Hollywood's exciting movie lineup for 2014

From the "Robocop" reboot to the lightning-fast martial arts moves in "The Raid 2", Hollywood, with its exciting lineup of films in 2014, will offer several reasons for film buffs to throng theatres.

IANS lists the 10 most-awaited Hollywood films that will hit Indian screens in the New Year:

"Robocop": While Paul Verhoeven's "Robocop" is still regarded by many as one of the best films of the 1980s, its reboot, featuring Joel Kinnaman in the lead, has already created enough buzz. Brazilian director Jose Padilha, who has an impressive resume of films like "Bus 174", "Elite Squad" and "The Enemy Within", is helming this project and his presence has already raised the expectations from the reboot.

"Godzilla": The trailer of the new "Godzilla", which teases us with a glimpse of the creature, has already left millions in awe. If the trailer is so intimidating, one can possibly imagine what the film will be like. Coming from director Gareth Edwards, who proved his mettle with his extremely successful low-budget directorial debut "Monsters", expectations are, quite naturally, high.

"The LEGO Movie": Amidst the buzz for star-studded and big-budget outings, there's always room for animated films! One such highly anticipated film is "The Lego Movie", which features an ensemble cast from DC comics in LEGO form. There's Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman and Green Lantern playing pivotal roles and the movie also features the voices of Chris Patt, Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson and Morgan Freeman. What more do you want?

"300: Rise of an Empire": The Spartans are back with a vengeance in the sequel to "300", which doesn't star any members of the principal cast, but it does possess a story that runs parallel to the events which happened in the last part. The film, loosely inspired by the Battle of Artemisium between the Persians and the Greeks, is based on a script by Zack Snyder, who was originally supposed to direct it. Noam Murro is the director.

"The Monuments Men": After Clint Eastwood, if there's one actor who turned out to be an excellent filmmaker then it must be George Clooney. He will return in his latest directorial effort "The Monuments Men" soon with a powerful cast featuring John Goodman, Matt Damon and Bill Murray. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the film will narrate the story of a battalion that went behind enemy lines to recover artistic masterpieces.

"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes": The leader of the apes, Caesar, will return in the highly ambitious sequel to the "Rise of the Planet of the Apes", which will focus on the war between humanity and the apes. The film's first teaser has already given us a glimpse of what is about to unfold in the film and it's definitely going to blow us all away.

"Guardians of the Galaxy": The tenth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be the superhero film "Guardians of the Galaxy", which features a legion of characters from the Marvel comics. With an ensemble cast of Lee Pace, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana, John C. Reilly and Benicio Del Toro, this film is going to be a visual treat for not just fans of comic books but for every film lover.

"Interstellar": After "Inception" and "The Dark Knight Rises", Christopher Nolan has drawn the attention of his fans to his upcoming sci-fi film "Interstellar", which is the story of a team of space travellers who travel through a wormhole. Nolan has already piqued the curiosity of the fans with the film's first teaser.

"X-Men: Days of Future Past": After helming the first two parts in the X-Men franchise, Bryan Singer returns to continue what he had originally started. With the phenomenal success of the last outing "X-Men: The First Class" and on the basis of the first trailer of this film, we should be in for a real treat! This time we will witness an epic battle that must change the past to save the future.

"The Raid 2": In 2011, Indonesian martial arts film "The Raid: Redemption" struck gold at the box office, raking in over $15 million worldwide on an investment of a little over $1. Next year, its sequel, which looks like an even more intense project from its first trailer, is expected to thrill the audience with more action, suspense and elements of horror. It is directed by Gareth Evans.