SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 2014 the screen adaptation of the hit production about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons in “Jersey Boys” (June 20). “Annie” (Dec. 19), produced by Will Smith and Jay Z, will get a contemporary update with “Beasts of the Southern Wild” star Quvenzhane Wallis as the titular orphan. Rob Marshall (“Chicago”) will transfer James Lapine and Steven Sondheim’s Grimm fable “Into the Woods” to the big screen (Dec 25), with Meryl Streep as the Witch and Depp as the Big Bad Wolf. The Muppets, too, will be back in “Muppets Most Wanted” (March 21), a caper where Jim Henson’s furry troupe travels to Europe. And not yet dated is John Carney’s “Once” follow-up, “Can a Song Save Your Life?” a similarly naturalistic musical starring Keira Knightley as an aspiring singer and Mark Ruffalo as a record producer.

SURE BETS FROM VETERAN HANDS Paul Thomas Anderson (“There Will Be Blood,” “The Master”) releases have become the highlight of many a movie buff’s year. His “Inherent Vice” (not yet dated), adapted from Thomas Pynchon’s novel and starring Phoenix, continues the director’s series of California-set films. Also hotly anticipated is David Fincher’s version of Gillian Flynn’s best-selling thriller, “Gone Girl” (Oct. 3), starring Ben Affleck. Other directors to watch in 2014 include Wes Anderson (“The Grand Budapest Hotel,” March 7), Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (“Birdman,” undated), Woody Allen (“Magic in the Moonlight,” undated) and Tim Burton (“Big Eyes,” undated). Terrence Malick’s latest is also expected this year, though little is ever certain with “The Tree of Life” director. This image shows (from left) John Lloyd Young, Erich Bergen, Vincent Piazza and Michael Lomenda in a scene from “Jersey BEARDED MEN OF THE BIBLE Boys.” This year will boast not just a Noah, but also a Moses. First will come Darren Aronofsky’s “Noah” (March 28), starring THAT WAS NOT THE END drama co-scripted by Joel and Ethan Coen. Jolie’s famous Russell Crowe and a very big boat. Ridley Scott will follow on Co-directors Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg will quickly companion, Brad Pitt, stars in a WWII story of his own, “Fury” Dec 12 with “Exodus,” starring Christian Bale as Moses. Greek follow up their 2013 hit “This Is the End” with “The Interview” (Nov 14), about an American tank crew in Nazi Germany. mythology will also double up in 2014 with two Hercules (Oct. 10), a comedy starring James Franco as a talk-show host movies. The demigod will be played by Dwayne Johnson in caught up in an assassination plot. Rogen also stars with Zac HUNTING THE HUNGER GAMES Brett Ratner’s “Hercules” (July 25) and by Kellan Lutz in “The Efron in “Neighbors” (May 9), by “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” The competition is thick for the next hit young-adult fran- Legend of Hercules” (out Friday). More Greek warfare comes director Nicholas Stoller, about a young family living next to a chise. Among the films looking to draw teenage audiences with the sequel “300: Rise of an Empire” (March 7). frat house. The 2014 comedy lineup also includes “Dumb and with stories from popular young-adult novels are: the post- Dumber To” (Nov. 14), with Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels; the apocalyptic “Divergent” (March 21); the high-school vampire SEQUELS, REMAKES AND, AT LAST, A FINAL HOBBIT one-night stand comedy “Walk of Shame” (April 25) with fantasy “Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters” (Feb. 14); and the Naturally, 2014 boasts a boatload of sequels and remakes Elizabeth Banks; “Sex Tape” (Aug. 1) with Cameron Diaz; the sci-fi dystopia “The Maze Runner” (Sept 19). May the odds be including “Godzilla” (May 16), “The Hunger Games: spelling bee farce “Bad Words” (March 14), directed by and ever in your favor. — AP Mockingjay, Part 1” (Nov. 21), “Transformers: Age of starring Jason Bateman; Seth MacFarlane’s comic Western “A Extinction” (June 27), “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” (July Million Ways to Die in the West” (May 30); and the road trip 11), “22 Jump Street” (June 13), “The Expendables 3” (Aug 15) comedy “Tammy” (July 2) with Melissa McCarthy, directed by and “How to Train Your Dragon 2” (June 13). Peter Jackson will her husband, Ben Falcone. finally close out his lifetime with JRR Tolkien with his final “Hobbit” installment: “The Hobbit: There and Back Again” (Dec JOLIE’S RETURN 17). Other franchise expansions include “The Lego Movie” (Feb Angelina Jolie hasn’t starred in a live-action film since 7), “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (Aug 8) and “Veronica 2010’s forgettable “The Tourist,” but she’ll be a large presence Mars” (March 14), the cult TV show propelled to the big screen in 2014. She stars as the title villain in “Maleficent” (May 30), by a crowd-funding campaign on Kickstarter. the twisted “Sleeping Beauty” tale. She also directs her second feature in “Unbroken” (Dec 25), a World War II prisoner-of-war

This image shows Joel Kinnaman (left) and Abblie Cornish in “Robocop.” This image shows Jennifer Connelly (left) and Russell Crowe in a scene from “Noah.”