12.06.2011

The 50 Most Anticipated Movies of 2012: Finally!

List: 50-46 | 45-41 | 40-36 | 35-31 | 30-26 | 25-21 | 20-16 | 15-11 | 10-6 | 5-1 | Runner-Ups: 10-6 | 5-1

I don't have much time to bother you with pretense - I need some sleep, people! So here's the next five!


20. 21 Jump Street
Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum
Directors: Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Release Date: March 16
Credit the makers of this R-rated trailer for making this movie jump about 20 spots. I heard about this movie and just thought, "Oh, how dumb. Johnny Depp's show from the 80s? Puuhhhlease, what won't they resurrect from that era? I mean, Dallas is pretty untouchable. Oh wait, what???" And I'm also thinking, Channing Tatum, while easy on the eyes, (amirite, ladies?) isn't exactly what I call a box office draw for me personally. I love Jonah Hill, but Channing Tatum's chiseled jaw offsets all the comedy gravitas Hill brings to the movie. But of course, the trailer dropped and I am hooked. I really cannot wait to see what happens. This movie probably would've just been awesome without the name 21 Jump Street. But money is to be had and nostalgia is a big money maker - so here we are. Plus you got Dave Franco - little Davie! - in the movie! AND Mr. Ron Swanson (well I assume that's just another version of Nick Offerman's character). How can you not want to see this?



19. Wanderlust
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Paul Rudd
Director: David Wain
Release Date: February 24
This movie was on my list from last year, but for some weird reason, was delayed about 4 months. In that span of time, their has been a trailer. And even though the trailer makes this movie out to be some wishy-washy, generic fish-out-of-water comedy, I still have my hopes. First of all, like I've mentioned last year, Jennifer Aniston gets naked. And we all know she's still smokin' hot (did you see Horrible Bosses this year? Meow!), so the movie's got that. But ya know what, fellas? I am more excited to see what David Wain does behind the lens. Him and Ken Marino wrote this movie and they are part of MTV's The State, the funniest skit show since Monty Python. They did the most amazing comedy film ever put to celluloid - Wet Hot American Summer. If you haven't seen the genius behind that movie, go ahead and do yourself a favor and buy it, because you'll be watching it about twenty times. Now that we've got that clear - I believe the trailer is selling lies! This is going to be a great comedy and unfortunately the marketing team doesn't want to tell you how great it's going to be. Trust me, this one is going to be great.



18. Hunger Games
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Stanley Tucci, Elizabeth Banks
Director: Gary Ross
Release Date: March 23
I'm not going to lie, I am getting sick of young adult novels claiming to be the next Harry Potter or Twilight. The supernatural/fantasy genre has quickly taken over pop culture and I'm totally fine with that, but it seems like every year there's some movie that gets made claiming to be the series that will redefine everything. But every year, they come and go (Percy Jackson, I Am Number Four, etc. all have failed to spark any sort of devote following beyond their core novel audience). And now, The Hunger Games, a franchise that has sent the internet abuzz with a loud fury, is set to stake its claim among the elite box office hits like Twilight and Harry Potter. I pretty much ignored the buzz - I haven't read any of the books, but at least they don't involve magic and vampires. It sounds more like a post-apocalyptic setting than anything else. Which, as we all know, is the way to my heart - I love these kinds of stories. And when the trailer finally debuted, I became instantly fascinated. I want to know more and the studio is bold and confident enough to release this potential blockbuster in March. Jennifer Lawrence is the new it girl and she really has shown range with her roles in Winter's Bone and X-Men: First Class. I cannot wait to see what she'll bring to the table with this movie. Count my ticket punched.


17. World War Z
Starring: Brad Pitt, Matthew Fox
Director: Marc Forster
Release Date: December 21
Probably one of the more ambitious movies on this list, World War Z is based up on the best-selling novel of the same name. Much like The Good War (an oral account of World War II), the book focuses on different interviews done by a journalist who survived the Zombie War. Critics have praised the book for redefining the genre and I think some are even frothing at the mouth in anticipation of this movie. But I am kind of tired of zombies - I watched The Walking Dead and couldn't muster past a few episodes. It's a great show, don't get me wrong, but I just can't get into TV dramas anymore. I'd rather see a movie. And now we have something like that on our way. Just in time for the holidays! Seriously, next Christmas is going to be bizarro - there's something for everyone to go see (I won't spoil just yet what other movies are coming out, but there's quite a lot!). I'm curious to see how a movie is going to play out if the book is written from different perspectives. Sounds like a challenge which I think is well-suited for the director, Marc Forster. He has quite the impressive resume - it's a very diverse collection of movies (Quantum of Solace, Stranger Than Fiction, Monster's Ball). He has his work cut out for him, but I'm pretty confident this one's going to be stellar. Oh yeah, and Brad Pitt? With zombies? That's as close to a guaranteed box office gold that you can get!

 
16. Premium Rush
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Shannon
Director: David Koepp
Release Date: August 24
Okay, this may seem like another typical thriller with a twist (he's got a bike!). But you know what? The trailer is sick. I mean dope - it's fantastic! If the movie is half of what the trailer is throwing at you, then this is going to be slick-looking rush of a movie. Plus! You have probably one of my favorite actors, JGL (so hot right now), in the main role. It's only a matter of time before he gets nominated for an Oscar. I was tempted to keep this a lot lower on my list, but once again, the trailer has really sold me on this movie. Seriously, the dudes who get paid to make these things are doing a damn good job lately! And you have the director, David Koepp doing double duty as writer and director (he also wrote Men in Black III), so I'm excited to see what he brings to the table. It's too bad it got pushed back by 6 months - to a late August release (which is usually reserved as the dumping ground for studios' not-quite-summer blockbusters). I don't know if that says anything about the movie, but nevertheless, I'm going to be there on day one fo' sho.

List: 50-46 | 45-41 | 40-36 | 35-31 | 30-26 | 25-21 | 20-16 | 15-11 | 10-6 | 5-1 | Runner-Ups: 10-6 | 5-1

 




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