Going to the movies in 2012 proved to be a popular leisure activity as tickets sales totaled $10.8 billion for the entire year. With huge blockbuster hits like “The Hunger Games”, “Breaking Dawn Part 2” and the recent release of “The Hobbit” — it’s no wonder crowds flocked to the theatres, regardless of ticket prices. With many sequels of popular movies coming out in 2013, it may come as no surprise if ticket sales continue to rise this year. Here are five movies coming out this year that will undoubtedly attract movie goers in droves.
Iron Man 3
Marvel’s Comic inspired superhero is back again. This will be the third installation of the Iron Man franchise, with the expected release date on May 3, 2013. Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the big screen again to reprise his role as Tony Stark and we will once again see Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts. Continuing with the story as Iron Man tries to take down the government and avoid the press, he is up against The Mandarin who will be played by Ben Kingsley. “Iron Man” 1 & 2 were both huge box office hits and were nominated for several awards, it will be a surprise if the third movie doesn’t follow suit.
Monster University
The sequel to 2001’s “Monster’s Inc.”, which earned $547 million worldwide in the box office, has been in the talks for years, and now it has finally come into fruition. The expected release date of “Monster University” will be on June 21, 2013. Although it has been many years since the first film was released, the cartoon is still popular among children and adults alike. The second film has been confirmed to be a prequel to “Monster’s Inc.” and will focus on how the main characters were introduced.
Thor: The Dark World
Following along with the popular comic book adaptations, “Thor: The Dark World” is the successor to 2012’s box office hit, Marvel’s “Avengers”. The upcoming filmd takes place immediately following the end of “Avengers” where audiences will follow Thor as he battles a league of Dark Elves set on destroying the universe. Chris Demsworth reprises his role as ‘Thor’ and Natalie Portman also returns to the screen portraying Jane Foster. The expected release will be on November 8, 2013.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
The first installation of “The Hunger Games” released in March 2012, was a huge box office success. The sequel, “Catching Fire” has been much anticipated for fans of both the movie and the book series, however the expected release date isn’t until November 22, 2013. Jennifer Lawrence returns to the screen playing Katniss Everdeen, who will once again be faced with the challenge of going into the arena and battling people of all ages from each district with Peeta once again by her side.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Even though “The Hobbit” is still going strong and topping box office in sales in theatres, it will come to no surprise if the film’s successor will follow in it’s footsteps. The story continues as Bilbo Baggins and his clan of dwarfs go on to defeat the dragon Smaug. The expected release on December 13, 2013 and it will not be the final installation of “The Hobbit” trilogy. A third movie is expected to be released in 2014.
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