Maximum Impact: 2005 Movie Planner
by Max Braden
Published: February 14, 2005
With the month of January devoted to the previous holiday releases and February loaded with awards shows, Valentine's
Day weekend has become the de facto start of the movie year. So as I do every year around this time, I've picked 75 titles from the year's offerings as ones to watch in my 2005 Movie Planner. My selections are a combination of likely box office winners, movies I want to see and might recommend in case you'd otherwise overlook them, movies your water cooler coworkers will tell you to see, and movies the critics will be telling you to see by the end of the year.
Below is the list of titles, arranged by month, sorted by my estimated opening weekend box office gross. My picks for likely box office and award winners are at the end of this article. Clicking the movie titles will take you to the movie's official website. Be sure to check your local listings as the months arrive for accurate release date info, and check back at The-Trades.com for reviews. Release date changes are common (and I missed a few of 2004's nominees in my 2004 Planner), so I'll be sure to update this preview in September for the holiday season. For now, here’s what you should look for in 2005:
| Month/Title |
Genre |
Cast, Story, Buzz |
Est. Opening B.O. ($Million) |
JANUARY
|
|
|
The best selections in January are typically the expanding releases of December's Oscar-campaign movies. This holds true for 2005. |
|
FEBRUARY
|
Hitch |
Romance
Comedy |
Will Smith plays a date doctor to Kevin James ('The King of Queens') while falling for gossip columnist Eva Mendes. 3rd best Feb. opener ever. |
$45m |
|
Constantine |
Horror |
Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz in the film version of the comic book about an Earthly war between demons and angels. |
$25-30m |
|
Cursed |
Horror |
"Scream" writer Kevin Williamson and director Wes Craven deliver their latest horror flick, on werewolves in L.A. |
$20-25m |
|
Inside Deep Throat |
Documentary |
A history of the 1972 porn film and its impact on American culture and legal ramifications, giving us all an educational excuse to see something dirty.(Rated NC-17) |
limited |
MARCH
|
Robots |
Animated |
Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry, Robin Williams, and Amanda Bynes provide voices to a world of robots in 20th Century Fox's computer-animated family adventure comedy. |
$45-50m |
|
The Ring Two |
Horror |
Naomi Watts returns for the sequel to the 2002 horror hit. |
$30-35m |
|
The Pacifier |
Family
Comedy |
Vin Diesel as SEAL babysitting a family of kids. Audiences have been responding well to the "Daddy Day Care"-like trailer. |
$25-30m |
|
Ice Princess |
Family
RomCom |
Michelle Trachtenberg attempts to grab Anne Hathaway's fans in Disney's G-rated film about a brainy ice skater. |
$15-20m |
|
Millions |
Family
Drama |
Two boys find a bagload of cash and conflict on how to use it. This pleasant U.K. movie appeal to those who liked "Finding Neverland." |
$5-10m |
|
Melinda and Melinda |
Comedy |
Chloe Sevigny, Will Ferrell, and Amanda Peet star in Woody Allen's comedy about two versions of the same life. |
limited |
APRIL
|
Sahara |
Adventure |
Matthew McConaughey plays author Clive Cussler's adventurer Dirk Pitt in a movie similar to last fall's hit "National Treasure." |
$30-35m |
|
The Amityville Horror |
Horror |
Ryan Reynolds stars in this remake of the 1979 haunted house horror |
$30-35m |
|
The Interpreter |
Thriller |
Nicole Kidman plays a United Nations interpreter who's overheard an assassination plot. Secret Service agent Sean Penn investigates. Sydney Pollack directs. |
$30-35m |
|
Sin City |
Action
Animated |
A huge list of big names including Jessica Alba, Clive Owen, Benicio Del Toro, and Bruce Willis populate a mysterious pulp fiction-looking city filmed in a mix of animation and live action. |
$20-25m |
|
The Weather Man |
Drama |
Nicolas Cage stars as a weather man experiencing a midlife crisis. With Michael Caine, from "Pirates of the Caribbean" director Gore Verbinski. |
$15-20m |
|
Dust to Glory |
Documentary |
A documentary on the annual, wild, thousand-mile offroad race in Baja, Mexico, from the makers of "Step Into the Liquid." |
limited |
MAY
|
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith |
Sci-Fi |
Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, and Natalie Portman in the culmination of a three-decade saga: the transformation of Darth Vader. |
$80-85m |
|
Madagascar |
Animated |
Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, and Jada Pinkett Smith voice animals learning to survive outside the zoo, in Dreamworks' computer-animated family adventure comedy. |
$55-60m |
|
The Longest Yard |
Comedy |
Adam Sandler and Chris Rock remake the 1974 prison football comedy with Burt Reynolds, who starred in the original. |
$35-40m |
|
Kicking & Screaming |
Family
Comedy |
Will Ferrell and Robert Duvall face off as son and father coaches in the competitive world of little league soccer. |
$30-35m |
|
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy |
Sci-Fi
Comedy |
Disney provides the first big-budget treatment of the first in Douglas Adams' series of comedic sci-fi novels. Stephen Fry narrates. Sam Rockwell plays Zaphod Beeblebrox. |
$30-35m |
|
Kingdom of Heaven |
Action
Historical |
Orlando Bloom, Liam Neeson, and Jeremy Irons star as knights in the medieval crusades to control Jerusalem. |
$30-35m |
|
Crash |
Drama |
A large cast including Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon star in a multithreaded story themed on racial tolerance, set in Los Angeles, written and directed by "Million Dollar Baby" writer Paul Haggis. |
$5-10m |
JUNE
|
War of the Worlds |
Sci-Fi |
Spielberg directs Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning in the remake of Orson Welles' alien invasion story. |
$85-90m |
|
Batman Begins |
Action |
Christian Bale depicts the origins of the dark comic book hero, with Michael Caine as Alfred. With Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, and Katie Holmes, and Cillian Murphy as 'The Scarecrow.' |
$65-70m |
|
Mr. And Mrs. Smith |
Action |
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as husband-and-wife assassins who are assigned each other as targets, from the director of "The Bourne Identity." |
$35-40m |
|
The Dukes of Hazzard |
Comedy |
Yee-haw! This summer's guilty pleasure stars Jessica Simpson as a blonde Daisy in the movie of the tv show, with Seann William Scott, Johnny Knoxville, Burt Reynolds, and Willie Nelson. An Oscar lock for sure! |
$30-35m |
|
Cinderella Man |
Drama |
Ron Howard directs Russell Crowe as underdog Depression-era boxer Jim Braddock. Renée Zellweger plays his wife and Paul Giamatti plays his trainer. |
$15-20m |
|
Howl's Moving Castle |
Animated |
Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. This animated fantasy is based on Diana Wynne Jones's novel. |
limited |
JULY
|
The Fantastic Four |
Sci-Fi |
Jessica Alba and other unknowns play the comic book heroes who face off against 'Nip/Tuck''s Julian McMahon. |
$45-50m |
|
Stealth |
Action |
Jamie Foxx, Jessica Biel, and Josh Lucas star as pilots in a secret military program gone awry. |
$30-35m |
|
Charlie and the Choclate Factory |
Family |
Johnny Depp stars in the remake of the eerily-similar-to-Michael-Jackson fantasyland story. |
$30-35m |
|
The Island |
Sci-Fi
Action |
Michael Bay's thriller about people trapped on an island, starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johanssen. |
$25-30m |
|
The Wedding Crashers |
Comedy |
Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn scam their way into wedding receptions in order to score bridesmaids, until Rachel McAdams causes a rift in their friendship. |
$20-25m |
|
Elizabethtown |
Romance |
Writer-director Cameron Crowe's romance starring Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst. |
$20-25m |
|
The Brothers Grimm |
Horror
Fantasy |
Terry Gilliam directs Matt Damon and Heath Ledger as the historical authors of the dark fairy tales, suddenly facing those predicaments in real life. |
$15-20m |
|
Brokeback Mountain |
Drama |
Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in the story of the companionship between two cowboys, with Anne Hathaway. From "Crouching Tiger" director Ang Lee. |
$10-15m |
AUGUST
|
Flight Plan |
Thriller |
Jodie Foster stars with Peter Sarsgaard in a psychological thriller about a woman whose child disappears mysteriously during a plane flight. |
$30-35m |
|
Doom |
Action |
The Rock stars in the heavy action movie based on the video game. |
$30-35m |
SEPTEMBER
|
The Corpse Bride |
Animated |
Tim Burton directs a "Nightmare Before Christmas"-style animated tale, voiced by Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham-Carter, and Emily Watson. |
$20-25m |
|
The Pink Panther |
Family
Comedy |
Steve Martin puts his spin on the character of Inspector Clouseau, with Kevin Kline. Great comedy pairing, but I'm crossing my fingers that this works out. |
$20-25m |
|
Syriana |
Drama |
George Clooney and Matt Damon star in a drama about the CIA's troubles in the middle east over the last couple decades. Directed by "Traffic" writer Stephen Gaghan, from Robert Baer's memoir See No Evil. |
$15-20m |
|
Stay |
Drama |
"Finding Neverland" director Marc Forster and "The 25th Hour" writer David Benioff tell a story of an Ivy League professor and a suicidal student, starring Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, and Ryan Gosling. |
$10-15m |
|
Oliver Twist |
Historical
Drama |
Roman Polanski directs Ben Kingsley as Fagin in the Charles Dickens tale. |
$10-15m |
|
A Scanner Darkly |
Sci-Fi |
"Before Sunrise/Sunset" director Richard Linklater directs Keanu Reeves in the Philip K. Dick sci-fi story about a cop hunting his split personality drug dealer. |
limited |
OCTOBER
|
Nanny McPhee |
Family |
Emma Thompson plays a nanny with magical powers she uses to tame the unruly children of Colin Firth. Based on author Christianna Brand's Nurse Matilda books. |
$25-30m |
|
Shopgirl |
Romance
Comedy |
Steve Martin, Claire Danes, and Jason Schwartzman in December-May-May love tripod, from Martin's novella. |
$15-20m |
|
Class Action |
Drama |
Charlize Theron stars as a mine worker who leads her coworkers in the first successful U.S. sexual harrassment class action suit. With Frances McDormand and Sissy Spacek, based on the Bingham & Leedy book. |
$10-15m |
|
All the King's Men |
Drama |
Steven Zaillian writes and directs the second movie to be based on Robert Penn Warren's novel of the political rise of Southerner Willie Stark, starring Sean Penn, Patricia Clarkson, Jude Law, Anthony Hopkins, and Kate Winslet. |
$10-15m |
|
Proof |
Drama |
Gwyneth Paltrow deals with her mathematician father's legacy of brilliance and madness. With Anthony Hopkins, Hope Davis, and Jake Gyllenhaal, from "Shakespeare in Love" director Guy Madden. |
$5-10m |
NOVEMBER
|
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire |
Family
Fantasy |
Ralph Fiennes joins the returning cast in the 4th Potter movie, with "Mona Lisa Smile" director Mike Newell. |
$90-95m |
|
Zathura |
Family
Adventure |
Jon Favreau ("Swingers") directs Tim Robbins as the father of two boys who find a boardgame with amazing qualities. Based on the book, from "The Polar Express" and "Jumanji" author Chris Van Allsburg. Thanksgiving. |
$35m (50m) |
|
Chicken Little |
Animated |
Disney's computer-animated update of the children's tale, with Zach Braff, Joan Cusack, and Garry Marshall providing voices. |
$35-40m |
|
The Legend of Zorro |
Adventure
Historical |
Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones return in the sequel to 1998's hit "The Mask of Zorro" with the same director but different screenwriters. |
$25-30m |
|
Jarhead |
Drama
Action |
Jake Gyllenhaal portrays a U.S. Marine in Kuwait during the first Gulf War. With Chris Cooper and Jamie Foxx, from Anthony Swofford's autobiographical book. |
$20-25m |
|
Rent |
Musical |
Directed by Chris Columbus, Rosario Dawson ("Alexander") and Taye Diggs star in the movie version of Jonathan Larson's award-winning Broadway musical. |
$15-20m |
|
The New World |
Drama
Historical |
Colin Farrell portrays Jamestown settler John Smith. With Christian Bale, from "The Thin Red Line" director Terrence Malick. |
$10-15m |
|
Walk the Line |
Biography
Musical |
Joaquin Phoenix stars in a biography of musician Johnny Cash, with Reese Witherspoon as his wife June. |
$10-15m |
|
The Ice Harvest |
Comedy |
Harold Ramis directs John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton as a couple of embezzlers in this dark comedy. |
limited |
DECEMBER
|
King Kong |
Action |
The 8000 pound gorilla sits where he wants, and he chose Dec. 14. "Rings" director Peter Jackson remakes the classic with Naomi Watts, Jack Black, and Adrien Brody. |
$80m (125m) |
|
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe |
Family
Fantasy |
Disney presents the first of C.S. Lewis' classic Narnia childrens' book series in live action, from the director of the "Shrek" movies. |
$60-65m |
|
Fun With Dick and Jane |
Comedy |
Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni remake the 1977 comedy, as a couple resorting to robbery in order to pay the bills. Christmas. |
$45m (75m) |
|
The Producers: The Movie Musical |
Comedy
Musical |
Mel Brooks' musical comedy is a movie again, starring its current Broadway stars Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. Christmas. |
$30m (50m) |
|
Rumor Has It |
Comedy |
Rob Reiner directs Jennifer Aniston as the possible offspring of the real-life case that inspired "The Graduate," with Kevin Costner, Shirley MacLaine, and Mark Ruffalo. |
$20m (35m) |
|
Memoirs of a Geisha |
Drama
Historical |
Rob Marshall directs Zhang Ziyi, Ken Watanabe, and Michelle Yeoh in the drama based on Arthur Golden's best-selling book. |
limited |
Late/Unscheduled Releases
|
Casanova |
Romance
Historical |
Heath Ledger portrays the historical romancer. |
|
|
Derailed |
Thriller |
Clive Owen falls dangerously for the wrong woman, played by Jennifer Aniston. From "Collateral" writer Stuart Beattie and James Siegel's best-selling novel. |
|
|
The Fountain |
Sci-Fi |
Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz star in an epic sci-fi romance. |
|
|
The Good Shepherd |
Drama |
Robert De Niro directs himself and Matt Damon as a career CIA officer. |
|
|
A History of Violence |
Action
Drama |
Viggo Mortensen plays an everyman character pushed into a violent act with slippery reasoning. With Maria Bello, Ed Harris, and William Hurt. |
|
|
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang |
Action
Drama |
Val Kilmer returns to comedy! I'm hoping against hope that his teaming with Robert Downey, Jr. in the crime-comedy from writer-director Shane Black ("Lethal Weapon") will pay off. |
|
|
The Lord of War |
Drama |
Nicolas Cage plays an arms dealer with a crisis of conscience while being hunted by Interpol agent Ethan Hawke, from writer-director Andrew Niccol. |
|
|
The Passion of the Clerks |
Comedy |
Kevin Smith is excited to make the sequel to his 1994 cult hit "Clerks" with returning cast. |
|
|
Strangers With Candy |
Comedy |
Based on the Comedy Central tv series about a middle-aged ex-con who starts over by returning to high school. Written and also starring 'The Daily Show''s Stephen Colbert. |
|
|
Revolver |
Action |
Director Guy Ritchie returns to action (after the failed romcom "Swept Away") starring Jason Statham. |
|
2005's TOP MOVIES
(Max's Predictions)
| Box Office | Critic's
Lists |
| King Kong | King Kong |
| War of the Worlds | The Producers |
| Star Wars III | Cindarella Man |
| Harry Potter 4 | Syriana |
| Batman Begins | Memoirs of a Geisha |
| The Lion, The Witch... | The Lion, The Witch... |
| Zathura | Rent |
| Robots | All the King's Men |
| Madagascar | Class Action |
| Fun With Dick and Jane | Walk the Line |
Max's 2005 Movie Journal
|
|
