Here is the year’s schedule of movies, links to all films and a regularly updated list of release dates can be found here: IMDb: Upcoming Releases for UK
Year starts with:
The Impossible (a film based on a true story of a Spanish family caught in and separated by a tsunami, and how they find each other again). Playing For keeps (this year’s “divorced father tries to get his life back on track” film) and Quartet (Dustin Hoffman’s directorial debut, starring Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Michael Gambon, Pauline Collins as residents of a retirement home for former stars of opera, music and stage) all are released on New Year’s Day.
The Third Dimension
Despite claims 3D was a dying format, it survived 2012, and the schedule for this year is still full of 3D films such as converted re-releases such as Monsters Inc 3D, Finding Nemo 3D, Jurassic Park 3D, Star Wars Episodes 2 + 3 3D, but also remake/sequel of sorts Texas Chainsaw, and more original fare such as Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters . A lot of other films are also in 3D this year...
Big Ones
There are a few big films coming this year, the one that I’m most excited for (which also has a lot of Oscar buzz) comes early, only a week and a bit into the year. After 27+ years on the stage, Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production of Les Misrables (2012) - IMDb gets it’s big screen outing. Most reviews have been kind, raving reserved for Anne Hathaway’s stripped down and intensely personal interpretation of ‘I Dreamed a Dream’, with less kind words for Russell Crowe’s Javert. It has received some criticism, but this mostly seems to be the same ones people who don’t like the show give it. If you don’t like the stage show, chances are this won’t be for you. I love the stage show.
Spike Lee has been critical of Quentin Tarantino doing his thing to the serious topic of America’s history of Slavery, but that hasn’t dampened hype for Django Unchained (2012) - IMDb
From the director of he Hurt Locker comes Zero Dark Thirty (2012) - IMDb a film about the assassination of Osama Bin Laden, stars current hot property Jessica Chastain.
Spielberg’s big film this year is another garnering a lot of Oscar talk, as reports of Daniel Day Lewis doing his thing on set of Lincoln (2012) - IMDb
This year’s attempt by Hollywood to capture the magic of the ensemble film that has only really been done well in Love Actually is Movie 43 (2013) - IMDb it is likely it will bomb as these American attempts at ensemble films tend to do, but I think the trailer looks quite fun so am rather looking forward to it.
For Judd Apatow fans, This Is 40 follows Knocked Up, but focuses on Leslie Mann and Pal Rudd’s characters. Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogan do not appear.
From the Wachoskis, the pair behind The Matrix comes an adaptation of hit novel - Cloud Atlas (2012) - IMDb starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry and Hugh Grant looking at the interconnected nature of souls and actions, and the ripple of an act of kindness.
Sam Raimi goes over the rainbow to bring us James Franco as the Wizard and Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams and Mila Kunis as witches in Oz: The Great and Powerful 3D.
Bryan Singers long awaited Jack the Giant Slayer 3D is due out this year, starring Nicholas Hoult in an alternate take on the beanstalk tale.
The crew of the enterprise return in Star Trek Into Darkness 3D, Baz Luhrman’s take on the classic novel The Great Gatsby 3D is dreaded and eagerly anticipated in equal measure.
Zack Snyder brings the latest version of Superman to the big screen in Man of Steel (2013) - IMDb 3D. Trailers show a film that doesn’t look like a typical Snyder film, and a feel heavily influenced by Chris Nolan and David S Goyer who wrote the film with the same dark brooding feeling of Nolan’s Batman films. However, is dark and brooding right for superman?
Brad Pitt finally brings World War Z (2013) - IMDb to our screens. The hype for this started a while back.
Johnny Depp and Gore Verbinski reunite for The Lone Ranger (2013) - IMDb
Nick Frost, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright reunite for The World’s End
I was surprised by how much I thoroughly enjoyed Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief, so am now eagerly looking forward to Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters 3D. I suspect most people reading this won’t be interested.
Part two of Peter Jackson’s 3 film adaptation The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug 3D arrives this year.
Is it a Bird...
Marvel Phase Two starts as Robert Downey Junior returns in Iron Man 3 3D, which appears to be using the Extremis storyline, with the addition of classic Iron Man villain The Mandarin.
Aaron Johnson returns in a sequel to the cult favourite Kick Ass 2.
Hugh Jackman has promised an improvement on Origins, in The Wolverine 3D.
In more of Marvel’s Phase Two, the Australian Viking returns in Thor: The Dark World 3D. Kat Dennings .
Sometimes They Come Back...
This year, sequels come to us from The Hangover part 3, Despicable Me 2 3D, Scary Movie 5 Grown Ups 2, RED 2, 300: Rise of an Empire 3D, The Smurfs 2 3D, Cloudy 2: Revenge of the leftovers 3D, Paranormal Activity 5, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Monster University 3D
Can You Tell What it Is Yet...
This year’s new animation big hitters are from Disney Wreck-It Ralph (2012) - IMDb, Dream works gives us The Croods 3D, and Fox give us a less cutesy Epic 3D.
Haven’t We Met Before?
It wouldn’t be right to not have a few remakes... Chloe Moretz takes the title role in a remake of Steven Kings Carrie. ‘Suburgatory’s Jane Levy stars in a remake of cult classic Evil Dead.
Dirty Dancing is in the schedule, but only has a director announced – Kenny Ortega who was the choreographer of the original Dirty Dancing from 1987.
Probably not fair to call it a remake, but yet another production of Romeo and Juliet starring True Gritt’ Hailee Steinfeld as Juliet, and ‘Homeland’s Damian Lewis as Lord Capulet and someone called Douglas Booth plays Romeo.
Maybe We Should Split up, Cover More Ground
This year’s highlights of tense and scary come from odd Rom/Horror Warm Bodies (starring Nicholas Hoult as a zombie who starts to recover when he finds love), Stoker (Mia Wasikowska stars as a girl whose father dies, and his brother, Matthew Goode suddenly reappears, but something isn’t quite right...).
The supposedly true story of a fast food server being stripped searched and abused by her boss and her bosses’ boyfriend at the telephone request of a man claiming to be from the police is told in Compliance.
Kaboom! Pow! Splat!
It appears to be the year of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Not content with returning to WWE, where he made his name, for the first few months of the year, he also has a slew of films out including the sequels GI Joe: Retaliation 3D and The Fast and the Furious 6, and original films Snitch (where he plays a father who makes a deal with the government to protect his son from prison) and Pain & Gain from Michael Bay.
Bruce Willis refuses to die in the fifth instalment, A Good Day to Die Hard. How can the same shit happen to the same guy five times?
Not to be outdone, Arnie and Sly return in 80’s style action films The Last Stand (Sheriff in small town takes a stand against a gang of criminals) and Bullet to the Head (grizzled cop investigates old partner’s murder while burdened with some modern by-the-book rookie) respectively.
Denzel saves a plane in Flight, then things get interesting.
After Earth Will Smith and Son star in an M Night Shyamalan film about a father and son who explore a planet abandoned by humans 1000 years earlier. I’m calling it here: film will end with us discovering it’s before Earth.
White House Down sees Channing Tatum save the White House from an invasion of paramilitary groups. Elysium sees Matt Damon try to bring balance between the rich of the future living on a special space station, and the poor of the future living on a desolate earth.
Chris Pine takes over from Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin and Ben Affleck as the title character in Jack Ryan, showing Ryan’s early days in the CIA.
To be, or not to be: that is the question
Bill Murray was the surprise pick to take on the role of US President FDR in Hyde Park on Hudson.
People who enjoyed BBC’s ‘The Girl’ might like Hitchcock with Anthony Hopkins in the title role.
To The Wonder is Terrence Malick’s latest offering. No word on if it will make any sense.
I fart in your general direction
Seth Rogan take his mum on a road trip in The Guilt Trip. Jason Bateman has his details stolen by Bridesmaid’s Melissa McCarthy in Identity Thief.
Frank Langella is given a robot, and decides to carry out a heist with him in Robot & Frank
John Dies at the End (2012) - IMDb sees two college drop outs trying to save the world from a new street drug that sends people across time and dimensions.
Kids take a college bookworm out to celebrate his 21st birthday the day before he has an important job interview in 21 and Over.
Ooh, What’s This...
Saoirse Ronan and Gemma Arterton play mother and daughter vampires who form a deadly pact in Byzantium.
Saoirse Ronan stars in The Host an adaptation of Twilight’s Stephanie Meyer’s other novel.
Saoirse Ronan does not star in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013) - IMDb 3D. A film starring Lily Collins and ‘Misfits’ Robert Sheehan about a hidden reality in our world infested with Demons and people fighting them. Lily Collins may be the key to this battle.
Looks to me like an average year. Some big films, some that will no doubt fall flat, some small films that will surprise.
Dates likely will change, and more films will be added to the list over the course of the year, so if you care, remember to keep checking: IMDb: Upcoming Releases for UK
Year starts with:
The Impossible (a film based on a true story of a Spanish family caught in and separated by a tsunami, and how they find each other again). Playing For keeps (this year’s “divorced father tries to get his life back on track” film) and Quartet (Dustin Hoffman’s directorial debut, starring Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Michael Gambon, Pauline Collins as residents of a retirement home for former stars of opera, music and stage) all are released on New Year’s Day.
The Third Dimension
Despite claims 3D was a dying format, it survived 2012, and the schedule for this year is still full of 3D films such as converted re-releases such as Monsters Inc 3D, Finding Nemo 3D, Jurassic Park 3D, Star Wars Episodes 2 + 3 3D, but also remake/sequel of sorts Texas Chainsaw, and more original fare such as Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters . A lot of other films are also in 3D this year...
Big Ones
There are a few big films coming this year, the one that I’m most excited for (which also has a lot of Oscar buzz) comes early, only a week and a bit into the year. After 27+ years on the stage, Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production of Les Misrables (2012) - IMDb gets it’s big screen outing. Most reviews have been kind, raving reserved for Anne Hathaway’s stripped down and intensely personal interpretation of ‘I Dreamed a Dream’, with less kind words for Russell Crowe’s Javert. It has received some criticism, but this mostly seems to be the same ones people who don’t like the show give it. If you don’t like the stage show, chances are this won’t be for you. I love the stage show.
Spike Lee has been critical of Quentin Tarantino doing his thing to the serious topic of America’s history of Slavery, but that hasn’t dampened hype for Django Unchained (2012) - IMDb
From the director of he Hurt Locker comes Zero Dark Thirty (2012) - IMDb a film about the assassination of Osama Bin Laden, stars current hot property Jessica Chastain.
Spielberg’s big film this year is another garnering a lot of Oscar talk, as reports of Daniel Day Lewis doing his thing on set of Lincoln (2012) - IMDb
This year’s attempt by Hollywood to capture the magic of the ensemble film that has only really been done well in Love Actually is Movie 43 (2013) - IMDb it is likely it will bomb as these American attempts at ensemble films tend to do, but I think the trailer looks quite fun so am rather looking forward to it.
For Judd Apatow fans, This Is 40 follows Knocked Up, but focuses on Leslie Mann and Pal Rudd’s characters. Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogan do not appear.
From the Wachoskis, the pair behind The Matrix comes an adaptation of hit novel - Cloud Atlas (2012) - IMDb starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry and Hugh Grant looking at the interconnected nature of souls and actions, and the ripple of an act of kindness.
Sam Raimi goes over the rainbow to bring us James Franco as the Wizard and Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams and Mila Kunis as witches in Oz: The Great and Powerful 3D.
Bryan Singers long awaited Jack the Giant Slayer 3D is due out this year, starring Nicholas Hoult in an alternate take on the beanstalk tale.
The crew of the enterprise return in Star Trek Into Darkness 3D, Baz Luhrman’s take on the classic novel The Great Gatsby 3D is dreaded and eagerly anticipated in equal measure.
Zack Snyder brings the latest version of Superman to the big screen in Man of Steel (2013) - IMDb 3D. Trailers show a film that doesn’t look like a typical Snyder film, and a feel heavily influenced by Chris Nolan and David S Goyer who wrote the film with the same dark brooding feeling of Nolan’s Batman films. However, is dark and brooding right for superman?
Brad Pitt finally brings World War Z (2013) - IMDb to our screens. The hype for this started a while back.
Johnny Depp and Gore Verbinski reunite for The Lone Ranger (2013) - IMDb
Nick Frost, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright reunite for The World’s End
I was surprised by how much I thoroughly enjoyed Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief, so am now eagerly looking forward to Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters 3D. I suspect most people reading this won’t be interested.
Part two of Peter Jackson’s 3 film adaptation The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug 3D arrives this year.
Is it a Bird...
Marvel Phase Two starts as Robert Downey Junior returns in Iron Man 3 3D, which appears to be using the Extremis storyline, with the addition of classic Iron Man villain The Mandarin.
Aaron Johnson returns in a sequel to the cult favourite Kick Ass 2.
Hugh Jackman has promised an improvement on Origins, in The Wolverine 3D.
In more of Marvel’s Phase Two, the Australian Viking returns in Thor: The Dark World 3D. Kat Dennings .
Sometimes They Come Back...
This year, sequels come to us from The Hangover part 3, Despicable Me 2 3D, Scary Movie 5 Grown Ups 2, RED 2, 300: Rise of an Empire 3D, The Smurfs 2 3D, Cloudy 2: Revenge of the leftovers 3D, Paranormal Activity 5, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Monster University 3D
Can You Tell What it Is Yet...
This year’s new animation big hitters are from Disney Wreck-It Ralph (2012) - IMDb, Dream works gives us The Croods 3D, and Fox give us a less cutesy Epic 3D.
Haven’t We Met Before?
It wouldn’t be right to not have a few remakes... Chloe Moretz takes the title role in a remake of Steven Kings Carrie. ‘Suburgatory’s Jane Levy stars in a remake of cult classic Evil Dead.
Dirty Dancing is in the schedule, but only has a director announced – Kenny Ortega who was the choreographer of the original Dirty Dancing from 1987.
Probably not fair to call it a remake, but yet another production of Romeo and Juliet starring True Gritt’ Hailee Steinfeld as Juliet, and ‘Homeland’s Damian Lewis as Lord Capulet and someone called Douglas Booth plays Romeo.
Maybe We Should Split up, Cover More Ground
This year’s highlights of tense and scary come from odd Rom/Horror Warm Bodies (starring Nicholas Hoult as a zombie who starts to recover when he finds love), Stoker (Mia Wasikowska stars as a girl whose father dies, and his brother, Matthew Goode suddenly reappears, but something isn’t quite right...).
The supposedly true story of a fast food server being stripped searched and abused by her boss and her bosses’ boyfriend at the telephone request of a man claiming to be from the police is told in Compliance.
Kaboom! Pow! Splat!
It appears to be the year of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Not content with returning to WWE, where he made his name, for the first few months of the year, he also has a slew of films out including the sequels GI Joe: Retaliation 3D and The Fast and the Furious 6, and original films Snitch (where he plays a father who makes a deal with the government to protect his son from prison) and Pain & Gain from Michael Bay.
Bruce Willis refuses to die in the fifth instalment, A Good Day to Die Hard. How can the same shit happen to the same guy five times?
Not to be outdone, Arnie and Sly return in 80’s style action films The Last Stand (Sheriff in small town takes a stand against a gang of criminals) and Bullet to the Head (grizzled cop investigates old partner’s murder while burdened with some modern by-the-book rookie) respectively.
Denzel saves a plane in Flight, then things get interesting.
After Earth Will Smith and Son star in an M Night Shyamalan film about a father and son who explore a planet abandoned by humans 1000 years earlier. I’m calling it here: film will end with us discovering it’s before Earth.
White House Down sees Channing Tatum save the White House from an invasion of paramilitary groups. Elysium sees Matt Damon try to bring balance between the rich of the future living on a special space station, and the poor of the future living on a desolate earth.
Chris Pine takes over from Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin and Ben Affleck as the title character in Jack Ryan, showing Ryan’s early days in the CIA.
To be, or not to be: that is the question
Bill Murray was the surprise pick to take on the role of US President FDR in Hyde Park on Hudson.
People who enjoyed BBC’s ‘The Girl’ might like Hitchcock with Anthony Hopkins in the title role.
To The Wonder is Terrence Malick’s latest offering. No word on if it will make any sense.
I fart in your general direction
Seth Rogan take his mum on a road trip in The Guilt Trip. Jason Bateman has his details stolen by Bridesmaid’s Melissa McCarthy in Identity Thief.
Frank Langella is given a robot, and decides to carry out a heist with him in Robot & Frank
John Dies at the End (2012) - IMDb sees two college drop outs trying to save the world from a new street drug that sends people across time and dimensions.
Kids take a college bookworm out to celebrate his 21st birthday the day before he has an important job interview in 21 and Over.
Ooh, What’s This...
Saoirse Ronan and Gemma Arterton play mother and daughter vampires who form a deadly pact in Byzantium.
Saoirse Ronan stars in The Host an adaptation of Twilight’s Stephanie Meyer’s other novel.
Saoirse Ronan does not star in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013) - IMDb 3D. A film starring Lily Collins and ‘Misfits’ Robert Sheehan about a hidden reality in our world infested with Demons and people fighting them. Lily Collins may be the key to this battle.
Looks to me like an average year. Some big films, some that will no doubt fall flat, some small films that will surprise.
Dates likely will change, and more films will be added to the list over the course of the year, so if you care, remember to keep checking: IMDb: Upcoming Releases for UK