Front Page, Industry News

‘Star Wars’ Beats ‘Avengers 2′ for Most Anticipated Film of 2015

Wednesday December 31st 2014

Iron Man is no match for Luke Skywalker.

That’s the takeaway from Fandango’s survey of the most anticipated films of 2015. The online ticketing company found that “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is the film that moviegoers are most jazzed to see next year, while “Avengers: Age of Ultron” has to settle for runner-up status.

No shame there. Next year is expected to be a record-breaker for the movie business with sequels to such Tiffany franchises as James Bond, Jurassic Park and Mission: Impossible all on tap. It’s such a murderer’s row that some of these films were rubbed out from the top five list of most anticipated films.

Moviegoers picked series finale “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2″ as the third most anticipated film, with “Fifty Shades of Grey” and “Jurassic World” nabbing the fourth and fifth slots. “Fifty Shades” is the only film on the list that isn’t a sequel, though it benefits from being based on a runaway best-seller.

Last year, “Mockingjay – Part 1″ was the top choice of moviegoers going into 2014.

A lot can change. It’s worth noting that “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which was the top grossing domestic release, was left off the list of 2014’s most anticipated films.

To that end, films such as Brad Bird’s “Tomorrowland,” a science-fiction adventure starring George Clooney, or “Pan,” a Neverland-based adventure, could still turn into fan favorites even though they arrive as underdogs among all the heavy-hitters.

The Fandango poll shows just how sky high anticipation is for the return to a galaxy far, far away. An 88-second teaser for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” was viewed by more than 51 million fans on YouTube.

To get its results, Fandango polled 1,000 film fans on its website from Dec. 22 through Dec. 29. The company also looked at the biggest film stars and breakthrough performers going into the new year.

“Avengers” may have to settle for second place, but Robert Downey Jr., the man behind Iron Man’s mask, was the most popular star among those polled. He elbowed out his “Avengers” co-star Chris Hemsworth for the honor along with third-place finisher Daniel Craig for the 007 film, “Spectre.”

“Hunger Games’” Jennifer Lawrence was the top female star, followed by Scarlett Johansson for the “Avengers” sequel and Angelina Jolie for “By the Sea.”

Among breakthrough contenders, “Fifty Shades of Grey’s” kinky billionaire Jamie Dornan was the top male choice while “Star Wars” actress Daisy Ridley was the highest rated female star.

Here’s a breakdown of the various categories.

Most Anticipated 2015 Movie:

1. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”
2. “Avengers: Age of Ultron”
3. “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2″
4. “Fifty Shades of Grey”
5. “Jurassic World”

Fan Favorite Actress in 2015 Movies:

1. Jennifer Lawrence (“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2,” “Joy” )
2. Scarlett Johansson (“Avengers: Age of Ultron”)
3. Angelina Jolie (“By the Sea”)
4. Melissa McCarthy (“Spy”)
5. Halle Berry (“Kidnap”)

Fan Favorite Actor in 2015 Movies:
1. Robert Downey, Jr. (“Avengers: Age of Ultron”)
2. Chris Hemsworth (“Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Blackhat,” and “In the Heart of the Sea”)
3. Daniel Craig (“Spectre”)
4. Chris Pratt (“Jurassic World”)
5. Tom Cruise (“Mission Impossible 5″)

Biggest Male Breakout Movie Star, 2015:
1. Jamie Dornan (“Fifty Shades of Grey”)
2. John Boyega (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”)
3. Levi Miller (“Pan”)
4. Neel Sethi (“The Jungle Book”)
5. Tony Jaa (“Furious 7″)

Biggest Female Breakout Movie Star, 2015:
1. Daisy Ridley (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”)
2. Lily James (“Cinderella,” “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies”)
3. Dakota Johnson (“Fifty Shades of Grey,” “A Bigger Splash”)
4. Kate Mara (“The Fantastic Four,” “The Martian”)
5. Sofia Boutella (“Kingsman: The Secret Service”)

Most Anticipated Family Film of 2015:
1. “Minions”
2. “Cinderella”
3. “Pixar’s Inside Out”
4. “Peanuts”

Source: Variety