Must-see 2011

The spirit and method of its production was one of the most important factors in making The Lord of the Rings what it was. Both of those things stemmed directly from Peter Jackson, so I just don't like the thought of anyone but him in the director's chair. But given what he did with Pan's Labyrinth, Guillermo del Toro is probably the best alternate. In addition to most of the original cast members, I would also love to see Ian Holm reprise his role as Bilbo. Age can be faked with makeup, technology, and stunt doubles, but his performance cannot.

Given the right approach, balancing the nostalgia and thematic potential of the source material, this could be one of Marvel's best films.

The screenplay is by James Vanderbilt, who did an excellent job on a difficult story with Zodiac. Hopefully his script will help breathe new life into a potentially great series of films.

With the right approach and a giant budget, this could easily be one of the coolest, biggest sci-fi superhero epics ever.

I was never a fan of the character, but I like many of Marvel's movies. They are usually big events, and previous successes have proven that the right talent makes all the difference. Here's hoping they find the perfect team for this.

The first film was amazing. I hope Frank Miller's new material for this one is good enough for a follow-up.

As long as Daniel Craig stars and a good director is attached, I'm there.

Spielberg directs Liam Neeson in the lead role in a story about a historical political war hero. Sounds familiar, in a good way.

Hoping they scale down a bit and adhere to the style of the first film.

David Yates handles action well, but he has yet to prove he can handle scope. For all their tactful restraint and cleverness, his previous films did not indicate a bold, unique vision. I hope he finds one suitable for the franchise finale. Bringing back John Williams might help.

Everyone will be curious to see James Cameron's next project after Avatar.

This is based on strange-looking material I'm not familiar with, but who doesn't want to see Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg collaborate? PJ must have had a good reason to turn down The Hobbit, so I'm curious to see what is so special about this.

The next feature from modern Hollywood's most reliable studio is always one to watch.