By our account, 2013 was a pretty awesome year for films. It’ll be hard to top. But with all the Transformers, Legos, legendary screen vets and superheroes hitting theaters in 2014, this year is looking promising. Here, we single out 15 titles we’re looking forward to seeing.
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Hercules
Directed By: Brett Ratner
Release Date: July 25, 2014Former WWE champion, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, squares off against Kellen Lutz similarly-themed project. Starring in the $110 million-budgeted action-adventure as the son of Zeus, Hercules, Johnson’s version is tasked to help the King of Thrace and his daughter to stop an evil warlord.
The film also stars Ian McShane, Joseph Fiennes, John Hurt, and Irina Shayk.
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The LEGO Movie
Directed By: Phil Lord & Chris Miller
Release Date: February 7, 2014The popular animated film involving those talking blockheads gets its big box office shot, as Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Morgan Freeman play a Lego mini-figure and a mystic, respectively, who must stop Will Ferrell’s Lord Business from destroying Lego Land.
Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Channing Tatum, and Jonah Hill also star in this universally-acclaimed franchise.
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The Monuments Men
Directed By: George Clooney
Release Date: February 7, 2014Featuring an amazing ensemble cast of characters such as Bill Murray, John Goodman, Matt Damon, Jean Dujardin, and Cate Blanchett — George Clooney handles all duties in this true story about an Allied platoon who attempt to rescue rare works of art that were captured by the Nazis during World War II.
With the project finished and ready for the upcoming awards season, Clooney, who wrote, directed and stars in The Monuments Men aims for this to be an early contender for multiple awards.
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Robocop
Directed By: Jose Padilha
Release Date: February 12, 2014The Elite Squad helmer is the point person is invigorating Detroit’s bankrupted city with this $120 million blockbuster reboot. Joel Kinnaman stars in the central role as Alex Murphy, a cop who’s injured auspiciously while off-duty and transformed into the cyborg policeman RoboCop. As the evil-sounding OmniCorp plays god with Kinnaman’s Murphy, Samuel L. Jackson fools the public as a shady talking head and Gary Oldman fights his consciousness as the scientist behind creating RoboCop.
Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, Jackie Earle Haley, and Michael K. Williams also star in this action-paced reboot.
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Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Directed By: Anthony & Joe Russo
Release Date: April 4, 2014Superhero fans get a chance to see how life has continued to develop for Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) in this sequel to 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger. Set two years after the events of The Avengers, and Rogers is embedded within the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization and still struggling to cope to his life changes. When the mysterious Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) threatens world security, it is up to Cap, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and new partner-in-crime, The Falcon (Anthony Mackie) to save the day.
This film marks the beginning of the next initiative within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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Walk of Shame
Directed By: Steven Brill
Release Date: April 25, 2014Elizabeth Banks plays Meghan Miles, a reporter whose only dream in life is to become a famous news anchor. Her opportunity at fame and stardom is severely jeopardized when, after a one-night stand, she’s left drunkenly stranded in downtown Los Angeles with no phone or money. With only eight hours to make it to her job interview, Walk of Shame has the makings of a must-see comedy for the new year.
James Marsden, Tig Notaro, Ethan Suplee, and Gillian Jacobs also stars in this picture.
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Godzilla
Directed By: Gareth Edwards
Release Date: May 16, 2014Gareth Edwards attempts to collectively wipe away any memory of Matthew Broderick’s Godzilla film with one that celebrates the ToHo feel. Keeping true to his promise of delivering stellar creature features, Edwards’ version is keeping mum on the plot, but promises to mire the cast and Godzilla in its gritty roots. The original teaser trailer has already 12-million-plus views since being uploaded early last December.
While we’ll have to wait awhile to learn more about the picture, the film does have a strong ensemble cast in the form of Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Lieutenant Ford, Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston as Ford’s stepfather, Elizabeth Olsen as Ford’s wife, and a supporting cast involving Ken Watanabe, David Strathairn, Sally Hawkins, and Juliette Binoche.
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Transformers 4: Age of Extinction
Directed By: Michael Bay
Release Date: June 27, 2014Once again, Michael Bay is tackling the Autobots versus the Decepticons in another installment of the popular Transformers franchise. This time, he’s skewing for an older audience, as the first film of a new proposed trilogy finds Mark Wahlberg as the leading man joining Optimus Prime in his war against Megatron. With a tighter script focusing on the human element, and not just the incredible CGI, Age of Extinction aims to strike a core with fans of all ages.
The film also stars Nicola Peltz, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammar, and Bingbing Li.
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22 Jump Street
Directed By: Phil Lord & Chris Miller
Release Date: June 13, 2014The gang returns in Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s popular sequel. After surprising people with 21 Jump Street, Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill reprise their roles as undercover cops, but this time are forced to investigate a drug ring that goes on at a college campus. A few months ago, we actually visited the set of this rowdy comedy flick, and it looks like another hit.
Many of the stars from the original are back to reprise their roles, so we’ll see Ice Cube, Dave Franco, Nick Offerman, and Rob Riggle in this summer comedy hit.
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Guardians of the Galaxy
Directed By: James Gunn
Release Date: August 1, 2014The second phase in Marvel Cinematic Universe’s initiative continues with James Gunn’s space-age adventure. The film, which is based on the Marvel superhero team of the same name, finds an American pilot (Chris Pratt) who discovers one of the Infinity Gems coveted by super villain Ronan (Lee Pace), which has the power to destroy the universe. In an attempt to keep the world safe from harm, Peter Quill becomes Star-Lord and joins a team of superhero ex-cons, Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), and Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel).
Marvel going into outer space could mean they’d do Star Wars-type numbers at the box office. Guardians also stars Benicio Del Toro, John C. Reilly, Djimon Hounsou, and Glenn Close.
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Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
Directed By: Frank Miller & Robert Rodriguez
Release Date: August 22, 2014The second graphic novel in Frank Miller’s Sin City series is finally getting the big screen treatment. Continuing on the theme of intersecting stories, “A Dame to Kill For,” finds Josh Brolin’s Dwight McCarthy seduced by Ava Lord (Eva Green) into a dastardly plot involving her abusive husband. Other stories include “Just Another Saturday Night,” which focuses on Mickey Rourke’s character; “The Long Bad Night,” starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt; and an untitled original story focusing on Jessica Alba’s reprised Nancy character.
The film also stars Rosario Dawson, Lady Gaga, and Jeremy Piven.
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The Hobbit: There And Back Again
Directed By: Peter Jackson
Release Date: December 17, 2014Peter Jackson’s final installment in The Hobbit trilogy sees the Dwarves company, led by Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), combating the evil dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch), and attempting to reclaim the throne within the Lonely Mountain. With treasure, action, and the fate of the One Ring all hanging in the balance, it’s up to Thorin (Richard Armitage), Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans), Bilbo, and the company of Dwarves to ward off this dastardly evil.
The Hobbit: There And Back Again also star Evangeline Lilly, Orlando Bloom, Sir Ian McKellen, and Cate Blanchett.
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Annie
Directed By: Will Gluck
Release Date: December 19, 2014Will Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Jay Z put their superpowers together to produce a modern day take on the popular Broadway musical, Annie. Starring Oscar nominee Quevenzhane Wallis and Jamie Foxx in the title roles and as Benjamin Stacks, the man who adopts Annie. Cameron Diaz plays Miss Hannigan, the cruel headmaster at Annie’s orphanage, but will have trouble brewing evil with original music from Jay Z scoring the picture.
Shot and filmed in New York City, Annie also stars Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale.
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Gone Girl
Directed By: David Fincher
Release Date: October 3, 2014The helmer behind The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is looking to link up with the smoking hot, award-winning Ben Affleck for this picture based on the best-selling novel by Gillian Flynn. The plot finds Nick Dunne (Affleck) instantly becoming the prime suspect when his wife, Amy Elliott Dunne (Rosamund Pike), disappears without a trace on the eve of their wedding anniversary.
With the screenplay also written by Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl also stars model Emily Ratajkowski (“Blurred Lines”), Tyler Perry, Neil Patrick Harris, and Patrick Fugit.
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The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Directed By Marc Webb
Release Date: May 2, 2014Initial reactions to this film was lukewarm, as Jamie Foxx’s appearance as Electro failed to elicit any shocked guffaws. But since then, director Marc Webb has proposed a universe, an anti-Avengers approach, starring the Sinister Six; made Spider-Man more like the comics, and kept the storyline of Peter Parker’s father’s past intriguing. Andrew Garfield stars in the titular role with Emma Stone reprising her role as Gwen Stacy.
With our favorite neighborhood Spider-Man poised to do battle against numerous foes, including, The Rhino (Paul Giamatti), The Green Goblin (Dane DeHaan) and the aforementioned Electro, it seems that Amazing Spider-Man 2 is just the battleground moviegoers will love to see.
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X-Men: Days of Future Past
Directed By: Bryan Singer
Release Date: May 23, 201420th Century Fox finally takes the reigns on their Marvel property with the next installment of the popular X-Men franchise. After teasing the events of Days of Future Past in a post-credits scene from The Wolverine, this sequel sees the cast of both First Class and Singer’s original X-Men teaming up to save the future. This picture boasts Sentinels (finally!!!), Bolivar Trask (played by Peter Dinklage), and time travel.
If that isn’t enough to prove it has the makings of a blockbuster success, Days of Future Past stars James McAvoy and Sir Patrick Stewart as Professor X, Michael Fassbender and Sir Ian McKellen as Magneto, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, Halle Berry as Storm, and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.
Which films are you currently reserving your tickets for? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.