1. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug



For the second consecutive year, The Hobbit is our absolute number one most anticipated speculative film of the year. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey may not have been the best adaptation, but as a stand-alone film it was still pretty amazing. This title, The Desolation of Smaug, seems to indicate a lot more epicness in the second part of this trilogy loosely based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s children’s novel. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until December 13th to find out what Smaug looks like.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb or Apple Trailer icons above.

2. Star Trek Into Darkness



The Star Trek reboot continues May 17th with a J.J. Abrams directed take on a story that looks suspiciously like Wrath of Khan. With British sensation Benedict Cumberbatch as the villain John Harrison—is he a redshirt, or is Abrams simply messing with us?—this looks to be a fantastic addition to the new version of the great franchise.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb or Apple Trailer icons above.

3. Ender’s Game



After many attempts by various production companies to secure the rights to this best-selling Orson Scott Card novel, Card decided the best way to do a job right was to do it himself. Card co-founded Fresco Pictures, who on November 1st will be tackling this pillar of the science fiction genre, converting this much beloved story of growing up, war, and philosophy for the big screen.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb icon above.

4. Oz: The Great and Powerful



On March 8th, we’ll once again take a journey from Kansas to the world of Oz, joining John Franco as a small-time magician who finds himself thrust into the middle of a fantastical world of danger and magic. He must keep his wits about him in the face of witches both wicked and good. Directed by Sam Raimi of Spiderman fame.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb or Apple Trailer icons above.

5. Horns



After Carrie, which you can find in spot twenty-one of this list, Horns is the second film adaptation of a book written by a King to come out in 2013. It is based on a book of the same title by Stephen King’s son, pen name Joe Hill. Horns tells the story of a young man, played by Daniel Radcliffe, who awakens one day to discover horns growing out of his forehead. With this Kafka-esque fantasy horror (that doesn’t have a confirmed release date yet), Joe Hill establishes himself a solid heir to the King legacy.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb icon above.

6. Iron Man 3



The first film in the second phase of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe is Iron Man 3, coming out on May 3rd. Based on its trailer, this new story of Tony Stark is going to be a lot darker than previous films. Even better, it’s actually going to deal with the emotional repercussions of The Avengers. Don’t expect any crossover characters in this film, though. Iron Man 3 will focus on Iron Man battling his biggest foe yet: The Mandarin. It promises to be epic! If you don’t believe me, just take a look at the trailer below!

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb or Apple Trailer icons above.

7. World War Z



Appearing on our list for the second year in a row (the original 2012 date having been pushed back to June 21st, 2013 for Tom Cruise’s Jack Reacher to come out instead), Brad Pitt’s rendition of the Max Brooks novel brings us to a world on the ragged brink of destruction as zombie hordes ravage the earth. The novel received critical acclaim for its stark realism regarding the politics, technology, economics, and culture, making this a thriller that promises to get deep into your head and lead to some sleepless nights.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb or Apple Trailer icons above.

8. Man of Steel



Superman is the epitome of a superhero. Not only did he propel comics into a Golden Age way back when, he’s also the most well-known superhero of all time. Frankly, though, I’ve always thought that made him a walking cliché. Superman may have worked in the 40s and 50s, but nowadays, we want more than nearly flawless, invincible heroes. Produced by Christopher Nolan—who brought us the Dark Knight trilogy—and directed by Zack Snyder, Man of Steel, which comes out in theaters on June 14th, seems to be the answer to this problem. Judging by the trailer, this newest addition to the Superman franchise seems to be focusing on Clark Kent’s one weakness other than Kryptonite: his humanity.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb or Apple Trailer icons above.

9. The Wolverine



Hugh Jackman reprises his role from X-men Origins: Wolverine in this movie, released on July 26th, sending Logan to Japan and filling out the next stage of his back story. We can expect The Wolverine, from the writer of The Usual Suspects and Valkyrie, to be a dark and serious installment in the story of a dark and serious character. In a recent interview, Jackman revealed that The Wolverine will be set after X-Men: The Last Stand, and will feature a cameo from one of the past X-Men.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb icon above.

10. Thor: The Dark World



Thor: The Dark World, sequel to Thor, is the second Marvel Cinematic Universe film in 2013. After the events of The Avengers, Thor is battling dark elves, led by Malekith—who is played by British superstar Christopher Eccleston—across all the nine realms, including Earth. Coming to theaters on November 8th, Thor: The Dark World won’t have any S.H.I.E.L.D. cameos, but the original cast will return again, and while Loki isn’t the main villain, Marvel promises plenty of screentime for the relationship between the two brothers.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb or Apple Trailer icons above.

11. G.I. Joe: Retaliation



That awkward moment when you realize that yet another film is on the anticipation list for two consecutive years… In the case of G.I. Joe: Retaliation, formerly known as Cobra Strikes, the awkwardness is entirely Paramount’s. You see, the original film had Channing Tatum dying pretty early in the film; but with Tatum suddenly becoming a box office superstar and test audiences demanding to see more of him, this G.I. Joe sequel had to be delayed for reshoots. It will finally make it to the big screens on March 30th, and promises to be heaps of brainless fun.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb or Apple Trailer icons above.

12. Riddick



September 6th. Mark that day on your calendars, the day that Vin Diesel returns to theaters as Riddick in this long-awaited sequel to Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick. Like in the good old times, our blind hero will fight for survival against alien predators and bounty hunters. Add to that the epicness of Riddick’s home planet heading for destruction, and Riddick promises to be a sure box office hit.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb icon above.

13. Warm Bodies



Warm Bodies is coming out on February 1st, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Good timing, because Warm Bodies presents us another Romeo and Juliet retelling… Zombie Apocalypse style! With a Zombie Plague threating human life, this is a light-hearted, horrific tale of love overcoming all, including the slight problem of being dead.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb or Apple Trailer icons above.

14. Winter’s Tale



Many popular actors—including Will Smith, Russel Crowe, Collin Farrell, and Jennifer Connolly—will star together in Winter’s Tale, an adaptation of the book with the same title by Mark Helprin. Winter’s Tale is widely regarded as one of the great pieces of American literature. This magical realist tale of a cold New York will come to theaters on a yet to be specified date in 2013.

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Unfortunately, there are no videos available for Winter’s Tale yet. There is, however, a synopsis:

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New York City is subsumed in arctic winds, dark nights, and white lights, its life unfolds, for it is an extraordinary hive of the imagination, the greatest house ever built, and nothing exists that can check its vitality. One night in winter, Peter Lake—orphan and master-mechanic, attempts to rob a fortress-like mansion on the Upper West Side. Though he thinks the house is empty, the daughter of the house is home. Thus begins the love between Peter Lake, a middle-aged Irish burglar, and Beverly Penn, a young girl, who is dying.

15. Elysium



After the success of the highly political action movie District 9, Neill Blomkamp brings us another story of disenfranchisement and action on August 9th. Elysium stars Jodie Foster in a future world where the very wealthy live in luxury high above the ruined earth, on a man-made space station. On a ruined Earth far below resides the rest of humanity, including an ex-con played by Matt Damon, who undertakes a mission which could finally bring equality to the world.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb icon above.

16. After Earth



From M. Night Shyamalan, the director that brought us disappointments like The Last Airbender, The Happening, Unbreakable, and Signs, comes a new science fiction tale that seems designed to slingshot the son of Will Smith into popularity—again. Yet, there’s something about the trailer of this post-post-apocalyptic film that makes me at least mildly intrigued. If the premise of an earth abandoned by humans a century ago is done justice, this may actually be a great film. We’ll know on June 7th.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb or Apple Trailer icons above.

17. Hansel and Gretel, Witch Hunters



During the past few years, we’ve seen a trend of taking fairy tales back to their Grimm roots. Hansel and Gretel, Witch Hunters continues this trend. Coming out on January 25th, it promises to be a dark and violent, but also comical, rendition of the classic tale, with Hansel and Gretel as adult hunters-of-witches, battling to protect the townsfolk from the evils lurking in the woods.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb or Apple Trailer icons above.

18. Pacific Rim



Pacific Rim looks like Power Rangers meeting Cloverfield, made by one of the best directors of our time, Guillermo del Toro. You may laugh at that description, but seriously, doesn’t it just make the teenage geek hidden deep inside you jump up in glorious joy? No? Well, maybe you should take a look at the trailer below. I sure know the geek in me cannot wait for July 12th, when Pacific Rim comes to the big screen and huge robots start battling alien monsters!

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb or Apple Trailer icons above.

19. The End of the World



On June 14th, a number of celebrities (including Emma Watson, Seth Rogan, Michael Cera, Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, and Jason Segel) are partying at James Franco’s house when, suddenly, the apocalypse happens. And the great thing is that all these actors are playing themselves. From the minds that produced Superbad and The 40-Year Old Virgin, The End of the World promises to be a hilarious romp through all the tropes from the recent glut of disaster movies.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb icon above.

20. Epic



On May 24th, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids is back—animated and more epic than ever! Epic, because that’s the title of this film, isn’t really a remake of those classic films. It just looks a lot like it. However, when the teenager in Epic gets herself shrunk and transported into a forest setting, she becomes part of an epic battle between the forces of good and evil. Doesn’t it sound, well, epic? On top of that, the animation looks absolutely mind-blowing.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb or Apple Trailer icons above.

21. Carrie



An oldie but a goodie in the horror genre, this third film adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie stars Chloe Grace Moretz, from Kick-ass and Let Me In, as the titular troubled high-schooler. Be prepared to learn her name on March 15th. Carrie is a wonderful paranormal horror film from the master of horror himself, and the first teaser trailers promise a film that does the book justice.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb or Apple Trailer icons above.

22. Frozen



Just in time for winter, November 27th sees a new animated Disney musical film by the director of Tarzan and the animator of Pocahontas and The Little Mermaid. Frozen is a rendition of the Hans Christian Andersen story “The Snow Queen.” With “The Snow Queen” being considered one of the best of the Christian Andersen stories by many critics, Frozen promises to be an excellent addition to the Disney musical line-up.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb icon above.

23. Beautiful Creatures



Ever wanted to see a depressing version of The Adams Family doing a gender-swapped Twilight story? Yeah, neither did I, yet Beautiful Creatures looks at least somewhat interesting. This may be the next teen sensation. I’ll check it out when it’s on DVD, but if you’re a fan of Twilight or The Hunger Games, you may want to add February 13th, the release of Beautiful Creatures, to your calendar.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb or Apple Trailer icons above.

24. Oblivion



An adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name, Oblivion stars Tom Cruise as part of an operation to recover vital resources from the ruins of Earth. In the wake of a decades-long war with the Scavs, Tom Cruise’s character finds himself embroiled in a battle for survival as he uncovers a conspiracy of epic proportions. This typical, action-packed science fiction novel of future earth launches April 19th.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb or Apple Trailer icons above.

25. The Seventh Son



Little but the release date—October 18th—is known about The Seventh Son, a film based on an 18th century adventure story about a boy learning to fight evil spirits. We do know, though, that it stars Julianne Moore and Jeff Bridges. That must count for something, right? The Seventh Son is an adaptation of The Wardstone Chronicles, a dark fantasy series written by Joseph Delaney, and may well be the first in a series of films.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb icon above.

26. Dorothy of Oz



Dorothy of Oz is an animated musical based on the novel by Roger Baum. It tells the tale of Dorothy Gale returning to Oz to save her friends from The Jester, who is using the Wicked Witch’s wand to menace the land of Oz. With voice work by Lea Michele from Glee, Patrick Stewart, Dan Aykroyd, Martin Short and the inestimable Brian Blessed, Dorothy of Oz looks like a great family film. Unfortunately, no release date has been confirmed as of yet.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb icon above.

27. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones



The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is the umpteenth film based on an immensely popular paranormal book series for young adults. This adaptation of a book by Cassandra Clare hits theaters on August 23rd. With its twist on the familiar YA concepts—teenagers with a half-angel lineage—City of Bones is set to win the hearts of teenagers all over the world. This critic may even be caught feeling mild enthusiasm based on the trailer below.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb or Apple Trailer icons above.

28. Jack the Giant Slayer



Another entry repeated from our 2012 list, Jack the Giant Slayer is now slated for release on March 1st. This modern fairy tale from the producer of X-Men: First Class tells the story of a threat to the uneasy peace between men and giants, and the quest of a young farm boy to rescue a kidnapped princess. Like Hansel and Gretel, it promises to be a more modern retellings of an old fairy tale, except, perhaps, with less humor and more stereotypical epicness.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb or Apple Trailer icons above.

29. The Host



Stephanie Meyer is most famous—or infamous—for her Twilight series. However, she has written another book of relative fame, The Host, and unlike Twilight, this book is actually pretty well-written. Thus, I can’t help but look forward to its film adaptation. On March 29th comes this film in which aliens take over human bodies, and the love of one young host for her former boyfriend may change the world and save humanity from extinction.

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You can view more about this film on YouTube, or you can click the IMDb or Apple Trailer icons above.

30. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

