UNDER THE SKIN
Release Date: March 14, 2014 (UK)
One to look
forward to, just based off all the film festival buzz this year, is the
upcoming "Scarlett Johansson is a Pod Person" movie. That's right, this
is a psychosexual horror piece that appears to owe more than a little
David Lynch from previously semi-retired director Jonathan Glazer (Birth, Sexy Beast).
In this surrealist sci-fi, Johansson is Laura, an alien honeypot sent
to Earth to gather information on our spiecies as she feeds on the men
that she seduces. However, she eventually may grow to appreciate us,
even as more of her kind come to invade our world. It may be a little
bit Body Snatchers and a little bit Species,
but this looks to also be a disturbing and hypnotic piece of arthouse
terror most of all. While the only confirmed release dates are in the UK
and Germany, we can gaurantee the "Scarlett Johansson is a Seductive
Naked Alien Movie" will have a U.S. release and soon.
MUPPETS MOST WANTED
Release Date: March 21, 2014
If someone told you three years ago that The Muppets
would once more be one of the best family franchises in Hollywood,
you’d laugh them all the way back to the swamp. But as it turns out, it
is very easy being green at the box office when you have such enduring
icons as Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and the rest of the gang.
Nothing beats a classic and Muppets Most Wanted promises more of that joy to come. With James Bobin of the 2011 picture, as well as Flight of the Concords,
returning to the director’s chair, there is no reason that this should
not deliver the goods again. Especially with new celebrity
cameos/team-ups like Tina Fey, Tom Hiddleston, Salma Hayek, Christoph
Waltz, Ricky Gervais, Ray Liotta and Danny Trejo.
NOAH
Release Date: March 28, 2014
The Biblical Epic is experiencing a Second Coming in Hollywood. Sure The Passion of the Christ
made $600 million in 2004, but producers thought that meant viewers
just wanted to see more Jesus stories, except with lions. Now a decade
later, Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan) is leading the charge of changing that attitude. As the project he dropped out of The Wolverine to direct, Noah is
a $130 million gamble on audiences wanting to once more see their
favorite actors play Biblical dress up. If Charlton Heston could play
Moses, why not Maximus as Noah? Also, with Russell Crowe and Jennifer
Connelly cast, this marks a semi Beautiful Mind reunion! Now that is something to awe movie fans.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER
Release Date: April 4, 2014
For those who cannot wait for Avengers: Age of Ultron,
Marvel Studios is happy to kind of, maybe, quietly give you just a
taste of it next April. They’re sneaky like that. Based on Captain
America’s most popular comic book story, Winter Soldier
promises the return of Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) in a supposed
throwback to the 1970s spy thrillers the likes of which Robert Redford
would star in. Speaking of which, it does have Robert Redford! But it
also has the return of the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), fresh off
being turned into a fan favorite under the tutelage of Joss Whedon, as
well as Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), Agent 13 (Emily VanCamp), and NEW
superhero The Falcon (Anthony Mackie)! Plus, who doesn’t want to see
more of The Avengers’ cycloptic BMF super-leader, Nick Fury (Samuel L.
Jackson)?
TRANSCENDENCE
Release Date: April 18, 2014
When Wally Pfister announced his
imminent retirement from cinematography (at least for now), cinephiles
wept. Yet it was also a time to rejoice, for the man who lensed The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception, and Moneyball
was now stepping into the director’s chair. Frequent collaborator
Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas even championed his transition by
producing this first feature, a star-studded science fiction thriller
poised to impress. Will (Johnny Depp) is a computer scientist who is
attempting to map the human brain with euphoric technology. But after
tragedy, his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) must upload his own mind into a
computer. From there, it gets confusing. With a cast that also includes
Kate Mara, Cillian Murphy, Paul Bettany and Morgan Freeman, Transcendence would intend to live up to its title.
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2
Release Date: May 2, 2014
Sony’s Spider-Man franchise has
always had the best (financial) luck during the first weekend of May, a
prime real estate spot that Spider-Man carved out in 2002. With The Amazing Spider-Man 2,
they seem poised to recreate history in the sequel to the 2012 reboot.
Andrew Garfield is back as the adventurous webhead that must balance
wisecracks and crime fighting with high school life, including
girlfriend Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). Yet, his life is about to get a
whole lot more complicated as former childhood friend Harry Osborn (Dane
DeHaan) reenters his world, bringing father Norman Osborn’s (Chris
Cooper) troubles with him. These may or may not include Electro (Jamie
Foxx), the Rhino (Paul Giamatti), and a possible rumored green meanie to
reappear as well. Also, featuring Felicia Hardy (Felicity Jones),
director Marc Webb will have a lot to cover in this entry, but sampled
footage online looks promising. Could this one swing the web-slinger to
new heights?
GODZILLA
Release ate: May 16, 2014
Okay, the last time Hollywood sent
Godzilla stomping over easily smash-able cityscapes, the box office and
critical response was lukewarm AT BEST. But this 2014 effort should be
different. For starters, the beast actually looks like Godzilla! With an
impressive cast that includes Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen,
Bryan Cranston, David Strathairn, and Juliette Binoche, Gareth Edwards
has assembled some serious talent to react to this giant monster movie.
It is still unclear whether this final Warner Brothers and Legendary
Pictures collaboration can outdo Pacific Rim, but having the big green guy back up from the depths and 40-stories high will be an event hard to pass up.
X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
Release Date: May 23, 2014
It is a rare thing when the
SEVENTH film in a franchise feels like the freshest idea ever.
Emboldened (or inspired) by Marvel Studios’ terrific success with The Avengers, 20th
Century Fox appears to be pulling out all the stops to give fans the
X-Men movie they have long craved. Not only is director Bryan Singer of
the first two still-loved films back, but so too is most of the cast
from those flicks. Also returning are Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy
and Jennifer Lawrence from the groovy 2011 prequel, X-Men: First Class.
But best of all, everything in between those films, including two or
three clunkers nobody can truly remember, are about to get erased from
continuity with a time travel story based on the much-lauded Chris
Claremont and John Byrne comic book that is still revered by fans to
this day. If you’ve seen the viral marketing for the Sentinels, the
alternate timeline and especially Peter Dinklage rocking a ‘70s ‘stache
as the big bad, you know that we are in for a treat that could rival
anything coming from the House of Mouse.
MALEFICENT
Release Date: May 30, 2014
To date, the need to revisit and “revitalize” classic fairy tales, particularly still adored from the Disney catalogue of the 20th century, has been a mixed bag. I doubt many were happy with either poor attempt at a Snow White film in 2012, and $1 billion or not, I have yet to meet someone who genuinely enjoys Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. Still, there is something devilishly RIGHT about Angelina Jolie as Maleficent.
Another reimagining from Walt Disney Pictures’ vault, the studio is
taking what was by far the best thing in their adaptation of Sleeping Beauty
(1959) and making her the center of her own fiendish film. Princess
Aurora (Elle Fanning) is there too, but this movie will live or die on
Jolie representing one of the great Disney villains of all time. And if
2012’s misbegotten Snow White and the Huntsman
proved anything, it is that these live-action adaptations are so much
better when movie star scene-chewing evil is drowning out the rest of
the colorful production.
A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST
Release Date: May 30, 2014
Admit it, no matter what he did to
Brian, you like Seth MacFarlane. Or you at least tend to like his
projects when they are fresh and new. Otherwise, Ted would
not be the highest grossing R-rated comedy in the world. So, when he
announces that his first follow-up will actually feature him in
live-action--along with Amanda Seyfried, Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson
and Sarah Silverman no less!--we are intrigued. The fact that it is set
in the west? We cannot wait. The Western has set the stage for many a
great comedy premise in the past, including in no small way Blazing Saddles. Granted MacFarlane is no Mel Brooks, but if he can deliver the laughs of Ted in the era of Sheriff Bart, we still may be in for a raunchy and politically incorrect time.
EDGE OF TOMORROW
Release Date: June 6, 2014
Everyone loves the movie Groundhog Day
where Bill Murray must repeat the same horrific date until he embraces
it. Now turn that premise into a war of alien invasion in which an
inexperienced soldier must relive his death in battle again and again
until he stops the space-aged scum, and you may have yourself a summer
blockbuster. Granted, this will not be the first sci-fi film to
experiment with such a premise (*cough* Source Code), but to be fair this is based on a pre-existing Japanese light novel called All You Need is Kill.
Also, with a cast like Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt and Bill Paxton, it
appears that killing will have a bit of a surplus too. Directed by Doug
Liman (The Bourne Identity, Go), this picture could be a wild ride in alien fighting and time paradoxes redux.
22 JUMP STREET
Release Date: June 13, 2014
Comedy sequels are difficult, right Hangover?
But if it there is one that is primed for a new adventure, it must
surely be Jonah Hill’s comedic reimagining of 1980s teen show 21 Jump Street.
In the 2012 film, Hill replaced Johnny Depp and Peter DeLuise with
himself and a perfectly cast Channing Tatum. Between Hill’s hyperbolic
condescension and Tatum’s wonderfully delivered deadpan, the two made
for a great buddy cop parody in the midst of a high school spoof where
everything unhip in the 1980s (or even from the 20-something leads’ 2005
days) is now as Twitter-trending as the latest episode of Glee.
Depp and DeLuise even made cameos as their old characters before being
humorously killed off. And it left the perfect hook for a sequel:
Captain Dickson (Ice Cube) is so impressed with their unconventional,
but goddamn results-getting success, that he’s sending them to college.
What college movie clichés can they spoof now? Smoking weed on the Quad?
Getting into collegiate sports? Being hit on by a TA? The premise
naturally lends itself to a sequel that can reuse the same set-up
without feeling forced...at least this time. See you soon on 22 Jump Street.
TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION
Release Date: June 27, 2014
What can be said about Michael Bay’s Transformers movies?
You love them or you hate them—but either way, you’re probably going to
see them. And Bay is well aware that he needs to change things up, as Transformers 4 (or Transformers: Age of Extinction
to be precise) is a quasi-reboot of the series. Not only is Megan Fox’s
Mikaela Banes gone, but so too is Shia LaBeouf’s Sam Witwicky and his
parents. Now is the time for Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, and Stanley
Tucci to run from the gigantic robots. But hey, that’s why we’re all
here! And if you cannot tell from the title, Age of Extinction means only one thing: DINO-BOTS. You know you’re seeing it….
DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
Release Date: July 11, 2014
It is still hard to believe that after all this time, Fox was able to so successfully resuscitate the Planet of the Apes franchise. If one can recall Summer 2011, it was clear that Rise of the Planet of the Apes
was on nobody’s radar. Yet, the film turned out to be the biggest
surprise of the season with great action and even greater authenticity
thanks to a heartwarming motion-capture performance by Andy Serkis as
Caesar. Fortune may favor the bold as Fox has again taken a step forward
by doing the next film without the marquee name of James Franco.
Indeed, superb character actors Jason Clarke, Keri Russell and Gary
Oldman are getting to lead an ensemble that still sports Serkis as
Caesar in a world where the Apes truly rule. And with Matt Reeves at the
helm, director of the vastly underrated Let Me In, Fox again has a mystery box of a franchise film that we cannot wait to unwrap.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Release Date: August 1, 2014
August 2014 will kickoff with Marvel Studios’ riskiest and most intriguing gamble to date, Guardians of the Galaxy. With nary an official superhero in sight, Guardians is
a funky cosmic adventure complete with a talking raccoon voiced by
Bradley Cooper. This movie could go sideways real fast, but under the
watchful eye of cinematic deviant James Gunn (Slither, Super),
this likely will be one of the more bizarre and entertaining comic book
films made to date. However, will it find an audience? That level of
box office curiosity leads us to our next anticipation…
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
Release Date: August 8, 2014
Nothing says “relaunch” like Michael Bay. The producer who turned quaint 1980s nostalgia like the Transformers cartoon and action figures into billion-dollar blockbuster destruction porn is now producing the live-action TMNT reboot.
Hell, he even threw in reconciled leading lady Megan Fox if you didn’t
see the parallel already. Directed by his buddy Jonathan Liebesman (Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, Battle: Los Angeles), Bay’s new Ninja Turtles
movie promises to be a departure from the many cartoons and Jim Henson
original films, as the CGI adolescents are now fighting William Fichtner
as the Shredder. This whacky redo is too intriguing to pass up from
screening. The Turtles are back! Cowabunga!
SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR
Release Date: August 22, 2014
Nine years after the first one, some would suggest that a second Sin City film
is at least half a decade too late. And yet, the thought of returning
to Frank Miller’s freakshow world of B-level noir and hyped up comic
book visuals—under the helpful eye of Robert Rodriguez, of course—is one
that is hard to pass up, especially when much of the original gang is
back together, including Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Rosario Dawson,
Jessica Alba, and Jamie King. However, a new installment also brings new
faces like Josh Brolin, Jamie Chung, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven and Eva
Green. Yes, Green seems determined to elevate every Miller adaptation in ’14, and this one is already off to a better start than the 300 antics.
It is unknown whether the movie can prove she is indeed a dame to kill
for, but she and the rest of the talent will certainly be worth the
purchase of a theater ticket.
THE EQUALIZER
Release Date: September 26, 2014
Normally, gritty adaptations of
cheesy 1980s cops (or vigilante) shows would seem a bizarre thing to get
excited for. However, so few have the special caveat of a reunion
between Director Anthony Fuqua and star Denzel Washington. Yes, the duo
who’s last collaboration gave us Training Day,
for which Washington won his long-overdue Oscar, have reunited to adapt
the 1985-1989 TV series starring Edward Woodward into a modern day tale
of vengeance and justice. When geek darling Chloe Grace Moretz (in a
role by way of Jodie Foster) is harassed by a thug with real power,
retired spook Robert McCall will hit the streets to equalize the playing field. Granted, Fuqua has released some questionable films as of late, including Brooklyn’s Finest and Olympus Has Fallen,
but one hopes he will bring his A-game back for the star who helped
make his career. Reportedly, Washington has persevered in filming this
script, even offering it to Drive’s Nicolas
Winding Refn, who expressed disgust at the material after dropping out.
That simply makes us more curious. And the last time Washington teamed
with an old friend to do a revenge movie about protecting a young
Hollywood star, we got Man on Fire.
DRACULA UNTOLD
Release Date: October 3, 2014
A classic never dies. It just
rises from the grave, again and again. Yet for their fourth official
attempt to unearth the Undead count, Universal Pictures (now partnered
with Legendary) is intent on going back to the “origins” of the vampire.
Yes, it is true that the connection between Vlad Tepes (Vlad The
Imapler) and vampires was first made by Bram Stoker in his 1897 novel Dracula, but let us not quibble over details. In this Halloween-timed vampire flick, Universal time warps to the 15th
century. After the fall of Constantinople, Eastern Europe is in a world
of religious and cultural upheaval. Out of the darkness arises a
Romanian Prince Vlad (Luke Evans) whose unusual story will inevitably
take him down the dark and damned path of the Nosferatu. Complete with
Dominic Cooper, Charlie Cox, and Samantha Barks as a succubus claiming
men’s souls, this would appear to be the first mainstream vampire movie
in ages worth looking forward to.
INTERSTELLAR
Release Date: November 7, 2014
Intentionally, we have avoided numbering this list. But it is an easy guess what would be in the top spot if we did: Interstellar marks Christopher Nolan’s first original film after concluding The Dark Knight Trilogy.
Set in the not-too-distant future, overpopulation and changing climates
have turned Earth into an unsustainable hot mess with not enough crop
or food to go around. In that context, a group of scientists and
explorers set out through an inter-galactic wormhole to save humanity on
a mysterious mission. Based on the research of theoretical physicist
Kip Thorne, Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan’s screenplay bends time
and reality to explore the far reaches of the cosmos and the role of
man’s survival in it. And with a cast that includes Matthew McConaughey,
Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Matt Damon, Topher Grace, Casey
Affleck, John Lithgow, Wes Bentley, and Michael Caine, this is THE movie
to anticipate in 2014.
THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1
Release Date: November 21, 2014
It all will be coming to an end…kind of. In actuality, it is very hard to end a franchise in our post Deathly Hallows world where even a single book can be dissected into two or three films. Still at the very least, the quality of 2012’s The Hunger Games and the hype for November 2013’s The Hunger Games: Catching Fire ensures that we’ll all be there to witness the dawning of the revolution in 2014. After the 75th
Hunger Games in the upcoming sequel come to an unexpected end, Katniss
Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) finds herself as the postergirl for a
rebellion against the Capitol and evil Donald Sutherland and Phillip
Seymour Hoffman’s tyrannical regime. Katniss will find friends and love
interests (Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth) swept into battle while
she is the face of a new group of rebel fighters cast as the
woman-powered trifecta of Julianne Moore, Natalie Dormer, and Lily Rabe.
Viva la revolucion.
EXODUS
Release Date: December 12, 2014
And the Biblical Epics keep on
running. If you ever wanted to hear Christian Bale gruff, “Let my people
go!” here is your chance. With Ridley Scott returning to his genre of
choice, big, old epics, Hollywood is revisiting the Moses story with
Bale as the leader of the Hebrews, Joel Edgerton as Ramses, Pharaoh of
Egypt, and Ben Kingsley and Sigourney Weaver in supporting roles.
Imagine the parting of the Red Sea under Scott’s direction and with
CGI’s visuals. Between Crowe as Noah and Bale as Moses, the Bible has
never seemed so ready for a lil’ fisticuffs.
THE HOBBIT: THERE AND BACK AGAIN
Release Date: December 17, 2014
Now, the time has come to close
out this list with what is (hopefully) the closing film on the
Middle-Earth universe. Do not fret, for there will be many extended and
alternate DVD and digital download cuts of this film to be released for
when we are all upon the Western Shores. But until that day, we can bask
in the final three hours of director Peter Jackson’s nine-hour
adaptation of the 275-page JRR Tolkien novel, The Hobbit. In this closing chapter of the saga, Jackson has announced an attempt to bridge the gap between The Hobbit trilogy and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Whether he succeeds or not is immaterial. We will all be there to bid adieu to this cinematic legacy.
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