The Fan Carpet’s 2015 Film Preview

Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) - January 1

BIRDMAN (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is a black comedy that tells the story of an actor (Michael Keaton) - famous for portraying an iconic superhero - as he struggles to mount a Broadway play.

In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself.

Trash - January 30

When two trash-picking boys from Rio’s slums find a wallet in amongst the daily detritus of their local dump, little do they imagine that their lives are about to change forever. But when the local police show up, offering a handsome reward for the wallet’s return, the boys, Rafael (RICKSON TEVEZ) and Gardo (LUIS EDUARDO), realise that what they’ve found must be important. Teaming up with their friend Rato (GABRIEL WEINSTEIN), the trio begins an extraordinary adventure as they try to hang onto the wallet, evade the police, and uncover the secrets it contains.

Along the way, the boys will have to figure out friend from foe, as they piece together the story of the wallet’s owner José angelo (WAGNER MOURA) and realise they can’t trust the police, led by the dangerous Frederico (SELTON MELLO). But a pair of American missionaries working in their favela – the disillusioned Father Julliard (MARTIN SHEEN) and his young assistant Olivia (ROONEY MARA) – might just have the power to knock on the right doors.

The Theory of Everything - January 2

The Theory of Everything is the story of the most brilliant and celebrated physicist of our time, Stephen Hawking, and Jane Wilde the arts student he fell in love with whilst studying at Cambridge in the 1960s.

Little was expected from Stephen Hawking, a bright but shiftless student of cosmology, given just two years to live following the diagnosis of a fatal illness at 21 years of age.  He became galvanized, however, by the love of fellow Cambridge student, Jane Wilde, and he went on to be called the successor to Einstein, as well as a husband and father to their three children.  Over the course of their marriage as Stephen’s body collapsed and his academic renown soared, fault lines were exposed that tested the lineaments of their relationship and dramatically altered the course of both of their lives.

Professor Stephen Hawking is one of the most famous scientists of our age and author of the bestseller, “A Brief History of Time”, which has sold millions of copies world-wide.

Big Hero 6 - January 30

With all the heart and humour audiences expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios, “Big Hero 6” is an action-packed comedy-adventure about robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, who learns to harness his genius—thanks to his brilliant brother Tadashi and their like-minded friends: adrenaline junkie Go Go Tomago, neatnik Wasabi, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred. When a devastating turn of events catapults them into the midst of a dangerous plot unfolding in the streets of San Fransokyo, Hiro turns to his closest companion—a robot named Baymax—and transforms the group into a band of high-tech heroes determined to solve the mystery.

Inspired by the Marvel comics of the same name, and featuring comic-book style action, “Big Hero 6” is directed by Don Hall (“Winnie the Pooh”) and Chris Williams (“Bolt”), and produced by Roy Conli (“Tangled”)

Project Almanac - February 6

A brilliant high school student and his friends uncover blueprints for a mysterious device with limitless potential, inadvertently putting lives in danger.

Fifty Shades of Grey - February 13

Fifty Shades of Grey is the hotly anticipated film adaptation of the bestselling book that has become a global phenomenon.  Since its release, the “Fifty Shades” trilogy has been translated into 51 languages worldwide and sold more than 100 million copies in e-book and print—making it one of the biggest and fastest-selling book series ever.

Stepping into the roles of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, who have become iconic to millions of readers, are Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson.

Blackhat - February 20

From director Michael Mann and starring Chris Hemsworth, Viola Davis, Tang Wei and Wang Leehom, Blackhat is set within the world of global cybercrime and follows a furloughed convict and his American and Chinese partners as they hunt a high-level cybercrime network from Chicago to Los Angeles to Hong Kong to Jakarta.

The Divergent Series: Insurgent - March 20

INSURGENT, the next gripping action-adventure in the blockbuster DIVERGENT franchise, raises the stakes for Tris as she searches for allies and answers in the dystopian ruins of a futuristic Chicago. 

Avengers: Age of Ultron - April 24

When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping programme, 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.

As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.

Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens - December 18

The seventh entry in the iconic space opera, Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, Adam Driver, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis, Warwick Davis and Max von Sydow.

2015 will be an awesome year for film, honourable mentions include Mad Max: Fury Road, Spectre (the 24th James Bond adventure), Everest, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, The Good Dinosaur, Snoopy and Charlie Brown: A Peanuts Movie, Marvel's Ant-Man, Jurassic World, Terminator: Genesys, Minions, Pitch Perfect 2, Inside Out and Pan.

Stay tuned to The Fan Carpet for more on these titles and more in the coming year!