Most Anticipated Movies of 2015

Are you a movie junkie?

A film buff?

 Well, then grab a popcorn and take your best comfortable seat as I am about to tell you my most anticipated movie releases this year.

Whatever you may call it, as long as you love watching movies, 

this one is for you.

Here are my top 10 most anticipated movies this year:

(arranged based on the initial release dates)

1.       Cinderella

Initial release date: March 12, 2015 (Philippines)

Premise:  

After her father unexpectedly dies, young Ella (Lily James) finds herself at the mercy of her cruel stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and stepsisters, who reduce her to scullery maid. Despite her circumstances, she refuses to despair. An invitation to a palace ball gives Ella hope that she might reunite with the dashing stranger (Richard Madden) she met in the woods, but her stepmother prevents her from going. Help arrives in the form of a kindly beggar woman who has a magic touch for ordinary things.

My thoughts:

I’ve always wanted to watch a fairy tale retelling movie like this. I’ve watched several movies before like Maleficent, Alice in Wonderland, Snow White and the Huntsman, Jack the Giant Slayer, and Hansel and Gretel. Cinderella was my favorite when I was a kid so I’m really excited to watch this.

Fact: Prince Charming was played by Richard Madden a.k.a. Robb Stark in A Game of Thrones series.

2.      The Divergent Series: Insurgent

Initial release date: March 18, 2015 (Philippines)

Premise:

The Divergent Series: Insurgent raises the stakes for Tris as she searches for allies and answers in the ruins of a futuristic Chicago. Tris (Woodley) and Four (James) are now fugitives on the run, hunted by Jeanine (Winslet), the leader of the power-hungry Erudite elite. Racing against time, they must find out what Tris’s family sacrificed their lives to protect, and why the Erudite leaders will do anything to stop them. Haunted by her past choices but desperate to protect the ones she loves, Tris, with Four at her side, faces one impossible challenge after another as they unlock the truth about the past and ultimately the future of their world.

My thoughts:

Divergent was a kick-ass movie like the book itself. It’s been so long since I last read this trilogy so I can’t remember what Insurgent is really about. One thing I love about this trilogy is that it is action-packed. The world-building is just really good, not just any other typical young-adult drama.

Fact: After cutting her hair for the role of Hazel Grace Lancaster for The Fault in Our Stars, Shailene Woodley decided she did not want to wear a wig for Insurgent. In the book, Tris does cut her hair but not as short as seen in the movie.

3.       Avengers: Age of Ultron

Initial release date: April 22, 2015 (Philippines)

Premise:

When Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) jumpstarts a dormant peacekeeping program, things go terribly awry, forcing him, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and the rest of the Avengers to reassemble. As the fate of Earth hangs in the balance, the team is put to the ultimate test as they battle Ultron (James Spader), a technological terror hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they encounter two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff.

My thoughts:

And yes, we’’ll be seeing more of Tony Stark and the other superheroes in this second Avengers movie. I’m not really an avid fan of the Marvel comics. I only know comic superheroes that appear in the movies so I cannot tell you much about it. But I really, really like superhero movies so I’m definitely gonna watch out for this.

Fact: The trailer was viewed 34 million times in the first 24 hours after it was released. This broke the record that was previously held by Iron Man 3.

4.       Pitch Perfect 2

Initial release date: May 13, 2015 (Philippines)

Premise:

Collegiate a cappella group, the Barden Bellas, enter into an international competition that no American team has ever won.

My thoughts:

This is going to be so much fun! I loved the first movie and the actors’ different versions of songs. The songs went viral and now everyone knows it and sings it. Plus, who doesn’t love Fat Amy? That adorable quirky little chic! I’m excited for the new song versions they’re gonna make. Another feel-good movie to look forward to!

Fact: Rebel Wilson publicly stated she wanted Demi Lovato to have a role as one of the Bellas, and even made her an offer, though Demi Lovato chose to focus on her music and tour commitments at the time.

5.       Insidious: Chapter 3

Initial release date: May 29, 2015 (Philippines)

Premise:

A prequel set before the haunting of the Lambert family that reveals how gifted psychic Elise Rainier reluctantly agrees to use her ability to contact the dead in order to help a teenage girl who has been targeted by a dangerous supernatural entity.

My thoughts:

I love horror movies! This is one of the most well-plotted horror movies I have ever watched. You know some horror movies are just so crappy you’d end up laughing instead of being terrified. Insidious is not only just thrilling and scary but has a great story about this astral projection.

Fact: It features a new family but still has characters from the first two movies in it; such as Specs.

6.       Jurassic World

Initial release date: June 10, 2015 (Philippines)

Premise:

Twenty-two years after the events of Jurassic Park, Isla Nublar, an island located off Central America's Pacific Coast, near Costa Rica, now features a fully functioning dinosaur theme park, Jurassic World, as originally envisioned by John Hammond. This new park is owned by the Masrani Global Corporation, but attendance has been declining due to the lack of new attractions. Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), a member of the park's on-site staff, conducts behavioral research on the Velociraptors. At the corporation's request, the park's geneticists create the Indominus Rex, a genetically modified hybrid dinosaur, to boost visitor attendance but it soon breaks loose and runs wild throughout the park, forcing the staff to consider extreme measures to stop it.

My thoughts:

It has been a little while since the last Jurassic Park movie was released. It was again one of my favorites when I was in elementary. This new Jurassic World movie has so much difference with previous ones in terms of technicalities. I mean, the film effects and everything is far better than before.

Fact: The logistics of Spielberg’s original plans to bring the dinosaurs to life were inspired by the Universal Studios “King Kong Encounter” ride.

7.       Minions

Initial release date: July 8, 2015 (Philippines)

Premise:

Minions Stuart, Kevin and Bob are recruited by Scarlet Overkill, a super-villain who, alongside her inventor husband Herb, hatches a plot to take over the world.

My thoughts:

After I watched Despicable Me, I have grown to love each and every character. How could you not? Minions are the most adorable characters I have ever seen! They’re just so funny and I sometimes wish they were real. You’d think that this is just a movie for kids, I say no. I am going to watch it no matter what.

Fact: In this movie, some of the Minion’s languages are from real languages all over the world. I even heard “Tara tropa!” in the trailer. It means “let’s go!” in Filipino.

8.       Paper Towns

Initial release date: July 24, 2015 (USA)
Premise:A young man and his four friends embark upon the road trip of their lives to find the missing girl next door.

My thoughts:This is a book to movie adaptaion. Paper Towns is my favorite John Green book. I know, most people preferred The Fault in Our Stars as their favorite. But I find this story much more interesting and mysterious than his other books. I just hope this would not turn as overrated as The Fault in Our Stars.

Fact: Paper Towns is a second John Green book to be adapted into a film, both starring Nat Wolff a.k.a. Isaac in The Fault in Our Stars.

9.       The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

Initial release date: November 20, 2015 (Philippines)

Premise:

Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) faces mortal traps, deadly enemies and moral choices when she and her closest friends leave District 13 to launch an assassination attempt on President Snow (Donald Sutherland).

My thoughts: Fans of the Hunger Games series are really dying to see this. Well, the first part of Mockingjay was obviously a cliff-hanger! To be honest, Mockingjay Part 1 was my least favorite among the other first two movies. The actions scenes and best parts are in Mockingjay Part 2 so I think it would be a fantastic conclusion to the trilogy.

Fact: Josh Hutcherson was one of the protagonists in the movie Zathura.

10.       Dark Places

Initial release date: (Unknown, 2015)

Premise:

Set in a farming town in Kansas, Dark Places follows Libby Day (Charlize Theron), the only surviving witness of a horrific massacre that took her mother and sisters. Believing the slaughter to be the work of a Satanic cult, Libby testifies in court against her own brother. 25 years after the murder, she remains haunted by the gruesome violence of her past when she meets a group of amateur investigators who call themselves 'The Kill Club.' Looking to satisfy their morbid curiosity, the group begins their own inquiry about the case, believing Libby's brother innocent. In order to help them, Libby must unearth painful memories of the event, and learn that her past may not be what it seems.

My thoughts:

Another mystery thriller that will surely blow our minds! Gillian Flynn is known for her twisted and mind-boggling stories like Gone Girl. Dark Places was her debut novel, though I haven’t read it. But one thing’s for sure: if it was written by Gillian Flynn, you’d have to brace yourself for the most brilliant plot twist ever.

Fact: Gillian Flynn is one of the only Authors to have her debut books turned into movies. Her other books are Gone Girl and Sharp Objects.