Most Anticipated Movies of 2015: Cinema Siren Selects

By Leslie Combemale aka Cinema Siren

If I had based 2014 on the first movie I saw last year, it would have been a wasteland. Fortunately for movie lovers everywhere, the year turned out to have some wonderful films. And 2015 has lots of potential for great blockbusters too. But which will be winners and which will fail to meet our hopes and expectations? Here are some of the most exciting and anticipated of the year.

Most Anticipated

• Cinderella: March 13 — Kenneth Branagh directs a live-action version of the classic tale, and it got millions of hits on its trailer’s first day, so interest is high. Cate Blanchett as the evil stepmother and Lily James from Downton Abbey as Ella promises to bring a variety of age groups and genre fans into the fan fold.
• Avengers: Age of Ultron: May 1 — Joss Whedon gets to once again corral the Avengers, adding Elizabeth Olson as Scarlet Witch and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Quicksilver, as well as Paul Bettany as Vision and James Spader as Ultron. He’s going to destroy the planet, of course. Better call the messy, dysfunctional extended family that is this group of superheroes.
• Mad Max: Fury Road: May 15 — It isn’t possible to have cast better than Tom Hardy (who is in one of my favorite movies of 2014, Locke) to portray the character made famous by Mel Gibson. Charlize Theron and Nicholas Hoult are nearly unrecognizable, and the excitement at the trailer preview at SDCC 2014 was through the roof.
• Tomorrowland: May 22 — Brad Bird directs George Clooney and newcomer Britt Robertson in a story about some mysterious place called Tomorrowland. There’s nothing like making use of a section of the Disneyland park to blow the box office wide open.
• Jurassic World: June 12— Ahhhh, Chris Pratt. Furthering his stat as a top action guy (who knew?) he plays an Indiana Jones-type fella against costar Bryce Dallas Howard, but we also get BD Wong and Irrfan Khan in the mix. And dinosaurs.
• Terminator Genisys: July 1— Arnold is back as promised, but he brings Jason Clarke and Matt Smith along, thank goodness, or should I say Skylab. Is this going to be enough to jumpstart the franchise for three more movies?
• Ant-Man: July 17 — Actor Paul Rudd as the lead has fans trying to keep positive about a film that got bad press by replacing director Edgar Wright. Marvel knows how to make hits, so perhaps they will mold a fun flick with the help of Rudd, and costars Judy Greer, Evangeline Lilly, and Michael Douglas, and get their core audience back. Superfans are essential to promoting it and to making the big box office numbers.
• Pan: July 24 — Joe Wright of Atonement directs this story based on the Peter Pan tale, with Hugh Jackman uglied up, all dark, broody, and bad as Blackbeard. Can Jackman do no wrong? We shall soon see.
• The Fantastic Four: August 7 — Jamie Bell, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller are all very of-the-moment as actors, but that may not save what many think is a franchise too recently delivered to reboot. That’s what they said about Spiderman. Perhaps this group of actors can make it work.
• The Jungle Book: Oct. 9 — Jon Favreau has done no wrong for a while now, most recently in 2014 with top grossing Indie film Chef. Here he directs Christopher Walken, Ben Kingsley, Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Idris Elba, and Lupita Nyong’o, just to name a few, in this retelling of Kipling’s adventure.
• Spectre: Nov. 6 — Bond is back, with Sam Mendes once again at the helm, and Daniel Craig is downing martinis with Monica Bellucci. Adding Christoph Waltz as the bad guy makes it a nearly surefire hit. I’m stirred.
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 — This is it, folks, the last in the series. Jennifer Lawrence may trip a lot on the red carpet, she rarely makes a false step onscreen. If this follows the books, fans are in for some dark times.
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Dec. 18 — Did you hear the one about long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away? You’re going to hear it again, all with the wonderful John Williams score. Will it be like the first three or the second, lesser prequels? I’m rooting for Oscar Isaac and Lupita Nyong’o, along with the old favorites returning to comfort the old fans.

Wannabe Blockbusters

• Fifty Shades of Grey: Feb. 13 — Nothing says Valentine’s Day like S&M. The wildly popular brown paper novel becomes a feature film with lots of heat and a fair amount of bossing around. And perhaps a bit of giggling.
• Kingsman: The Secret Service: Feb. 13 — For a great Valentine’s date, my money is on this Matthew Vaughn directed action flick starring Colin Firth as a dapper Englishman who knows how to expertly dispatch a variety of baddies whilst drinking a great cup of tea. The girls can dream of Darcy while the boys can imagine themselves as secret agents. Great buzz and reviews are already making this a must-see.
• In the Heart of the Sea: March 13 — Chris Hemsworth in a Ron Howard film about a sea captain and his fight with his own version of Moby Dick. With a cast that includes Brendan Gleeson, Ben Whishaw and Cillian Murphy, Howard has talent on his side.
• Pitch Perfect 2: May 15 — So much a cappella, so little time. the Bellas are back and they’ve added Haylee Steinfeld. Now they are going to the World Championships as underdogs. Sure, it’s a sequel, but who doesn’t want to support a female-driven movie about girl power and singing?
• Inside Out: June 19 — Pixar returns with a funky concept about what (and who) controls the thinking inside the brain of an 11 year old and her emotions are largely represented by Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness, portrayed by Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, and Phillis Smith. Pete Docter directs a film that seems pretty innovative and decidedly Pixar-esque!
• Pixels: July 24 — Oh dear, Adam Sandler. Two words few want to hear associated with a movie these days…However, this Chris Columbus directed story of gamers who must save the world after alien invasion also boasts Peter Dinklage. Since it is being released just after San Diego Comic-con, one assumes there will be much promotion if the dreaded test audiences give it good marks.
• The Man from U.N.C.L.E. — Guy Ritchie directs hotties Henry Cavell (The Man of Steel) and Armie Hammer (The Social Network) as the famous 60s duo that, in their sassy 60s pants, couldn’t be hipper if they tried. It’s hard to say if this will tank or succeed, as all involved have done both in the past.
• The Walk: Oct. 2 — Philip Petit walked between the World Trade Centers, and between many other huge buildings, and here Joseph Gordon Levitt portrays him in this Robert Zemeckis directed bio-based film.
• Vacation: Oct. 9 — Ed Helms and Christina Applegate are the kids to Beverly D’Angelo and Chevy Chase’s original Griswalds, and they’re all going back to Wally World. In case you want a reason to root for this film, John Francis Daley’s character was killed off of the Bones TV show so he could co-direct.
• Crimson Peak: Oct. 16 — Guillermo Del Toro goes back to his horror roots with this story that stars Charlie Hunnam, Tom Hiddleston, and Jessica Chastain in what looks like a slow burning gothic using a haunted house that terrorizes a la ‘The Haunting’.
• The Martian: Nov. 25 — Ridley Scott directs Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, and Sean Bean in a space survival drama. (Wait! Haven’t they all already been in one of those?) One hopes Scott can repair the damage he’s done with his last few releases with the help of this great cast.
• Joy: Dec. 25 — This wins the “One of us will get an Oscar” lottery, with David O Russell re-teaming with Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, and Robert De Niro about the woman who invented the Miracle Mop. If anyone can make that sexy at the box office, these people can.

About this column: I am Leslie Combemale, at www.cinemasiren.com, and am a movie lover and aficionado who aspires to get more people back into the beautiful alternate worlds offered in the dark at movie houses across the country. I am the owner of ArtInsights Animation and Film Art Gallery. I interview actors, directors, and production artists from all over the world, and often I’m invited to present at conventions such as the San Diego Comic-Con, where I have been a panelist and host for The Art of the Hollywood Movie Poster, Classic Film History, Disney & Harry Potter Fandom discussions. Visit my film art gallery at www.artinsights.com and see more of my reviews and interviews on www.artinsightsmagazine.com.