The Top 10 Most Anticipated Films of 2012

As we bid farewell to 2011, it’s time for us to look ahead and get excited about the movies that 2012 will bring. The Golden Globes and Oscars haven’t named their favorites yet, but we’re not waiting around for that. We are excited about the future. There are some great movies to look forward to in 2012 – sequels, re-releases, film adaptations, and even a Pixar movie. Distinguished directors like Judd Apatow and Quentin Taratino both have movies coming out next year, so we’re excited for that too. Below is a list of what we think are some of the most anticipated movies of 2012.

10. The Comedy: This Is 40

Judd Apatow’s last directorial effort was the 2009 dramady Funny People. The film showed us a new side of Apatow, whose previous films Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin had been mainly comedies. Although This Is 40 is a spinoff from Knocked Up, the film will follow in the footsteps of Funny People in terms of tone (don’t worry, it’ll still be a comedy). Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl won’t be reprising their characters, instead the film will focus on Paul Rudd‘s and Leslie Mann‘s characters.

Release Date: December 21, 2012
Director: Judd Apatow
Biggest Draw: Jason Segel, Paul Rudd, Melissa McCarthy

9. The Re-Release: Titanic 3D

One of the highest grossing films of all time is returning to the big screen – Titanic. James Cameron has given his epic romance and disaster film a new 3D look and is going to re-release the film just in time for the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sailing. While some may scoff and roll their eyes at a re-release thinking the studio just wants to make more dough, let’s look at it this way – some movies are meant for the big screen and Titanic is definitely one of them.

Release Date: April 6, 2012
Director: James Cameron
Biggest Draw: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, 3D

8. The Pixar Movie: Brave

Brave is different than other Pixar films. For starters, this will be the studio’s first fairy tale; and second, the film is directed by Pixar’s first female director Branda Champman, who also penned the screenplay. Brave tells the story of a royal Scottish family and its Princess Merida who is determined to follow her own path as a warrior. Who’s excited for another Pixar movie?

Release Date: June 22, 2012
Director: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman
Biggest Draw: Um, it’s a Pixar film!

7. The Period Piece: The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is a classic tale that has been made into a movie plenty of times, so why is this one so special? Well, aside from its stellar cast, there’s whole generations who haven’t seen this story brought to life. The last Gatsby to hit theaters was in 1974 with Mia Farrow and Robert Redford, and the film wasn’t a total critical success (despite its two great leads). With a December-release date, this version seems to have its eyes set on an Oscar.

Release Date: December 25, 2012
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Biggest Draw: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire

6. The Unconventional Drama: Django Unchained

Quentin Tarantino is following his 2009 Nazi drama Inglorious Basterds with Django Unchained, a film that will touch upon another sensitive subject – slavery. Tarantino is known for his violent and bloody films, and this topic is exactly that. Django Unchained will follow a slave-turned bounty hunter (Jamie Fox) who sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). This will be the first time we see DiCaprio play the actual villain. If anything, Django Unchained is going to shed some light on one of our country’s most disgraceful moments, and we can count on Tarantino to make this history lesson very entertaining.

Release Date: December 2, 2012
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Biggest Draw: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Fox, Kurt Russell

5. The Twisted Tale: Snow White and the Huntsman

When the first photos of Kristen Stewart as Snow White were released, we were shocked to see her dressed in armor instead of the iconic blue and yellow dress. The photos showed that Rupert Sanders‘ version of the timeless fairytale would definitely be twisted and dark. The trailer confirmed our suspicions, and made Snow White and the Huntsman our favorite of the two Snow White films being released in 2012.

Release Date: June 1, 2012
Director: Rupert Sanders
Biggest Draw: Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth

4. The Comic Book Movie: The Amazing Spider-Man

Just a few years after Spider-Man 3, there whole superhero franchise got a reboot. In 2012, we’ll see Spider-Man take another form in the shape of British actor Andrew Garfield, who won audiences over with his cute stunt during this year’s Comic Con. Marc Webb‘s version, The Amazing Spider-Man will not include Mary Jane Watson; instead, it will highlight Spider-Man’s first real love, Gwen Stacy, who will be played by Emma Stone. Despite how fans of the comics may feel about this new take, there’s no denying that it’s a film we really, really want to see.

Release Date: July 3, 2012
Director: Marc Webb
Biggest Draw: Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield

3. The Summer Blockbuster: The Avengers

The Avengers is a crossover movie that will bring together our favorite superheroes including Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Black Widow and Hawkeye. This is a comic fan’s dream. We’re going to be seeing all of these superheroes on-screen, at the same time, fighting the forces of evil. More important, we’re going to see these characters interact with each other, which based off the trailer, we can garner that it’ll be very entertaining to watch. We’re excited!

Release Date: May 4, 2012
Director: Joss Whendon
Biggest Draw: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson

2. The Sci-Fi Adaptation: The Hunger Games

With Harry Potter over and just one more Twilight film to go, many are wondering if The Hunger Games will be the next big franchise. Like the two before it, The Hunger Games is being adapted from young adult novels. This film is set in the future United States where 24 young boys and girls are pit against each other in a bloody battle to the death, while their efforts are broadcasted for everyone to see. Could this be Lionsgate’s answer to Harry Potter and Twilight? And you excited to see this series brought to the screen?

Release Date: March 23, 2012
Director: Gary Ross
Biggest Draw: Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth

1. The Sequel: The Dark Knight Rises

Christopher Nolan‘s super-sequel The Dark Knight Rises is probably the most anticipated movie of 2012. The film even won the award for Most Anticipated Movie at the 6th annual Scream Awards. Every time new footage or photos are revealed, fans and bloggers alike  jump with eagerness. When The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters this Summer, it will be the end of an era. This will be the last time we see Christopher Nolan at the helm (of the Batman franchise) and Christian Bale as the famed cape crusader.

Release Date: July 20, 2012
Director: Christopher Nolan
Biggest Draw: Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Morgan Freeman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Honorable Mentions:

• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• World War Z
• Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter
• The Bourne Legacy
• Prometheus
• Skyfall
• Life of Pi
• Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
• Paranormal Activity 4
• Haywire
• The Gangster Squad
• Okay, this one too  — The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2

What do you think of our Most Anticipated Films of 2011? Who would you include on the list?