The ReelScope

#10 – Star Trek 2

J.J. Abrams on the set of Star Trek.

J.J. Abrams’ follow up to his 2009 Star Trek is rumored to be released in 2012. His 2009 film proved to be a big surprise with its ability to appeal to both fans of the original T.V. series, and to those who’ve never seen anything to do with Star Trek. Chris Pine is rumored to be returning as captain James Kirk and that’s about all I’ve heard about this one.

All in all, I’m only asking that Abrams’ continues to build on the success of this newly rebooted franchise.

#9 – The Bourne Legacy

Matt Damon’s not involved with the new Bourne movie, but I’ll still give it a chance. Why? Well, mainly because I loved the first three Bourne films so much. They all worked together to form a very exhilarating trilogy, and trilogies are rarely successful as a whole. Not a whole lot is known about the film but I’ve heard from numerous sources that Jeremy Renner will be joining the cast. Nice!

The Bourne Legacy hits theaters in August.

#8 – Brave

Disney Pixar films are always so dang adorable. But, don’t start feeling too sentimental about this one quite yet. Brave has been described by Aint It Cool News as “… somewhat darker and more mature in tone than Pixar’s previous films.” Hmmm… that sounds promising. The creative forces at Pixar always seem to turn out some pretty captivating material, in terms of plot as well as imagery. The story looks somewhat complicated and I don’t want to spoil all of the details so here’s the trailer:

Brave: Official Trailer

#7 – The Amazing Spider Man

Out with the old and in with the new: Andrew Garfield will take over the reigns as Peter Parker in the 2012 Marc Webb film, The  Amazing Spiderman. Now many fans of the first three Spider-Man films are questioning (some would say, complaining) about how this new Spidey film looks like a carbon copy of the 2002 Spider-Man film. Well, not so fas. There are a few important differences, additions, and unique things to consider about the new Spider-Man.

One aspect of the 2012 movie that should please audiences is its effort to remain more faithful to the comic book series. For example, Emma Stone has been cast as Gwen Stacy, who was in fact Peter Parker’s first love interest. It wasn’t Mary Jane, as the 2002 film seemed to portray.

It’s also important to note that the Hollywood studios are in fact, looking out for the audience’s best interest with The Amazing Spider-Man. Remember how Spiderman 3 was a flop? Well, it looks as though the film’s investors pressured those involved to reboot the series entirely, rather than continue to pour money into a franchise that seemed to be taking a turn for the worse. This is a good thing. In a series, nobody wants to go watch a movie worse than the one before it. Besides, Entertainment Weekly has compared the reboot of the Spider-Man series to be reminiscent of Chris Nolan’s Batman series reboot, describing James Vanderbilt’s script as “gritty and contemporary”.

You can watch the trailer for the movie here:

The Amazing Spider-Man: Official Trailer

#6 – The Hunger Games

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss in The Hunger Games.

The adaptation of Suzanne Collins highly popular young adult novel The Hunger Games, hits theaters in 2012. The film will star Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, the story’s lead character. In case you haven’t read the novel, here is the synopsis from the back cover:

“Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, “The Hunger Games.” The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat’s sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place.”

The book was a huge success but it’s sure to be under heavy scrutiny from it’s die hard fan base.

#5 – The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Peter Jackson’s fourth installment in his Lord of The Rings franchise will premier in December, 2012. The Hobbit is the first of two films that will make up the entire prequel of the main Rings trilogy. All of the familiar faces will be involved with the film, including: Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, Ian McKellan, Hugo Weaving, Andy Serkis, and Cate Blanchett. The film will be made on an estimated budget of $250 million so it goes without saying, The Hobbit is going to be big.

#4 - The Avengers

Iron Man. The Hulk. Nick Fury. Thor. Captain America. Hawkeye.

These are the heroes that will make up The Avengers. Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’ve seen most of the films made in preparation for the movie. You know, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Captain America… etc. If not, well then this movie probably won’t interest you. Go ahead and skip to the next one.

Aright, much love for the cool people who kept on reading. I’m definitely excited to see The Avengers. But, then again, I’m going to express a little concern deep inside me that feels that maybe it’s going to be a little cluttered. The Avengers features six characters that we all want to have a lot of screen time. I just hope that the writers successfully accomplish the somewhat overwhelming task at hand, which is to feature all of the characters into a story that’s absorbing, and doesn’t feel like a tangled mess of hodgepodge.

Those who stayed after the credits for Captain America have already seen the first sneak peak of The Avengers. If you left the theater after the movie ended (like most people do), you can watch a trailer similar to it here instead:

The Avengers: Teaser Trailer

#3 – Lincoln

The legendary Steven Spielberg is set to direct a film about our 16th President.

Lincoln, Steven Spielberg’s upcoming biographical drama about our 16th president, is one of my favorites on this list. Abraham  Lincoln is one of America’s most loved presidents and Spielberg is one of America’s most cherished filmmakers. It’s as simple as that. I really think we’re in for something special with this one.

#2 – Django Unchained

Quentin Tarantino, writer and director of Django Unchained (2012).

Quentin Tarantino, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Samuel L. Jackson. Okay, take a minute and let those names settle in your mind and in your soul. Experiencing some jitters? Uncontrollable excitement and anticipation?  GOOD! You should be.

Quentin Tarantino’s new film, Django Unchained, will hit theaters on Christmas day 2012. Here’s the short and sweet synopsis from Rotten Tomatoes:

“A slave-turned-bounty hunter sets out to rescue his wife from the brutal Calvin Candie, a Mississippi plantation owner.”

Okay, maybe it doesn’t sound too exciting all by it’s lonesome, but remember, this is Tarantino were talking about, and the Spaghetti Western is one of his favorite genres. I think we can all be sure he’s gonna make this one his baby. I’m not too sure about the supporting characters but I’ve heard that DiCaprio will assume the role of one of the main antagonists, Christoph Waltz has been cast as a German bounty hunter, and Jamie Foxx will play the title role, Django.

#1 – The Dark Knight Rises

The very brief trailer for The Dark Knight Rises has been published on YouTube for only one month, but has already recorded an astounding 3.5 million views. Without a doubt, I’m more excited about The Dark Knight Rises than any other movie coming out next year.

The Dark Knight, which was nominated for eight academy awards and is one of only three films to gross over $500 million at the North American box office, has left many fans of the series asking, “How will they top it?” Well, I’m not sure I have an answer to that one. I guess we’ll just have to stay hopeful and trust that the brilliant minds of the Nolan brothers have something incredible in store for us.

Not much is known about the Batman finale, other than Tom Hardy has been cast as Bane and Anne Hatheway as Catwoman. The teaser trailer for the film premiered before the showing of Harry Potter. If you haven’t seen it, you can watch it here:

The Dark Knight Rises: Official Trailer

So, there you have it, my top ten most anticipated films of 2012. But, let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. The last half of 2011 has a few more promising movies in store for us. Some are pure popcorn entertainment and others are possible Oscar contenders.

Notable Remaining Films of 2011:

• Steven Spielberg’s War Horse
• Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
• Apollo 18
• David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• Contagion
• Warrior
• Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar