Thursday, January 5, 2012

DAM NATION: 20 Most Anticipated Films of 2012

2011 is done and it feels like an appropriate time to look ahead to the future: 2012.

Now, with every upcoming year in films, there's always something for film buffs and audiences to figure out what they want to see. But looking at this year’s tentative slate of box office hopefuls, one might think Hollywood is unoriginal. Shocking. Haha. Lots of sequels, threequels, prequels and remakes for 2012 and a couple of comic adaptations. Overall, the blockbuster releases look a little better (?) compared to what was offered last year. So, fingers crossed that 2012 is the year of surprises and sleeper hits.

Anyway, here's my list of the 20 most anticipated films of 2012. Please keep this in mind as you peruse the list though, my taste tends to skew more towards the summer monstrosities and mainstream (potentially) big hits than “elevated” fare. So, it is what is it is.

20.  Wrath of the Titans
Cast: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes
Director: Jonathan Liebesman (Battle Los Angeles)
Release Date: March 30, 2012

Premise: 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.

TRAILER HERE

19. Prometheus
Cast: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron and Patrick Wilson
Director: Ridley Scott
Release Date: June 8, 2012

Premise: A team of explorers discover 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.

TRAILER HERE 

18. Battleship
Cast: Liam Neeson, Alexander SkarsgÄrd, Brooklyn Decker and Rihanna
Director: Peter Berg (Hancock)
Release Date: May 18, 2012

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

TRAILER HERE

17. The Lucky One
Cast: Zac Efron
Director: Scott Hicks (No Reservations)
Release Date: April 20, 2012

Premise: A Marine travels to North Carolina after serving three tours in Iraq and searches for the unknown woman he believes was his good luck charm during the war.

TRAILER HERE

16. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Cast: Martin Freeman, Cate Blanchett, Luke Evans and Andy Serkis
Director: Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings)
Release Date: December 14, 2012

Premise: Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit, journeys to the Lonely Mountain accompanied by a group of dwarves to reclaim a treasure taken from them by the dragon Smaug.

TRAILER HERE

15. American Reunion
Cast: Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan and Seann William Scott
Director: Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg
Release Date: April 6, 2012

Premise: Jim, Michelle, Stifler, and their friends reunite in East Great Falls, Michigan for their high school reunion.

TRAILER HERE

14. Dark Shadows
Cast: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green and Helena Bonham Carter
Director: Tim Burton (Alice In Wonderland)
Release Date: May 11, 2012

Premise: A gothic-horror tale centering on the life of vampire Barnabas Collins and his run-ins with various monsters, witches, werewolves and ghosts. Based on the cult TV series.

TRAILER Not yet available

13. The Vow
Cast: Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum
Director: Michael Sucsy
Release Date: February 10, 2012

Premise: A car accident puts Paige in a coma, and when she wakes up with severe memory loss, her husband Leo works to win her heart again.

TRAILER HERE

12. Mirror Mirror
Cast: Lily Collins, Julia Roberts and Armie Hammer
Director: Tarsem Singh (Immortals)
Release Date: March 16, 2012

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

TRAILER HERE

11. Brave
Cast: Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly and Emma Thompson
Director: Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman (The Prince of Egypt)
Release Date: June 22, 2012

Premise: Determined to make her own path in life, Princess Merida defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted one wish, Merida must rely on her bravery and her archery skills to undo a beastly curse.

TRAILER HERE

10. This Means War
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine and Tom Hardy
Director: McG (Charlie's Angels)
Release Date: February 17, 2012

Premise: Two top CIA operatives wage an epic battle against one another after they discover they are dating the same woman.

TRAILER HERE

09. Men In Black 3
Cast: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld (Men In Black)
Release Date: May 25, 2012

Premise: 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.

TRAILER HERE

08. Expendables 2
Cast: Liam Hemsworth, Jason Statham, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren and Jet Li
Director: Simon West (The Mechanic)
Release Date: August 17, 2012

Premise: Mr. Church reunites the Expendables for what should be an easy paycheck, but when one of their men is murdered on the job, their quest for revenge puts them deep in enemy territory and up against an unexpected threat.

TRAILER HERE

07. The Amazing Spider-Man
Cast: Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone
Director: Marc Webb
Release Date: July 3, 2012

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

TRAILER HERE

06. Rock Of Ages
Cast: Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Alec Baldwin, Malin Akerman
Director: Adam Shankman (Hairspray)
Release Date: June 1, 2012

Premise: Set in 1987 Los Angeles, Drew and Sherrie are two young people chasing their dreams in the big city. When they meet, it's love at first sight, though their romance will face a series of challenges.

TRAILER HERE

05. Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner
Director: Bill Condon (Dreamgirls)
Release Date: November 16, 2012

Premise: 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.

TRAILER Not yet available

04. The Hunger Games
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth
Director: Gary Ross (Seabiscuit)
Release Date: March 23, 2012

Premise: Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister's place for the latest match.

TRAILER HERE

03. The Dark Knight Rises
Cast: Christian Bale, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Tom Hardy and Gary Oldman
Director: Christopher Nolan (Inception)
Release Date: July 20, 2012

Premise: Eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, the terrorist leader Bane arrives in Gotham City, pushing it and its police force to their limits, forcing its former hero Batman to resurface after taking the fall for Harvey Dent's crimes.

TRAILER HERE

02. Snow White and the Huntsman
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, and Charlize Theron
Director: Rupert Sanders
Release Date: June 1, 2012

Premise: 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.

TRAILER HERE

01. The Avengers
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston and Gwyneth Paltrow
Director: Joss Whedon (Thor)
Release Date: May 4, 2012

Premise: Nick Fury and the international agency S.H.I.E.L.D. bring together a team of super humans to form The Avengers to help save the Earth from Loki & his various membered army.

TRAILER HERE


OTHER NOTE-WORTHY:

Skyfall
Cast: Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, and Javier Bardem
Director: Sam Mendes (American Beauty)
Release Date: November 9, 2012
Premise: Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

TRAILER Not yet available

G.I. Joe Retaliation
Cast: Channing Tatum, Bruce Willis, and Dwayne Johnson
Director: Jon M. Chu (Step Up 3D)
Release Date: June 29, 2012
Premise: The G.I. Joe team faces off against Zartan, his accomplices, and the world leaders he has under his influence.

TRAILER HERE

Magic Mike
Cast: Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer and Matthew McConaughey
Director: Steven Soderberg (Ocean's Trilogy)
Release Date: June 29, 2012
Premise: An upstart male stripper is taken under the wing of a more experienced colleagues.

TRAILER Not yet available

Ice Age: Continental Drift
Cast: Ray Romano, Sean William Scott and Jennifer Lopez
Director: Steve Martino (Horton Hears Who) and Mike Thurmeier (Ice Age)
Release Date: July 13, 2012
Premise: 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.

TRAILER HERE

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
Cast: Ben Stiller, David Schwimmer, and Chris Rock
Director: Eric Darnell (Madagascar)
Release Date: June 8, 2012
Premise: Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe and Gloria the Hippo join a traveling circus in an effort to get back home to New York.

TRAILER HERE

Chronicle
Cast: Michael Kelly and Alex Russell
Director: Josh Trank
Release Date: February 3, 2012
Premise: Three high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery. Soon, though, they find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides.

TRAILER HERE
 
John Carter
Cast: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins and William Dafoe
Director: Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo)
Release Date: March 9, 2012
Premise: Transplanted to Mars, a Civil War vet discovers a lush planet inhabited by 12-foot tall barbarians. Finding himself a prisoner of these creatures, he escapes, only to encounter a princess who is in desperate need of a savior.

TRAILER HERE

21 Jump Steet
Cast: Channing Tatum, Johnny Depp, and Jonah Hill
Director: Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs)
Release Date: March 16, 2012
Premise: A pair of underachieving cops are sent back to a local high school to blend in and bring down a synthetic drug ring.

TRAILER HERE

The Bourne Legacy
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Edward Norton and Rachel Weisz
Director: Tony Gilroy (Bourne Trilogy)
Release Date: August 3, 2012
Premise: A story centered on a new CIA operative in the universe based on Robert Ludlum's novels.

TRAILER Not yet available
 
Hansel and Gretel: The Witch Hunter
Cast: Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton
Director: Tommy Wirkola
Release Date: March 2, 2012
Premise: 15 years after their traumatic gingerbread-house incident, siblings Hansel and Gretel have become a formidable team of bounty hunters who track and kill witches all over the world.

TRAILER Not yet available

What To Expect When You're Expecting
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Matthew Morrison, Chace Crawford, and Dennis Quaid
Director: Kirk Jones (Nanny McPhee)
Release Date: May 11, 2012
Premise: A look at the lives of five couples as they prepare to become parents.

TRAILER HERE

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

can't wait for the HUNGER GAMES!!! :">> LOVE PEETA so much in the novels... of course Katniss too...! :D

Anonymous said...

wow channing tatum everywhere!

Robbie said...

MAGIC MIKE! :D

The Small Town Boy said...

The Hunger Games! My only movie plan for 2012. haha

Charlie said...

Looking forward to 'What to Expect When You're Expecting', only for the Cheryl Cole cameo though!!

Anonymous said...

I am definetely going to see your top 4 movies. They all look awesome! (Well number one looks okay but I'll see it anyways).

Also my libido is begging me to go see Magic Mike. XD

I notice you don't have The Raven in there. I really want to see that one!

Happy 2012!

M

PS: I wanted to wish you happy new year earlier but I've been having issues with your chat lately. Is this just me? (Now I can't even see it anymore)

Anonymous said...

Damn, you have pretty horrid taste for the most part.

DAM THE NATION said...

Different strokes for different folks.. It's subjective. Put your own list and i can say the same thing. What makes your taste "better" than mine? Please qualify. What's horrid for you may be beautiful for some. Deal with it! :) Thank you very much.

Anonymous said...

no The Perks of Being a Wallflower?

carloooo said...

sooo excited for the vow & rock of ages! BUT I will have you know about these movies: Premium Rush, 21 Jump Street, Movie 43, Ten Year, John Carter, The Five Year Engagement. THEY ALL LOOK SO GOOD FROM THE TRAILERS

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