There are quite a few movies slated for release in 2015 that have all types of movie-goers excited. There are some projects that were in development for years that are finally being released, some long-anticipated installments of epic franchises and still, some fresh, original concepts hitting the big screen. These are the movies that cover all of those categories that we absolutely can’t wait to see.
- Pixels
Release date: July 24
Director: Chris Columbus
Starring: Adam Sandler, Peter Dinklage, Kevin James and Josh Gad
Hype: This one we don’t know a lot about yet. It’s based on a super cool short of the same name written and directed by Patrick Jean. The premise entails alien-controlled, classic arcade game characters attacking New York City, resulting in the military recruiting video game experts to fight them. Also, the poster art looks pretty awesome. Sony will definitely be hoping to make back some money with this one after “The Interview” crisis where they lost an estimated $28 million ($44 million production budget, plus $30 million on marketing minus the estimated $46 million it made on online and limited theatrical release).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA2PQrDXCbk
- The Revenant
Release date: Dec. 25 limited and Jan. 6 wide release
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Starring: Leonardo Dicaprio, Tom Hardy, and Paul Anderson
Hype: “Birdman” was one of the most critically acclaimed movies of 2014, winning and being nominated for multiple awards. In 2015, the director, Alejandro González Iñárritu, and legendary cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki, are teaming back up in time for a 2015 Oscar qualification, this time with legendary Oscar-deprived actor Leonardo Dicaprio. We can’t wait to see this story of Dicaprio as Hugh Glass, an 1820s frontiersman who seeks revenge from the men who left him for dead after a bear mauling. Sounds intense.
- Tomorrowland
Release date: May 22
Director: Brad Bird
Starring: George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Keegan-Michael Key and Judy Greer
Hype: This mysterious sci-fi is based on Disneyland’s futuristic-themed Tomorrowland section in the park. It will tell the story of a troubled young girl who stumbles upon a mysterious pin that transports her to a mystifying and technologically-advanced land where she meets a high-strung inventor. Together, they accidentally get into a predicament that involves evading killer robots. The inventive story details along with the enticing aesthetics of the trailer make this an intriguing one for sure.
- Inside Out
Release date: June 19
Director: Pete Docter and Ronaldo Del Carmen
Starring: Amy Poehler, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling and Bill Hader
Hype: Pixar is putting out quite a few sequels in the coming years (“Cars 3,” “The Incredibles 2,” “Finding Dory” and “Toy Story 4”), but by no means are they out of original ideas. The studio has two original movies coming out this year, one being “Inside Out” and the other being “The Good Dinosaur” later in the year. “In Inside Out,” each emotion of a young girl named Riley is represented by a character. Joy, Anger, Disgust, Sadness and Fear all struggle over control when Riley’s life complicates. A refreshingly original idea like this from a studio that puts out classic animations is sure to be a solid flick.
- Jurassic World
Release date: June 12
Director: Collin Trevorrow
Starring: Chris Pratt, Judy Greer, Bryce Dallas Howard and Jake Johnson
Hype: It’s been more than a decade since the last “Jurassic Park” installment and after being in the talks for sometime, the franchise is finally relaunching this summer with the one of the biggest stars of 2014, Chris Pratt, as a lead character. In the trailer we glimpse some impressive new visuals, new techniques for dinosaur viewing, as in rolling orbs, and Pratt riding alongside small dinosaurs on a motorcycle. Sounds like it has serious potential to be as great as the first installment.
- Ant-Man
Release date: July 17
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly
Hype: Though this project was first announced by original director Edgar Wright in 2006, it was stuck for a while due to creative differences between Wright and the executives. Finally, we have a July 2015 release date with Peyton Reed directing. Paul Rudd’s superhero casting choice, flashbacks to the founding members of The Avengers and the redemption story of a criminal suiting up as Ant-man – the size-shrinking ant-controller – are all factors that contribute to this movie easily making the list.
- The Hateful Eight
Release date: Nov. 13
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Channing Tatum and Tim Roth
Hype: Legendary director Quentin Tarantino has put out classics left and right from Pulp Fiction, to Kill Bill, to the most recent Django Unchained – all being highly acclaimed by critics. After the script for “The Hateful Eight” was leaked, the director shelved the project only to revive it a couple of months later after a successful script read. In his eighth film, he’ll tell the story of a group of bounty hunters in post-Civil War era cooped up together while waiting out a nasty storm, all the while tensions starting to rise. Sounds like a classic Tarantino thrill ride.
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
Release date: May 1
Director: Joss Whedon
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Samuel L. Jackson and James Spader
Hype: The first “Avengers” was the third highest-grossing movie of all time, proving that an interconnected superhero team-up on the big-screen was a successful formula that other studios have been trying to reproduce. Now, we’re getting a bigger and badder sequel with the returning writer/director, more fan-favorite characters from the comics, an awesome-looking fight between the Hulk and Iron Man and the titular, evil artificial intelligence, Ultron, who poses as one of The Avenger’s greatest threats.
- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
Release date: Nov. 20
Director: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth and Julianne Moore
Hype: The highly-anticipated finale to the Hunger Games phenomenon is arriving in theaters towards the end of this year. Mockingjay – Part 1 served the main purpose of developing story and characters and building up for the finale. People who read the book can attest: all of the juicy parts of Mockingjay are in the second half, so Part 2 has a lot of invested fans of the story who are ready for the districts’ final stand with the Capitol.
- Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens
Release date: Dec. 18
Director: J.J. Abrams
Starring: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Andy Serkis and Oscar Issac
Hype: It was late 2012 when Disney acquired LucasFilm and announced the saga would continue with a part VII, VIII and IV, on top of a pair of spinoffs. A momentum of hype has been building ever since the release of the first teaser trailer a month ago. We were treated with glimpses of the Millennium Falcon, a new lightsaber design and a spine-tingling voice announcing an awakening, all delivering the same authentic Star Wars feel that fans know and love. As a result of this release, fans have gone crazy leading to them rating “The Force Awakens” as the most anticipated movie of 2015 on Screenrant.com. The level of success and cultural influence this franchise has achieved is unparalleled, so the hype for this awakening is at maximum potential.
