2013 has already been a busy year for cinema. The Great Gatsby wowed us, Iron Man kept soaring, the Fast & Furious franchise is still maxing out the revs, while The Hangover 3, amongst many others, underwhelmed. But there’s still plenty to look forward to as 2013 ticks along. Here are five of our top picks for the rest of the year to prove there’s still some big names to get excited for.
Elysium Release: August 9 (USA) August 21 (UK)
This is fast becoming the most buzzed-about film of the year, and it’s easy to see why. On the one hand, it’s yet another movie about humans dealing with a drastically-altered future Earth. But on the other, it looks like perhaps the most compelling in the sub-genre to date. The film is about a massive, utopian space station called Elysium, where the upper classes of humanity live in luxury, health and wealth. Meanwhile, the poor and less fortunate remain on a struggling, semi-ruined Earth. Matt Damon, in the role of Max de Costa, seeks to reach Elysium and narrow the class gap. Neill Blomkamp (District 9) directs.
Captain Phillips Release: October 11 (USA) October 18 (UK)
Captain Phillips chronicles the true story of a U.S. trade ship attacked and hijacked by Somali pirates in 2009. Paul Greengrass directs, and even more excitingly, Tom Hanks will star as Captain Richard Phillips. That’s about as far as details for the film go at this early stage, but many are expecting this to be Hanks’ return to award-winning performance.
The Wolf Of Wall Street Release: November 15 (USA) January 17, 2013 (UK)
Let’s get the Gatsby comparison out of the way at the start. Once again, Leonardo DiCaprio is playing a boisterous zillionaire, and once again he looks more like an M&S model or Brooks Brothers cover boy than a real life character. But this time, DiCaprio is on screen as Jordan Belfort, a young stockbroker who (in a true story) conquered Wall Street only to become embattled by legal issues and corruption. Jonah Hill and Matthew McConaughey star, and Martin Scorsese directs in what looks like an incredibly fun film.
The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug Release: December 13
The first Hobbit film wasn’t so great, and really the idea of stretching a 300-something page book into a trilogy could only ever be down to dubious intentions. That said, trailers for Hobbit 2 are actually kind of exciting. Featuring Orlando Bloom back as Legolas, and Evangeline Lilly (LOST) as the elf Tauriel, the film looks a lot more like the Lord Of The Rings trilogy than its predecessor. That’s the reason to be excited.
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues Release: December 20
Ron Burgundy’s back, and that’s really all that needs to be said. Judging by early teaser trailers featuring the whole Channel 4 news team, it looks like the film may succeed in capturing a similar vibe to that which made Anchorman so great. Only time will tell, but this film will likely flood the box offices.
Keep your eyes peeled for reviews as things start to hot up before the year’s over.