A New Era of Sci-Fi is Upon Us - Looking Ahead to Worlds That Await

Looking ahead, here is our definitive list of over 60+ upcoming sci-fi projects currently in the works at this moment. These are the upcoming batch of movies that will push the genre further than its been before.

Andrew Niccol's The Host
Expected this Weekend

An adaptation of the young adult series by Twilight author Stephanie Meyer about an extraterrestrial threat that takes over human bodies and minds, erasing their memories, from the director of Gattaca, S1im0ne and In Time. The first of many young adult sci-fi movies following The Hunger Games, with the Twilight demographic shifting to sci-fi and away from vampires and werewolves (finally). I just hope it doesn't water down the rest of the genre, but I'm not too worried. Watch the final trailer for The Host if you're interested.

Joseph Kosinski's Oblivion
Expected in April

The second feature from sci-fi filmmaker Joe Kosinski (of Tron Legacy), this time envisioning a futuristic world where humans have been driven off Earth to space stations above a desolate planet. Tom Cruise stars with Olga Kurylenko and Morgan Freeman. Kosinski is one of the most innovative sci-fi directors around, and I've got a feeling this might be something spectacular, with a brand new M83 soundtrack, too. I can't wait to see it, and it might just be the first sensational sci-fi hit of 2013 as long as everything turns out. You can watch the latest trailer for Kosinski's Oblivion here and listen to a sample of the M83 score as well. We should also mention Joe Kosinski is still attached to remake The Black Hole for Disney at some point.

Shane Black's Iron Man 3
Expected in May

This Marvel Studios sequel can barely be classified sci-fi, but we're including it mostly because of director Shane Black, who has said that he's focusing on the technology in this one. And since the technology Tony Stark (still Robert Downey Jr.) uses can certainly be classified as sci-fi, especially Hulkbuster armor and a remote-controlled armory (seen in the trailer), it's more than worthy of being mentioned. I'm not sure the plot in this will break out into the Marvel cosmic universe yet, but it might. Even if it doesn't, I'm sure this will be a great time at the movies anyway. Take a look at the tech action in the latest Iron Man 3 trailer here.

J.J. Abrams' Star Trek Into Darkness
Expected in May

"Tell me this is going to work..." We've already seen enough kick ass trailers and action-packed footage to know that director J.J. Abrams has definitely kicked things up a notch with the sequel to his 2009 revival of the Star Trek franchise. Some old school fans have recently come out complaining about how this isn't the Trek they know, but I trust Abrams is staying true to the core values of Roddenberry's universe, while upgrading it in exciting and contemporary ways. Exactly what this genre needs to stay fresh and continue to evolve. It's great to see Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto back as Kirk and Spock, but I think we're most excited to see if Benedict Cumberbatch is badass enough on his own to become a legendary sci-fi villain.

M. Night Shyamalan's After Earth
Expected in June

Forget about M. Night Shyamalan for the moment, this is the new sci-fi project from a screenplay written by Gary Whitta (The Book of Eli) featuring a concept that is just downright cool. A spaceship crash lands on Earth a thousand years in the future, encountering a completely different environment overrun by animals and perhaps another threat. There will be twists and turns, but the big one we already know - it's Earth all along. Which is why I'm curious to find out what's there and what Will and his son Jaden Smith have to go through. Despite Shyamalan's recent downfall, the trailers look fantastic and I'm genuinely excited for it.

Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg's This is The End
Expected in June

Formerly known as Jay and Seth Vs. the Apocolapyse. One of the few big comedies branching into sci-fi by way of the world ending, the apocalypse arriving, with alien invaders, giant monsters, or whatever else they decide to throw in. The idea for this is what makes it great - all the actors are playing themselves attending a party at James Franco's house only to realize the apocalypse has arrived. Seth Rogen is directing a script he co-wrote with Evan Goldberg, starring him and James Franco, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel, Michael Cera, Danny McBride, Jay Baruchel, Craig Robinson, plus plenty of other celebrity guests. This will be the perfect comedy relief in the middle of a summer packed with sci-fi. Watch the hilarious first teaser.

Zack Snyder's Man of Steel
Expected in June

"He was convinced that the world wasn't ready..." Not many realize yet just how sci-fi this movie is going to be, exploring some of Krypton and how that world parallels Earth. Plus, the plot involves an alien with super powers being raised by Americans. The villains will be even more aliens, lead by General Zod and Faora (both wearing some kick ass sci-fi armor), who come to our planet with nefarious plans and weaponry. This movie may be set on contemporary Earth as we know it, but touches upon the questions of how we would deal with such sci-fi events if they were to actually happen. I've got a good feeling Zack Snyder (of 300, Watchmen) has totally reinvented himself for Man of Steel, and chose wisely with Henry Cavill as Kal-El.

Marc Forster's World War Z
Expected in June

Zombies everywhere in a post-apocalyptic world destroyed by zombies. While it may not be as good as Max Brooks' book that it's based on, the World War Z movie we're getting this summer from director Marc Forster (of Finding Neverland, Stranger Than Fiction, Quantum of Solace) at least looks like it will have a shitload of zombies. Brad Pitt stars in what seems to be the biggest zombie movie ever, with invasions the size of cities, but will it live up to "The Walking Dead"? Get a glimpse of the undead chaos in the new trailer.

Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim
Expected in July

"Today we are cancelling the apocalypse!" This isn't even out yet, and that quote has pretty much achieved legendary status already. Spoken by Idris Elba, that line represents just how epic of a monster movie this will be, but I'm sure we're still going to lose our minds once we actually watch it. Guillermo del Toro (of Cronos, Blade II, Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth) pretty much went all out with this, bringing us monsters the size of skyscrapers and human-driven robots to match them. Sci-fi as its grandest, with everything realized to insanely epic detail and crafted to exhilarate our geekiest sci-fi inhibitions. Bring on the Kaiju and Jaeger!

Neill Blomkamp's Elysium (+ Chappie)
Expected in August

From the visionary filmmaker who brought us District 9 comes his second feature film, Elysium, another action science fiction story involving a futuristic society still divided by classes. Neill Blomkamp filmed Elysium starring Matt Damon last year, and was planning to have it out in theaters by now, but pushed it back until August. In the meantime, he's developing his third film, Chappie, a sci-fi comedy (but that's all anyone knows about the plot so far). Blomkamp is clearly one of the leading voices in science fiction cinema right now, and there's no question that he's likely to push the genre even further with these next two movies.

Edgar Wright's The World's End
Expected in August

Another apocalypse comedy, similar to This is The End above, that busts its way into sci-fi thanks to that angle. Edgar Wright (of Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim) deserves to be on here anyway for supporting Attack the Block, but The World's End is sci-fi anyway. The story is about five friends who reunite in an attempt to top their epic pub crawl from 20 years earlier, but unwittingly become humankind's only hope for survival when the apocalypse arrives. Both Simon Pegg and Nick Frost will be back, as this is the final film in their Cornetto Trilogy. The World's End has been described by Wright as "social science-fiction", which is a whole subgenre of its own and one that will evolve in this era thanks these kind of films.

David Twohy's Riddick
Expected in September

Everyone's favorite Furyan badass is back. One of my own personal favorite sci-fi films is Pitch Black from 2001, even though I didn't care much for the sequel. Now director David Twohy and star Vin Diesel are taking things back to those Pitch Black roots, with an R-rated sci-fi featuring Riddick once again stuck on a planet with some nasty ass alien creatures. Even though they haven't changed the title from only Riddick, based on the first teaser just revealed and all the enthusiasm Vin Diesel has for the project, this might be the awesome follow-up all the Pitch Black fans have been waiting for. "You're not afraid of the dark, are you?"

Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity
Expected in October

From the filmmaker who gave us Children of Men, one of the best sci-fi movies of this last decade, comes another original story set entirely in space. Alfonso Cuaron (Great Expectations, Y Tu Mamá También, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) writes & directs this highly ambitious, highly anticipated sci-fi drama starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as astronauts left drifting aimlessly in space after a catastrophic collision. From everything we've heard about it, including hyperbolic early buzz, it could be one of the most groundbreaking sci-fi movies of this new era, but Warner Bros has been playing things close to their chest, delaying it from a late 2012 release until late 2013 and upgrading to IMAX 3D in the meantime.

Gavin Hood's Ender's Game
Expected in November

Remember - the enemy's gate is down. This might just be our most anticipated sci-fi movie of 2013. Adapted from Orson Scott Card's 1985 sci-fi novel, it's about a very young soldier being trained at the International Fleet's battle school. Ender's Game has Gavin Hood (of Tsotsi, Rendition, X-Men Origins: Wolverine), who has been developing it for years, writing & directing along with Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley as Col. Graff and Mazer Rackham, respectively. Asa Butterfield plays Ender Wiggin, with Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin and Viola Davis all in the cast. We haven't seen too much yet, but I've heard nothing but amazing things about how it's turning out so far, and I've got a good feeling it might just live up to the book.

Joon-ho Bong's Snowpiercer
Expected in 2013

An ensemble post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller set in the future during an ice age, that takes place entirely on a massive train carrying the last human survivors still divided by social class. From the director of Memories of Murder and The Host comes Joon-ho Bong's first sci-fi film - Snowpiercer. Everything we've heard following this project for years makes it sound like it will be one of the most thought-provoking and unique sci-fi films about humanity, with an incredible international cast, too. I'm very anxious to see this already.

Richard Curtis' About Time
Expected in 2013

Even British director Richard Curtis, of Love Actually and Pirate Radio, is venturing into sci-fi. His next movie is called About Time about a time traveling young man named Tim, played by Domhnall Gleeson (Brendan Gleeson's son, seen in both Deathly Hallows). Rachel McAdams stars as his love interest (in her second time traveling romance following The Time Traveler's Wife) but after they meet, an unfortunate time-travel incident means he's never met her at all. Tim learns he can relive any moment in his life to try things differently until he gets them perfectly right and we're off from there. Curtis is a talented storyteller and I'm curious to see what he does with a concept like this. The film is shot and ready for release in 2013.

Alan Taylor's Thor: The Dark World
Expected in 2013

While this is a comic book movie, the cosmic setting makes it a worthy sci-fi crossover. At the helm is "Game of Thrones" director Alan Taylor making his feature debut, with Chris Hemsworth returning as Thor up against the evil Dark Elves of Svartalfheim. This is mostly comic book fantasy, but I love the cosmic universe Kenneth Branagh established with Thor in 2011, with the very mystical feeling traveling between worlds. I hope we see them expand upon that, but with Marvel's Phase 2 kicking off in 2013, I have no doubt they will.

Francis Lawrence's Hunger Games: Catching Fire (+ Mockingjay 1 and 2)
Expected in 2013 (+ 2014/2015)

The World Will Be Watching... From the beginning all the way to the very end. It was Francis Lawrence (of Constantine, I Am Legend, Water for Elephants) who landed the job of directing not one, but all three of the remaining The Hunger Games sequels (yes they're splitting the last book), based on the book series by Suzanne Collins. Up first is Catching Fire, already being shot and prepared for release in November of 2013. The sequel picks up where the first movie left off, in the post-apocalyptic sci-fi world centered around the annual Hunger Games event. Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence returns as Katniss, along with Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, and a massive ensemble cast. I actually loved the first one and can't wait for the rest.

Sebastián Cordero's Europa Report
Expected in 2013

This sci-fi project came out of nowhere, but has a hell of a cast, including genre favorite Sharlto Copley. Europa Report, from Ecuadorian director Sebastián Cordero (of Ratas ratones rateros, Chronicles, Rage), is about a crew of international astronauts sent on a private mission to Jupiter's fourth moon - Europa. Late in 2012 they launched a mesmerizing series of viral websites and videos of the crew in their spaceship, already captivating us. We're waiting for a proper trailer, but I would prefer to watch this without seeing anything else for the best experience, since I bet there are a few creepy twists. "Post Tenebras Lux."

Jeff Renfroe's The Colony
Expected in 2013

Another ice age movie. We recently featured the trailer for Jeff Renfroe's thriller The Colony, set during the next ice age, about an outpost of colonists struggling to survive below the world's frozen surface who lose contact with their only other known settlement. The chilling cast is lead by Laurence Fishburne, Bill Paxton, Kevin Zegers, John Tench and Charlotte Sullivan. It doesn't seem like this will change the genre much, but it might be an entertaining indie ice age horror-thriller. Give the first trailer a watch here.

Terry Gilliam's The Zero Theorem
Expected in 2013

Yet another great filmmaker taking a trip back into science fiction is Terry Gilliam (Time Bandits, Brazil, Twelve Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus) who already shot is next film, The Zero Theorem. Lighter on the sci-fi, heavier on existentialism, the drama stars Christoph Waltz as Qohen Leth, a computer hacker who attempts to discover the reason for human existence. His inward voyage is made possible with some kind of "virtual reality 'inner-space' suit" that allows him to encounter the hidden dimensions and truth of his own soul. Whoa. This sounds a lot deeper spiritually than many of these other projects, and I'm eager to see what kind of sci-fi mindfuck Gilliam has come up with.

ALL THE 60 MOVIES ARE HERE