Before we begin with the top 25, here are a few that couldn't quite make the list, but are still worth getting excited about: Gore Verbinski's The Lone Ranger starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, R.I.P.D. starring Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds, the X-Men spin-off The Wolverine, Kick-Ass 2, Now You See Me with Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Mark Ruffalo (need I go on?), the Evil Dead remake, Roman Coppola's A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, Michael Bay's Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson starring Pain and Gain, the Chloe Grace Moretz-starring Carrie remake, The Dallas Buyer's Club starring Matthew McConaughey, Maniac with Elijah Wood, Ron Howard's auto racing biopic Rush, Sam Raimi's prequel Oz: The Great and Powerful with James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams, Iron Man 3, the Coen Brothers-penned Gambit, the return of Ron Burgandy in Anchorman: The Legend Continues, the Aussie film Wish You Were Here, Robert Rodriguez' Machete Kills, the ensemble comedy This is the End, Cannes sensation No, Lars Von Triers erotic drama Nymphomaniac, the biopic of The Iceman Richard Kuklinski, another sensation from Cannes The Hunt starring Mads Mikkelsen, Guillermo Del Toro's Pacific Rim, Blood Ties directed by Guillaume Canet, the West Memphis Three story Devil's Knot, the Luc Besson directed, Robert De Niro starring Malatvita, the Jackie Robinson biopic 42, Alexander Payne's The Descendants follow-up Nebraska, Under the Skin directed by Jonathan Glazer, Jeff Nichols' Mud with Matthew McConaughey, Joon-Ho Bong's english language debut Snowpiercer, Star Trek Into Darkness, Baz Luhrmann's delayed The Great Gatsby, British gangster/action movie Welcome to the Punch, and Edgar Wright's newest comedy The World's End. A big list and all could have cracked the top 25, which is after the jump.
#25.
Spring Breakers
Dir. Harmony Korine
Starring James Franco, Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson
Release: TBA
This is a film that, when announced, intrigued me, but wasn't necessarily on any must see list. Then it premiered at the Venice Film Festival back in September to many positive reviews from people I trust. The more I thought about the premise does have me very curious (spring breakers rob a restaurant then get bailed our of jail by a thug and they go on some wicked adventures). The fact that James Franco seems to be completely lost in his role and the main characters are all teeny-boppers playing against type make this something that I will definitely want to see.
#24
You're Next
Dir. Adam Wingard
Starring Sharni Vinson, Joe Swanberg, A.J. Bowen
Release: August 23
It's been over a year since this movie premiered at Toronto and it looks like we'll have to wait just a little longer before we finally get to see it. Reviews were very positive coming out of TIFF and it sounds like a twist on the typical home invasion movie. It appears that this could be a movie, like Cabin in the Woods and Let the Right One In, that could turn the horror genre on its side.
#23
Side Effects
Dir. Steven Soderbergh
Starring Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum, Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones
Release: February 8
Why is this anticipated? Because I like Steven Soderbergh. This is a movie that seems to be more in the vain of 2010's Contagion and that's a good thing (it was some of Soderbergh's finest work in a while). Not to mention this is allegedly his last movie before his impending retirement, so this could be the last chance to see a filmmaker I respect at work.
#22
The Bling Ring
Dir. Sofia Coppola
Starring Emma Watson, Leslie Mann, Taissa Farmiga
Release: TBA
The true story of five friends robbing the homes of the rich and famous comes to life thanks to Sofia Coppola. No one understands the minds of a young people quite like her. While I haven't seen anything footage-wise from this film, I have to assume it will resemble Coppola's early work like The Virgin Suicides with a true crime twist. Oh, and Emma Watson is really working hard to shed her Harry Potter image and she is quickly becoming a serious actor in my book.
#21
Simon Killer
Dir. Antonio Campos
Starring Brady Corbet, Matti Diop
Release: TBA
Antonio Campos is a filmmaker who caught my attention with his film Afterschool. Now, five years later, he has finally returned behind the camera for his second feature. The dark drama that follows an American in Paris falling for a prostitute stars up-and-comer Brady Corbet (Martha Marcy May Marlene, Funny Games U.S.) and is produced by MMMM director Sean Durkin, a close friend of Campos. It premiered at Sundance 2012 to mixed reviews, but the subject matter is apparently to blame for that. It may be tough for some to watch, but I think I can handle it.
#20
Jane Got a Gun
Dir. Lynne Ramsay
Starring Natalie Portman, Michael Fassbender, Joel Edgerton
Release: TBA
This is a bit of a toss-up because there is no guarantee that it will be released in 2013, but just in case it does it has to be on the list. I was introduced to Lynne Ramsay's work last year with We Need to Talk About Kevin and have spent some time looking at some of her past work. She really is a special filmmaker and this looks to be something that could make her breakout. The story is a western about a woman (Portman) seeking out an ex-lover (Fassbender) to help her get her revenge on the leader of a gang (Edgerton) for the murder of her husband. With the players both in front of and behind the camera, this is one you should look out for.
#19
Gravity
Dir. Alfonso Cuaron
Starring Sandra Bullock, George Clooney
Release: October 18
This movie is right near the top of just about every media outlets most anticipated list, but because I'm not a huge sci-fi fan, it isn't quite as high up on my list. Still, Cuaron has really showed that he is a big time director (most notably with Children of Men) and it is always interesting to see what he does next. Although this was supposed to see a release in 2012, it got pushed to prime Award season territory in 2013 and with Clooney and Bullock joining Cuaron, expect this to be a player next year.
#18
Elysium
Dir. Neill Blomkamp
Starring Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley
Release: August 9
Another movie that suffers the same fate as Gravity when it comes to this list. Still, Neill Blomkamp's debut feature District 9 is still a pretty fascinating movie and Elysium is a long awaited second feature. He's obviously working with a bigger scale here and it will be interesting to see how he handles it. Still, not much is known about what really to expect, but that will come in due time.
#17
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
Dir. Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller
Starring Clive Owen, Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke
Release: October 4
If you haven't seen the original Sin City than you are missing out. Now, after the begging of many fans, Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller finally return for the sequel. Now, this movie could turn out to be either amazing or disappointing, but, for now, I have to put my faith that R-Rod and Miller will deliver another surprise like they did back in '05.
#16
Gangster Squad
Dir. Ruben Fleischer
Starring Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, Emma Stone
Release: January 11
After a four month delay, Gangster Squad is finally upon us. Now, stylistically this seems to be more "cartoony" (a la The Untouchables) than hard-boiled noir (a la L.A. Confidential) and in a way that kind of worries me, but with that cast and the subject matter, I think I can get over it. It will be interesting to see if the movie is more toned down than originally planned, due to the Aurora Massacre, the reason for the delay in the first place.
#15
Man of Steel
Dir. Zack Snyder
Starring Henry Cavill, Russel Crowe, Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Michael Shannon
Release: June 14
Superman is the superhero (not for me personally, but overall), however his cinematic track record hasn't been the best. Superman: The Movie and its sequel Superman II were great, but those came out in the '70s. Superman Returns got a bad rap, but I actually liked it. Still, with Batman and The Avengers seemingly taking over as top dogs in recent years, Supes has taken a back seat. Now he's finally back and, if the trailer is any type of indication, in top form. Snyder is a very talented filmmaker and will bring a lot of style to Man of Steel. Still, the most intriguing part of this to me is that Christopher Nolan and David Goyer came up with the story. Can they do for Superman what they did for Batman? We shall see come June.
#14
Every Potential Terrence Malick Project
Dir. Terrence Malick
Starring Everyone in Hollywood
Release: To the Wonder- April 12, Everything else- TBA
Terrence Malick is one of the biggest mysteries in Hollywood. The man hasn't been photographed since the mid-'90s and usually releases a movie once every 6-10, sometimes even 20, years. So what could potentially happen in the coming year is a bit of a shock. Malick filmed four films simultaneously and all of them are currently in post-production and could be released this coming year. We know for sure that To the Wonder will get released and the trailer makes it look just as visually stunning/experimental as Malick's Tree of Life was two years ago. Beyond that, the others films we know virtually nothing about. We know that Christian Bale, Natalie Portman, Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, and Cate Blanchett are all involved in at least one of the projects, but we know nothing of plot. But those are some big time names and enough to make any of the projects highly anticipated.#13
The Monuments Men
Dir. George Clooney
Starring Cate Blanchett, Daniel Craig, Matt Damon, George Clooney, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin
Release: December 20
George Clooney may be the most underrated filmmakers working in Hollywood. Just about everything he's made has been fantastic, but he has never gotten the same recognition as his acting. With The Monuments Men, he returns behind the camera to direct a art caper film set during WWII. He again has assembled a spectacular cast and the December release makes it look like it will be major Oscar bait.
#12
The Grandmaster
Dir. Wong Kar-Wai
Starring Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Ziyi Zhang, Chen Chang
Release: TBA
2013 marks the year when we should finally get to see The Grandmasters. Wong Kar-Wai is notoriously meticulous when it comes to his films and this particular one has been filming for the better part of three years just to get it the way he intended. While we've already seen one movie on the subject matter (Ip Man), it's the visual style that Wong brings that will set it apart. There hasn't been a trailer with English released yet, but you can still get a sense of what's coming from the Chinese one.
#11
Trance
Dir. Danny Boyle
Starring James McAvoy, Rosario Dawson, Vincent Cassel
Release: TBA
"A fine art auctioneer mixed up with a gang joins forces with a
hypnotherapist to recover a lost painting. As boundaries between desire,
reality and hypnotic suggestion begin to blur the stakes rise faster
than anyone could have anticipated." Knowing what kind of films Danny Boyle makes, this could be one intensely wild ride.
#10
Foxcatcher
Dir. Bennett Miller
Starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo
Release: TBA
Steve Carell (almost unrecognizable in his make-up) playing a real life paranoid schizophrenic who killed an Olympic wrestler in cold blood? I love it when actors are cast against type. Couple that with Moneyball director Bennett Miller and this could really be special.
#9
Oldboy
Dir. Spike Lee
Starring Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Sharlto Copley, Samuel L. Jackson
Release: October 11
Normally I'm against remakes of my all-time favorite movies, so I guess I'm more curious than anything when it comes to this redo of Park Chan-Wook's Korean original. Still, I really like the actors in the cast and maybe Spike Lee can bring an interesting flair to the story (although that's not as sure a bet as it once was). My only hope is that they don't change too much to please American audiences and keep it just as dark as the original.
#8
Don Jon's Addiction
Dir. Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore
Release: TBA
JGL has been everywhere lately. He's been in some of the biggest and best movies and worked with some really talented filmmakers. Now it's his turn to step behind the camera and I'm excited to see what he can do. He has assembled a good cast for his debut and the fact that it got accepted into Sundance means it could be good. We'll just have to wait and see.
#7
Out of the Furnace
Dir. Scott Cooper
Starring Christian Bale, Zoe Saldana, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck
Release: TBA
Scott Cooper burst onto the scene in 2009 with Crazy Heart, one of my favorites of that year. Now he's back with his second feature, a period piece about two brothers, one who lands himself in prison and the other joining a powerful crime organization. With the actors involved, we could be looking at a big awards contender. This film could further cement Cooper as a force to be reckoned with.
#6
Twelve Years a Slave
Dir. Steve McQueen
Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender
Release: TBA
If Django Unchained was a sort-of comedy about slavery, I'm going to go out on a limb and say this won't be. Steve McQueen (no, not that one, he's the one on the right in the pic above) has a pension for making his films not terribly upbeat. Nevertheless, he is one of the best directors working right now, and his last film, Shame, was near the top of my best of list in 2011. He's assemble a really great cast for this one, including Paul Giamatti, Scoot McNairy, Paul Dano, Garret Dillahunt, Michael K. Williams (a.k.a Chalky White on Boardwalk Empire), and the two breakout stars from Beasts of the Southern Wild Dwight Henry and Quvenzhané Wallis.
#5
Inside Llewyn Davis
Dir. Joel and Ethan Coen
Starring Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake
Release: TBA
I don't think I really need to explain why this is anticipated, but I will with two simple words: Coen Brothers.
#4
Stoker
Dir. Park Chan-Wook
Starring Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode
Release: March 1 (Limited)
I already talked about Spike Lee's Oldboy, but the director of the original has his own film coming out this year. Park Chan-Wook makes his English-language debut with this thriller film that looks like something made by Hitchcock. The movie promises to be a dark family tale and there may be no one in the world better to tackle that then Chan-Wook. If you are reading this, the chances of you actually ever seeing any on his previous work is slim, but I beg you to do so because you will not be disappointed. If filmmaking is an art form, than Park Chan-Wook is like Michelangelo, so prepare yourself because he is coming to America.
#3
The Wolf of Wall Street
Dir. Martin Scorsese
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey
Release: TBA
The Scorsese-DiCaprio power pairing returns with this story of money, drugs and women. As much as I've loved Marty's last few movies, this is a major departure from those and back to the grungy world we choose not to see. While there are no gangsters directly involved, this has the potential to be an uptown Goodfellas. Sounds good to me.
#2
The Place Beyond the Pines
Dir. Derek Cianfrance
Starring Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Dane DeHaan
Release: March 20 (Limited)
If there was one movie I never had any intention of seeing, but did and was completely blown away by, that would be Derek Cianfrance's 2010 drama Blue Valentine. Now, he's back and bringing his star from that film, Ryan Gosling, with him. Cianfrance has said that Valentine was his violent movie without guns and that Place will be his violent movie with them. But don't get your hopes up, this will not be an action movie. Instead its more of a grand generational drama (think The Godfather Part II) that, like Blue Valentine, will leave you emotionally drained by the end of its two and a half hour runtime. Cianfrance is already a director to look out for and I hope he hits the big time with this one.
#1
Only God Forgives
Dir. Nicolas Winding Refn
Starring Ryan Gosling, Kristen Scott Thomas, Vithaya Pansringarm
Release: TBA
"[Only God Forgives] is very much a continuation of that
language"—"[i]t's based on real emotions, but set in a heightened
reality. It's a fairy tale." That's what Nicolas Winding Refn said when asked about the comparisons between this film and his last one, Drive. I don't know about you, but that sounds just perfect to me. If you know me, than you know how I feel about Drive (if you don't know, I think it's the best thing since, well, The Godfather), so there is no way I'd miss this. OGF promises to be even more brutally violent (I didn't think that was possible) than Drive but just as beautifully poetic at the same time (and yes, the Euro-pop synth soundtrack should be there too). Also, it's a script written by Refn himself, which is a major plus given his past track record directing his own work. If you are like me and liked Drive this should be right up your alley. If not, well then that's too bad for you. Me? I can barely contain my excitement for my most anticipated movie of 2013.
What are you are you most excited for in the coming year? Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments below.
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