2014 is quickly coming to a close, and I thought I would take this week to sample a handful of upcoming movies coming in 2015 that have interested me as of late:
One of the most recent trailers to emerge was for Minions (July 10), whose presence is solely due to the massive successes of Despicable Me ($560 million worldwide) and Despicable Me 2 ($960 million worldwide). The first trailer didn't really show much except some hilarious misadventures through time. We haven't even seen Sandra Bullock's character yet. But, considering how widely popular the characters are, this is set to be another huge success for Illumination. I wouldn't count on $1 billion, but perhaps $750 million would be more in reach.
A wild card is Tomorrowland (May 22), which also had its trailer debut recently. I must say, I was fairly intrigued by the concept. We didn't see much, but I did see at least a smidgen of what to expect (George Clooney included, thank goodness). This movie is already a contender for my Top 10 Anticipated list of 2015 (which I will release at the end of the year). But what I've seen so far looks very promising. As for business, its also more of a wild card. If it can market itself successfully, it might open in line with Interstellar.
I actually had put Home (March 27) on my anticipated list for last year (at #7) before it got moved to March (DreamWorks Animation swapped dates with Penguins of Madagascar). But the first trailer has worked very well. It works as an action comedy with aliens. And Jim Parsons and Rhianna are surprisingly good in their voice roles so far. This could succeed with a late-March release date, but DreamWorks Animation has been on a bit of a slump lately, so who knows?
Avengers: Age of Ultron's first trailer was odd, but very very good. It's awesome to get to see Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch in action, and James Spader is scary good as Ultron. The action and special effects look amazing also. The end of Phase 2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going to be huge. The first Avengers set the opening weekend record with $207 million, and that number is very much in danger of being beaten.
Pixar returns to the calendar with Inside Out (June 19), who's first trailer wasn't really, that much. We see highlights from previous Pixar movies, then just a brief look at the characters. But, the little I did see does look charming. With Pete Doctor (Up, which was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar) at the helm, this could very well bring back the universal acclaim that Pixar movies are used to getting. Business should also be solid if the different movie seems to pick up strong buzz.
Back to the early part of the year, Ron Howard directs In The Heart of the Sea (March 12). The early trailer was interesting bringing action and suspense, and a giant whale fin. This is a Moby Dick adaptation that really seems intriguing. As for potential business, look for this to be more modest, but it could break out if it connects with mainstream moviegoers.
Finally, The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (February 6). This is an odd date for an animated title, though The LEGO Movie was a huge success this past February. As far as Spongebob is concerned, I am seeing this movie for nostalgic reasons, as I really enjoyed the first few seasons of the TV show. The last Spongebob movie, The Spongebob Squarepants Movie, earned $85 million domestically. This won't won't be nearly as huge as LEGO, but the animated-to-live-action aspect (while somewhat well-worn with Smurfs and Enchanted already using that formula), should bring in families.
There's a lot in 2015 that looks promising, more of which I will get into when I release the 2015 most-anticipated list.
