Her Campus UChicago On the World in 2012: Movies

2011 has finally gone, leaving us to wonder what 2012 has in store for the world. Will the economy get better? What do the runways have in store for this year? And, of course, will the world actually end?
 
While we can’t see the future (would be cool, though), we at Her Campus UChicago definitely have our own predictions for what the world will look like in 2012. From politics to the movies, we highlight SOME of 2012’s possible events while leaving the rest to your imagination. A lot happens in a year so we weren’t able to cover everything, but hopefully our predictions remain more or less accurate. Each day we’ll cover one spectrum, starting with politics, then the economy, media, fashion, science, and finally, movies, highlighting what we believe will be the best thing about 2012, something that could go either way, and the worst.
 
But one thing we are sure of? The world isn’t going to end.
 
Happy New Year, and good reading.
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The best thing about this year: SUPERHEROES AND BOOK ADAPTATIONS
 
While superhero movies have always been around with classics like the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher’s Batman series, 2012 looks like it’s going to be a pinnacle year for the genre. Ten years after it revived audiences’ interest in comic book movies, the Spiderman series gets another addition with The Amazing Spiderman, set for a July 2012 release. The series reboot stars Andrew Garfield as the new Peter Parker and promises a new look for the cinematic classic we have come to know so well.
 

Even before then, we get to enjoy Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the big screen as Iron Man in May 2012’s The Avengers. With Chris Evans (Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), and Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) rounding out the star-studded cast, The Avengers explores the origins of one of comics’ most famous superhero teams.
 
But no superhero movie (or movie, for that matter) has been more talked about than The Dark Knight Rises, Christopher Nolan’s last installment for his Batman trilogy. Set eight years after The Dark Knight, Christian Bale is forced to reprise his role as Gotham’s unwanted hero when peace breaks down. New characters like Bane (Tom Hardy), Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), and John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) will make The Dark Knight Rises one of the year’s monumental movies and a terrific end to a most successful franchise.
 
Aside from superheroes, a glimpse at 2012 shows many other action movies that could have us shelling out extra dollars for a seat at the theater. One of these will undoubtedly be Gary Ross’ The Hunger Games, adapted from Suzanne Collins’ novel of the same name. Featuring rising stars like Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique from X-Men: First Class) and newer actors like Josh Hutcherson (The Kids are All Right), The Hunger Games will thrill audiences with its action sequences and force us to consider how much we would sacrifice for a cause.
 
December 2012 will be the big month for book-to-film adaptions, during which Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrmann will present his own lavish vision of The Great Gatsby. Combine this with cinematic versions of Life of Pi, Les Miserables and, of course, The Hobbit, come December book-lovers everywhere will be scrambling to theaters, intent on reliving their most-loved literary classics.

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Could go either way: SEQUELS
 
We’re all familiar with Hollywood’s cursed love affair with sequels. While some elevate their cinematic franchises (Lord of the Rings), most tend to drag them down to all-time lows. Yet the film industry continues to churn them out at a worrisomely continuous rate, making years like 2012 an extension of The Year of the Sequel.
 
Fortunately, 2012 will see promising sequels like The Bourne Legacy and the third installment of the ever-so-loved Men In Black series. For horror movie lovers, Paranormal Activity 4 will reignite fears of the nightmares hand-held cameras can reveal, while families can sink their teeth into animated favorites like Madagascar 3 and Ice Age: Continental Drift.

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NOT looking forward to: GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE
 
No matter how hilariously entertaining we thought the first Ghost Rider was, or how much we love watching Nicholas Cage scream, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is looking like a cinematic flop. Though 2012 will be the year of Bruce Wayne, Johnny Blaze will receive a completely different reception from critics and audiences alike. The first Ghost Rider movie didn’t meet our expectations for a quality superhero film, and the second doesn’t look like it’ll be any better.