The Most Anticipated Movies of 2014

We looked at so much shit via the movies in 2013. So much excellent shit: a slow crawl on Quaaludes; a late-night subway platform piss; the most brutally real couple's argument in recent history; and, of course, shorts of every color.

Last year will go down as one of the greatest in the last couple decades, ranking up there with 2007. (That was the year of There Will Be Blood, No Country for Old Men, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, I'm Not There, and so many more it makes your head hurt.)

The hardest part about the new year isn't the broken resolutions, or the realization that your life won't change much—it's the terrible first quarter movie releases, when the studios back ass first into theaters and dump on all of us the crap they knew they couldn't push during awards season. It's bad. Real bad.

But there's hope beyond the wretched months of January and February! Check out our most anticipated movies of 2014 and start your cinema advent calendars.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Director: Kenneth Branagh
Stars: Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, Kenneth Branagh, Keira Knightley, Colm Feore, David Paymer
Release date: January 17

With the Bourne series faltering after the loss of Matt Damon, and Bond sitting on the sidelines for at least another year, the action/spy/thriller genre is up for grabs. Warner Bros. is hoping that the return of Tom Clancy's character Jack Ryan can fill the void. In Shadow Recruit, director Kenneth Branagh (Thor) is set to reboot the iconic spy, who has already appeared in movies likeHunt for the Red OctoberandPatriot Games.

Chris Pine plays the new Jack, who is sent to Moscow to investigate a terrorist attack. The movie also stars Kevin Costner as Ryan's superior and Branagh himself as the main villain. Shadow Recruit has a lot working against it, including the fact that most audiences have likely forgotten who Jack Ryan is in the first place. But with impressive trailers and a solid cast, this might be the rare reboot with a purpose. Maybe. —Jason Serafino

Ride Along

Director: Tim Story
Stars: Kevin Hart, Ice Cube, Tika Sumpter, David Banner, Gary Weeks
Release date: January 17

Sometimes there's no better way to kill a couple hours on a Saturday morning than a fun Kevin Hart flick. And Ride Along promises to be just that. In it, the hilarious comedian and tiny human aspires to be the world's finest cop. To prove himself, he goes on a ride-along with his soon-to-be brother-in-law detective, played by Ice Cube. The pair unwittingly get involved with an elusive crime ring, thus setting the stage for a bunch of shit-talking, explosions, and plenty of video game references that'll justify the hours you spend on line gaming. —Tara Aquino

That Awkward Moment

Director: Tom Gormican
Stars: Zac Efron, Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Imogen Poots, Jessica Lucas, Mackenzie Davis, Josh Paid, Emily Meade
Release date: January 31

Here's the reaction this movie is aiming for: "Nah, man, rom-coms aren't just for chicks! This one's for the guys!" as a Sigma Alpha Epsilon brother buys a ticket for the film. He's right. This movie is for secretly sensitive dude types who aspire to pull like Zac Efron.

In That Awkward Moment, Zefron and his two buddies (Jordan and Teller) vow to say no to relationships after a few unfortunate encounters with women, only to end up questioning their bro code when the right girls come along. No word whether or not Drake did the soundtrack. —Tara Aquino

Lego

Director: Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Stars: Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Morgan Freeman, Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Jonah Hill, Cobie Smulders, Channing Tatum
Release date: February 7

Because admit it—you played with the Legos you bought your little brother and/or nephews more than they did on Christmas Day. That's nothing to be ashamed about.

Furthermore, 21 Jump Street directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller are about to make all of that grown-up immaturity seem totally justifiable. The current frontrunner for 2014's coolest animated movie (because, again, Legos), Lego revolves around average Lego-Joe named Emmet (voiced by Chris Pratt) who unites with a mystic (Morgan Freeman, obviously), a woman named Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks), and, why not, Batman (Will Arnett) to battle a villain known as Lord Business (Will Ferrell).

And, yes, they're all Legos, as are the supporting characters voiced by, get this, Alison Brie, Nick "Ron Swanson" Offerman, Charlie Day, Jonah Hill, Liam Neeson, and Channing Tatum. If Lego isn't a wildly fun time at the movies, all hope for humanity may, in fact, be lost. —Matt Barone

The Monuments Men

Director: George Clooney
Stars: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville, Cate Blanchett
Release date: February 7

Forget, for a moment, that this George Clooney-directed war-meets-heist film should have been in theaters by now. Though much was made of the film’s release date push from December 2013 to February 2014, the fact that it will now make its premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival seems much more appropriate. Especially considering it’s based on the true story of an unlikely band of brothers sent into Germany by FDR to retrieve priceless pieces of art that had been stolen by Nazi thieves. It’s a fascinating premise that can only be aided by an all-star cast—including Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, and Jean Dujardin—and Clooney’s deft directorial hand.

Did we mention that Bill Murray is in it? —Jennifer Wood

About Last Night

Director: Steve Pink
Stars: Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy, Regina Hall, Joy Bryant, Paula Patton, Adam Rodriguez, Christopher McDonald
Release date: February 14

Following January's Ride Along, "The Year of Kevin Hart" will continue less than a month later with About Last Night, a romantic comedy that's aimed squarely at the hearts of anyone who loves Kart's first tag-team with co-star Michael Ealy, Think Like a Man.

Like that 2012 box office champ, About Last Night is a formulaic rom-com strengthened by its charming, chemistry-strong cast, particularly the back-and-forth rapport between Hart and Regina Hall. They play on-again, off-again cut buddies who regularly insult each other before hopping back into the sack. On the more sensitive side, there's Ealy's character, a blue-collar-minded guy who unexpectedly begins a serious, committed relationship with a more financially successful woman, played by Joy Bryant (NBC's Parenthood).

And if that title sounds familiar, that's because it should—About Last Night is a remake of the 1986 film starring Brat Pack members Rob Lowe and Demi Moore. —Matt Barone

RoboCop

Director: José Padilha
Stars: Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Abbie Cornish, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael K. Williams, Jay Baruchel, Jackie Earle Haley, Jennifer Ehle, Aimee Garcia, Miguel Ferrer, Marianne Jean-Baptiste
Release date: February 12

Just being #honest, the first trailer for the remake of Paul Verhoeven's RoboCop sucked like it was auditioning for Nymphomaniac. Joel Kinnaman, so good on AMC's The Killing, looked as cookie-cutter as dialogue like "He's overriding the system's priorities!" The black suit felt like something from Christopher Nolan Makes Cool Guy Movies for Dummies. And it clearly showed that Kinnaman's character goes robo as the result of a car bomb. Which isn't nearly as gnarly as one of the original's most memorable moments.

And then the second trailer, with a rousing and twisted speech from Samuel L. Jackson about "robophobia," made it seem like this might not be the worst. Now we wait to learn the truth. —Ross Scarano

The Wind Rises

Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Martin Short, Stanley Tucci, Mandy Patinkin, William H. Macy, Werner Herzog, Mae Whitman, Elijah Wood, Darren Criss, Jennifer Grey
Release date: February 21

A new Miyazaki is always an event, The Wind Rises even more so. Why? Because this movie, a historical epic about Jiro Horikoshi, the designer of a plane used by the Japanese during World War II, is being release in Japan at a time when the Prime Minister is trying to amend the constitution so that a the country can once again have a complete military—something that hasn't been possible since the very war that Miyazaki's film engages with. Because The Wind Rises is anti-war, he's been called a traitor. On top of that, he's written an essay coming out against the Prime Minister's plan.

That's the background on what is, from the trailer, clearly an outlier for the acclaimed animator best known for fantasies like My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away. The Wind Rises, which looks like Spielberg at his best, might even succeed on a level that places it in the pantheon of great anti-war movies like Grand Illusion and Paths of Glory. The shots in the trailer of the the plane Horikoshi designed cut against drops of blood (or paint) raining down a canvas are striking enough to let you know that this may be yet another masterpiece for Japan's most adored animator. —Ross Scarano

Non-Stop

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Stars: Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore, Michelle Dockery, Linus Roache, Scoot McNairy, Corey Stoll, Lupita Nyong'o, Anson Mount, Bar Paly
Release date: February 28

What's more dangerous than Liam Neeson with a gun? How about Liam Neeson with a gun on a plane? In Non-Stop, Neeson plays federal air marshal Bill Marks, who is on board a flight from New York to London when he receives a threatening text message from an unknown source. The source demands that $150 million be transferred into a secret bank account or else civilians on the plane will be killed. OH SHIT.

The plot might sound ridiculous, but the first trailer gave us a glimpse of what we all want: Liam Neeson engaging in a shootout with terrorists while aboard a crashing plane. There is absolutely nothing you can say to make this film sound like anything less than a masterpiece. —Jason Serafino

Welcome to Yesterday

Director: Dean Israelite
Stars: Jonny Weston, Sofia Black D'Elia, Amy Landecker, Michelle DFraites, Sam Lerner, Patrick Johnson, Gary Grubbs, Ginny Gardner, Allen Evangelista
Release date: February 28

If this movie is anything like Chronicle (and it sure as hell looks like it), then oh my god this is going to be awesome. Starring an up-and-coming cast that looks straight outta your favorite ABC Family shows, the sci-fi flick follows the misadventures of a group of teens who find plans for a time machine, build it, then start fucking with history—only to discover that doing so has deadly consequences.

Shot in found-footage style, Welcome to Yesterday is Back to the Future meets Cloverfield with the R-rated edge of Project X. Expect mayhem. —Tara Aquino

300: Rise of an Empire

Director: Noam Murro
Stars: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Rodrigo Santoro, Lena Headey, Hans Matheson, Callan Mulvey, Andrew Tiernan, David Wenham, Jack O'Connell
Release date: March 7

It's been a long odyssey to get 300: Rise of an Empire to the big screen. Originally titled, Xerxes, this installment is a sequel/prequel to Zack Snyder's 2007 original, but unlike 300, it isn't based on an original comic book by Frank Miller. Instead, Snyder and Kurt Johnstad wrote an original story that takes place before, during, and after 300, with director Noam Murro at the helm. Rodrigo Santoro is returning as Xerxes, but this time he will be joined by Sullivan Stapleton as Themistocles and Eva Green as Artemisia to tell the story of Themistocles' battles against the Persian army.

Not much is known about Rise of an Empire just yet, but the trailers have shown incredible visuals that exceed the style that Snyder revolutionized in the first installment. In addition to the sword-and-sandal action from last time, Rise of an Empire will also feature a stunning naval battle that promises to be the most intense set piece in the series. It's clear that Murro has the visual chops for this, so if he can nail down a tight story and engaging characters, 300: Rise of an Empire could take a lot of people my surprise this March. —Jason Serafino

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Director: Wes Anderson
Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, F. Murray Abraham, Adrien Brody, Mathieu Amalric, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Léa Seydoux, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, Owen Wilson
Release date: March 7

New Wes Anderson movie? You know the drill. Symmetrical compositions, precise tracking shots, a version of reality more colorful than our own, the tension between control and chaos. If you're feeling Anderson fatigue, just remember that Moonrise Kingdom ruled, felt fresh with its newcomer child stars and shifts between real love and real sadness. The Grand Budapest Hotel looks Life Aquatic-levels ambitious, but with the new clockwork heart on display in Moonrise, there's every reason to believe that this will be nothing short of great.

Of course, this Wes Anderson. You already know if you're seeing it or not. We can't tell you shit.—Ross Scarano

Need for Speed

Director: Scott Waugh
Stars: Aaron Paul, Imogen Poots, Dominic Cooper, Kid Cudi, Ramon Rodriguez, Michael Keaton, Harrison Gilbertson, Dakota Johnson
Release date: March 14

With a few exceptions, video game movies have a pretty good track record of being wretched pieces of cinema. But something tells us that Need for Speed might be different. Maybe it’s because the filmmakers have promised us that the movie—which follows a vengeful ex-con/street racer (played by Aaron Paul) on a cross-country race—will pay tribute to the gritty kind of car films that were a staple of 1970s cinema. Or maybe it’s just that we’re anxious to see what Jesse Pinkman will do next. —Jennifer Wood

Veronica Mars

Director: Rob Thomas
Stars: Kristen Bell, Percy Daggs III, Jason Dohring, Francis Capra, Tina Majorino, Ryan Hansen, Chris Lowell, Ken Marino, Krysten Ritter, Max Greenfield, Sam Huntington, Christine Lakin, Enrico Colantoni, Andrea Estella
Release date: March 14

Marshmellows, you are officially the greatest, most badass fans ever. The rest of you can bow down because thanks to "The Veronica Mars Movie Project" Kickstarter, Veronica Mars is back. The 30-day fan-funded Kickstarter, launched by the show's creator Rob Thomas in March, raised over $5 million and was backed by 91,585 devoted fans.

After seven years off the air, the man with the dick hair, Mac, Weevil, and the Logan-Piz-Veronica love triangle are getting back together. Picking up 10 years (in movie land—the show was cancelled in 2007) since we last saw our heroine, Veronica has become a big-shot lawyer living in New York with her boyfriend, Piz. The private detective business and high school drama is behind her. That is, until she reads that old flame Logan is accused of murder. —Arianna Friedman

Divergent

Director: Neil Burger
Stars: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ansel Elgort, Ray Stevenson, Kate Winslet, Zoë Kravitz, Maggie Q, Miles Teller, Jai Courtney
Release date: March 21

Anyone whose movie is being billed as "the next Hunger Games" must be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Seriously? Worldwide, Catching Fire made about $795 million dollars! But they shouldn't be too worried. The first film, based on the Veronica Roth book series, has got a premise that screams YA phenomenon: it follows a rebellious heroine (Woodley) who's hunted down by the leader of her authoritarian society because she doesn't quite fit into any of the factions created to keep their community in check.

Not to mention, it boasts a cast that includes Zoe Kravitz, Maggie Q, and Kate Winslet. That's right, Kate "Don't Let Me Go, Jack" Winslet. Consider her the Xanax that keeps producers, die-hard fans of the book, and cynics resting easy in anticipation. —Tara Aquino

Muppets Most Wanted

Director: James Bobin
Stars: Tina Fey, Ty Burrell, Ricky Gervais
Release date: March 21

We’ve never met a Muppet we didn't like. But Muppets joining forces with Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey, and Ty Burrell might just be our favorite Muppets of all. As Walt Disney Studios continues its resurrection of Jim Henson’s lovable troupe of puppets, this follow-up to 2011’s The Muppets, and eighth entry in the overall Muppet film franchise, is going back to the original films’ genre roots.

Whereas the 2011 reintroduction was an experiment in meta moviemaking, essentially reintroducing The Muppets to a new generation of youngsters, Muppets Most Wanted will recall the glory days of 1981’s The Great Muppet Caper, with a story that sees Kermit, Miss Piggy, and all the rest become unwittingly embroiled in a European crime caper. It’s classic Muppet storytelling, but from the guy who co-created Flight of the Conchords. —Jennifer Wood

Stretch

Director: Joe Carnahan
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Chris Pine, Brooklyn Decker, Ed Helms, Jessica Alba, James Badge Dale, Ray Liotta
Release date: March 21

Joe Carnahan is one of Hollywood's most slept-on directors. Even when his films aren't the best narratively, like in the cases of Smokin' Aces and The A-Team, he directs action and grandiose mayhem better than most, shooting coherent visuals unlike, say, Michael Bay. But when his films are successful both visually and narratively? They're absolute knockouts. See his overlooked cop drama Narc, or, better yet, his emotionally devastating 2012 survival film The Grey, the one unfairly labeled "the one where Liam Neeson fights wolves." Try not to quell sobbing by The Grey's end.

For his latest project, Carnahan aligned himself with super-producer Jason Blum, a filmmaker's dream come true who gives Hollywood-mishandled directors (i.e., James Wan, Scott Derrickson, Rob Zombie) the money to make movies on their own terms. Carnahan, unlike Blum's other collaborators, hasn't gone the horror route, though.

Stretch is an action-comedy about a chauffeur (Patrick Wilson) who spends one particularly eventful night driving a billionaire (Chris Pine) around. The evening doesn't go off without a slew of inconveniences, and, being a Carnahan picture, violence. Sounds like the funnier cousin of Michael Mann's Collateral, which, in turn, sounds like a winner. —Matt Barone

Noah

Director: Darren Aronofsky
Stars: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Douglas Booth, Kevin Durand, Leo McHugh Carroll
Release date: March 28

A Biblical epic might sound as enticing as a sequel to The Passion of the Christ. But when the story of Noah and his legendary arc is being helmed by Darren Aronofsky—the same guy who made professional wrestling enthralling and ballet dancing sexy—we can officially be excited about where this film might be headed. Even if we might already know how it ends.

The film, like much of Aronofsky’s work, has been a labor of love for the director—and a long time coming. He first spoke about the film in 2007, and admitted that the character of Noah has fascinated him since he was a teenager. “Noah was the first person to plant vineyards and drink wine and get drunk,” Aronofsky told The Guardian. “It's there in the Bible—it was one of the first things he did when he reached land. There was some real survivor's guilt going on there. He's a dark, complicated character.” We’ll drink to what could be one of the year’s most unexpectedly dispiriting films (but in a good way). —Jennifer Wood

Nymphomaniac

Director: Lars von Trier
Stars: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsgård, Shia LaBeouf, Christian Slater, Jamie Bell, Willem Dafoe, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Connie Nielsen, Mia Goth, Stacy Martin, Uma Thurman, Udo Kier, Jean-Marc Barr, Michael Pas
Release date: Part One, March 21; Part Two, April 18

If Nymphomaniac doesn't turn out to be the most insane release of 2014, I will eat my hat (after having masturbated into it.) Because that's the right thing to do, according to the trailer for Lars von Trier's four-hour-long study of sex addiction. They don't make exclamation marks for sentences like that. Or if they do, they're too busy practicing S&M in some seedy Thai bar.

Anyway, Nymphomaniac. It captures the sexual life of a woman (Charlotte Gainsbourg) who likes it every which way but loose, word to Clint Eastwood. Or something. Honestly, it's hard to watch the trailer and not lose your mind for the fear of what von Trier, director of feel-good pictures like Antichrist and Breaking the Waves, will do to you for those four hours. I mean, how can one trailer skip between semen dribbling from someone's lips to a monologue about enjoying sunsets? What is this? This is going to be punishing, beautiful, maybe hilarious, and so, so dirty. Help. —Ross Scarano

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Stars: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo, Emily VanCamp, Hayley Atwell, Georges St-Pierre, Robert Redford, Samuel L. Jackson
Release date: April 4

With another summer, comes another superhero flick from the Marvel factory like clockwork (or spring, or fall, because they’re really out to conquer it all at this point.) But where last year’s Thor: The Dark World reeked of the studio’s ever-apparent formula, the first Winter Soldier trailer suggests it’s going to be a slightly different kind of animal.

Espionage intrigue, conspiracies, Robert Redford vs. Samuel L. Jackson, and Chris Evans on his Jason Bourne steez with less of the annoying plucky attitude from First Avenger—how awesome does that elevator scene look? Plus, Scarlett Johansson's riding shotgun. The line for the midnight showing starts here. —Frazier Tharpe

Draft Day

Director: Ivan Reitman
Stars: Kevin Costner, Frank Langella, Jennifer Garner, Tom Welling, Chadwick Boseman, Joe Manganiello, Rosanna Arquette, Sam Elliot, Ellen Burstyn, Terry Crews, Denis Leary, Griffin Newman, Chi McBride
Release date: April 11

Outside of the poor sap in charge of disarming all of the letter bombs sent to the Chicago Cubs every year, there is no job in sports more thankless than the general manager of the Cleveland Browns. And in director Ivan Reitman's upcoming dramedy, titled Draft Day, he's showing audiences why this GM is the Rodney Dangerfield of sports positions. Starring Kevin Costner as Sonny Weaver, the new GM in Cleveland, Draft Dayis set to take a look behind the curtain of the most important day of the NFL's off-season.

Draft Day won't be grounded in realism or fact like Moneyball, but it looks like Reitman has nailed the frantic nature of an NFL office as Weaver has be both savvy and aggressive in order to make the moves necessary to get the Browns the no. 1 pick in the draft. Sports movies are always hit-or-miss, but like an undrafted rookie, this one has the potential to take us by surprise. —Jason Serafino

Sabotage

Director: David Ayer
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sam Worthington, Terrence Howard
Release date: April 11

The Austrian Destroyer's comeback continues in this upcoming action/thriller from director David Ayer. Before you write it off as another instant frat classic, there's a slight, interesting twist in the narrative. A group of DEA operatives bust into a drug cartel's safe house intent on pocketing the dirty money as just reward. That is, until an assassin starts going Video Game Boss Level and starts making Gov'nor Schwarzenegger's pals disappear, taking inspiration from Agatha Christie's And then the were None. That's right, there's a sprinkle of literature in here.

Fresh off helming a refreshing take on the cop drama with End of Watch (let's not forget the man wrote Training Day), Sabotage should be superior to the Costco-grade generic action movie. Plus, we can't wait to hear Arnold's final line when he leaves the safe house alive. It's going to be a punny and awesome. —Frantz Rocher

Transcendence

Director: Wally Pfister
Stars: Johnny Depp, Morgan Freeman, Rebecca Hall, Cillian Murphy, Kate Mara, Paul Bettany, Cole Hauser, Clifton Collins, Jr., Cory Hardrict
Release date: April 18

Damn, Johnny Depp, you used to be the man—what the fuck happened to you?

The last few years haven't been kind to Johnny Depp fans. Whether he's lazily rehashing his goth steez with his equally complacent BFF Tim Burton (Alice in Wonderland, Dark Shadows) or sleepwalking through easy Pirates of the Caribbean paychecks, Depp hasn't pushed himself as an actor since Michael Mann's 2009 John Dillinger biopic Public Enemies. Last year's mega-bomb The Lone Ranger seemed like the last straw, but don't abandon the Johnny Depp ship just yet—he'll be back in April with his most intriguing and complicated project in a long, long time.

In what sounds like a bizarre mixture of Ghost in the Machine and The Lawnmower Man, Depp plays an artificial intelligence research expert in Transcendence, working to create a sentient machine that knows every piece of information in the entire world until, after a rough series of events, he becomes part of said machine. Which, of course, could lead to some brain-titillating science fiction of incoherent mumbo-jumbo. However, keep in mind that Transcendence is the directing debut of Wally Pfister, a.k.a. Christopher Nolan's go-to director of photography, meaning he shot all the Dark Knight films and Inception. Thus, at the very least, Transcendence should look amazing. —Matt Barone

The Other Woman

Director: Nick Cassavetes
Stars: Cameron Diaz, Nicki Minaj, Leslie Mann, Kate Upton
Release date: April 25

Only in movies like this one and John Tucker Must Die will you see women team up to get back at the man that scorned them. Usually there are just some angry subtweets, and maybe a catfight if you're that pissed off. Here, Leslie Mann (Knocked Up) plays the wife who gets cheated on, and in an unusual twist, joins forces with her husband's mistresses, played by Cameron Diaz and Kate Upton. The revenge comedy will also include an appearance by Nicki Minaj, who makes her acting debut in the film. Now that's a sight you'll all want to see.—Debbie Encalada

Walk of Shame

Director: Steven Brill
Stars: Elizabeth Banks, Tig Notaro, James Marsden, Gillian Jacobs, Bill Burr
Release date: April 25

Basically, it's your biggest post one-night-stand nightmare turned into a movie. Written and directed by Steve Brill, Walk of Shame is about an ambitious reporter Meghan Miles (Elizabeth Banks) who, having lost all her money and official identification to a one-night stand, must get to her dream interview to become a news anchor by any means necessary in less than eight hours.

Brill assembles a bulletproof cast including James Marsden and stand-up comedians/actors Tig Notaro and Bill Burr. With this collective comedic talent, Brill's lines will land whether they deserve to or not. The only thing that could go sour here is the high probability of a Marsden/Banks romantic plot that will venture into cheesy formulaic territory capped by a late-movie makeout session set to a deep The Shins cut.

Nevertheless, we're confident the premise, rich with opportunities for genuinely surprising and wacky hijinks, and strong cast should provide a solid 80 minutes of funny before the romantic ending. —Frantz Rocher

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Director: Marc Webb
Stars: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane Dehaan, Paul Giamatti, Chris Cooper, Campbell Scott, Colm Feore, Embeth Davidtz, Sally Field, Felicity Jones
Release date: May 2

The Amazing Spider-Man more or less accomplished the seemingly impossible feat of getting audiences to invest in a new Spidey franchise only half a decade after the original ended. Now the sequel aims to move the Andrew Garfield era firmly out of Tobey’s shadow. The plan: overload on universe expansion to give the franchise long enough legs to go toe-to-toe with Marvel.

After months of hints and rumors, the possibilities for which characters and plot threads will actually make it into the film are endless, but clearly it’s deeper than Jamie Foxx going blue in the face as Electro. Considering that’s all clips of the film so far have really shown, and the response has been universally positive, amazing might not be an overstatement. —Frazier Tharpe

Neighbors

Director: Nicholas Stoller
Stars: Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron, Dave Franco, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Lisa Kudrow, Craig Roberts, Ike Barinholtz, Jake Johnson
Release date: May 9

If Judd Apatow had been given the chance to direct a few movies while he was still in his early thirties (Apatow was 38 when The 40-Year-Old Virgin was released), they’d probably look a lot like Nicholas Stoller’s. That’s probably because it is Apatow who gave Stoller his start, first as a writer on the series Undeclared, and later as the director of the surprise hit Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Stoller has continued to alternate between the director’s chair and the writer’s desk and this spring he’s got two movies hitting the big screen: Muppets Most Wanted, which he wrote, and Neighbors, which he directed. The latter film follows the typical Apatow protégé trajectory: a happily married couple (Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne) with a new baby are forced to defend their neighborhood when a fraternity house (led by Zac Efron and Dave Franco) opens next door. In the hands of a less experienced team of thirtysomethings, the material could go the way of a one-note comedy. But Neighbors looks like it could be the new Old School. —Jennifer Wood

Million Dollar Arm

Director: Craig Gillespie
Stars: Jon Hamm, Lake Bell, Madhur Mittal, Suraj Sharma, Aasif Mandvi, Alan Arkin, Bill Paxton
Release date: May 16

Though Jon Hamm kills it as Don Draper, Mad Men doesn’t really require much more of the actor than to look good smoking a cigarette. Sure, there are tense moments of brilliantly written drama and scenes that are understated comedic genius at its best. But Hamm’s role calls for him to drink, smoke, and sleep his way through about half of his screen time.

While he’s proved his comedic chops in films like Bridesmaids, the Disney-produced Million Dollar Arm will give Hamm the chance to show off his family-friendly side as a sports agent who determines that the next great MLB pitcher will be a cricket player from India. And so he does what every red-blooded American does when he or she needs to find the next great [fill in the blank with whatever professional job title]: he stages a reality show! Think of the film—which is based on the lives of Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel—as Jerry Maguire meets Moneyball with a dash of Major League and just a hint of The Truman Show. —Jennifer Wood

Godzilla

Director: Gareth Edwards
Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Watanabe, Juliette Binoche, David Strathairn, Richard T. Jones, Victor Rasuk, Sally Hawkins
Release date: May 16

Call it “When Walter White Met Gojira” if you like. When thinking about the new Godzilla, first things first: put all images of Matthew Broderick out of your mind, because this movie is packing some actual star power. Then check out the film’s first trailer. If that’s not enough to persuade you that Gareth Edwards’ darker (both aesthetically and thematically) version of the world's most famous killer lizard is going to wreak havoc on this summer’s box office, then go find yourself a copy of the British VFX artist’s directorial debut, Monsters. And if that criminally under-seen gem doesn’t convince you that Hollywood has a new version of George Lucas on its hands, well, then we can’t help you. —Jennifer Wood

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Director: Bryan Singer
Stars: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Jennifer Lawrence, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Peter Dinklage, Ellen Page, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Nicholas Hoult, Omar Sy, Evan Peters, Josh Helman, Lucas Till
Release date: May 23

It’s been almost 11 years since X2, the last X-Men film everyone was in agreement on and the last time Bryan Singer was at the franchise’s helm. Two Wolverine spin-offs and a good-but-not-great prequel film later, the mutants are finally reunited with the director who understands them best, and he’s adapting one of the source material’s most revered storylines.

Days subs in fan-favorite Wolverine for Kitty Pryde as the constant in a time-travel saga that also promises to feature both the original cast and their past counterparts, as well as the mutant-massacring Sentinels. As high as the margin for error is, at the same time Days of Future Past seems like the layup the franchise needs to get back on its feet and reassert itself in this superhero-movie-dominated climate. —Frazier Tharpe

Maleficent

Director: Robert Stromberg
Stars: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Juno Temple, Brenton Thwaites, Sam Riley, Miranda Richardson, Imelda Staunton, Lesley Manville, Angus Wright, Kenneth Cranham
Release date: May 30

Angelina Jolie wanted to make another movie her kids could see. So she chose to make a Disney movie—about the path to evil taken by the Queen who curses Sleeping Beauty (Elle Fanning). According to former knife-enthusiast Jolie, the misunderstood sorceress was her favorite character as little girl. Naturally.

Considering what we've seen of the trailer, the live-action film promises to be a more engaging and sinister film than the star-studded mess, Snow White and the Huntsman, and a return to the creepy and uncomfortably sexy Jolie we've come to love. —Tara Aquino

A Million Ways to Die in the West

Director: Seth MacFarlane
Stars: Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Liam Neeson, Sarah Silverman, Giovanni Ribisi, Neil Patrick Harris, Rex Linn, Ralph Garman
Release date: May 30

Family Guy mastermind Seth MacFarlane silenced his haters last year by triumphantly becoming a feature filmmaker. And by "triumphantly," think the $549 million raked in by his directorial debut, the talking teddy bear comedy Ted, which only cost $50 to make. In 2014, though, MacFarlane is out to convince those now-less-credible skeptics that he's also leading man material—after, you know, ridiculously killing Brian Griffin off on Family Guy only to bring the character back a couple of weeks later. A lame publicity stunt if there's even been one.

OK, that's a cheap-shot, but Brian Griffin's faux death didn't exactly leave MacFarlane in the public's best graces. Yet with western comedy A Million Ways to Die in the West, he will at least be surrounded by an A+ supporting cast, thus making it easier for naysayers to accept him as the film's star. MacFarlane (who also directed the film) plays a lilly-livered sheep farmer who chickens out during a duel, watches his hot girlfriend (Amanda Seyfried) bail on him, and then befriends an ever-hotter woman (Charlize Theron), before becoming a manly man once his new friend's criminal lover (Liam Neeson) comes into the picture. —Matt Barone

Hercules

Director: Brett Ratner
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, John Hurt, Ian McShane
Release date: July 25

Who else to play the role of Hercules than the man who looks like a Greek god himself, The Rock? Recently named the top-grossing actor of the year by Forbes, it looks like The Rock will continue to dominate the box office with this heroic epic.

Forget any preconceived notions you had of Hercules, be it the classic Disney movie, the awesome '90s TV series starring Kevin Sorbo, or the lesser known spinoff "Young Hercules" starring a young Ryan Gosling. After The Rock gets done with this role, you won't be able to imagine anyone else as the son of Zeus. Fans will definitely be lining up to watch the action star do what he does best: flex his muscles and kick ass.

Don't be left out from your crew of friends and start making plans to watch one of the greatest action stars of our time show his super human strength as he single-handedly crushes the summer box office. —Debbie Encalada

Edge of Tomorrow

Director: Doug Liman
Stars: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Lara Pulver, Jeremy Piven
Release date: June 6

A film adaptation of a futuristic Japanese sci-fi novel about badass armored special Forces engaging in intergalactic war against super alien forces? For good reason, anything with the words 'aliens' and 'Special Forces' gets our undivided attention. Co-headlining the bill are Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, and Bill Paxton, so you know you'll be getting A-list acting chops between the heavy gunfire.

With Doug Liman directing the show (Swingers, Go, and The Bourne Identity), there will be some nuance, humor, and restraint infused between deafening missile launches and explosions. This could be one of the most satisfying experiences you'll have at the movies next year. —Frantz Rocher

The Fault in Our Stars

Director: Josh Boone
Stars: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff, Laura Dern, Sam Trammell, Mike Birbiglia, Wilem Dafoe
Release date: June 6

Need a good cry because you haven't had one since watching The Perks of Being a Wallflower? You're in luck because this adaptation of young adult author John Green's most popular novel will make you feel all the feels. How could it not? It's about a teen couple (Woodley and Elgort) suffering from terminal cancer who fall in love and, presumably, go on one last adventure together. Pull back your Lifetime movie expectations because this film (co-written by the guys who put The Spectacular Now on screen), just like the original book, has the potential of becoming one of the greatest coming-of-age works all time. —Tara Aquino

22 Jump Street

Director: Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Stars: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Amber Stevens, Wyatt Russell, Nick Offerman, Rob Riggle, Dave Franco
Release date: June 13

Nobody expected much in the way of box office (or genuine comedy) when it was announced that the terrible high school narc show that made Johnny Depp a star would be getting the big-screen treatment. But 21 Jump Street’s solid script and Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum’s on-screen comedic chemistry actually turned the film into a bona fide hit, and deservedly so.

This June, undercover narcotics officers Schmidt and Jenko are back, and this time they’ve graduated to a college-based operation. Meaning that the storyline can only get raunchier, because we’re all adults here, right? —Jennifer Wood

How to Train Your Dragon 2

Director: Dean DeBlois
Stars: Jay Barcuhel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T.J. Miller, Kit Harington, Cate Blanchett, Djimon Hounsou
Release date: June 13

The first How to Train Your Dragon was a fresh computer-animated movie that set itself apart from a flood of competition with the help of memorable characters, great humor, and impressive visuals. After it pulled in nearly $500 million worldwide, a sequel was all-but inevitable, but thankfully DreamWorks Animation took its time with a follow-up. Now, four years later, How to Train Your Dragon 2 looks like a worthy successor in a budding franchise.

This time, Hiccup and his dragon Toothless must team up with the rest of the Vikings, along with his long-lost mother, to fight against a new enemy that is threatening the land. Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, and most of the original cast return to bring life and humor to the second part of what is now going to be a trilogy for 20th Century Fox and DreamWorks. Many people may be jaded towards these computer-animated films, but it's hard not to see that How to Train Your Dragon 2 will stand out from the crowd. —Jason Serafino

Think Like a Man Too

Director: Tim Story
Stars: Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy, Romany Malco, Jerry Ferrara, Meagan Good, Gabrielle Union, Regina Hall, Taraji P. Henson
Release date: June 20

Think Like a Man's runaway success made for director Tim Story's (Barbershop, Fantastic Four) comeback. It also magnified Hollywood's issue in its disregard for African American films and emphasized the minimal opportunities offered to African American comedy directors.

Hollywood changed its tune, at least on the surface, when the small $12 million dollar budget film scored big bucks and was ordered a sequel. Fortunately for fans, a sequel means more hilariousness and stellar performances from a returning all-star cast including Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy, and Meagan Good.

With the couples in Vegas for a wedding, we're sure some ridiculous shenanigans will ensue. Sin City is the epicenter of debauchery, so what will happen when these couples check-in? Guess we'll have to go watch and find out. —Debbie Encalada

Transformers: Age of Extinction

Director: Michael Bay
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor, Kelsey Grammer, Stanley Tucci, Sophia Myles, T.J. Miller, Titus Welliver, Li Bingbing
Release date: June 27

It was Albert Einstein who said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. So far this has been true of Michael Bay's Transformers franchise. By keeping the same cast, low-brow humor, and tone for three straight movies, Bay kept delivering frustrating disappointments with each new installment of the series.

Now with new Bots and a new cast, including Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, and Jack Reynor, Bay can hopefully give this series the jumpstart they need so desperately in the latest sequel, Transformers: Age of Extinction. No footage has been shown from the film yet, but there have been rumors that the main plot of the film will revolve around the highly-anticipated debut of the Dinobots. These Bots are similar to the regular transformers, except they transform from dinosaurs into robots, rather than trucks into robots. Seriously.

In a weird way, it's almost a positive that we haven't been overwhelmed by trailers and clips yet. It adds to the mystery surrounding the movie and forces people to get excited by the unknown. Don't expect your brain to be challenged, but with 100% less Shia LaBeouf, Age of Extinction might be able to resurrect this franchise from the scrap heap. —Jason Serafino

Deliver Us From Evil

Director: Scott Derrickson
Stars: Eric Bana, Olivia Munn, Joel McHale, Sean Harris, Edgar Ramirez
Release date: July 2

On the surface, Deliver Us from Evil doesn't sound all that monumental. For one, it's yet another horror movie centered around exorcisms and demonic possession. Specifically, it's about a God-fearing New York City detective (played by Eric Bana) who teams up with a church-offending priest (Edgar Ramirez) to solve a murder case that the priest claims is demonically powered. Yes, sounds like a procedural spin on recent movies like The Devil Inside and The Last Exorcism, though, in Deliver Us from Evil's defense, it won't be found-footage like those movies.

The film's biggest defense, though: It's directed by Scott Derrickson, whose 2012 horror flick Sinister remains one of the creepiest pieces of genre cinema made in recent memory. With its overall bleakness, relentless sound design, and Super 8 snuff-films-within-the-film, Sinister is a massively impressive piece of work—if anyone can bring some chilling life to the otherwise overdone exorcist beat, it's Mr. Derrickson. —Matt Barone

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Director: Matt Reeves
Stars: Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Kodi Smit-McPhee, J.D. Evermore, Jocko Sims
Release date: July 18

If the new millennium has taught us anything, it’s that 20th Century Fox may never be willing to throw in the towel on Planet of the Apes. Despite Tim Burton making a mockery of the simian sci-fi classic in 2001, the studio has continued to push its ape agenda forward, first with Rise of the Planet of the Apes in 2011 and now with this sequel.

The film takes place eight years after its predecessor and documents the war that is raging between head-ape-in-charge Caesar (Andy Serkis) and the human survivors of the simian plague. While it could be easy to dismiss this as yet another unnecessary go at a franchise that should have died alongside polyester leisure suits in the 1970s, the installation of Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Let Me In) in the director’s chair could be just the shakeup the series needs. (Gary Oldman doesn’t hurt either.) —Jennifer Wood

Jupiter Ascending

Director: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
Stars: Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth, Tuppence Middleton, James D'Arcy, Vanessa Kirby, Terry Gilliam
Release date: July 25

The Wachowskis haven't had much luck outside of The Matrix Trilogy, but with Jupiter Ascending, the pair looks to get back on track and into the good graces of the mainstream moviegoing audience. The movie revolves around a young Russian woman, appropriately named Jupiter (Mila Kunis), who runs into an interplanetary warrior (Channing Tatum) who has been sent to kill her. But there is a deeper story here, and Jupiter's unique DNA could be a sign that she is destined for much greater things.

Where Cloud Atlas went for more philosophical sci-fi, Jupiter Ascending seems a bit more familiar, but still just as ambitious. The movie's debut trailer promised top-notch special effects, some heady ideals, and a sweeping romance. It's also important to note that Warner Bros. set this up for a summer release date against some stiff competition, so expect Jupiter Ascending to deliver all of your blockbuster needs. —Jason Serafino

Get on Up

Director: Tate Taylor
Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Tika Sumpter, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Nelsan Ellis, Keith Robinson, Fred Melamed, Dan Aykroyd, Lennie James
Release date: August 1

Get on Up tells the story of the life and career of the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. Starring Chadwick Boseman (42) as Brown and Nelsan Ellis as Bobby Byrd, Get on Up promises to dig deep into Brown's turbulent life and show audiences what he had to overcome to turn himself into an icon. No trailers or official images from the movie have surfaced as of yet, but with Tate Taylor (The Help) behind the camera, Get on Up has all the right ingredients in place to be a success. —Jason Serafino

Guardians of the Galaxy

Director: James Gunn
Stars: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace, Benicio del Toro, John C. Reilly, Bradley Cooper, Djimon Hounsou, Glenn Close, Vin Diesel
Release date: August 1

James Gunn is one of those directors who you wish was more of a household name, but at the same time like to trot out to fellow cineastes as your personal discovery. Yes, he has been involved in some big-budget studio productions; after getting his start with indie horror outfit Troma, he wrote the script for Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead and both live-action Scooby-Doo movies. But Gunn’s niche seems to be the kind of throwback cinema he has offered up with films like Slither and Super. Which places Guardians of the Galaxy, a big-screen mounting of the Marvel Comics superhero team, firmly within his wheelhouse. Yet it’s also Gunn’s biggest film to date—just look at the cast!—which could very well mean that this writer-director won’t remain under the radar much longer. —Jennifer Wood

Sex Tape

Director: Jake Kasdan
Stars: Jason Segel, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black
Release date: August 1

This could go either way. The last time Cameron Diaz toplined a Jake Kasdan-directed comedy with Jason Segel was Bad Teacher, and that, to put it mildly, sucked. But they're giving it another go because they really, truly believe in themselves and their ability as a trio to put out something great.

Enter Sex Tape: a comedic romp that stars Segel and Diaz as a couple who go on a crazy adventure to find their self-directed nudie video that's gone missing. No trailers or stills have been released of the film yet, so don't Google it, because porn.

Kasdan has showed promise recently, nailing the jokes on his executive-produced New Girl, which could potentially translate on screen as well. —Tara Aquino

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

Director: Robert Rodriguez
Stars: Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Powers Boothe, Jamie Chung, Marton Csokas, Rosario Dawson, Juno Temple, Jamie King, Stacy Keach, Dennis Haysbert, Mickey Rourke, Ray Liotta, Eva Green, Julia Garner, Jeremy Piven, Christopher Meloni
Release date: August 22

No one will blame you if you don’t believe this movie is actually coming until you’re seated in the theater, waiting for the previews to end. After fans reacted positively to Robert Rodriguez’s intensely faithful 2005 adaptation of Frank Miller’s critically acclaimed graphic novel series, Rodriguez was quick to announce plans for a second film, to focus almost exclusively on the series’ second novel, A Dame to Kill For (one of the best, in this writer’s opinion).

During these eight years, the project has seen one false start after another with a revolving door of casting rumors for the prime role of Ava Lord that, at one point, included Angelina Jolie. Provided it doesn’t get pushed back to January 2016, expect a slightly more streamlined film than Rodriguez’s first take, which combined three separate novels.

Josh Brolin plays Dwight in a prequel that shows how he came to be affiliated with Rosario Dawson’s legion of well-armed hookers and look like Clive Owen in the first film’s The Big Fat Kill. The premise is right there in the title, but you don’t come to Sin City for the most shocking twists and unpredictable stories. You come for the hardcore noir elements, caked in grime and sordidness, over a wholly digital scenery that only Robert Rodriguez could get Hollywood’s A and B list to chew as delightfully as they did the first go-around. Here’s hoping the delay didn’t mess up the magic. —Frazier Tharpe

Jane Got a Gun

Director: Gavin O'Connor
Stars: Natalie Portman, Joel Edgerton, Ewan McGregor, Rodrigo Santoro, Noah Emmerich, Boyd Holbrook
Release date: August 29

In 2013, there was one high-profile film that bloggers and industry know-it-alls expected to crash and burn upon its release: World War Z, the super-expensive zombie movie starring Brad Pitt. Plagued by reshoots, balling budgets, and tons of on-set drama, World War Z was stigmatized long before it opened. Fortunately, much to Pitt's joy, the film was ultimately a big success.

Will the same positive outcome happen for Jane Got a Gun star Natalie Portman and director Gavin O'Connor (Warrior)? They've certainly endured enough pre-release turmoil to warrant that kind of end-game gratification. Originally, We Need to Talk About Kevin director Lynne Ramsay was to helm this gritty western—about an at first harmless woman (Portman) who gets all trigger-happy while seeking revenge against the gang that nearly killed her husband (Noah Emmerich)—but she famously bailed on the production right away. Then, actors like Michael Fassbender and Bradley Cooper signed on before quickly exiting, leaving the Jane Got a Gun crew scrambling to salvage their project.

The odds of Jane Got a Gun putting up World War Z numbers are slim to none, but profitable box office returns and, who knows, some awards season love? Portman surely wouldn't scoff at that. —Matt Barone

Search Party

Director: Scot Armstrong
Stars: T.J. Miller, Adam Pally, Alison Brie, Krysten Ritter, Lance Reddick, Thomas Middleditch, Jon Glaser, Shannon Woodward, JB Smoove, Jason Mantzoukas
Release date: September 12

After co-writing major hits like Old School and Starsky & Hutch, Scot Armstrong turned out some stinkers like School for Scoundrels and Hangover Part II. But next year, he's making his directing debut with Search Party. The premise revolves around friends who go on a journey determined to find the lady their buddy was going to marry. It's a simple enough plot sure to be filled with wacky chance encounters, and Armstrong is taking no chances with the funny. Alison Brie, TJ Miller, Adam Pally, Krysten Ritter, JB Smoove, Jason Montzoukas and Jon Glaser all star. The talent present in the cast alone promises a healthy serving of laughs. —Frantz Rocher

This Is Where I Leave You

Director: Shawn Levy
Stars: Jason Bateman, Adam Driver, Tina Fey, Corey Stoll, Rose Byrne, Connie Britton, Jane Fonda, Jathryn Hahn, Timothy Olyphant, Abigail Spencer, Ben Schwartz, Dax Shepard
Release date: September 12

It's been a rough few years for Jason Bateman, both at the movies and with the tepid reaction to Arrested Development's return, but This is Where I Leave You has a chance to be his best project in years. This is Where I Leave You focuses on four siblings who reunite after their father dies to sit shiva. Bateman stars as Judd Foxman, along with his three other siblings, played by Tina Fey, Adam Driver, and Corey Stoll.

This is a great cast that director Shawn Levy has assembled here, and it could pay off big. No footage from the film has reached the web yet, but Bateman is in his element when dealing with dysfunctional families. There is enough talent involved in this movie to start getting people talking. —Jason Serafino

The Equalizer

Director: Antoine Fuqua
Stars: Denzel Washington, Chloe Grace Moretz, Melissa Leo
Release date: October 26

It's about time Antoine Fuqua made another classic. If Training Day was Fuqua's Reasonable Doubt, he's produced a string of Blueprint IIIs ever since, save Brooklyn's Finest—maybe.

His new movie, The Equalizer has all the ingredients to power his comeback. Returning to his roots if you will, the director reunites with Denzel Washington and Training Day cinematographer Mauro Fiore. Filling out the roster are some little known indie talents like Chloe Grace-Moretz and Melissa Leo. Based on an '80s television show about a grizzled, retired intelligence operative that renders his services to people in need (here, a young prostitute named Teri played by Ms. Moretz), Fuqua's film is destined to be a tense thriller rife with Denzel killing dudes in all kinds of new and clever ways.

If Fuqua can even draw a tenth of the monumental performance he got from Mr. Washington the last time they collaborated, and steers the narrative away from the Steven-Segal-Saturday-Movie-of-The-Night atmosphere, we can see a movie that Fuqua had fun making. —Frantz Rocher

Gone Girl

Director: David Fincher
Stars: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Kim Dickens, Tyler Perry, Patrick Fugit, Emily Ratajkoswki, Casey Wilson, Missi Pyle, Boyd Holbrook, Kathleen Rose Perkins
Release date: October 3

Because of its October release date, little actual footage from Gone Girl is out there. If you don't check in with the Best Sellers list, GG is an adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s best-selling novel about a man (Ben Affleck) who may very well have killed his missing wife (Rosamund Pike). But here’s what we do know: David Fincher is directing, so its production will be meticulous; and Emily Ratajkowski, who had a (scantily clad) starring role in Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines video, has been cast as Affleck’s mistress. So, well, there’s that.—Jennifer Wood

The Interview

Director: Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen
Stars: James Franco, Seth Rogen, Lizzy Caplan, Timothy Simons
Release date: October 10

"Another tough day at work killing motherfuckers."

That's how Seth Rogen described a photo from the set of The Interview, his next movie and follow-up to This Is the End. A reunion with writing/directing partner Evan Goldberg, The Interview will be another high-concept comedy, this time trading in the meta jokes about exaggerated celebrity personae for a plot to assassinate the prime minister of North Korea. Somehow this plot directly involves a talk show host (James Franco) and his producer (Rogen). Sounds like a plan. —Ross Scarano

Interstellar

Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathway, Jessica Chastain, Casey Affleck, Michael Caine, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn, Matt Damon
Release date: November 7

It's been four years since Christopher Nolan made a film that didn’t feature Batman. And that would be Inception, which thrilled some viewers, confounded many more, and in some cases achieved both reactions simultaneously. So anticipation is high for this upcoming sci-fi film which follows a team of space travelers (Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain among them) through a wormhole. Let the confusion begin! —Jennifer Wood

Fury

Director: David Fury
Stars: Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Jon Bernthal, Michael Pena, Jason Isaacs, Scott Eastwood
Release date: November 14

Director David Ayer is trading in the gritty streets of Los Angeles for Nazi-occupied Germany in this World War II action-drama, which finds an Army sergeant named Wardaddy (Brad Pitt) leading five of his soldiers (including A-lister-on-the-rise Logan Lerman and The Walking Dead’s Jon Bernthal) behind enemy lines in a Sherman tank lovingly nicknamed “Fury.” —Jennifer Wood

Dumb and Dumber To

Director: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly
Stars: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Laurie Holden, Kathleen Turner, Jennifer Lawrence, Cam Neely, Rob Riggle, Steve Tom
Release date: November 14

It's been two decades since Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne drove their dog van onto the big screen. And ever since, fans of the dim-witted duo have been clamoring for more of their antics. (No, Dumb and Dumberer doesn't count.) In 2014, they’re going to get it, as all of the original film’s key players reassemble to hit the road yet again—this time in search of a kidney? Sure. Let's do this. —Jennifer Wood

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1

Director: Francis Lawrence
Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Natalie Dormer, Robert Knepper
Release date: November 21

There were many people who thought The Hunger Games: Catching Fire would be a complete train wreck when it hit theaters in 2013. Not only had Lionsgate's penny-pinching ways led to the ouster of the franchise's original director, Gary Ross, but the studio then rushed Catching Fire into theaters a mere 18 months after the original. Surprisingly, the movie became one of the most critically and commercially successful blockbusters of the year, thanks to another strong performance by Jennifer Lawrence and the direction of Francis Lawrence, who succeeded in many of the ways that Ross had failed.

This franchise is such a well-oiled machine at this point that a rushed release date and creative changes can't even faze it. That's why the next installment, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1, should prove to be even better than the first two. Some may look at the fact that the studio is splitting one book up into two movies as an ominous sign (see The Hobbit franchise for more on that), but this series has survived worse. Don't be surprised if Katniss' rebellion against The Capitol again winds up as one of the best movies of 2014. —Jason Serafino

Exodus

Director: Ridley Scott
Stars: Christian Bale, Aaron Paul, Joel Edgerton, Ben Kingsley, Sigourney Weaver, John Turturro
Release date: December 12

If Darren Aronofsky’s Noah doesn’t sate your need for Biblical epics, Ridley Scott is taking a swing at a cinematic interpretation of the good book as well with Exodus, which follows Moses (Christian Bale) as he leads the Jews out of Egypt. Ironically, Aronofksy wanted Bale to play Noah, but the Oscar-winning actor passed. He must prefer the landscapes of Mount Sinai to being trapped on a boat with all those animals. —Jennifer Wood

Annie

Director: Will Gluck
Stars: Quvenzhané Wallis, Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Tracie Thoms
Release date: December 19

Attention, gingers, "America's Favorite Red Head" is now accepting applications. Annie has officially retired her title and is no longer defining herself by her hair.

In this contemporized Annie, Quvenzhané Wallis takes on the spirited little orphan Annie, who is perhaps the most iconic child role in the history of American theater. Joining her are Jamie Foxx, as Benjamin Stacks (Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks sounds rather antiquated, no?), Rose Byrne as Grace, and Cameron Diaz as the hot mess, Miss Hannigan. Director Will Gluck (Easy A and Friends with Benefits) reimagines the the classic, whose screenplay was written by Nanny McPhee Emma Thompson, in modern New York.

With talent like Jay-Z on board (he has a producer credit alongside Will Smith and the rest of the Smith clan), we're most looking forward to the score. After Mr. Shawn Carter's reinterpretation of the swinging '20s in Baz Luhrmann's 2013 remake of The Great Gatsby, we're excited to see how the Broadway classics get revamped. —Arianna Friedman

Into the Woods

Director: Rob Marshall
Stars: Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Johnny Depp, James Corden, Daniel Huttlestone, Tammy Blanchard, Christine Baranski, Mackenzie Mauzy, Lucy Punch
Release date: December 25

Disney, singing and dancing, and Meryl Streep comprise the Rob Marshall film adaptation of the popular Stephen Sondheim musical. The premise? A baker (Corden) and his barren wife (Blunt) set out to undo the curse placed on them by an evil witch (Streep) and along the way encounter a slew of other Grimm fairytale creatures, including Cinderella (Kendrick) and her prince (Pine) and Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford) and the Big Bad Wolf (Depp).

Don't even dare say there'll be a more perfect Christmas movie next season. Prepare to be enchanted, to feel inspired, and to shut your kids up from obsessively singing the songs. —Tara Aquino

Inherent Vice

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Reese Witherspoon, Katherine Waterston, Benicio del Toro, Jena Malone, Peter McRobbie, Maya Rudolph, Sasha Pieterse, Timothy Simons, Martin Short, Kevin J. O'Connor
Release date: Sometime later this year (if there is a God)

Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio. Steve McQueen and Michael Fassbender. And now…Paul Thomas Anderson and Joaquin Phoenix? Hell f'n yes.

Because combining to make the superb 2012 film The Master wasn't badass enough, PTA (also of There Will Be Blood and Boogie Nights infamy, of course) and Phoenix have joined forces again, this time to adapt a cult classic novel written by the equally singular Thomas Pynchon. Much lighter than the dark and heavy The Master, Inherent Vice will find Phoenix playing Doc Sportello, a private eye investigating the disappearance of his ex-girl and her new man in Los Angeles, where he encounters an eccentric cast of characters played by the likes of Josh Brolin, Benicio del Toro, and Maya Rudolph.

Fingers crossed for a Cannes Film Festival premiere in May, followed by a nationwide theatrical opening by year's end. Think Oscar bait in the vein of David O. Russell's current romp American Hustle, only—well, hopefully, though Anderson is pretty much foolproof—far more memorable. —Matt Barone