Most Anticipated Movies

1. Without giving anything away about the shows overall finale after eight seasons, its fair to say that the story of Vince Chase and his buddies was left open for the opportunity to pick up where things left off, which is exactly what theyve decided to do to the excited anticipation of the shows many loyal fans. .....

Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens

2. Obviously this one was always going to be huge given the mass success of the franchise, and whatever the reason for wanting to see it some people will probably be walking into the cinema with the intention of finding out just how bad Disney have butchered the series this promises to be an absolute box office smash not seen since Avatar. The trailer alone received over 60 million views on the first day of its online release. .....

Mad Max Fury Road

3. While we have British Tom Hardy behind the wheel for this reboot rather than the original Mel Gibson, Australians in particular are very excited for this new Mad Max film set in the middle of the desert in post apocalyptic Africa. The trailer is one of the most incredible action packed scenes Ive ever seen and the movie looks like its set to blow us all away. .....

Magic Mike XXL

4. After the huge success of the first film, guys everywhere are a little worried about the all female riots in the streets that the release of this raunchier sequel promises to deliver. It might be best to avoid the cinemas completely for the first two weeks of Magic Mike XXL to avoid the seas of screaming giggly girls. .....

James Bond Spectre

5. Many 007 fans consider Daniel Craig the best James Bond since Sean Connery or Roger Moore, and despite the disappointment of Quantum of Solace (which was seen as being closer to the Bourne films than a typical Bond storyline) Skyfall was very well received, which has got audiences excited about this latest one, which sees Bond digging up his past when hes given a mysterious cryptic message. .....

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

6. Judging by the trailer, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel looks to offer a similar amount of laughs and heartfelt moments as the first one, and it must have been fun film to shoot because all of the original cast members have returned and Richard Gere has been added to the cast as a new guest, much to the liking of the female characters. .....

Minions

7. Who would have thought that the Minions from Despicable Me, those little yellow creatures that apparently werent even part of the original script, would be such a crowd pleaser that they would be the main drive behind the advertising for the sequel, and then get their very own motion picture a few years later Its almost like a cult following now, with half of the franchises fans being 18+ anyway. .....

Jurassic World

8. Theres been a huge resurgence of old eighties and nineties films being remade in recent years, and it was only a matter of time before someone decided to tackle Jurassic Park and put their own spin on it. In Colin Trevorrows case, it looks to be a much darker one than the original Jurassic Park, and weve also been told not to expect the exact same storyline either, which is refreshing. .....

Cinderella

9. Finally, fairytale fans the world over will be blessed with live action footage of Cinderella slipping on the heel that fits this year rather than an animated version as Kenneth Branagh takes his spot in the directors chair for Cinderella. People are looking forward to seeing the usually so lovely Cate Blanchett in the role of the Evil Stepmother. .....

Fast And Furious 7

10. The release of Fast & Furious 7 will be a bittersweet event as fans remember the passing of Paul Walker late 2013 ironically, in a car crash. Nevertheless, his last film looks to be an epic one, and this is one of the few franchises that people dont seem to be getting sick of, even after 6 sequels. The budgets keep getting bigger and the applause keeps getting louder. .....

The Avengers Age of Ultron

11. Marvel Comics fans have been patiently waiting for the sequel to the star studded motion picture that brought all of the characters from Iron Man, Hulk, Thor and Captain America together in The Avengers. Since then, each superhero has made another film in their separate franchises, but now Nick Fury has them working together again and this time it looks to be much darker than the first. .....

Trash

12. This Brazilian film has accumulated quite a bit of buzz and has already been nominated for a BAFTA Award (Best Film not in the English Language). Due for release late March, the story revolves around three Brazilian kids who stumble across something in a garbage dump and soon wish they hadnt, as their lives are turned upside down and they end up on the run from the police. Its already been labeled the .....

The Martian

13. For those of you who havent heard of this film yet, its quite simply about an astronaut (Matt Damon) stranded on Mars struggling to stay alive.Seeing how its not due for release until the end of November, we really dont know much about this film yet and theres no trailer, however its rumored to star a hell of a lot of big names including Kate Mara, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Sean Bean (I wonder if hell die?), Michael Pena, Donald Glover, Jef .....

Point Break

14. Again, we really dont know much about this remake other than the fact that we wont be seeing Keanu Reeves or the late Patrick Swayze in it (although a small cameo from a Keanu Reeves as a fellow surfer on the beach would be pretty awesome).It follows the same plot, hopefully with a few curveballs, and I think its safe to say the entire eighties generation who watched (and loved) this film as teenagers are holding their breath and praying that wri .....

Fifty Shades of Grey

15. Remember what I said earlier about avoiding the cinemas around the release of Magic Mike XXL? The same goes for Fifty Shades of Grey. Although that being said, maybe this movie will be a godsend for us mere mortal guys who can take a girl on a date to the cinemas and let this movie get them all affectionate for us Thanks E.L. James. .....

The Good Dinosaur

16. Obviously nothing can be taken to the bank at this early prenatal, in fact stage of the season, but it s hard to see what can wrest this year s Best Animated Feature Oscar from Pixar s greedy grasp. (And not just because they ve won seven times in the category s 14 year history.) Indeed, they look to be their own best competition. Inside Out s ecstatic reviews and robust box office make it a hard act to follow, but perhaps this lushly visualize .....

The Danish Girl

17. Tom Hooper made a massive awards splash with The King s Speech in 2010, a fine film that met the all too familiar fate of backlash for its strong awards showing that year. The knives were out for Les Mis .....

Legend

18. Tom Hardy may have unexpectedly ceded the spotlight to Charlize Theron this summer in Mad Max Fury Road, but if you were left wanting more of the brooding Brit, here s ample compensation. In Brian Helgeland s 60s set biopic, Hardy plays both Ronnie and Reggie Kray London s most notoriously savage crime lords giving the actor twice the room to flex the tough thespian muscles he s demonstrated in such films as Bronson and The Drop. U.K. au .....

Anomalisa

19. It s been seven whole years since screens were last graced by the singular, Oscar winning sensibility of Charlie Kaufman though, in fairness, the ornate writerly complexities of Synecdoche, New York gave us a lot to chew on in that time. Here s hoping he s on similarly stimulating form in his first animated project, co piloted with freshman feature director Duke Johnson. Featuring David Thewlis and the resurgent Jennifer Jason Leigh, it s a st .....

Snowden

20. Save for some impassioned documentaries, Oliver Stone s output has felt a bit uninspired for a while now. Projects centered on George W. Bush, Wall Street and the drug trade have certainly shown a thorough interest in the issues of the day, but it s all been less revelatory than rote. So here s hoping an examination of Edward Snowden doesn t merely feel of a piece with that trajectory. Also, along with The Walk, the film will surely keep actor .....

Freeheld

21. Julianne Moore had a banner year in 2014, scooping up Best Actress honors in Cannes for Maps to the Stars before finally breaking her Oscar duck for a moving turn in Still Alice. Perhaps she ll keep the hot streak going with this true life story (based on an Oscar winning doc short from 2007) of a cancer stricken New Jersey police detective fighting to secure pension benefits for her domestic partner a potentially punchy role for Ellen Page. .....

Son of Saul

22. Cannes sprang a surprise when Hungarian director L .....

Bridge of Spies

23. Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks are one for three with Oscar so far. Saving Private Ryan was, of course, a piece of modern cinematic iconography, while Catch Me If You Can and The Terminal didn t tickle the Academy s fancy. Bridge of Spies looks almost rigidly handsome from afar, and Disney certainly isn t banging the gong (it was announced as part of the New York Film Festival line up as almost an afterthought). But this Cold War era dram .....

Macbeth

24. No need to be coy about where I stand on this one. While Australian helmer Justin Kurzel s stripped back, mood driven take on The Scottish Play prompted some bludgeoned critical dismissals at Cannes, my own Variety review described it as scarcely improvable fearsomely visceral and impeccably performed. I stand by that claim Michael Fassbender fulfills his ideal casting as the blood lusting Highland warlord, while Marion Cotillard, in her star .....

Crimson Peak

25. Last year s Pacific Rim may have been a proficiently noisy, technically crunchy blockbuster, but it wasn t the creative comeback that fans of Guillermo del Toro s darker side were hoping for. Could this Victorian Gothic haunted house thriller be a more characteristically perverse return for the Mexican fantasy merchant? Things could go either way, but with sumptuous production values and a cast including Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska and Tom .....

Sicario

26. Denis Villeneuve has been on an impressive tear as of late with the Oscar nominated foreign pic Incendies, moody thriller Prisoners and penetrating character study Enemy. With Sicario, which bowed at the Cannes Film Festival in May and is set for Toronto, he tackles the drug trade and all the ennui conjured in its wake. With celebrated lenser Roger Deakins on board again and stars Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro in front of .....

In the Heart of the Sea

27. Ron Howard s partnership with DP Anthony Dod Mantle bore fascinating fruit with 2013 s Rush. Together again for a yarn about the real life events that inspired Herman Melville s Moby Dick, another visual feast appears to be in the cards. Howard hasn t had a serious brush with the season since 2008 s FrostNixon, but he seems to be pushing himself into new terrain as of late. Warner Bros. bumped this one from a March release to December, mayb .....

By the Sea

28. Angelina Jolie s Unbroken crashed on the rocks of the season last year after looking bonafide on paper. She ll be back with hubby Brad Pitt for a swoony tale of artists on holiday navigating their troubled relationship and a film said to be inspired by European cinema of the 1960s and 1970s. That sounds like an alluring mixture, to be sure. The film will open AFI Fest in November, a slot that it should be noted hasn t been much of a lucky cha .....

Creed

29. Filmmaker Ryan Coogler made a significant splash with his debut feature Fruitvale Station two years ago, a film that also introduced much of the world to actor Michael B. Jordan. The pair will be back for what, at first blush, might appear to be mere capitalization on a franchise. But Creed, a spin offsequel to the Rocky series, could pack an unexpected punch. .....

Brooklyn

30. Encouraging awards chatter for John Crowley s lovely, wistful Irish immigrant romance began following its Sundance premiere in January, but Fox Searchlight has cannily kept the film under its hat since then. Expect the conversation to resume at Toronto. Saoirse Ronan, whose expressive silent cinema features have never had a more besotted showcase than this, has been the chief beneficiary of the buzz so far, but Emory Cohen a revelatory delight a .....

A Bigger Splash

31. Italian director Luca Guadagnino s long awaited follow up to his critically swooned over 2009 breakthrough I Am Love currently reps one of the trump cards of the Venice fest lineup It won t be going to Toronto. No one knows quite what to expect from this study of rock royalty vacationing with wild consequences in the Mediterranean, but therein lies the fascination Guadagnino s previous muse Tilda Swinton returns, while Ralph Fiennes, Matthias S .....

Steve Jobs

32. Danny Boyle working from a rapid fire script by Aaron Sorkin with Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet and Seth Rogen starring, Scott Rudin producing Steve Jobs has so much promise. Universal Pictures is also surely gunning for a major presence after attempts with Unbroken, Les Mis .....

45 Years

33. If awards season were strictly a meritocracy, British veterans Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay would be leading the field of seen Best Actress and Actor contenders for their shattering performances in this exquisite late autumn marital drama from Andrew Haigh ( Weekend, TV s Looking ). Playing a retired rural couple set off course when long buried tragedy resurfaces, the pair were deservedly honored at the Berlin fest in February and lavis .....

Star Wars The Force Awakens

34. Yeah, don t adjust your screen. A Star Wars film has been plopped into this wealth of prestige product. But to be fair, that quite literally is happening based on the film s December release date, a first for the franchise. It s hard not to be excited for a new, Disney era installment of such a beloved series, but it s equally intriguing to ponder how it could land with the industry. Will it be an Oscar player? Maybe, maybe not, but again, hard .....

Beasts of No Nation

35. Viscerally drawing attention to the plight of African child soldiers, Kim Nguyen s 2012 drama War Witch was rewarded with critical raves and a foreign language Oscar nod, but was seen by precious few beyond the festival circuit. Emmy winning director Cary Fukunaga s take on similar thematic material will draw a whole lot more eyeballs, thanks to the presence of Idris Elba as a fearsome mercenary commandant and, of course, a simultaneous theatri .....

Room

36. After making his name with a series of sensitive, low key character dramas, Irish director Lenny Abrahamson took an unexpected left turn with last year s willfully weird, Fassbender led music biz comedy Frank. So he has the necessary understanding of intimacy and profound human strangeness to adapt Emma Donoghue s 2010 bestseller, inspired by the Josef Fritzl scandal, about a young boy and his mother held captive for years in a single room. For .....

I Saw the Light

37. Biopics abound this year but few seem as overdue as this. Tom Hiddleston stars as country music legend Hank Williams, who died tragically young but not before shaking the very bedrock of an industry. Plenty of eyes will be on Hiddleston, an unexpected piece of casting, but watch out, too, for Elizabeth Olsen, who plays Williams wife Audrey and is said to be excellent in the role. .....

Joy

38. No hot streak can last forever, but outward appearances give us no reason to bet against David O. Russell at this point his last three features scored 25 Oscar nominations between them, five of them for Russell himself. But he s chasing the win with a yarn inspired by Joy Mangano, a struggling single mother turned millionaire Miracle Mop inventor. A tasty teaser trailer promised more of Russell s restless storytelling energy and a feisty showcase .....

Spotlight

39. Stories about journalists really need a certain jolt, and the best of them All the President s Men, The Insider, Shattered Glass can make a profession filled with phone calls, typing and shoe leather investigation seem positively thrilling. If Tom McCarthy manages that with his latest, which documents the Boston Globe s investigation of the 2002 Catholic archdiocese sexual abuse scandal, then it could crackle and pop its way through the s .....

Carol

40. If you re asking which award season release I m most looking forward to seeing again, this Cannes sensation takes it by a country mile. Todd Haynes return to the subject of suppressed desire in 1950s suburbia, 13 years after Far From Heaven, is an immaculate auteur statement. I second every word of my colleague Justin Chang s rave, which cites the film s supreme intelligence, breathtaking poise and Cate Blanchett s incandescent lead perform .....

Black Mass

41. You might think Johnny Depp taking on the role of Whitey Bulger is against type and expectation, and in many ways, it is. But covered in makeup, dredging it all up from within that immersion it s sort of what Depp does, no matter how serious or lightweight the subject matter. Add to that director Scott Cooper, who brought out perhaps Christian Bale s best work to date in Out of the Furnace and saw veteran Jeff Bridges to his first Oscar in Cr .....

The Hateful Eight

42. Quentin Tarantino talks a big game in an already infamous pre season interview, he refers to himself, among other claims, as one of the best actors directors working today. After the commercial, critical and Academy success of his risky genre hybrids Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained, however, he can probably afford to. His ninth feature to be released on Christmas Day in glo(u)rious 70mm finds him returning to auteur oater territ .....

The Revenant

43. It s difficult not to sit with bated breath waiting for the return of last year s Best PictureDirectorOriginal Screenplay champ Alejandro Gonz .....