Advent Calendar 2011: Days Ninteen And Twenty

2012 IN FILM
It's nearly Christmas, a time to rejoice and look back on the past twelve months of entertainment, as I'm doing with my 2011 Awards over the course of this week. That said, it's always just as fun to look ahead to what awaits us in the next year, and thus I've compiled together a big list of all of the films you should expect to buy tickets for in 2012...
JANUARY:
THE IRON LADY- Meryl Streep gives an Oscar-worthy turn as Margaret Thatcher, the British Prime Minister who changed the future of our country with her radical beliefs and actions.
WAR HORSE- This will undoubtedly be one to look out for: Steven Spielberg brings the famed World War One tale from Michael Morpurgo to the big screen, as we find young Albert desperate to be reunited with his horse Joey in the midst of the ultimate battle...
FEBRUARY:
THE WOMAN IN BLACK- Want to see more of Daniel Radcliffe after his conclusion of his work on Harry Potter? Look no further than this chilling adaptation of the award-winning West End horror play which sees Arthur Kipps haunted by a ghostly omen from the past!
THE MUPPETS- Quite possibly the most widely promoted movie this year, The Muppets boasts a huge all-star cast and promises to be one of the finest ensemble comedies in a long time.
STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE IN 3D- Although I doubt many of us have particularly warm memories of this turgid prequel, we need to flock to cinemas to see this if we want the other five great movies to return to the big screen!
GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE- Nicholas Cage returns as the demonic anti-hero, now forced to stop the Devil returning to Earth if he is to lift his dark curse and become a human once more...
MARCH:
WRATH OF THE TITANS- If you're into big fight sequences, 300-style, then Wrath of the Titans is probably your best bet for a great night out in the first half of 2012, bringing the action to its fullest measure!
THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS- A clay animation from the makers of Wallace & Gromit, this historical romp could prove to be a real sleeper hit for Aardman in the Springtime.
THE HUNGER GAMES- Easily one of my most anticipated releases of the year, The Hunger Games is a promising adaptation of the fabulous novel by Suzanne Collins, which could well lead to a huge blockbuster fantasy franchise if it's done justice on screen.
APRIL:
SCARY MOVIE 5- From the makers of Meet The Spartans, Epic Movie, Superhero Movie and Vampires Suck comes yet another horror spoof guaranteed to provide wholesome, if frequently cringeworthy laughs aplenty!
BATTLESHIP- A Bay-esque blockbuster for the masses, this board game adaptation stars Emma Thompson, Rihanna, Liam Neeson and many other big-name celebrities, and despite its source material is actually showing a lot of potential...
THE AVENGERS- Yep, April is bringing with it the year's biggest (and best?) ensemble superhero movie: The Avengers sees Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Nick Fury, the Black Widow and the Hulk team up to fight the villainous Loki and his mysterious army. Excited yet? It's every fanboy's dream!
MAY:
THE DICTATOR- Likely to be one of the most controversial films of the entire year, The Dictator comes from the mind of Sacha Baron Cohen, following a ruthless dictator's plight to find love and some kind of peace...well, maybe.
MEN IN BLACK III- Nod ya head, because the Black Suits are coming back, as Agent Jay must travel into the past to save K from being wiped from the timelines by a dark force that has returned from beyond the grave!
JUNE:
ROCK OF AGES- Adapted from a hit Broadway and West End musical, Rock Of Ages boasts an impressive cast list- Tom Cruise at the head- and may well be 2012's feel-good musical to boot.
PROMETHEUS- Ridley Scott returns to the big screen for a new epic science-fiction adventure set in the same world as Alien (but before the events of the original film). What horrors lie for the crew of the Prometheus to discover as they delve into humanity's distant beginnings?
JULY:
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN- This is the make or break moment for Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone as they work with Columbia Pictures to resurrect the dead Spider-Man film franchise with a fully-fledged reboot. We'll finally be finding out whether their drastic move has paid off...
ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT- It's the sequel that no one was asking for, but seeing as Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs actually turned out alright, I'm willing to give DreamWorks the benefit of the doubt- let's just hope they don't screw their franchise up!
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES- We've all seen that epic full trailer released this week, yet what does 'The Legend Ends' actually mean for Batman? Certainly, survival isn't going to be an easy option for the Dark Knight next year when Bane, Catwoman and the League of Shadows rise to provide his most dangerous and brutal challenge yet...
AUGUST:
THE BOURNE LEGACY- Another franchise reboot of sorts, Legacy sees Jeremy Renner step onto the stage in place of Matt Damon. It sounds as if this film is testing whether fans still want Bourne in their lives, so it rests on Renner's shoulders to prove that the series deserves to stay.
THE EXPENDABLES 2- Another sequel that no one asked for, I was one of those who absolutely hated Expendables and can't quite believe this got commissioned, but I'll be interested to see whether the increased screen time for Schwazzeneger and Willis works to Stallone's favour this time around.
SEPTEMBER:
FINDING NEMO 3D- Disney continue their 3D re-release schedule that opens in January with their new version of Beauty and the Beast. It'll be great to take a look at one of the best loved Pixar animations again five years after its inital release!
RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION- The video game to film adaptations return for another run, and while this is hardly my favourite film franchise, I'm sure fans will get a lot out of the new 3D gimmicks and special effect upgrades.
OCTOBER:
MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE'S MOST WANTED- America is getting this sequel in the Summer, but I'd say it was a good idea of DreamWorks' to shift this to the Autumn here in the UK, as it'll give it a chance to shine outside of the glare of the Summer of Film (always a good thing!).
TAKEN 2- Liam Neeson returns for a second kidnapping thriller- it'll be interesting to see if the writers of Taken can keep their innovation going after the stellar original!
NOVEMBER:
THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART TWO- It all ends here. Expect action and romance aplenty as all of the threads of the titular Saga come to their natural conclusions, when the Volturi make their move to capture the Cullen baby and in doing so threaten an all out vampire war...
DECEMBER:
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY- Are you ready for Peter Jackson's first part of an epic prequel to his award-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy? You better be, because The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey looks to be one of 2012's best releases!
LIFE OF PI- Always a bizarre one, this novel was, so it'll be intriguing to see what reception the moving tale of a boy lost at sea meets with a mainstream audience.
THE GREAT GATSBY- Another really anticipated movie for me, Gatsby should hopefully evoke all of the memories of the brilliant novel, especially with such big names as Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan attached!