Hollywood is always looking to start fresh and improve the movie-going experience for audiences. However, year after year they trot out similar trends. This new year is no exception: we will recognize many familiar strategies employed to varied results.
As ever, large ensemble casts of A-list talent are popular this year. For instance, we will see auteur-driven work such as Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Inherent Vice,” with such stars as Joaquin Phoenix and Owen Wilson. Wes Anderson’s cast for “The Grand Budapest Hotel” includes Ralph Fiennes, Jude Law and many of Anderson’s regular crew of collaborators — Bill Murray and Edward Norton, to name a couple.
The same method is used for Hollywood tent poles. James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence return to the Marvel universe in “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” and Lee Pace join the comic book world with Bradley Cooper in “Guardians of the Galaxy.” George Clooney directs a star-studded cast, including John Goodman and Matt Damon, in “The Monuments Men.”
Some big name actors will star in independent films, exploring riskier roles. Michael Fassbender plays a comedic role in “Frank” as a mysteriously innovative mask-wearing bandleader. Jake Gyllenhaal and Scarlett Johansson explore bizarre sexual content, starring in this spring’s “Enemy” and “Under the Skin,” respectively.
But for Hollywood’s big money, we look to summer blockbusters. A remake of “Godzilla” will stomp into the summer season this May, and in June Tom Cruise will star in the action flick “Edge of Tomorrow.” This year’s fractured fairy tale is “Maleficent” with Angelina Jolie as the titular character: “Sleeping Beauty’s” villain.
In terms of sequels, viewers can look forward to “22 Jump Street,” “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.” Family-friendly offerings include “How To Train Your Dragon 2,” “The Lego Movie” and “Muppets Most Wanted.”
Most highly anticipated of all are the films with vaguely teased plot details. This April provides “Transcendence,” the directorial debut of Christopher Nolan’s frequent cinematographer Wally Pfister. Plot details for Pfister’s film have been minimal, though apparently the film deals with sentient technology. This July, “The Matrix” directors Andy and Lana Wachowski are cooking up another sci-fi epic with “Jupiter Ascending,” starring Channing Tatum as a half-albino man with wolf DNA.
Like the “Hunger Games” saga, several upcoming films already have fan bases in literature. Popular young adult novel adaptations such as “Divergent” and “The Giver” also involve teenagers in dystopian societies. Other readers are excited for this year’s comic book adaptations, with “Captain America: Winter Soldier” and “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.”
In a bizarre turn, Christopher Spencer’s “Son of God” and Darren Aronofsky’s “Noah,” coming into theaters during February and March, respectively, show that Hollywood is dipping into biblical fare.
From impressive 3-D special effects to quiet drama to big-time celebrities, this year Hollywood runs the gamut of movie genres.
Zack Grullon is a staff writer. Email him at [email protected].