The moguls may be freaking out – as the Twilightfinale nears and Harry Pottervanishes into the past – but there's some superb drama and (beware) a bit of left-wing propaganda from the Muppets to look forward to this spring, writes DONALD CLARKE
ARGH! EVERYONE is panicking frightfully in Cinemaland. Harry Potteris over. Twilightwill end in the summer. The 2010 figures were down on the previous year. The moguls desperately need a new money-spinner. Could T he Hunger Gamesdo the business? Every kid has read the book. Then again, they said the same thing about Eragon(remember that). John Carter, an old-school Martian epic, might just deliver the goods.
Surely, The Muppetscan't fail to be anything other than hilarious. We'll have to wait until summer to see the rest of the big guns in action. Until then, as we enter the Oscar penumbra, sensible viewers can enjoy a decent array of quality pictures. Shame and A Dangerous Methodoffer unsettling cerebral pleasures. The Descendantssees Alexander Payne returning successfully to the mid-life crisis picture. Of the films we've seen, however, we finger Sean Durkin's Martha Marcy May Marleneas the one you should crawl over rusty nails to see.
JANUARY 13
THE DARKEST HOURTimur Bekmambetov, director of Wanted, produces a teen-friendly, CGI epic in which aliens attack Moscow. Emile Hirsch is among the defenders.
MARGIN CALLWell reviewed in the US, featuring a top-notch cast – Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons – this drama of the financial meltdown inexplicably went AWOL during awards season.
SHAMEFollowing their triumph with Hunger, director Steve McQueen and actor Michael Fassbender reunite for this gripping tale of a man in thrall to sexual addiction. Think twice before inviting Aunt Edna.
WAR HORSEFollowing the ho-hum Tintin,Steven Spielberg is on surer ground with this lachrymose epic – derived from Michael Morpurgo's novel – concerning a horse's adventures during the first World War.
JANUARY 18
HAYWIREWhen does Michael Fassbender sleep? He's back in action for Steven Soderbergh's chase thriller set partly in Dublin. Watch the Kerryman get beaten to a bloody pulp in the Shelbourne Hotel.
JANUARY 20
CORIOLANUSRalph Fiennes directs and stars in this near-contemporary, Balkan staging of a difficult Shakespeare tragedy. Features some more-than-tolerable acting by Gerard Butler. No really.
J EDGARAnnoyingly, Clint Eastwood's biopic of J Edgar Hoover does not feature Leonardo DiCaprio prancing around in a pink frock. There are, however, sure to be compensations aplenty.
THE SITTEROnce a jewel of the art house scene, director David Gordon Green sinks deeper into the mainstream with this comedy about a young man (Jonah Hill) who encounters violent adventures while babysitting.
UNDERWORLD: AWAKENINGAre they still making these things? So it seems. The fourth film in the vampire-versus-werewolf franchise gives Kate Beckinsale a much-needed excuse to leave the house.
W.E.Madonna's second feature – yes, despite the Weinstein Company's claims it is not her debut – concerns the troubled relations between Mrs Simpson and Edward VIII.
JANUARY 27
THE DESCENDANTSA full seven years after Sideways, Alexander Payne returns with another drama about a middle-aged man suffering personal meltdowns. George Clooney stars as a Hawaiian businessman facing imminent widowhood.
THE GREYThe absurdly busy Liam Neeson is back to bellow at yet another menace. This time, after crashing his plane in Alaska, he's up against a pack of wolves. We don't much fancy the animals' chances.
HOUSE OF TOLERANCEMany critics' choice for the worst film on competition at last year's Cannes, Bertrand Bonello's absurdly vulgar drama investigates goings on at a French brothel in the early 20th century.
INTRUDERSJuan Carlos Fresnadillo, director of Intacto, returns with a thriller in which a young girl encounters some sort of troubling monster. Clive Owen and Carice van Houten star in this promising project.
A MONSTER IN PARISFrench animation concerning a giant flea adrift in Paris of the Belle Époque. It looks pretty enough. It features voice work from Vanessa Paradis and Ludivine Sagnier.
FEBRUARY 1
CHRONICLEModestly budgeted science fiction picture concerning a bunch of kids who discover they have various superpowers: flight, telekinesis, super-strength. Expect every review to mention the TV show Heroes.
FEBRUARY 3
CARNAGERoman Polanski has assembled a superb cast for his adaptation of Yasmina Reza's play God of Carnage. Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz and John C Reilly squabble and booze their way to oblivion.
JACK AND JILLIt's the film all intellectuals have been waiting for. Adam Sandler – strong favourite for both best actor and best actress Razzie – plays brother and sister in a comedy that promises broadness aplenty.
JOURNEY 2Remember that ghastly 2008 version of Journey to the Centre of the Earthstarring Brendan Fraser? Of course you don't. Anyway, part two stars Dwayne Johnson.
LIKE CRAZYA big hit at last year's Sundance Film Festival, Drake Doremus's picture finds Alton Yelchin and Felicity Jones trying to make sense of a long-distance romance. Ms Jones has already won a hatful of awards.
MAN ON A LEDGEMuch buzzed-about thriller concerning a man who climbs onto a lofty ledge and threatens suicide while his brother sets out to rob a neighbouring bank. Sam Worthington and Jamie Bell are among the stars.
MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENESuperb drama following a young woman as, while sheltering discordantly with relatives, she reflects on her time spent in a sinister cult. Elizabeth Olsen – younger sister of those twins – offers the year's breakthrough performance.
FEBRUARY 9
STAR WARS: EPISODE 1 (3D)Calm down. "Episode 1" refers to The Phantom Menace, not to the first film in the cycle. It's in 3D now. Bet the dialogue is no less flat.
FEBRUARY 10
BIG MIRACLETrue story concerning efforts to free whales from advancing ice in Alaska. Drew Barrymore and John Krasinksi will be working hard to deflect memories of Free Willy.
A DANGEROUS METHODNo, really. When does Michael Fassbender sleep? And vhat do his dreams mean? Michael plays C J Jung to Viggo Mortensen's Sigmund Freud in a drama from the great David Cronenberg.
THE MUPPETSIf the trailer is anything to go by, this latest film from the lovable puppets is set to be an absolute hoot. According to Fox News, it features left-wing propaganda. Another reason to attend.
RAMPARTHaving worked together successfully on the powerful The Messenger,director Oren Moverman and actor Woody Harrelson reunite for a much praised thriller concerning police corruption in Los Angeles.
THE VOWChanning Tatum blubs when his new wife (Rachel McAdams) slips into a coma, but it looks as if they might just learn to love again. Is February 14th looming?
THE WOMAN IN BLACKSusan Hill's hugely popular ghost story – the second longest-running straight play in the West End – is finally rendered as a theatrical feature. Daniel Radcliffe stars.
YOUNG ADULTCharlize Theron is receiving raves for her performance as a writer who returns home and attempts to woo her high-school sweetheart. Director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody reunite for the first time since Juno.
FEBRUARY17
EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSEStephen Daldry directs an adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer's novel set on and around 9/11. Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock star.
GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCENicolas Cage's head is still on fire. He still rides a big bike. You know the score.
THIS MEANS WARDoes it star Sylvester the Cat? If only. The dreaded McG directs Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine and Tom Hardy in a rom-com set in the world of espionage.
WOMAN IN THE FIFTHPawel Pawlikowski finally follows up the splendid My Summer of Love with(of all things) an adaptation of a Douglas Kennedy novel. Being set in Paris, it, of course, stars Kristin Scott Thomas.
FEBRUARY 24
BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTELThe UK National Treasure Club must have been deserted when John Madden was shooting this light comedy. J Dench, B Nighy, M Smith, C Imrie are all on board for a tale set in India.
BLACK GOLDJean-Jacques Annaud takes on an interesting historical topic: the origins of the Arab oil boom in the1930s. A Prophet'sTahar Rahim stars.
ONE FOR THE MONEYKatherine Heigl ruffles up her hair (a bit) to play a bale- bondsperson in an adaptation of a Janet Evanovich novel. Debbie Reynolds essays grandma. Respect!
RED DOGThe true story of a lovable mutt who brought an Australian community together while searching for his master. Almost certainly purports to be heart-warming.
SAFE HOUSERyan Reynolds, a rookie, is the only CIA man left standing when a bunch of villains assault the safe house where he is guarding dangerous Denzel Washington.
MARCH 2
BEL AMIRobert Pattinson is taking an interesting route away from Twilight.His latest is an adaptation of a Maupassant novel co-starring — you're way ahead of us — Kristin Scott Thomas.
GONEThe globe-eyed Amanda Seyfried gets all upset when her poor sister is abducted. She sets out to track down the perpetrator.
HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS Twilight has a great deal to answer for. Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton play grown-up, violently vengeful versions of the mythic siblings.
MICHAELHugely disturbing, but largely responsible Austrian film dealing with a paedophile who kidnaps an unfortunate young boy. Divided audiences at Cannes.
PROJECT XNo that's not a working title. Todd Phillips, director of The Hangover, directs a rare found-footage comedy. The picture details the aftermath of a wild house party.
MARCH 9
CLEANSKINYou need a British hardman to track down a suicide bomber? Who are you going to call? Well, ideally Jason Statham, but Sean Bean will do well enough.
JOHN CARTERA throat-clearer for blockbuster season, this much-anticipated adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs's John Carter of Mars stories marks the live-action directorial debut of Pixar's Andrew Stanton.
THE RAVENEdgar Allan Poe, author of the titular poem, joins a detective to track down the madman who is basing a serial-killing spree on his works. John Cusack is cast against type as the hero.
SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMENLasse Hallstöm, master of the middle-brow literary adaptation, is back to his old tricks with a take on Paul Torday's gently comical novel. Emily Blunt makes with the rods and flies.
MARCH 16
21 JUMP STREETBig screen remake of a 1980s teen cop show that is best remembered — if it is remembered at all — for giving Johnny Depp an early break. Jonah Hill takes over the shoulder holster.
CONTRABANDBaltasar Kormákur, known for the excellent 101 Reykjavikand Jar City, directs Mark Wahlberg in a thriller set in grimier parts of Panama.
MIRROR MIRROR Twilighthas a lot to answer for (part 2). Julia Roberts plays the evil queen in the first of two 2012 films based on Snow White. Charlize Theron will be along in June.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIANuri Bilge Ceylon's excellent procedural crime drama — two Turkish cops search for a body — won the runner-up gong at Cannes 2011. Slow, but gripping.
WE BOUGHT A ZOOKicked back from a December release, Cameron Crowe's film finds Matt Damon buying the zoo where winsome Scarlett Johansson works.
MARCH 23
THE HUNGER GAMESEveryone's on the search for the next Harry Potter. Could this adaptation of Suzanne Collins's novels — set in a post-apocalyptic world — generate the desired franchise? Gary Ross directs.
INTO THE ABYSSWerner Herzog's latest documentary investigates the rights and wrongs (mostly the latter) of the death penalty in the United States.
MARCH 28
STREETDANCE 2The first one was abysmal, but it turned out to be a huge hit. Good old Tom Conti stars in the inevitable sequel.
WRATH OF THE TITANSEverybody griped about Clash of the Titansbut again (see above), it turned out to be a worldwide smash. Sam Worthington shouts in three dimensions.
APRIL 6
AMERICAN PIE: REUNIONSurely the whole point of American Pie was that it concerned youngsters. Anyway, the team – now married or miserably single – come together for a high school reunion.
THE COLD LIGHT OF DAYHenry Cavill uncovers some sort of conspiracy when his family are kidnapped in Spain. Bruce Willis and Sigourney Weaver add class.
THIS MUST BE THE PLACEWhere has this been hiding? Sean Penn is superb as a neurotic rock star hiding eccentrically in Dublin. Paolo Sorrentino's picture premiered nearly a year before its eventual release.
A THOUSAND WORDSHuh? Eddie Murphy inherits a magic tree which (pay attention) bewitches him in such a manner that he is only able to speak 1,000 words for the rest of his life. Ohhhkay . . .
TITANIC 3DYou've already seen this film. The 3-D re-release celebrates the 100th anniversary of the ship's sinking.
APRIL 13
BULLET TO THE HEADWelcome back, Walter Hill. The veteran action master directs Sly Stallone in a hitman thriller.
THE CABIN IN THE WOODSJoss Whedon produces a horror story concerning strange goings on in the titular remote building.
MS ONE: MAXIMUM SECURITYGuy Pearce attempts to break into some sort of prison in outer space. No better man.
APRIL 20
AFRICAN CATSOne of those Disney nature things. This one's about lions.
BATTLESHIPA12? Miss. B11? Hit. Yes, it's a live-action version of the ancient game that people played when life was really, really boring. Liam Neeson is at the helm.
JEFF WHO LIVES AT HOMEYes, that's right. It's a comedy about an adult who has failed to escape the family home. Jason Segel is the poor sap.
PLAYING THE FIELDGerard Butler chats up the moms while coaching a soccer team. Eugh!
APRIL 27
FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENTCounter programming to the below, Nicholas Stoller's film stars Jason Segel and Emily Blunt as a couple who keep failing to get married.
THE AVENGERSThank heavens. After all those Sam Jackson teasers in earlier Marvel films, we finally get tosee all the superheroes on the same screen. Welcome to the summer, folks.
