The 20 films we can't wait to see in 2015

A new Bond, a new Star Wars, a new Terminator, plus movies from Scorsese, Van Sant and the Wachowskis: 2015 is shaping up to be a humdinger

Posted: Fri Feb 06 2015

Picking up on Time Out New York's '50 films we can’t wait to see in 2015', we've selected our own top 20. You've got plenty of '80s and '90s reboots and sequels to look forward to, as well as Japanese flick Kamakura Diary and a Gus Van Sant film about Japan's eerie 'suicide forest', starring Ken Watanabe and Matthew McConaughey. But let's begin with Bond...

Spectre

What is it?
James Bond is back! For the 24th time. With M still dead, and Bond still struggling with his age and intolerant anger.
Who's involved?
The production staff of Skyfall has teamed up again: director Sam Mendes, screenwriter John Logan and star Daniel Craig. We expect to see Ben Whishaw back as Q and Ralph Fiennes as slippery MI6 operative Gareth Mallory, who, for better or worse, has now stepped into M's sensible heels.
When can I see it?
Opens in Japan in November 2015.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

What is it?
The first sequel to the most successful movie trilogy of all the time, and the first in a new sequence of films. Plot details are still sketchy but we do know it'll involve Luke Skywalker and Han Solo coming out of retirement to tackle a new threat from the Dark Side of the Force.
Who's involved?
Star Trek rebooter JJ Abrams directs, with a sprawling cast including original stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford alongside newcomers Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Adam Driver and Attack the Block's John Boyega.
When can I see it?
Opens in Japan in December 2015. See the full details here

Mad Max: Fury Road

What is it?
Twenty-seven years since the last installment, Beyond Thunderdome, we catch up with Australia's roughest, toughest apocalyptic outlaw as he roams the wasteland in his souped-up roadster looking for trouble. We assume he finds it, or this'll be quite a short movie.
Who's involved?
There's a new Max in the form of muscular Brit Tom Hardy, though rumours persist that Mel Gibson will have some kind of walk-on. Original director George Miller has spent the better part of a decade putting this together – let's hope it's worth the wait.
When can I see it?
Opens in Japan in June 2015. See the full details here

Terminator: Genisys

What is it?
Winner of this year's silliest title award, Genisys aims to repair the damage done by 2009's lumpen Terminator Salvation by getting back to basics: killer robots, massive explosions and Arnold Schwarzenegger in a leather jacket.
Who's involved?
Alan Taylor, director of the recent Thor sequel, barks the orders, while the Khaleesi herself, Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke, stars as Sarah Connor (hang on, didn't she die?).
When can I see it?
Opens in Japan in July 2015. See the full details here

Avengers: Age of Ultron

What is it?
Assorted guys and gals in tights, metal suits and ripped hulk-shorts bond together to fight evil in the form of self-aware, human-hating artificial intelligence Ultron.
Who's involved?
Round up the usual suspects: writer-director Joss Whedon is back, as are (deep breath) Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth and Scarlett Johansson.
When can I see it?
Opens in Japan on July 4, 2015. See the full details here

Jurassic World

What is it?
Two decades on from the original Jurassic Park we're going back to the island of Isla Nublar, now the site of a functioning and successful dinosaur attraction. But not for long...
Who's involved?
Steven Spielberg has bigger things on his mind than dinosaurs, so the director's role has fallen unexpectedly to newcomer Colin Trevorrow, director of the cheerful if unspectacular time-travel indie Safety Not Guaranteed. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard appear, but the dinos are the real stars.
When can I see it?
Opens in Japan on August 7, 2015. See the full details here

Fifty Shades of Grey

What is it?
Unless you've been strapped to the wall in someone's sex dungeon for the past three years, you'll know that this is adapted from the wildly popular series of kinky novels about a young couple who push the boundaries of erotic possibility. Apparently.
Who's involved? British artist turned filmmaker Sam Taylor-Johnson is in the director's chair, with newcomers Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson (no relation) playing the two leads. Read our interview with Dornan here.
When can I see it?
Opens in Japan on February 13, 2015. See the full details here

Mission: Impossible 5

What is it?
Somehow this franchise has managed to buck the trend of decreasing in quality as the number in the title goes up. Ghost Protocol was packed with breathtaking action sequences and hopefully the latest installment will be just as enjoyable.
Who's involved?
The GP team is back including lead man Tom Cruise, as well as Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner. Frequent Cruise collaborator Christopher McQuarrie is directing.
When can I see it?
Opens in Japan in December 2015.

Everest

What is it?
A rogue's gallery of major stars strap on their crampons and fill up their oxygen tanks for this 3-D adventure inspired by the 1996 Everest disaster in which several climber were killed.
Who's involved?
A man who knows his snow, Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur (Jar City, Contraband) directs, with Keira Knightley, Jake Gyllenhaal, Sam Worthington, Emma Watson, Robin Wright and Josh Brolin rounding out the cast.
When can I see it?
Opens in Japan in the second half of 2015.

Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Pt. 2

What is it?
The final installment in the Hunger Games series (unless they pull a Star Wars and start bombarding us with sequels and/or prequels). The stage is set for the final battle between Capitol force and the scrappy rebels led by Katniss Everdeen.
Who's involved?
The original cast – Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland and assorted non-threatening boys – will all return, plus the film will mark the very final screen appearance for the great Philip Seymour Hoffman. Catching Fire director Francis Lawrence sees the series out.
When can I see it?
Opens in Japan in June 2015. See the full details here

Tomorrowland

What is it?
To be honest, we're not entirely sure – it has something to do with an old Disneyland theme park ride based around ideas of what the future might be like. All other details are pretty hush-hush at the moment.
Who's involved?
The Incredibles director Brad Bird brings his unique knack for a mind-melting action scene, while our favourite chiselled ex-bachelor George Clooney takes the lead role.
When can I see it? Opens in Japan on June 6, 2015.

Kamakura Diary

What is it?
Based on a multi-award winning manga comic strip, this is the tale of four sisters, three of whom live with their grandmother in Kamakura, until the arrival of a fourth sister shakes up their settled existence.
Who's involved?
Kamakura Diary is the latest film from Hirokazu Kore-eda, creator of some of the finest films of the past two decades including After Life, Nobody Knows and I Wish.
When can I see it?
Opens in Japan on June 13, 2015. See the full details here

Kingsman: The Secret Service

What is it?
Adapted from a graphic novel by Kick-Ass author Mark Millar, this is the story of a young Secret Service agent taken under the wing of a more experienced spy.
Who's involved?
Colin Firth plays the older agent, with young Welshman Taron Egerton as his protégé and Samuel L Jackson, Mark Strong and Michael Caine rounding out the cast. Matthew Vaughn, maker of Kick-Ass, directs.
When can I see it?
Opens in Japan in summer 2015. See the full details here

Jane Got a Gun

What is it?
The female-fronted Western that ran into trouble last year when original director Lynne Ramsey left the project (taking her star Jude Law with her). It's the tale of a Wild West woman who pursues the gang of ruffians who shot her husband.
Who's involved?
Warrior director Gavin O'Connor fills Ramsey's shoes, with Natalie Portman in the lead role and a supporting cast that includes Ewan McGregor (in Law's old part) and Joel Edgerton.
When can I see it?
Japan release date still to be announced.

Jupiter Ascending

What is it?
An eye-popping sci-fi extravaganza about an ordinary Chicago house cleaner who discovers that she's really the Queen of the Universe, and is spirited off into the middle of an intergalactic war. Hey, we've all been there...
Who's involved?
The Matrix directors Andy and Lana Wachowski return to their pet theme of ordinary folks who turn out to be the One. Mila Kunis plays the lead, with Channing Tatum, Sean Bean and Eddie Redmayne in support.
When can I see it?
Opens in Japan in May 2015. See the full details here

In the Heart of the Sea

What is it?
After being rammed by an angry sperm whale, the crew of the British vessel Essex are forced to spend 90 days adrift at sea. Before you ask: Yes, they do start eyeing each other hungrily.
Who's involved?
After his top-notch racing film Rush, Ron Howard is clearly on a roll, and he's rousted out a rollicking crew of salty sea dogs including Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy and Brendan Gleeson to join him on this voyage.
When can I see it?
Japan release date still to be announced.

Black Mass

What is it?
The story of legendarily homicidal Boston crime boss Whitey Bulger, who was on the FBI's Most Wanted list for years until he was finally tracked down in 2011.
Who's involved?
Could this mark the return of Johnny Depp, proper actor? He hasn't delivered a really meaty, serious performance since 1997's Donnie Brasco, so the thought of him returning to similar territory gives us hope. Crazy Heart director Scott Cooper oversees, with Benedict Cumberbatch, Sienna Miller and Joel Edgerton in supporting roles.
When can I see it? Opens in Japan in autumn 2015.

The Sea of Trees

What is it?
The sea of trees, also known as the suicide forest, is an area of woodland in Japan known partly for its eerie quiet – the trees are too densely packed to allow wildlife to thrive – and partly for its popularity as a place to take one's own life. This film follows an American tourist who decides to kill himself, but who reconsiders when he meets a Japanese man on the same mission.
Who's involved?
This has got quality written all over it: Gus Van Sant directs, with Matthew McConaughey and Ken Watanabe as the two central figures, and Naomi Watts in a supporting role.
When can I see it?
Japan release date still to be announced but expect it late in 2015.

Silence

What is it?
A tale of two priests persecuted by the local authorities for trying to spread Christianity in seventeenth-century Japan. Expect sumptuous period recreations and a whole lot of noble suffering.
Who's involved?
This is Martin Scorsese's latest project, and while the outline suggests Kundun-like levels of seriousness (as opposed to The Wolf of Wall Street-like levels of fun), we're always keen to see what the great director comes up with. Liam Neeson returns to serious acting after a long hiatus to play one of the priests, with Ken Watanabe and Adam Driver supporting.
When can I see it?
Japan release date still to be announced.

Chappie

What is it?
Following the mediocre Elysium, sci-fi master Neill Blomkamp returns to his native South Africa for this comic tale of a robot adopted by a gang of crooks. The signs point to a return to the darkly comic tone of District 9.
Who's involved?
Hugh Jackman plays the lead, with Sigourney Weaver supporting and Blomkamp's regular collaborator Sharlto Copley providing the voice of Chappie.
When can I see it?
Opens in Japan on May 23, 2015. See the full details here

By Tom Huddleston

Please note: All information is correct at the time of writing but is subject to change without notice.

The 20 films we can't wait to see in 2015