25. Gangster Squad (Ruben Fleischer; October 19th)

Synopsis: A chronicle of the LAPD’s fight to keep East Coast Mafia types out of Los Angeles in the 1940s and 50s.

Why You Should Look Forward To It: The number of quality gangster films is unfortunately declining nowadays, but Ruben Fleischer’s upcoming crime epic is looking to mark a change in that trend. Featuring the likes of Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn & Josh Brolin, this detective thriller is Fleischer’s first feature that is an out and out drama, which leaves question marks in the eyes of some. However, he showed a keen eye for action with his uniquely entertaining Zombieland, and Gangster Squad will no doubt be phenomenally acted, if nothing else. – Jack C.

24. Simon Killer (Antonio Campos; TBA)

Synopsis: A recent college graduate goes to Paris after breaking up with his girlfriend of five years. His life should be open-ended and full of promise, but he can’t shake his feelings of loss. Being a stranger in a strange land only aggravates his situation. When he falls in love with a young mysterious prostitute, a fateful journey begins, though we soon learn that Simon is the one with deeper secrets.

Why You Should Look Forward To It: Campos’ debut, Afterschool, is one of the best-kept secrets among cinephiles to emerge in the past ten years. The amount of control and skill exuded in that feature was enough to grant the guy some attention, and the synopsis for his next only makes things a little more interesting. No matter what the thematic and narrative content delivers, I’m expecting nothing less than exemplary technical craft. – Nick N.

23. Stoker (Chan-wook Park, TBA)

Synopsis: A teenage girl mourning the death of her father deals with an uncle who mysteriously shows up to meet the family.

Why You Should Look Forward To It: One of a handful South Korean filmmakers making their English-language debut, Chan-wook Park has rounded up quite a cast for Stoker, including Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode, Dermot Mulroney, Jacki Weaver and Lucas Till. Is there a creepy turn to the seemingly standard logline? We’ll have to wait and see, but coming from this director I’m sure a mountain of surprises are in store. – Jordan R.

22. Argo (Ben Affleck; September 14th)

Synopsis: As the Iranian revolution reaches a boiling point, a CIA ‘exfiltration’ specialist concocts a risky plan to free six Americans who have found shelter at the home of the Canadian ambassador.

Why You Should Look Forward To It: For a while there it looked like the world had burned out on Ben Affleck. His cache as an actor had fallen and his personal life became a punchline. Then, out of nowhere, Affleck surged back onto the scene as a highly acclaimed director. Between Gone Baby Gone and The Town, Affleck has ably proven himself a talent worth watching. Of course the fact that this movie is based on one a stranger-than-fiction true story involving espionage and subterfuge doesn’t hurt either. – Brian R.

21. Skyfall (Sam Mendes; November 9th)

Synopsis: Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

Why You Should Look Forward To It: I’m one of the few who liked Quantum of Solace, but even a viewer such as myself is looking for meatier content from this franchise. Mendes looks to be on track with that, and that’s only partially taking into account the casting of Javier Bardem as the antagonist. Really, it’s the more dramatic approach – which these movies can sometimes lose sight of – that has me pining to learn Skyfall’s secrets this fall. Daniel Craig kicking people’s ass once more is an attraction, too. – Nick N.

20. Cosmopolis (David Cronenberg; TBA)

Synopsis: Follows a multimillionaire on a 24-hour odyssey across Manhattan.

Why You Should Look Forward To It: Although the films he has made in the 21st Century are not quite as wildly eccentric as his earlier ones were, David Cronenberg still inserts a sense that nothing is at it seems and brings the twists and turns along the way that make his work so intense and intriguing. With Cosmopolis, the opportunity for paranoia is too good to pass up. His decision to make Robert Pattinson the star bewildered some, but I have faith in his decisions. Expect the unexpected. – Jack C.

19. The Place Beyond the Pines (Derek Cianfrance; TBA)

Synopsis: A motorcycle stunt rider considers committing a crime in order to provide for his wife and child, an act that puts him on a collision course with a cop-turned-politician.

Why You Should Look Forward To It: Coming off his intimate drama Blue Valentine, Cianfrance is re-teaming with Ryan Gosling and bringing along Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Rose Byrne, Ray Liotta and Animal Kingdom’s Ben Mendelsohn. If his knack for capturing fully fleshed out characters transfers over to this more marketable crime drama, then we are in for a winner. – Jordan R.

18. Cloud Atlas (Tom Tykwer, Andy and Lana Wachowski; October TBA)

Synopsis: Six stories set in a different time and place become intricately related to each other.

Why You Should Look Forward To It:  Six vaguely connected stories reaching across time and the earth is enough – changing your actors’ characters, genders, and race is flat-out insane. A new work from the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer is good enough; it’s that kind of towering ambition which makes Cloud Atlas an item of intense curiosity. – Nick N.

17. The End (Abbas Kiarostami; TBA)

Synopsis: The unusual relationship between a student, who works as prostitute on the side to pay for her studies, and a brilliant, elderly academic who is one her clients.

Why You Should Look Forward To It: Kiarostami may be one of our greatest living filmmakers, and he upheld this image just last year with the carefully measured, masterful Certified Copy. His next feature is a Japan-set “continuation” of that film, though it’s still not entirely clear how he’s going back to old territory. But do you really want to know? I just can’t wait to experience another long car drive and philosophical discussion – all of which is perfectly captured, of course. – Nick N.

16. Seven Psychopaths (Martin McDonagh; TBA)

Synopsis: A screenwriter gets caught up in his pal’s dog-kidnapping plot.

Why You Should Look Forward To It: Best-known for such horrific yet hilarious plays as the child murder-centered comedy The Pillowman, Martin McDonagh made the leap to film in 2004, writing and directing the devilishly delightful Oscar-winning short Six Shooter. Next, he stepped up to features with the wickedly funny, Oscar-nominated hitman comedy In Bruges, which co-starred Irish bad boy Colin Farrell as a moody newbie killer and Six Shooter star Brendan Gleeson as his reluctant mentor. Like his stage plays, In Bruges displayed McDonagh’s deftly realized black humor, which is as dark and daring as it is demented and delightful. So his next effort, which pairs Farrell with Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell, who both co-starred in McDonagh’s last Broadway effort The Behanding in Spokane, seems guaranteed to tickle our funny bone’s with an edgy and macabre sense of humor. – Kristy P.

15. The Dark Knight Rises (Christopher Nolan; July 20th)

Synopsis: Eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, the terrorist leader Bane arrives in Gotham City, pushing it and its police force to their limits, forcing its former hero Batman to resurface after taking the fall for Harvey Dent’s crimes.

Why You Should Look Forward To It: Wait, you need us to tell you? Really? Well… it’s Christopher Nolan ending his (up to this time) outstanding trilogy on his own terms. The scale and scope looks nigh intimidating. Tom Hardy is ready to destroy Gotham as Bane, even if we won’t understand anything he’s saying. The IMAX footage is incredible. It’s a comic book movie that probably won’t feature tie-ins to other franchises. Nolan might stick this landing. If you’re not excited yet, I can’t see anything changing that. – Nick N.

14. Rust and Bone (Jacques Audiard; TBA)

Synopsis: And adaptation of Craig Davidson’s short story, which conjures a savage world populated by fighting dogs, prizefighters, sex addicts, and gamblers. The twenty-seven bones of the title story are the bones in a boxer’s hands; once broken, they never heal properly, and the fighter’s career descends to bouts that have less to do with sport than with survival: no referee, no rules, not even gloves.

Why You Should Look Forward To It: Jacques Audiard gave us one of the better French exports from the past ten years with A Prophet, and he’s coming back with a series of tales described as a “mix of suspense and love.” Marion Cotillard is leading what, based on the source material, may or may not be an ensemble piece/anthology picture, but let’s not fret over that right now; just take this as one of 2012’s most promising efforts. – Nick N.

13. Lincoln (Steven Spielberg; December TBA)

Synopsis: The sixteenth President of the United States guides the North to victory during the Civil War.

Why You Should Look Forward To It: Steven Spielberg has always been known for his grand visions and epic scales when it comes to filmmaking. His decision to make a biopic of Abraham Lincoln, focusing on his pivotal role during the Civil War, accentuates his desire to tackle complex subjects head on whilst providing thought provoking ideas. The film features an astonishingly good cast, with Daniel Day-Lewis as the titular president being supported by such talented stars as Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tommy Lee Jones and David Straitharn, who don’t even begin to touch on how many recognizable faces will be appearing in this production. Suffice to say, this will be a major awards contender. – Jack C.

12. Amour (Michael Haneke; TBA)

Synopsis: A retired couple deals with aftermath of the wife suffering from a debilitating stroke.

Why You Should Look Forward To It: If you like a movie to stick with you after just one viewing — a Michael Haneke film is for you. Through his dense subject matter and restricted visual style, he has the ability to emotionally and physically control his audiences. Coming off his Palme D’or win for The White Ribbon in 2009, Amour has some big shoes to fill but shouldn’t disappoint on any dramatic level. – Megan E.

11. Prometheus (Ridley Scott; June 8th)

Synopsis: A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.

Why You Should Look Forward To It: With Alien and Blade Runner, Ridley Scott redefined sci-fi movies forever. It has now been 30 years since the latter and the director is finally returning to his roots with Prometheus, a film that was once set to be a prequel to Alien, but is still heavily inspired. Whatever the case, it should be a highly entertaining and intriguing thriller, and with no returning characters from the franchise, it means that pretty much anything goes, cranking up the suspense. Whether Scott can conjure up the magic of his first two forays into science fiction remains to be seen. However, there should be little doubt about his credibility and the ensemble cast features some terrific stars. This has the potential to be one of the very best films of 2012. - Jack C.

The Film Stage’s 145 Most-Anticipated Films of 2012

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