My 10 Most Anticipated Films of 2012
2011 is about to come to a close and as I am prepping my Top 10 list of movies of the last year I decided to take a break and share my Top 10 most anticipated film of 2012. Next year looks like an amazing year of movies and there are a ton of great films being released including one of my most anticipated movies of all time, and with that I'll start off with my number one most anticipated film...
1. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
This is a film adaptation I've been waiting to see since I first read The Hobbit as a little kid. As big of a fan as I am of The Lord of the Rings, I have always had a much deeper connection with The Hobbit. I'm so happy and excited that Peter Jackson ended up taking the director's chair; there's no doubt he's going to pull off another magnificent Middle Earth story. When I first saw the trailer for this movie, it brought a tear to my eye.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be released beginning December 14, 2012. Watch the trailer here.
Synopsis:
The adventure follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.
Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever…Gollum.
Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities … A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.
2. The Dark Knight Rises
Who isn't excited about this movie! Even the Bane complainers are excited to see it. As you know, this is sadly Christopher Nolan's last Batman. I'm sad to see it end, but I can't wait to see the epic conclusion because it will be epic. This might end up being the most successful movie event of the year.
The movie is set to hit theaters on on July 20th 2012. Watch the trailer here.
Synopsis:
Warner Bros. Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' "The Dark Knight Rises" is the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar(R) winner Christian Bale ("The Fighter") again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar(R) winner Marion Cotillard("La Vie en Rose"), as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake. Returning to the main cast, Oscar(R) winnerMichael Caine ("The Cider House Rules") plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar(R) winner Morgan Freeman ("Million Dollar Baby") reprises the role of Lucius Fox. The screenplay is written by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. The film is produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven, who previously teamed on "Batman Begins" and the record-breaking blockbuster "The Dark Knight." The executive producers are Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull, with Jordan Goldberg serving as co-producer. The film is based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by Bob Kane.
3. The Avengers
Writer and director Joss Whedon has taken it upon himself to assemble a team of high profile actors all playing popular Marvel superheroes and develop a story and film that needs to balance them all perfectly. I imagine this is not an easy task, but if anyone can pull it off effectively it's Whedon. I've loved everything I've seen of the film so far, and I have a feeling that it will at least live up to what ever our expectations are, maybe even surpass them.
The movie comes out on May 4th 2012. Watch the Trailer here.
Synopsis:
Marvel Studios presents in association with Paramount Pictures “Marvel’s The Avengers”–the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel’s The Avengers” assemble in summer 2012. In “Marvel’s The Avengers,” superheroes team up to pull the world back from the brink of disaster when an unexpected enemy threatens global security.
4. Prometheus
Hell yeah! Ridley Scott is returning to the sci-fi genre to give as an origin story to one of the greatest sci-fi horror films ever!? You can count me in! The teaser trailer that was released gave me the chills. It looks great, and I can't wait to see what the actual story will end up being.
The film comes out on June 8th, 2012. Watch the trailer here.
Synopsis:
Ridley Scott, director of "Alien" and "Blade Runner," returns to the genre he helped define. With PROMETHEUS, he creates a groundbreaking mythology, in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
5. The Hunger Games
This is going to be the next big book to screen franchise. Like Twilight and Harry Potter, The Hunger Games has a huge following of readers, and they're all going to flock to the theaters to see this story epically brought to life on the big screen. Gary Ross is a talented writer and director, and it's got a hell of great cast. I love what I've seen so far, and there's no reason not to be excited about this movie.
The movie is set to be released on March 23rd, 2012. Watch the trailer here.
Synopsis:
Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which "Tributes" must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she's ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. THE HUNGER GAMES is directed by Gary Ross, and produced by Nina Jacobson's Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. Suzanne Collins' best-selling novel, the first in a trilogy published by Scholastic that has over 16 million copies in print in the United States alone, has developed a massive global following.
6. The Amazing Spider-Man
Regardless of the fact that this is a Spider-Man reboot, I think it looks incredible! I love the style and design of everything. I'm also a big fan of director Marc Webb's previous work, and it looks to me like he's done something special and different with The Amazing Spider-Man. I think a lot of people are going to be pleasantly surprised by what they see.
The film comes out on July 3rd, 2012. Watch the trailer here.
Synopsis:
Like most teenagers his age, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he to be the person he is today. In his journey to put the pieces of his past together he uncovers a secret that his father held... a secret that will ultimately shape his destiny as Spider-Man. This is the first in a series of movies that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story.
7. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Abraham Lincoln fighting off vampires! What more do I need to say?
The movie is scheduled to hit theaters on June 22th 2012.
Synopsis:
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a re-imagining of the 16th President's life that depicts him as an axe-throwing, highly accomplished killer of vampires -- an obsession of his since those bloodsuckers supposedly took the life of his mother. Lincoln eventually learns that the vampires have fled to the southern states of the U.S. and are concocting a plan to conquer and enslave the entire country -- this in turn leads to the Civil War between the Union and the Confederacy, the latter of which the vampires are aligned with.
8. Looper
This is the sci-fi film from Brick and The Brothers Bloom director Rian Johnson. I have enjoyed watching all of Johnson's films. They are original slickly scripted films full of great dialogue and fun stories. I'm intrigued by the fact that he's making a sci-fi film, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing how it turns out.
The movie comes out on September 28th, 2012.
Synopsis:
Set in the near future, when time-travel is possible but very, very illegal, Looper stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, reteaming with his Brick director, as Joe, a sharp, savvy hitman .
But Joe is no ordinary hitman. The hooded, bound victims he kills are sent back in time from 30 years in the future: he shoots them with a blunderbuss, burns the bodies, and all trace of the crime disappears. Life is pretty good for Joe, until one day a body arrives without a hood: it's his future self, played by Willis. And he's not going down without a fight...
9. Gangster Squad
This period cop and gangster film is coming from Zombieland director Ruben Fleisher and has an incredibly epic cast of actors. I'm a huge history buff, and the true life story that this film is based on is a really good one and should easily make for a great film. This might end up being one of the best movies of 2012.
This film takes place in 1940's Los Angeles and is based on a true story. I've been excited for this project ever since it was first announced, and it's been cool seeing it all come together. The movie has a great director and incredible cast, which includes Sean Penn as real-life mobster Mickey Cohen, Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling as the LAPD's Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters, and Emma Stone plays Grace Faraday, Cohen's moll and the object of Wooters' attention.
Robert Patrick plays Officer Max Kennard, a deadly cop who patrols the Olvera Street beat. Michael Peña (Battle: Los Angeles) plays Kennard's over-eager sidekick, Navidad Ramirez. Giovanni Ribisi (Avatar) takes on the force's Conway Keeler, an electronics expert who takes as much pleasure in fixing his son's bike as he does tinkering with experimental, military-grade equipment, and Anthony Mackie (The Adjustment Bureau) plays the character Coleman Harris, a switchblade-wielding cop who proudly patrols one of the most crime-ridden areas of the city.
The movie is set to be released on October 19th, 2012.
Synopsis:
Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and—if he has his way—every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It's enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop... except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), who come together to try to tear Cohen's world apart.
10. Django Unchained
This list wouldn't be complete without Quentin Tarantino's next film adventure. This time the director is taking us deep into the heart of the racist south to dive into the issue of slavery. Tarantino has once again gathered together an amazing cast of actors, and this movie is sure entertain.
The movie comes out on December 25th, 2012.
The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz, Kurt Russell and Don Johnson.
Synopsis:
The story follows Django (Fox), a freed slave, who, under the protection and care of a German bounty hunter (Waltz) becomes a bad-ass bounty hunter himself, and after assisting Waltz in taking down some bad guys for profit, is helped by Waltz in tracking down his slave wife and liberating her from an evil plantation owner (DiCaprio). This film also deals with racism and is handled in a way unlike anything we've ever seen in a film before. According to someone that read the script, "it’s a 100 percent pure popcorn and revenge flick, it is pure genius in the way it takes on the evil slave owning south. Think of what he did with the Nazis in Inglorious and you’ll get a sense of what he’s doing with slave owners and slave overseers in this one."