Whether or not they’re necessary, the big wigs on planet Hollywood love a follow-up – even if the original movie wasn’t that great in the first place. 2013 will see the return of the likes of Thor, Kick Ass, Iron Man, Wolverine and Superman to name but a few. There’s been a lot of talk about the cultural vacuum created by the commissioning of such films (or a rehash, sorry, reboot of an old classic) rather than concentrating on new ideas but it would appear over the next couple of years cinema-goers will be bombarded with an eyeful of blockbusters and series continuations. Here’s our round up of some of the ones that (we hope) will be worth watching out for.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Rumour has it the plotline will follow the all American hero Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) as he struggles to embrace his role in the modern world and teams up with Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow (played by Scarlett Johansson), to battle a powerful yet shadowy enemy in present-day Washington, D.C. Also set to star are Samuel L Jackson, Robert Redford and there’s even a role for Ultimate Fighting Championship superstar Georges St. Pierre.
Due for release: April 2014
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Following the success of the Spider-Man reboot (or re-imagining if you’d rather) comes the sequel. This time around Peter Parker is due to face a new enemy in the shape of Electro (Jamie Foxx) and there’s also a suggestion that comic supervillain Rhino (Paul Giamatti) may also make an appearance. Last time around the effects were pretty dazzling so we’d be disappointed not to see more of the same from everybody’s favourite web-slinger. Real-life couple Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are also set to reprise their roles.
Due for release: April 2014
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Following the success of Rise of the Planet of the Apes it’s inevitable (especially given how Rise… ended) that a sequel would eventually rear its head. Set for release in early 2014 it doesn’t look like James Franco will reprise his role but Andy Serkis will once again return to play Caesar. This time around a group of scientists in San Francisco struggle to stay alive in the aftermath of a plague that is wiping out humanity, while Caesar tries to maintain dominance over his community of intelligent apes.
Due for release: May 2014
Jurassic Park 4
The original Jurassic Park released in 1993 was a box office smash, winning three Oscars along the way, so anticipation for this new instalment is rapidly reaching nuclear levels. Although the story line is a closely guarded secret one recent report suggested that rumours the dinosaurs would have feathers this time around are wide of the mark. Either way with Steven Spielberg on board as executive producer it should still be a pretty terrifying affair.
Due for release: July 2014
Transformers 4
If you thought things had come to a natural conclusion in Transformers: Dark of the Moon think again because director Michael Bay has recruited Mark Wahlberg to take on the lead character duties for another bash at the sci-fi series. There could actually be another two movies after this one according to some. Shia LaBeouf will not be reprising his role though. In Transformers 4 the plot follows straight on from Dark of the Moon when virtually all of the Autobots and Decepticons have left Earth. Throw in some greedy businessmen, a few scientists and an ancient, powerful Transformer lurking in the distance and we have ourselves another action-packed movie to look forward to.
Due for release: July 2014
X-Men: Days of Future Past
With a cast including the likes of James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence the next X-Men movie could well be a classic. It’s not known how closely the plot will follow the storyline of the comic but if it sticks to that plotline expect to see a dystopian future where mutants are imprisoned in internment camps and the X-Men preventing a moment in history which triggers mass anti-mutant hysteria. Oh, and it’ll be in 3D.
Due for release: July 2014
Robocop
Okay, so it’s a reboot of the 1987 original as opposed to a sequel as such but it’s intriguing all the same. Apparently set in 2028 Alex Murphy (played by Joel Kinnaman of the US version of The Killing fame) is a loving husband, father and cop fighting crime and corruption in Detroit. After he is critically injured while on duty, a company called OmniCorp utilise their knowledge in robotics to save Murphy’s life, thus turning him into Robocop. Cue dramatic music.
Due for release: Feb 2014
