15 most anticipated movies of 2014

Hundreds of movies are released in Hollywood each year. Only some, however, are worthy of the massive levels of anticipation that people traditionally bestow on them.

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is a sequel to both “Captain America: The First Avenger” and “The Avengers.” The film is exciting for two main reasons. For starters, it is in a completely different genre from the first “Captain America” film. That film was considered to be a war film, while “The Winter Soldier” is considered to be more of a political thriller in the vain of 1970s classics like “All the President’s Men.”

The second reason is that the end of the film, whatever it ends up being, is said to lead directly into the big budget “The Avengers: Age of Ultron,” due to be released in 2015.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy

“Guardians of the Galaxy” is a film by Marvel Studios starring the famous intergalactic superhero team of the same name. The film is exciting for a few different reasons. For starters, the villain Thanos, who was last seen at the very end of Joss Whedon’s “The Avengers,” is scheduled to make an appearance. The film is also the first science fiction story from Marvel Studios.

Finally, the film marks the return of James Gunn, the writer and director who last helmed the hilarious horror comedy “Slither” in 2005. All of those signs point to an exciting movie for comic book fans everywhere.

3. X-Men: Days of Future Past

“X-Men: Days of Future Past” is the latest movie in the “X-Men” film franchise. The film blends the casts of the previous X-Men films with the younger cast of “X-Men: First Class.” The film is adapting the classic “Days of Future Past” storyline from the original “X-Men” comic books.

The most exciting thing about the film is that it marks the return of director Bryan Singer, the man who originally brought the Uncanny X-Men to the screen in 2000. He left the franchise to helm “Superman Returns” in 2006. He also directed “The Usual Suspects” and “Valkyrie.”

4. Devil’s Knot

“Devil’s Knot” is an adaptation of the true story of the West Memphis Three. In 1993, three teenagers were sentenced to life in prison for murdering three young boys. The problem was that there was no evidence that linked them to the murders at all and they were only tried and convicted during what was later seen as a modern day equivalent of the Salem Witch Trials.

The real-life teens, now in their 40s, were only recently released from prison. The film stars Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth as the mother of one of the slain young boys and a lawyer, respectively.

5. A Long Way Down

“A Long Way Down” is a film directed by a book from the author of “High Fidelity.” It tells the story of four individuals who all attempt to commit suicide by jumping off the same high-rise in London on New Years Eve.

When nobody wants to commit suicide with other people watching, the four people make a pact to wait a full year before attempting anything again. When news of the foursome’s pact gets out in the press, they become famous for all of the wrong reasons. The film stars Pierce Brosnan and Aaron Paul. Paul was previously on the hit AMC series “Breaking Bad.”

6. The Hobbit: There and Back Again

“The Hobbit: There and Back Again” will be the conclusion of “The Hobbit” trilogy of films, directed by New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson. Jackson previously shot to international stardom after directed “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy in 2001, 2002 and 2003. “There and Back Again” originally wasn’t supposed to be a film at all.

“The Hobbit” was originally to be adapted into two films, but when Jackson realized he had more material than he originally thought the third film was created as a result. Fans can look forward to the stunning conclusion in the story of Bilbo Baggins of the Shire.

7. Robocop

This remake is already immersed in controversy; the original RoboCop expertly combined graphic violence with comedy and blistering corporate satire, and some Gen Xers believe the remake can never match the 80’s Paul Verhoeven version. However, Gen Z is set to give the new version a try without seeing it through the lens of the past.

8. Bond 24

Not much is known about the 24th film in the James Bond franchise, except the fact that Daniel Craig will return to star and Sam Mendes will return to direct. Sam Mendes previously directed “Skyfall,” which would go on to become one of the most critically acclaimed and financially successful films in the entirety of the Bond franchise.

Sam Mendes wasn’t previously known for directing action films prior to helming “Skyfall.” He made a career in theater in the United Kingdom and directed a series of critically acclaimed films like “American Beauty,” “Jarhead” and others before venturing into the wonderful world of Bond.

9. Mad Max: Fury Road

“Mad Max: Fury Road” is a reboot of the “Mad Max” franchise, which made Mel Gibson famous in his native country of Australia. Three previous films including “Mad Max,” “The Road Warrior” and “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” were released during the 1970s and 1980s.

The film’s original director, George Miller, is returning for the reboot. The film no longer stars Mel Gibson as the title character. Instead, he has been replaced by Tom Hardy, the actor who played Bane in “The Dark Knight Rises” for Christopher Nolan in 2012. The movie was filmed in South Africa.

10. Dumb and Dumber To

“Dumb and Dumber To” (yes, the title’s spelling is correct) is the long-awaited sequel to “Dumb and Dumber” from 1994. Both Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels are returning to the roles that they made famous, as are the writers and directors of the original film, Peter and Bobby Farelly.

Not much is known about the story behind the film at this point, but the directors have said that it will be very funny and packed to the brim with celebrity cameos. Here’s hoping that the film is worth the 20 year wait it took to go from theory to finished product. The film is expected to be released in October or November of 2014.

11. Interstellar

Not much is known about “Interstellar,” except for the fact that it stars Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain. It is also directed by Christopher Nolan, the visionary filmmaker behind the “Dark Knight” series of films and popular action movies like “Inception.”

The basic story of the film involves a team of space travelers who open up a wormhole to the other side of the galaxy. Christopher Nolan is notoriously secretive when it comes to the films he makes, so don’t expect to find out more information about “Interstellar” until we get closer to its fall release date.

12. Paranormal Activity 5

“Paranormal Activity 5” is the sixth film in the found footage horror series. There were four official “numbered” films in the series and one spinoff. The spinoff, which was the Latino-themed “Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones,” was released in January of 2014.

Each film in the series takes steps to move the mythology of the story further. By the time the fifth film rolls around, audiences can expect to find out pretty significant information about the origin of the monster and the family that acts as main characters throughout the series.

13. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

“Sin City: A Dame to Kill For” is the sequel to the 2004 film “Sin City,” which was directed by Robert Rodriguez and the comic book’s original author Frank Miller. Rodriguez and Miller have long talked about how they wanted to do a sequel to the original “Sin City,” as there were still a large number of stories from the original comic book series that they wanted to adapt.

It has been a full decade since the original film came out, but the patience of fans all over the world is about to pay off as the sequel is finally set to be released in the fall.

14. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1

This isn’t just another romantic fantasy or box office money-grab; the Hunger Games franchise is the real deal — a spectacular, epic foray into how life might be in a post-apocalyptic world. Suzanne Collins’ brilliant writing and Jennifer Lawrence’s superb acting bring the story to life. Watch for Part 2 in 2015.

15. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is the sequel to “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” which was released in 2011. Though the film has a new director, it continues the story of the last film that saw the advanced ape society begin to rise to prominence.

The new film picks up a few years after the last and sees what is essentially a post apocalyptic world that is filled with warring factions of humans and apes. It isn’t quite at the timeline of the original “Planet of the Apes” yet, but every sequel takes a very exciting step forward.