Below is the list of my most anticipated movies of 2012. It was too difficult to narrow it down to just 10 films, so I've included 11. I'm also really looking forward to 21 Jump Street, which is actually opening this coming weekend. It's been quite a while since I've seen a REALLY hysterical movie in the theaters and I'm hoping 21 Jump Street breaks that curse. I'm also looking forward to seeing what Jeremy Renner can do with the Bourne franchise in Bourne Legacy, coming out this August. And despite the first Expendables movie kinda sucking, I'm totally on board for The Expendables 2, coming out in August as well. As much as I don't want to admit it, The Hunger Games (March 23rd) has also caught my eye.
But those films didn't make my Top 11. Here are my Top 11 (in increasing order to most anticipated) movies of 2012.
11. The Great Gatsby (December 28th)
Can the book we were all forced to read in high school translate into a great movie? The book was about a Midwestern man who is drawn into the social circle of his mysterious neighbor Jay Gatsby. Looking at the cast alone, this will at least be an impressive effort. In addition to Leonardo DiCaprio playing the titular character, this film also boasts having Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire, and Joel Edgerton in the main roles. Baz Luhrmann, the writer and director Moulin Rouge and Romeo + Juliet, has written the screenplay and is directing this as well. I thought the book was pretty entertaining (especially for a book forced upon me in high school) and I think this movie has potential to be an Oscar contender next year. To be fair, I think it's contractually obligated that Leonardo DiCaprio gets an Oscar nomination for every movie he signs onto nowadays anyway.
10. Moonrise Kingdom (May 25th)
I admit to not being the biggest Wes Anderson fan. For me, a lot of his movies have been hit or miss. I enjoyed The Royal Tenenbaums and The Darjeeling Limited, but despite being quirky and fun, I just didn't think of them as any more than that. Moonrise Kingdom, however, definitely has the potential to change that. Just the pure fact that Wes Anderson managed to gather Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, and Harvey Keitel in the same movie is pretty impressive. That's 5 Oscar nominees in the main cast! But the story sounds really interesting too. It's about two young kids who flee town and the and the search parties that form to find them. I also thought the trailer was really well-made. You can check it out HERE.
9. This Is 40 (December 21st)
Many consider Knocked Up to be one of the funniest movies to be released in the last ten years, but can its sequel live up to the original, especially with original stars Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl sitting this one out? I, for one, think so and have very high expectations for This Is 40. This time around the movie will focus on Pete and Debbie (played by Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann) but will also feature Jason Segel, Melissa McCarthy, Albert Brooks, and John Lithgow. If you're looking for a more hilarious group of actors and actresses, you're going to be looking for a long time. Judd Apatow, the writer and director of Knocked Up, is returning to write and direct this one as well. I'm going to go out on a (short) limb and say that This Is 40 will be the second funniest comedy of 2012.
8. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (December 14th)
I'm sure this is way higher on most people's lists, but I guess I'm not as big a Lord of the Rings fan as most people. That's not to say that I didn't really enjoy the original trilogy, because I did, but I didn't buy as much into the hype as everyone else. That being said, I actually have read most of the J.R.R. Tolkien books and The Hobbit was by far my favorite. With the introduction of Gollum and the backstory to how the ring was formed, the Hobbit definitely could be better than the Lord of the Rings movies. With Peter Jackson back on board as director and the original Lord of the Rings screenwriters adapting the screenplay, The Hobbit will probably be at LEAST as good as the original trilogy, if not better. A lot of the original cast will also be returning, including Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf, so that will sure to get the Lord of the Rings geeks excited. My guess? The Hobbit proves to be one of the best J.R.R. Tolkien adaptations but falls short of a Best Picture Oscar nomination.
7. The Dictator (May 11th)
I hate the backlash that Sacha Baron Cohen has gotten recently. Despite most people loving Borat when it first came out, it seems like there's been a recent trend to crap on the movie now. It's no secret that I think Sacha Baron Cohen is one of the smartest, most hilarious comedic actors working today so I don't understand this trend. However with the recent release of The Dictator trailer, as well as hilarious hijinks on the Oscars red carpet a few weeks ago, I think The Dictator will change everyone's minds about Sacha Baron Cohen. The movie is about General Aladeen (played by Baron Cohen) and his quest to make sure that democracy never comes to the country that he so lovingly oppressed. Larry Charles, the director of Borat, will be returning to direct this movie as well. The movie is also rumored to feature a ton of celebrity cameos. Hopefully The Dictator will prove that Sacha Baron Cohen is the superstar that I know he can be.
6. The Amazing SpiderMan (July 6th)
The summer of 2012 will be jam packed with comic book movies. Perhaps in a weaker summer The Amazing SpiderMan would have ranked higher, but with the release of two even bigger superhero movies also coming out this summer, it'll have to deal with being my 6th most anticipated movie. That's not to say that I don't think The Amazing SpiderMan won't be...amazing. The movie is actually a reboot of the franchise, originally starring Tobey Maguire. This time around, The Social Network's Andrew Garfield will be stepping into the role of Peter Parker/SpiderMan as we again witness the teenager's transformation into the webbed superhero. Emma Stone, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, and Rhys Ifans also star. Perhaps what gets me most excited about The Amazing SpiderMan (besides Emma Stone, who gets my pick as the one celebrity I'd love to go on a date with) is that it's being directed by relative newcomer Marc Webb. The only other feature film that he's directed to date is the awesome 500 Days of Summer. That makes me think that the Amazing SpiderMan may be a breed of superhero movie that we've never seen before.
5. Skyfall (November 9th)
Casino Royale was one of the best James Bond movies and perhaps one of the best action movies of all time. Although Quantum of Solace was disappointing, it's hard to argue that the third installment to feature Daniel Craig as James Bond doesn't sound exciting. This time around I'm even more excited because American Beauty and Road to Perdition director Sam Mendes will be taking over directing duties. Daniel Craig will of course be returning, but also starring are the incredibly talented and Oscar winning Ralph Fiennes and Javier Bardem in roles we're not quite sure of as of yet. The rumor, however, is that both men will be playing Bond villains. If this is true, Skyfall could perhaps be THE undisputed best Bond movie of all time.
4. Lincoln (December 2012)
All you need to know about this movie is that stars Daniel Day-Lewis as the sixteenth President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. That picture above is actually Daniel Day-Lewis in Abraham Lincoln make-up. If that doesn't sound freaking amazing enough, the movie will also feature Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sally Field, Jackie Earle Haley, James Spader, David Strathairn, Tim Blake Nelson, Jared Harris, Michael Stuhlbarg, Walton Goggins, and EVEN more amazing actors portraying historical figures. Should they even bother nominating any other ensemble casts at the SAG Awards next year? Cause there's no beating this one. Oh, I also forgot to mention one thing. Lincoln is directed by a man you may have heard of. Steven Spielberg. Steven Spielberg + Daniel Day-Lewis = my ass in a seat on opening night.
3. Django Unchained (December 25th)
I actually have the script for Django Unchained sitting on my desktop but I can't bring myself to read it because I don't want to spoil any of the movie for me. From writer and director Quentin Tarantino comes Django Unchained, a movie about a slave turned bounty hunter who sets out to rescue his wife from a Mississippi plantation owner. Jamie Foxx stars as the titular character Django while Kerry Washington will be playing his wife and Leonardo DiCaprio will be playing plantation owner Calvin Candie. As usual with most Quentin Tarantino movies, Django Unchained will have a TON of characters. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kurt Russell, Sacha Baron Cohen, Samuel L. Jackson, Cristoph Waltz, and many more fantastic actors will also make appearances at some point during the story. Can Django Unchained top Inglorious Basterds? My guess is that it will and Django Unchained will bring Quentin Tarantino his second Oscar.
2. The Avengers (May 4th)
Iron Man. Thor. Captain America. The Incredible Hulk. Hawkeye. Black Widow. Nick Fury. All in the same movie. It's the movie that we've been waiting for ever since it was teased at the end of Iron Man way back in 2008. And it's finally here! Comic book geeks rejoice! However, out of all of the movies on my most anticipated list, I think The Avengers has the potential to be the most disappointing, but that's probably because of all the hype surrounding it. The Avengers will see Nick Fury and his S.H.I.E.L.D. agency form a team called The Avengers to battle Loki and his army. There really isn't much else to be said. This movie will be HUGE. In a normal year, it would have definitely been my most anticipated movie. But this year sees the release of....
1. The Dark Knight Rises (July 20th)
Not really a surprise, The Dark Knight Rises is by FAR my most anticipated movie of 2012. Screw it, The Dark Knight Rises is my most anticipated movie of all time. The Dark Knight is among my favorite movies of all time so to say I'm looking forward to the sequel would be quite an understatement. The Dark Knight Rises takes place eight years after The Joker wreaked havoc on Gotham City in The Dark Knight. This time around, a terrorist leader known as Bane (played by Tom Hardy) causes Batman to resurface to put an end to his nefarious plot. Also starring is Anne Hathaway as Catwoman, but we're not quite sure how she figures into the plot yet. On top of that, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard will also play characters named John Blake and Miranda Tate, but how their characters play into the story is also unknown. This air of mystery gets me really excited for the movie. I have faith in Christopher Nolan and I don't think The Dark Knight Rises will disappoint. At least I hope it doesn't, cause I will be one sad Batman fan if it does.
There are my most anticipated movies of 2012! What movies are you looking forward to? Do you agree with my picks! Hit the comments below the post and let me know!
Jared
