logo

Having left behind a year brimful of monstrously successful blockbusters such as 'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End', 'Spider-Man 3' and 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' it is difficult to see how 2008 could possibly match up to 2007. However, such doubts can be swiftly quashed with a just a quick perusal of the year's scheduled releases.

Once again, some of Hollywood's best-loved and most lucrative franchises are right to the fore. Not only will 2008 see the return of boy wizard Harry Potter in 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince', but legendary figures such as Rambo and Indiana Jones will be dusting themselves off, climbing into their zimoframes and wheeling back into action.

First up, however, comes that rare thing in today's film industry - a much-hyped big budget film with no franchise behind it and no big stars above the title.

Created by J.J. Abrams, the brains behind mega TV hit 'Lost', 'Cloverfield' is due out in February and has been creating feverish excitement among film fans.

The movie features a giant monster attacking New York and focuses on the recorded experiences of a group of people caught in the chaos of the destruction. One shot, showing a decapitated Statue of Liberty, has all the hallmarks of an all-time classic action scene. Much of the debate has surrounded the monster. Will it be shown in all its gory glory or will it remain a terrifying but unseen menace? All our questions will be answered soon.

Next over the horizon in February appears one-man army John Rambo in the effervescent form of 61-year-old Sylvester Stallone, twenty years after he last went on the rampage in the misfiring 'Rambo III'.

As with last year's sixth Rocky film 'Rocky Balboa', Stallone has kept things simple by entitling the movie 'John Rambo', while press shots show the iconic action hero still sporting his trademark vest, bandana, and unfeasibly bulging set of muscles.

Stallone certainly committed his all to making the film a success, risking his life to shoot the bulk of the movie's scenes in the highly dangerous region on the conflict-ridden border of Thailand and Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.

Stallone recalled: "We had shots fired above our heads. We were told we could get seriously hurt if we went on.

"I witnessed survivors with legs cut off and all kinds of land-mine injuries, maggot-infested wounds and ears cut off. We hear about Vietnam and Cambodia but the results of this conflict were more horrific.

"It was a hellhole beyond your wildest dreams."

No place for a Hollywood actor, but perfect territory for John Rambo. After helping Rocky to rise from the canvas after the seemingly knock-out blow that was 'Rocky V', it will be fascinating to see whether Stallone can pull off the same trick with his other much-loved creation.

By May the cogs of the Hollywood machine go whirring back into action in a huge way with three big budget offerings.

Firstly, following in the footsteps of such Marvel Comics-inspired successes as the three 'Spider-Man' films and the 'Fantastic Four' franchise, hopes are high that director Jon Favreau's 'Iron Man' will be a big hit. Yet another creation from comic book legend Stan Lee, 'Iron Man' features a stellar cast including Robert Downey Jnr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson and Jeff Bridges.

Downey Jnr. takes on the role of genetic engineer Tony Stark, who designs a life support suit which not only keeps him alive but also gives him a series of superhuman abilities with which he uses to fight all things evil.

Avid fans need not worry, for according to the 42-year-old star their hero is in safe hands.

He reassuringly said: "I just became a geek for Iron Man myself. And the added value is that I think I have got the chops to be able to pull it off.

"I mean, I really soaked it up. Half the time I was swilling creatine energy supplements and working on my arms. I will never be that muscular again. I was swollen up and now I've shrunk up again."

If nothing else, a swollen Robert Downey Jnr. ought to be enough to pique the interest of most filmgoers.

May will also see the return of one of Hollywood's best-loved and most iconic heroes as Steven Spielberg and George Lucas bring us 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull', a full 19 years after the now 65-year-old Harrison Ford last wielded his whip in 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'.

If director and star are to be believed, despite his pensionable status Ford can still hack the pace of playing the globetrotting action man. In fact, it seems little will have changed when it comes to the wisecracking archaeologist.

Spielberg said: "We're both older - and we both look a bit older, certainly - but at the same time Harrison needed to recapture the caustic, laconic spirit of Dr. Jones, and certainly he was going to have to manage the action, and he did both of those things amazingly well. He was just a little more out of breath after every stunt, and so was I."

Ford added reassuringly: "There's something about the character that I guess is a good fit for me. The minute I put the costume on, I recognize the tone that we need, and I feel confident and clear about being Indie."

Ford certainly has an impressive supporting cast to help on his quest to recapture the old magic. Australian star Cate Blanchett is joined by British acting stalwarts Jim Broadbent, John Hurt and Ray Winstone, with Hollywood's 'next big thing', 'Transformers' star Shia LaBeouf, completing the cast list.

Many believe LaBeouf's character Mutt Williams will be Indie's son, and the enormity of joining the series is not lost on the 21-year-old actor.

He said: "It still hasn't sunk in yet that I'm involved with this film.

"For me, if I wasn't in it this would be the most anticipated film of my lifetime. It's extremely important. In the lexicon of film it's got to be up there in the top three trilogies. I don't know if there ever was a trilogy as good as the first three Indie films.

There's so much history involved. It's like a family, and it's just amazing to be involved."

Spielberg and Lucas are certainly sticking to their successful formula when it comes to plot. The story surrounds the search for 13 mythical skulls carved from crystal quartz and hidden all over the world, which are believed to hold mystical powers.

With a wait of almost two decades, it is no exaggeration to say 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' is simply one of the most eagerly awaited films of all time.

Shifting gear somewhat, later in the month comes the much-anticipated 'Sex and the City: The Movie'.

Ever since the hugely successful sitcom came to an end in 2004 rumours of a film have refused to die, and now its army of fans will finally have their craving for an update on Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda satiated. With rumours flying around about Charlotte sporting a baby bump and Carrie marrying her on-off love interest Mr Big, and yet more rumours that both revelations only take place in a dream sequence, speculation as to its content is already at fever pitch.

There have even been reports that stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Kim Cattrall and Cynthia Nixon are ready to sign up for another movie. However, given the widespread rumours that Jessica Parker and Cattrall loathe each other so much they had to be kept apart off camera, it remains to be seen whether they can bear another prolonged stint of pretending to be best friends.

But regardless of sequels, when 'Sex and the City: The Movie' hits screens in May you can be sure it will be full to overflowing with sex, sassiness, heartbreak and heart-warming romance.

June will boast the arrival of yet another Marvel Comics creation, 'The Incredible Hulk'. Fans of the giant green marauder will hope the film wipes away the memory of Ang Lee's much derided 2003 attempt to render Stan Lee's creation on screen with 'Hulk'. Stepping into Eric Bana's shoes as physicist Bruce Bannerman is acting powerhouse Edward Norton. Fans who were left disappointed by Lee's philosophical musings will be comforted to know that the man behind the camera, Louis Letterier, cut his teeth on such out-and-out action fare as 'The Transporter' and 'The Transporter 2'.

They will also be buoyed by the words of Norton, who had a big hand in shaping the script.

He enthused: "I was a Marvel kid, I had subscriptions to a lot of the Marvel comics. The whole idea of starting from scratch and re-conceiving the story as a mythic saga was really appealing. I thought it was a really amazing opportunity."

It looks like The Hulk could be finally back on the box office rampage.

While some were left disappointed by 2005's 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe', expectations are still high for the second instalment. When 'The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian' hits cinema screens in June fans can expect it to be altogether darker in tone than its predecessor.

Although the Pevensie siblings are only a year older when they return to the scene of the first movie, hundred of years have gone by in Narnia. They arrive to find bloodthirsty King Miraz on the throne, and join famous old lion Aslan in the fight to return Prince Caspian to his rightful position as ruler.

With so many of us having grown up reading C.S. Lewis' original books, and with the first film taking a massive $745 million (£377 million) worldwide, there is no doubt this will be one of the biggest hits of 2008.

Following hot on the heels of 'Prince Caspian' is the latest Pixar effort 'Wall-E'. The animation company have developed an unerring ability to produce hit after hugely profitable hit, and in the hands of director Andrew Stanton - who wrote such hits as 'Toy Story' and 'Monsters, Inc.' - their new project looks set to be no different.

Set in 2700, the film is predicated around the notion, 'What if mankind was to evacuate Earth but forget to turn off the last remaining robot?'.

What ensues is a bizarre universe-trotting romance involving the film's central protagonist, a robot with the catchy title of Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class (Wall-E) and his love interest, search robot Eve, who has been sent back to Earth by the humans to check if it is safe to return. As he travels through space Wall-E is joined by a band of misfiring robots, and a cockroach. It may sound somewhat bizarre, but with Pixar we can all trust that there is genius-level method behind their madness.

The next summer blockbuster comes in the form of a leather clad Christian Bale in 'The Dark Knight', director Christopher Nolan's follow-up to his own 'Batman Begins'.

Although the plot is closely guarded, one thing we can be sure of is that Batman will not be sporting rubber nipples, despite Nolan's efforts to wind Bale up by delivering one such a nipple-adorned bat costume to his trailer on the first day of filming.

Most of the pre-release hype has surrounded Heath Ledger's turn as legendary villain The Joker. The manic bank robber dominates the film's trailer in chilling fashion, while the actor himself has described his character as a "cold-blooded, mass-murdering clown".

With veteran stars Sir Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman reprising their respective roles as Bruce Wayne's butler Albert and inventor Lucius Fox, there is more than enough to whet the appetite for moviegoers.

Rounding off 2008 will be the two most lucrative franchises of all time in the forms of super spy James Bond and boy wizard Harry Potter.

First up in early November is 007, with Daniel Craig making his second appearance as the agent with a licence to kill. At one point Craig threatened to revoke his own licence to thrill female fans by refusing to bare the rippling body that got women all over the globe hot under the collar in 'Casino Royale'.

Luckily for all those swooning women producer Barabara Broccoli has insisted on more shameless displays of naked flesh.

Craig revealed he will be super fit for the film after preparing with a gruelling training regime of boxing and running, putting his efforts prior to 'Casino Royale' to shame.

However, he has refused to reveal exactly what Bond will be up to which requires such raised levels of athleticism.

He teasingly said: "It will follow on somewhat from the last film but that's all I'm telling you. I can't reveal anything, you'll have to wait and see."

Just like the last Bond outing the locations will span the globe, with filming so far planned for locations in Panama, Bolivia and Austria.

And keeping with the 007 tradition, the film will be littered with beautiful Bond girls, who Craig has been given the enviable task of hand-picking.

But the plot for the film, currently known only as 'Bond 22', is still being kept under lock and key.

In fact, the script is such a closely guarded secret even Judi Dench, who plays spy boss M, claims to have been "kept in the dark".

But she insists they can live up to the success of 'Casino Royale', which with global box office receipts of $594 million (£300 million) is the most successful Bond ever made.

Dench confidently claimed: "I wasn't surprised at all about the success of 'Casino Royale', and I'm sure we can surpass it this time."

Last year, Bond had his crown as box office king stolen by young upstart Harry Potter. The fifth instalment of the franchise, 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix', pushed up worldwide box office receipts for all the films to an astonishing grand total of $4.47 billion (£2.26 billion), surpassing the $4.4 billion (£2.2 billion) Bond has made in 21 appearances.

'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' is set to be epic, with J.K. Rowling's story choc full of romance and violence. The film sees Harry develop feelings for his best friend Ron's younger sister Ginny Weasley, while Ron himself is busy chasing their best friend Hermione Granger.

With the book also featuring the passing of Hogwarts much-mourned head teacher Albus Dumbledore, 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' holds much for fans to look forward too.

And with star Daniel Radcliffe claiming that the movie will also be "the funniest yet", it looks set to achieve the difficult task of becoming the best ever Harry Potter adventure to date.

There can be little doubt that the boy wizard will help movie fans to finish off a great year for film in grand style.