Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith: It’s the movie that everyone has been waiting for since the closing credits of The Return of the Jedi. The missing link of a movie saga based on Golden Era cliffhanger serials, Revenge of the Sith promises exciting new planets (George Lucas shot in Tunisia, Switzerland, Thailand, England, China, and Italy) and a show of lightsaber expertise by master Jedi Yoda. At last, will Star Wars fans finally learn how Anakin Skywalker became the father of Luke and Leia, and turned into one of the most notorious movie villain of all time—Darth Vader.

Kingdom of Heaven: Even a current heartthrob like Orlando Bloom is stepping into the realm of traditional adventure. In his first major lead role, Bloom takes on the role of Balian of Ibelin, a tormented crusader in the 12^th Century. Expect plenty of action as Bloom journeys across the cradle of civilization, wielding his sword as he goes.

June:

War of the Worlds : Remember E.T.? Well, director Steven Spielberg takes us back to aliens coming to earth. Except…this time, they’re not cute, lonely and looking for a friend. They want to kill people. From H.G.Wells’ famous 1898 novel and later adapted into 1938’s mass-panic inducing radio play, Spielberg updates this classic science fiction tale starring Tom Cruise as a worn-out dad fleeing with his two kids. Watch in horror as the Earth as you know it comes crashing down. But don’t worry, kids--it’s only CGI.

Cinderella Man: Rugged actor Russell Crowe takes on another heartfelt and triumphant film—in the true story of Depression-era boxer James Braddock, who turned to the ring to keep food on the table for his family and ended up inspiring a nation. Joined by Renée Zellweger as his wife and Paul Giamatti as his manager, Crowe plays the down-to-earth hero with what Director Ron Howard calls "a really powerful and immediate description of the kind of desperation that a huge number of families faced in this country." A genuine piece of history and values to look forward to this summer.

Batman Begins: Another film rendition of the beloved comic is about to take flight, but this time Batman promises of something new. The full journey of Bruce Wayne’s transformation to Batman joins this year’s Revenge of the Sith in the epic changes of two of the most iconic figures in pop culture. With a host of well known cast members, including Christian Bale as the masked superhero, Liam Neeson as the "ultimate mentor figure" (Hehe…can you say Phantom Menace?), and other famous figures like Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Katie Holmes, expect a wild assortment of characters to accompany the coming-of-age story of legendary superhero Batman…with a nasty twist of darkness fitting for the Dark Knight.

Everything Is Illuminated: No more hobbitfare! Elijah Wood has stepped out of Middle-Earth into his first movie role since Lord of the Rings without grotesque furry feet. Illuminated stars Elijah as an American man looking for a Ukrainian woman who may have saved his grandfather from the Nazis.

The New World: No, this is not a remake of a Jurassic Park movie—It is the story of Pocahontas, starring Colin Farrell as the famous John Smith and newcomer 14-year old Q’Orianka Kilcher as Pocahontas herself. Be wary of surprises, however, as infamous director Terrence Malick takes the reins of the film. He’s famous for cutting out chunks of his movies, like 1998’s The Thin Red Line, where Adrien Brody’s lead character was almost removed completely from the final cut. As Farrell put it, we may not even see John Smith in the movie!

King Kong: Frodo’s moved to the present, Legolas has gone to the Crusades, and director Peter Jackson and "Gollum" actor Andy Serkis have gone to 1933, with a monstrous ape. The privacy on this set is tighter than most (well, not as much as Return of the Jedi…) but we do know that there are Skull Island Explorers played by Jamie Bell, Adrien Brody, Jack Black, and Naomi Watts, with Andy Serkis as the big ape itself. Of course, with Peter Jackson, there’s gotta be intense CGI. Thus, the very realistic monster dung.

Memoirs of a Geisha: A far cry from 2002’s "Chicago," director Rob Marshall plunges headlong into the streets of Japan in pre-World War II. Based on 1997’s best-seller, Memoirs of a Geisha, the film is about a young girl’s struggle to rise to geisha greatness. Shot in California and Japan, this movie boasts of beautifully choreographed Japanese dance sequences, exciting sumo wrestling matches, and starring two of China’s most acclaimed actresses: Gong Li and Ziyi Zhang of Raise the Red Lantern and House of Flying Daggers fame., respectively. Produced by Steven Spielberg (Who originally intended to direct), Geisha is a spellbinding story that you will never forget. (I’ve actually read the book. It’s quite good).

The Chronicles of Narnia: I personally read The Chronicles of Narnia until I discovered the works of Brian Jacques and Jules Verne. (Then…that’s another story). Oh, and comic books. We can’t forget comic b—anyways, this winter, join the classic adventure of four children who enter an enchanted land where animals talk and evil snow queens lurk. Directed by the Andrew Adamson, who brought you Shrek, this adaptation brings C.S.Lewis classic to life.

Your thoughts? Visit us on our forum...

 

 

About The Author: Alice is a student at Acton-Boxborough high school, and jokes about her soul is owned by Lucasfilm Ltd. She is easily identified from a distance by her Red Sox baseball cap, and if for some reason you should need to contact her, send her an e-mail. Alice specializes in making cinematic music videos, film trivia, and discussing the finer points of Scottish barge drifters that live lonely, meaningless lives.