Looking forward to 2011 entertainment
Still from "Green Lantern" trailer. Credit: Handout
As 2010 comes to a close, you're probably wondering what to expect from the entertainment world in 2011. Here are some of the most buzzed about upcoming movies, TV shows, music releases and stage shows.
MOVIES
THE HANGOVER PART II (May 26)
This follow-up to the 2009 hit comedy about a debauched night in Vegas would be a guaranteed smash even without the new star power of Zach Galifianakis, the publicity around Mel Gibson's axed cameo and reports that Bill Clinton has joined the cast.
GREEN LANTERN (June 17)
A superhero movie in which Ryan "Sexiest Man Alive" Reynolds sprays on a costume and does some biffing and powing. He'll need Warner Bros.' marketing muscle during a summer crowded with crusaders, including "Thor," "Captain America: The First Avenger" and "X-Men: First Class."
TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON (July 1)
What's with the moody, ominous preview that focuses on the 1969 moon landing? Either the franchise is getting all serious (note the Pink Floyd-y subtitle), or Paramount doesn't know what to show us now that Megan Fox is gone.
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2 (July 15)
After more than a decade, fans will bid farewell to Harry, Ron, Hermione and one of the most popular movie serials in history. But we'll still have "Twilight!" ("Breaking Dawn" opens Nov. 18.)
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (Dec. 21)
Stieg Larsson's mystery novel conquered America, but the Swedish film adaptation didn't translate. Here comes the English-language version, directed by David Fincher ("The Social Network") and starring newcomer Rooney Mara as the goth-hacker heroine, Lisbeth Salander. - RAFER GUZMÁN
TELEVISION
One of the pre-eminent personalities in TV history will end her syndicated talk show Sept. 9, or a day after its 25th birthday. This is TV's biggest departure since Johnny Carson left the stage May 22, 1992. But unlike Johnny, Oprah will very much remain in the public eye via her OWN cable network, which launched Saturday.
THE X FACTOR (September, Fox)
This is the second act in Simon Cowell's great American TV adventure - act one, naturally, being "American Idol." But with second acts, come the questions - mostly, will this have the same success as Simon's British "X Factor?" And who will be the other judges?
Yes, as in, what will she do? Believe it or not, CNN will sponsor a GOP debate with the Tea Party Express in Tampa - that's where the GOP convention will be held in 2012, but this debate will take place on Labor Day, a full year and change in advance of the election. Will Palin have declared by then? Or will she shoot - pun intended - another edition of her TLC hit, "Sarah Palin's Alaska"?
AMERICAN IDOL (Jan. 19, Fox)
Hard to believe, but the 10th season of "AI" is right around the corner, and we have more questions than time or space permit for this rebooted, re-energized, revamped, re-everythinged edition. You probably have them, too.
CABLE DRAMAS
Based on a Danish hit, "The Killing" (March, AMC) tracks the real-time investigation of a murdered girl, and stars Mireille Enos, Billy Campbell and Michelle Forbes. "Game of Thrones" (April, HBO), based on the George R.R. Martin epic-fantasy novels, has been described as " 'The Sopranos' meets Middle-Earth." The 10-part "Camelot" (April 1, Starz) focuses on the Arthurian legend, courtesy of the team that brought "The Tudors" to us. - VERNE GAY
POP MUSIC
How will she follow "The Fame Monster"? Well, we'll soon find out. The first single from "Born This Way" is expected to be released in February, with the album following a few weeks after that. "I promise you, I'll never let you down," Ga told a concert audience in Poland recently. "And not for nothing - the album's finished and it's -- really good."
MUSIC VIDEOS
Thanks to Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, M.I.A. and Arcade Fire, among others, 2010 turned out to be an amazing year for music videos - online, of course, since it's hard to find prime-time space between blocks of "Jersey Shore" and "I Love Money." Look for acts of all sorts seeking to gain some buzz via video in 2011 and record companies beefing up budgets again.
THE BAMBOOZLE
For years, the Bamboozle Festival has been a growing regional festival at the New Meadowlands, but look for it to explode in popularity in 2011, behind headliner Lil Wayne, making one of his biggest appearances since his release from Rikers. On a Long Island note, the "Tell All Your Friends"-era lineup of Taking Back Sunday and the reunited Movielife have also been tapped as headliners for the festival running April 29 through May 1.
SPOTIFY
The British company is expected to finally make its website available to the United States this year, allowing users to download thousands of tracks for free in exchange for listening to ads when the music is played. A subscription-based version removes the advertising.
CHEAPER CONCERTS
After 2010's lukewarm concert sales, promoters and artists are looking at a wider range of ticket prices to get more fans in seats. Sure, it may still cost hundreds of dollars for front-row seats at big venues, but it seems "the cheap seats" may actually become cheap again. - GLENN GAMBOA
THEATER
THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON (March 6)
Director Gregory Mosher did such a staggering job last year with Arthur Miller's unwieldy "A View From the Bridge" (starring Liev Schreiber and Scarlett Johansson) that I can't wait to see what he does with Kiefer Sutherland, Chris Noth, Jason Patric and Brian Cox in a revival of Jason Miller's 1972 Pulitzer Prize winner about a reunion of high-school basketball teammates.
THE BOOK OF MORMON (March 24)
Yes, those scamps Trey Parker and Matt Stone travel from "South Park" to Broadway with a new musical about mismatched Mormon boys on an exotic mission. Robert Lopez ("Avenue Q") collaborates with the team on book and score. Parker co-directs with Casey Nicholaw ("The Drowsy Chaperone").
HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING (March 27)
So Daniel Radcliffe wasn't kidding when he said how much he enjoyed abandoning Harry Potter for Broadway. Radcliffe, who already revealed more than anyone might expect as the tormented stable boy in "Equus," lets himself have some fun - and sing - in this revival of the 1961 musical comedy about the amusing side of moral ambiguity in business. John Larroquette co-stars.
BENGAL TIGER AT THE BAGHDAD ZOO (March 31)
Robin Williams, who long ago showed movie audiences that he's as much a dramatic actor as a comic, brings that darkness to Broadway in this 2010 Pulitzer finalist by Rajiv Joseph. Williams has the starring role; that is, he's the tiger/narrator in a serious comedy about two American marines and an Iraqi gardener in the rubble of war.
WAR HORSE (April 14)
This blockbuster - and apparent great weeper - from London's National Theatre uses extraordinary spectacle to follow a boy who enlists in World War I after his adored horse is sold to the cavalry. Bring families - and hankies.
Oh, yeah, and (probably) "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" (Feb. 7). - LINDA WINER
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