THE YEAR AHEAD - 2012

So, the world and all its inhabitants made it through the foretold "rapture" and some religious guy in America apologised and said that he may have got the date wrong! Good news then for the British Olympics staff and its competitors!

And also for Hollywood and the film industry who had lined up an impressive, even by their standards, list of entertainment for the popcorn punters this year.

The film studios are already gearing up to release their big guns from this month onwards to dominate not only the lucrative Summer season but also the awards season with their releases

slated from October, so, how about a flash forward for you to plan ahead each month and either book the baby-sitter, cancel the stag/hen do, re-arrange that reunion, record that football match rather than watch it live or.... insert the relevant scenario that matches your busy life here!

The following will pick each of the coming months and highlight some of the movies that hope to score big-time with your attention and your pocket money... so the list is there, all you have to do is choose what out of them gets your vote for your popcorn-consuming calender...

And as the poster for the "end of the world" film stated, you were warned... by me!

JANUARY

WARHORSE

Spielberg steps up to the plate once again to weave his magic and this time it's a cherished play that has captivated all that have seen it that gets his attention. The phrase "never work with children or animals" was clearly never meant for the man who gave us E.T., Jurassic Park or Empire Of The Sun. Black Beauty, Seabiscuit, make your way to the glue factory...

FEBRUARY

THE WOMAN IN BLACK

Or, as some would call it, what Harry Potter did next! Again, another stage play adaptation except this time its more ecto-plasmic rather than equestrian. Daniel Radcliffe plays the unfortunate soul sent to sort out a will in a house that will forever change him. The play is awesome so the film has a lot to "live" up to...

MARCH

THE PIRATES! AN ADVENTURE WITH SCIENTISTS

Tough call this month with CG-heavy offerings of Wrath Of The Titans and The Hunger Games, but, lets face it, anything from the creators of Wallace & Gromit has got to be the one to go for! Showing that Brit humour can launch a thousand ships still, it looks like an offering that the whole family can enjoy - arrgh me hearties!

APRIL

THE AVENGERS

I won't lie to you, this is one THE big ones for me! The man who created Firefly gets to show exactly how ensemble movies should be made with some of the biggest egos to contend with! Finally, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk and Captain America get to battle it out against a formidable foe, and each other, whilst being helped by Black Widow and Hawkeye and no doubt called mutha's from Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury.... sounds like heaven!

MAY

MEN IN BLACK 3

A long time coming, the third installment of Earth's last defence against the worst scum of the universe goes all Back To The Future time-trippy in order to save the day and the franchise. With not much out around the same time, this could well make a killing at the box office until the big Summer hitters are released.

JUNE

PROMETHEUS

The possible prequel/side-quel/alongside-quel of what is regarded as one of the finest sci-fi horror films of all time will finally burst forth like a chest-buster onto the screens with original Ridley Scott behind the camera and a host of who's-who waiting to be killed off such as Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace and Charlize Theron... Commence screaming.

JULY

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

There shouldn't be anything to say about the third and final installment of Chris Nolan's genre-changing Batman saga except for it's finally here! With both director and star saying there will be no more Bat-antics, expect this one to go out with a big bang!

AUGUST

BRAVE

Pixar are back! And after comments regarding that their output has mainly related to only animals and such, they now appear to be tackling an all-human environment and addressing the unfair criticisms that females have played only minor roles to date. Either way, when Pixar are around every other film should beware!

SEPTEMBER

PARANORMAN

For those who got to see the delightful Coraline when it was released, the same quirky and enthralling style is brought to the tale of a boy this time whose abilities will draw him into a world of adventure, excitement and danger. All accompanied by a U certificate though so bring the family!

OCTOBER

SKYFALL (aka James Bond returns)

There's not much floating around regarding Daniel Craig's third outing as 007 except for the facts - Sam Mendes of American Beauty fame) directs, Javier Bardem is the villain, and Ralph Fiennes and Albert Finney join in alongside regular Judi Dench. When the trailer hits, it will be added. Until then, here's a reminder of how the reboot started...

NOVEMBER

GANGSTER SQUAD

The guy that gave us Zombieland and 30 Minutes Or Less, goes all noir and serious with this LA-based thriller with Ryan "so hot right now" Gosling's 1940's cop trying to take down Sean Penn's big gangster. Expect tommy guns galore, see? Again when the trailer surfaces, expect it here...

DECEMBER

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY

Honestly, there is nothing to say except, for those of you who felt Christmas time ended with the release of the final chapter in The Lord Of The Rings trilogy back in 2003, fear not! With Peter Jackson back at the helm and Martin Freeman as the only Bilbo Baggins he wanted for the role, the first film of the two-parter graces our screens whilst New Zealand gets ready for the influx of tourists again!

So, for the time being, just know that for each film I've listed above, it will be up against at least another ten minimum in that particular month. There's a host of other note-worthy flicks but rest assured, when I can they will be here for you to peruse.

What are you looking forward to then? And did you know any of them?