There are so many movies to look forward to next year, but many of the big names expected to make a list like this are noticeably absent. “Man of Steel,” “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” “The Wolverine,” “The Lone Ranger,” and “The Great Gatsby” are just a few examples of what didn't make this list. Why, you may ask? Everybody is already looking forward to those. Most of these titles are probably pretty unknown to the average moviegoer. These types of lists are personal. They're supposed to reflect your interests. This isn't a definitive list. It's more of a, "You should know about these films coming out next year," type of list. Scribble these down somewhere or store them in the back of your mind while you're seeing "The Hangover Part III" or "Monsters University." These are a few of the underdogs that you should keep in your back pocket. And in the meantime, prepare for another great year for movies.
While recently revisiting "Brazil" and "12 Monkeys" and just being an all around huge fan of the director anyway, Terry Gilliam always delivers a cinematic journey that is unique and different. 2013 will see his first full-length feature since 2009's "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus."
"The Zero Theorem" - TBA 2013
Director: Terry Gilliam ("Brazil," "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," "12 Monkeys")
Starring: Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Ben Whishaw, Tilda Swinton
Synopsis: "A computer hacker's goal to discover the reason for human existence continually finds his work interrupted thanks to the Management; this time, they send a teenager and lusty love interest to distract him."
Three South Korean directors that you hopefully know about by now are making their English language/American film debuts in 2013.
“The Last Stand” - January 18, 2013
Director: Kim Jee-woon (“I Saw the Devil,” “The Good the Bad the Weird,” “A Bittersweet Life,” “A Tale of Two Sisters”)
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jaimie Alexander, Forest Whitaker, Genesis Rodriguez, Peter Stormare, Johnny Knoxville
Synopsis: "The leader of a drug cartel busts out of a courthouse and speeds to the Mexican border, where the only thing in his path is a sheriff and his inexperienced staff."
Trailer
"Stoker" - March 1, 2013
Director: Park Chan-wook (“Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance,” “Oldboy,” “Lady Vengeance,” “Thirst”)
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode, Jacki Weaver
Synopsis: "After India's father dies, her Uncle Charlie, who she never knew existed, comes to live with her and her unstable mother. She comes to suspect this mysterious, charming man has ulterior motives and becomes increasingly infatuated with him."
Trailer
"Snowpiercer" - TBA 2013
Director: Bong Joon-ho (“The Host,” “Memories of Murder,” “Mother”)
Starring: Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, John Hurt, Ed Harris, Octavia Spencer, Tilda Swinton
Synopsis: "AD 2031, the passengers in the train are the only survivors on Earth."
Ryan Gosling has four films coming out next year that all look to have potential including the delayed "Gangster Squad." After films like "Drive," "Lars and the Real Girl," and "Half Nelson," it's difficult not to get excited about any project that he's a part of.
“The Place Beyond the Pines” - March 29, 2013 (limited)
Director: Derek Cianfrance (“Blue Valentine”)
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Rose Byrne, Eva Mendes, Dane Dehaan, Ray Liotta, Ben Mendolsohn
Synopsis: "A motorcycle stunt rider considers committing a crime in order to provide for his wife and child, an act that puts him on a collision course with a cop-turned-politician."
Trailer
“Only God Forgives” - TBA 2013
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn (“Drive,” “Bronson,” “Valhalla Rising”)
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas, Tom Burke
Synopsis: "A Bangkok police lieutenant and a gangster settle their differences in a Thai-boxing match."
Being a huge fan of both "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz," it seems like it's taking forever for director Edgar Wright to reunite with stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Looks like 2013 will finally be our year.
“The World's End” - October 25, 2013
Director: Edgar Wright (“Scott Pilgrim Vs The World,” “Shaun of the Dead,” “Hot Fuzz”)
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Rosamund Pike
Synopsis: "Five friends who reunite in an attempt to top their epic pub crawl from 20 years earlier unwittingly become humankind's only hope for survival."
See "Children of Men" and try not to be impressed with the incredibly long one-take sequences director Alfonso Cuarón was able to accomplish in that. Here's hoping he wows us even more with his first film in seven years.
“Gravity” - October 18, 2013
Director: Alfonso Cuarón (“Children of Men,” “Y Tu Mamá También,” “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”)
Starring: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney
Synopsis: "Astronauts attempt to return to earth after debris crashes into their space shuttle, leaving them drifting alone in space."
With how often you've seen Guillermo del Toro's name attached to movies over the past few years, he surprisingly hasn't directed anything since "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" back in 2008. Making a movie about giant robots fighting giant monsters seems like the best way to jump back into the swing of things.
“Pacific Rim” - July 12, 2013
Director: Guillermo del Toro (“Hellboy,” “Mimic,” “Pan's Labyrinth”)
Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Ron Perlman, Charlie Day, Clifton Collins Jr
Synopsis: "When an alien attack threatens the Earth's existence, giant robots piloted by humans are deployed to fight off the menace."
Trailer
After his superb feature film directing debut with "District 9," just about everyone has eagerly been anticipating Neill Blomkamp's next film. After four long years, the wait is over.
“Elysium” - August 9, 2013
Director: Neill Blomkamp (“District 9”)
Starring: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Diego Luna
Synopsis: "Set in the year 2159, where the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth, a man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds."
Other films to look forward to that didn't make the list: "All Superheroes Must Die," “Mama,” "A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III," “John Dies at the End,” “Side Effects,” “The ABCs of Death,” “Oz: The Great and Powerful,” “From Up on Poppy Hill,” "Iron Man 3," “Trance,” “Evil Dead,” “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “Kick-Ass 2,” I, Frankenstein,” “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For,” “Oldboy,” and “Thor: The Dark World.”
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