abrams
Release: December 18
We've been looking forward to it for years. Every bit of news that circulates on the Internet is met with avid interest and intrigue. Director J.J. Abrams is the perfect choice and fans around the world agreed wholeheartedly. When the cast was announced, everyone suddenly became a movie expert as they diagnosed how every member of the cast fits into the saga. Then, the trailer arrived as we got our first glimpse into the world of Star Wars once again. In December 2015, we finally get to journey back to a galaxy far, far away. How can one not be excited for this film?
1. Avengers: Age of Ultron
Synopsis: When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and it is up to the Avengers to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plans.
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, James Spader
Director: Joss Whedon
Release: May 1
By now, you probably know that I am a humongous Marvel fan. Everything they've ever put on the big screen has quickly become one of my favorite movies of all-time. In 2012, audiences got the treat we've all been craving: The Avengers. Director Joss Whedon had crafted a genuine classic beyond the superhero genre. A lot of things have happened to Earth's Mightiest Heroes since the last time they united as *POTENTIAL SPOILERS* Tony Stark has seemingly given up Iron Man and Captain America and Black Widow have just cleaned up the debacle of the HYDRA infiltration of SHIELD *END SPOILER*. The first trailer for this one blew me away just when I think I couldn't be more blown away by Marvel. The additions of the Vision, Scarlet Witch, and Quiksilver are awesome addtions and Spader as the villainous Ultron may be favorite casting choice of the year. May 1 is going to be a marvelous day!
No comments:
Post a Comment