Prometheus! Just as Alien was the anti-Star Wars, Prometheus promises to be the anti-Avatar and just as epically frightening as that sounds - hopefully.

Blade Runner
Black Hawk Down
American Gangster
Alien

This cannot be bad.

Definitely looking forward to Prometheus, Dark Knight Rises and The Hobbit.

Also looking forward to the movies that right now I know nothing about but are worth seeing.

No mention for Prometheus Mr Kermode?,tut tut,disapointed in you;)

TDKR on the other hand looks...ok.
Still cant put my reasons for desliking certain things about Nolans Batman films.
Maybe they just lack that charm-value.

just like to second that about Prometheus.how come that was not on the list mark? really hope it lives up to the best of the Scott canon, a BIG ask i know but i think i could happen.
the Dark Knight and The Hobbit look the best mainstream fair on paper with the best directors/ crew that have been at the helm of two of,if not the best, fantasy/comic adaptation's of the last 15 years.
can't wait!

I've been boring the life out of everyone who will listen by telling them about a low budget sci-fi film called '0000' which should hopefully be out soon. The trailer reminds me of the Darren Aronofsky film Pi, which can only be a good thing!

Here is the trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBrd5AF8kos

Prometheus could be rubbish. His last foray into te Alien franchise was a Lucas style fiddling with the original that was not an improvement. Plus his last film saw him bottling out of doing Nottingham and opting for a dodgy Robin Hood rerun instead. Prequels are usually a sign of desperation.

Mark you are aware that the muppets movie is nothing more than communist propaganda that the liberal media is using to brainwash our children? Or at least that's what Fox News says...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9cGYRz-6sQ

Personally, I would use that as the films tagline

Whats happening with 'Iron Sky'?
Coming or going?

Sadly no mention of Promeheus

Prometheus*

@1 Steven Dinnie

I wouldn't say Prometheus is the anti-Avatar as it's being filmed in 3D. I would only consider a sci-fi film being anti-avatar if it sticks 2 fingers up at James Cameron and 3D. By all means, I am looking forward to it.

I saw shame in November at a premier in Cardiff with a Q&A with the producer and composer. Meh...The jury's still out for me on it.

As well as Prometheus, I'm looking forward to A Dangerous Method and The Dark Knight Rises. Also I am quite looking forward to On the Road with Sam Riley and (dare I say it) Kristen Stewart, I do like an American road movie. Dark Shadows, Tim Burton's new film has parked my interest as well, I know nothing about the original soap opera, but it looks like Tim Burton doing a dark tone, which is when he's at his best.

PTA's The Master!

How could you miss out Prometheus!?

mark kermode a man famous to me for doing a blade runner documentary

purposefully doesn't mention prometheus

every comment tries to convey why

hook line and sinker

(also could be because ridley might convince him about 3d)

Another one for Prometheus.

I cannot wait for Dark Knight Rises too but IMAX will never be the future of cinema. Not because it's not any good (because it is) but because it's available in comparatively so few cinemas and it's hardly a new technology.

Oh, all those films look good enough, but what I'm really looking forward to are Mark's reviews of Halloween 3D and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D...

So many films to look forward to in the coming year, even with the summer Olympics I think it's going to be a record year.

My must see list of 2012:
The Dark Knight Rises
Prometheus
Skyfall
The Hobbit
Django Unchained
Brave
Cosmopolis
The Avengers
The Great Gatsby
World War Z
Lincoln
*cough* The Expendables 2

I'm definitely looking froward to "The Dark Knight Rises" and "The Hobbit", both should be good if they live up to their pedigree. I'm also looking forward to "The Woman In Black". I've seen a couple of reviewers panning the trailer, but with nothing to back-up the scorn they're pouring on it. Hammer and Jane Goldman are enough for me to be cautiously optimistic, but then, I liked the trailer!

I'm ambivalent about Prometheus. It could be utterly wonderful - or not. The trailer doesn't give much away. I so WANT it to be good, but there's a good chance it won't live up to the hype.

Good list. But the film I can't wait for is "Red Lights". The latest feature from Rodrigo Cortes. Director of the fantastic 2010 film "Buried".

New De Palma film, 'Passion'....looks interesting

World War Z isnt till 2013 no17

Least that is what is listed as currently.

It is interesting that you have a dig at George Lucas, justifiably so, but not that other complete hypocrite James Cameron. Who has been outspoken against people retrofitting 3D to old movies yet here we are come April, Titanic 3D sets sail. Surely just as money grabbing and sickly as Lucas bring us the Star Wars films in 3D.

Of course Marvel have also announced The Avengers is being retrofitted with 3D.

Like most above..... Prometheus looks simply beautiful.

and of course... Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter lol (joking btw)

Richard Linklater's 'Bernie' and Paul Thomas Anderson's 'The Master'.

As others have said Mark: Prometheus?
I can't wait for The Dark Knight Rises (and to a lesser degree The Hobbit), but Ridley Scott's return to science fiction is one of the bigger (movie) events of the year.

Rian Johnson's Looper for me then The Great Gatsby, The Dark Knight Rises and Skyfall.

Mark's best review/rant will be Battleship I thinks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSPYtlWxmho

With love for all things Muppet (Christmas Carol being not only their best, but The best Christmas fil of ALL TIME) I am so looking forward to this new one. Their awesome Girl with the Dragon Tattoo-inspired trailer is real gem.
I too join the others here in mentioning Prometheus. Others I'm hyped about are The Dark Knight Rises (well duh), Django Unchained, The Raid, Anything with Jason Statham (so Expendables 2 is a no brainer, probably literally, and it has Jean Claude Van Damme), Skyfall (they have to rescue Bond from the awfulness of Question of Sport) and Aardman's Pirates.

Wot... no Iron Sky?

Personally, I can't wait to see Giorgos Lanthimos' Alps.

Although I'm looking forward to Prometheus as well, I'd counter the list of good Ridley efforts cited above with:

Legend
GI Jane
Matchstick Men
Robin Hood

As the latter was pretty egregious, I'd withhold my expectations.

Also, to pedantically bang my drum to anyone who'd listen (or not as the case may be), I won't be at all surprised to see some of these upcoming films featured in the BAFTA's although they have not been released in this year. BAFTA has a proviso that exists solely so they may nominate films that have been nominated for Oscar's but which haven't been given a proper release to the UK viewing public. All it serves is to lamely suggest relevance for the BAFTA's between the Golden Globes and the Oscar's and a chance for distributors to push UK release dates of nominated films closer to the BAFTA ceremony, as films are eligible for nomination if their scheduled release is up to two days before the awards ceremony itself. (anyone interested in following the progress of my so far tractionless rant may google "my annual bafta annoyance").

Mindless pedantry aside, my heart's true anticipation can only be expressed by a red mop-faced drummer named Animal:

Muppets! MUPPETS! M U P P E T S!

(Given the claims of Fox News of political indoctrination, perhaps this is the real Film Socialisme. Unfortunately, that title had already been used.)

If you think the Doc simply overlooked Prometheus then you'll believe anything; this movie may well do for 3D what The Matrix did for DVD - and he knows it...!

@12 Kevy Canavan wrote:
PTA's The Master!

Now we are talking!

Oh yes, a new P.T.Anderson picture is always something to celebrate, his canon of work thus far has been really quite incredible. Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love and, of course, the outstanding opus that is There Will Be Blood. All original, all great and now comes The Master (working title?) in December 2012… it's like Christmas all over again!

Prometheus, The Dark Knight Rises, Skyfall and The Hobbit are the obvious must see event movies for 2012 but, with a little luck and a keenly attuned 'cine-dar', there may well be a few gems that surface without the need of a multi-million dollar PR assault. Fingers crossed.

2012 could be a Cronenberg's year what with the double whammy of A Dangerous Method and Cosmopolis.

I thought Cosmopolis gets released in 2013?

No mention of Prometheus! Dr. K, you should be ashamed of yourself! Considering you made a documentary on Blade Runner, I would have thought you more than others would have been excited to see the old Master of Sci-Fi return to the genre, and yes, in 3D!

Shame on the fan boys for over estimating Ridley Scott more like.

I disagree with you about The Artist. Being silent and in black and white was successful for the film because both of those are now a gimmick. If films were more regularly released like that it wouldn't be as much of a success.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

You know that George Lucas was once a Jedi. He couldn't cynically exploit a franchise. It's not in his character.
But maybe a teen romcom set in high school and with vampires might be the direction to take.

Hobbit, Dark Knight Rises and Iron Sky!

http://www.ironsky.net/site/

I couldn't be looking to "The Dark Knight Rises" more than I am! Simply cannot believe Mark Kermode hasn't mentioned "Prometheus", a simply brilliant looking film from an absolute legend of a director. I mean, give me a break! He mentions the Muppet film, and not that? Who's he kidding? And what about the next Bond film, "Skyfall"?

My cinematic tastes tend toward art house films so i'm looking forward to J Edgar, The Artist and A Dangerous method. I was curious about 'The Iron lady' but after hearing of it's 'Mamma Mia' connections i'm not going to bother, i don't have much enthusiasm for 'The Hobbit' but like everyone else i'm breathlessly excited about 'The Dark knight rises'.

Dr K thanks for a year of great blogs and great recommendations only one thing to say "please sir can i have some more".

I'm looking forward to The Woman in Black but am prepared to be let down. I love Herbert Wise's ITV movie and the book is equally terrifying but if they've given it the BBC/British flick treatment then I may have to set fire to the screen, the audience and anyone I can grab passing by outside.

Just wanted to say Happy New Year from across the pond to Mark and his blog-followers... "Happy New Year!"

So many movies to look forward to in 2012.

My list, so far is:

The Woman in Black
The Dark Knight Rises
The Hobbit
A Dangerous Method
The Artist
The Muppet Movie
The Iron Lady.

Why do so many movies coming out have "The" at the beginning of their titles?

Going to see War Horse today to start my new year in movie excellence.

Warhorse? Yes. It's Spielberg after all.

The Muppets? Without doubt.

Dark Night Rises? At the top of the list along with Prometheus.

But The Hobbit? Hmmm. Have you forgotten its star is an 'actor' who brought us Swinging With the Finkels? Maybe we'll find out if God's Kiwi manservant can work miracles in his absence...

Regarding the awards season, I propose a new category in the Kermode Awards: Gong Travesties aka Righting the Wrongs. It's very likely Olivia Coleman's exquisite and harrowing performance in Tyrannosaur will not even garner an Oscar nod and will lose to Meryl Streep's latest accent. This may even eclipse the embarrassment of rewarding Tommy Lee Jones for The Fugitive over Leonardo DiCaprio for What's Eating Gilbert Grape.

Sometimes they get it right. Sometimes.

[It's steg-off-ill-ist, Mark]

I don't agree that IMAX is the future. There aren't enough IMAX screens in the country for it to be a factor in most people's choice of where and how to see a film - my nearest is fifty miles away. For that to change there would need to be a substantial programme of building special cinemas, to screen movies that are already screened perfectly well in conventional cinemas. TRANSFORMERS 3 was shown in IMAX, remember.

Rather than gimmicks like 3D or showing films on screens the size of the Ark Royal, I'd like to think the future of cinema is better writing, better directing, better acting, and not letting Seth Rogen make any more films.

Okay, these look semi-interesting:

Haywire (isn't this out yet?)
Man on a Ledge
Bel Ami
The Raven
Butter
Wettest County
The Avengers
Jack the Giant Killer (Cornish origins)
The Amazing Spider-man
The Dark Knight Rises
Skyfall
World War Z
Django Unchanied
The Great Gatsby
Treasure Island

And on the flipside:
Is Texas Chainsaw really coming out in 3D?
Has Robert De Niro given up on acting, (have you seen the rubbish he is in this year?)

2012, some big movies but overall appears to be very dull. Thank gawd for the Good Doctor.

The trailer for Haywire is of the most terrible trailers I've ever seen. It's even got the "in a world of" voice over to it. Just horrible, horrible mess of a trailer. Also Man on a Ledge looks pretty rubbish as well.

I seen the trailer for warhorse about 4 times now and each time I've died a little inside. I'm sorry but I find a boy looking lovingly at his horse and having drawing of that horse in his wallet a bit dodgy and cheese as well. Yeah I'm little bit of a cynic haha

Let us all pray that this is the year we finally ,finally enjoy the wonder of IRONSKY.
In Nomine Patri et Fili Spiritu Sancte

Apologies if this has come up but has Dr K not done a film review of 2011 for the news channel this year? I saw the Tom Brook one on Christmas day but was waiting for the good doctor's usual festive programme but I haven't seen it on yet, BBC cuts to blame?

Come on Mark, no mention of Prometheus. I like most people of the era have been waiting/anticipating Ridley Scotts return to the Alien franchise. I can’t wait to find out the back-story of the “Space Jockey”!

Yet another for Prometheus and I woul add Red Tails, written by George Lucas, a first non-Star Wars film for many years. the biggest release by a long way for me is Dark Knight, I am going to try and see this on IMAX if I can... And how coluld I forget A Thousand Words starring Eddie Murphy, it's been completed but not released for at least 2 years, so funny and so brilliant that the studios are obviously worried about people dieing of laughter at in the Cinema!

I have no desire to see The Iron Lady. Steve Nallon's performance as Margaret Thatcher in Spitting Image was the definitive performance.

Already the Dark Knight Rise's seems overhyped,much like the 'baggy' Dark Knight.Which was held together by Oldmans and Heath Ledgers performances.
Yet the only difference is people have seen the TDK.

I too have no interest in seeing 'iron lady'.I desliked M.Thatcher as much as anyone.And to also see her glorified on the big screen makes me want to vommit.

On a side note I still think the america-nized 'The girl with the dragon tattoo' remake is arguably up there in the list of most pointless remakes of the past few years.
Whats the matter,cant people read subtitles?

I was looking forward to seeing Dr Kermode in Absolutely Fabulous on New Year's Day. Now I've seen this epic piece of television history, I have nothing else to look forward to for the whole year.

@ 51 Jackovasaurus

See my a bit lengthy comment on american version of TGWTDT on the 'the worst 10 films of 2011' thread, if you want to that is haha

Kermode on Ab Fab! Kermode on Ab Fab! (And that's the quietest I've ever seen him!)

Dredd. September. 2012. That is all.

@Luke Smith
will do:)

@Coup Attempt
Oh yes,who could forget Dredd.

The Avengers, TDKR, The Muppets, John Carter, World War Z.

The only ones that really excite me are Rec:3 and Rec:4.
Otherwise potentially interesting movies could be: 47 Ronin, Life of Pi, Shaolin, Bullet to the Head (Walter Hill!) and rumour has it PT Anderson is taking on scientology with The Master.

Dark Knight Rises could be a let down after TDK (Joker has always been the best batman villain) and from the trailer it looks as if it will be really, really baggy plot wise.

Prometheus? It could be special, but then again… Beware directors revisiting their past hits (e.g. Lucas & Star Wars, Spielberg & Indiana Jones).

The Hobbit? It sounds like Jackson has decided to add quite a lot of extra story (i.e. muck about with the book) in order to stretch it over two movies. Tolkien’s book – a fine adventure in its own right – should be single movie, and I really wish Del Toro was directing it, not Jackson.

Skyfall. I just hope it is more Casino Royal than Quantum…

Otherwise I live in hope.

Hi Mark.. really love your blog! Came across this post when scouting out new film releases for the new year and was hoping to find a list. Actually stumbled upon a 2012 world news spoof post on a South African blog which was a good laugh, especially since it used the upcoming release of Marvel's The Avengers in one of its zodiac predictions - think you might enjoy it!