Most anticipated movies of 2011

Here we go! My epic list of (a little more than) 41 anticipated movies in the year 2011. The year looks promising so far. Also, please excuse the AP style rule-breaking here. There will be no movie titles in quotation marks in this blog entry.

41. Footloose

I’m not a huge fan of the original movie, but I think this remake sounds decent. And apparently they’re adding more musical numbers too. Director: Craig Brewer (of the wonderful Hustle & Flow), Cast: Kenny Wormland, Julianne Hough, Dennis Quaid

40. Fright Night

Another remake! I haven’t seen the original, but this comedy-horror movie sounds like it could be fun in 3D. Director: Craig Gillespie, Cast: Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, David Tennant, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Toni Collette, Dave Franco

39. Crazy, Stupid, Love.

I looked at the cast, and I’m there. Apparently it’s about a “marital crisis.” Directors: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, Cast: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Kevin Bacon, Marisa Tomei, Josh Groban (???)

38. Cedar Rapids

It doesn’t look hilarious, but I think it has promise. Director: Miguel Arteta (Youth in Revolt), Cast: Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Alia Shawkat, Sigourney Weaver, Anne Heche, Rob Corddry, Stephen Root, Kurtwood Smith, Thomas Lennon

37. The Adjustment Bureau

This was originally scheduled to be released last year, but it got pushed back. This has me worried, but I think the trailer is solid. Look! It’s Matt Damon wearing a funny hat! Director: George Nolfi, Cast: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Terrence Stamp, John Slattery, Anthony Mackie

36. Arthur Christmas

Aardman is back! The great studio that brought us Wallace & Gromit. That’s all. Directors: Sarah Smith and Barry Cook, Voice cast: James McAvoy, Bill Nighy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton

35. My Week with Marilyn/Hesher

I call this pick my character study/indie drama pick. First is My Week with Marilyn starring Michelle Williams. That’s all you need to know. Second is Hesher, the Joseph Gordon-Levitt film that premiered at Sundance last year and is finally going to be released.

My Week with Marilyn – Director: Simon Curtis, Cast: Michelle Williams, Emma Watson, Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, Dominic Cooper

Hesher – Director: Spencer Susser, Cast: Joseph Gordon -Levitt, Natalie Portman, Rainn Wilson

34. Bad Teacher/Friends with Benefits

I call this pick my Justin Timberlake comedy pick. Bad Teacher is about teachers getting frisky, and Friends with Benefits is about friends getting frisky.

Bad Teacher – Director: Jake Kasdan, Cast: Justin Timberlake, Jason Segel, Cameron Diaz, Molly Shannon, Eric Stonestreet, Thomas Lennon, John Michael Higgins

Friends with Benefits – Director: Will Gluck (Easy A), Cast: Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, Emma Stone, Rashida Jones, Woddy Harrelson, Patricia Clarkson, Richard Jenkins, Andy Samberg

33. Captain America: The First Avenger

2011 will be the year of the superheroes, but I only put a few chosen ones on this list. The director of this adaptation worries me, but I think the sets look great from the early pictures. Director: Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park III), Cast: Chris Evan, Hayley Atwell, Samuel L. Jackson, Hugo Weaving, Dominic Cooper, Stanley Tucci, Tommy Lee Jones, Sebastian Stan

32. The Ides of March

A movie about “dirty politics.” Just look at the director and cast. Director: George Clooney, Cast: Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Max Minghella, Jeffrey Wright

31. Sucker Punch

Zack Snyder’s directorial style has started to bother me, but I’ll still check this one out. Director: Zack Snyder, Cast: Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Carla Gugino, Jon Hamm

30. The Thing

I really liked John Carpenter’s 1982 movie The Thing, and this movie is supposed to be a prequel (they should work on the name). Director: Matthijs van Heijningen Jr., Cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Eric Christian Olsen, Joel Edgerton

29. Cowboys & Aliens

Dumb title, looks cool. Based on the graphic novel. Director: Jon Favreau, Cast: Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell, Paul Dano, Keith Carradine

28. Battle: Los Angeles

Another District 9? Probably not. But I have a good vibe about this one. And Michelle Rodriguez does her tough girl routine again! Director: Jonathan Liebesman, Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan, Michael Pena

27. Moneyball

This movie has finally made its way out of development hell! But will it be worth it? We’ll see. Director: Bennett Miller (Capote), Cast: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Robin Wright, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Chris Pratt

26. Thor/X-Men: First Class

This is called my “meh superhero movie” pick. I’ll see both, but I’m keeping my expectations low. My expectations for Thor are low because I think it looks a little sci-fi heavy, and my expectations for X-Men are low because production was really rushed.

Thor – Director: Kenneth Branagh, Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgard, Rene Russo, Clark Gregg, Idris Elba, Ray Stevenson

X-Men: First Class – Director: Matthew Vaugh, Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Lawrence, January Jones, Rose Byrne, Nicholas Hoult, Oliver Platt

25. Paul

The trailer kind of sucks, but the premise sounded great two years ago when I heard rumblings about it. I think this will be huge with the geek community. Director: Greg Mottola (Superbad), Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Seth Rogen (voice), Kristen Wiig, Jane Lynch, Sigourney Weaver, Jason Bateman, Bill Hader, Blythe Danner, Jeffrey Tambor, David Koechner

24. Paranormal Activity 3

Guilty pleasure pick. I (terrifingly) loved the first two. Director: Tod Williams (Paranromal Activity 2), Cast: Katie Featherston, who cares

23. Kung Fu Panda 2/Untitled Sherlock Holmes Sequel

The number 2s! The sequels are coming, and I’m legitimately excited for both of these.

Kung Fu Panda 2 – Director: Jennifer Yuh, Voice cast: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Gary Oldman, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Woods, Victor Garber, JCVD

Sherlock Holmes 2 – Director: Guy Ritchie, Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Stephen Fry, Jared Harris

22. Hanna/Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy

I call this my international espionage pick. With two very different spies. Hanna stars Saorise Ronan as a 14-year-old spy. The other stars Tom Hardy as a spy during the Cold War.

Hanna – Director: Joe Wright, Cast: Saorise Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana, Olivia Williams

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy – Director: Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Mark Strong

21. Live with It

JGL makes another appearance! This is a “cancer comedy” that was originally supposed to star James McAvoy. Director: Jonathan Levine, Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anjelica Huston

20. 30 Minutes or Less/Zombieland 2

My Jesse Eisenberg/Ruben Fleischer pick! The star/director of Zombieland reunite for two movies. The first is about two criminals kidnapping a pizza delivery guy and forcing him to rob banks. I think you know what the second one is. Although we’ll see if it actually gets released in 2011. Click the Eisenberg pick for a hilarious bonus GIF!

30 Minutes or Less – Director: Ruben Fleischer, Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Danny McBride, Aziz Ansari, Michael Pena

Zombieland 2 – Director: Ruben Fleischer, Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin (presumably)

19. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

Say what you want about Tom Cruise, but I think he’s still got it. Plus, I loved M:i:III. Director: Brad Bird, Cast: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, Anil Kapoor, Josh Holloway

18. Larry Crowne

Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts are back together again! This time, Hanks directs and stars as a man going back to college. Director: Tom Hanks, Cast: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Bryan Cranston, Wilmer Valderrama, Nia Vardalos, Taraji P. Henson

17. The Muppets

Disney is resurrecting the Muppets! And I’m glad. There’s not much else to say. Director: James Bobin, Cast: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Zach Galifianakis, Chris Cooper

16. Drive/Now

I call this my simplistically-titled action movie pick. The first one’s about stunt performers, and the second one’s about a future where no one ages.

Drive – Director: Nicolas Winding Refn, Cast: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman, Bryan Cranston

Now – Director: Andrew Niccol (Gattaca), Cast: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Olivia Wilde, Cillian Murphy, Johnny Galecki, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew Bomer, Vincent Kartheiser

15. The Eagle

Roman soldiers! I would watch anything Kevin Macdonald made. Director: Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland), Cast: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Mark Strong, Donald Sutherland

14. Rango

2011 looks like a sad year for animation. But this looks so offbeat and weird that it might actually turn out great. Director: Gore Verbinski, Voice cast: Johnny Depp, Timothy Olyphant, Bill Nighy, Abigail Breslin, Isla Fisher, Alfred Molina, Stephen Root

13. War Horse/The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn

My Steven Spielberg pick! His first films since Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Suck. War Horse is an Oscar-bait film about about a guy named Albert and his… war horse. The Tintin movie is the first in a proposed series of motion capture movies about the famous comic strip.

War Horse – Director: Steven Spielberg, Cast: Jeremy Irvine, Tom Hiddleston, David Thewlis, Toby Kebbell, Emily Watson

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn – Director: Steven Spielberg, Cast: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg, Cary Elwes, Nick Frost

12. On the Road

I haven’t read the Kerouac novel, but it’s one of my life goals. This looks great. Director: Walter Salles, Cast: Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Amy Adams, Steve Buscemi, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, Elisabeth Moss, Alice Braga, Terrence Howard, Sam Riley, pretty much eveyone

11. Your Highness/The Sitter

My David Gordon Green comedy pick! Your Highness: just watch the trailer. You’ll thank me later. The Sitter is about… a babysitter (Jonah Hill). For the record, I’m a little more excited for Your Highness.

Your Highness – Director: David Gordon Green, Cast: Danny McBride, James Franco, Zooey Deschanel, Natalie Portman, Justin Theroux

The Sitter – Director: David Gordon Green, Cast: Jonah Hill, Sam Rockwell, Ari Graynor, Max Records

10. Bridesmaids

Kristen Wiig finally gets her own comedy vehicle! This one’s about two women battling to plan their friend’s wedding. Director: Paul Feig, Cast: Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne, Jon Hamm, Maya Rudolph

9. Source Code

Duncan Jones (David Bowie’s son) follows up his marvelous 2009 movie Moon with Source Code. It’s described as a “sci-fi” drama. I’ve watched the trailer, but I still don’t understand the plot. But who cares! Director: Duncan Jones, Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright

8. Scream 4

Guilty pleasure alert! I love the Scream movies and will be at Scream 4 on opening night. Director: Wes Craven, Cast: Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panetierre, Cory Culkin, Marley Shelton, Adam Brody, Anthony Anderson, Alison Brie

7. We Bought a Zoo

Cameron Crowe is back! Let’s pretend Elizabethtown never happened. I think the title of the movie tells you what’s it’s about. SPOILER ALERT: Matt Damon buys a zoo. Director: Cameron Crowe, Cast: Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Elle Fanning, Thomas Hayden Church, Patrick Fugit,

6. Hugo Cabret

Marty Scorsese does an adaptation of a picture book! Apparently this children’s book is a big deal. Director: Martin Scorsese, Cast: Chloe Moretz, Jude Law, Sacha Baron Cohen, Emily Mortimer, Christopher Lee, Ben Kingsley

5. The Tree of Life

Absolutely beautiful trailer. Let’s hope the movie lives up to the trailer hype. IMDb says it’s about the “loss of innocence.” It sounds pretentious, and I’M THERE. Director: Terrence Malick, Cast: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain

4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Come on, we all know what this is about by now, right? Based on the international bestseller and starring (relative) newcomer Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander. Director: David Fincher, Cast: Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig, Robin Wright, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard

3. Super 8

This mysterious movie is apparently inspired by 70s and 80s sci-fi films. All you need to know if that it’s directed by J.J. Abrams. Director: J.J. Abrams, Cast: Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Noah Emmerich

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

I try to save the top spots on these lists for original films, but I just can’t resist. I loved Part 1 too much. I can’t wait for July 15! Director: David Yates, Cast: you know who (and I’m not talking about You-Know-Who)

1. Contagion

The top spot on my list belongs to Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion. Hitting theaters Oct. 21, the film is centered on a threat posed by a deadly disease and a team of doctors hired to deal with the outbreak (from IMDb). I’m convinced that it will be the next Inception (an art house film hidden by big-time special effects). And apparently it’s in 3D, so you know that Soderbergh must have some great visuals and action planned. And just look at that cast. Director: Steven Soderbergh, Cast: Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, Bryan Cranston

Thanks for reading about my most anticipated movies 0f 2011! I hope you made it this far. Also, I just realized that I forgot to put release dates on almost everything. Whoops! If you’re really curious, feel free to IMDb it. Cheers to a great 2011!