Last year gave us one of the biggest films of all time, again, with The Avengers, but 2013’s looking to go one better. Comic books go dark, Oz has a new hero (sort of) and Clark Kent returns to the big screen to take up his role as king of the superheroes. Seriously, 2012, you had it easy!
The one with bite: The Wolverine
Hugh Jackman became a star as the sideburned mutant butWolfy’s first solo outing, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, was muted by its who’s-who cast. This post-X-Men: The Last Stand sequel, based on a Japanese-set comic story, should make Logan a standalone star with a bulkier, more character-focused script.
Released July 26
The dark Stark: Iron Man 3
Iron Man Tony Stark finds his dark side in the third Robert Downey Jr starring solo outing from writer-director Shane Black (Hollywood legend behind Eighties hits including Lethal Weapon). With Guy Pearce up to no good and Ben Kingsley’s villain Mandarin, Stark is facing his biggest struggle yet.
Released April 26
The period one: The Great Gatsby
Postponed from its December release while Baz Luhrmann tinkers to perfection, this colourful new adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald’s roaring Twenties state-of-a-nation classic has a stellar cast – Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, and Carey Mulligan. It may be Baz’s biggest, boldest and brashest yet.
Released May 17
The South African one: Elysium
Neill Blomkamp’s District 9 follow-up, about a future in which the poor live on Earth and the rich on the titular space-station paradise, is one of the most anticipated movies of the new year. Big cast, big stars – Matt Damon and Jodie Foster – and a big budget mean the pressure’s on the Saffa.
Released September 20
The oddball comeback: Jack The Giant Slayer
After basically inventing the contemporary trend for comic book movies with 2000’s X-Men, Bryan Singer abandoned the franchise to sink his career somewhat with the multi-millionbucks misfire Superman Returns. His first film in five years sees Nicholas Hoult as a human waging a war against giants in this contemporary reworking of the fabled beanstalk tale.
Released March 22
The new Batman: Man Of Steel
Chris Nolan produces a new take on Superman from Zack Snyder (Watchmen) in the hope he can bring some of his Dark Knight magic to DC’s other property. Brit Henry Cavill is the man with his pants on the outside. The mean and moody trailer suggests this will be out of this world.
Released June 14
The sci-fi sequel: Star Trek Into Darkness
Despite the shonky title, this should be one of the big hitters, with the returning ensemble cast (Chris Pine’s Kirk, Zachary Quinto’s Spock, Simon Pegg’s Scotty and more) andnew boy Benedict Cumberbatch as Trek-lore big bad, Khan (so say the rumours) or John Harrison (says the producer). JJ Abrams’ 2009 reinvention did so-so box office. With Avengersshowing that geekdom can be big dollar, he’ll expect better.
Released May 17
The mainstream oddity: The Lone Ranger
Johnny Depp re-teams with his Pirates director Gore Verbinski to play Tonto to Armie Hammer’s Lone Ranger in this fantasytinged adventure makeover of the popular TV show. Depp does his wide-eyed oddball routine a la Jack Sparrow.
Released August 9
The one that could go either way: Cloud Atlas
Matrix minds The Wachowskis (Andy and Larry-turned-Lana) hit back from their Speed Racer car crash with this ambitious, era-spanning, sprawling sci-fi epic (adapted from David Mitchell’s 2004 novel) about how our actions connect us all, or something like that. Starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Hugh Grant and more, it looks absolutely bonkers.
Released February 22
The new technicolour: Oz The Great And Powerful
Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man follow up is this 3D Wizard Of Ozprequel, starring James Franco as a Kansas ’magician’ zapped to the land of the yellow bricks where, helped by witches Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz, he must become the man worth the long walk to see and rise to save Oz.
Released March 8
Keep reading for the bands of 2013
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The NME stars to go global: Palma Violets
After winning NME’s song of the year for their rousing, hook-laden Best Of Friends, this London four-piece are set to take over from where The Vaccines and Howler left off. They holed-up last year in their Studio 180 creative space playing impromptu gigs, and with singer-guitarist Sam Fryer and bass-vocals Chilli Jesson’s dual-frontman pairing, the Violets (completed by Pete Mayhew on keys and Will Doyle behind the kit) have laid their roots. Debut 180 is ready to hit in February.
The new sister act: Haim
These three sisters %u2013 Este, Danielle and Alana %u2013 from California are purveyors of pop-influenced blues-rock. They used to play gigs with their parents %u2013 and still occasionally do, bless them %u2013 and take influences from a wide range (think Led Zeppelin to Britney Spears). These gals have cross-genre appeal to burn. Watch them soar.
The new Interpol: Savages
Or, rather, the new Joy Division. This all-grrl post-punk quartet takes their cues from the likes of Ian Curtis, Sigur Ros and early My Bloody Valentine on their atmosphere-drenched double A-side single Flying To Berlin and Husband. A moody, literate troupe who have been bashing out tunes together for less than a year, having played their first show
as one back in January 2012.
The new singer-storyteller: King Krule
This ginger 18-year-old south Londoner %u2013 real name Archy Marshall %u2013 has turned heads with spiky lyrics and mournful delivery of his street smart new wave songs and stories, fusing elements of Joe Strummer, Jamie T and Plan B into a groove of his own.
The solo star: Tom Odell
Ditching the acoustic guitar in favour of a man at the piano approach, this Chichester-born solo star in the making (right) is hitting all the right notes. The 22-year-old’s been writing songs for the best part of a decade already, signed a deal after just four gigs and has drawn comparisons to Jeff Buckley. Lofty but deserved praise.
