Feature: The Big 2014 Film Preivew

What better way to start 2014 than by looking at some the most exciting upcoming releases of the year? 2013 was a solid year for the film industry with such modern masterpieces as All Is Lost, Behind the Candelabra and Blue Jasmine. Of course, we’re hoping that 2014 can top this and have selected a few of the films that we are particularly excited about. We have included releases dates (if available, otherwise N/A – not available) and why we are looking forward to each particular release.

For our Big 2015 Preview – click here.

Flowers in the Attic

The Legend of Hercules
Release: 10 January (USA)
Stars: Kellan Lutz, Scott Adkins & Liam McIntyre
Director: Renny Harlin
Why? Kellan Lutz’s abs.

Flowers in the Attic (TV)
Release: 18 January (USA Airdate)
Stars: Ellen Burstyn & Heather Graham
Director: Deborah Chow
Why? Virginia C Andrew’s campy novel gets (hopefully) an even camper cinematic reboot.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
Release: 24 January (UK)
Stars: Chris Pine, Kenneth Branagh, Keira Knightley & Kevin Costner
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Why? Tom Clancy’s most iconic creation gets a fresh treatment on the big screen.

That Awkward Moment 

That Awkward Moment

Release: 29 January (UK)
Stars: Zac Efron, Michael B. Jordan & Miles Teller
Director: Tom Gormican
Why? Zac gets raunchy.

3 Days to Kill
Release: 21 February (USA)
Stars: Kevin Costner, Hailee Steinfeld & Amber Heard
Director: McG
Why? Kevin Costner takes a leaf out of Neeson’s book and goes all out action hero in this Euro-thriller.

Non-Stop
Release: 28 February (UK)
Stars: Liam Neeson & Julianne Moore
Director: Jaume Collet-Sara

Grace of Monaco

Why? Liam Neeson’s ass kicking goes airborne.

Need For Speed
Release: 14 March (UK/USA)
Stars: Aaron Paul, Dakota Johnson, Dominic Cooper & Michael Keaton
Director: Scott Waugh
Why? The sad loss of Paul Walker has severely dented our excitement about the latest Fast flick – we are hoping that Dominic Cooper can fill this void as he steps behind the wheel in Need For Speed.

Grace of Monaco
Release: 14 March (UK)
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Tim Roth & Milo Ventimiglia
Director: Olivier Dahan
Why? The story of Princess Grace is a true Hollywood fairytale and the trailer looked like a wonderfully glossy slice of camp.

Captain America: The Winter Solider
Release: 28 March (UK)

Nymphomaniac

Stars: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson & Robert Redford
Director: Anthony Russo & Joe Russo
Why? Robert Redford in a Marvel flick. Say no more.

Nymphomaniac: Parts One and Two
Release: March (UK)
Stars: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Shia LaBeouf & Jamie Bell
Director: Lars Von Trier
Why? Our minds are yours Mr. Von Trier. Do as you will.

Sabotage
Release: 25 April (UK)
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sam Worthington & Josh Holloway
Director: David Ayer
Why? The cheeky nostalgic fun of Arnie’s previous comeback vehicles is now replaced with pure ferocious action grit.

Transendence
Release: 25 April (UK)
Stars: Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall & Morgan Freeman
Director: Wally Psifter
Why? Wally Psifter makes the jump from director to cinematographer in what has to be one of the year’s most intriguing releases.

Neighbors

A Million Ways to Die in the West

Release: 9 May (UK)
Stars: Zac Efron, Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Dave Franco & Lisa Kudrow
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Why? Zac Efron and Dave Franco go bad boy in this raunchy comedy.

A Million Ways to Die in the West
Release: 6 June (UK)
Stars: Seth MacFarlane, Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried & Charlize Theron
Director: Seth MacFarlane
Why? Ted was no masterpiece but it was consistently funny enough to have us excited about Seth MacFarlane’s directorial follow-up.

22 Jump Street
Release: 6 June (UK)
Stars: Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill & Nick Offerman
Director: Phil Lord & Chris Miller
Why? 21 Jump Street was a hysterical riot from start to finish, and we just hope that Tatum, Hill and co. can recapture some of that madness without rehashing the first film.

Transformers: Age of Extinction
Release: 10 July (UK)
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci & Kelsey Grammer

Transformers: Age of Extinction

Director: Michael Bay
Why? Look, we’re a bit embarrassed about adding this, but at least it’s an excuse to watch Mark Wahlberg run around in a tight t-shirt. The less robots, the better.

The Expendables 3
Release: 15 August (UK)
Stars: Sylvester Stallone and co. joined by Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Harrison Ford, Kellan Lutz, Kelsey Grammer & Mel Gibson.
Director: Patrick Hughes
Why? We loved The Expendables 2 and if the new cast additions are anything to go by, the third entry is going to be even more action packed fun.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
Release: 29th August (UK)
Stars: Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Jessica Alba
Director: Frank Miller & Robert Rodriguez
Why? To be honest, we can’t actually believe this sequel is happening as A Dame to Kill For seemed to be stuck in development hell for years.

Fury

The Interview
Release: 10 October (USA) – (Moved to 30 January 2015)
Stars: James Franco, Seth Rogen & Lizzy Caplan
Director: Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogen
Why? James Franco has around 400 projects coming out next year (slightly less than the 500 released this year), The Interview reteams him with regular collaborator, Seth Rogen, in a film that will hopefully replicate the madness of Pineapple Express and This is the End.

Fury
Release: 24th October (UK)
Stars: Brad Pitt, Scott Eastwood & Shia LaBeouf
Director: David Ayer
Why? It’s rare that we actually get to see a good old fashioned war film on the big screen nowadays, and with End of Watch’s David Ayer behind the camera we’re sure it will be a thrilling, action-packed watch.

Into the Woods

Brick Mansions

Release: 25 December (USA)
Stars: Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Chris Pine & Anna Kendrick
Director: Rob Marshall
Why? Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway fairytale musical comes to big screen with an all-star cast, which sounds like tremendous fun. We cannot wait to see Queen Meryl play a witch.

Brick Mansions
Release: N/A
Stars: Paul Walker & RZA
Director: Camille Delamarre
Why? Paul Walker’s final leading role takes him into Luc Besson’s European world of fast-paced action and seedy crime.

The Dance of Reality/La Danza de la Realidad
Release: N/A
Stars: Brontis Jodorowsky
Director: Alejandro Jodorowsky
Why? The cult filmmaker returns to the big-screen after a 23 year hiatus.

Elsa and Fred
Release: N/A
Stars: Shirley Maclaine, Christopher Plummer & James Brolin
Director: Michael Radford
Why? Hoping to cash in on the grey pound, Elsa and Fred is a love-story following octogenarian Plummer and septuagenarian Maclaine, in a story that sounds both charming and amusing.

The Forger
Release: N/A
Stars: John Travolta, Christopher Plummer & Tye Sheridan
Director: Philip Martin
Why? We don’t see enough of Travolta on the big screen now and this tale of a petty thief who needs to pay back a large syndicate has us moderately interested.

The Gambler
Release: N/A
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Lange & Brie Larson
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Why? Possibly more fitting for our 2015 list, but we can’t help but hope that we’ll be seeing Mark Wahlberg and Jessica Lange star in The Gambler later this year. Sadly not a remake of the Kenny Rogers masterpiece.

Gods Behaving Badly

Gods Behaving Badly

Release: N/A
Stars: Christopher Walken, Sharon Stone & Alica Silverstone
Director: Marc Turtletaub
Why? A comedy starring Walken and Stone as Greek Gods causing chaos in New York? Yes please.

Heat
Release: N/A
Stars: Jason Statham, Milo Ventimiglia, Stanley Tucci & Anne Heche
Director: Simon West
Why? Statham stars as a recovering gambling addict who decides to provide protection to his friends. Anything with The Stath has us excited.

Imagine
Release: N/A
Stars: Al Pacino, Christopher Plummer & Michael Caine
Director: Dan Fogelman
Why? With a screenplay from Crazy, Stupid, Love scribe Dan Fogelman we’re sure this will be amusing with a lot of heart. Although, it does all sound a bit like Pacino’s pal Robert de Niro’s schmaltzy Everybody’s Fine – we hope it is a bit of an improvement on that.

Jodorowsky’s Dune
Release: N/A
Stars: Alejandro Jodorowsky, Nicolas Winding Refn & Amanda Lear
Director: Alejandro Jodorowsky
Why? An exploration into the greatest sci-fi epic never made.

Left Behind

Left Behind
Release: 3rd October
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Chad Michael Murray & Lea Thompson
Director: Vic Armstrong
Why? This sounds terrible in every sense of the word and is likely to be a huge serving of moderately offensive Christian propaganda. But hey, we all love a terrible Nicolas Cage film, right?

Maggie
Release: N/A
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Abigail Breslin & Joely Richardson
Director: Henry Hobson
Why? Arnie makes an intriguing shift away from the action genre by starring in Maggie, an indie drama set during a zombie apocalypse.

HBO’s Mae West Biopic
Release: N/A
Stars: Bette Midler
Director: William Friedkin
Why? The story of Hollywood icon, Mae West, penned by Harvey Weinstein, starring Bette Midler, and directed by William Friedkin. All other films might as well be cancelled, we have found our winner.

Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight (TV)
Release: N/A (UK)
Stars: Frank Langella, Christopher Plummer & Danny Glover
Director: Stephen Frears
Why? Frears is clearly on top-form (as showcased in 2013’s Philomena) and we can’t wait to see what magic he creates with Langella and Plummer.

The New Girlfriend

Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight

Release: N/A
Stars: Romain Duris
Director: Francois Ozon
Why? Ozon is our favourite French filmmaker and we can’t wait to see what he cooks up with Romain Duris.

The Normal Heart (TV)
Release: 25th May (USA)
Stars: Taylor Kitsch, Julia Roberts & Matt Bomer
Director: Ryan Murphy
Why? HBO know how to do drama and already crafted the magnificent Angels in America, so we’re hoping Ryan Murphy’s AIDs drama, The Normal Heart, will be just as profound and moving.

Poltergeist
Release: N/A
Stars: Sam Rockwell, Jared Harris & Rosemarie DeWitt
Director: Gil Kenan
Why? With Monster House’s director Gil Kenan and a cast lead by Sam Rockwell, we are holding a glimmer of hope for this remake of Tobe Hooper’s ghostly classic.

Oliver’s Deal
Release: N/A
Stars: Stephen Dorff, David Strathairn & Brooke Langton
Director: Barney Elliott
Why? It’s the only Stephen Dorff film penned in for 2014 which makes us sad (hopefully there are more to be announced). We don’t often see Stephen in political dramas so it will be interesting to see how this one turns out.

Oliver’s Deal

Pound of Flesh
Release: N/A
Stars: Jean-Claude Van Damme
Director: Ernie Barbarash
Why? JCVD reteams with his Assassination Games director for Pound of Flesh – a flick that sees him hunt for his stolen kidneys in China.

Reach Me
Release: 24th October (USA)
Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Kelsey Grammer & Terry Crews
Director: John Herzfeld
Why? Stallone steps away from the action genre to star in an ensemble drama about a group of people coincidentally connected by the same self-help book.

Reclaim
Release: 19th September (USA)
Stars: Ryan Phillippe, John Cussack & Jacki Weaver
Director: Alan White
Why? A Puerto Rico-set child-kidnap thriller starring Phillippe and Cussack certainly sounds thrilling to us.

Catch Hell
Release: 10th October (USA)
Stars: Ryan Phillippe, Joyful Drake & James DuMont
Director: Ryan Phillippe

Solace

Why? Phillippe’s directorial debut sounds like a tense slice of Southern Gothic. It follows a washed-up Hollywood actor who is kidnapped in the swamps of Louisiana.

Solace
Release: N/A
Stars: Colin Farrell, Anthony Hopkins & Abbie Cornish
Director: Afonso Poyart
Why? Adapted from a proposed Se7en sequel, Solace takes a look at a psychic aiding an FBI investigation – with Farrell & Hopkins on board we are incredibly excited for this one.

Suburban Gothic
Release: N/A
Stars: Kat Dennings, Ray Wise & John Waters
Director: Richard Bates Jr.
Why? Excision was our favourite film of 2012, so we hope Bates Jr.’s follow-up is half as good.

Swelter

Swelter

Release: Out now
Stars: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Josh Henderson & Alfred Molina
Director: Keith Parmer
Why? JCVD does Resevoir Dogs in Vegas with J.R Ewing’s son.

The Town That Dreaded Sundown
Release: N/A
Stars: Gary Cole, Denis O’Hare & Veronica Cartwright
Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Why? Produced by Ryan Murphy, this remake of little-seen seventies horror hopes to terrify a new generation of audiences. Murphy’s work on American Horror Story firmly tells us that he can do horror like a pro.

Twisted
Release: N/A
Stars: Sharon Stone, Gina Gershon & Brad Dourif
Director: Pitof
Why? The star of Basic Instinct and the star of Showgirls star in an erotic thriller from the director of Catwoman. It’s a safe bet that Twisted will be one of favourite films of 2014.

Venus in Fur

Venus in Fur
Release: 30 May (UK)
Stars: Emmanuelle Seigner & Mathieu Almaric
Director: Roman Polanski
Why? Polanski is a director whose output is more often than not, completely fantastic – his latest, Venus in Fur will hopefully remain as consistent.