Here’s the 2014 slate of sci-fi films. I didn’t include superhero films (because I did a post on them yesterday) nor did I include those that might be best classified in other speculative fiction genres (e.g. horror, supernatural, or fantasy.)
WELCOME TO YESTERDAY; February 21st
If you don’t think teenagers are safe to drive cars, imagine the chaos they’d create in a time machine.
DIVERGENT; March 21st
This is based on one of the popular dystopian Young Adult (YA) novels of late. I’m not saying that it’s just like the Hunger Games trilogy or Maze Runner–both of which also have movies coming out in 2014–but it’s clearly the subgenre du jour. In this YA dystopia, people are divided into five classes by testing, but some are divergent–defying classification.
UNDER THE SKIN; April 4th (US, previously released elsewhere)
An alien seductress lures hitchhikers into her van with nefarious purpose (and maybe lollipops.) Moral: if Scarlett Johansson tries to pick you up in a serial killeresque van, think twice; and then get in because it’s Scarlett-freakin’ Johansson.
EARTH TO ECHO; April 25th
Kids discover an alien. It sounds a lot like ET.
THE SCRIBBLER; May 1st
Supposedly based upon the graphic novel of the same name, which would make this about a girl with multiple personality disorder who partakes in an experimental treatment called the “Siamese Burn.”
GODZILLA; May 16th
The latest attempt to revive Godzilla–using CGI to make him bigger and uglier than previously imaginable.
EDGE OF TOMORROW; June 6th
Like Groundhog Day but with guns and explosions.
THE PURGE 2; June 20th
Sequel to the movie about a dystopian future in which all laws are set aside for a short period once a year.
DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES; July 11th
This one takes place after the escape shown in the last PotA movie (w/ James Franco) and a pandemic and war that followed, but before humanity is completely enslaved by the damn, dirty apes.
JUPITER ASCENDING; July 25th
A nobody Earthling, played by Mila Kunis, turns out to be the most important woman in the Universe. Naturally, lots of people want her dead.
THE GIVER; August 15th
Based on the popular YA novel. One person’s utopia is another person’s hell.
RESIDENT EVIL 6; September 12th
Wow! They’ve made six of these? Way to milk it. Just kidding. I’m sure it will be novel and interesting.
MAZE RUNNER; September 19th
Another YA dystopian adventure. Lord of the Flies meets Hunger Games?
INTERSTELLAR; November 7th
A huge Christopher Nolan film about interstellar travel.
MOCKINGJAY, Pt. I; November 21st
The first part of the third book in this trilogy, because why make three movies based on three, thin YA novels when you can make four movies based on three, thin YA novels.
HOME; November 26th
This film is supposedly based on the above book. It’s about an 11 year old who must survive on her own after her mother is abducted by aliens.
Other potential sci-fi releases of unknown date and quality:
THE ZERO THEOREM; no US release date set; the UK release is supposed to be in March
It’s about a man trying to solve a theorem, but with all sorts of craziness in the mix.
MAX STEEL; based on a line of toys (promising.)
SPACE STATION 76; that 70′s sci-fi movie.
GLIMMER; more teen time travel [shudders]
