2010 Sci Fi Movie Preview
The Christmas blockbuster season will have passed and the Summer blockbuster season will still be a few months away, but from January to April there are still quite a number of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror movies on the schedule to keep fans coming into the theaters during the slower months. The comments included for each film are by our Television Editor John J. Joex (JJJ) and our Horror/Comics Editor Sam Christopher (SC). Where possible, we have included links to the movie’s official site and/or to other sites with the teaser trailers. We will continue to update this page throughout the coming months as we get new information.
For more information on these and other upcoming 2010 movies, go to TheMovieInsider.com
January:
Case 39
Cast: Renée Zellweger, Jodelle Ferland, Ian McShane
Director: Christian Alvart
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: January 1st ???
Synopsis: A social worker saves a 10 year old girl from her homicidal parents only to find that they may have had a reason for wanting her dead.
Comments JJJ: Instead of another movie about a demonic kid on the loose, this looks like one about a kid chased by demons.
Interest Level: None
Comments SC: I saw this! It was a Dean Koontz flick, right? The one about the kid who turns out <surprise!> to be the Son of Satan… or something like that.
Interest Level: None
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DaybreakersCast: Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill
Director: Peter Spierig, Michael Spierig
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: January 8th
Synopsis: A plague has transformed most of the population of the Earth into vampires. With fewer humans around, the vampires have to create farms to assure they have a food supply, but one of the vampires finds a way to possibly save the human race.
Comments JJJ: What’s with all these plagues turning people into either Vampires or Zombies? Still, this one could be worth a look.
Interest Level: I’ll catch it if time allows.
Comments SC: Sounds like Ultraviolet.
Interest Level: Not much really.
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Hoodwinked 2: Hood vs. Evil
Cast: Hayden Panettiere, Glenn Close, Patrick Warburton
Director: Mike Disa
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes
Hits the Theaters: January 15th tbd
Synopsis: In this sequel to 2005’s animated Hoodwinked!, Red Puckett teams up with Wolf W. Wolf to investigate the mysterious disappearance of Hansel and Gretel and Mr. Alligator.
Comments JJJ: I never caught the first one and didn’t hear great things about it either. I’ll probably pass on this one as well.
Interest Level: I’ll catch it on DVD if I ever get around to watching the first on DVD and if I like that one.
Comments SC: I don’t recall the first one at all.
Interest Level: Not gonna happen.
Let Me InCast: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Moretz, Richard Jenkins
Director: Matt Reeves
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes
Hits the Theaters: January 15th tbd
Synopsis: In this American remake of the Swedish film Lat den ratte komma in, a 12 year old boy, who has problems with bullies at school, befriends a young female neighbor who moves to town and turns out to be a vampire.
Comments JJJ: I’m guessing this one is yet another attempt to jump on the Twilight bandwagon, though for a slightly younger demographic.
Interest Level: None.
Comments SC: An American remake of what sounds like a foreign film ripoff of Twilight? Is there no creativity left in film?
Interest Level: Ummmm, no.
Book of EliCast: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis
Director: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: January 15th
Synopsis: In a post-apocalyptic America, one man must make his way across the wasteland to protect a sacred book which might hold the key to saving the future of humanity.
Comments JJJ: Wait, I thought the vampire in Daybreakers above was saving humanity, no? Wrong post-apocalyptic world? You need a scorecard around here. Still Denzel Washington’s presence may make this one worth a look, even though I have never pegged him as the kick-ass action-star type which the trailer plays him up as.
Interest Level: I’ll catch it if time allows.
Comments SC: Lemme guess— the sacred book is The Constitution! No, wait, it can’t be; our politicians have spent so many decades defacing and soiling that document there’s no way it will be readable in the “post-apocalyptic future”.
Interest Level: Does have Denzel Washington. Maybe.
The Lovely Bones
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Rachel Weisz, Mark Wahlberg, Susan Sarandon
Director: Peter Jackson
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: January 15th
Synopsis: Peter Jackson takes a detour from the blockbusters of The Lord of the Rings and King Kong as he gives us a tale of a murdered girl who watches from the afterworld as her family and friends come to terms with her violent death (This wide release follows the movies limited run in December).
Comments JJJ: Sounds like quite a different turn for Jackson, but I think he can do a lot with the concept.
Interest Level: A must see!
Comments SC: This is one of those things that sounds kind of interesting and either is very gripping or is sleep inducing. I give Jackson the benefit of the doubt.
Level of Interest: Not a lot, really, but I may go see this.
LegionCast: Paul Bettany, Dennis Quaid, Tyrese Gibson
Director: Scott Stewart
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: January 22nd
Synopsis: God loses faith in humanity and dispatches an army of angels to rid the Earth of our presence. But in an out-of-the-way diner, the Archangel Michael prepares to make a last stand in support of the human race.
Comments JJJ: Humanity just can’t seem to catch a break this January! Still, the previews for this one look promising.
Interest Level: I’ll catch it if time allows.
Comments SC: Trailer does look good, but that is what trailers are for, right? Vaguely interesting as an SFX extravaganza version of The Prophecy, which was a very good film.
Interest Level: More vague than interest but… maybe.
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Tooth FairyCast: Dwayne Johnson, Julie Andrews, Stephen Merchant
Director: Michael Lembeck
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: January 22nd
Synopsis: A hockey player known for knocking the teeth out of his opponents’ mouths gets sentenced to spend one week as a real-life tooth fairy because of his misdeeds.
Comments JJJ: Huh? Are you kidding me?
Interest Level: None.
Comments SC: C’mon, they made this up! They didn’t really spend money making something like this. They don’t really think the viewing public is so lame we’ll go for crap like this! (And that was when I remembered our elected officials.)
Interest Level: Breaking the Third Law of Thermodynamics, passing the barrier of absolute zero.
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February:
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Cast: Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario
Director: Chris Columbus
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: February 12th
Synopsis: Based on the popular book series by Rick Riordan, this movie follows Percy Jackson who discovers that he is half human and half god and the son of the Greek god Poseidon. He also finds that he must save his mother and return Zeus’ stolen lightning bolt in order to avert a war between the gods.
Comments JJJ: With the Harry Potter film franchise winding down, looks like this one may be trying to tap into that audience.
Interest Level: I’ll catch it on DVD.
Comments SC: I thought the trailer for this was all right but now I’m wondering why they never made a film out of the Rush opus Cygnus X-1/Hemispheres.
Interest Level: <shrugs> We’ll see.
The WolfmanCast: Anthony Hopkins, Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt
Director: Joe Johnston
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes
Hits the Theaters: February 12th
Synopsis: A man must deal with the curse of lycanthropy which turns him into a wolf by night. This oft-delayed remake of the classic Universal monster movie starring Lon Chaney Jr. finally makes it to the big screen.
Comments JJJ: Even though I always felt that The Wolfman from 1941 never quite matched up to Universal’s superior Dracula and Frankenstein movies, it was still a good one and required viewing when it made it through the horror movie rerun cycle.
Interest Level: A Must See!
Comments SC: The Wolfman has always been my favorite of the Universal Monsters. I know it’s not the most celebrated film but that’s all right.
Interest Level: Must See!
The CraziesCast: Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson
Director: Breck Eisner
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes
Hits the Theaters: February 26th
Synopsis: This remake of the George Romero classic focuses on a small Kansas town subjected to a government experiment which turns people into blood-thirsty killers (but not vampires or zombies, seeing as we have enough of those in the other early 2010 offerings). The sheriff, still possessed of his sanity, must safeguard the lives of those few not inflicted by the madness.
Comments JJJ: I can’t believe I’ve never seen the original version of this, but I will definitely rectify that mistake before February 26th.
Interest Level: A Must See!
Comments SC: The original is basically a watered down remake of Romero’s own classic Night of the Living Dead. I liked it for what it was, but at its base it’s simply a zombie movie without zombies. Nothing wrong with that, but the nihilistic vibe that roiled through NOTLD and set the viewer’s spine to tingling just flattened out to a dull hum in this picture. Not bad, just safer and less edgy than its source material.
Interest Level: Cautiously Optimistic.
March:
Alice in Wonderland
Cast: Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, Crispin Glover
Director: Tim Burton
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes
Hits the Theaters: March 5th
Synopsis: Connoisseur of the eccentric Tim Burton takes on one of the most beloved pieces of eccentric literature, C.S. Lewis’ Alice in Wonderland. And Burton devotee Johnny Depp is on board as the Mad Hatter.
Comments JJJ: Burton and Depp together again and knee-deep in their element. Life is good!
Interest Level: A Must See!
Comments SC: I’ve looked forward to this for awhile. Unfortunately, I could say the same thing about this celebrated duo’s Sleepy Hollow and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and neither of those turned out very well for me. Also, don’t forget the comics adaptation of this classic novel by Moore and Reppion coming soon.
Interest Level: Cautiously Optimistic.
Hot Tub Time Machine
Cast: Rob Corddry, John Cusack, Craig Robinson, Chevy Chase
Director: Sean Anders, John Morris
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: March 19th
Synopsis: A group of male buddies find that a hot tub can take them back to their younger, wilder days.
Comments JJJ: Say what? Are you kidding me? Can I catch a quick ride on that?
Interest Level: I’ll catch it on DVD.
Comments SC: Y-y-y-yeah.
Interest Level: Rivals Tooth Fairy.
Season of the Witch
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, Stephen Graham, Claire Foy
Director: Dominic Sena
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: March 19th (Limited)
Synopsis: 14th century crusaders take a woman accused of witchcraft to an abbey where the monks will examine her and determine if her sorcery is the cause of the Black Plague which has decimated Europe.
Comments JJJ: Sounds like a more somber piece that would never make its way amongst the summer blockbusters so its getting an earlier (limited) release. Could be worth a look, though.
Interest Level: I’ll catch it if time allows (and if it makes it to my town).
Comments SC: Description sounds nothing like the early ‘70s Romero film (this was an alternate title for Jack’s Wife). Sounds all right, but it seems to me if the woman had that much power they’d never be able to capture her in the first place.
Interest Level: Don’t know enough about it yet; we’ll have to see.
Clash of the TitansCast: Sam Worthington, Gemma Arterton, Mads Mikkelsen
Director: Louis Leterrier
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes
Hits the Theaters: March 26th
Synopsis: This movie gives us a 21st century update on Ray Harryhausen’s 1981 film of the same name that follows the adventures of Perseus and his encounters with the Greek gods of old.
Comments JJJ: This was actually not one of my favorite films by Master of Fantasy Ray Harryhausen, so it won’t bother me too much to see it remade. And the trailer makes it look like they will improve on the original while also staying true to the spirit of Harryhausen’s imagination.
Interest Level: A Must See!
Comments SC: Not a big fan of remakes but it’s not as if this was an original story in ’81. And I did love the original.
Interest Level: Maybe.
How to Train Your DragonCast: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera
Director: David Soren, Lorna Cook
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: March 26th
Synopsis: This animated movie from Dreamworks brings Cressida Cowell’s book of the same name to the big screen. A young ne’er do well viking named Hiccup gets the chance to prove himself by slaying a dragon. But instead, he decides to befriend the beast.
Comments JJJ: I’m not familiar with the book, and the trailer looks like it is covering some pretty familiar territory. Still, could be worth a look.
Interest Level: I’ll catch it if time allows.
Comments SC: Also not a fan of all the cutesie Disney animation.
Interest Level: Would be much higher if this was about Hagar the Horrible.
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The Eclipse
Cast: Ciarán Hinds, Iben Hjejle, Aidan Quinn
Director: Conor McPherson
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: March 26th (Limited)
Synopsis: An Irish man believes that he is seeing ghosts which leads to him connect with a woman horror novelist.
Comments JJJ: Could be an interesting spooky, gothic type of film.
Interest Level: I’ll catch it DVD (since it is only getting a limited release anyway).
Comments SC: Sounds interesting.
Interest Level: Unsure thus far.
April:
Repo Men!
Cast: Alice Braga, Jude Law, Forest Whitaker
Director: Miguel Sapochnik
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: April 2nd
Synopsis: In a future world, a repo man who has multiple artificial organs must go on the run from his former partner when he can’t keep up with the payments on his heart transplant.
Comments JJJ: Sounds like a demented sort of movie and from what I can tell it has no connection with 1984’s demented classic Repo Man.
Interest Level: I’ll catch it if time allows.
Comments SC: This would probably sound better if I hadn’t already seen Logan’s Run. Still, can’t you just see Forrest Whittaker chasing someone down and screaming, “Run, Runner!” before firing a ray gun at him.
Interest Level: I doubt it, but you never know.
Kick-AssCast: Aaron Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: April 16th
Synopsis: Based on the comic book of the same name created by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr., this movie follows average teenager Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) who decides to become a real-life superhero even though he has no super powers.
Comments JJJ: Never picked up the comic, but this sounds like it could be entertaining.
Interest Level: I’ll catch it if time allows.
Comments SC: Never read the comic, so…
Interest Level: Low, but maybe.
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Piranha 3-D
Cast: Elisabeth Shue, Adam Scott, Ving Rhames, Richard Dreyfuss, Christopher Lloyd
Director: Alexandre Aja
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes
Hits the Theaters: April 16th
Synopsis: This movie remakes the 1978 original and adds 3-D into the mix. At the height of the tourist season in Lake Victoria Arizona, a tremor causes the lake’s floor to open and out comes thousands of hungry, flesh-eating fish!
Comments JJJ: Sure, a young John Sayles penned the script of the original Roger Corman bargain basement Jaws rip-off, but that’s no reason to remake this dead herring. And they managed to get Richard Dreyfuss on board for this?
Interest Level: None.
Comments SC: …
Interest Level: …
MacGruber
Cast: Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Val Kilmer
Director: Jorma Taccone
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: April 23rd
Synopsis: Will Forte brings his Saturday Night Live skit parodying MacGyver to the big screen.
Comments JJJ: That may be funny in short doses on SNL, but can it really hold up for a full movie? Look at the bright side, though, it can’t be worse than It’s Pat!
Interest Level: I’ll catch it on DVD.
Comments SC: Thanks, Wayne’s World!
Interest Level: None.
A Nightmare On Elm StreetCast: Jackie Earle Haley, Kyle Gallner, Thomas Dekker
Director: Samuel Bayer
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes
Hits the Theaters: April 30th
Synopsis: Following the lead of the Friday the 13th and Halloween franchise reboots, this one is set to re-introduce the story of Freddy Krueger to a whole new generation of movie-goers.
Comments JJJ: Do we really need yet another reboot of one of the slasher film staples? I never cared much for the original Freddy Krueger movies, so I can’t see what would entice me into the theaters for this one.
Interest Level: None.
Comments SC: I loved the original ANoES. I thought it innovative and interesting. Of course, as they spent the ‘80s remaking and reworking and ripping it off in sequel after sequel it degraded. Also, the TCM remake was all right, and the Halloween and Friday the 13th remakes were passable (so long as you knew what you were getting going in).
Interest Level: DVD probably. Might go see it at the theater.
For more information on these and other upcoming 2010 movies, go to TheMovieInsider.com
Summer:
The Summer Blockbuster season officially starts in May, so check back with us for further updates on the Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror movies scheduled to come out then. In the mean time, following are the dates for movies already on the schedule (many of these dates are tentative):
May:
Iron Man 2 (May 7th)
Shrek Forever After (May 21st)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (May 28th)
June:
The A-Team (June 11th)
Jonah Hex (June 18th)
Toy Story 3 (June 18th)
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (June 30th)
July:
The Last Airbender (July 2nd)
Predators (July 9th)
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (July 16th)
August:
Friday the 13th Sequel (August 13th)
Resident Evil: Afterlife (August 27th)
