Now lets set your eyes to the future.  I looks like 2012 will be another year of the franchise with some big money franchises returning to the silver screen.  We also have some great filmmakers putting out new films this year too.  Lets take a peak my top 10 most anticipated movies of 2012.

Honorable Mentions:
The Great Gasby, The Amazing Spider-Man, Cabin In the Woods, The Raven, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, The Expendables 2

#10
Frankenweenie - Release Date 10/5/2012

This is director Tim Burton’s animated follow up to Corpse Bride.  It’s also a remake of the Animated short that landed him the director’s chair for Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure which launched Burton’s career.  This is a story of a boy and his dog.  The boy ends up remaking the dog Frankenstein style after an accident.  I liked both The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride so there is no indication that Burton can’t hit again with a dark, off beat, Animated movie.

#9
John Carter- Release Date 3/5/2012

Largely based off the first John Carter Novel A Princess Of Mars, a Civil War vet is Transported to Mars to help united all the inhabitants and save Mars from loosing all natural resources.  Taylor Kitsch (Gambit from Wolverine Origins and also Friday Night Lights) gets a huge shot to make it big as the title character.  Willem Dafoe, Dominic West, and Mark Strong all play different Martians.  A strong supporting cast has caught my eye.  These novels seem to be a untapped resource for adoptions because while the John Carter books are popular this will mark the series first attempt at an adaptation either animated or filmed.

#8
Ted- Release Date 7/13/2012

This will be the live action debut of Writer/Director Seth MacFarlane (Creator of Family Guy and others).  This is the story of a boy who wishes that his Teddy Bear were alive.  That wish came true.  Unfortunately this boy grew up to be Mark Wahlberg and the bear is still around now causing trouble.  This will be a blend of animation and live action much like Paul from last year.  The supporting cast includes Family Guy regulars and Giovanni Ribisi and Joel McHale.  I remember the last time a guy whom had cult animated series tried to do a live action movie.  That movie ended up being Office Space.  I expect great things from Ted.

#7
Dark Shadows- Release Date 5/11/2012

This is the big screen adaptation of the classic 60’s scifi/ horror soap opera Dark Shadows.  Did I mention this stars Johnny Depp and is the next live action movie from Tim Burton?  Both Depp and Burton loved this series as kids and now have a chance to make the series go to the big screen.  Eva Green, Michelle Pfeiffer, Chloe Moretz, Helena Bonham Carter, Jackie Earle Haley, and Christohper Lee round out the cast.  I am all for Johnny Depp playing a vampire but I can’t shake the feeling that this may turn into another Charlie in The Chocolate Factory in that it will be too over the top.

#6
Django Unchained- Release Date 12/25/2012

This is the next film from Quentin Tarantino that is a revenge story about a slave (Jamie Foxx) getting revenge on his former master (Leonardo DiCaprio) WAIT! STOP! Leonardo DiCaprio is in a Quentin Tarantino film? Sign me up!  These guys are joined by Samuel L Jackson, Christoph Waltz, Kurt Russell, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.  This looks like another strong film from Tarantino but it will hinge on how good Leo is.

#5
Skyfall- Release Date 11/9/2012

Daniel Craig returns as James Bond.  Something in M’s (Judi Dench) past has caught up with her and 007 doesn’t know if he can trust her.  Also MI6 is attach physically and Bond has to do something about it.  The main villain will be played by Javier Bardem (That very creepy assassin from No Country From Old Men). Ralph Fiennes and Albert Finney are in this too but we have no idea which characters they are playing.  I have really enjoyed Craig’s turn as Bond.  I am equally excited to see what Bardem can do playing a Bond villain.

#4
Promethus - Release Date 6/8/2012

Originally conceived as a prequel to 1979’s Alien this has morphed into something else. Since it is being directed by the original director of Alien Ridley Scott I will let that slide.  This stars Noomi Rapace, Michale Fassbender, Charliez Theron, and Guy Pearce.  Scott returns to the genre that made him a star (he also directed Blade Runner).  But this is no longer the 1980’s so we will see.  If Promethus can capture the same terror and suspense that Alien had we are looking at a good movie.

#3
The Avengers- Release Date 5/4/2012

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE! OK I had to get that out of the way.  This movie as been set in motion since the end of Iron Man.  Some unknown force has threatened earth so Samuel L Jackson Assembles the Avengers Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), The Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) all actors are reprising roles they had in prior Marvel movies except for Ruffalo who is taking over for Edward Norton.  Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is a villain in this too.  We don’t know much but I am of the school of though that the Skrulls are involved.  Joss Whedon (TV’s Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Firefly) has a huge task of making this seem epic while still keeping up with Marvels great films.  I am not certain that every character will get the screen time they deserve.  A team movie is tough and I hope there are too many characters with little to do.  Though no one thought the X-Men would make a good movie and they have made three.

#2
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey- Release Date 12/14/2012

After a somewhat troubled development we are finally treated to the prequel to the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy done by the original director Peter Jackson.  Martin Freeman has been cast as Bilbo Baggins replacing Ian Holm but that is the only recast.  And Holm is probably going to
appear anyways as a old Baggins.  That means more time watching in awe Ian McKellen play Grandalf The Grey.  Nothing makes me think that this will be any different then the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy so I am hooked.

#1
The Dark Knight Rises- Release Date 7/20/2012

Of course it had to be Batman.  In Christopher Nolan’s last Batman Movie, 8 years after The Dark Knight sees the rise of Bane (Tom Hardy) he is out to create havoc in Gotham City.  Anne Hathaway is the other “villain” as Catwoman though we do not know if she is actually going to be a villain in this movie or that she will be called Catwoman.  Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and others all return.  I have seen the first six minutes and it is as breathe taking as The Dark Knight was.  I suspect this will be the movie to beat in terms of gross and critical response.

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Credit – IMDB.com