TrulyLuminary Exclusive – Movies to Look Forward to in 2014

Although 2013 has been an amazing year for the world of movies, 2014 is promising to be yet another amazing year. Here is a list of the films that we are looking forward to here at TrulyLuminary:

1) Her

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, Scarlett Johansson

Director: Spike Jonze

Release Date: Friday, January 10th

2) August: Osage County

Cast: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Sam Shepard, Juliette Lewis, Julianne Nichols, Ewan McGregor, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Cooper, Abigal Breslin, Dermot Mulroney

Director: John Wells

Release Date: Friday, January 10th

3) Gimme Shelter 

Cast: Vanessa Hudgens, Rosario Dawson, Brendan Fraser, James Earl Jones, Ann Dowd, Dascha Polanco

Director: Ron Krauss

Release Date: Friday, January 24th

4) That Awkward Moment

Cast: Zac Efron, Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Imogen Poots, Mackenzie Davis, Jessica Lucas

Director: Tom Gormican

Release Date: Friday, January 31st

5) The Lego Movie

Cast: Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman

Directors: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

Release Date: Friday, February 7th

6) The Monuments Men 

Cast: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville, John Goodman

Director: George Clooney

Release Date: Friday, February 7th

7) One Chance

Cast: James Corden, Alexandra Roach, Julie Walters, Mackenzie Crook, Colm Meaney, Jemima Rooper

Director: David Frankel

Release Date: Friday, February 7th

8) Winter’s Tale

Cast: Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, Eva Marie Saint, Russell Crowe, Ripley Sobo, Mckayla Twiggs

Director: Akiva Goldsman

Release Date: Friday, February 14th

9) Pompeii

Cast: Kit Harington, Carrie-Anne Moss, Emily Browning, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Paz Vega, Jessica Lucas, Jared Harris, Kiefer Sutherland

Director: Paul W.S. Anderson

Release Date: Friday, February 21st

10) The Grand Budapest Hotel

Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Ralph Finnes, Lea Seydoux, Jude Law, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Jeff Goldblum, Tom Wilkinson

Director: Wes Anderson

Release Date: Friday, March 7th

11) Divergent

Cast: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Zoe Kravitz, Miles Teller, Maggie Q, Tony Goldwyn, Ashley Judd, Kate Winslet

Director: Neil Burger

Release Date: Friday, March 21st

12) Noah

Cast: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Anthony Hopkins, Logan Lerman

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Release Date: Friday, March 28th

13) Neighbors

Cast: Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Rose Byrne, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Dave Franco, Ike Barinholtz

Director: Nicholas Stoller

Release Date: Friday, May 9th

14) Godzilla

Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Olsen, Sally Hawkins, Juliette Binoche, Ken Watanabe, David Strathaim, Victor Rasuk, CJ Adams, Richard T. Jones

Director: Gareth Edwards

Released Date: Friday, May 16th

15) X-Men: Days of Future Past 

Cast: Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, Ellen Page, Peter Dinklage, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen

Director: Bryan Singer

Release Date: Friday, May 23rd

16) Maleficent

Cast: Angelina Jolie, Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Lesley Manville

Director: Robert Stromberg

Release Date: Friday, May 30th

17) The Fault in Our Stars

Cast: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Willem Dafoe, Laura Dern, Nat Wolff, Lotte Verbeek, Sam Trammell, Mike Birbiglia, Emily Peachey, Milica Govich, David Whalen

Director: Josh Boone

Release Date: Friday, June 6th

18) How to Train Your Dragon 2

Cast: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig

Director: Dean DeBlois

Release Date: Friday, June 13th

19) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes 

Cast: Gary Oldman, Angela Kerecz, Keri Russell, Andy Serkis, Judy Greer, Jason Clarke, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Toby Kebbell, Kevin Rankin

Director: Matt Reeves

Release Date: Friday, July 11th

20) The Giver

Cast: Jeff Bridges, Alexander Skarsgard, Meryl Streep, Taylor Swift, Katie Holmes, Brenton Thwaites, Odeya Rush, Cameron Monaghan, Emma Tremblay

Director: Philip Noyce

Release Date: Friday, August 15th

21) The Maze Runner

Cast: Dylan O’Brien, Will Poulter, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Kaya Scodelario, Patricia Clarkson, Aml Ameen, Jacob Latimore, Ki Hong Lee, Don McManus, Chris Sheffield, Blake Cooper, Joe Adler, Dexter Darden

Director: Wes Ball

Release Date: Friday, September 19th

22) The Boxtrolls

Cast: Ben Kingsley, Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Elle Fanning, Jared Harris, Toni Collette, Nick Frost, Richard Ayoade, Tracy Morgan, Simon Pegg

Directors: Anthony Stacchi, Graham Annable

Release Date: Friday, September 26th

23) Gone Girl

Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Missi Pyle, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Kim Dickens, Casey Wilson, Patrick Fugit

Director: David Fincher

Release Date: Friday, October 3rd

24) Interstellar 

Cast: Anne Hathaway, Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, Casey Affleck, Wes Bentley, Topher Grace, Mackenzie Foy, John Lithgow, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn, David Oyelowo

Director: Christopher Nolan

Release Date: Friday, November 7th

25) Fury

Cast: Brad Pitt, Logan Lerman, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Bernthal, Jason Isaacs, Michael Pena, Scott Eastwood, Xavier Samuel, Brad William Henke, Jim Parrack

Director: David Ayer

Release Date: Wednesday, November 12th

26) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Sam Claflin, Liam Hemsworth, Julianne Moore, Natalie Dormer, Lily Rabe, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robert Knepper, Stef Dawson, Elden Henson, Evan Ross, Mahershala Ali, Wes Chatham, Patina Miller

Director: Francis Lawrence

Release Date: Friday, November 21st

27) Exodus

Cast: Christian Bale, Aaron Paul, Sigourney Weaver, Joel Edgerton, Ben Kingsley, John Tuturro, Indira Vama, Maria Valverde, Emun Elliott

Director: Ridley Scott

Release Date: Friday, December 12th

28) Annie 

Cast: Jamie Foxx, Quvenzhane Wallis, Rose Byrne, Cameron Diaz, Bobby Cannavale, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, David Zayas

Director: Will Gluck

Release Date: Friday, December 19th

29) The Hobbit: There and Back Again

Cast: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Evangeline Lilly, John Bell, Jed Brophy, Luke Evans, Aidan Turner, Dean O’Gorman, Lee Pace, Benedict Cumberbatch, James Nesbitt

Director: Peter Jackson

Release Date: Wednesday, December 17th

30) Into the Woods

Cast: Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Billy Magnussen, Tracey Ullman, Christine Baranski, Lilla Crawford, Daniel Huttlestone

Director: Rob Marshall

Release Date: Thursday, December 25th

Are you looking forward to any of the movies on this list? Are there any movies that aren’t on this list that you want to see? Do you think 2014 will be a strong year for movies?

Exclusive Movie Review – “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey came out a year ago and fans have been eagerly awaiting The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug ever since. Director Peter Jackson and his production teams put together an amazing sequel that will once again leave audiences wanting more.

* Warning – Possible spoilers ahead. *

The film begins in a flashback scene in Bree, a small town just outside of the borders of the Shire. In this scene we see how the journey truly began and we see that it was Gandalf who ultimately persuaded Thorin to go on a quest to reclaim his homeland. Then we are back with Bilbo and the dwarf troop as they continue their journey towards Erebor.

The troop must enter through the dangerous Mirkwood Forest in order to embark on the last leg of the journey. However, Gandalf cannot go with them and embarks on another quest towards Dol Guldur, where the necromancer is gaining power.

He warns the troop to stay on the path, otherwise the dark powers of the forest will cause you to hallucinate. Of course, when in the Mirkwood Forest, the dwarves end up straying from the path and are captured by large spiders. This means that Bilbo must use his wits and his new ring to get them out of danger.

Once Bilbo finally frees all of the dwarves from the spiderwebs, the chase begins as they try to fight their way out of the forest. One of those many moments in the film when you think to yourself “How are they going to get out of this?” The answer my friends, is the elves. Legolas and Tauriel come barging in with a troop of fellow elves to battle it out with the spiders.

Although the elves save the dwarves from the onslaught of arachnids, they capture them and strip them of their weapons and other possessions. This creates a moment between Legolas and Gloin (Glimey’s father) that will no doubt leave fans laughing.

The elves then take them back to Mirkwood living quarters and put them in jail for intruding. As the dwarves are leaving the forest, they realize that Bilbo is nowhere to be found.

Bilbo uses the ring and follows them to Mirkwood and soon realizes that he must rescue the dwarves (again) and get them out of the Mirkwood jail. He finds a quick and risky solution within some empty barrels. These barrels are going to be sent down the river to Laketown, which is just the place they need to get to before heading up the mountain to Erebor.

So Bilbo waits until the opportune moment, uses the ring to steal the jail keys, frees the dwarves, and shows them his plan. At first, they are all very apprehensive, but Thorin convinces them it is the right thing to do and the only way to get out and continue their quest.

Just as the dwarves escape in the barrels, Tauriel and her guards realize that they have escaped the jail. This causes all of the guards to be on high alert and ultimately leads to the dwarves being blocked from leaving. However, an army of orcs have been tracking the dwarves on order of Azog the defiler and they start to attack the elves and the dwarves. From here, an incredible and crazy battle scene down the river begins.

When Bilbo and the dwarves escape the orcs, they take a moment to gather themselves and tend to Kili, who has been injured in the battle. This reprieve is short-lived as they are confronted by Bard the Bowman of Laketown.

Bard is the one responsible for retrieving the barrels and returning them to Laketown and he was not expecting company. The troop ends up convincing Bard to help them get to Laketown via his boat.

Once they get to Laketown, Bard is worried he could get into trouble so he finds ways to keep them hidden until they can get to his house. From here, Bilbo and the dwarves end up staying with Bard and his three kids.

Thorin grows restless knowing that Erebor is so close and he is so close to reaching his goal. He goes against Bard’s advice and gathers Bilbo and the rest of the dwarves to steal weapons from the armory. The royal guards of Laketown end up catching them and taking them to the Master of Laketown.

Thorin realizes how greedy the Master of Laketown is and the impoverished conditions the people of Laketown are living in. He uses this to his advantage as he is trying to convince everyone of the meaning behind their journey to Erebor. Thorin promises that restoring Erebor is not only going to benefit the dwarves, but the people of Laketown too.

And so begins the journey up to the mountain…

I do not want to reveal too much more, but this is definitely not a film to miss! Peter Jackson has once again delivered an absolutely amazing film that will likely thrill audiences around the world.

The production teams always do a spectacular job. The amazingly detailed costumes, set pieces, props, and stunning make up only did more to enhance the journey. The visual effects team also did an amazing job with creating Smaug the dragon and expanding on the design of the orcs. 

The actors that were also in the first film, all did great with enhancing and developing their characters. Actors that were new to the Hobbit franchise such as, Luke Evans, Evangeline Lilly, and Orlando Bloom also did well with introducing and developing their characters.

Overall, the story was well-paced and action-packed, but there were a few moments where it felt like the story was dragging on a little bit. Plus, some of the visual effects made me feel like I was watching a video game rather then a movie. Nonetheless, The Desolation of Smaug was another triumph under Peter Jackson’s movie belt. The ending of this awaited sequel will absolutely leave you wanting more.

Red Carpet Photos from “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” World Premiere

The world premiere event for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was held at the Dolby Theatre in downtown Los Angeles on Monday.

Of course, director Peter Jackson and his daughter Katie were in attendance. Plus, stars Martin Freeman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans, Richard Armitage, Aidan Turner, Dean O’Gorman, Ryan Gage, Stephen Fry, and Manu Bennett were all in attendance. Musician Ed Sheeran was also in attendance because he has a song entitled “I See Fire” on the soundtrack for the film.

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug officially hits theaters on December 13, 2013. Take a look at photos from the carpet and the premiere party in the gallery below:

Martin Freeman and director Peter Jackson

Evangeline Lilly

Richard Armitage

Luke Evans

Dean O’Gorman and Aidan Turner

Martin Freeman with partner Amanda Abbington

Benedict Cumberbatch

Orlando Bloom

Benedict Cumberbatch and Peter Jackson

Ryan Gage, Aidan Turner and Dean O’Gorman

Orlando Bloom and Evangeline Lilly

Stephen Fry

The cast and crew of “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”

Dean O’Gorman and Ed Sheeran

Evangeline Lilly and Orlando Bloom

Evangeline Lilly and Luke Evans

Orlando Bloom

Benedict Cumberbatch

Evangeline Lilly

Director Peter Jackson with his daughter Katie

Ed Sheeran

Fans waiting at the event of “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”

Entrance to “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” premiere party

A peek inside “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” premiere party

Actor Manu Bennett (Azog)

Ed Sheeran performing “I See Fire”

Christine Harrell, Alexandra Astin, Orlando Bloom and Sean Astin at the premiere party

Source: The Hobbit Facebook Page

Two Gorgeous New Images from “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”

Entertainment Weekly has exclusively shared two stunning new images from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. These two new images feature Orlando Bloom as Legolas and Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel.

There is no doubt that Peter Jackson and his production teams have always included gorgeous and detailed pieces to create the world of Middle Earth. In these new photos, we can see some of that amazing detail in looking at the costumes that Bloom and Lilly are wearing and the sets surrounding them.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is the second film in The Hobbit movie trilogy and it will be theatrically released on December 13, 2013. What do you think of these images? Are you excited to see the relationship between Legolas and Tauriel develop? Will you be seeing Desolation of Smaug in theaters?

Source: Entertainment Weekly

 

Seven New Character Posters for “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”

Director Peter Jackson has shared seven new character posters from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. These beautiful new posters give us a closer look at some of the characters we have come to love and some new characters that will be joining the franchise.

The posters feature Martin Freeman as Bilbo, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Orlando Bloom as Legolas, Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel, Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield, Lee Pace as Thranduil, and Luke Evans as Bard the Bowman.

Most fans are aware that Evangeline Lilly’s character, Tauriel is not in the original story, but the filmmakers added her character in as they wanted to include a strong female presence. Plus, they wanted to also have the option of a potential romantic storyline between Tauriel and Legolas.

WHat do you think of these new posters? Who is your favorite character from The Hobbit? Do you think the filmmakers were smart to add in Tauriel to the story?

Source: Peter Jackson’s Facebook Page

Exclusive New Still from “The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug”

Even though the wait between films seems long and can be upsetting, Peter Jackson and Warner Brothers now how to keep fans happy. Entertainment Weekly recently released a new still that features actors Orlando Bloom and Evangeline Lilly as their Hobbit characters, Legolas and Tauriel.

Back when we got our first look at Lilly as her Hobbit character, she teased the potential romantic relationship between Tauriel and Legolas by saying: “She will definitely have a love story. I can’t give away too much about it. It’s not a huge focus but it is there and it is important and it does drive Tauriel and her story and her actions. Tauriel’s relationship with Legolas is significant.”

She also had this to say about the history between the two characters: “They’ve known each other since they were children, and Legolas’ dad, [Elven king] Thranduil, has a soft spot for Tauriel and sees something very special in her. So if you grow up side by side, and your dad has a very special spot in his heart for this young woman who’s a fantastic warrior, I think it’s hard not to notice her. That’s probably as much as I can say.”

What do you think is going on in this photo? Do you think Tauriel and Legolas will form a romantic relationship? Are you looking forward to seeing their storyline unfold? Be sure to go see The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug when it hits theaters December 13, 2013!

Source:  Entertainment Weekly

Movie Exclusive – Trailer for “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” Teases First Look at the Dragon

Peter Jackson and J.R.R. Tolkien fans will be extremely enthused to hear that the first teaser for the highly anticipated sequel, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug! Let me tell you folks, this trailer has got everything!

We finally get a look at Evangeline Lilly’s previously revealed character, Tauriel, in action. Through this trailer, we see that some of the pivotal and iconic scenes from the book are finally coming to life on film. Plus, we get a chance to see some of the beloved characters from the An Unexpected Journey. Legolas (Orlando Bloom) returns to the story for this film so we get a bit of a throwback to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

There are also some introductions for the new characters joining the journey in this film. For instance, we get to see more of Lee Pace as Thranduil, the Elven King, and Luke Evans as Bard the Bowman. Finally, we get a glimpse at the character that seems to be stealing the spotlight for this trailer, Smaug the Dragon, which is voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch.

Watch this exclusive and action-packed new teaser here. It definitely fits the definition of a teaser trailer as it teases us by giving us a look at a major character and a potential romantic storyline between Legolas (Bloom) and Tauriel (Lilly).

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug also stars Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood, Andy Serkis, and Richard Armitage and will be hitting theaters December 13, 2013!

Sources: YouTube and IMDbPro