44 Movies to Get Excited About in 2013: Part 1

Popculturology is holding off on releasing our picks for top films of 2012 for a few weeks (look, no one invited us to a screening of Zero Dark Thirty, so we're missing a key piece), but that doesn't mean we can't start talking about what 2013 has in store for us at the theater. We'll bring you Popculturology's 44 Movies to Get Excited About in 2013 in four installments this week.

Check out the first 11 movies after the jump. The order is strictly alphabetical, so don't worry that something ridiculous like G.I. Joe: Retaliation comes before an Oscar contender like Saving Mr. Banks. As always, head to the comments to let us know which movies you're looking forward to in 2013.


Admission
March 8
Tina Fey and Paul Rudd, finally together. 30 Rock is gone and Rudd probably won't be making anymore appearances as Bobby Newport on Parks and Recreation, so Admission is your chance to see them again.
Oscar contender on a scale of 1 to 5: 1


After Earth
June 7
After Earth is a great lesson of how much easier life is if you're born to the right people. C'mon, would Jaden Smith really be a movie star if his dad wasn't Will Smith? Also, even though Columbia Pictures is doing its best to hide it, M. Night Shyamalan directed After Earth. Can the director resurrect his career?
Oscar contender on a scale of 1 to 5: 1


Anchorman: The Legend Continues
Dec. 20
There was a time when Will Ferrell, Steve Carell and Paul Rudd weren't all huge stars who could open movies on their own. That was a long time ago. Anchorman: The Legend Continues took nine years to come together since guys like Carell and Rudd are no longer background players.
Oscar contender on a scale of 1 to 5: 1

August: Osage County
No release date yet
A Harvey Weinstein-backed film starring Meryl Streep? Pencil this one in as an Oscar contender right now.
Oscar contender on a scale of 1 to 5: 4

Broken City
Jan. 18
Broken City appears to have all the pieces of a contender, with actors like Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe and Catherine Zeta-Jones on board. I can't ignore that Jan. 18 release date, though. Studios don't put movies that they expect to contend in January.
Oscar contender on a scale of 1 to 5: 2


Carrie
March 15
The people involved with this film will repeatedly tell you that it's a new adaption of Stephen King's novel, not a remake of Brian De Palma's 1976 movie. No matter how they want to spin it, Chloe Grace Moretz has some bloody shoes to fill.
Oscar contender on a scale of 1 to 5: 1

Diana
No release date yet
Naomi Watts plays the late Princess Diana in a film that focuses on her relationship with Dr. Hasnat Khan and Dodi Fayed. Lost's Naveen Andrews plays Khan. No word on whether the Smoke Monster makes an appearance.
Oscar contender on a scale of 1 to 5: 4

Elysium
Aug. 9
Director Neill Blomkamp wowed us with 2009's District 9, and Elysium will tell determine if he's a one-hit wonder. Matt Damon, Jodie Foster and Sharlto Copley star in this one.
Oscar contender on a scale of 1 to 5: 3

Fast and Furious 6
May 24
Fast and Furious 6 will probably have a plot, but if you care about this franchise, that's not something you're looking for. You just want to see Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, The Rock and Tyrsese Gibson drive cars really, really fast and blow things up. Gina Cararno joins the franchise with Fast Six.
Oscar contender on a scale of 1 to 5: 1


42
April 12
While Harrison Ford might be 42's only recognizable star, the Jackie Robinson biopic probably doesn't need a star-studded cast, not when it's telling one of the most important stories in American sports history.
Oscar contender on a scale of 1 to 5: 3


Gangster Squad
Jan. 11
If you had asked me half a year ago how Gangster Squad would do at the Oscars, I would've told you to expect at least a few nominations. After the Aurora, Colo., shooting, Warner Bros. delayed the film to remove a scene that showed gangsters firing into a crowded theater. Like The Dark Knight Rises and its Oscar chances, Gangster Squad will go home empty handed, especially now that it's been dumped in January.
Oscar contender on a scale of 1 to 5: 2

Check back on Wednesday for 44 Movies to Get Excited About in 2013 (Part 2).