Before Midnight Release date: 13th March
Walt Disney Pictures brings one of the most popular fairy tale classics to life in the live-action Cinderella. Although we’ve seen a number of successful fairy tale spin-offs lately (Hansel & Gretel, Snow White and the Huntsmen come to mind), Cinderella pretty much sticks to the classic tale, albeit with several added variations. It all starts as our young protagonist Ella, portrayed by Lily James (Downton Abbey), embraces her new stepmother and two new sisters in support of her loving father. However, our childhood reminds us of the unfortunate events that ensue. Several other big names, such as Saoirse Ronan, Alicia Vikander and Gabriella Wilde, were considered to play Cinderella.
Meanwhile, Helena Bonham Carter (Les Miserables) plays the evil stepmother and Richard Madden, famous for his portrayal of Robb Stark in the hit series Game of Thrones, plays Kit, the Prince Charming. Whatever generation we belong to, Cinderella is a story that we can all relate to, not only because of its pertinence to our everyday lives, but also because of the conservatively beautiful notions of courage, hope and love.
Rules of the Trade Release date: 13th March
Academy Award nominees Ethan Hawke (Training Day) and Ed Harris (Pollock) lead a cast of powerful actors, the likes of Milla Jovovich, John Leguizamo, Penn Badgley, Anton Yelchin and Bill Pullman, in a gritty story of a vicious war between dirty cops and an outlaw biker gang. Premiered at the 71st Venice International Film Festival late last year, Anarchy is a modern-day adaptation of a Shakespearean play entitled Cymbeline. If some of the big names are any indication, audiences can expect fast-paced action and some level of violence, combined with some great on-screen performances.
Wheels of Vengeance Release date: 3rd April
The production of this seventh instalment of the Fast and Furious franchise came to a halt following the unfortunate accident of lead star Paul Walker, but after some necessary rewrites and deciding how to best proceed in a respectful manner, the filming of Furious 7 was wrapped up on 10th July, 2014. The story is set after the events of Tokyo Drift, as Deckard Shaw seeks revenge against Dominic Toretto and the crew after the death of his brother, Owen Shaw. Deckard is played by Jason Statham (Wild Card, Transporter) in his first-ever role as an antagonist. International names such as Djimon Hounsou (Seventh Son), Tony Jaa (Ong Bak) and Ronda Rousey (The Expendables 3), join returning cast members, such as Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson.
Insurgent Release date: 20th March
Insurgent follows the events of the first movie in the Divergent series and focuses on Tris as she searches for allies and answers to long-overdue questions in the ruins of a futuristic Chicago with only Four as company. Shailene Woodley (The Fault in Our Stars) and Theo James (Underworld: Awakening) reprise their roles as Tris and Four, along with Kate Winslet, Miles Teller, Maggie Q, Naomi Watts and a number of other cast members who are also reprising their roles. As a leading actress, Shailene Woodley has become increasingly better at her game and audiences are anticipating an even better performance, especially since she has done multiple movies with some of her counterparts in this movie. Shailene was in The Spectacular Now with Miles Teller and in the hit teenage romantic film The Fault in Our Stars with Ansel Elgort. Fans of the book are surely looking forward to the thickening plot of this second instalment of the Divergent franchise
