The final part of 'Hunger Games: Mockingjay' and the new 'Star Wars' and 'Jurassic Park' movies are included in the first part of the list that discusses ten hotly anticipated sequels.
- Dec 29, 2014
AceShowbiz - Hollywood is never short of big movies that are designed to entertain moviegoers. To welcome 2015, AceShowbiz has selected some of the highly anticipated titles that should not be missed this coming year. The selections are ranging from fun musical comedy and family-friendly animation to big adventure movie and action-packed flick, some of which have got a big buzz, thanks to their successful predecessors.
The first part of the list includes these follow-up films that already have a strong fan base. The likes of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and "Jurassic World" took a long time to come, which only makes them more eagerly awaited by fans. The sequels to sleeper hits like "Pitch Perfect" and "Magic Mike" as well as new installments of big action movie franchises also make the list.
The Divergent Series: Insurgent
"The Divergent Series: Insurgent" becomes a must-see movie since the first film "Divergent" took in $54.6 million in the U.S. box office on the first weekend. The second movie in the YA novel series adaptation follows the events of the previous installment where Tris tries to figure out the intention behind Erudite's insurrection as well as information the Abnegation are trying to protect. Tris and Four are now fugitives on the run, hunted by Jeanine, the leader of the power-hungry Erudite elite. Shailene Woodley and most of the original cast return for the sequel. There's going to be interesting changes expected from the movie as Robert Schwentke takes over the directing duty from Neil Burger.
Furious 7
The "Fast and Furious" franchise continuously becomes Universal's goldmine even after the seventh installment. First trailer of "Furious 7" was watched by over 100 million people within 48 hours, just to indicate how many people are looking forward to the movie. The sudden death of Paul Walker only adds nostalgic memory of the actor, which will prompt fans to watch him on cinema for the last time. The actioner appeals mostly to men who have fetishes for fancy cars, and the latest movie takes it to the next level. Among the luxury rides featured in this installment are Bugatti 16.4 Veyron, Ferrari 458 Berlinetta , Dodge Viper SRT-10, Dodge Charger R/T Hemi and McLaren MP4-12C.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
"The Avengers" is like the wet dream of comic book fans. A sequel was inevitable when the 2012 movie took in $623.4 million in North America and became the third-highest grossing films of all time. In The "Avengers: Age of Ultron", Iron Man, Hawkeye, Captain America, Black Widow and the rest of the superheroes are banding up together again to fight Ultron, an artificial intelligence programmed with elements of, interestingly, Tony Stark's personality. New faces Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are backing up the villain. This is a particularly daunting task to director Joss Whedon who has to tie all the strings together. "I have to make my movie assuming that people will only have seen the first one, or possibly not even seen the first one," he said.
Pitch Perfect 2
"Pitch Perfect" may not be the first musical film, but its light story and excellent music led the movie to become a surprise success in 2012. Now in their senior year at college, the Bellas take on a greater challenge by entering an international singing competition that no American team has ever won. The amazing cast that include rising star Rebel Wilson and Anna Kendrick are back, joined by Hailee Steinfeld whose character's personal issue will add dramatic complication to the plot. Elizabeth Banks, who produced and had a small role in the original, assumes the helming duty. She admitted the stakes are higher this time, but she got the support needed since "everybody is much more involved." To quote Wilson, the sequel would be "bigger and better."
Jurassic World
More than 20 years after the original movie "Jurassic Park" hit theaters, "Jurassic World" will invade theaters this summer. Topped by Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, the make-believe tale of creating the ancient creature is a thrill that moviegoers have been longing for. This time, the chaos starts early. During a preview tour, a theme park suffers a major power breakdown that allows its cloned dinosaur exhibits to run amok. Taking the franchise to the next level, the movie will feature a new hybrid of dinosaur that unfortunately is the modern technology's worst mistake. Steven Spielberg handed out the directing duty to relatively new helmer Colin Trevorrow while he himself took the role of executive producer.
Ted 2
A creation of Seth MacFarlane, the man behind "Family Guy" and "American Dad", Ted is as adorable as any other teddy bears despite his filthy behavior. After showing off his charm in the 2012 movie, the saucy and immature doll is back with his other hilarious story with Mark Wahlberg's John Bennett, who went through wild and emotional events to seal the love of his longtime girlfriend, Lori Collins (Mila Kunis). The "Black Swan" beauty only has a limited role in the sequel, but "Ted 2" isn't lack of beauty charm with Amanda Seyfried filling the female lead role. The success of the first movie only lures more notable actors to join the cast, including Morgan Freeman and Liam Neeson.
Magic Mike XXL
"Magic Mike" was one of sleeper hits in 2012 with its light yet heartwarming story and hunky actors that added eye candy to the movie. Hence, it's a no-brainer that the studio execs and audience want more of this. Matthew McConaughey didn't return to the sequel since it would cost a lot to hire him following his Oscar win, but that doesn't make "Magic Mike XXL" less interesting. In fact, Channing Tatum, Matthew Bomer and Joe Manganiello remain intact in the cast, bringing their hot bods and sexy moves on the road for a trip to a stripping convention. Tatum wrote the script and promised that it would be "bigger" than the first one.
Spectre
Nobody can get enough of James Bond. After 23 movies, the spy franchise from Ian Fleming is still as popular and successful as when it was first brought to big screen in 1962. Daniel Craig returns in his fourth performance as agent 007 in "Spectre", joined by Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris and Ben Whishaw as the returning cast. Lea Seydoux and Monica Bellucci get the honor to play the new Bond girls, while awards-winning actor Christoph Waltz plays the villainous Franz Oberhauser, although many believe that it's just an alias for Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the head of SPECTRE. As always, high-octane actions and sophisticated cars will also be among attracting in this movie, all put together by Oscar and Golden Globe Award-winning director Sam Mendes.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2
"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2", the fourth and last installment of the successful franchise, without a doubt would be a hit, most probably bigger than its predecessors. Fans are looking for a closure on the fight between Katniss Everdeen and the Capitol. The games are over, now the battle is real. If it sticks true to Suzanne Collins' novel, a lot of actions will be topped with casualties that will make the last movie bittersweet. Most of the original cast and crew return for the last movie including director Francis Lawrence and lead star Jennifer Lawrence. And if that's not enough, Lionsgate is thinking about expanding the franchise for more "Hunger Games" movies. "Everybody is thinking about it, and talking about it," director Lawrence said. "I just think that one has to go into that world carefully."
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Just the announcement of a new "Star Wars" trilogy got fans excited. This time George Lucas didn't return as helmer, but there's no need to worry since "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is in the capable hands of J. J. Abrams who has successfully brought "Star Trek" (2009) and its sequel "Star Trek Into Darkness" (2013). He brings together the familiar faces including Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill, and a slew of acclaimed actors like Adam Driver, Andy Serkis and Lupita Nyong'o to tackle new roles. The super secretive director has kept the movie's details, including the plot and the characters, under wraps to keep fans' curiosity until the movie release.
