30. THE GIVER
Release Date: August 15, 2014
Starring: Alexander Skarsgard, Meryl Streep, Katie Holmes
Director: Phillip Noyce /Writer: Michael Mitnick
Trailer: –
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Plot Crunch: In a seemingly perfect community, without war, pain, suffering, differences or choice, a young boy is chosen to learn from an elderly man about the true pain and pleasure of the “real” world.
*The sci-fi storyline immediately peaked my interest, and the inclusion of two of my favorite actors (Alexander Skarsgard and Meryl Streep) really ups the ante.
29. DARK PLACES
Release Date: September 1, 2014
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Chloe Grace Moretz, Charlize Theron, Christina Hendricks
Director & Writer: Gilles Paquet-Brenner
Trailer: –
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Plot Crunch: A woman who survived the brutal killing of her family as a child is forced to confront the events of that day by a secret society obsessed with solving notorious crimes.
*Nicholas Hoult and Chloe Grace Moretz are quickly establishing themselves as niche actors that can do just about anything. The fact that they are both starring here, in material from a Gillian Flynn novel, speaks volumes about just how diverse they are willing to pick their projects.
28. RESIDENT EVIL 6
Release Date: September 12, 2014
Starring: Milla Jovovich
Director & Writer: Paul W.S. Anderson
Trailer: –
Genre: Horror, Action, Sci-Fi
Plot Crunch: Alice, Jill, Claire, Chris, Leon, Ada, and Wesker rush to The Hive, where The Red Queen plots total destruction over the human race.
*The conclusion to the long-running Resident Evil series is one I’ve been looking forward to for years now. The last film, Retribution, brought back many of the original characters from the first movie and also integrated new characters and more video game characters that had yet to feature in any films. If RE6 follows the trend, it will hopefully deliver on the conclusion fans want to see and close out the series with a big bang.
27. DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
Release Date: July 18, 2014
Starring: Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Andy Serkis, Judy Greer, Kodi Smit-McPhee
Director: Matt Reeves /Writers: Mark Bomback, Scott Z. Burns, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
Trailer: –
Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Plot Crunch: A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.
*If James Franco and director of Rise (Rupert Wyatt) were both returning, my anticipation for this sequel would be much much higher. Rise of the Planet of the Apes was one of the best films of 2011 and ended with an unclear indication of where the series might go from there. Hopefully Dawn is even halfway as good as Rise.
26. JUPITER ASCENDING
Release Date: July 25, 2014
Starring: Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Sean Bean, Douglas Booth, Eddie Redmayne
Directors & Writers: Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski
Trailer: –
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Plot Crunch: In a universe where humans are near the bottom of the evolutionary ladder, a young destitute human woman is targeted for assassination by the Queen of the Universe because her very existence threatens to end the Queen’s reign.
*The Wachowskis have been making daring and different films for decades now and yet they go mostly under the radar with the general public. With the diverse casting, Jupiter Ascending just might be the breakout hit that Cloud Atlas should have been.
25. THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
Release Date: March 7, 2014
Starring: Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Owen Wilson, Bill Murray, Ralph Fiennes, Jude Law, Willem Dafoe, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Tom Wilkinson
Director & Writer: Wes Anderson
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGWVzaPUOOk
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Plot Crunch: The adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend.
*A new Wes Anderson movie sounds good on basically every level, especially with a cast like this. If the trailer is an indication of the style, this one feels more Royal Tenenbaums than Moonrise Kingdom.
24. POMPEII
Release Date: February 21, 2014
Starring: Kit Harington, Emily Browning, Carrie-Anne Moss, Kiefer Sutherland
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson /Writers: Janet Scott Batchler, Lee Batchler, Julian Fellowes, Michael Robert Johnson
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLfQ9_WOnNc
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Plot Crunch: A slave turned gladiator finds himself in a race against time to save his true love, who has been betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator. As Mount Vesuvius erupts, he must fight to save his beloved as Pompeii crumbles around him.
*The director of the Resident Evil series + Kit Harington + Emily Browing = a recipe for success.
23. HORNS
Release Date: TBA 2014
Starring: Danielle Radcliffe, Juno Temple, Heather Graham, Max Minghella, James Remar
Director: Alexandre Aja /Writer: Keith Bunin
Trailer: –
Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Drama
Plot Crunch: In the aftermath of his girlfriend’s mysterious death, a young man awakens to strange horns sprouting from his temples.
*Danielle Radclife has already proven that horror is a great look for him (see: The Woman in Black), and Alexandre Aja is one of the best horror directors around. I’ve never read the Horns novel, but I’m pretty confident that this is going to be a great one.
22. 7500
Release Date: TBA 2014
Starring: Ryan Kwanten, Leslie Bibb, Amy Smart, Scout Taylor-Compton, Alex Frost, Jamie Chung, Jerry Ferrara
Director: Takashi Shimizu /Writer: Craig Rosenberg
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71vXzDCKqDw
Genre: Horror, Action
Plot Crunch: Passengers aboard a flight across the Pacific Ocean encounter a supernatural force.
*Another year, another unknown release date for Shimizu’s 7500. Will this ever see the light of day? The trailer is still available to watch, and it’s a fantastic moody one at that. Give this an October release date and call it a day.
21. NOAH
Release Date: March 28, 2014
Starring: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Jennifer Connelly, Russell Crowe, Anthony Hopkins, Douglas Booth, Kevin Durand
Director & Writer: Darren Aronofsky
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qmj5mhDwJQ
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Plot Crunch: The Biblical Noah suffers visions of an apocalyptic deluge and takes measures to protect his family from the coming flood.
*I’m far from being a hugely religious person, but it’s hard not to get excited for Noah. Aronofsky is one of the best directors working in film today. Plus, a Perks reunion via Emma Watson and Logan Lerman sounds kind of perfect.
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