FRIDAY TOP 10: Most Anticipated Movies 2011/2012

Sorry I was absent with this last week. I've been super busy, and frankly, I just didn't have time last Friday to write something up. But I thought, with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, it would be fun to look at the slew of future potential blockbusters that are starting to take shape now. Most on this list are from next year's crop of films, some are coming in 2012. But they all have one thing in common--I can't freaking wait to see them!

10.) The Bourne Legacy (August 3, 2012)/Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol (December 16, 2011) – I’m looking forward to both of these because I’m generally a fan of all six films between the two series, but I’ve got some misgivings for both. Bourne won’t return director Paul Greengrass (though Tony Gilroy is certainly a capable director) and Mission: Impossible has that awful title. But while these two might not live up to their predecessors, I’m still hope they’ll be fun and I look forward to finding out.

9.) Cowboys and Aliens (July 29, 2011) – This just sounds like a lot of fun. The cast is loaded (Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell, Paul Dano), and Jon Favreau is more than capable of crafting something smart and entertaining.

8.) Contagion (October 21, 2011) – Steven Soderbergh is such an eclectic director that I get excited for whatever he puts out there. This one sounds unlike anything he’s done and it’s also got a tremendous cast (Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Gwyneth Paltrow).

7.) Super 8 (June 10, 2011) – J.J. Abrams and team sure know how to cut a killer trailer. This one was absolutely chilling and totally bewildering. I have no idea what it’s about, but I know I’ll be there opening weekend.

6.) The Avengers (May 4, 2012) – It’s hard not to be at least somewhat excited for this—every comic book fan’s dream. I reserve judgment, however, to take this one off the list if Thor and Captain America fail to excite next summer.

5.) The Tree of Life (May 27, 2011) – I don’t love Malick the way many others do, but I certainly respect his decidedly uncommercial sensibilities. But this one has been on everyone’s horizon for so long that the fact that it actually has a release date gets me excited.

4.) Untitled Star Trek sequel (June 29, 2010) – It’s another film we don’t know the plot of, but based solely on the strength of J.J. Abrams’ first film in this series, I’m pumped to see what he’s got in store for us next.

3.) Hugo Cabret (December 9, 2011) – Scorsese. That’s all that should need to be said, but this one has even more going for it. He’s using 3-D for the first time, and there’s no doubt the man will do it right. Plus, it’s a film totally outside what we’re used to from the great director.

2.) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (July 15, 2011) – I’ll be seeing Part 1 next week in IMAX. We have to wait until next summer to see this one, but I think and hope it’ll be worth the wait. Seven films all building up to this, and the cast and crew are all saying they saved the best for last.

1.) The Dark Knight Rises (July 20, 2012) – I mean, could there be any other choice? Christopher Nolan will try to complete the trifecta in summer 2012. His previous two Batman features were sensation. While we don’t know many details about this one, I have all the faith in this team to end things with style.