April 13, 2012

Guide into 2012’s Current & Upcoming Film Releases

Over a quarter of the way through 2012, the box office has seen its share of hits and misses, and few would deny that its crowning jewel to date is the record-breaking The Hunger Games. Despite the film’s massive success, let’s not lose sight of the rest of what 2012 has in store. We’ve pulled together several current and upcoming releases to get excited about, including the much-hyped conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s Batman series and the reemergence of the popular American Pie franchise—from Quentin Tarantino’s latest offering to the first Pixar feature co-directed by a woman and featuring a female protagonist. And if there is a single trend to keep an eye on for the rest of 2012 (other than dueling Snow White movies), it’s the continuation of 3D’s quest to prove itself as a permanent format (it’s not going away, folks). Aiding in this endeavor are the 3D re-releases of Titanic (1997), Star Wars: Episode 1—The Phantom Menace (1999), and Finding Nemo (2003). I hear a collective groan, but keep in mind that after Disney let The Lion King out of its iron-clad vault last year for an encore, movie-goers flocked to the theatre to experience something familiar in a new way, proving big business for the media giant.

We’ve arranged this guide by genre to help you better hone in on the films that best appeal to your personal tastes.

As always, note that the information below is correct as of this posting. Since many of these films are still in production, information—including release dates—is subject to change.

All loglines are courtesy of IMDb.com. Certain films in most genres were chosen to be highlighted with brief analyses, provided by Limité’s film staff.

ACTION

THE AVENGERS

Director: Joss Whedon

Screenwriters: Zak Penn, Joss Whedon

Cast: Paul Bettany, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, Stellan Skarsgård

Distributor: Walt Disney Studios

Release Date: May 4

Site: http://marvel.com/avengers_movie

by John Lee

This adaptation of the Marvel comic book combines the characters of the hugely successful movie franchises of Iron Man, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, and Captain America into a geek’s super-sized fantasy come true. Add to that the addition of Joss Whedon, the creator of the beloved cult series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, co-writing and directing and this is one of the most anticipated movies of the summer. The plot follows Nick Fury (Jackson), leader of the international peace-keeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., as he recruits the team of superheroes to thwart off an extraterrestrial threat that looks to annihilate the earth.

Juggling the multiple characters was enough of a gargantuan challenge for Whedon, but having so many egos on set could have proven to be an even bigger nightmare for him. Thankfully, any fighting that occurred was all on screen between the characters. True to the comic book, the heroes will all have conflicts with each other—as well as themselves—that threaten to implode the group before they can even begin to save the earth. Not much else about the plot is known other than that Thor’s villainous brother Loki (Hiddleston) is the instigator of this extraterrestrial danger, which is rumored to be the infamous Skrulls (green alien shape shifters).

G.I. JOE: RETALIATION

The G.I. Joe team faces off against Zartan, his accomplices, and the world leaders he has under his influence.

Director: Jon M. Chu

Screenwriters: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Park, Ray Stevenson, Channing Tatum, Bruce Willis

Distributor:Paramount Pictures

Release Date: June 29

Site: http://www.gijoemovie.com/

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

Teenager Peter Parker grapples with both human problems and amazing super-human crises.

Director: Marc Webb

Screenwriters: Alvin Sargent, Steve Kloves, James Vanderbilt

Cast: Sally Field, Andrew Garfield, Rhys Ifans, Dennis Leary, Martin Sheen, Emma Stone

Distributor: Columbia Pictures

Release Date: July 3

Site: http://theamazingspiderman.com/

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

Director: Christopher Nolan

Screenwriters: Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan

Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard, Morgan Freeman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, JunoTemple

Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

Release Date: July 20

Site: http://www.thedarkknightrises.com/

by Daniel Quitério

With The Hunger Games hitting box offices strong in its first weeks of release, one 2012 movie that looks poised to wipe the record-breaking film from audience’s collective short-term memories is The Dark Knight Rises, the newest and final entry into Christopher Nolan’s Batman saga. Though the film comes four years after the series’ last installment, the newest film’s story takes place eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, in which Batman takes the fall for Two Face’s crimes. Now seen as an enemy to Gotham City, the caped crusader must protect the city that vilifies him against Bane, its newest terrorist threat.

Since the release of 2008’s The Dark Knight, much speculation immediately surfaced around the likelihood of Nolan returning to the franchise with a third installment. Nolan, himself, seemed unconvinced that he would return unless he was sure he could deliver a strong third film. In a 2008 interview with the LA Times, he said, “Is there a story that’s going to keep me emotionally invested for the couple of years that it will take to make another one? … On a more superficial level, I have to ask the question: How many good third movies in a franchise can people name?” Yet, a story was devised that Nolan was interested in working with, and so he brings us The Dark Knight Rises, which borrows from three Batman stories that serve as inspiration: The Dark Knight Returns (in which an ageing Batman comes out of retirement), Knightfall (in which Bane tests Batman), and No Man’s Land (in which Gotham City is overrun by gangs).

Putting another past rumor to rest, the late, Oscar winner Heath Ledger will not be making an appearance in the latest film via unused footage from The Dark Knight. Names making their debuts in the trilogy include Tom Hardy as Bane (Warrior, 2011), Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Oscar winner Marion Cotillard (Inception, 2010), and Juno Temple (The Three Musketeers, 2011), among others. The newest Batman flick opens on July 20 and is sure to be one of the hottest releases of the summer.

THE BOURNE LEGACY

A story centered on a new CIA operative in the universe based on Robert Ludlum’s novels.

Director: Tony Gilroy

Screenwriters: Tony Gilroy, Dan Gilroy

Cast: Joan Allen, Albert Finney, Oscar Isaac, Edward Norton, Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz

Distributor: Universal Pictures

Release Date: August 3

TOTAL RECALL

As the nation states Euromerica and New Shanghai vie for supremacy, a factory worker begins to suspect that he’s a spy, though he is unaware which side of the fight he’s on.

Director: Len Wiseman

Screenwriters: Mark Bomback, James Vanderbilt, Kurt Wimmer

Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, John Cho, Bryan Cranston, Colin Farrell, Ethan Hawke, Bill Nighy

Distributor: Columbia Pictures

Release Date: August 3

Site: http://totalrecall-movie.com/

PREMIUM RUSH

In Manhattan, a bike messenger picks up an envelope that attracts the interest of a dirty cop, who pursues the cyclist throughout the city.

Director: David Koepp

Screenwriters: David Koepp, John Kamps

Cast: Jamie Chung, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dania Ramirez, Michael Shannon

Distributor: Columbia Pictures

Release Date: August 24

Site: http://premiumrush.com/

SKYFALL

Director: Sam Mendes

Screenwriters: John Logan, Patrick Marber, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade

Cast: Javier Bardem, Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney, Helen McCrory, Ben Whishaw

Distributor: Columbia Pictures

Release Date: November 9

Site: http://skyfall-movie.com/

by Morgan Goldin

Ian Fleming’s beloved British spy James Bond is back in his 23^rd outing on the big screen. Unlike previous entries in the series, Skyfall doesn’t follow the narrative thread established from the prior Bond movie, Quantum of Solace (2008). According to producer Barbara Broccoli, the series “will go on to other different stories from now on.” In this chapter, Bond’s allegiance to M is put to the test as mysterious figures from her past come back and threaten her. Bond must put an end to this threat, by any means necessary.

Skyfall marks Daniel Craig’s third time playing the debonair 007 spy. His interpretation of the iconic character goes in a different and much darker direction than previous actors who have handled the iconic character. Craig brings a hardened intensity to the role, eschewing a no-nonsense approach to the proceedings. This allows for a more violent character, where Bond erupts in certain fits of animalistic savagery at points. Craig’s Bond is the only Bond to exude any real sense of menace. When this is matched with the formidable talents of filmmaker Sam Mendes (whose own oeuvre includes such morally questionable characters featured in American Beauty, Road to Perdition, and Jarhead), Skyfall is sure to be a remarkable entry in the legendary film series.

ANIMATION

DR. SEUSS’ THE LORAX

Director: Chris Renaud

Screenwriters: Ken Daurio, Cinco Paul

Cast: Danny DeVito, Zac Efron, Ed Helms, Rob Riggle, Taylor Swift, Betty White

Distributor: Universal Pictures

Release Date: March 2

Site: http://www.theloraxmovie.com/index.php

by Janice Perez

March 2, 2012 marked the 108th birthday of celebrated children’s book writer Dr. Seuss, and what better way to commemorate it than with the release of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, a computer-animated, 3D film based on the great scribe’s fable of a charming, yellow creature’s passionate bid to save his dying forest home.

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax is the fourth feature-length film to be made from Dr. Seuss’ oeuvre of storybooks and is also the second one that is computer animated in its entirety. The film’s plot departs majorly from the book, with the addition of a love angle that fuels the story. Ted (Efron) finds out that his crush Audrey (Swift) dreams nothing more than to see a real, live tree in their completely plasticized town of Thneedville. To fulfill Audrey’s wish, Ted discovers how Thneedville used to be a heavily foliaged place that was sadly destroyed by one man’s greed.

The ultimate adventure steers Ted to The Lorax (DeVito), the scruffy and woolly advocate for the colorful Truffula trees, who had long abandoned Thneedville when his efforts had gone unanswered. With The Lorax’s help, Ted faces the town’s financial king, O’Hare (Riggle), in one last measure to bring Thneedville back to its thicketed glory and win the girl of his dreams.

Clearly, the environmental undertones from the book have been preserved and are much more heightened in the film version. Illumination Entertainment (creator of 2010’s surprise hit Despicable Me) produced Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax with Audrey Geisel, Dr. Seuss’ widow.

MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED

Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, and Goria the Hippo join a traveling circus in an effort to get back home toNew York.

Director: Eric Darnell

Screenwriter: Noah Baumbach

Cast: Cedric the Entertainer, Sacha Baron Cohen, Frances McDormand, Andy Richter, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Sherri Shepherd, Jada Pinkett Smith, Ben Stiller

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Release Date: June 8

Site: http://www.madagascarmovie.com/

BRAVE

Directors: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman

Screenwriters: Brenda Chapman, Irene Mecchi

Cast: Robbie Coltrane, Billy Connolly, Craig Ferguson, Kevin McKidd, Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters

Distributor: Walt Disney Studios/Pixar Animation Studios

Release Date: June 22

Site: http://disney.go.com/brave/

by John Lee

Pixar’s thirteenth feature-length movie is a 3D animated fantasy adventure. Set in the mystical Scottish Highlands, Merida (voiced by Macdonald) is an unruly princess of a kingdom ruled by King Fergus (Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Thompson). A skilled archer, she one day defies a sacred custom of the land and unwittingly unleashes chaos into the kingdom. To try and make things right, she seeks the counsel of an eccentric, old, wise woman (Walters) who grants her an ill-fated wish. Meridamust then set out to undo the spell before it’s too late.

Brave sets many firsts for Pixar: its first fairytale, its first film with a female protagonist, and its first film co-directed by a woman. The production has not been without its own turmoils, though. First, Brenda Chapman, who conceived of the project initially titled The Bear and the Bow, was supposed to be its sole director, but was replaced last October by Oscar-nominated director Mark Andrews (Pixar short “One Man Band”). Though he is the one to finish the film, both are credited as the film’s directors. Second, Reese Witherspoon was originally signed on to voice Merida. Due to scheduling conflicts, she had to withdraw, making way for the more appropriate Scottish-born Macdonald (TV’s Boardwalk Empire) to take over.

ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT

Manny, Diego, and Sid embark upon another adventure after their continent is set adrift. Using an iceberg as a ship, they encounter sea creatures and battle pirates as they explore a new world.

Directors: Steve Martino, Mike Thurmeier

Screenwriters: Michael Berg, Jason Fuchs

Cast: Aziz Ansari, Joy Behar, Peter Dinklage, Aubrey Graham, Dennis Leary, John Leguizamo, Jennifer Lopez, Nicki Minaj, Kunal Nayyar, Keke Palmer, Josh Peck, Queen Latifah, Ray Romano, Seann William Scott, Wanda Sykes, Rebel Wilson

Distributor: 20^th Century Fox

Release Date: July 13

Site: http://www.iceagemovie.com/

PARANORMAN

A misunderstood boy who can speak with the dead takes on ghosts, zombies, and grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse.

Directors: Chris Butler, Sam Fell

Screenwriter: Chris Butler

Cast: Casey Affleck, Tempestt Bledsoe, Jeff Garlin, John Goodman, Anna Kendrick, Leslie Mann, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Elaine Stritch

Distributor: Focus Features

Release Date: August 17

Site: http://paranorman.com/

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA

Dracula, who operates a high-end resort away from the human world, goes into overprotective mode when a boy discovers the resort and falls for the count’s teenage daughter.

Director: Genndy Tartakovsky

Screenwriters: David I. Stern, Dan Hageman

Cast: Steve Buscemi, Cee-Lo, Miley Cyrus, Fran Drescher, Kevin James, David Koechner, Andy Samberg, Adam Sandler, Molly Shannon, David Spade

Distributor: Columbia Pictures

Release Date: September 21

FRANKENWEENIE

Young Victor conducts a science experiment to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life, only to face unintended, sometimes monstrous consequences.

Director: Tim Burton

Screenwriter: John August

Cast: Martin Landau, Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Charlie Tahan

Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures

Release Date: October 5

Site: http://disney.go.com/frankenweenie/

RISE OF THE GUARDIANS

Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Jack Frost, and the Sandman band together to form a united front against the Bogeyman.

Director: Peter Ramsey

Screenwriter: David Lindsay-Abaire

Cast: Alec Baldwin, Isla Fisher, Hugh Jackman, Jude Law, Chris Pine

Distributor: DreamWorks SKG

Release Date: November 21

Site: http://www.facebook.com/RiseoftheGuardians

COMEDY

21 JUMP STREET

A pair of underachieving cops is sent back to a local high school to blend in and bring down a synthetic drug ring.

Directors: Phil Lord, Chris Miller

Screenwriters: Michael Bacall, Jonah Hill

Cast: Johnny Depp, Jonah Hill, Ice Cube, Ellie Kemper, Rob Riggle, Channing Tatum

Distributor: Columbia Pictures

Release Date: March 16

Site: http://21jumpstreet-movie.com/

JEFF WHO LIVES AT HOME

Dispatched from his basement room on an errand for his mother, slacker Jeff might discover his destiny (finally) when he spends the day with his brother as he tracks his possibly adulterous wife.

Directors: Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass

Screenwriters: Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass

Cast: Judy Greer, Ed Helms, Susan Sarandon, Jason Segel

Distributor: Paramount Vantage

Release Date: March 16

MIRROR MIRROR

An evil queen steals control of a kingdom and an exiled princess enlists the help of seven resourceful rebels to win back her birthright.

Director: Tarsem Singh

Screenwriters: Melissa Wallack, Jason Keller

Cast: Lily Collins, Armie Hammer, Nathan Lane, Michael Lerner, Julia Roberts, Mare Winningham

Distributor: Relativity Media

Release Date: March 30

AMERICAN REUNION

Directors: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg

Screenwriters: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg

Cast: Jason Biggs, John Cho, Jennifer Coolidge, Shannon Elizabeth, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Eugene Levy, Natasha Lyonne, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Seann William Scott, Mena Suvari, Eddie Kaye Thomas

Distributor: Universal Pictures

Release Date: April 6

Site: http://www.americanpiereunion.com/

by Curtis John

The entire American Pie crew is back for its high school reunion in American Reunion. This fourth and reportedly final installment in the film series (there are four others that went straight to video and didn’t star any of the original cast, save Eugene Levy) picks up over a decade later as the four boys, who back in ’99 made a pact to lose their virginity before graduating high school, get together for a weekend to party and find out who has really changed and who barely has, and to discover how time and distance cannot break the bonds of true friendship.

A big deal has been made over how for this installment the poster for the original has been updated with how the cast looks now. It seems like a no-brainer to do so as that familiarity will make people feel as good as they did about the first movie. Natasha Lyonne’s character, the wise-cracking Jessica, doesn’t appear in the trailer, but John Cho (2009’s Star Trek, Harold & Kumar series), who plays MILF Guy #2, and Shannon Elizabeth, who played foreign exchange student Nadia, do appear to further help establish the nostalgia that most of the viewers will be clamoring for.

THE THREE STOOGES

While trying to save their childhood orphanage, Moe, Larry, and Curly inadvertently stumble into a murder plot and wind up starring in a reality TV show.

Directors: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly

Screenwriters: Mike Cerrone, Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly

Cast: Craig Bierko, Larry David, Chris Diamantopoulos, Sean Hayes, Jennifer Hudson, Jane Lynch, Will Sasso, Sofia Vergara

Distributor: 20^th Century Fox

Release Date: April 13

Site: http://www.threestooges.com/movie/

THE DICTATOR

The heroic story of a dictator who risks his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed.

Director: Larry Charles

Screenwriters: Alec Berg, Sacha Baron Cohen, David Mandel, Jeff Schaffer

Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, Megan Fox, Ben Kingsley, BJ Novak, John C. Reilly, JB Smoove

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Release Date: May 11

Site: http://www.dictatorthemovie.com/

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING

Director: Kirk Jones

Screenwriters: Shauna Cross, Heather Hach

Cast: Elizabeth Banks, Chace Crawford, Brooklyn Decker, Cameron Diaz, Ben Falcone, Kim Fields, Anna Kendrick, Jennifer Lopez, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Joe Manganiello, Matthew Morrison, Megan Mullally, Dennis Quaid, Chris Rock, Rodrigo Santoro

Distributor: Lionsgate

Release Date: May 18

by Stephanie Dawson

In the holiday ensemble comedy wake of Valentine’s Day (2010) and New Year’s Eve (2011), this Mother’s Day will see a star-studded cast in a story about childbirth. What to Expect When You’re Expecting follows five couples as they prepare for a baby and is based on the popular guidebook series of the same title. The power couples include model-turned-actress Brooklyn Decker (Just Go with It, 2011) with Dennis Quaid, Elizabeth Banks with funny man Ben Falcone (Bridesmaids, 2011), Cameron Diaz with Glee leading man Matthew Morrison, Jennifer Lopez with Rodrigo Santoro (300, 2006), and Anna Kendrick expecting with Chace Crawford (TV’s Gossip Girl).

Kim Fields of TV’s Facts of Life fame will be featured in her first studio film role. Fans of Bridesmaids can spot cast members Wendi McLendon-Covey and Rebel Wilson in the trailer.

Screenwriter Heather Hach (Freaky Friday, 2003) pitched the idea when she was nine months pregnant, and Shauna Cross (Whip It, 2009) finished the draft. Lionsgate no doubt hopes this will become a franchise since the book and its successors, What to Expect the First Year and The Toddler Years, are best sellers that have been translated in over 40 languages.

THAT’S MY BOY

A father moves in with his son right before his wedding and soon begins sparring with his daughter-in-law.

Directors: Sean Anders, John Morris

Screenwriters: David Caspe, Ken Marino, David Wain

Cast: James Caan, Will Forte, Leighton Meester, Andy Samberg, Adam Sandler, Susan Sarandon

Distributor: Sony Pictures

Release Date: June 15

TED

A story centered on a man and his teddy bear, which comes to life as the result of a childhood wish.

Director: Seth MacFarlane

Screenwriters: Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin,Wellesley Wild

Cast: Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane, Joel McHale, Giovanni Ribisi, Mark Wahlberg, Patrick Warburton

Distributor: Universal Pictures

Release Date: July 13

THE CAMPAIGN

Two rival North Carolina politicians with presidential aspirations tangle with one another.

Director: Jay Roach

Screenwriters: Chris Henchy, Shawn Harwell

Cast: Dan Aykroyd, Brian Cox, Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, John Lithgow, Dylan McDermott, Jason Sudeikis

Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

Release Date: August 10

HOPE SPRINGS

After 30 years of marriage, a middle-aged couple attends an intense counseling weekend to decide the fate of their marriage.

Director: David Frankel

Screenwriter: Vanessa Taylor

Cast: Steve Carell, Tommy Lee Jones, Jean Smart, Meryl Streep

Distributor: Columbia Pictures

Release Date: August 10

THE WEDDING

A long-divorced couple fakes being married as their family unites for a wedding.

Director: Justin Zackham

Screenwriter: Justin Zackham

Cast: Robert De Niro, Christine Ebersole, Topher Grace, Katherine Heigl, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, Amanda Seyfried, Robin Williams

Distributor: Lionsgate

Release Date: October 19

THE GUILT TRIP

An inventor and his mom hit the road together so he can sell his latest invention.

Director: Anne Fletcher

Screenwriter: Dan Fogelman

Cast: Colin Hanks, Kathy Najimy, Danny Pudi, Seth Rogen, Adam Scott, Yvonne Strahovski, Barbra Streisand, Casey Wilson

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Release Date: November 2

THE SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

After spending four years in a mental institution, a former teacher moves back in with his mother and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife.

Director: David O. Russell

Screenwriter: David O. Russell

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Jennifer Lawrence, Taylor Schilling, Julia Stiles, Chris Tucker, Jacki Weaver, Shea Whigham

Distributor: The Weinstein Company

Release Date: November 21

THIS IS 40

Director: Judd Apatow

Screenwriter: Judd Apatow

Cast: Albert Brooks, Lena Dunham, Megan Fox, John Lithgow, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Mann, Annie Mumolo, Chris O’Dowd, Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Charlyne Yi

Distributor: Universal Pictures

Release Date: December 21

by Morgan Goldin

Hollywood’s comedic hitmaker Judd Apatow brings his latest directorial effort to the screen next winter with This Is 40. The film, itself, is a spin-off of Knocked Up (2007), Apatow’s biggest box office hit as director, and features Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann (Apatow’s real-life wife) reprising their characters Pete and Debbie. Jason Segel and Charlyne Yi are also returning.

Little is known about the plot or whether Seth Rogen or Katherine Heigl will show up in cameos or small roles as the characters they previously played. However, based on Apatow’s thematic record, expect the story to concern overgrown man-children coming to grips with adult responsibility and commitment. The fact that makes these stories so damn funny puts this on a must-see list. Also joining the cast are Melissa McCarthy (the break-out star of last year’s Bridesmaids) and Lena Dunham, for whom Apatow is producing the upcoming HBO series Girls, based on the strength of Dunham’s first directorial feature and indie darling Tiny Furniture (2010), in which she also starred.

DRAMA

TITANIC (3D RE-RELEASE)

A boy and a girl from differing social backgrounds meet during the ill-fated maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic.

Director: James Cameron

Screenwriter: James Cameron

Cast: Kathy Bates, Leonardo DiCaprio, Victor Garber, Bill Paxton, Gloria Stuart, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane

Distributor: Paramount Pictures (original 1997 release)

Release Date: April 4

Site: http://www.titanicmovie.com/

THE WETTEST COUNTY

Set in theDepression-era Franklin County,Virginia, a bootlegging gang is threatened by authorities who want a cut of their profits.

Director: John Hillcoat

Screenwriter: Nick Cave

Cast: Jessica Chastain, Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Gary Oldman, Guy Pearce, Mia Wasikowska

Distributor: The Weinstein Company

Release Date: August 31

ARGO

As the Iranian revolution reaches a boiling point, a CIA “exfiltration” specialist concocts a risky plan to free six Americans who have found shelter at the home of the Canadian ambassador.

Director: Ben Affleck

Screenwriter: Chris Terrio

Cast: Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin, Kyle Chandler, Bryan Cranston, Clea DuVall, John Goodman, Richard Kind, Taylor Schilling

Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

Release Date: September 14

THE GANGSTER SQUAD

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Screenwriter: Will Beall

Cast: Josh Brolin, Mireille Enos, Ryan Gosling, Frank Grillo, Anthony Mackie, Nick Nolte, Robert Patrick, Michael Peña, Josh Pence, Sean Penn, Giovanni Ribisi, Emma Stone

Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

Release Date: October 12

by John Lee

Inspired by a series of stories in 2008 by then Los Angeles Times reporter Paul Lieberman, the film focuses on a group of LAPD cops in 1946 that formed the “Gangster Squad,” a vigilante police force that fought the rampant mafia (namely the notorious gangster Mickey Cohen) that had infiltrated LA on its own terms.

Director Ruben Fleischer, who previously directed the cult comedy Zombieland (2009), was not the first person on Warner Brothers’ list to direct this $70 million crime/drama with an all-star cast. Ultimately, his complete passion and vision for the project won executives over. In interviews, Fleischer has stressed his love for gangster movies like Goodfellas (1990) and Miller’s Crossing (1990) as well as LA noir films like Chinatown (1974), and aspired to mesh the two genres together with this film. As Fleischer sees it, the story is about a battle for the future of LA, whether it’s going to be run by a bunch of gangsters or these guys who fight to make the city the shining beacon that it was always intended to be.

DJANGO UNCHAINED

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Screenwriter: Quentin Tarantino

Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Samuel L. Jackson, Don Johnson, Anthony LaPaglia, Kurt Russell, Christoph Waltz, Kerry Washington

Distributor: The Weinstein Company

Release Date: December 25

by Daniel Quitério

Nothing enhances the Christmas spirit like a good, old-fashioned vengeful slave movie. This December 25^th, Quentin Tarantino brings us his latest movie, following 2009’s award-winning Inglourious Basterds. Despite its setting in the Deep South, the auteur’s latest release, Django Unchained, falls into the western genre, which carves out new territory for the writer/director. The story follows Django, a former slave who’s aided by a German dentist-turned-bounty hunter to rescue his wife from a malicious Mississippi plantation owner.

It’s been reported that Tarantino originally wanted Will Smith to lead the cast as Django, but the box office superstar opted not to take the part. The part was then offered to Jamie Foxx, who stepped up to the role of a determined former slave. Foxx is just one of several name actors to collaborate with Tarantino on his latest effort. Leonardo DiCaprio will play the malevolent antagonist from whom Django must free his wife, who will be played by Kerry Washington. This marks one more time Foxx and Washington play on-screen husband and wife, following Foxx’s Oscar-winning turn in Ray (2004). Tarantino directed Christoph Waltz to an Oscar for his supporting role in Inglourious Basterds, and Waltz appears to be returning the favor by playing Django’s mentor. Rounding out the cast are Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, and Sacha Baron Cohen. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was previously attached to the film, but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts with his directorial debut of Don Jon’s Addiction.

THE GREAT GATSBY

Nick Carraway, a Midwesterner now living on Long Island, finds himself fascinated by the mysterious past and lavish lifestyle of his neighbor, Jay Gatsby. He is drawn into Gatsby’s circle, becoming a witness to obsession and tragedy.

Director: Baz Luhrmann

Screenwriters: Baz Luhrmann, Craig Pearce

Cast: Jason Clarke, Elizabeth Debicki, Leonardo DiCaprio, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, Callan McAuliffe, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Daniel Newman, Gemma Ward

Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

Release Date: December 25

LINCOLN

The sixteenth President of the United States guides the North to victory during the Civil War.

Director: Steven Spielberg

Screenwriters: Tony Kushner, John Logan, Paul Webb

Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Walton Goggins, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jackie Earle Haley, Jared Harris, John Hawkes, Hal Holbrook, Tommy Lee Jones, S. Epatha Merkerson, Tim Blake Nelson, Lee Pace, James Spader, David Strathairn, Michael Stuhlbarg

Distributor: Touchstone Pictures

Release Date: December TBD

HORROR

THE CABIN IN THE WOODS

Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods. Bad things happen.

Director: Drew Goddard

Screenwriters: Joss Whedon, Drew Goddard

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford, Jesse Williams

Distributor: Lionsgate

Release Date: April 13

Site: http://discoverthecabininthewoods.com/

DARK SHADOWS

Director: Tim Burton

Screenwriter: Seth Grahame-Smith

Cast: Helena Bonham Carter, Johnny Depp, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Johnny Lee Miller, Chloë Grace Moretz, Michelle Pfeiffer

Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

Release Date: May 11

by Janice Perez

Think the world might have already had its fair, gargantuan share of vampires in the last few years’ spate of blood-sucking films, TV shows, books, and even band names? Think again. Another purportedly huge vampire saga is coming out in May, but skin sparkling from this chimerical breed is highly doubtful considering these vampires are crafted by no less than the master of dark and quirky stories, Tim Burton.

Dark Shadows is adapted from the ABC gothic soap opera of the same name that ran from 1966 – 1971. The story revolves around Barnabas Collins (Depp), an insouciant playboy from the wealthy Collins family of Collinwood Manor inMaine in 1752. His blasé ways cause him to break the heart of a witch, Angelique Brouchard (Green), who casts a spell on him, turning him into a vampire and burying him alive for 220 years. In 1972, Barnabas finally resurfaces and discovers that Collinwood Manor, now operated by a maladjusted set of descendants, is in total decline.

Dark Shadows is a dream project for the creative duo of Burton and Depp, who have both expressed how avid fans they were of the original soap opera. As homage to the show, Jonathan Frid, the actor who portrayed Barnabas in the ABC series, will make a cameo in the film.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER

President Lincoln’s mother is killed by a supernatural creature, which fuels his passion to crush vampires and their slave-owning helpers.

Director: Timur Bekmambetov

Screenwriters: Seth Grahame-Smith, Simon Kinberg

Cast: Dominic Cooper, Anthony Mackie, Rufus Sewell, Alan Tudyk, Benjamin Walker, Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Distributor: 20^th Century Fox

Release Date: June 22

RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION

Alicefights alongside a resistance movement in the continuing battle against the Umbrella Corporation and the undead.

Director: Paul WS Anderson

Screenwriter: Paul WS Anderson

Cast: Meagan Good, Sienna Guillory, Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Michelle Rodriguez

Distributor: Screen Gems

Release Date: September 14

INDIES

SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN

A fisheries expert is approached by a consultant to help realize a sheik’s vision of bringing the sport of fly-fishing to the desert and embarks on an upstream journey of faith and fish to prove the impossible, possible.

Director: Lasse Hallström

Screenwriter: Simon Beaufoy

Cast: Emily Blunt, Ewan McGregor, Kristin Scott Thomas, Amr Waked

Distributor: CBS Films

Release Date: March 9

Site: http://www.fishingintheyemen.com/

BULLY

Director: Lee Hirsch

Screenwriter: Cynthia Lowen

Distributor: The Weinstein Company

Release Date: March 30

Site: http://thebullyproject.com/

by Daniel Quitério

Oscar heavyweight The Weinstein Company (The Artist, The King’s Speech) brings us perhaps one of the most important and timely message films of the year. Though bullying is not a new development in schools, it’s come to the forefront over the past few years after several children took their own lives as a result of suffering abuse from their peers. Director Lee Hirsch, himself a former victim of bullying, focuses on this dangerous epidemic that’s been at the center of heated discussion for some time. His film Bully follows five students across the United States who discuss their personal experiences with bullying.

Originally titled The Bully Project, the documentary premiered at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival and was quickly snatched up by The Weinstein Company (TWC), which had been fighting to have the film and its pertinent message made available to a mass audience. This became the center of a recent firestorm after ratings body Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) gave the film an R rating for language. Concerned that the rating meant children under the age of 17 would not be able to see this film that is so relevant to them (and could potentially change minds and save lives), advocates took to social media to sign a petition and demand the film’s rating be reduced to PG-13. The MPAA stood firm in its decision, so TWC strategically opted to release the film unrated, which would impact the number of theatres that would be able to screen it. Recently, the MPAA decided to grant the PG-13 rating, after all, but only after TWC agreed to a few small edits. If the conviction of this film’s advocates is any indication of its success, there’s little doubt that Bully’s message will be heard loud and clear and may be the agent of change needed to curb bullying for good.

SOUND OF MY VOICE

A journalist and his girlfriend get pulled in while they investigate a cult whose leader claims to be from the future.

Director: Zal Batmanglij

Screenwriters: Brit Marling, Zal Batmanglij

Cast: Christopher Denham, Brit Marling, Nicole Vicius

Distributor: Fox Searchlight

Release Date: April 27

Site: http://www.soundofmyvoicemovie.com/

THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL

British retirees travel to India to take up residence in what they believe is a newly restored hotel. Less luxurious than its advertisements, the Marigold Hotel nevertheless slowly begins to charm in unexpected ways.

Director: John Madden

Screenwriter: Ol Parker

Cast: Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson

Distributor: Fox Searchlight

Release Date: May 4

Site: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/thebestexoticmarigoldhotel/

HYSTERIA

A romantic comedy based on the truth of how Mortimer Granville devised the invention of the first vibrator in the name of medical science.

Director: Tanya Wexler

Screenwriters: Jonah Lisa Dyer, Stephen Dyer, Howard Gensler

Cast: Hugh Dancy, Rupert Everett, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ashley Jensen, Felicity Jones, Jonathan Pryce, Sheridan Smith

Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics

Release Date: May 18

Site: http://sonyclassics.com/hysteria/

MAGIC MIKE

An upstart male stripper is taken under the wing of a more experienced colleague.

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Screenwriter: Reid Carolin

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Joe Manganiello, Olivia Munn, Alex Pettyfer, Channing Tatum

Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

Release Date: June 29

BUTTER

In small-town Iowa, an adopted girl discovers her talent for butter carving and finds herself pitted against an ambitious local woman in their town’s annual contest.

Director: Jim Field Smith

Screenwriter: Jason A. Micallef

Cast: Ty Burrell, Rob Corddry, Jennifer Garner, Hugh Jackman, Alicia Silverstone, Olivia Wilde

Distributor: The Weinstein Company

Release Date: October 5

MUSIC/MUSICAL

ROCK OF AGES

Director: Adam Shankman

Screenwriters: Justin Theroux, Chris D’Arienzo, Allan Loeb

Cast: Malin Akerman, Alec Baldwin, Mary J. Blige, Diego Boneta, Russell Brand, Bryan Cranston, Tom Cruise, Will Forte, Paul Giamatti, Julianne Hough, Catherine Zeta-Jones

Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

Release Date: June 15

by Curtis John

The film adaptation of the popular Broadway musical Rock of Ages is set in 1987 Los Angeles, where we find struggling wannabe rocker Drew (Boneta) and small-town girl, budding actress Sherrie (Hough), two young people chasing their dreams in the big city. When they meet, it’s love at first sight, but their fated romance faces a series of challenges, including the fear of devotion, ignorance, and a lust for celebrity. Set against the backdrop of the 1980s music scene, the film features songs from the likes of Journey, Foreigner, Styx, Poison, REO Speedwagon, and more.

If you like ’80s rock bands (especially the “hair bands”) you’ll most likely be into Rock of Ages. This film version seems to have an advantage with the casting of Tom Cruise as Stacee Jaxx, front man for the band Arsenal and the man that comes between Sherrie’s and Drew’s love. It also appears that Catherine Zeta-Jones’s character, the mayor’s wife Patricia Whitmore, is a new one and serves as the main villain whose goal is to stomp out the wild rock ’n roll scene from the Sunset Strip.

The stage show often breaks the fourth wall and has characters talking directly to the audience. It’s not clear whether the film will be that interactive, but Rock of Ages seems more in the vain of The Rocky Horror Picture Show; the intention is to have a good time at the movie theater, as opposed to anyone taking it too seriously.

SPARKLE

Three sisters form a successful singing group and must deal with the fallout of fame and drugs.

Director: Salim Akil

Screenwriters: Mara Brock Akil, Howard Rosenman

Cast: Cee-Lo, Mike Epps, Whitney Houston, Derek Luke, Jordin Sparks

Distributor: TriStar Pictures

Release Date: August 17

LES MISÉRABLES

An adaptation of the successful stage musical based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel set in 19th-centuryFrance, in which a paroled prisoner named Jean Valjean seeks redemption.

Director: Tom Hooper

Screenwriter: William Nicholson

Cast: Helena Bonham Carter, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Eddie Redmayne, Amanda Seyfried

Distributor: Universal Pictures

Release Date: December 14

SCI-FI/FANTASY

THE HUNGER GAMES

Director: Gary Ross

Screenwriters: Billy Ray, Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins

Cast: Elizabeth Banks, Wes Bentley, Woody Harrelson, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Toby Jones, Lenny Kravitz, Jennifer Lawrence, Donald Sutherland, Stanley Tucci

Distributor: Lionsgate

Release Date: March 23

Site: http://www.thehungergamesmovie.com/index2.html

by Stephanie Dawson

The Hunger Games is set in a dystopian future where Panem (formerly North America) hosts an annual televised game whereby 24 youth aged 12 – 18 are forced into a competition for survival, eliminating their opponents until a single person is left. When 16-year-old Katniss’s younger sister Prim is selected to represent their district, Katniss, played by Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone, 2010), volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, played by Josh Hutcherson (The Kids Are All Right, 2010), must struggle to make it through the games, or die.

This highly anticipated series comes just as Harry Potter and The Twilight Saga are ending, leaving an eager youth audience primed for the next new series. The Hunger Games will also be seen in China as one of 20 US films permitted annually by the Chinese government. Like Potter and Twilight, Hunger has a built-in audience from the success of the books; however, the dark material, eerily similar to Japan’s Battle Royale (2000), in which children are forced to kill other children, may hinder expanding it’s audience. Nonetheless, the sequel, Catching Fire, is already slated for a Thanksgiving 2013 release.

WRATH OF THE TITANS

Perseus embarks on a treacherous quest into the underworld to rescue Zeus, who has been targeted for capture by his traitorous son, Ares, and his brother, Hades.

Director: Jonathan Liebesman

Screenwriters: Dan Mazeau, David Johnson

Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy, Rosamund Pike, Édgar Ramírez, Sam Worthington

Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

Release Date: March 30

Site: http://wrathofthetitans.warnerbros.com/index.html

BATTLESHIP

A fleet of ships is forced to do battle with an armada of unknown origins in order to discover and thwart their destructive goals.

Director: Peter Berg

Screenwriters: Erich Hoeber, Jon Hoeber

Cast: Brooklyn Decker, Taylor Kitsch, Hamish Linklater, Liam Neeson, Josh Pence, Rihanna, Alexander Skårsgard

Distributor: Universal Pictures

Release Date: May 18

Site: http://www.battleshipmovie.com/

MEN IN BLACK III

Agent J travels in time to MIB’s early years in the 1960s to stop an alien from assassinating his friend Agent K and changing history.

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld

Screenwriters: Etan Cohen, David Koepp, Jeff Nathanson, Michael Soccio

Cast: Josh Brolin, Jemaine Clement, Bill Hader, Tommy Lee Jones, Nicole Scherzinger, Will Smith, Michael Stuhlbarg, Emma Thompson, Rip Torn

Distributor: Columbia Pictures

Release Date: May 25

Site: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/meninblack3/

SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN

In a twist to the fairy tale, the Huntsman ordered to take Snow White into the woods to be killed winds up becoming her protector and mentor in a quest to vanquish the Evil Queen.

Director: Rupert Sanders

Screenwriters: Hossein Amini, Evan Daugherty, Evan Spiliotopoulos

Cast: Nick Frost, Chris Hemsworth, Bob Hoskins, Toby Jones, Ian McShane, Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Ray Winstone

Distributor: Universal Pictures

Release Date: June 1

Site: http://www.snowwhiteandthehuntsman.com/

PROMETHEUS

A team of explorers discovers a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.

Director: Ridley Scott

Screenwriters: Jon Spaihts, Damon Lindelof

Cast: Idris Elba, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson

Distributor: 20^th Century Fox

Release Date: June 8

Site: http://www.prometheus-movie.com/

THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN

A childless couple buries a box in its backyard, containing all of its wishes for an infant. Soon, a child is born, though Timothy Green is not all that he appears.

Director: Peter Hedges

Screenwriter: Peter Hedges

Cast: Common, Rosemarie DeWitt, Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Garner, Ron Livingston, M. Emmet Walsh, Dianne Wiest

Distributor: Walt Disney Studios

Release Date: August 15

Site: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/the-odd-life-of-timothy-green/

LOOPER

A killer who works for the mob of the future recognizes one of his targets as his future self.

Director: Rian Johnson

Screenwriter: Rian Johnson

Cast: Emily Blunt, Jeff Daniels, Paul Dano, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Piper Perabo, Tracie Thoms, Bruce Willis

Distributors: TriStar Pictures, FilmDistrict

Release Date: September 28

CLOUD ATLAS

Six stories set in a different time and place become intricately related to each other.

Directors: Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski

Screenwriters: Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski

Cast: Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant, Tom Hanks, Susan Sarandon, Jim Sturgess, Hugo Weaving, Ben Whishaw

Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

Release Date: October 26

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN—PART 2

After the birth of Renesmee, the Cullens gather other vampire clans in order to protect the child from a false allegation that puts the family in front of the Volturi.

Director: Bill Condon

Screenwriter: Melissa Rosenberg

Cast: Dakota Fanning, Anna Kendrick, Taylor Lautner, Kellan Lutz, Robert Pattinson, Nikki Reed, Michael Sheen, Kristen Stewart

Distributor: Summit Entertainment

Release Date: November 16

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY

Director: Peter Jackson

Screenwriters: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro

Cast: Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Martin Freeman, Ian Holm, Evangeline Lilly, Ian McKellen, Lee Pace, Andy Serkis, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood

Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

Release Date: December 14

by Morgan Goldin

The long-awaited prequel to the globally popular Lord of the Rings saga finally hits the screen next winter. In this chapter, Bilbo Baggins (Wood) must trek to the Lonely Mountain to get back a treasure that was stolen by the dragon Smaug. After much developmental stalls and financial fall-outs (exquisite horror/fantasy filmmaker Guillermo del Toro was at one point pegged to direct), Peter Jackson finally stepped into the director’s chair and brought another entry into this well-venerated series.

Since the release of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, movie screens have been flooded with other adaptations of popular book series, the most notables being Harry Potter and Twilight. In the meantime, audiences around the world have awaited another cinematic journey into JRR Tolkien’s profoundly dense mythology. One of the qualities that separate these films from other would-be fantasy epics is that Lord of the Rings treats the material in ardent sincerity and doesn’t pander to audiences. These films demand a lot on the part of viewers, but at the same time offer deeply satisfying experiences. As such, they’ve been rewarded with mega-blockbuster box office and well-regarded critical acclaim. This is one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of 2012. You should probably have gotten your ticket yesterday.

LIFE OF PI

The story of an Indian boy named Pi, a zookeeper’s son who finds himself in the company of a hyena, zebra, orangutan, and a Bengal tiger after a shipwreck sends them adrift in thePacific Ocean.

Director: Ang Lee

Screenwriter: David Magee

Cast: Irrfan Khan, Tobey Maguire, Suraj Sharma

Distributor: Fox 2000 Pictures

Release Date: December 21

THRILLER

THE RAVEN

When a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s works, a young Baltimore detective joins forces with Poe to stop him from making his stories a reality.

Director: James McTeigue

Screenwriters: Ben Livingston, Hannah Shakespeare

Cast: John Cusack, Luke Evans, Alice Eve, Brendan Gleeson

Distributor: Rogue Pictures

Release Date: April 27

Site: http://www.imdb.com/theraven

SAVAGES

Pot growers Ben and Chon face off against the Mexican drug cartel that kidnapped their shared girlfriend.

Director: Oliver Stone

Screenwriters: Don Winslow, Shane Salerno

Cast: Demián Bichir, Benicio Del Toro, Salma Hayek, Emile Hirsch, Aaron Johnson, Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, Uma Thurman, John Travolta

Distributor: Universal Pictures