With that dire Mayan doomsday prophecy hanging over the next year, we needed to stare extra-deep into our crystal ball to make predictions on 2012's world of entertainment.special valentines day flowers ideas
Knowing Armageddon may be in the cards, many important questions arise, such as: How can the world end before Christopher Nolan completes his Batman trilogy? And how can the world not end when Charlie Sheen premieres his new TV series?
Without further ado, and while the world is still spinning, we offer 12 pop-culture trends and events to look forward to in 2012.
Who killed Rosie Larsen? Who killed Ned Stark? We'll finally learn the answer to the former when AMC's The Killing returns for Season 2 in April. The answer to the second question is author George R.R. Martin, who wrote the series, A Song of Ice and Fire, that gave birth to HBO's celebrated Game of Thrones. The more important question: Who will Martin kill next (read the books for spoilers) when Game of Thrones returns for Season 2 in March?
More fabulous fables: Following the small-screen trend of Once Upon a Time and Grimm, Hollywood is poised to unleash multiple renditions of myths and legends on the big screen. Four films to keep any eye out for: director Bryan Singer's Jack the Giant Killer (June 15); Snow White and the Huntsman (June 1), starring Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron; the horrorcomedy Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (March 2); and Mirror Mirror (March 16), which lends credence to my belief that Julia Roberts is in fact an evil witch (kidding). And if none of those classic fables suits your fancy - or if you can't stand the thought of seeing Stewart on screen without a creepy vampire brooding in the background - there is always the long-anticipated The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Dec. 14). J.R.R. Tolkien was a true genius, but he owed a great debt to the Brothers Grimm.
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The new Harry Potter or Twilight? The Potter franchise is finished, and the end of Edward and Bella, in Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 2, looms on Nov. 16. Hollywood's hopes for a new blockbuster franchise may rest on Jennifer Lawrence's young but capable shoulders in The Hunger Games (March 23). The talented 21-year-old could act circles around the young cast members of those other franchises, so expect the fantasy series, based on the novels by Suzanne Collins, to deliver the goods.
New Year's TV babies: Alcatraz (Jan. 26); The Firm (Jan. 8); The Finder (Jan. 12); Luck (Jan. 29). Winter is the new fall, with a slew of hot shows. These four have the best chances of success. Alcatraz reunites Lost's J.J. Abrams and Jorge Garcia, who played Hurley on Lost. (I'm quietly hoping the premiere is an alternative, more satisfying version of the Lost finale.) The Firm takes John Grisham's character Mitch McDeere into the future. Originally played by Tom Cruise in the 1993 film, Josh Lucas's fine acting chops will offer a less artificial, more nuanced, more credible version of the lawyer. The Finder offers a spinoff of Bones. Meanwhile, Luck tries its luck at doing for horse racing what Boardwalk Empire did for bootlegging. My prediction: Luck star Dustin Hoffman will contend with Steve Buscemi and Jon Hamm for the 2012 best-actor Emmy.
Bad boys: Daniel Craig's Bond is finally back in Skyfall (Nov. 9), in which 007's loyalty to M (Judi Dench) is tested. Bond's even bigger test, and one of our anticipated joys of the film? Javier Bardem as the villain. Meanwhile, Canadian bad boy Kiefer Sutherland - Jack Bauer himself - returns to the small screen in Touch. A preview will air Jan. 25 following American Idol, with the premiere pegged for March 19. Created by Tim Kring (Heroes), the show finds Sutherland playing the father of a mute son with special powers of prediction. (I predict a hit in 2012 - and a few more entertaining "Kiefer walks into a bar ..." tabloid stories.)
Mad Men and the Man: With stalled contract negotiations and endless delays, it's easy to forget that when we last saw Mad Men, it was finishing its best season yet. When the AMC show finally returns with new episodes in March, it will be the pop-cultural TV event of the year. Forget the ad agency - what will come of Don's hasty marriage to his young secretary (Montreal's lovely Jessica Paré)? Meanwhile, the Man, Canadian legend Leonard Cohen, releases a new album, Old Ideas, on Jan. 31. At 77, Cohen could still outcharm and out-seduce Don Draper any day of the week.
Caped crusaders: Spider-Man reborn; the Dark Knight hangs up his cape; the Avengers assemble. The Avengers (May 4) will test whether putting an orgy of heroes onscreen at the same time will in any way deter Robert Downey Jr. from stealing scenes. The Amazing Spider-Man (July 3) dumps Tobey Maguire for Andrew Garfield (The Social Network), and Kirsten Dunst for the ever-delightful and intelligent Emma Stone. Last, but not least, Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy ends with The Dark Knight Rises (July 20). As for the next Batman? I hear Tobey Maguire is looking for work.
Don't knock the Shins: It's been five years since one of indie music's finest bands, Portland's the Shins, released an album. Their previous effort, Wincing the Night Away, garnered a Grammy nod. Expect Port of Morrow - due in March - to make Top 10 album lists at this time next year. Good vibrations: A Beach Boys 50th-anniversary reunion tour is in the cards - with Brian Wilson participating - along with word of a new album (no date is set) and an appearance at the Grammys on Feb. 12. Can a reunion of the classic Barenaked Ladies lineup be far behind? I'd pay good money to see Steven Page sing Brian Wilson as an opener for Brian Wilson.
Lady Madonna: Madonna is back with a new album in March. Recently awarded a new three-album deal, and with a Super Bowl halftime slot on Feb. 5, things are looking good for Madge. But we all know she'll be worried about connecting with the kids and still appearing sexy. I expect awards-show makeout sessions with Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift. (Or maybe all of them at once.)
Two reasons Doomsday may not come soon enough: Paul McCartney's Valentine's Day album, and Charlie Sheen's Anger Management. Sir Paul, who recently remarried, will release an album of love songs on Feb. 7, just in time to make a little mood music for Cupid's big day. Most of the songs will be romantic standards from the likes of Cole Porter, but the album's two new songs have cheese ball written all over them: Valentine and Only Our Hearts. And that brings us to Anger Management, Charlie Sheen's pending comeback slated for a yet-to-beannounced 2012 premiere on the FX network. (CTV bought Canadian distribution rights.) The show will offer a televised take on the mediocre 2003 film starring Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson. That said, I wouldn't bet against a man fuelled by tiger blood; Charlie could very well be winning again very soon.
World War Z: Based on the brilliant book by Max Brooks and starring Brad Pitt, the film (due on Dec. 21) is about a researcher interviewing the international survivors of an alltoo-real zombie war. Given the 2012 release date, could this film also offer a forecast of how things will end for humanity? Start planning your zombie-invasion escape strategy, folks. (I already have a hang glider, a samurai sword and a box of Twinkies set up on my roof.)
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