SEQUELS HOTLY ANTICIPATED IN 2015
Hollywood turns to ongoing stories and characters to pull people back to the box office in 2015
As a rule, film critics prefer the shock of the new to the same old stories, but 2015 turns that inclination on its head.
Some of our most anticipated titles of the new year are sequels. (Opening dates are subject to change.)
Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens: Never has a seventh instalment inspired so much hope — and yes, I’m aware that Furious 7 is also due out in 2015. Perhaps the best sign of success for this next chapter is that George Lucas has no part in it. The world will be forever in his debt for the original trilogy, but many feel that a large part of that liability was repaid after watching the Jar Jar Binks trilogy that finally ended 10 years ago. (Opens Dec. 18, 2015)
Oh, yeah, Furious 7: The last to feature Paul Walker, and the first to continue the timeline rather than try to shoehorn itself between two previous Fast, Furious films. (April 3)
Spectre: The newest 007 caper has a comfortably throwback title and a worthy villain in Christoph Waltz. Daniel Craig returns as James Bond. (Nov. 6)
Terminator Genisys: Just like the last (and frankly horrible) Terminator movie, this one features no colon in the title. But guess what it does have? Arnold Schwarzenegger returns for the first time since 2003’s Rise of the Machines. And hey, he did say he’d be back. (July 1)
Jurassic World: Where would we be if fictional characters ever learned their lessons? Set 22 years after the first Jurassic Park movie, this one finds the dinosaur theme park free of any problems. They’re even making new dinos in their laboratory. What’s that, Chris Pratt in the trailer? “Probably not a good idea.” Oh ... (June 12)
The Good Dinosaur: A kindler, gentler dinosaur story from Pixar, this computer-animated tale dares to wonder what would happen if dinosaurs still roamed the Earth. (Nov. 25)
Tomorrowland: Long shrouded in secrecy, this Disney project stars George Clooney as a reclusive genius who teams with a troubled teen (Britt Robertson) to explore a realm of the imagination. (May 22)
Peanuts: Based on the beloved comic-strip characters created by Charles Schulz, this 3D, computer-animated feature could go very, very wrong. At least the early trailers look promising. (Nov. 6)
Chappie: South African filmmaker Neil Blomkamp’s newest, about a self-aware robot, looks like a return to the low-fi grittiness that made District 9 such a revelation. (March 6)
Fifty Shades of Grey: Fans of the racy novel have followed casting decisions with the fervour of cardinals electing a new pope. (OK, not the best metaphor.) (Feb. 13)
And lest the sequels in this list give followup films too good a name, please remember that 2015 will also bring Hot Tub Time Machine 2, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension and Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, among others.