Lights, Camera, ACTION!

Action sequences have always been a key element in many films but it was not until the 1970's when action as a stand alone genre came into being. Action films are recognisable by their big stars, big budgets and usually, big bucks for the film studios.

THE FUTURE OF ACTION FILMS

Action and Superhero fans had a tough 2010, but 2011 and 2012 offers a veritable plethora of action heroes. The below list of action films hitting cinemas throughout 2011 and 2012 (listed in order of release) are films that we consider 'ones to watch'. Contact us if you want to find out how to buy into these films to  reach your target audiences.

Tower Heist: Targeting a broad 15-34 year old audience (think 'Rush Hour'), Tower Heist sees Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller conspire to rob a wealthy business man when they fall victim to his Ponzi scheme. Directed by Brett Ratner who also directed such classics as X-Men: The Last Stand, Red Dragon and Rush Hour and with a broad appeal, Tower Heist is destined for box office success. Release date - 4 November 2011

[embed width=550]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay0h8Hp20Dw[/embed]

The Darkest Hour: Targeting 15-34 year old cinemagoers and starring Emile Hirsch, The Darkest Hour sees a group of kids struggle to survive after an alien invasion in Russia. With Chris Gorak, (who is known for his behind the scenes work on cult films such as Fight Club, Fear & Loathing in Vegas) directing, this is sure to be a big hit with sci-fi action fans when it hits the big screen in January. Release date - 13 Jan 2012

[embed width=550]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf9RIKbKpIo[/embed]

Haywire: Award winning Steven Soderbergh and an epic cast consisting of Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas and Antonio Banderas (to name but a few!) bring us Haywire, a heart racing action that sees a black ops super soldier seek payback after she is betrayed and set up during a mission. Gina Carano (US TV Gladiator!) plays the lead role as the "female Bourne". Targeting an upmarket and affluent action loving audience, this highly anticipated film is set to start a new bread of female action heroes. Release date - 20 January 2012

[embed width=550]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFV0Uvzpz0o[/embed]

Battleship: Based on the famous Hasbro game, Battleship is about a fleet of ships that are forced to do battle with an armada of unknown origins in order to discover and thwart their destructive goals. Battleship has a huge estimated budget of $200M and extends the action genre as a science fiction naval war movie. Release date - 20 April 2012

[embed width=550]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDMXkPfxjOc[/embed]

THE EVOLUTION OF ACTION FILMS

In the late 60's, James Bond set new standards for future action films with the inclusion of epic car chases, disastrous weapons and phenomenal explosions.

Action films developed in the 70's with a wave of gritty Western influenced detective dramas such as The Godfather and the export of Eastern Martial art stars such as Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris coming to the West.

In the 80's, action film took over Hollywood to become the dominant form of the summer blockbuster which was known as "the action era". These films were immediately apparent for their maverick cops and bad guys. Due to these elements, films like Die Hard and Lethal Weapon were hugely popular. Sub 'action' genres also emerged such as horror and sci-fi which clearly influenced films such as Aliens, Blade Runner and The Empire Strikes Back.

The 1990's was an era of sequels and hybrid action films involving improved CGI and technology. This decade also saw the first of the comic book film conversions such as Batman which are still going strong today as seen by in the influx of recent releases such as Thor, X-Men: First Class and Captain America: The First Avenger to name a few of many.

With improving cinematic technologies, action films are set to go from strength to strength in coming years.

To view all future releases, see our film schedule.