Ten films to look forward to in 2015

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Release date: December 2015

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The forthcoming Star Wars 7 film promises to be one of the biggest releases of the year, if not the decade. Director JJ Abrams won plaudits for having breathed new life into the Star Trek franchise with his 2009 series reboot. Now he has been handed the reigns of what is arguably an even bigger sci-fi series. The new film brings together original cast members Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher with newcomers John Boyega, Daisy Ridley and Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o. The movie is believed to be set 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi, but despite almost unprecedented fan scrutiny and speculation, very few plot details are known.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron

Release date: April, 2015

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It's being billed as "the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time" by Marvel Studios. According to the official synopsis, "when Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth's Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance."

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II

Release date: November, 2015

In the highly anticipated final instalment of the Hunger Games franchise, Katniss leads District 13 to battle with the capital in a long overdue revolution. She also has to deal with an unpredictable Peeta and President Coin whose motives she is forced to question. "Knowing what's to come from the remainder of the third book [the film] is bound to be one incredibly explosive grand finale," writes Collider's Perri Nemiroff.

Spectre

Release date: November, 2015

The 24th instalment of the James Bond franchise sees Bond (Daniel Craig) receive a cryptic message from his past which leads him on a trail to uncover the terrible truth behind the sinister organisation Spectre while M (Ralph Fiennes) battles home-grown political forces to keep MI6 alive. The latest film's Bond girls will be played by actresses Lea Seydoux and Monica Bellucci.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Release date: May, 2015

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The post-apocalyptic action film sequel stars Tom Hardy as Mad Max Rockatansky and Charlize Theron as Furiosa in the furthest reaches of the planet where "humanity is broken, and almost everyone is crazed fighting for the necessities of life. Within this world exist two rebels on the run who just might be able to restore order." The above trailer was voted the best of 2014 by movie fans across the globe.

Tomorrowland

Release date: May 2015

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"What if there was a place... a secret place, where nothing was impossible, where you could change the world? You wanna go?"

Named after a futuristic park at Disneyland, this rare original screenplay tells the story of a young science-obsessed girl (Britt Robertson) and her father (George Clooney) who both embark on a mission to unearth the secrets of an imaginative world. Also starring Hugh Laurie, Kathryn Hahn, Judy Greer, and Keegan-Michael Key.

The Hateful Eight

Release date: TBC

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Quentin's Tarantino delivers back to back westerns following on from the cult success of Django Unchained. Set in post-Civil War Wyoming, The Hateful Eight stars Samuel L. Jackson and Channing Tatum as bounty hunters trying to find shelter during a blizzard; cue the usual Tarantino betrayal, deception and violence.

Chappie

Release date: March, 2015

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Chappie is an affable, talented child. He is also the first robot with the ability to think and feel emotions. District 9 director Neill Blomkamp returns to his native South Africa in this touching story. The film is "powered by the vital thing that Elysium was sorely missing," writes Nemiroff: "A genuine, human connection to the main character." Features Hugh Jackman and Yo-Landi Vi$$er, the quirky lead vocalist from South African rap-rave group Die Antwoord.

Black Mass

Release date: September 2015

Adapted from the best-selling book of the same name and based on a true story, Black Mass stars Johnny Depp stars as Whitey Bulger, the FBI's most wanted crime boss and the brother of a US senator. Also stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Sienna Miller.

Inside out

Release date: June, 2015

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From the creators of Finding Nemo and Up, Pixar's latest animation is set inside a young girl's mind. Like all of us, Riley is steered by her emotions – Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). "It's the kind of Sigmund-Freud-on-a-massive-sugar-high premise that only Pixar can come with and truly pull off," according to Empire.