25 Movies You Should See in 2015

The year 2015 is shaping up to be one of the biggest in Hollywood history. From big-budget sequels like ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ and ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron,' to original concepts like ‘Jupiter Ascending’ and Pixar’s ‘The Good Dinosaur,’ here’s a breakdown of all the films -- in order of release -- that you may want to buy a ticket for.  

The Wachowski siblings are back for a new sci-fi epic – their first original screenplay since ‘The Matrix’ trilogy. 'Jupiter' centers on a humble Earthling (Mila Kunis) who gets caught up in a grand struggle involving an alien dynasty. Channing Tatum and Sean Bean costar. While the film was bumped from its original Summer 2014 release, and early buzz is quite soft, attention must be paid to an original idea -- with such unique scope and vision -- coming out amongst a slate full of sequels. 

Just in time for Valentine's Day comes Universal's hotly-anticipated adaptation of the popular (and steamy) book. Dakota Johnson (pictured) plays lit student Anastasia Steele, who succumbs to the very erotic charms of wealthy businessman Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) and fans of the book know where it goes from there. The first trailer hit big with audiences in 2014, and the film is expected to score even bigger at the box office.

This violent adaptation of Mark Millar's popular graphic novel, from 'X-Men: First Class' director Matthew Vaughn, pays homage to 1960s spy movies, especially 007's. Colin Firth's veteran spy must educate new recruit Eggsy (played by newcomer Taron Egerton) in the ways of being a Kingsman - a group of super sophisticated and deadly operatives - in an effort to stop supervillain Samuel L. Jackson from destroying humanity. Fox hopes that the film's inventive action and R-rated wit will help launch a franchise. 

Off the success of Summer 2014's hit 'Maleficent,' Disney hopes to strike box office gold once again with this live-action adaptation of another popular animated film. 'Thor' director Kenneth Branagh is set to deliver a very faithful take on the original, with Cate Blanchet playing the evil stepmother and 'Downton Abbey's' Lily James as Cinderella. 

The ‘Fast & Furious’ gang is back for another explosive, globetrotting adventure as they fight back against the vengeful Ian Shaw (Jason Statham). Unfortunately, this will be the last ride for Paul Walker's character, in light of Walker's untimely death. 

The film's exciting – and somewhat unsettling – first trailer is a small tease of what promises to be Marvel’s biggest film yet. Fresh from battling space eels and Loki, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes now find themselves struggling to stop the evil A.I. Ultron from purging the globe of the very humans the Avengers must save. Lots of punching, explosions and Hulkbuster brawls ensue. 

After 30 years of laying low, the 'Mad Max' franchise is finally roaring back into theaters. Tom Hardy replaces Mel Gibson in the title role, but ‘Fury Road’ is billed as a true sequel to the original trilogy of post-apocalyptic action films, rather than a reboot. Fans of the series will be treated to its first “big budget” installment, with a highlight being a car chase through sandstorm tornados. 

Brad Bird’s follow-up to his first live-action film, ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,’ trades in spies for reclusive inventors in this top-secret film loosely inspired by Disney’s titular theme park attraction. George Clooney headlines what promises to be -- if the trailer is any indication – one of the year’s most inspired sci-fi films. And it has jet packs, which is never a bad thing. 

Handpicked by Steven Spielberg to bring new life to the popular franchise, director Colin Trevorrow promises raptors and genetically spliced dinosaurs will run amok at a brand-new, fully functioning theme park. ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ star Chris Pratt headlines the human cast, playing a dino-trainer of sorts -- and that sentence alone is worthy of the admission price. 

The first of two new CG-animated films from Pixar next year, ‘Inside Out’ certainly has an intriguing premise. The film revolves around a young girl guided by physical manifestations of her emotions (voiced by Amy Poehler, Bill Hader and others) as she deals with a stressful move to San Francisco. Early footage hints that this is one of Pixar’s most original films, and fans of the house that Woody and Buzz built should not be disappointed. 

Everyone's favorite foul-mouthed teddy bear is back for another raunchy adventure. Seth MacFarlane returns as both director and voice of Ted. Mark Wahlberg will also return, though Amanda Seyfried replaces Mila Kunis as his love interest in this sequel, which boasts an impressive supporting cast that includes Liam Neeson and Morgan Freeman. 

The good news? Channing Tatum and his posse of male strippers are back, this time embarking on a road trip. The bad news? They won’t be joined by scene-stealer Matthew McConaughey – or the original film’s director, Steven Soderbergh. There's no way that these two things will stop the film’s fan base from seeing the sequel in droves. 

The lovable, yellow sidekicks from the ‘Despicable Me’ movies are getting their own animated spin-off with this prequel. Stuart, Kevin and Bob will travel the globe and encounter the first-ever female supervillain -- Scarlett Overkill -- voiced by Sandra Bullock. 

Marvel's follow-up to ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ puts the spotlight on a new hero. Paul Rudd stars as Scott Lang, a petty thief who becomes a hero with the ability to shrink in size but grow in strength. Michael Douglas plays his mentor, Hank Pym, the first owner of the Ant-Man suit. Expect an impressive amount of inventive pint-size action, as Marvel hopes to continue their winning streak at the box office. 

Director Joe Wright helms this 'Peter Pan Begins' origin story, which chronicles Neverland's most popular citizen (newcomer Levi Miller) and his struggles with the infamous pirate, Blackbeard, played by an almost unrecognizable Hugh Jackman. Warner Bros. is banking big on 'Pan,' hoping that the summer release spawns a series of big-screen adventures. 

Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt, this time with his 'Jack Reacher' writer-director, Christopher McQuarrie, in tow. The plot of Hunt’s mission is unknown, but audiences should have no trouble accepting it, especially with the fifth installment upping the action by having Cruise (sans stunt double) dangle off the side of a massive plane -- mid-flight! 

After two previous entries, Fox is giving Marvel’s FF franchise another go -- rebooting it with a younger cast and edgier direction. Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Bell star, while director Josh Trank will lend this film the same grounded and gritty approach he applied to 2011’s ‘Chronicle.’ 

'Harry Potter' and 'The Woman in Black' star Daniel Radcliffe (pictured) plays another popular literary character, Igor, in the latest adaptation of Mary Shelley's classic novel. The film, from 'Chronicle' writer Max Landis, distinguishes itself by retelling the iconic story from the viewpoint of Dr. Victor Frankenstein's assistant, while James McAvoy plays the tragic doctor. Fox is keeping this film under wraps, but early buzz suggests that audiences are due for a very grounded and chilling take on the material. 

Director Guillermo del Toro's follow-up to ‘Pacific Rim’ looks to be a far more intimate, and scarier, film. In this haunted house fright-fest, Mia Wasikowska stars as a young 19th century writer who discovers her husband (Tom Hiddleston) is harboring a dark secret. 

The team behind Bond’s biggest hit ever, ‘Skyfall,’ returns for the next installment in the venerable spy franchise. This time, director Sam Mendes and writer John Logan have Bond battling Christoph Waltz' character, who many believe to be 007's archnemesis Blofeld. All of this goes down as M (Ralph Fiennes) struggles to protect MI-6 from a potential merger with MI-5. Most of the film's plot has already leaked, thanks to Sony's internet hack -- but don't spoil the fun for yourself. Bond's adventures are best experienced on the big screen. 

The final installment of the popular YA franchise promises to wrap up all the storylines set up in the explosive ‘Part 1.’ Fans of the book already know how Katniss’ journey ends, but that won’t stop them from paying tribute (see what we did thar?) at the box office. 

Originally scheduled for release in 2014, ‘The Good Dinosaur’ will instead be Pixar's second animated film to come out in 2015. The film follows Arlo, a talking Apatosaurus, in a world where these enormous creatures never went extinct. Expect a more lighthearted counterpoint to the carnivores of ‘Jurassic World,’ and another solid addition to Pixar’s slate. 

A leaked script almost prevented Quentin Tarantino from making 'Eight' his follow-up to the award-winning ‘Django Unchained.’ Thankfully, fans can expect another Western from the auteur, which features a pair of bounty hunters and a rogue Confederate soldier trapped inside a saloon during a snowstorm. Kurt Russell and Samuel L. Jackson headline the ensemble cast. 

‘The Force Awakens’ (sans ‘Episode VII’) picks up 30 years after the events of ‘Return of the Jedi.’ Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher are back, alongside newcomers like Adam Driver and Oscar Isaac. This movie can’t get in our eyeballs soon enough. 

The studio behind such hits as 'Ice Age' is giving the CG-animated treatment to Charlie Brown and Company. 'Peanuts' has Snoopy and his owner front-and-center in their first big Hollywod film, which promises to have flying ace Snoopy engaged in a dogfight or two with his arch-nemesis, while Charlie, Linus and the gang embark on a journey that fans of the comic strip won't want to miss.