So far, 2015 has been a fairly strong year for moviegoers. The year 2015 has already played host to several massive blockbuster franchises like “Avengers: Age of Ultron," “Jurassic World," “Furious 7," and “Mad Max: Fury Road," as well as other highly anticipated movies such as “Inside Out," “Trainwreck," “Pitch Perfect 2," and…“Fifty Shades of Grey.” I suppose.
Most of these movies set the tone for yet another fantastic year in film, which is quite impressive considering how incredible 2014 was for the movie-going community. If 2015 finishes as strong as 2014 did last year, we could honestly be looking at a small “Golden Age” of cinema. With all seriousness, the quality of films that have been produced lately are on par with some of history’s finest motion pictures. Hopefully the rest of 2015 can maintain that trend.
Here are my five most anticipated films for the remainder of the 2015 calendar year.
Honorable Mentions: “Straight Outta Compton," “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay–Part 2," “Pan," “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," and “Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation”
"Black Mass" - September 18th
“Black Mass," directed by Scott Cooper, stars Johnny Depp as the infamous Boston criminal Whitey Bulger. The film is essentially the true story of the outlaw and depicts his violent rise and fall as one of America’s most wanted men. The movie looks to be a return-to-form performance for Depp, something that people have been desperately seeking for years. After several disastrous flops like “The Lone Ranger” and “Mortdecai,” this may be one of the actor’s final chances to redeem himself as a respected artist. Fortunately for Depp, he looks fantastic in the trailer. With a supporting cast including Benedict Cumberbatch, Joel Edgerton, and Sienna Miller, “Black Mass” could prove one of the year’s defining films.
Trailer:
"Spectre" – November 6th
“Spectre” is the latest foray into the James Bond universe, now the 24th movie in the British spy franchise. Daniel Craig returns as 007, as does director Sam Mendes, who directed the critically acclaimed previous film in the series, “Skyfall.” Joining the two is returning actor Ralph Fiennes as M, taking over the part from the fantastic Dame Judi Dench, and two-time Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz, the film’s antagonist. The film looks to be yet another dark look into the past of James Bond, and looks to include the infamous criminal organization from many of the older films, SPECTRE. Popularity for Bond has soared ever since the release of “Skyfall,” and with Waltz being the perfect 007 antagonist, this could be the most successful James Bond film to date.
Trailer:
"The Revenant" – December 25th
“The Revenant” is probably the least well known of these highly anticipated films, but could likely be the best of the bunch. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, and Domhnall Gleeson, and is directed by last year’s Academy Award winner for best director and best picture for his work on “Birdman,” Alejandro González Iñárritu. The film takes place in the 19th century American frontier, where Leonardo DiCaprio’s character seeks revenge on his companions who robbed him and left him to die. If this film is anything close to the artistic genius that was “Birdman,” it could be the movie of the year. If the movie lives up to its cast and impressive trailer, this could finally be the year that DiCaprio walks away with the golden statue.
Trailer:
"The Hateful Eight" – December 25th
“The Hateful Eight” is director Quentin Tarantino’s latest movie and return to the Western genre, after 2012’s “Django Unchained.” The movie, set a few years after the Civil War in Wyoming, centers around eight western travelers who take shelter in an inn during a blizzard. The film hosts yet another ensemble cast including Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tim Roth, Bruce Dern, and many more. Quentin Tarantino has, arguably, never made a bad film, so this latest entry should be no different. Although not much has been shown of the film, look to expect the same snappy dialogue Tarantino has built his career on, as well as the never-ending expletives and gore that the director is famous for.
No trailer, unfortunately.
" Star Wars: The Force Awakens" – December 18th
Perhaps the most highly anticipated movie this decade is the latest entry into the Star Wars Saga, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens," directed by J.J. Abrams. Newcomers John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, and Oscar Issac star in the film, and are joined by the heroes of the old Star Wars trilogy Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), and Kenny Baker (R2-D2). The film is set 30 years after the events of “Return of the Jedi,” and several trailers have depicted a new dark force that threatens the galaxy. What makes this film, as well as the rest of the newest Star Wars trilogy so exciting is creator George Lucas has stepped back and now the fans are in control of the franchise. This film looks to have been created with immense love and passion for this fictional universe, a pleasant departure from the terrible CGI and horrendous acting/writing that plagued the prequel trilogy. With a ravenous fan base and decades since a quality film, this Star Wars movie could be among this year’s highest grossing pictures.
Trailer:
