Universal Pictures has announced a slew of release dates for some of its upcoming films, unveiling the first synopses for some highly anticipated pics (including the latest from Guillermo del Toro) in the process.  Briefly:

  • As Above, So Below – From Legendary Pictures, the psychological thriller directed by John Erick Dowdle (Quarantine) will open August 15, 2014.
  • A Walk Among the Tombstones – The Liam Neeson/Dan Stevens thriller directed by Scott Frank will hit theaters September 19, 2014.
  • Ouija – Universal’s adaptation of the popular board game produced by Michael Bay is slated for October 24, 2014.
  • Everest – Director Baltasar Kormakur’s (2 Guns) survival drama starring Jason Clarke, John Hawkes, and Jake Gyllenhaal will be released in 3D and IMAX 3D February 27, 2015.
  • Pitch Perfect 2 – The music-centered sequel, directed by Elizabeth Banks, will be aca-released May 15, 2015.
  • Crimson Peak – From Legendary Pictures, filmmaker Guillermo del Toro’s next directorial effort, starring Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, and Charlie Hunnam, will haunt traditional theaters and IMAX on October 16, 2015.

Hit the jump to read the synopses for the aforementioned films.

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AS ABOVE, SO BELOW

Miles of twisting catacombs lie beneath the streets of Paris, the eternal home to countless souls. When a team of explorers ventures into the uncharted maze of bones, they uncover the secret of what this city of the dead was meant to contain.  A journey into madness and terror, AS ABOVE, SO BELOW reaches deep into the human psyche to reveal the personal demons that come back to haunt us all.  Written by John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle (QuarantineDevil) and directed by John Erick Dowdle, the psychological thriller is produced by Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Drew Dowdle and Patrick Aiello.  Alex Hedlund serves as the executive producer.

A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES

Based on Lawrence Block’s bestselling series of mystery novels, A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES stars Liam Neeson as Matt Scudder, an ex-NYPD cop who now works as an unlicensed private investigator operating just outside the law.  When Scudder reluctantly agrees to help a heroin trafficker (Dan Stevens) hunt down the men who kidnapped and then brutally murdered his wife, the PI learns that this is not the first time these men have committed this sort of twisted crime…nor will it be the last.  Blurring the lines between right and wrong, Scudder races to track the deviants through the backstreets of New York City before they kill again.  Written and directed by Scott Frank (The Lookout), A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES is produced by Jersey Films’ Danny DeVito, Double Feature Films’ Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher, Cross Creek Pictures’ Brian Oliver and Exclusive Media’s Tobin Armbrust.  Universal will distribute the film in North America. 

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OUIJA

In OUIJA, a group of friends must confront their most terrifying fears when they awaken the dark powers of an ancient spirit board.  Stiles White directs the supernatural thriller that is produced by Platinum Dunes partners Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form (The PurgeThe Texas Chainsaw MassacreFriday the 13th) alongside Blumhouse Productions’ Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity and Insidious series, The Purge), Bennett Schneir (Battleship) and Hasbro.  Juliet Snowden and Stiles White wrote the script for OUIJA, and Universal will distribute the film worldwide. 

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Image via Paramount Pictures

EVEREST

Inspired by the incredible events surrounding a treacherous attempt to reach the summit of the world’s highest mountain, EVEREST documents the awe-inspiring journey of two different expeditions challenged beyond their limits by one of the fiercest snowstorms ever encountered by mankind.  Their mettle tested by the harshest of elements found on the planet, the climbers will face nearly impossible obstacles as a lifelong obsession becomes a breathtaking struggle for survival.  Starring Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes and Jake Gyllenhaal, the epic adventure will be directed by Baltasar Kormákur (2 GunsContraband) and produced by Working Title Films’ Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, Cross Creek Pictures’ Brian Oliver and Tyler Thompson, as well as Nicky Kentish Barnes.  Universal Pictures and Cross Creek Pictures’ presentation of EVEREST—in association with Walden Media—is adapted for the screen by Mark Medoff (Children of a Lesser God) and Oscar® winner Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire).  The film will shoot on location in Nepal on the foothills of Everest, the Italian Dolomites and at Cinecittà Studios in Rome and Pinewood Studios in the U.K. 

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PITCH PERFECT 2

The Barden Bellas are back in PITCH PERFECT 2, the follow-up to summer 2012’s smash hit.  The comedy will be helmed by Elizabeth Banks, co-star and producer ofPitch Perfect, and produced by Paul Brooks, Max Handelman and Banks.  Writer Kay Cannon returns to the team to pen the next chapter. 

CRIMSON PEAK

Legendary Pictures’ CRIMSON PEAK, a co-production with Universal Pictures, is a haunting gothic horror story directed by the master of dark fairy tales, Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s LabyrinthHellboy series, Pacific Rim), written by del Toro and Matthew Robbins and starring Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston and Charlie Hunnam.  In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider.  Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds…and remembers.  Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, del Toro and Callum Greene produce, and Jillian Share executive produces.

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Image via Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures