Gallery: Mark Your Calendars: The Most Exciting Movies, TV, and Books Coming in 2014
01X-MenDoFP
There's already talk that 2015 is going to be the year we hit the Nerd Singularity. With movies like *The Avengers: Age of Ultron* and *Star Wars: Episode VII* hitting theaters in the same year, all geek sights are set on the 2015 prize. Well, if that's true, 2014 is looking like it'll be a pretty great ramp-up – and not just at the multiplex. Sure, *Guardians of the Galaxy* and the Wachowskis' *Jupiter Ascending* will be hitting theaters, but there are also new seasons of *Community* and *Orange Is the New Black* coming to our TVs and a new book from *Ready Player One* writer Ernie Cline coming to our nightstands. It's going to be a good year, you guys. Here's what we're most looking forward to in 2014. Above: *X-Men: Days of Future Past* Finally Being a Reality ----------------------------------------------------------- __What we have to look forward to:__ It seems as though we've been talking about *X-Men: Days of Future Past* for *years*. That's because we have. And for good reason. For the latest *X-Men*, director Bryan Singer is basically pulling together A-teams from all the X-Men movies for a time-jumping ride that might just make our heads and hearts explode and leave us waving flags that say "Worth it!" We could say more, but seriously – watch this trailer and then pretend you're not wishing you could just sleep until May. __When it's coming:__ May 23, 2014
02Better Call Saul
Getting Addicted to *Breaking Bad* All Over Again With *Better Call Saul* ------------------------------------------------------------------------- __What we have to look forward to:__ The return of Saul Goodman in our lives. There's little known about this *Breaking Bad* spin-off beyond the fact that it'll be a prequel of sorts to the time Saul (Bob Odenkirk) spent helping Walt and Jesse with their meth business. Doesn't matter, our hearts have felt empty since we said good-bye to our baby blue, and we'll take any fix we can get. (Added bonus? It'll be [available for streaming on Netflix](http://www.deadline.com/2013/12/netflix-to-stream-breaking-bad-spinoff-better-call-saul/) as soon as the season finale airs on AMC.) __When it's coming:__ Sometime, 2014 *Photo: AMC*
03Orphan Black
*Orphan Black*'s Attack of the Clones ------------------------------------- __What we have to look forward to:__ *Orphan Black* – largely thanks to the mad skills of Tatiana Maslany, who plays many different clones on the show – was a creeper hit this past year on BBC America. It's headed back this spring, just in time for everyone who slept on the show (like us) to catch up on their new favorite obsession. __When it's coming:__ April 19, 2014
04Shovel Ready
The Future Hit-Man of *Shovel Ready* ------------------------------------ __What we have to look forward to:__ The near-future Manhattan in *New York Times Magazine* culture editor Adam Sternbergh's debut novel is one where a dirty bomb went off in Times Square and reduced the city to an empty shell where some survive in the streets and the super-rich escape into virtual reality. It's also a place where Spademan went from taking out garbage to taking out people. Then the hit-man gets called on to off the daughter of an evangelist and everything goes sideways. That sounds like some good noir right there. __When it's coming:__ Jan. 14, 2014
05House of Cards
Seeing if Frank Underwood Can Play Them as They Lie on *House of Cards* ----------------------------------------------------------------------- __What we have to look forward to:__ In the first season of Netflix's political drama – and [President Obama fave](http://swampland.time.com/2013/12/17/obama-wishes-washington-was-really-like-house-of-cards/#ixzz2nker8gty) – *House of Cards* we learned that congressman Francis Underwood was capable of anything – even murder – if it meant political gains. But as Season 1 ended, it looked like he was jogging into a world that could easily collapse around him. But with a guy like Underwood, it seems as though he's broken many eggs and made many omelets – he won't go down so easily. "For those of us climbing to the top of the food chain, there can be no mercy," he intones in the Season 2 trailer. No mercy for him? For someone else? For us? Find out all at once this Valentine's Day, when your second run of *House of Cards* binge-watch can begin. __When it's coming:__ Feb. 14, 2014
06Community
The Return of *Community* ------------------------- __What we have to look forward to:__ The oddball humor and pop-culture references of Greendale have been off the air since May of 2013, but the show is finally back with new episodes in January. Now that creator Dan Harmon is back in the saddle, it promises to be worth the wait. Prepare your "Six seasons and a movie!" chants, nerds. __When it's coming:__ Jan. 2, 2014
07Interstellar
Christopher Nolan Going to the Stars With *Interstellar* -------------------------------------------------------- __What we have to look forward to:__ Now that he's done with the Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan is returning to original films, this time with a story about explorers who find a wormhole that allows them to cover the massive distances in interstellar travel. Christopher Nolan is making a movie with space and wormholes. Please let this be *Inception* in the stars. Please let this be *Inception* in the stars… __When it's coming:__ Nov. 7, 2014
Murray Close08The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
Joining the Revolution With *The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1* ------------------------------------------------------------------- __What we have to look forward to:__ After masterfully taking the reigns of the *Hunger Games* franchise with *Catching Fire* (above) -- one of the best brainy popcorn flicks of 2013 – director Francis Lawrence will be completing the franchise with *Mockingjay*. Suzanne Collins' book is being broken up into two films, which hopefully means the scope of the story will be broadened to show more of what's happening in the revolution against the Capitol than just what Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) can see. (This seems very possible since Lionsgate just announced the casting of Antonius, a character that doesn't exist in the book.) *Catching Fire* exceeded nearly all expectations, so we can only hope that *Mockingjay*, with its political overtones and propaganda wars, will continue that trend in grand, dark fashion. __When it's coming:__ Nov. 21, 2014 *Photo: Murray Close/Lionsgate*
09Sin City A Dame to Kill For
Going Back to the Underworld of *Sin City: A Dame to Kill For* -------------------------------------------------------------- __What we have to look forward to:__ Director Robert Rodriguez's first adaptation of Frank Miller's *Sin City* was a dark, twisted, hyper-stylized ride to the dark side and we've waited way too long for a sequel. In August it will, apparently, finally materialize. And this time it's got Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lady Gaga, and … Jeremy Piven? Sure. You've got our attention, Rob, can't wait to see what you'll do with it this time. __When it's coming:__ Aug. 22, 2014
10Guardians Of the Galaxy
*Guardians of the Galaxy* Existing ---------------------------------- __What we have to look forward to:__ C'mon. It's *Guardians of the Galaxy*. Folks have been waiting patiently for this for a while. Directed by James Gunn, this is the latest movie to emerge from the Marvel juggernaut and has potential to be the darker, more rag-tag hero team. (In footage of the film shown at Comic-Con International this past summer the Guardians – Drax, Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, Groot – were not-affectionately called "a bunch of assholes" and Gunn promised it would be "[darkly comedic](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/underwire/2013/07/marvel-age-of-ultron/).") Aside from the brief teaser shown at Comic-Con, no other footage has emerged so it's hard to say much more about what the movie will look like, but who are we kidding? We'll be first in line. __When it's coming:__ Aug. 1, 2014
11Jupiter Ascending
The Wachowskis Go Back to Their Roots With *Jupiter Ascending* -------------------------------------------------------------- __What we have to look forward to:__ The first original story from the Wachowski siblings since *The Matrix* movies. In *Jupiter Ascending*, which stars Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis, humans are at the bottom of the universe's evolutionary food-chain, but when one of them – a custodian named Jupiter (Kunis) – threatens the Queen of the Universe she becomes a target, a mark that must be helped by Caine (Tatum). First off, we like this matriarchal universe of which you speak. Second, these visuals (see trailer above) look sick. We want to go to there. __When it's coming:__ July 18, 2014
12Helix
Ronald D. Moore Coming Back to TV Two Shows *Helix* and *Outlander* -------------------------------------------------------------------- __What we have to look forward to:__ It's been three years since Ronald D. Moore – the man behind the fantastic reboot of *Battlestar Galactica* – has had something on TV (that cameo on *Portlandia* doesn't count). In 2014, he's returning with not one but two shows. *Helix* is a drama about a team of Centers for Disease Control scientists investigating a possible disease outbreak at a super high-tech facility in the Arctic. On the other end of the spectrum, *Outlander* is a series for Starz based on Diana Gabaldon's best-selling romance novels and follows a combat nurse from the 1940s who is mysteriously sent back in time to the 18th century. Both sound like the kind of thing we'd love to see Moore play with. __When it's coming:__ *Helix* – Jan. 10, 2014, *Outlander* – Sometime, 2014
13Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Waking Up in the *Dawn of the Planet of the Apes* ------------------------------------------------- __What we have to look forward to:__ Mo-cap maven Andy Serkis is back as Caesar – the revolutionary ape from *Rise of the Planet of the Apes*. This time it's ten years after the events of *Rise* and a few of the humans who survived are now threatening Caesar and his fellow super-evolved apes for domination. __When it's coming:__ July 11, 2014
14Edge Of Tomorrow
Tom Cruise Finally Going to the *Edge of Tomorrow* -------------------------------------------------- __What we have to look forward to:__ Tom Cruise saving Earth. Or trying to. Again. Cruise does a big boom sci-fi flick at the rate of about one a year these days and that's OK. The latest is *Edge of Tomorrow*, in which he plays an exo-suited soldier who ends up in a timeloop where he relives his final alien battle over and over again until he meets another soldier – played by a badass-looking Emily Blunt – who helps him take on the extra terrestrials. It's *Call of Duty* meets *Groundhog Day* or *Elysium* meets *Source Code* or some combination of those. Whatever. It also looks like fun meets awesome. __When it's coming:__ June 6, 2014
