With the season of classy Oscar-bait in full swing, we take a look ahead at this year’s biggest blockbusters. You know, 2012’s fun movies.
The Avengers
Who’s in it?
It might be easier to list who isn’t, but we’ve got Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård and Jeremy Renner. Phew!
What’s it about?
Actual plot details remain mysterious, but it’s a fair bet that the film will see the world put in jeopardy at the hands of some super-villain/evil force/alien alongside Thor’s returning Loki, with Jackson’s Nick Fury gathering up the world’s most powerful heroes to form The Avengers in order to stop them.
Why are we excited?
How could we not be? You saw that cast, right? We’ve had five Marvel films building up to this already. That’s several years (and unthinkable millions) that have gone into laying the groundwork for this.
With Buffy creator Joss Whedon at the helm, with his big-screen sci-fi credentials proven with Serenity, and his ability to expertly manage a large ensemble proven with pretty much all of his TV shows, we’re expecting big, big things.
The Dark Knight Rises
Who’s in it?
Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman.
What’s it about?
Set eight years after The Dark Knight, this final entry in Nolan’s Batman trilogy will see the Caped Crusader trying to prevent the villainous Bane from destroying the city, whilst also trying to avoid capture by the Gotham Police Department. There’s also the mystery of one Selina Kyle for Bruce Wayne to unwravel…
Why are we excited?
In Nolan we trust! After 2008’s all-conquering previous instalment, which gave us one of the darker and more mature blockbusters of recent years, we’re hoping for more of the same with the concluding chapter of this masterful modern Batman.
Tom Hardy’s Bane looks to be a suitably menacing nemesis, and Anne Hathaway as Catwoman promises to thrill. And let’s face it; Anne Hathaway as Catwoman is reason enough to be excited!
Prometheus
Who’s in it?
Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba and Charlize Theron.
What’s it about?
The crew of Prometheus head out into space to explore the ruins of an advanced alien civilisation in order to gain clues about the origins of humanity.
Why are we excited?
Ridley Scott doing sci-fi again. Need we say more? No, but we will anyway. Not only is Mr. Scott returning to sci-fi, but he may well be returning to the scene of his greatest triumph.
Initially slated as an Alien prequel, Prometheus took itself in another direction during development, but based on the trailer (and despite Scott being coy about any links to his previous masterpiece) this at least appears to be set in the same universe as the Alien franchise.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Who’s in it?
Take a deep breath: Martin Freeman, Ian Holm, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Aiden Turner, James Nesbitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Stephen Fry, Sylvester McCoy, Bret McKenzie, Evangeline Lilly, Christopher Lee, Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Andy Serkis and many, many more…
What’s it about?
Set before the events of The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit follows a young(er) Bilbo Baggins as he finds himself inadvertently joining a band of warriors and dwarves as they journey across the world to confront the great and ferocious dragon Smaug.
Why are we excited?
Peter Jackson’s Rings trilogy is perhaps the definitive classic film story of our generation, so to see him return to this world is certainly cause for celebration.
Martin Freeman as Bilbo is perfect, and with the rest of the cast fleshed out with the current cream of British talent, as well many returning big names from LOTR, hopes are high that Jackson can once again please fans of the source material, as well as match the high-standards he set for himself with his original foray into Middle Earth.
The Amazing Spider-Man
Who’s in it?
Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Martin Sheen, Denis Leary, Irfan Khan.
What’s it about?
You shouldn’t really need this one explained, it’s only been ten years! Boy gets bitten by radio-active spider and becomes spider-based superhero. Wisecracks, adventures and much internal wrangling over the responsibility of powers ensue.
Why are we excited?
On the surface, this doesn’t seem all that exciting. Do we really need another Spider-Man origin story so soon?
But there is cause to look forward to this. Firstly, from the glimpses so far, Andrew Garfield feels like a more natural fit for the role than Tobey Maguire ever did, and this reboot should feel inherently different given that there’s no Mary-Jane.
Instead, Emma Stone will play fan-fave Gwen Stacy, and with The Lizard as the bad-guy, (500) Days of Summer director Mark Webb will be able to give us something we haven’t seen before. Sam Raimi’s take on Spider-Man was fine (and great, in places), but Spidey is such an irresistible character, who wouldn’t want to see him swinging around on the big screen again?
And if you’re looking for good omens; did we mention that the director’s name is WEBB?
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Which movies are you looking forward to in 2012? Let us know below…