January
The Road
2008 gave us a five-star Cormac McCarthy adaptation in the Coen-form of No Country for Old Men. Hopefully 2010 will start with another one too. Viggo Mortensen stars, in ideal actor-to-part casting, along with Kodi Smit-McPhee as his son, whose ability to act beyond his years is crucial. Their travels in a post-apocalyptic wasteland give plenty of scope for some widescreen gorgeous-but-bleak cinematography, as well as weighty soul-searching character dramatics which director John Hillcoat has previously excelled at in The Proposition. Expect the textbook meeting of talented minds and the first awards contender of the year.
February
Shutter Island
It’s a Martin Scorsese, therefore of course it’s “one to watch”. The latest from Team Sco-prio™, Shutter Island is an adaptation of an eerie and disorientating Dennis Lehane novel about US Marshal Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) who travels to the titular island asylum to help solve a mystery. As truth and lies, reality and imagination collide around him, Daniels is left in a fight for his sanity and survival as we are left to ponder what is fact and what fiction. With the visual stylistics of Scorsese conjuring up the surreal dreamlike imagery that the story requires we’re set for an ocular and aural sensory feast.
March
Clash of the Titans
If ever a film was ripe for a reimagining it’s this one. Not that the original Harryhausen stop-motion special effects spectacular is lacking by any stretch. Of course not, it’s a holiday classic. But with what you can do with CGI nowadays, wowee the potential for epic sword-and-sandal scope is near limitless. Starring new budget blockbuster darling Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation/Avatar) and, by the looks of the bombastic recently released teaser trailer, some seriously heavy-duty non-stop action, Clash of the Titans 2010 looks bigger, better, badder (in the good sense of the word) and fiercer than ever before. Grr!
April
Iron Man 2
Sneaking in on the last day of the month is the first proper “blockbuster” of next summer: Marvel’s sequel to their phenomenally successful instalment of the Iron Man adventures. The good news about part two is that the talent that brought Tony Stark’s turbulent life from panel-to-celluloid the first time around (Jon Favreau, Robert Downey Jr) are returning for more. The great news is that they are joined by the equally talented Sam Moon Rockwell and Mickey Wrestler Rourke in front of and Justin Tropic Thunder Theroux behind the lens. Expect bigger and better and even more box office ker-ching.
May
Robin Hood
Yet another retelling of the classic Robin Hood legend, no one actually quite knows what to expect from the fifth team-up of Sir Rid and muse Russell, as the rumours released about the script have swung from the expected definitive edition of the classic tale to a modernist revision where Crowe plays both the (good) Sheriff and his fictional alter-ego Robin in order to rile the masses against some other devilry. All we do know is that when these two put their heads together you invariably get quality and that’s what we expect here. That and grittiness and a distinct lack of green tights if the first production photos are anything to go by.
June
Where’s the big summer tentpole release? M.I.A. it appears. There’s not a Terminator or Transformer or superhero in sight. So we’re left with… not very much to get excited about really. Of the slim pickings announced so far the most interesting appears to be Tom Cruise’s latest Knight & Day. In it Cruise plays a special agent who goes on a blind date with Cameron Diaz and gets her caught up in his globe-trotting, MacGuffin-seeking adventures. So it’s True Lies about Mr. & Mrs. Smith in a Mission: Impossible. But it could be fun in a throwaway sort of way and it’s always good to see Cruise playing light and loose. He’s underrated in that capacity.
July
Toy Story 3
Anyone that requires an explanation for why they should be excited about the third Toy Story flick is not worth bothering with in my opinion. It’s more Toy Story, that’s enough to know. The story this time revolves around owner Andy abandoning them for College resulting in their relocation to a day care centre. Where they are treated in a Sid sort-of way and are forced to escape for a new home and hopefully a new loving owner. Confirmed voices joining the established gang are Michael Keaton as Barbie’s Ken and Timothy Dalton (yes!) as a hedgehog called Mr Pricklepants (double yes!). Plus we get all new-and-fancy 3D to watch it in too.
August
The Expendables
Why should you be more excited by the latest action offering from an 80s has-been when it’s released up against Chris Batman-resurrecting Nolan’s mysterious mind-boggler Inception? Well have you seen the testosterone-tastic cast list he’s assembled to support his Sly self: The Stath, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Danny Trejo, UFC’s Randy Couture and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Not to mention cameos from Bruce Willis and Governator Schwarzenegger in a scene with himself for the first time in film history! Surely that’s worth the price of admission alone? Most kick ass action cast ever assembled you say? Come get some!
September
The Town
After wowing everyone with his consummate directorial debut Gone Baby Gone, renaissance man Ben Affleck keeps it edgy and adult with another literary adaptation of a best-selling novel: Chuck Hogan’s Prince of Thieves. Affleck also stars this time as well as directing as career crim Doug MacRay who struggles to maintain his high-tension heist lifestyle after he falls for one of his previous bank manager victims. Also starring Gossip Girl Blake Lively, Mad Men’s Jon Hamm and superstar-in-waiting Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), Affleck couldn’t have surrounded himself with any more talent to ensure his sophomore effort goes off without a hitch.
October
Your Highness
From some of the talent involved with The Pineapple Express comes a medieval farce about an arrogant, lazy Prince (Danny McBride) and his more heroic brother (James Franco) who must complete an arduous quest in order to save their family kingdom. So, Monty Python-esque or a feature-length version of the medieval segment from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure then? Actually, either way that sounds potentially hilarious dude. As long as it doesn’t descend to Martin Lawrence Black Knight turgidly unfunny territory that is. I’m sure with the awesome Eastbound & Down team behind it that’s an impossibility though.
November
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I
And lo the end is nigh. But not without dragging it out over two movies for creative, not financial, reasons (oh yes, of course). Back in the director’s chair and the lucky man that actually gets to finish Harry off, David Yates should hopefully maintain his narrative and visual improvement as he did from Order of the Phoenix to Half-Blood Prince, just as our central trio of young heroes simultaneously mature in stature and performances. The series is currently at an all-time high though so the pressure is seriously on for the finales to go out with a bang not a whimper and even better than ever. Quidditch on Team Potter.
December
Tron Legacy
Hands down the most exciting film prospect of this year. Why? Well only because the original Tron is one of the landmark effects films of all time. So just imagine what (virtual) doors a new update might open. If the advancement of film-making doesn’t do anything to persuade you then watch the special effects sizzle showreel released after Comic Con last year. Then try to wrap your noodle around the fact that this is now a couple of years old. Meaning this improved game-world look is already at least two years behind what we can expect the finished film to actually look like. Excited yet? You really should be. Tron Legacy will be 2010’s Avatar.
Note: All dates are based on a UK release schedule. The U.S. and other countries may be different.
