It always used to be that the winter movie season was meant for prestige projects that were gunning for Academy Award statues come March. But over the last few years things have changed a bit. Movies are still released this time of year that are looking for Oscar gold, but there are also quite a few films released from around Christmas break to the first of the year that makes winter look a bit like a miniature summer movie season in the snow.
Much like with the fall movie season, the official release dates for these movies might only be for New York and LA with later releases for the rest of the country. So be sure to check your local listings as these dates approach.
Out December 13 is the second film of The Hobbit trilogy, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. While I liked the first The Hobbit film last year, I did think that all the material added to that film to better tie it to the first The Lord of the Rings movies was more of a hindrance than a help. And these additions seems to continue with characters crossing over from LOTR to The Desolation of Smaug.
Also on December 13 co-writer and director David O. Russell returns with American Hustle, his first film back after his critically acclaimed Silver Linings Playbook (2012). Hustle follows the Abscam FBI investigation that would eventually take down a US Senator and several Representatives of Congress with charges of bribery. The film stars many actors from Russell’s previous projects including Jennifer Lawrence, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper and Amy Adams.
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is out December 20. I can only guess this movie’s being made for all those annoying people who constantly quote the first Anchorman to one and other and are starting to get as sick of repeating themselves as the rest of us are.
Christmas Day sees the release of three high profile movies, the first of which is Wolf of Wall Street, the fifth pairing of director Martin Scorsese and star Leonardo DiCaprio. This time DiCaprio plays real-life high-flying stock broker Jordan Belfort who’s life comes crashing down after the feds begin looking into just how he’s earning his money.
Hmmm… sounds a bit like American Hustle circa 1985 to me!
Next, a movie that’s been delayed for over a year, is the slice-em-up samurai tale 47 Ronin. Literally about 47 masterless samurai warriors out to take vengeance for their slain master, the movie was originally due out in late ’12, then early ’13 and now is supposed to be out in late ’13. The way this movie’s been shaping up I’ll believe it’s actually going to get released when it starts playing in theaters!
Finally The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is also in theaters Christmas Day. Ben Stiller stars as the title character, a lonely man who hasn’t done much with his life and uses the power of his imagination to travel to the world.
Out December 27 is Lone Survivor. Starring Mark Wahlberg, this movie is based on the real life events of a four-man SEAL team in Afghanistan that fought an outnumbered battle against the Taliban that left only one of the SEALs alive.
Aaron Eckhart seems to be desperate to show the world that him playing Harvey Dent/Two Face in The Dark Knight was a fluke with the goofy looking I, Frankenstein that looks to be taking all its cues from the terrible Underworld movies on January 24.
