Happy New Year movie lovers!! Who is excited for a great year of movies? We here at Media Mikes are very excited about the upcoming movies of 2014. We have complied a list of our 25 most anticipated films this year. They are listed alphabetical and include posters and trailers when available. Please feel free to chime in below in the comments and let us know what movies you looking forward to most this year.
“BIG EYES” is directed by Tim Burton and stars Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Danny Huston, Krysten Ritter, Jason Schwartzman and Terence Stamp. It is currently scheduled to be released in Late 2014.
Premise: A drama centered on the awakening of the painter Margaret Keane, her phenomenal success in the 1950s, and the subsequent legal difficulties she had with her husband, who claimed credit for her works in the 1960s.
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“BIG HERO 6” is a 3D computer-animated superhero film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. The film will be directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams. “Big Hero 6” will also be the first Disney animated feature to feature Marvel characters since Disney acquired Marvel. It is currently scheduled to be released on November 7, 2014.
Premise: Set in a fictional metropolis called San Fransokyo (a portmanteau of San Francisco and Tokyo), Big Hero 6 will be centered on a young prodigy named Hiro Hamada and his self-created robot Baymax, both of whom uncover a criminal plot and must join a team of inexperienced crime fighters, including Wasabi No-Ginger, Honey Lemon, GoGo Tomago, and Fred.
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“THE BOXTROLLS” is the latest film from LAIKA, the company that has made wonderful stop-motion animated films like “Coraline”. It is based on the novel “Here Be Monsters!” by Alan Snow. The film is being directed by Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi and stars Ben Kingsley, Simon Pegg, Elle Fanning, Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Toni Collette and Jared Harris. It is currently scheduled to be released on September 26, 2014.
Premise: The film tells the story of an orphaned boy named Eggs (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) who was raised by underground cave-dwelling trash collectors called the Boxtrolls. The Boxtrolls are targeted by an evil exterminator named Archibald Snatcher (Ben Kingsley), and Eggs has to save his friends from that evil exterminator.
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“CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER” is the sequel to 2011’s “Captain America: The First Avenger” and the ninth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film was directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and features returning cast of Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Cobie Smulders, Hayley Atwell and Samuel L. Jackson, also on board Robert Redford and Emily VanCamp.
Premise: Two years after the events of The Avengers, Steve Rogers resides peacefully in Washington, D.C., struggling to adapt to contemporary society. However, after a S.H.I.E.L.D. compatriot is assailed, Steve becomes entangled in a mystery that may endanger the globe. Together with Natasha Romanoff, Captain America attempts to uncover the growing machination while fending off hired hit men. When the entire scheme is discovered, Captain America and the Black Widow must recruit the aid of the Falcon and soon encounter an unanticipated and powerful adversary — the Winter Soldier.
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“DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES” is the sequel to the 2011 film “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” picking up eight years after the events of the first film. It is directed by Matt Reeves and stars Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke, and Keri Russell. It is currently scheduled to be released on July 11, 2014.
Premise: Eight years after the events of the first film, a growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.
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“DUMB AND DUMBER TO” is a sequel to the 1994 film “Dumb and Dumber” taking place 20 years after the film film. The film stars Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Laurie Holden and Kathleen Turner and is again directed by Bobby Farrelly and Peter Farrelly. It is currently scheduled to be released on November 14, 2014.
Premise: Twenty years after their last adventure, good-hearted yet dimwitted best friends, Harry and Lloyd, head out in search for one of their long lost children in the hope of gaining a new kidney.
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“EDGE OF TOMORROW” is a science-fiction action film directed by Doug Liman and based on the Japanese light novel “All You Need Is Kill” by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, the film stars Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. It is currently scheduled to be released in 3D and IMAX 3D on June 6, 2014.
Premise: Lt. Col. Bill Cage is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop – forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again – and again. But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski. And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.
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“THE EXPENDABLES 3” is the third installment in “The Expendables” film series. It features returning cast members Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, and Arnold Schwarzenegger and new additions to the cast include Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Kellan Lutz, Ronda Rousey, Victor Ortiz, and Glen Powell. It is currently scheduled to be released on August 15, 2014.
Premise: The mercenary group, The Expendables, led by Barney Ross, come face to face with the team’s co-founder Conrad Stonebanks. Ross was forced to kill Stonebanks after he became a ruthless arms trader, but Stonebanks survived and has now made it his mission to destroy The Expendables. Ross resorts to recruiting a new and younger generation of Expendables to help the team overcome his old adversary.
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“GODZILLA” a reboot of the Godzilla film franchise and timed to hit the 60th anniversary of the series. The film retells the origin of Godzilla in contemporary times as a “terrifying force of nature”. The film is directed by Gareth Edwards and stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston, Juliette Binoche, David Strathairn, Sally Hawkins, and Ken Watanabe. It is currently scheduled to be released on May 16, 2014 in 2D and 3D.
Premise: An epic rebirth to Toho’s iconic Godzilla, this spectacular adventure pits the world’s most famous monster against malevolent creatures who, bolstered by humanity’s scientific arrogance, threaten our very existence
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“THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL” is directed by Wes Anderson and stars Ralph Fiennes as a hotel concierge who strikes up a friendship with a young employee at the hotel at which they work. Along with Fiennes, the film has an all-star cast including F. Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Jude Law, Harvey Keitel, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Léa Seydoux, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson and Owen Wilson. It is currently scheduled to be released on March 7, 2014.
Premise: In 1920s Europe, a famed hotel concierge by the name of Gustave H. is bequeathed a painting called Boy With Apple after his one night stand, Madame D, is killed. Madame D’s son, Dmitri, vows revenge on Gustave by framing him for Madame D’s murder. Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy, and his love interest, Agatha, help Gustave hide Boy with Apple from Dmitri and the authorities
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“THE GREEN INFERNO” is a cannibal horror-thriller directed by Eli Roth and stars Lorenza Izzo, Ariel Levy, Sky Ferreira and Daryl Sabara. It is currently scheduled to be released on September 5, 2014
Premise: A group of student activists travel from New York City to the Amazon to save a dying tribe but crash in the jungle and are taken hostage by the very natives they protected.
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“GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY” is based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name and is the tenth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film is written and directed by James Gunn and stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close and Benicio del Toro. It is currently scheduled to be released on August 1, 2014 in 3D.
Premise: In the far reaches of space, an American pilot named Peter Quill finds himself the object of a manhunt after stealing an orb coveted by the villainous Ronan. Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a group of futuristic ex-cons including Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, Drax the Destroyer and Groot. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand — with the galaxy’s fate in the balance
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“THE HOBBIT: THERE AND BACK AGAIN” is the final film in the new trilogy from Peter Jackson.
Returning cast includes Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch,
James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans and Orlando Bloom. It is currently scheduled to be released on December 17 2014.
Premise: The Company of Thorin has reached Smaug’s lair; but, can Bilbo and the Dwarves reclaim Erebor and the treasure? And, if so, can they hold on to it?
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“HOW TO CATCH A MONSTER” is a fantasy-neo-noir film written, produced and directed by Ryan Gosling, in his directorial debut. The film stars Christina Hendricks, Matt Smith (aka Doctor Who), Saoirse Ronan and Eva Mendes.
Premise: “How to Catch a Monster” weaves elements of fantasy noir, and suspense into a modern day fairytale. Set against the surreal dreamscape of a vanishing city, Billy, a single mother of two, is swept into a macabre and dark fantasy underworld while her teenage son, Bones, discovers a secret road leading to an underwater town. Both Billy and Bones must dive deep into the mystery, if their family is to survive.
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“HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2” is the sequel to the 2010 computer-animated film “How to Train Your Dragon” and the second in the trilogy. It stars the voices of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. It is currently scheduled to be released on June 13, 2014.
Premise: The thrilling second chapter of the epic How to Train Your Dragon” trilogy brings us back to the fantastical world of Hiccup and Toothless five years after the two have successfully united dragons and vikings on the island of Berk. While Astrid, Snoutlout and the rest of the gang are challenging each other to dragon races (the island’s new favorite contact sport), the now inseparable pair journey through the skies, charting unmapped territories and exploring new worlds. When one of their adventures leads to the discovery of a secret ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace. Now, Hiccup and Toothless must unite to stand up for what they believe while recognizing that only together do they have the power to change the future of both men and dragons.
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“INTERSTELLAR” is a science fiction film directed by Christopher Nolan. It follows a team of space travelers who travel through a wormhole. It stars Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn and Michael Caine. It is currently scheduled to be released on November 7, 2014.
Premise: When a wormhole (which hypothetically can connect widely-separated regions of spacetime) is newly discovered, a team of explorers and scientists embark on a voyage through it to transcend previous limitations on human space travel
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“INTO THE WOODS” is a musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and directed by Rob Marshall, which is based on the Broadway musical by James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim. The film stars Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Johnny Depp and Tracey Ullman. It is currently scheduled to be released on December 25, 2014.
Premise: Set in an intertwined world of various Grimm fables, when a Baker and his Wife learn they’ve been cursed childless by a Witch, they must embark into the woods to find the objects required to break the spell. What begins a lively irreverent fantasy musical eventually becomes a meaningful tale about responsibility, the problems that come
from wishes, and the legacy that we leave our children.
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“JUPITER ASCENDING” is an original science fiction epic adventure from filmmakers Lana and Andy Wachowski (The Matrix) and stars Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis and Sean Bean. It is currently scheduled to be released on July 18, 2014.
Premise: Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) is an unlucky Russian immigrant who cleans toilets for a living. She encounters Caine (Channing Tatum), an interplanetary warrior whom the Queen of the Universe sent to kill Jupiter. Caine tells Jupiter that the stars were pointing to an extraordinary event on the night she was born, and that her DNA could mark her as the universe’s next leader.
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“MALEFICENT” is a dark fantasy film directed by Robert Stromberg and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. The film stars Angelina Jolie as the well-known Disney Villain character and Elle Fanning as Princess Aurora/Briar Rose aka the Sleeping Beauty. The film is both a prequel and a re-imagining of Walt Disney’s 1959 animated adaptation of “Sleeping Beauty” and tells the story from the perspective of the antagonist, Maleficent. It is currently scheduled to be released on May 30, 2014.
Premise: The “Sleeping Beauty” tale is told from the perspective of the villainous Maleficent and looks at the events that hardened her heart and drove her to curse young Princess Aurora.
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“MUPPETS MOST WANTED” is the sequel to 2011’s The Muppets and stars Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey and Ty Burrell along with the whole Muppets gang. The Muppets find themselves unwillingly involved in an international crime caper while on tour in Europe. It is currently scheduled to be released on March 21, 2014.
Premise: Disney’s “Muppets Most Wanted” takes the entire Muppets gang on a global tour, selling out grand theaters in some of Europe’s most exciting destinations, including Berlin, Madrid and London. But mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper headed by Constantine—the World’s Number One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit—and his dastardly sidekick Dominic, aka Number Two.
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“SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR” is the sequel to the 2005 film “Sin City”. Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller are sharing the duty of directing.The film stars an ensemble cast including returning castmembers Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Jaime King, Powers Boothe, Mickey Rourke, and Bruce Willis. Newcomers to the series include Eva Green, Josh Brolin, Jamie Chung, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dennis Haysbert, Marton Csokas, Julia Garner, Juno Temple, Ray Liotta, Stacy Keach, Christopher Meloni, Lady Gaga, Jeremy Piven, and Crystal McCahill. It is currently scheduled to be released on August 22, 2014.
Premise: “A Dame to Kill For” is a mixture of two of Frank Miller’s Sin City stories. Dwight, this time played by Josh Brolin, is being hunted by Ava Lord, the only woman he’s ever loved.
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“TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES” is a reboot of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film series”, directed by Jonathan Liebesman and stars Megan Fox, Pete Ploszek, Noel Fisher, Jeremy Howard, Alan Ritchson, Danny Woodburn, William Fichtner, Will Arnett and Whoopi Goldberg. It is currently scheduled to be released on August 8, 2014.
Premise: Aliens invade Earth and inadvertently spawn a quartet of mutated reptile warriors, the Ninja Turtles, who rise up against them to defend the world.
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“TRANSCENDENCE” is a science fiction thriller film that will mark the directorial debut of long-time cinematographer Wally Pfister. The film stars Johnny Depp, Morgan Freeman, Rebecca Hall, Kate Mara, Cillian Murphy, Cole Hauser, and Paul Bettany. It is currently scheduled to be released on April 17, 2014.
Premise: Dr. Will Caster is an artificial intelligence researcher who strives to create a machine that possesses sentience and collective intelligence. Extremists who oppose technological advancement target him, but their actions drive him toward his goal. Caster also wants to become part of the new technology, and his wife Evelyn and his best friend Max Waters, also researchers, question the wisdom of this drive. Caster’s goal to acquire knowledge becomes one to acquire power, and he seems to be unstoppable
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“THE WIND RISES” is a Japanese animated film written and directed by Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki. In fact, this is his last film ever that he will be directing. I have seen this film already and it is no question one of my favorite Studio Ghibli films. The U.S. dub voice cast includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Martin Short, Stanley Tucci, Mandy Patinkin, William H. Macy, Werner Herzog, Mae Whitman, Jennifer Grey, Darren Criss and Elijah Wood. It is currently scheduled to be released on February 21, 2014.
Premise: A look at the life of Jiro Horikoshi, the man who designed Japanese fighter planes during World War II.
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“X-MEN: DAYS OF THE FUTURE PAST” is the seventh film in the X-Men film series and follows the 1981 “Uncanny X-Men” storyline “Days of Future Past” by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. It is Directed by Bryan Singer and stars an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Ellen Page, Peter Dinklage, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Shawn Ashmore, Daniel Cudmore, Nicholas Hoult, Omar Sy, Booboo Stewart, Fan Bingbing, Adan Canto, Evan Peters, Josh Helman and Lucas Till. “Days of Future Past” acts as a sequel to both 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand and 2011’s X-Men: First Class, as well as a follow-up to 2013’s The Wolverine. It is currently scheduled to be released on May 23, 2014 in 3D.
Premise: The X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods in X-Men: Days of Future Past. The characters from the original X-Men film trilogy join forces with their younger selves from X-Men: First Class in a battle that must change the past – to save their future.
