As 2012 winds down to a close, itâs tough to see us having another year filled with so many good movies anytime soon. Nevertheless, looking to 2013 thereâs certainly reason to be excited, and what better way to kick off the new year than to take a look at what 2013 has in store for us by way of blockbuster filmmaking? Weâve compiled a list of 20 âblockbustersâ to look forward to in the coming year, and the resulting preview teases some promisingly diverse fare. Naturally thereâs no lack of superhero movies headed our way, but weâve also got a great mix of exciting entries in horror, comedy, sci-fi, and drama to look forward to. Hit the jump to take a look at our 2013 Blockbuster Preview.*Note: For the sake of this article, a âblockbusterâ is considered a large-scale, big budget event film. Movies are listed in order of release.EVIL DEAD Director: Fede AlvarezCast: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas, and Elizabeth Blackmore.Release Date: April 12, 2013Why Weâre Excited About It: Okay, so this oneâs a bit of a stretch with regards to the âblockbusterâ definition, but when a horror classic like Evil Dead gets a remake, itâs automatically an event film. Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell have been heavily involved in this update to ensure that the integrity of the original isnât being tarnished, and the filmâs first red-band trailer was straight-up brutal. Itâs obvious that Alvarez isnât pulling any punches (the tagline promises âThe Most Terrifying Film You Will Ever Experienceâ), and weâre eager to see just how far this thing goes.OBLIVION Director: Joseph KosinskiCast: Tom Cruise, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Melissa Leo, and Morgan Freeman.Release Date: April 19, 2013Why Weâre Excited About It: Director Joseph Kosinski proved to be an immensely talented visual filmmaker with his directorial debut TRON: Legacy, and heâs taking on what looks to be a gorgeously epic scope with his follow-up film Oblivion. The deserted Earth landscapes are breathtaking, and Tom Cruise appears to be in fine form here as our enigmatic hero, Jack Harper. Mystery, action, Tusken raider-esque antagonists? Color us intrigued.IRON MAN 3 Director: Shane BlackCast: Robert Downey Jr., Ben Kingsley, Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Ashley Hamilton, Jon Favreau and James Badge Dale.Release Date: May 3, 2013 (3D)Why Weâre Excited About It: This oneâs kind of a no-brainer. The prospect of seeing the continued adventures of RDJâs Tony Stark is probably reason enough to be interested in this sequel, but the icing on the cake is the involvement of Shane Black. If the man behind Lethal Weapon and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang can bring half as much wit and fun to Iron Man as he did to his previous films, then weâre in for a very, very good time. Moreover, we finally get to see Iron Man face off against archvillain The Mandarin, who will be brought to life by the most-excellent Sir Ben Kingsley.THE GREAT GATSBYDirector: Baz LuhrmannCast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire, Joel Edgerton, Jason Clarke, Isla Fisher, and Elizabeth Debicki.Release Date: May 10, 2013 (3D)Why Weâre Excited About It: Itâs entirely possible that this could go down as one of 2013âs notable disappointments, but under the direction of Baz Luhrmann weâre almost guaranteed that The Great Gatsby will be unlike anything weâve seen before. The visuals look spellbinding, the cast is impressive, and we canât even begin to think about what Luhrmann will do with 3D. Fingers are crossed, but weâre looking forward to checking out Luhrmannâs Gatsby on the biggest screen possible this May.STAR TREK INTO DARKNESSDirector: J.J. AbramsCast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Anton Yelchin, John Cho, Noel Clarke, and Bruce Greenwood.Release Date: May 17, 2013 (3D)Why Weâre Excited About It: Passionate Trek fans were a bit wary of the 2009 franchise reboot, but director J.J. Abrams hit the ball out of the park and then some with Star Trek. As such, itâs with an incredibly high amount of anticipation that we look forward to the follow-up Into Darkness. In true Abrams fashion, very little is known about the film other than the fact that it takes place in space and on planets, and it features characters from Star Trek. Abrams roped in the ridiculously talented Benedict Cumberbatch to portray the filmâs mystery villain, and the first two teaser trailers did an excellent job of making May 17th feel like a world away.THE HANGOVER PART III Director: Todd PhillipsCast: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, Heather Graham, John Goodman, Mike Epps, Mike Tyson, and Jeffrey Tambor.Release Date: May 24, 2013Why Weâre Excited About It: Though last yearâs The Hangover Part II left something to be desired, Todd Phillips and co. have promised an entirely different sort of film for the third entry in the comedy franchise. The pic is described as âAlanâs story,â as The Wolf Pack is called to action when Zach Galifianakisâ character finds himself reeling from a family tragedy. Multiple locations have been teasedâincluding Las Vegasâso weâre looking forward to seeing how this bizarre and hilarious journey is wrapped up.THIS IS THE ENDDirectors: Seth Rogen and Evan GoldbergCast: Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel, Danny McBride, Michael Cera, David Krumholtz, Emma Watson, Paul Rudd, Martin Starr, Mindy Kaling, Kevin Hart, and Rihanna.Release Date: June 14, 2013Why Weâre Excited About It: The cast alone would be reason enough to buy a ticket to this one, but the apocalypse comedy marks the directorial debut of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who also wrote the script. All of the actors will be playing themselves in the pic, which finds this particular group of individuals facing down the end of the world. The debut red-band clip was hilarious, promising not only a healthy amount of blissful absurdity, but also expertly delivered self-referential humor.MAN OF STEELDirector: Zack SnyderCast: Henry Cavill, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Amy Adams and Michael Shannon.Release Date: June 14, 2013 (3D)Why Weâre Excited About It: Weâve seen plenty of superhero sequels over the past couple of years, but one of the biggest is getting his day in the sun (again) next summer. Man of Steel looks like nothing else Zack Snyder has ever done, and we can safely assume that producer Christopher Nolan influenced a healthy part of the filmâs grounded style. Itâs an interesting take on the Superman character, and all eyes are on Man of Steel to see if Snyder can pull off a successful reboot. The first trailers have been very promising, so hereâs hoping.MONSTERS UNIVERSITYDirector: Dan ScanlonCast: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Dave Foley, Julia Sweeney, Joel Murray, and Peter Sohn.Release Date: June 21, 2013 (3D)Why Weâre Excited About It: Though Pixarâs last two films may have been a tad underwhelming, thereâs reason to believe the upcoming prequel to Monsters Inc. could see a fine return to form for the studio. For one, Monsters Inc. is one of Pixarâs funniest films to date, and the college setting for Monsters University promises that the prequel wonât stray too far from the originalâs comedic tone. The collegiate setting also provides a unique opportunity for Pixar to explore complex relationships, as those four years in college are some of the most formative of any human (or monsterâs) life. In the end, though, are you really going to turn down a chance to see more adventures from the brilliant comedic duo of Billy Crystalâs Mike and John Goodmanâs Sully?KICK-ASS 2Director: Jeff WadlowCast: Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Clark Duke, Donald Faison, John Leguizamo, Olga Kurkulina, and Jim Carrey.Release Date: June 28, 2013Why Weâre Excited About It: Director Matthew Vaughnâs R-rated Kick-Ass was like a shot of adrenaline to the superhero genre; a rare superhero movie made specifically for adults. The promise of Mintz-Plasseâs Red Mist turning supervillain, plus the addition of Jim Carrey as a hero called âColonel Starsâ are reason enough to assume that weâre in for a wild ride with this sequel, and we canât wait to see just how crazy things will get.
Continued on Page 2 with Pacific Rim, The Wolverine, Ender's Game and many more
Â
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Max Martini, Rob Kazinsky, Clifton Collins Jr., and Diego Klattenhoff.
Release Date: July 12, 2013 (3D)
Why Weâre Excited About It: Itâs been four long years since we last saw a directorial feature from the unendingly innovative Guillermo del Toro, and heâs making his return in a big, bad way with an epic-scale monsters vs. robots movie. The first trailer promised some eye-popping fights between the giant monsters (Kaiju) and equally giant, human-manned robots (Jaegers), and with del Toro at the helm we can safely assume that this is absolutely not some Transformers rip-off with uninspired action sequence after uninspired action sequence. The material is right in del Toroâs wheelhouse, and weâre already bracing for the intense spectacle to come.
Â
Director: James Mangold
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Will Yun Lee, Hiroyuki Sanada, Brian Tee, Rila Fukushima, Tao Okamoto, and Svetlana Khodchenkova.
Release Date: July 26, 2013 (3D)
Why Weâre Excited About It: Though 2009âs X-Men Origins: Wolverine left much to be desired, thereâs plenty reason to be hopeful about this sequel. Director James Mangold has proven himself adept at handling drama (Walk the Line), action comedy (Knight and Day), and even Westerns (3:10 to Yuma), and everything weâve seen from The Wolverine thus far promises a fantastically dark samurai story for the X-Men character.
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Cast: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, William Fichtner, and Diego Luna.
Release Date: August 9, 2013
Why Weâre Excited About It: Director Neill Blomkampâs feature directorial debut District 9 was not only a thrilling entry in the sci-fi genre, but also a wholly original story that spoke to larger social concerns. His follow-up film, Elysium, promises to be no different, as this time Blomkamp tackles the controversial immigration issue by telling the story of a dying man who lacks access to the healthcare that would save his life because of his social status. On top of that, itâs set in 2159 and features Matt Damon wearing some crazy tech/weapon device attached to his head. Count us in.
Â
Director: Edgar Wright
Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan, and Rosamund Pike.
Release Date: October 25, 2013
Why Weâre Excited About It: Edgar Wrightâs Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz are two of the most exciting, innovative, and flat-out funny comedies of the past 15 years (if not more), and The Worldâs End marks the final chapter in Wright, Pegg, and Frostâs informal âBlood & Ice Creamâ trilogy. As such, this one should already be on everyoneâs radar, but throw in a pub crawl, an end-of-the-world scenario, and Martin Freeman, and youâve got yourself the definition of a must-see. Odds are pretty damn good that The Worldâs End is going to be, well, off the chain.
Director: Gavin Hood
Cast: Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Sir Ben Kingsley, Hailee Steinfeld, Viola Davis, and Abigail Breslin.
Release Date: November 1, 2013
Why Weâre Excited About It: Author Orson Scott Cardâs beloved sci-fi novel finally gets the big screen treatment next year, and fans are eager to see if Gavin Hood does the story justice in his feature film adaptation. He got off to a strong start by putting together an impressive cast, and we should see more marketing material soon that will give us a better idea of whatâs in store.
Director: Alan Taylor
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Christopher Eccleston, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Zachary Levi, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, and Idris Elba.
Release Date: November 8, 2013 (3D)
Why Weâre Excited About It: Though Iron Man 3 will likely set the tone for Marvel films post-Avengers, Novemberâs Thor sequel looks to be a different beast altogether. Alan Taylorâs background on Game of Thrones promises some excellent world-building, and those involved have promised a more epic scope this time around (ie. exploration of realms other than Asgard). The inclusion of the Dark Elves and even the filmâs title hint at a more gloomy tone for the continued adventures of everyoneâs favorite god of thunder, and weâre eager to dive back in.
THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE
Director: Francis Lawrence
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, Jeffrey Wright, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amanda Pllummer, Â Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, and Donald Sutherland.
Release Date: November 22, 2013
Why Weâre Excited About It: Catching Fire is arguably the most cinematic book in Suzanne Collinsâ Hunger Games trilogy, and its ripe with sequences that should be a joy to watch onscreen. The abrupt departure of Gary Ross as director was a bit disconcerting, but Lionsgate seems to be happy with what Francis Lawrence has done on Catching Fire as they recently signed him to helm the final two installments, Mockingjay Parts 1 and 2. Jennifer Lawrence is a phenomenal actress, so hopefully Catching Fire carries the same character-centric nature of the first installment while maintaining the spectacle of the book.
THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG
Director: Peter Jackson
Cast: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, Richard Armitage, Orlando Bloom, Luke Evans, Lee Pace, Evangeline Lilly, and the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch.
Release Date: December 13, 2013 (3D)
Why Weâre Excited About It: Whether you loved or hated An Unexpected Journey, odds are youâll still be seeing The Desolation of Smaug next December. Itâs tough to accurately judge Jacksonâs decision to stretch The Hobbit into three films before weâve seen how the rest of the trilogy plays out, and Smaug at least promises an extended battle with a nefarious, gold-hoarding dragon whose voice carries the sweet, sweet tones of one Benedict Cumberbatch.
ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND CONTINUES
Director: Adam McKay
Cast: Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, David Koechner, Christina Applegate, and possibly Kristen Wiig.
Release Date: December 20, 2013
Why Weâre Excited About It: McKay and Ferrell crafted one of the most quotable movies of all time with 2004âs Anchorman, and theyâve been trying like hell to get this sequel off the ground for quite a few years now. The old team is back together (including producer Judd Apatow), and McKay has promised at least one fully choreographed musical number will transpire in the film, which is set during the dawn of the 24-hour news cycle. The lead cast is made up of improv pros, and we absolutely cannot wait to see the ridiculousness that the team cooks up for The Legend Continues.
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Cast: George Clooney and Sandra Bullock
Release Date: TBD Fall 2013
Why Weâre Excited About It: Given that weâve been waiting for this movie for years now, you could say that our anticipation level for Gravity is approaching critical mass. The filmâCuaronâs first feature since 2006âs brilliant Children of Menâlanded on our most anticipated list last year, when it was originally slated for release in fall of 2012. Warner Bros. subsequently pushed the film back to 2013, but itâs expected to arrive in the fall in order to boost its awards chances. Sandra Bullock carries much of the screen time alone, as she plays an astronaut stranded in space. Weâre hoping the finished product is worth the long, long wait, but given that this is Alfonso Cuaron itâs not a stretch to say it probably will be.