Image via Ain't It Cool News
Summer where have you gone? This year Transformers went to the moon; X-Men got younger; Thor lost his hammer; Captain America became the first Avenger; a boy wizard fought his final battle; and the Green Lantern burned out fast. Some believe that the world will end in 2012 butHollywood heeds no warnings and has a whole host of films lined up for next summer. Here are some we hope to see before the apes rise.
The Avengers – May 4
Who’s the most famous band of superheroes? No it’s the Justice League, they’re all too A-list to get together on screen apparently. The Avengers assemble to kick off the summer box 0ffice season and “fight the foes no single superhero can withstand.” Marvel have been carefully weaving Avengers plot strands into their films since Iron Man in 2008 and brings together the characters and strands from The Incredible Hulk, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. This level of franchise crossover has never been seen on the big screen so many geeks may faint. Television and comic book genius Joss Whedon is in the director’s chair so expect him to make the most of his big cast.
Battleship - May 18
You know when you’re playing a board game with plastic ships, pins and co-ordinates and you think “this would be an epic movie.” You don’t? Well you’ll never get a job inHollywood. Stretching the idea franchise to the absolutely limits is this “adaptation” of the popular military strategy guessing game starring Liam Neeson and Alexander Skarsgård
Men in Black III -May 25
Here come the Men in Black. After 10 years Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith are reunited as Agents J and K. This time there’s a time travel twist as alien villain Boris travels back in time to kill a young Agent K (Josh Brolin) in order to set off a chain of events which will result in the end of the world. Director Barry Sonnenfeld returns to the director’s chair for the first time since 2006′s RV: Runaway Vacation. The first Men in Black sequel was a poor shadow of the first film but Smith and Jones are never less than watchable.
Brave- June 22
Pixar are yet to make a flop movie as they match their crowd-pleasing mainstream animations with more challenging films. This effort falls into the latter camp with the Disney-owned company’s first attempt at a fairy tale. Brave takes place in the Highlands of Scotland and follows Merida(Kelly Macdonald), the impetuous daughter of King Fergus as she confronts her destiny and a number of scary creatures. Expect this to be more Grimm than Disney.
The Amazing Spider-man – July 3
2002 was a long time ago – can any of us even remember how Spider-man got his powers? Lucky then that this reboot of the franchise is coming next summer. Too soon? Well, yes but 500 Days of Summer director Marc Webb will hopefully have a different take on the web-slinger’s origins. Taking on the role of a young Peter Parker is British actor Andrew Garfield with support from Emma Stone as first love Gwen Stacey. Rebooting a franchise while the last incarnation is still fresh in the memory is a risky move but the younger less established cast and director will slash the production costs for Sony.
The Dark Knight Rises - July 20
It’s the final part in Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy and expectations are high following the previous two critically acclaimed as and highly profitable films. It’s an incredible feat in modern cinema that a single director has been given the chance to complete his vision within a big money franchise. All the key players return with Christian Bale returning as Bruce Wayne alongside Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon and Michael Caine as Alfred. The nemeses come in the form of Bane as played by Tom Hardy and Anne hathaway’s Catwoman.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation - August 10
It’s a sequel to the highly forgettable 2009 film G.I. Joe Rise of the Cobra. The film inspired by an action figureit’s set to star Channing Tatum, Dwayne Johnson and Adrianne Palicki. Jon Chu is directing this action adventure aimed at the younger viewer. There will probably be explosions in 3-D as well as a deep exploration of the human condition.
All dates subject to change. What films are you looking forward to next year? Are there any you think we have missed? Let us know below.