Happy New Year and welcome to 2012 everyone! 2011 was undoubtedly a vintage year for independent cinema, but with Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, Joss Whedon’s The Avengers, Ridley Scott’s Prometheus and Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey all due for release during the next four quarters, 2012 could be a fantastic year for the Hollywood blockbuster after an uneasy previous twelve months. In addition, we also get to look forward to new work from Alexander Payne, Terrence Malick, Steven Spielberg and everyone’s favourite felt friends The Muppets. CineVue contributors have provided a rundown of their own personal Top 5 releases of 2012 below – enjoy. 
Daniel Green, Editor
1. The Wettest County: John Hillcoat returns to direction with a gritty western reuniting Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy stars Tom Hardy and Gary Oldman. TBC
2. The Descendants: After a seven year hiatus, About Schmidt (2002) and Sideways (2004) director returned to screens with the superb Hawaiian family drama-comedy The Descendants. 27 January
3. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia: Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s magnificent meditation on crime and punishment within the Anatolian foothills is a unique experience, perfectly blending existentialist questioning with off-centre comedy. 16 March
4. Prometheus: British director Ridley Scott has been on a steady downward spiral since the release of the seminal Blade Runner back in 1982, but his return to sci-fi (and the Alien universe) with Prometheus could prove to be a genre changer. 1 June
5. The Dark Knight Rises: Christopher Nolan finishes off his Batman trilogy with a third and final film that already looks set to be 2012’s biggest blockbuster. 20 July
Joe Walsh
1. The Dark Knight Rises: Christopher Nolan returns to complete his Batman trilogy with Christian Bale reprising his role as the Dark Knight, accompanied by the epically proportioned Tom Hardy as villain Bane. 20 July
2. Prometheus: It is hard not to be excited about Ridley Scott returning to sci-fi, set well before the events on the Nostromo in Alien a group of explorers discover what may be the secret to humanity’s origins. 1 June
3. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: With the success and wow factor of The Lord Of The Rings trilogy Peter Jackson returns to Middle Earth to tell the tale of Bilbo Baggins’ adventures with a hoard of warrior dwarves, and of course Gandalf the Grey, played by Ian McKellen. 14 December
4. Untitled Terrence Malick Project: It may not have a title, but Malick is a director always worth getting excited about. TBC
5. The Absinthe Drinkers: Set in 19th century Paris in the Bohemian capital of the world Montmartre, John Hurt and Tim Roth (rumoured) portray two ex-pat artists who belong to a small group known as ‘The Absinthe Drinkers’. TBC
Patrick Gamble
1. Prometheus: Ridley Scott and a much delayed return to science fiction, what could go wrong? Very little from the look of the cast list (Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Noomi Rapace). 1 June
2. The Dark Knight Rises: The slow trickle of images and footage over the last few weeks has only increased this excitement and seems to confirm that Nolan looks set to end his caped crusader trilogy in style. 20 July
3. Seven Psychopaths: In Bruges director Martin McDonagh once again reunites with Colin Farrell in what is intended to be a much darker comedy than his previous effort. TBC
4. Looper: Director Rian Johnson’s next venture is a hitman/sci-fi/thriller which re-unites Johnson with Brick leading man Joseph Gordon Levitt, and also stars Bruce Willis. 28 September
5. Martha Marcy May Marlene: Already gaining critical praise from its Cannes and BFI London Film Festival screenings, this dark domestic drama about occult brainwashing is already a must see for 2012. 3 February
What is your most anticipated film of 2012? Please feel free to leave your comments below.
Daniel Green