10.'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire'
Release Date: November 22
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth
The Scoop: Last March, "The Hunger Games" morphed from a hit series of novels by author Suzanne Collins into a national pop culture phenomenon. And much of that is thanks not just to the source material, but to the amazing way Oscar-nominated star Jennifer Lawrence brought complex and conflicted heroine Katniss Everdeen to life. Needless to say, we're excited to see not just what happens next in the movie version of the story, but more importantly what Lawrence and company bring to the second film. And with two more movies to follow, this is one fire that has no signs of going out any time soon.
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth
The Scoop: Last March, "The Hunger Games" morphed from a hit series of novels by author Suzanne Collins into a national pop culture phenomenon. And much of that is thanks not just to the source material, but to the amazing way Oscar-nominated star Jennifer Lawrence brought complex and conflicted heroine Katniss Everdeen to life. Needless to say, we're excited to see not just what happens next in the movie version of the story, but more importantly what Lawrence and company bring to the second film. And with two more movies to follow, this is one fire that has no signs of going out any time soon.
9. 'This Is the End'
Release Date: June 14
Starring: Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Emma Watson, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson
The Scoop: If you're tired of comedies with the old cliched sitcom plotlines — they're mismatched roommates! they're in love with the same woman! and they also dress up as women! — then "This Is The End" is the perfect remedy. Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride and Craig Robinson are just some of the stars who play versions of themselves in this madcap comedy about celebrities trying to survive the end of the world. Plus, it's got "Harry Potter's" Emma Watson in it as well. We can't wait to see her go toe to toe with those guys. "This Is The End," all right — the end of crappy comedy.
8. 'Ender's Game'
Release Date: November 1
Starring: Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Harrison Ford
The Scoop: One of the most popular and acclaimed science fiction novels of all time, Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" finally gets the big screen treatment it deserves in this adaptation by "Tsotsi" and "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" director Gavin Hood. Asa Butterfield, the breakout star of last year's critically beloved film "Hugo," is joined by Oscar nominees Abigail Breslin and Hailee Steinfeld in a story about children being trained as Earth's last line of defense against an imminent alien attack. And with Harrison Ford on board as the guy doing the training, well, let's just say we think Earth is in pretty good hands.
Starring: Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Harrison Ford
The Scoop: One of the most popular and acclaimed science fiction novels of all time, Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" finally gets the big screen treatment it deserves in this adaptation by "Tsotsi" and "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" director Gavin Hood. Asa Butterfield, the breakout star of last year's critically beloved film "Hugo," is joined by Oscar nominees Abigail Breslin and Hailee Steinfeld in a story about children being trained as Earth's last line of defense against an imminent alien attack. And with Harrison Ford on board as the guy doing the training, well, let's just say we think Earth is in pretty good hands.
7. 'Oldboy'
Release Date: October 11
Starring: Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Samuel L. Jackson
The Scoop: Usually we're not all that excited to see yet another remake; after all, if the film was good enough to deserve a remake, we're happy just watching the original, thanks very much. There's one major difference between this remake and most, though: It's being remade by one of the most dynamic, acclaimed and controversial directors of all time, Spike Lee. And the film he's remaking is the shockingly intense Korean horror thriller "Oldboy," which became an instant cult classic when it was released in 2003. With a cast that includes Josh Brolin and Elizabeth Olsen, we can't wait to see what Lee comes up with.
Starring: Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Samuel L. Jackson
The Scoop: Usually we're not all that excited to see yet another remake; after all, if the film was good enough to deserve a remake, we're happy just watching the original, thanks very much. There's one major difference between this remake and most, though: It's being remade by one of the most dynamic, acclaimed and controversial directors of all time, Spike Lee. And the film he's remaking is the shockingly intense Korean horror thriller "Oldboy," which became an instant cult classic when it was released in 2003. With a cast that includes Josh Brolin and Elizabeth Olsen, we can't wait to see what Lee comes up with.
6. 'Now You See Me'
Release Date: June 7
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Woody Harrelson
The Scoop: Just check out the cast list up there: Eisenberg, Ruffalo, Caine, Freeman, Harrelson. Now imagine them all in a flick about a group of magicians who perform heists as part of their act and distribute the money to their audiences. And now imagine that the action is being staged by Louis Leterrier, the guy behind the "Transporter" franchise. Okay, you can give your imagination a rest, because all of that is true and you'll get to see the results in the theater this June. Frankly, we'd check out a film with any one of these dudes in it. But all of them together? Now that's the kind of trick we like.
5. 'Anchorman: The Legend Continues'
Release Date: December 20
Starring: Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell
The Scoop: Frankly, we were beginning to think they were never going to make a sequel to "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy," which turned Will Ferrell into an A-list superstar back in 2004 (and gave Steve Carell his big screen big break as well). Finally, though, Ferrell and his Funny or Die partner Adam McKay have brought the whole gang back together for another send-up of the inherently ridiculous world of local newscasting. All we can say is, it's about damn time.
4. 'Man of Steel'
Release Date: June 14
Starring: Henry Cavill, Russell Crowe, Amy Adams
The Scoop: First, the necessary warning: We were also really excited back in 2006 to see Bryan Singer's attempt to relaunch the Superman franchise with "Superman Returns." And that turned out to be a pretty big disappointment all around. So we've been burned before on this one. But everything we've seen from Zack Snyder (who knows a thing or two about comic book adaptations from "300" and "Watchmen") suggests that this modern take on the Superman mythos is the one we've all been waiting for. And having a leading man like Henry Cavill sure doesn't hurt either. Welcome back, Kal-El. We've missed you.
3. 'Star Trek Into Darkness'
Release Date: May 17
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana
The Scoop: Talk about your teases: The sequel to 2009's mega-blockbuster "Star Trek" was originally scheduled to come out in 2012 before being shelved due to other obligations on the part of director/mastermind J.J. Abrams. Now he's ready to roll, though, and so are Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto as the original sci-fi bromantic duo of Captain Kirk and Spock. This time around they are going to battling the sinister Benedict Cumberbatch, and unlike his role as the dragon Smaug in "The Hobbit," there will be no crazy CGI animation necessary to turn him into a powerhouse threat. We're going to boldly predict that this one will be a winner.
2. 'Iron Man 3'
Release Date: May 3
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Guy Pearce, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Kingsley
The Scoop: How can Marvel possibly top "The Avengers," which was only the biggest and most popular film of 2012, earning over $1.5 billion worldwide to become the third highest grossing movie of all time? Why, by releasing "Iron Man 3," which brings back "Avengers" lead Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, the billionaire philanthropist genius with a heart of gold (or cold fusion, anyway). This time around, Iron Man is menaced by his arch-enemy from the comics, the sinister Mandarin (played by Ben Kingsley with an amazing fake beard). Oh, and the story is rumored to get the ball rolling on "Avengers 2" to boot. Tony Stark may be a genius, but he's got nothing on the folks at Marvel.
1. 'Pacific Rim'
Release Date: July 12
Starring: Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi
The Scoop: Director Guillermo del Toro has made some pretty ambitious films in the past ("Hellboy 2" and "Pan's Labyrinth" come to mind) but even those films pale in comparison to the scale of "Pacific Rim." Then again, so does everything with the possible exception of "The Hobbit" trilogy, which del Toro left to begin working on "Pacific Rim." And boy, does it look like that decision is going to pay off for everyone, as the first trailer for "Pacific Rim" just about crashed the internet due to overwhelming fan response. After all, what could possibly be bigger and better than giant robots fighting enormous monsters? It's like the greatest anime story ever told, except it's live action and it's being told by a master filmmaker. And that's why there's no question that 'Pacific Rim" is the number one film we're f&%$ing psyched to see in 2013.
