By Timothy Austin
Which five films are destined for Box office glory in 2012? The top grossing films of the New Year will no doubt be five of the most discussed sequels in recent cinematic history including the final chapter of an iconic comic book hero. Here are my selections for the top five most anticipated films of 2012:
Men in Black III
There are few guarantees in life; but when it comes to US Box office success, there is no doubt that Will Smith is the reigning king since his magnificent blockbuster Independence Day. In 2012, Smith will offer fans of his lucrative Men in Black franchise another dose of alien crime fighting with Men in Black III, this time with several intriguing twists. The plot surrounds Smith’s Agent J having to travel back in time to save his partner, Agent K, played again by Tommy Lee Jones, from a new alien enemy bent on annihilating human life. The new cast includes former “Pussycat Doll” and current X-Factor judge Nicole Scherzinger as well as screen veteran Emma Thompson and Josh Brolin (playing a younger Agent K from the past). The trailer reveals Will Smith in true wise-cracking form aided significantly with the expected otherworldly special effects. While I thought the original film was a witty, action-filled thrill ride benefiting greatly from the chemistry between Smith and Jones, the sequel reduced the characters to caricatures. Hopefully with returning Executive Producer Steven Spielberg, an attractive new cast and new music by popular composer Danny Elfman, this third entry will be a vast improvement. (Release Date: May 25)
Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted
Summer 2012 could be owned exclusively by the Smith family. While Will stars in MIB III, wife Jada Pinkett Smith returns for what is sure to be the most successful animated film of the year, Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted. To fully understand how popular this franchise has become simply consider that NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams recently joked about the people of Madagascar having to “move it, move it” because of falling satellite debris; an obvious reference to the popular song from the original Madagascar. When Brian Williams is familiar with your soundtrack, you can surely consider yourself a pop-icon. In this third film, Pinkett-Smith returns as the wise-cracking hippo, along with the entire all-star cast of the previous films including heavy-weight comedians Chris Rock and Ben Stiller. Everyone’s favourite band of castaway zoo animals are now lost in Europe and are being tracked by Oscar-winner Frances McDormand as the voice of the hilarious Captain DuBois who is determined to 
return the renegade animals to their original home in New York. With few exciting prospects in animation for moviegoers, Madagascar 3 is sure to be Box office dynamite with a built-in audience of young children (and legions of adult fans). (June 8)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
To say that the prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is being highly anticipated would be an understatement. Since the initial announcement by famed Director Peter Jackson that production would commence on the film, there have been hundreds of fan-made websites, message boards and blogs created to discuss the release of the film. The film will focus on Frodo’s grandfather, Bilbo Baggins played by Martin Freeman, as he embarks on an adventure to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. While many of the original cast members do not make appearances, fans of the original film were elated with the return of Sir Ian Mckellen as Gandalf, a role that earned him a coveted Oscar nomination. Along with Anthony Hopkins, I consider Mckellen to be one of the greatest living actors, and as seen in the trailer, he returns in great form to the role of the wizard Gandalf. Watching the trailer one is instantly reminded of why the Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of the most successful as the viewer is swept away by nostalgic images of the Hobbits’ Shire, glorious cinematography revealing never-before-seen locations of Middle Earth and the majestic strains of Howard Shore’s phenomenally popular original music for the franchise. With little doubt, The Hobbit will be among the top 3 highest grossing films of 2012. (December 14)
The Avengers
A superhero team-up of this magnitude has never been attempted on film. In excess of six iconic Marvel Comic superheroes have been crammed into one gigantic action extravaganza and while there is a huge fan following for each of these heroes due to the successful Iron Man, Thor and Captain America films, this film represents a giant gamble for Marvel Studios. No doubt the filmmakers are worried about the return of the Hulk character, who, unlike the other franchise heroes, failed to garner success with his individual films. The original Hulk film was nothing short of a disaster; in fact it was so poorly received, the studio was forced to reboot with a new cast, but even the second Hulk film, while possessing a 
superior plot to its predecessor, was met with few cheers from fans. As a result, a new actor, Mark Ruffalo (13 Going on 30) was cast as Bruce Banner/The Hulk in Avengers further fanning rumours that the Hulk’s cold reception by fans would be the weak link in The Avengers. Obstacles aside, the casting of Shaft actor Samuel L. Jackson as the iconic Nick Fury is a stroke of pure genius and moviegoers from every corner of the web continue to list Avengers as a 2012 must-see. (May 4)
The Dark Knight Rises
Few will argue with me when I name The Dark Knight Rises as the most anticipated film of 2012, especially since the film’s predecessor was the highest grossing film of 2008. When images from the set leaked online, moviegoers went into a frenzy about popular actress Anne Hathaway in the Catwoman costume, a role made famous by Michelle Pfieffer in Tim Burton’s 1992 blockbuster Batman Returns. The trailer boasts suspenseful sequences and hints at a giant showdown between popular comic book villain Bane and Christian Bale’s Batman, including a terrific special effects shot in which an entire baseball field collapses. Director Christopher Nolan seems unaffected by the online criticism of the new villains. After all, fans initially reacted coldly when Heath Ledger was named as the Joker in the previous film; the role later garnered the actor a posthumous Oscar nomination and significant praise. With salivating fans, a much talked about cast and a soundtrack that is rumoured to be one of Hans Zimmer’s most brilliant, Dark Knight Rises is on target to be 2012’s highest grossing film. (July 20)
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