“Another year, gone,” to quote the great Albus Dumbledore. There were many events to enjoy in 2011, and now we want to look ahead by sharing the BIGGEST Fandom events to look forward to in the New Year!
Note: The items are listed in no particular order, so don’t get hurt if one fandom’s event was ranked “higher” or “lower” than another.
The Top 10
#1: The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters
The final film in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy has high expectations and excitement, especially following the release of The Dark Knight Rises prologue and first trailer.
#2: The Oscars
It’s not Hollywood without the stars and filmmakers patting themselves on the back. The Golden Globes have already been announced, so now all eyes are on the Oscars’ noms.
#3: The Hunger Games hits theaters
Suzanne Collins’ epic trilogy finally begins its screen adaptation in March, and the theatrical trailer for the film was extremely satisfying to fans of the book. Lionsgate is hoping for a home run just as much as the readers. The marketing is in full swing and is expected to run even faster in January.
#4: Nintendo’s Wii U may be released
Earlier this year Nintendo announced the successor to their Wii system called the Wii U. It promises 1080p graphics (a first for a Nintendo console), a touchscreen controller, and much more. While an official release date has yet to be unveiled, many expect the Wii U to be released in the United States during the second half of 2012.
#5: The Grammys
Music’s biggest night occurs on February 12th, and singers are expected to be out in full force for the event which airs live on CBS.
#6: The Twilight Saga comes to a close
The first Twilight film premiered in 2008 to huge box office success thanks to the outpouring of fans who fell in love with Stephenie Meyer’s four-part series. In 2012 the Saga comes to a close with The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2. Part 1, released last month, did extremely well at the box office so Summit is likely expecting the same for the grand finale.
#7: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hits theaters
Fans of J.R.R. Tolkein, Middle Earth, and Peter Jackson are thrilled to return to their favorite mystical land starting December 2012. The first trailer, released just yesterday, was a hit with fans of the original book. Part 2 of The Hobbit will then be released in December 2013.
#8: Pottermore opens to the public
J.K. Rowling announced her new website Pottermore earlier this year, and the site was supposed to open to the public in October. But server and feature issues plagued Pottermore’s public opening – and fans lost patience. Now the site and the eBook store are expected to open sometime in 2012. Meanwhile, beta users (all 650,000 of them) already have access to the site.
#9: The Amazing Spider-Man hits theaters
The Spider-Man franchise is being rebooted with Andrew Garfield as the lead star joined by Emma Stone. So far fans have been mixed on the film due to various interviews and promotional images. All will be answered on July 3rd.
#10: Avatar: Legend of Korra premieres
Nickelodeon’s follow-up to their wildly successful Avatar: The Last Airbender television series will premiere sometime in 2012. A leaked opening sequence and several photos have given fans reason to get excited for its imminent arrival.
Honorable Mentions
#1: Justin Bieber’s next album
Love ’em or hate ’em, you can’t deny he’s got a great raw vocal talent. Bieber’s next album doesn’t have a release date, but Beliebe us – it’s gonna be a hit.
#2: John Dies At The End, “This Book is Full of Spiders” will be released
The sequel to David Wong’s unexpected hit novel ‘John Dies At The End’ now has an ink and paper younger brother. The manuscript is finished and is now in the hands of the publisher. Most fans are expecting a 2012 release of the sequel and the movie adaptation of the original is set to hit the Sundance Film Festival in February.
#3: Beyoncé and Jay Z’s Baby
It was big news when Beyoncé confirmed her pregnancy. You know you’re looking forward to the baby’s name, and of course the first photos!
#4: The return of many TV shows
Game of Thrones, The Vampire Diaries, 30 Rock, Breaking Bad, American Idol, The Walking Dead, Weeds, and many, many more will all return in the new year.
#5: Information regarding the Wizarding World parks will be revealed
We know the Wizarding World Orlando’s expansion and the Wizarding World Hollywood’s creation are both happening. But what exactly will be created? Lots of questions will hopefully be answered in the coming months by Universal as their plans are finalized. The Potter theme parks, after all, are one of the most exciting post-book-and-film aspects of the Harry Potter fandom.
So, what did we miss? What is the fandom event in 2012 YOU are most looking forward to?
Thanks to the great Hypable staff for coming up with a few of the events listed!