On the surface of it there are few ‘tent pole’ releases scheduled for 2010. There are some high-profile titles to look forward to as always but it will be the heavyweight contenders towards the end of next year that will get our juices flowing. Here we take a look at the films we are most looking forward to in the coming months…

The Road
Having already seen the film at the London Film Festival we can vouch for this one… or at least I can. It was one of the highlights for me and even though it does differ from the novel it is based on quite noticeably, the film still hits all the right notes. With wonderfully pitched performances from the leads check out our Festival Reaction here as well as the film in early January. 

The Blind Side
Already a massive hit Stateside; this has even overtaken Paranormal Activity to become the sleeper hit of the 2009. Although the film hasn’t got a UK release date yet it has begun to get serious Oscar Buzz and as such we should be seeing it before the big awards. The film is also set to boast a career best performance from Sandra Bullock… A poor, oversized and under-educated teenager is recruited by a major college football program where he is groomed into an athletically and academically successful NFL prospect.

A Prophet
Jacques Audiard, acclaimed director of The Beat That My Heart Skipped, brings us the winner of this year’s Grand Prix at Cannes. Having recently won the Best Film award at the London Film Festival and being hailed by critics as a classic in the same vein as The Godfather, A Prophet instantly takes its place as a classic of the crime genre. We’ll be reviewing the film in the coming weeks as well and bringing you and exclusive interview with the film’s rising star Tahar Rahim… in the meantime check out the tantalising trailer.

Green Zone
Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, United 93) re-team for their latest electrifying thriller in Green Zone, a film set in the chaotic early days of the Iraqi War when no one could be trusted and every decision could detonate unforeseen consequences.  During the U.S.-led occupation of Baghdad in 2003, Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller (Damon) and his team of Army inspectors were dispatched to find weapons of mass destruction believed to be stockpiled in the Iraqi desert.  Rocketing from one booby-trapped and treacherous site to the next, the men search for deadly chemical agents but stumble instead upon an elaborate cover-up that inverts the purpose of their mission.  

Princess and the Frog
Walt Disney Animation Studios presents the musical THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, an animated comedy that provides a modern twist on a classic tale, featuring a beautiful girl named Tiana, a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again, and a fateful kiss that leads them both on a hilarious adventure through the mystical bayous of Louisiana.

It’s a welcome return to old-school Disney… sure the Pixar films are modern classics but this promises to have all the best bits of the recent films combined with the charm and ‘tunes’ of the original Disney animations.

The Tree of Life
Very little is known about the long awaited Terrence Malick movie which stars Brad Pitt and Sean Penn. Based on a screenplay by the reclusive director all we do know is that it was originally scheduled for release last year (2008) and then pushed back to the Toronto Film Festival this year… another date it failed to show up for. There’s still no confirmation that it will hit the screens in 2010 however, but fingers crossed… Malick’s last two films have reinforced the view that he is one of the all-time greats despite only making six films in 37 years.

The Losers
The film, which is currently in production and is based on the successful comic book series written by Andy Diggle and illustrated by Jock (Mark Simpson) is directed by Sylvain White and stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chris Evans, Zoe Saldana and Idris Elba. Originally a special forces team seconded to the CIA in the 90s, The Losers were betrayed by their handler, Max, and left for dead following the conclusion of their operation. Eager for revenge and the opportunity to remove their names from a secret CIA death list, the Losers regroup and conduct covert operations against the CIA and its interests, uncovering startling operations spearheaded by the enigmatic Max, whose influence within the CIA and US government is unparalleled. With the increasingly popular Zoe Saldana on board this could well be a group version of the Bourne movies… here’s hoping anyway.

Cemetery Junction
In 1970s England, a young guy wants to escape his working-class world but his two best friends are happy with life as is. When the guy's job reintroduces him to an old sweetheart, the trio must make choices that will change their lives for ever. The film sees a welcome team up from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant for the first time since Extras. Gervais might think he is now a Hollywood heavyweight but despite the numerous A-list friends surrounding him his films have fallen flat. Cemetery Junction is set to be a comedy drama with Ralph Fiennes joining the supporting cast.

The Fighter
Having originally been set-up as a vehicle for Darren Aronofsky with Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon playing the films central characters, the film we finally get still features Wahlberg but now with Christian Bale on board and David O Russell in the director’s chair. Bale joined the shoot after Brad Pitt dropped out having initially agreed to replace Damon… all sounds like a recipe for disaster given the combustible reputations of all involved. However this story of Irish boxing champ Mickey Ward who fights his way back from the depths does look interesting, with both Wahlberg and Bale going to physical extremes to look right for the roles.

Agora
This historical drama is already Spain's highest grossing film of 2009, the epic $73 million period piece shot throughout Malta marks the long-awaited return of "The Others" and "The Sea Inside" director Alejandro Amenábar. Following early screenings at Cannes however the film appears to have lost momentum with a story that combines the brutality of the Roman empire against the rise of Christianity. Perhaps US audiences have labeled it as anti-religious already but it would still be nice to see it and make up our own minds.

While training for the UK Streetdance Championships, a streetdance crew are forced to work with Royal ballet dancers in return for rehearsal space. With no common ground and with passions riding high, they realise they need to find a way to join forces to win. Streetdance features the cream of UK dance talent, including show-stopping performances from Britain’s Got Talent dance sensations Flawless, Diversity and George Sampson, as well as from Matthew Bourne protégé Richard Winsor and breakthrough Brit actress Nichola Burley (Donkey Punch, Love & Hate).

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
The third installment in the Twilight Saga. Starring Kirsten Stewart, Robert Pattison and Taylor Lautner. Bella and Edward have are reunited, but is threatened to be torn apart again. Bella is forced to choose between her true love for Edward or her friendship with Jacob Black as the struggles between vampires and werewolves continues. Worth noting that this Twilight story is also set to hit the Imax screens for the first time… let the pandemonium begin.
 
The A-Team
Joe Carnahan steps up to direct the highly anticipated feature length version of the classic 80’s TV series. Still in production the film stars Bradley Cooper (The Hangover), Liam Neeson and Jessica Biel, and professional cage fighter Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson as B.A. Bracus, the A-Team is the story of a group of Iraq War veterans look to clear their name with the U.S. military, who suspect the four men of committing a crime for which they were framed.

Part two coming up soon…