Upcoming Science Fiction Films
Star Trek, The Time Traveler's Wife, a new Terminator, and More
Dec 12, 2008
In honor of the release of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" remake, here's a look at ten upcoming sci-fi films.
The year 2009 will offer several films dealing with science fiction elements in a variety of ways. The classic sci-fi theme of imminent world destruction is still in demand, and there are superhuman power displays, a stunningly photographed character-driven drama, new chapters of popular sci-fi series, and a novel about love with a sci-fi twist comes to life.
- Push: Paul McGuigan directed this action/sci-fi tale of a group of Americans (including Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, and Camilla Belle) with various telekinetic and clairvoyant powers. Hiding in Hong Kong, they work together to evade a mysterious government agency and its dangerous plans. After "Heroes"" and "X-Men," the outsiders-with-special-powers subject matter is nothing new, but "Push" may appeal to fans of that theme. Also starring Djimon Hounsou. Opens February 6th, 2009.
- Knowing: In director Alex Proyas’ newest film, Ted Myles (Nicolas Cage) examines a message found in a time capsule from his son’s school, and discovers that he has stumbled upon a chilling code. The message’s numbers give the dates of past disasters, and when Ted realizes that the numbers also foretell future destruction, he sets out to prevent it. The premise and the trailer look intriguing, but one longs for a return to Proyas’ earlier, darker projects like "The Crow" and "Dark City." Also starring Rose Byrne. Opens March 20th, 2009.
- Monsters vs. Aliens: A DreamWorks animated feature about a girl who is hit by a meteor and turns into a giant monster. She is soon brought to a government facility and is introduced to other monsters, and together they are called upon to battle aliens and protect the world. The film looks humorous and clever, and features the voices of Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Kiefer Sutherland, and Stephen Colbert. Opens March 27th, 2009.
- Star Trek: The highly anticipated JJ Abrams film brings a fresh take on Star Trek by portraying the original series characters in their younger years at Starfleet Academy and their assignment to the USS Enterprise. Starring Chris Pine as James T. Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Karl Urban as McCoy, Simon Pegg as Scotty, Anton Yelchin as Chekov, and John Cho as Sulu. Opens May 8th, 2009.
- Terminator: Salvation: The newest installment in the Terminator series is directed by McG and stars Christian Bale as returning character John Connor. Amid considerable nuclear destruction, John leads the fight against Skynet Corporation and its Terminators. He is soon joined by a stranger (Sam Worthington) with mysterious origins. Also starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Anton Yelchin, and Common. Opens May 22nd, 2009.
- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, and Tyrese Gibson return in Michael Bay’s sequel to his 2007 hit. The evil Megatron has been resurrected and is out for revenge against the Autobots, involving Earth once again in a battle for the universe. Opens June 26th, 2009.
- 2012: Speculation and paranoia about the Mayan calendar ending on the year 2012 has been a hot topic for years. Director Roland Emmerich adds to his list of epic disaster films with "2012," in which the Earth is hit by several immense natural disasters and a group of people attempt to survive. Starring John Cusack, Amanda Peet, and Thandie Newton. Opens July 10th, 2009.
- Avatar: After focusing on documentaries the past few years, director James Cameron brings us his long gestating first film since 1997’s "Titanic." The secretive plot involves a distant planet abundant with resources and inhabited by an indigenous alien race. An ex-marine is assigned to take advantage of the planet’s bio-diversity, but soon finds himself assisting its inhabitants with their survival. Starring Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana, Michelle Rodriguez, and Giovanni Ribisi. Opens December 18th, 2009.
- The Time Traveler's Wife: An adaptation of Audrey Niffenegger’s best-selling novel, "The Time Traveler’s Wife" follows the enduring love of Clare Abshire (Rachel McAdams) and Henry DeTamble (Eric Bana), a man with a genetic disorder that causes him to involuntarily travel through time. Directed by Robert Schwentke, the film also stars Ron Livingston and Jane McLean as Gomez and Charisse. TBA 2009.
- Moon: Sam Rockwell stars in this portrait of solitude. Astronaut Sam Bell is completing a three year mining assignment alone on a moon base. As his departure approaches, Sam begins to experience haunting discoveries. Directed by Duncan Jones. TBA 2009.
The copyright of the article Upcoming Science Fiction Films in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Films is owned by Brittany Sims. Permission to republish Upcoming Science Fiction Films in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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