75 Movies to Get Excited About in 2014 (Part 1)

Popculturology is holding off on releasing our picks for top films of 2013 for a few weeks (look, no one invited us to a screenings of Her or Inside Llewyn Davis, so we're missing a few key pieces), but that doesn't mean we can't start talking about what 2014 has in store for us at the theater. Last year, Popculturology looked at 44 Movies to Get Excited About in 2013. Guess what? This year, we're bringing you a look at 75 movies. All for the same cost. You're welcome. We'll bring you Popculturology's 75 Movies to Get Excited About in 2014 in five installments this week.

Check out the first 15 movies here. The order is strictly alphabetical, so don't worry that something ridiculous like The Expendables 3 comes before an Oscar contender like Unbroken. As always, head to the comments to let us know which movies you're looking forward to in 2014.

TODAY: Part 1 • TUESDAY: Part 2 • WEDNESDAY: Part 3

THURSDAY: Part 4 • FRIDAY: Part 5

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Oct. 10
You probably remember reading Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day back in elementary school. Like other childhood favorites including Where the Wild Things Are, Alexander is getting turned into a movie. This adaption stars Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner, but let us know when Hollywood finally tackles the Mr. Men and Little Miss series. Christopher Nolan could do great things with that one.



The Amazing Spider-Man 2
May 2
When Marc Webb and Andrew Garfield gave the world The Amazing Spider-Man in 2012, the world was apprehensive. Did we really need a Spider-Man reboot? After seeing their film, the answer was a resounding "yes." The duo, along with Emma Stone, delivered a version of the classic comic-book character far superior to anything we had seen before.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has a tall task in front of it. Not only does it have to improve upon the previous movie, but it also has to juggle Jamie Foxx as Electro, Dane DeHaan as Harry Osborn/Green Goblin and Paul Giamatti as the Rhino, all while launching a Spider-Man Cinematic Universe for Sony. No big deal, huh?

Annie
Dec. 19
Will Smith and Jay-Z produce a new version of Annie with Oscar nominee Quvenzhane Wallis as the title character, Jamie Foxx as Benjamin Stacks (the new Daddy Warbucks) and Cameron Diaz as Miss Hannigan. We thankfully dodged a bullet when Smith's daughter, Willow Smith, opted out of playing the lead role. After the whopping success of After Earth, the world really needed another Will Smith Family Production.



Bad Words
March 14
Jason Bateman both directs and stars in Bad Words, playing a man who found a loophole that allows him to keep competing in middle school spelling bees.

Big Hero 6
Nov. 17
Big Hero 6 represents two big things for Disney. Not only is Big Hero 6 the first time we'll see Disney Animation Studios tackle a property from its Marvel sibling, but Big Hero 6 also has the challenge of keeping the Second Disney Renaissance going.



Blended
May 23
Oh boy, another Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore movie. I bet there are fart jokes in Blended. No, I can't make that bet. I don't want to take your money that easily.



Captain America: The Winter Soldier
April 4
Marvel continues to lay the groundwork of Phase Two of its Cinematic Universe with Captain America: The Winter Solider. Based on the movie's trailer, the sequel is going to be a change of pace from what we've previously seen from the movies in the Avengers franchise, adopting the tone of a political thriller, even bringing in Robert Redford to play the head of SHIELD.



Chavez
March 28
Will Chavez be one of 2014's big biopics? Michael Pena plays Caesar Chavez, the iconic American labor leader. Diego Luna, who had starring roles in films like Y Mama tu Tambien and Milk, makes his directorial debut with Chavez.

Chef
May 9
The Iron Man director/actor duo of Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. reunite for Chef. Maybe Samuel L. Jackson will have a cameo as Nick Fury during the credits again.



Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
July 11
Rise of the Planet of the Apes was one of the biggest surprises when it comes to reboots/prequels over the past few years, reigniting the Planet of the Apes franchise and pushing motion-capture pro Andy Serkis into an Oscar campaign. From the looks of the trailer for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, thinks are going to continue being awesome in the sequel. Take a look at that final shot — Caesar is pissed.



Divergent
March 14
The march to make Shailene Woodley a star continues with Divergent, the first adaption of yet another popular young adult series. Like The Hunger Games, Divergent takes place in a future world where society has taken a turn for the worse. Can Woodley become the next Jennifer Lawrence?

Dracula Untold
Oct. 17
Universal Pictures has been trying to make this movie happen for years, previously attempting to have it star Avatar's Sam Worthington and going through titles like Dracula: Year Zero. In the end, they settled on Luke Evans (that's him above in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) and the awkward title of Dracula Untold. Hopefully this origin story involves Dracula defeating those Twilight vampires.



Draft Day
April 11
Oh, Draft Day, you could have been about the Buffalo Bills. It would have been wonderful. Since this is Hollywood, Draft Day probably ends with Kevin Costner leading his team to a Super Bowl victory. If it wasn't for Cleveland offering cheaper production costs than Buffalo, Draft Day could've given the Bills the biggest win they've had in decades.

Dumb and Dumber To
Nov. 14
After being told that there was a chance we could see a sequel to Dumb and Dumber for years, this movie is finally happening. Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels are both back. Lloyd and Harry are back, and even though they're older, they haven't gotten any smarter.



Edge of Tomorrow
June 6
Tom Cruise sticks with scifi for Edge of Tomorrow, starring in a Groundhog Day/Oblivion mashup. Cruise plays a soldier who keeps dying in battle, only to wake up the next morning to relive the previous day. Emily Blunt stars as a soldier who knows what's happening to Cruise's character and helps him take advantage of the time loop he's stuck in to learn the secrets of their enemy.