Learn which films have us excited for 2015.
Story by Matt Cummings
Last year at the box office was an odd one to be sure - with most people looking ahead to 2015, 2014 seemed like the bastard step-child that the family knows it has to take in, even though they'd rather not. Still, the year did give us several very good flicks, most of which made it into our 2014 Most Anticipated List. Like every year, big-budget franchise sequels and tentpoles dominated the landscape like Godzilla, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, as well as The LEGO Movie.
But now it's time to move into the big one, the year that should demolish every previous box office record, with a collection of films that honestly is the best we've seen in awhile. As always, our list runs the gamut, from risky comic book projects to interesting adaptions, reboots, and conclusions. Your friends at SJF have compiled our top 20 (or so) most anticipated, which means we're not looking at Oscar winners but those which we would actually pay to see (since we see everything free, that says a lot) and pay more than once if they're good enough. They're also organized by month instead of desire, because frankly there were too many interesting ones. Now on to our list!
Release Date: January 16, 2015
Director: Paul King
Cast:Ben Whishaw, Nicole Kidman, Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonnefield
Why We're Excited: If you've been following the news on this one, Actor Colin Firth was working as the voice of Paddington when he decided to leave after creative differences. This allowed Skyfall's Whislaw to enter, pushing back its release to January. Beyond that, it does have a several obstacles to overcome. The tallest: American audiences know Winnie the Pooh, but will they accept a live-action English version? From the trailers it looks like a solid production, but this one also has the ability to fail massively, especially if children are turned off or even frightened by a talking bear causing havoc. It's the only child-friendly movie in January and so by default we've added it here.
Release Date: February 13, 2015
Directors: Matthew Vaughn
Cast: Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Michael Caine, Samuel L. Jackson
Why We're Excited: When word came down that this one was being pushed from a Fall 2014 release, we worried. Would its fun trailer be the best thing about this comic book adaptation? The rule is simple: January and February are where films go to die. It's especially true in February, as studios would rather wait one additional month hoping to gain extra bucks in a much more pleasant-looking March. Kingsman sports a great cast, and the trailers make it look like a lot of fun. Early word is generally favorable, which we're not sure means it's the hit we're hoping. It faces stiff competition from 50 Shades of Grey, a film we couldn't stomach adding to this list. If nothing else, Kingsman looks like an excellent turn-off-your-brain spy excursion, and at this point we're willing to go based just on that.
Release Date: April 4, 2014
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver, Dev Patel
Why We're Excited: Director Blomkamp (Elysium) hasn't had good success as of late, but his love for Science Fiction/Sci-Fi (Yes, there is a difference) always seems to take him into interesting territory. Chappie seems right up his alley, as it tells the story of a damaged police robot that's rehabbed into a thinking intelligence. The cast looks solid, but the ads certainly portray a weirder movie than we'd expect. We're not sure how it will play out, but with nothing else in March looking interesting, we're compelled to add it here.
Release Date: April 3, 2015
Director: James Wan
Cast: Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Dwyane Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez
Why We're Excited: Take one tragic car crash, add in a troubled shoot afterwards, and mix it with a director who's probably sworn off the franchise ever since, and you've got F7. This will be an emotional experience for anyone who loves this series, but will audiences be able to see past the loss of Walker and focus on the continued transformation this series has made since the crossroads Tokyo Drift? We discuss this one more in our Big Movie Questions article, so hop over there to read more about our thoughts and concerns for this follow-up
Release Date: May 1, 2015
Director: Joss Whedon
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson
Why We're Excited: If this one isn't on your top 3 list, then you need to have your head examined; it's one of two films that have a legitimate shot of upending Avatar as the top domestic movie of all time, but it's also promising to be a slick gut-punch in the realm of The Empire Strikes Back. There's also implications for television's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as well as the four Netflix series starring Marvel's newest additions. And the trailers just look bad ass, so there's no reason to think this will be anything but amazing.
Release Date: May 15, 2015
Director: George Miller Cast: Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Zoe Kravitz, Riley Keough
Why We're Excited: One our favorite - and most disturbing - movies our youth, The Road Warrior served up the original violent dystopia, setting the stage for the genre ever since. Now, 30 years later Mad Max: Fury Road continues where the series left off in Beyond Thunderdome. We're a little worried about this one, as time and news of production troubles have haunted this one since it began shooting. But, the cast looks excellent and recent trailers look fantastic. Our main concern as always: will audiences connect with a 30-year-old property? It's a gamble for sure, and while we're excited to see its return, we're not sure how others feel.
Release Date: May 22, 2015
Director: Brad Bird
Cast:George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Raffey Cassidy, Thomas Robinson
Why We're Excited: With connections to the Disney theme part of the same name, the movie sees a young girl transported to a futuristic place, eventually meeting up with Clooney who plays a sort of Oz-like character. The trialer for this one is impressive, both in terms of its storytelling and the CGI. Count us in!
Release Date: June 12, 2015
Director: Colin Trevorrow
Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins, Jake Johnson, Omar Sy
Why We're Excited: While the first trailer saw mixed reactions, one can certainly not deny that the idea of exploration, science, and sense of wonder seem to be built into next installment. Again, another series that's back after a long absence, Jurassic World needs to a big draw to win over a new collection of fans, who are used to seeing killer dinosaurs in plenty of other media. Can Pratt bring his Guardians of the Galaxy/LEGO Movie successes with him?
Release Date: June 26, 2015
Director:Seth MacFarlane
Cast:Seth MacFarlane, Mark Wahlberg, Amanda Seyfried, Patrick Warburton
Why We're Excited: Duh! Who wouldn't be excited about seeing America's naughtiest bear return for another round of gross humor? The original Ted blew away everyone's expectations with its charm, wit, and trademark MacFarlane humor. Seyfried comes along for the ride, replacing Mila Kunis, and there's word that toughguy Liam Neeson will also show up. Frankly, look at the cast and tell me this isn't going to be funny. True, MacFarlane hit a giant dud with A Million Ways to Die in the West, but we're willing to give him a pass because he's not actually acting in this one as anything other than the bear. Make sure to add this one to your Movie To-Do List.
Release Date: July 1, 2015
Director: Gregory Jacobs
Cast: Amber Heard, Channing Tatum, Elizabeth Banks, Andie MacDowell
Why We're Excited: After what was a surprisingly deep film about the difficulties of the stripper life (I ca't believe I'm writing this), Tatum returns in a film we don't know a lot about. We think MacDowell and Banks will be owners of clubs looking to purchase his services, but at this point it's all up in the air. We love Tatum's growth as an actor, especially in Foxcatcher, and with the promise of a return to the deep storytelling, we're inclined to add it to our list.
Release Date: August 1, 2014
Director: Alan Taylor
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke, Byung-hun Lee
Why We're Excited: Let's be clear: we're not 'excited' by the once-again return of a franchise that was ready to retire a decade ago. Our addition of the film here is more out of a sadistic desire to see how badly it will fail. Taylor, once a leading director with Game of Thrones, is now relegated to this sort of obvious cash grab after his failure with Thor: The Dark World. And with word that Arnold is once again back in it, we see this as both an effort to forget both Terminator 3 & 4 along with The Sarah Connor Chronicles TV series (a mistake in our opinion) and yet another excuse to make Arnold relevant once again.
Release Date: July 17, 2015
Director: Payton Reed
Cast: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, John Slattery Why We're Excited: Concluding Phase 2 of the MCU, Ant-Man is shrugging off a ton of bad press, from the departure of Director Edgar Wright to a massive re-writing of his script and a rather dull trailer. From the lack of buzz about this one - something Marvel Studios is not used to - we could be seeing the first disaster for them unfold. Perhaps there's a silver lining somewhere here, but its inclusion here is again based on ulterior motives than any genuine hope it will be good.
Release Date: August 7, 2015
Director: Josh Trank
Cast:Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell
Why We're Excited: It's safe to say that FF has remained the most maligned film of 2015, even when it was announced by Fox 2 years ago. With less than 7 months to go before its release, we've seen zero set photos, no teaser, and reports that the shooting was a mess. Again, we find ourselves adding it here more for anticipation than actual results. Fans are expecting this to be a disaster, while Fox is planning to use the reboot as a chance for an eventual crossover with X-Men. Our opinion of its chances lies somewhere in the middle, but we can't help wonder how bad it will be.
Release Date: November 2, 2015
Director: Steve Martino
Cast: Francesca Capaldi, Noah Schnapp, Venus Schultheis
Why We're Excited: One of the most beloved television programs in history finally arrives on the big screen, as Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the gang join forces on an epic journey. From the pictures and recent trailer, it looks like Martino has re-discovered the warmth and charm of the cartoon series. Our only concern: in this day of concerns over bullying, will audiences see Charlie Brown as a sympathetic, lovable loser or a victim of a practice people are trying to stamp out? Perhaps we shouldn't think so deeply: after all, Snoopy is in it!
Release Date: November 20, 2015
Director: Francis Lawrence
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Donald Sutherland, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Hemsworth, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci
Why We're Excited: Say what you want about Part 1, we loved the deeper setup story, as Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) was pitted in more a political situation than her Hunger Games could prepare her. With the final episode arriving this year, we'll see if it's all worth it, and most importantly whether audiences will feel cheated at what's certainly a surprise ending. Either way, Novembers are going to feel more empty after this one fades to black.
Release Date: December 18, 2015
Director: JJ Abrams
Cast: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew
Why We're Excited: It's pretty easy NOT to be excited about the return of probably the most beloved franchise of all time. But Director Geroge Lucas tried his best to make us hate it, with prequels that failed to capture the imagination or enter the zietgeist. JJ Abrams tries his hand at it now, and fans couldn't be happier. A teaser trailer was highly successful, depicting new worlds and amazing special effects, including the arrival of new actors like Oscar Issac. We suspect long lines upon opening and for weeks after. The question though is whether Episode VII will truly satisfy like The Empire Strikes Back or A New Hope. It's easily our most anticipated film of the year, but we'll just have to wait and see whether our excitement is justified.
Not every film could occupy our most anticipated list, so we included the following titles which appeared on one but not both of our lists:
Home (March 27, 2015) - Starring Jim Parsons and Steve Martin, Home tells the story of the Boov who take over Earth and move everyone to another planet. But not everyone is onbaord with this, including the Boov Oh. This one looks hilarious, and the inclusion of Martin and Parsons gets us excited.
The Gunman (March 20, 2015) - Starring Idris Elba, Sean Penn, Ray Winstone, and Javier Bardem, this one looks like a Taken re-imagining but with a much stronger cast. Penn plays an ex spy who is forced on the run after he refuses to return to work. The movie is directed by Pierre Morel.
Minions (July 11, 2015) - The Despicable Me franchise has been a pleasant surprise, with the Minions playing as a sort of undercurrent ala The Penguins of Madagascar. Here, Minions Bob, Kevin, and Stuart are recruited by baddie Scarlet Overkill and her husband to take over the world. The trailer looks hilarious, so kids should have fun with it.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon II: The Green Destiny (August 28) – Michelle Yeoh returns, adding Jason Scott Lee and Donnie Yen to a series that should have had a sequel years ago. We're really interested in why it's taken so long, but hopeful that it can rekindle some of that magic from the game-changing original.
Hotel Transylvania 2 (September 25) – We absolutely loved this 2012 animated film about the struggles of Count Dracula raising a teenager. The movie was fun but it also had great undertones about growing up and parents who would rather their children stay as such. We hope to see a repeat of this, and with most of the cast returning, we're inclined to add it here.
London Has Fallen (October 2) – We absolutely loved Olympus Has Fallen, returning Gerard Butler to his 300 form. Now, he gets to cause more Die Hard-like destruction? Color us there!
What films are you looking forward to in 2015? Join the conversation! Discuss this story with fellow SJF fans on Facebook. On Twitter, follow us at @SandwichJFilms, and follow author Matt Cummings at @mfc90125.
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