The end of 2009 not only marks the end of the first decade of the millennium but also a year filled with sequels, comic book superheroes and remakes of old movie classics.
Here is a list of some of the most talked about movies for 2010.
The Wolfman–
One of Hollywood’s oldest and original horror movie monsters gets a modern reinvention with director Joe Johnston. In this remake Benicio Del Toro stars as The Wolfman, a role originated by Lon Chaney Jr. in 1941. Del Toro plays Lawrence Talbot, an American man who is reunited with his father (Anthony Hopkins) after his brother disappears. When he returns home, Talbot finds that a powerful, savage monster has terrorized and attacked the villagers and he soon becomes a victim of an attack from the monster and cursed. Watch Benicio Del Toro transform into the Wolfman on February 12th.
Shutter Island–
Legendary filmmaker, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio team up once again in February’s suspense thriller, “Shutter Island.” DiCaprio stars as up-and-coming U.S. marshal, Teddy Daniels in 1954. His character is assigned to investigate the disappearance of a female patient from a mental hospital on Boston’s Shutter Island. As the film progresses, it becomes clear that not all is as it appears on Shutter Island. The hospital officials are hiding something from Teddy Daniels, and worse, no one is willing to talk. He begins to question everything, including his sanity. See if Daniels escapes Shutter Island on February 19th.
Alice in Wonderland-
This classic tale, based on Lewis Carroll’s screenplay, gets a new twist this year from director Tim Burton, known for “Edward Scissorhands” and “The Nightmare before Christmas.” The story of Alice and her adventures in Wonderland is commonly known, made even more popular among children after the release of Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland” in 1951. While Disney’s version presentation a more wholesome and colorful image, Burton’s take on the tale promises to follow the ranks of eerie darkness as his previous films, “Coraline” and “The Nightmare before Christmas,” while still appealing to children. Follow Mia Wasikowska’s Alice down the rabbit hole March 5th.
A Nightmare on Elm Street–
Iconic 1980s killer, Freddy Kueger returns to Elm Street to terrorize the dreams of a new group of teenagers this spring. Director Samuel Bayer takes a spin in a remake of the killer who attacks children in their dreams which causes them to die in the real world, with his trademark glove with four blades in the fingers. Return to Elm Street on April 30th.
Iron Man 2–
Robert Downey Jr. returns to play billionaire inventor, Tony Stark aka Iron Man. With his superhero alias known to the public, Stark faces increasing pressure from the public and military officials to share his technology with the military. Unwilling to let his technology fall into the wrong hands, Stark forms alliances to protect his work.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time–
Disney transforms the “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” video game into a major motion picture with Jake Gyllenhaal starring as Prince Dastan. The movie follows Prince Dastan, who teams up with princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton) to stop a powerful ruler (Ben Kingsley) from unleashing a sandstorm that could destroy the world by returning the “sands of time” to the Dagger of Time, a dagger that allows the user to move backwards through time. Follow the sands of time on May 28th.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse–
Stephanie Meyer’s third installment of the popular vampire series “Eclipse” makes it way to the big screen this summer, seven months after the theatrical release of “New Moon.” “Eclipse” follows Bella in her reunion with Edward but their relationship is tested, as Bella begins to realize that she has feelings for her best friend and werewolf, Jacob Black. While many critics can’t understand the appeal of America’s growing obsession with vampires, especially with the Cullen family, fans continue to make “The Twilight Saga” a popular franchise. Find out on June 30th if Bella will choose immortality after she realizes that she has feelings for Jacob?
The Last Air Bender–
Before James Cameron’s blue Na’vi appeared on screen in his movie “Avatar,” there was an animated television series called “Avatar: The Last Airbender” created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko that gained a large fan base. The series had several influence in martial arts, asian art and mythology. After announcing in early 2007 that M. Night Shyamalan would write, produce and direct a live-action trilogy of the television show, fans of the cartoon will be happy to hear that the first movie is hitting theaters this summer.
Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows Part1–
Another popular book to movie adaptation franchise has a theatrical release slated for 2010, J.K Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows.” The seventh book is broken up into two parts for its big screen release–the first part will hit theaters this November—in an attempt to avoid cutting too much from the book version. The book follows Harry and his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, as they battle to destroy the powerful dark wizard, Lord Voldermort. Harry and his friends face Lord Voldermort Nov. 19th. Part two of the “Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows” is slated for a July release in 2011.
The Green Hornet–
Funny man Seth Rogen shows a different side to himself in this year’s remake of comic-book hero, “The Green Hornet.” Rogen, best known for his roles in “Knocked Up” and “Pineapple Express,” not only stars as the caped crusader himself, but also co-wrote the screenplay with Evan Goldberg. No official trailer has yet to be released but “The Green Hornet” has already created buzz, since Rogen promoted it when he attended Comic Con 2009. Look out for the Green Hornet this December.