This is the second half of our Top 15 most-anticipated films of the summer. All eight of us ranked our 15 movies of the summer and then we averaged each list to make one big list which broke down as follows. In addition to the list, we each provided one or more “Critic’s Picks” to highlight films that didn’t make the Top 15 that we wanted you to know about.
This
week we have at least one FX driven epic with Immortals from the visionary Tarsem Singh about a clash between
titans and the gods … hmm … sounds familiar. Patrick Wilson and Liv Tyler lead the
semi-religious thriller The Ledge
about a man forced to jump from a building to save the woman he loves and next
hot commodity Anne Hathaway joins with Brit Jim Sturgess in the adaptation of
the bestselling book One Day. Wrapping
things up is the WWII action thriller Age
of Heroes led by the one and only Sean Bean and finally the teaser trailer
for Intruders breaks featuring a
scared-looking Clive Owen. Read on, you have nothing to fear here, it’s Trailer
Tracker.
We all know that in 2012 we will be getting the ultimate superhero film, The Avengers, being set up by Marvel Studios. But the key words are “set up,” and that started with Iron Man in 2008 and continues with another on of the studio’s properties, Thor, which again makes for another entertaining superhero film.
In 970 A.D. there was epic war between the Asgardians lead by Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and the Frost Giants, a species that wanted to conquer Earth. Years later, Odin makes his son Thor (Chris Hemsworth) his heir, but a group of Frost Giants attempt to steal the Casket of Ancient Winters. Thor’s brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), faults Thor with the crime and his companions to go to war against the Frost Giants despite their father’s orders. As punishment, Thor is banished to Earth with his powers and hammer, Mjolnir, taken away from him
The Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision blog relays that Weisz is currently negotiating for the role of the evil witch Evanora in Sam Raimi’sOz: The Great and Powerful. If negotiations go as planned, she’ll try to entice her sister, Theadora aka The Wicked Witch of the West (Mila Kunis), to join the dark side like herself. James Franco also stars as in the film as the titular character, “a snake oil salesman who finds himself dealing with real magic when his balloon carries him into a fabled land and he runs into genuine witches.”
Variety reports that Kingsley has signed on to star in The Dictator, Sacha Baren Cohen’s upcoming satire said to be based on Saddam Hussein. Additionally, Deadline relays that Anna Faris is negotiating to play “the owner of an organic food store.”
Kristen Wiig and Gillian Jacobs (TV’s Community) were also in contention to play this character not too long ago.
The role apparently requires expert skills in improvisation and Faris goes above and beyond to make audiences laugh.
Paul W.S. Anderson is perhaps best known for his “Resident Evil” features. Although he’s not exactly a critical favorite, he’s built himself a devoted following and the respect of Summit Entertainment, the studio he often works with. This fall, the partnership will bring the 3-DThree Musketeers to theaters, but Anderson and Summit have already found their next project.
Anderson will now move into disaster/tragedy territory with an epic historical romance. He’ll direct Pompeii, a film that covers Mt. Vesuvius’ eruption and the consequent destruction of Pompeii. It will center more on a romance, however, between a slave and the daughter of his master, not unlike James Cameron’s 1997 masterpiece Titanic.
It was reported a few months ago that Thor’s nemesis Loki would be appearing as the main villain in Joss Whedon’s The Avengers next year. In an interview with Vulture, Tom Hiddleston, who plays the Norse god in the new movie Thor, has confirmed his involvement with next summer’s highly anticipated superhero battle royale.
