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20. Toy Story 3

Release Date: June 18

The Who: Directed by Lee Unkrich; Written by Michael Arndt; Starring Tim Allen and Tom Hanks

The Pitch: Fans everywhere probably consider this sequel long overdue, especially considering the strength of the second film, the track record of the studio, and the endurance of the characters in our culture. There’s a new generation of kids (and older kids have just gained a few years), so I can only imagine another exciting, laughter-inducing ride as we look at what happens when we grow too old for our toys. And the 3D glasses should hide any tears that come my way.

19. The American

Release Date: December 17

The Who: Directed by Anton Corbijn; Starring George Clooney

The Pitch: Another music video director on the list, Anton Corbijn also directed the brilliant film Control, which looked at the life of lead singer for Joy Division Ian Curtis. Him collaborating with Clooney (and in drama about a hired killer) has the potential to be a palpable combination.

18. Edge of Darkness

Release Date: January 29

The Who: Directed by Martin Campbell; Written by William Monahan and Andrew Bovell; Starring Mel Gibson

The Pitch: For American-born Mel Gibson’s return to acting, this should be highly anticipated enough, but if you liked little films like The Departed or Casino Royale or Payback (the director’s cut) then you should be all over this one. Even with the…questionable Bostonian accents.

17. Tomorrow, When the War Began

Release Date: TBA

The Who: Directed by Stuart Beattie; Starring Rachel Hurd-Wood, Phoebe Tonkin, and Lincoln Lewis

The Pitch: I fully realize that there’s a remake of Red Dawn coming out this year, but Tomorrow, When the War Began (if the novel is any indication) will be a bit grittier and more realistic when it comes to the Rag-Tag-Band-of-Teenagers-Banding-Together-to-Band-Against-Foreign-Military-Invaders genre. Plus, we’ll get to see the directorial debut of the screenwriter behind 30 Days of Night and the Pirates of the Caribbean films.

16. The Losers

Release Date: April 9

The Who: Directed by Sylvain White; Written by Peter Berg; Starring Zoe Saldana, Idris Elba, Chris Evans, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan

The Pitch: If you’re a comic book fan, then you’re a fan of Andy Diggle and Jock. You’re also most likely a fan of their lovable Losers who happen to have their names on a C.I.A. Death List. God, this is such a cool comic book. In fact, you should go buy it right now and read it to increase your anticipation of this film. If Sylvain White can do these characters justice, we might have one of the hippest comic adaptations of the decade.

15. The Expendables

Release Date: August 13

The Who: Directed by Sylvester Stallone; Starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Bruce Willis, and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

The Pitch: This movie features every bad ass of the past 40 years except Jean Claude Van Damme. If they get JCVD for the sequel, it will be that much cooler, but for now, we’re going to have to deal with the explosive awesomeness and what promises to be an innumerable amount of asses kicked.

14. Clash of the Titans

Release Date: March 26

The Who: Directed by Louis Letterier; Starring Sam Worthington, Gemma Arterton, and Liam Neeson

The Pitch: The ancient mythical tale of the son of Zeus fighting Medusa, riding around on a horse with wings and generally pissing off the Pantheon of Gods. While I’m heartbroken that they’re updating the stop-motion genius of Ray Harryhausen, I have to admit that the previews and trailers for this flick make the film look like it will grind audiences into the dust with action.

13. The Wolfman

Release Date: February 12

The Who: Directed by Joe Johnston; Written by Andrew Kevin Walker; Starring Benecio del Toro, Emily Blunt, and Anthony Hopkins

The Pitch: Another re-imagining of a classic tale, I think del Toro has the creepy charisma to bring a character like this to life. It’s a perversion of man, a look into the dark soul of someone forced to be violent, and it promises to have an intense amount of gnashing teeth. Plus, can you really go wrong with Rick Baker involved?

12. The Last Airbender

Release Date: July 2

The Who: Directed by M. Night Shyamalan; Starring Dev Patel and Jackson Rathbone

The Pitch: I’ve never seen the Anime, but I was blown away by the trailer when it came out. A child doing amazingly acrobatic martial arts as the camera pulls out and away from the mouth of a cave where a giant armada knifes through a choppy sea on the cusp of attack. Beyond a cool fighting film, it’ll be interesting to see what Shyamalan can do with source material and without foliage as the main villain.

11. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Release Date: TBA

The Who: Directed by Edgar Wright; Starring Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Anna Kendrick

The Pitch: When my friend Sara first introduced me to Scott Pilgrim, I fully admit to geeking out. The story about a slacker with no real job, no real place to live, and no shortage of ambition for his shitty local band hit home for some reason. That combined with some crazy, video-game style action (and puns) and the elusive girl everyone wants to be with, Ramona Flowers, make it a great pleasure that’s distilled into each book. Edgar Wright has shown incredible comedic chops (even pranking Cera during the press tour for Superbad), and it’s that sense of humor that’s right to see Scott Pilgrim take on all of Ramona’s evil exes.

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