Although film lovers are still complaining about 2011’s apparent lack of quality films, 2012 might put the complaints to rest. In fact, the year looks promising already with films such as Sherlock Holmes already being released. By the end of the year we’ll have the first instalment of The Hobbit, the final of the Batman trilogy, re-workings of old classics as well as plenty of new exciting material which will surely do wonders for the box office. Here are the top five most anticipated films of 2012:
1. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Dec. 26
It seems that the prequel to Peter Jackson’s award-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy will serve as a Boxing Day gift to Australian LOTR fans. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey tells the story of a young Bilbo Baggins, who, accompanied by a band of dwarves, journeys through the Lonely Mountain in order to reclaim a stolen treasure. Although the success of The Hobbit appears guaranteed, its makers can’t be without doubts. The story will be devoid of epic battles for justice and even LOTR fans may not be vested in the dwarves as there are too many of them to care about. It seems the response to these doubts has been to throw Legolas (Orlando Bloom) into the mix even though he wasn’t in Tolkien’s novel, yet even this move has caused complaint amongst fans, disappointed that a character be put in merely to create more interest. Martin Freeman (Sherlock) being cast as Bilbo Baggins may also prove to be a method of enticing more viewers. Too bad we’ll have to wait until Boxing Day to see the result.
2. The Great Gatsby
Dec. 25
A much anticipated revamp of an old classic, this film will not only save English students from suffering through the 1974 version, but it’s an exciting prospect for Gatsby fans everywhere. However, some are divided on the justice director Baz Luhrmann will serve the novel. To be fair, his contemporary Romeo + Juliet differed greatly from the original story, yet it managed to provoke interest in a younger generation, whilst still retaining the timeless narrative and emotions preserved in the play. Filmed in Sydney, The Great Gatsby is said to be Luhrmann’s ‘rebound’ from the failure that was Australia, and with a cast involving Leonardo DiCaprio as John Gatsby, Carey Mulligan as Daisy, and Tobey McGuire as Nick, as well as adopting the enigmatic vision of Fitzgerald himself, there are high hopes that The Great Gatsby will prove to be a masterpiece.
3. The Hunger Games
March 22
After accumulating fans over the past few years, the best-selling young adult trilogy The Hunger Games makes its debut on the big screen this year. Set in a post-war world, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) volunteers for the Hunger Games, a brutal yet televised fight to the death between two dozen children aged 12-18. Playing Katniss’ two love interests are Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth. While the cast has promise, enthusiasts of the books are praying director Gary Ross will be able to properly convey the intriguing concept that made the books so popular.

4. The Avengers
May 4
What happens when you put Iron Man, Thor and Captain America in the same movie? Something good, I hope. With Marvel investing a lot of time and money into the upcoming superhero flick The Avengers, you wouldn’t expect anything less. High quality action as well as stunning visual effects are sure to be included, but the plot could go either way seeing as the previous individual movies (Iron Man, Thor and Captain America) were a product of several different writers, making it hard to follow through in the characterisation department. That being said, this film is really the long awaited beginning of the Avengers saga, and with the heroes united, there’s a good chance it will be well received.
5. The Amazing Spiderman
July 4
This film is most anticipated to be a failure. The last Spiderman movie was, when? 2007? To an entire generation of Spiderman fans, Tobey McGuire is Spiderman – and will be for another decade, at least. However, the story seems to focus on Peter Parker as a troubled teen rather than his older self, which will perhaps soften the sceptics. Another softening tactic seems to be casting two of today’s most popular actors: Andrew Garfield (The Social Network, Never Let Me Go) and Emma Stone (Easy A, The Help). Hopefully they can make the film something worth seeing.

As impressive as these films seem, they aren’t the only ones creating anticipation this year- the 2012 line-up involves much more. Check out which other movies have us thinking 2012 will be a great year in film:
- The next James Bond instalment, Skyfall
- Woody Allen’s Roman endeavour titled Nero Fiddled, starring Woody himself as well as Penelope Cruz, Jesse Eisenberg and Ellen Page
- Various contemporary fairy-tale spin-offs such as Snow White and the Huntsman (Kirsten Stewart, Liam Hemsworth) and Dorothy of Oz (Lea Michelle, Hugh Dancy)
- The final Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises, with impressive new cast members such as Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anne – Hathaway
- A film production of Les Miserables starring Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe and Helena Bonham Carter- just to name a few.
- A re-make of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina featuring Keira Knightley and Jude Law as the protagonists