Flixist’s Most Anticipated Films of 2012

Get ready for another year of superhero films with sky-high budgets, CGI children’s films, and Sci-Fi epics. The difference between this year and the last is that influential directors, such as Christopher Nolan and Joss Whedon, are giving us our comic book cinema; Instead of DreamWorks force-feeding us animated sequels, Pixar, Laika and Aardman Animations are giving us original, inspired creations; Instead of a B-rate Alien rip-off, we have Ridley Scott taking another stab at Sci-Fi horror. Along with all these promising films, we have some of the most ambitious unknowns in a while, including Moonrise Kingdom, Cloud Atlas, and The Master.

2012 could very well be the year that makes or breaks comic book films. More importantly, it could be a year that ushers in a new era for some of our favorite directors of the past decade as they go in bold, new directions. We’ll follow in good faith — take us away from these transformers and horses of war, please, 2012.

Directors: Måns Mårlind, Björn Stein
Release Date: January 20
 
Many people thought it was over after Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, since that was the third in the series and was a prequel to the events that transpired in the first two films. A trilogy would be the apt place to end things. Except I guess there was a tiny fraction of people who were curious about what happened after the events of Underworld: Evolution, and so now there’s a 4th film called Underworld: Awakening. The movie takes place 14 years after Underworld: Evolution. Selene (Kate Beckensale) has been in a vampire coma (or something) all this time and when she awakens (hence the subtitle) she finds out that humans have discovered the existence of the vampire and lycan clans and are waging an all-out war on them to eradicate both species. To add to this vampocolypse, Selene somehow now has a 14-year-old child who is a cross between a vampire and a lycanpire (or whatever). Shit’s about to get real, folks. — Jamie Stone

Director: Josh Trank
Release Date: February 3
 
Chronicle follows the now cliché path blazed before it, by such films as Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield, with its found-footage technique. However, unlike those two films, Chronicle mixes in superpowers to add an ethereal aesthetic to the relatively bare bones style that the found-footage technique warrants. While what’s been revealed of the plot appears to be predictable (teenage friends discover a space object that gives them superpowers, causing one of their ranks to abuse them and turn “evil”), the editing and special effects should help it stand out from its found-footage peers. — Geoff Henao

Director: James Watkins
Release Date: February 3

I love scary movies. I tell you people this every chance I get. For ages, cinema has proved time and time again that a surefire way to terrify is by using children. So why not make those children zombies, or ghosts, or whatever the eff they are in The Woman in Black? I just rewatched the trailer and my entire body was covered in goosebumps. It doesn’t even show that much, just some wind-up monkey toys, a Victorian-era Daniel Radcliffe looking SWAG, a scary house, and some zombie kids. But sometimes that’s all you need! I’m sold. — Sean Walsh

Director: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
Release Date: February 17

I’m pretty sure Nic Cage showed up on set one day and said, “What if I pissed fire in the movie?” It takes a special kind of lunatic to come up with something that brilliant, which is why I’m almost certain that Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is going to rule. Coming from the Crank franchise, Nevildine andTaylor seem to be the perfect choices to bring Ghost Rider back from the dead with their unique vision and abstract black humor. As an action movie junkie, this seems to be the one to beat this year. — Maxwell Roahrig

Directors: Hiromasa Yonebayashi, Gary Rydstrom
Release Date: February 17

Arrietty is the next Studio Ghibli film to be released in the U.S. It’s also one of the studio’s few adaptations of a Western source: Mary Norton’s novel The Borrowers. Arrietty looks like a typical modern Ghibli movie: charming, visually delightful and a hint of playful magic. The U.S. release of Arrietty will have some star power in its voice-overs, such as Amy Pohler and Will Arnett as Arrietty’s mother and father, and Carol Burnett as the Ghibli version of Great Aunt Sophy. It should be adorable and I can’t wait for it if only to revel in how gorgeous it will look. — Liz Rugg

Director: James McTeigue
Release Date: March 9

James McTeigue made a name for himself directing V for Vendetta. He was a 1st Unit Director on the Matrix films and has had a hand in quite a few top tier films for the past two decades. His next project, The Raven, stars John Cusack as Edgar Allen Poe. The story follows Poe in the last days of his life, before he was found dead on a park bench one morning (if I remember correctly). This story tells a fictional account of what might have transpired in those last few days. Poe is sought out by the police to help them solve a mystery of serial killings that mirror his written works. I think this movie has a very real possibility to be an instant classic. John Cusack seems like an odd choice for Edgar Allen Poe, but coming off of his performance in 1408, it’s obvious he’s capable of horror. And if James McTeigue can offer up another well-edited, well-acted and emotional piece like V for Vendetta, then I think we’re in for a real treat. –- Jamie Stone 

Directors: Phil Lord and Chris Miller
Release Date: March 16

I never watched 21 Jump Street, even though they have the first two seasons for like five dollars at Wal-Mart. I love Johnny Depp and all, but I think I’m all set on police procedurals.  That said, I cannot wait for the movie. Every time they play the trailer, I laugh as hard as I did the first time I saw it. This might not mean all that much to you, but take into account the fact that I see movies in the theater at least once a week. Skinny Jonah Hill (also co-writer) and beefy Channing Tatum trying to infiltrate a high school undercover, getting tight with James Franco’s little brother, and tripping balls while talking to gym teacher Rob Riggle? I smell comedy gold right here. I really hope this film is as good as the trailer makes it look, or else I may never recover from the disappointment. — Sean Walsh

Directors: Peter Lord, Jeff Newitt
Release Date: March 30

2012 seems to be the year of awesome stop-motion movies. The fact that one of them is an Aardman production just seems like an impossibly cool bonus. The cast is full of all sorts of beloved British actors, from Brian Blessed to David Tennant, and while talent alone isn’t enough to make a movie, it doesn’t hurt. I kind of love Hugh Grant, and if the man is charming enough to get out of trouble for sleeping with a hooker, he’s certainly charming enough to be an inefficient pirate captain. Aside from the star-studded cast, there’s plenty to love. There are pirates! Claymation pirates! They are silly! What more do you need, really? — Jenika Katz

Director: Drew Goddard
Release Date: April 13

I’m going to lose a whole lot of nerd cred right now, but I don’t give a damn about Joss Whedon. I’ve never seen Buffy, Firefly looked like your run of the mill SyFy series and Dollhouse was simply okay. Still, when I watched that trailer for Cabin in the Woods (which Whedon co-wrote with its director Drew Goddard), my jaw dropped. Suddenly, all the fanaticism about this funny looking man and his little horror movie that has been in Hollywood limbo made sense to me. The twist on the conventional cabin horror film is all too palpable to fail and the mystery behind what’s really going on has me foaming at the mouth. While everybody else is anxious for Whedon’s Avenger film, I’m look forward to the Friday the 13th release date of Cabin in the Woods. — Andres Bolivar

Director: Nicholas Stoller
Release Date: April 27

The rom-com is easily the genre with the worst hit-to-miss record going right now, devastated by years of Heigl and Aniston-induced inanity. It’s a shame, because as programmes like Parks & Recreation are proving on television, there’s much to be said for a mixture of heart and hilarity. My strategy is to see one rom-com a year, choosing the most promising looking one and using it as a standard bearer for the genre. It has been a long time since anything remotely worthwhile came along (Easy A being the only possible, but highly contentious, exception), but hopes are relatively high for Five Year Engagement. Emily Blunt is an absolute joy as a comedic actress and her natural charm can carry some very clunky material, while even the supporting performers – including Parks‘ Chris Pratt and Community goddess Alison Brie – are of a very high comedic calibre. The jokes in the trailer weren’t quite top notch, but fingers crossed. — Xander Markham

Director: Joss Whedon
Release Date: May 4

Even if I wasn’t a massive comic book geek, I’d want to see this movie, just to see if someone could actually pull it off. Hollywood has never managed a decent film about a team of superheroes, certainly not at the high-budget level of the previous four Marvel movies. There’s the possibility for a scope here that’s not been seriously attempted in any movie before, and that’s exciting. The Avengers, with nerd-favorite Joss Whedon at the helm, has the possibility of being the shot in the arm that superhero movies need, or it could ruin all the world building Marvel’s been doing since Robert Downey Jr. commanded our attention in Iron Man. Let’s hope this one’s more Captain America and less Iron Man 2. — Alex Katz

Director: Larry Charles
Release Date: May 11

I’ll admit that I was pretty sure that Sacha Baron Cohen was a one trick pony. Sure the man was funny, but after Bruno — which was less than stellar — I had serious doubts that he was going to advance beyond his TV show’s characters. His role in Hugo helped but The Dictator is going to be the make-or-break test. While the film is still in that “real” style it’s more mockumentary than faux-reaity and thus will prove if Cohen has the writing and acting chops to deliver. Judging from the trailer, it’s looking hilarious and like Cohen can still deliver the comedy even when he’s not just being insanely offensive or over the top (though he’ll probably still do some of that). This could be the funniest film of the year for sure. — Matthew Razak

Director: Wes Anderson
Release Date: May 25

Set in the 1960s, Moonrise Kingdom will be Wes Anderson’s first true period piece, which means the clothes, the color palette, and the soundtrack will no longer seem like a bit of vintage-chic or affectation. The movie will focus on two kids in love who run away from home, causing the entire town to look for them. The town happens to be incredibly cast: Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Harvey Keitel, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, and Bob Balaban. The film is co-written by Roman Coppola, who co-wrote The Darjeeling Limited with Anderson and Schwartzman. Coppola actually has a special place in my heart for his underrated directorial debut CQ, and for directing the Beyond the Valley of the Dolls-inspired music video for Matthew Sweet’s underrated single “We’re the Same.” — Hubert Vigilla

Director: Ridley Scott
Release Date: June 8

Alien Zero — I mean Prometheus — is looking to satisfy that hole in my heart left by the many “just okay” space horror films of lately (this includes Alien Resurrection). Though Ridley Scott likes to deny that it is an Alien prequel, the soul of Alien is pretty much evident throughout the trailer. If its got a strong female protagonist, space foolery, and an alien race wreaking havoc of sorts, then it’s pretty much Alien Begins to me. With Ridley Scott returning to the genre he helped make, Damon Lindeloff helping pen the script and a dynamo cast with the likes of Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbinder and Noomi Repace, Prometheus is looking to easily become the top film of 2012. I mean, did you not see the trailer? Why are we even talking about this!? — Andres Bolivar

Directors: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman
Release Date: June 22

Red-headed Scottish princess shuns royalty to hunt down a big-ass bear, thus proving once and for all that Brave will be better than whatever crap Peter Jackson can come up with in The Hobbit. — Maxwell Roahrig

Director: Marc Webb
Release Date: July 3

So Hollywood dug Spider-Man into such a horrible hole that they had to reboot the entire series in order to get out of it. So what? That doesn’t make Spider-Man any less of an awesome character, and as Sam Raimi showed us with the first two films you can do great things when the studio isn’t forcing you to cram more and more villains into your movie. But enough harping about the old and in with the new. With a new actor (Andrew Garfield) taking on the role, Emma Stone diving in and what appears to be a much darker tone overall, this could be a reboot that actually isn’t pointless. We haven’t seen any of the film in motion yet so we’ll have to wait and see if Marc Webb can handle such a big film, but that doesn’t stop us from being excited about it. — Matthew Razak

Director: Christopher Nolan
Release Date: July 20

Christopher Nolan is one of my favorite directors, and he is one of the few directors who one-ups himself with every new film. What that means is that The Dark Knight Rises will be his best film yet, and that means it will be one of the best films yet. I’ve stayed clear of trailers and any sort of specific information, so I really only know that people have talked about something happening to football stadiums and Bane’s voice may or may not be garbled and Catwoman maybe has ears and whatnot. I don’t know, but Batman Begins was amazing, The Dark Knight was even better, and I have no doubt that The Dark Knight Rises will blast my face off with its amazingness. Also, there is even more IMAX footage than The Dark Knight. Did you see The Dark Knight in IMAX? It was fucking amazing, and this will be too. — Alec Kubas-Meyer

Director: Tony Gilroy
Release Date: August 3

I don’t know anything about The Bourne Legacy, although that’s mostly because there really isn’t anything to know. The only released image is of Jeremy Renner looking like Jeremy Renner, and details are really kind of vague. But you know what? I don’t care. I thought the first three Bourne movies were awesome, and I also think Jeremy Renner is awesome. Did you see him in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol? Best analyst ever. Since Tony Gilroy, who’s writing/directing the film, was the writer for the original trilogy (and also directed the excellent Michael Clayton), I have no doubt it will be a great movie and a great Bourne movie. — Alec Kubas-Meyer

Directors: Chris Butler, Sam Fell
Release Date: August 17

I absolutely loved Coraline, and the idea of even more stop-motion movies by the same directors is amazing. The first trailer looks astounding, and even though the second trailer leaves a bit to be desired, I’m under the impression that it’s just trying to attract a younger audience than it really needs, much like Coraline did. Considering how terrified I was by Coraline, I can only imagine what the movie did to the kids who thought it would be a fun family movie. Given some of the imagery shown, it looks like ParaNorman is going to be a lot more horrifying. The whole zombie thing is a bit played out by this point, but it looks like there’s a fair amount dealing with ghosts and general spookiness, so it probably won’t end up as a generic zombie movie. I can only hope that this movie is just as disturbing as it seems to be. — Jenika Katz

Director: Rian Johnson
Release Date: September 28

With only two films under his belt, it may be too early to call Rian Johnson an auteur — but, screw it! Rian Johnson is an auteur and a visionary. Whether you love or hate his last two films (Brick, The Brothers Bloom), they have such a strong, unique voice and directorial style. Johnson crafts language with the depth of David Mamet and sprinkles some Wes Anderson charm on top. Like many auteurs, he doesn’t like to repeat himself, which is why he’s doing a science-fiction film with Bruce Willis. Looper follows a time-traveling hitman who works for the mob, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. When confronted by his older self (played by Willis), he is unsure how to react and lets him(self) escape. It seems everyone in this project is outside their comfort zone, which can sometimes make for a great film. Sometimes not. In the very least, Looper will be an interesting one. — Allistair Pinsof

Director: Sam Mendes
Release Date: November 9th

Okay, so Quantum Of Solace was derailed by the writers’ strike and ended up a bit of a mess. This is Bond’s 50th cinematic anniversary, though, and it looks like producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are going all out not only to rectify previous mistakes, but make the series’ twenty-third entry one of the greats. Look at the cast joining Daniel Craig and Judi Dench: Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Albert Finney, Ben Whishaw, plus the lovely Bérénice Marlohe as lead squeeze. There’s Sam Mendes behind the camera, assisted by Roger Deakins’ awesome cinematographical skills and Thomas Newman as composer. True, the Bond movies not based on Fleming’s original novels have often been a bit squiffy in the past, but there must be something going on in the script (by John Logan and Patrick Marber, no less) to attract that standard of talent to a series normally rooted in formula rather than artistry. Prometheus and Dark Knight Rises may be getting all the attention, but Skyfall could be 2012’s blockbuster dark horse. — Xander Markham

Director: Ang Lee
Release Date: December 12

Based on the novel by Yann Martel, The Life of Pi is a magical story about Pi Patel, the son of a zookeeper in Pondicherry, India. The family decides to sell the zoo and move to Canada, and after a great shipwreck (spoilers) Pi finds himself stuck on a tiny dinghy with a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. I mean really, how amazing of a predicament is that? –Liz Rugg

Director: Peter Jackson
Release Date: December 14

The Lord of the Rings series will remain among my very favorite cinematic experiences until the day I die. I love everything about those films, from the cast to the music, to the beautiful scenery to the incredible battles. Now, we’re faced with The Hobbit, which brings in a lot of unknown variables. How will the new cast additions perform? Will the music be rehashed or original, and if the latter, will it suck? Will the story of The Hobbit even make for an entertaining film? I don’t know the answers to these questions, but I’m absolutely dying to find out. This one can’t come quickly enough. — Andrew Kauz

Director: Marc Forster
Release Date: December 21

I’ve not yet read Max Brooks’s World War Z, which is, by all accounts, one of the most excellent zombie novels ever created. Sure, that might not place it in great company, but the buzz around the film adaptation suggests it may land among the best zombie films, which is absolutely great company. With Brad Pitt and director Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace, Stranger than Fiction), this is set up to be a box office darling. Will it also please critics? Who knows, but this guy right here is very, very optimistic. — Andrew Kauz

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Release Date: December 25

Those who have read the Django Unchained script will know that it is a very different kettle of fish to Quentin Tarantino’s last project, Inglourious Basterds. While both are fantasies about oppressed people getting revenge on those who wronged them – the subject this time being slavery, rather than WW2 Jews – Django, though delightfully bonkers, is played relatively straight, with most of Basterds‘ sometimes annoying self-awareness left on the sidelines. It has to be said that it is also less thematically rich, with little meaning behind the story (apart from loose links to a famous epic poem) beyond face value. What it does have is the potential to be a thrillingly spiky Western with lots of great visuals, built around Tarantino’s always forthright attitude to race. The script makes me think Django probably won’t rank with Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction at the top of the director’s pantheon, but should offer plenty of heated debate to see out the year. — Xander Markham

Director: Steven Spielberg
Release Date: December

Steven Spielberg has been planning an Abraham Lincoln biopic for longer than most of the Flixist staff has been alive. Part of me will always want to see his planned version with Liam Neeson playing the Great Emancipator, but Spielberg has managed to trade up in the form of Daniel Day-Lewis, who is a powerhouse on a level Liam Neeson, for all his talent, just can’t achieve. Even if this turns out to be a middling Spielberg film, and he’s not exactly on a career high after War Horse, this is worth your time solely to see Daniel Day-Lewis as arguably America’s greatest president. — Alex Katz

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Release Date: TBA

We all have a film we dream about being made. That film for me would be a biopic of L. Ron Hubbard, the deceased founder of Scientology (played by a plump, spirited Philip Seymour Hoffman), directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood). Sure, The Master is a fictional story about a fictional cult-founder and his right-hand man (played by Joaquin Phoenix), but it’s close enough. Even with it being only an indirect attack on one of the world’s largest faith-based organizations, I never thought it would be made. Scientology’s lawyers have a long history of shutting down productions like this, but Anderson has finally found the backing and started filming last June. With such rich material to work with and his largest budget since Magnolia, I feel confident in saying Anderson will do great things with The Master. — Allistair Pinsof

Director: Walter Salles
Release Date: TBA

On the Road, Jack Kerouac’s most well-known novel, has gone more than a half-century without a film adaptation, albeit not due to interest. Rather, the tone and jazz-inspired rhythm that made the novel so alluring isn’t easy to adapt to the screen. Walter Salles, director of The Motorcycle Diaries, is at the helm with a stellar cast including up and comers Sam Riley and Garrett Hedlund in the main roles of Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty, respectively, as well as established stars in Kristen Stewart, Kristen Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, Amy Adams, Steve Buscemi, Terrence Howard, and Elisabeth Moss. If the tone and direction of the film can live up to the talent of its cast, On the Road just might be 2012’s top film. — Geoff Henao

Directors: Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, and Lana Wachowski
Release Date: TBA

The Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer face many hurdles adapting David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas. Sure, the challenge of any literary adaptation is translating language into a visual medium, but with Cloud Atlas that challenge is so much greater. The 500+ page novel consists of six separate interlocked narratives that take place in different times and places, each written in a different style, and each interrupted partway through to make way for another narrative. How will the changes in language be translated into film? How will the Wachowskis and Tykwer handle the shifts in the narrative? Will they be able to condense that much material into a satisfying feature? This kind of ambition has me excited. It’s quixotic, Herculean, Scrooge McDuckian. Yet even if Cloud Atlas alienates audiences and fails at the box office, it will be a courageous, ambitious failure — the most inspiring kind. — Hubert Vigilla