By: Scott Johnson on April 5, 2012
Summer 2012 is going to be one very expensive summer for fans of the comic book, science fiction, and horror genres of movies. We’ve compiled a list of what we consider to be the ten most anticipated movies of the summer of 2012. We only considered movies released during the summer months, which is why Dredd and The Hobbit aren’t included.
10. Total Recall – This science fiction movie is a remake of the original Total Recall movie. However, instead of Arnold Schwarzenegger, it stars Colin Farrell. We included this one on the list because we were fans of the original, but the verdict is still out on the remake.
9. Men In Black 3 – Huge fans of the original Men In Black, but not so much of Men In Black 2. Don’t really know if this one will be great like the original or a disappointment like the sequel. We’re hoping third time turns out to be a charm, because Will Smith rarely disappoints.
8. GI Joe: Retaliation – We hated the first movie, but the sequel has Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis. The GI Joe: Retaliation trailers also make the movie look like an action-packed, fun ride. While this one likely won’t be picking up a Best Picture nomination, it should be a good time at the movies.
7. Battleship – Another movie that won’t make the Best Picture running, but looks like it will be enjoyable in a Transformers sort of way. In fact, the entire movie looks like it could be described as Transformers at sea. The fact that Liam Neeson stars in the movie also gives hope that there will at least be some semblance of a plot, amongst all the destruction.
6. Dark Shadows – When you put Tim Burton and Johnny Depp together, you usually wind up with something quirky and magical. Dark Shadows could be one of the surprise blockbusters of summer. It’s based on a cult TV series of the same name, and it’s just different enough that it might be a welcome break from the non-stop action and comedy movies that usually fill the summer box office.
5. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter – While this might have the type of title that you would normally associate with a low-budget direct to DVD movie, it actually had an estimated seventy million budget. The first trailer for the movie was also very impressive, so this movie could wind up being one of those pleasant surprises of the summer movie season.
4. Prometheus – With budget estimates falling in the one hundred fifty to two hundred million range, this could be the epic sci-fi movie of summer. The trailers hint at a mixture of science fiction and horror that harkens back to the classic Aliens movies. In fact, Prometheus is rumored to be a prequel to Aliens.
3. The Amazing Spider-Man – At first, it was the reboot that nobody wanted. Then Sony/Columbia Pictures started releasing footage from the movie, and it became a film that everybody wanted to see. Whether the Spider-Man franchise needed to be rebooted or not, the fact is that is has been, and early previews of The Amazing Spider-Man look pretty darn good.
2. The Avengers – Marvel Studios has carefully built up anticipation for The Avengers will various superhero solo films. Now, all their work is paying off in what looks to be a quality product. The Avengers movie trailers have us excited that this will be one of the most action-packed and thoroughly entertaining movies of summer.
1. The Dark Knight Rises – The Dark Knight is our favorite comic book movie of all time. Christopher Nolan never seems to disappoint. This Dark Knight Rises is probably the closest thing that you can get to a guaranteed hit at the box office. In addition to a movie that entertains, we expect this will also be a movie that hits on an intellectual level and leaves viewers with food for thought. It could even be a Best Picture candidate.
