Here goes, the 10 movies I am anticipating most next year:
#10: Pixels (July 24)
I picked this because of the inclusion of classic video game characters such as Donkey Kong, Pac-man and Frogger as possible villains. The poster above looks intriguing, and the concept of battling against video game characters in the real world makes it seem even more exciting. Adam Sandler, Kevin James and Josh Gad star. Chris Columbus (Percy Jackson, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) directs.
No trailer available yet. :(
#9: Star Wars (Episode VII): The Force Awakens (December 18)
The force is back. And Disney couldn't be happier (acquiring Marvel and Lucasfilm is no easy feat). This was a last-minute choice, as Star Wars has never been my favorite movie franchise. But the first trailer was absolutely amazing and the visual effects look cool. Plus, J.J Abrams (Star Trek, Super 8) is a heck of a director choice.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMOVFvcNfvE
#8: The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (February 6)
Also returning next year, why Spongebob Squarepants, Patrick, Squidward, and Mr. Krabs, of course! I grew up with Spongebob, and I watched the first trailer for this movie several times. Like many other characters returning to the screen (Spy Kids, Winnie the Pooh and The Muppets included), this is simply a must-see for me.
Trailer: http://youtube.com/watch?v=TGjbpO1toTc
#7: Cinderella (March 13)
Disney's live-action fairy tale revolution continues after the strong successes of Alice in Wonderland, Enchanted, Oz: The Great and Powerful, Maleficent and most recently, Into the Woods. This one, thankfully, doesn't look very twisted up, and looks like a gentle, and yet enticing, retelling of a classic tale. But its the visual grandeur and strong acting choices (Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett and Helena Bonham Carter are the Stepmother and Fairy Godmother, respectively) that make this look like it will be great. I have watched and enjoyed the animated Cinderella all my life, so I'm extremely curious to how they will approach it here.
Trailer: http://youtube.com/watch?v=20DF6U1HcGQ
#6: Pan (July 24)
Another fairy tale origin story, sounds generic right? Wrong. Unlike origin stories Disney has brought to the screen, Warner Bros. is hoping to combat that with this so-far terrific look at how Peter Pan came to Neverland. There's a strong cast here, including Hugh Jackman as Blackbeard and Garrett Hedlund as who would become Captain Hook (Rooney Mara plays Tiger Lily also). I have high hopes for this one (and the fourth week of July is looking like the weekend to go to the movies for a change!)
Trailer: http://youtube.com/watch?v=tjW1mKwNUSo
#5: Do You Believe? (March 20)
2014 was the year of faith-based movies, with God's Not Dead being a major highlight of that year (I ended up seeing it twice). The same studio (Pure Flix) is now prepping to release their next movie, which looks very good so far. The cast is solid also (Alexa Vega, Sean Astin and Lee Majors are in it). Another must-see event for this year.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogIX2Q7tEdc
#4: Avengers: Age of Ultron (May 1)
The highest a superhero movie has ever made it on my anticipated list, and for good reason. Marvel has upped its ante in recent movies (Captain America: The Winter Soldier and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 were terrific movies last year), and are introducing more and more interesting elements to further twist the superhero genre. The first trailer for this movie was surprisingly dark, but it still looks pretty darn awesome.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmeOjFno6Do
#3: Inside Out (June 19)
After taking 2014 off, Pixar is back with not one, but 2 movies in 2015! (the other being The Good Dinosaur over Thanksgiving, but I couldn't include both in this list though due to too many choices). Still though, this is pretty much the most original idea I've ever heard for an animated feature (the emotions inside a girl's head being personified). And with Pete Doctor at the helm (director my personal favorite Pixar movie, Up), this could be something genuinely special.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MC3XuMvsDI
#2: The Peanuts Movie (November 5)
I'm a nostalgia geek, and always get excited if a movie based on something I grew up with is coming. And even more so than Spongebob from earlier in the list, I have loved the Peanuts/Charlie Brown cartoons, and am so ecstatic to see them coming to theaters. Blue Sky Studios (Ice Age, Epic, Rio) has so far shown subtle, but absolutely terrific animation in the trailers, and the humor and scope looks extremely appealing. Certainly one of the big movie events of next year's holiday season!
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI34nBlJxP8
#1: Tomorrowland (May 22)
A movie I've been waiting for a couple years is almost year. Originally set for around this time (before being delayed to May), this was going to appear on last year's anticipated list around the #6-#7 mark. But the interesting teaser trailer pushed my excitement for this movie to strong heights. Plus, it's got a great director, Brad Bird (Mission - Impossible: Ghost Protocol, The Incredibles, The Iron Giant, Ratatouille) at the helm, and George Clooney starring. That and some impressive visual effects (the teaser has only given us a brief glimpse so far, plus I love the Tomorrowland area at Magic Kingdom in Disney World!), and this could end up being absolutely fantastic!
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k59gXTWf-A
Other Movies I'm Looking Forward To in 2015:
In the Heart of the Sea
Home
Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2
Monster Trucks
San Andreas
Minions
Ant-Man
The Fantastic Four
Max
Hotel Transylvania 2
The Jungle Book
The Good Dinosaur
Mission: Impossible V
