2014's coming to a close, and the new year will usher in another batch of film offerings, which promises to be bigger than ever (they always say that). With every sequel released, there's bound to be a franchise reboot somewhere along the lines, while an original film may pop up from time to time if movie studios were nice enough. So, with so many films released in the next 12 months, which ones are the most sough after? 

My top 15 (with the top 10 after the jump):

Johnny Depp's been kinda in a ditch for the past couple of years, with a slew of under-performing starring vehicles such as Dark Shadows, The Lone Ranger and 2014's disappointing Transcendence. In January, he's donning yet another  odd-looking makeup in a comedy heist which looks like good fun, as suggested as the very hilarious trailer (Tom Jones' 'It's not Unusual' in the background). Supported by an ensemble cast which includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor and Olivia Munn, this may be the smaller-budgeted movie to help rejuvenate Depp's career.

14) Ted 2

13) The Peanuts Movie / Snoopy & Charlie Brown

Nothing much is known about this, but the teaser trailers shown so far oozes cuteness, and seems true to the original comic strips by Charles Schulz. After many film adaptations of the Dr. Suess materials, the rebooting of several classic literature and cartoons continues with The Peanuts Movie and an animated Popeye film also on the way (also similarly gorgeous).

It's hard to imagine that the first Hunger Games film was released only three years ago, and by year's end we'll be getting the final installment of the "Why does Katniss Care for Peeta?" four part series. Mockingjay Part 1 suffered from the splitting of the final book by showcasing less action and hardly any plot at all, so it's hopeful that the boring predecessor only serves as a massive build-up to the rebellion and an exciting conclusion to the entertaining young adult adaptation.

The Fast & Furious franchise sure is a lucky franchise. After almost seeping into a direct-to-DVD livelihood with Tokyo Drift, the series has gone strength by strength, in terms of quality and box office returns as well.

The seventh installment (!) now introduces even more new characters in the form of Jason Statham as Owen Shaw's evil brother and veteran Kurt Russell in an unknown role, while the director's duty is taken over by fellow Malaysian-born director James Wan, whose credit include the Saw franchise and The Conjuring. This is also the first installment since the unfortunate death of Paul Walker, who couldn't complete his filming of the movie, and has since been replaced with his brothers and some complicated CGI mumbo jumbo.

This movie would have been higher ranked had Edgar Wright still been attached to direct, and he has since been replaced by comedy director Peyton Reed, on a script reworked by Adam 'Anchorman' McKay (the original script was written by Wright and Joe Cornish, who directed the excellent Attack the Block).

In the lines of Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man represents yet another risky venture for Marvel Studios, with another obscure superhero played by Paul Rudd (also part of the Avengers comic gang) coupled with the added behind the scenes shenanigans, but Marvel will be hoping that they have another GOTG with this release, to further enhance their reputation as the studio that can do no wrong. 

Never has a film set in a very orange-tinted desert look so good and lively. With Tom Hardy replacing Mel Gibson as the titular Max Rockatansky, George Miller returns to direct the sequel to his original Australian trilogy set in a post apocalyptic barren wasteland. The trailers so far promise plenty of duels and chasing amongst vehicles and men set in a sprawling desert that seems to go on forever. Many have slagged off Hollywood for returning to older franchises and not thinking of something new, but this may prove to be the exception.

Not to be confused with the music festival of the same name, this film might have more in common with the futuristic part of the Disneyland theme park, also called Tomorrowland. Nothing much is known about this too, but it still evokes excitement among fans as it's directed by Brad Bird, who over the last decade has given us gems like The Incredibles and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (quite a resume!). Starring George Glooney, Tomorrowland feels Nolan-esque as it brings us to another dimension where the new world is theirs to change. One to look out for as it nears its release in May.

After the billion dollar earning and well-received Skyfall in 2012, James Bond returns (for the 23rd time) along with Daniel Craig and director Sam Mendes. While plot details have been scant so far, this installment seems to be more European-based, with all the M16 members from Skyfall returning, as well as a new M on board in Ralph Fiennes.

Also joining Spectre is an array of new cast members, with stand outs including Christoph Waltz and Dave 'Drax' Bautista in the rumoured villain and lumbering henchman role respectively. Come December, Sony will be hoping for another ten digit box office smash in what may be Craig's final Bond outing.

See the thumbnail above? That's Tom Cruise filming Mission Impossible 5... on the outside of a flying plane! Not to be outdone by his Burj Khalifa climb in Ghost Protocol, the fifth installment in this entertaining franchise will see Ethan Hunt attempt more near-impossible stunts that we have come to associate the franchise with. Expect something more in the vein of the Brad Bird-helmed Ghost Protocol, which ditched Ethan's lone wolf with a more team-focused dynamics, including the return of Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner and Ving Rhames. Alec Baldwin also makes his debut in the franchise as a new IMF chief.

The Terminator franchise has been on a downward spiral since the release of T3 in 2003, along with the future-based Terminator Salvation a few years later, but the popularity and goodwill from the first two movies are enough for demand and for studios to keep churning out sequels. In a story masked as a franchise reboot (similar to how X-Men: Days of Future Past mimicked Terminator 2), Kyle Reese is sent back to an alternate past where Sarah Connor is a total badass and under the care of an ageing T-800, played yet again by Arnie.

The confusing alternate story timeline (they're apparently keeping the old James Cameron events intact) and the new casting of classic characters which feel ill-conceived (Jai Courtney is no Michael Biehn, and a Korean T-1000?!) may set alarm bells ringing, but one can always hope that the new installment is more T2: Judgement Day than T3: Rise of the Machines.

One of the few franchise sequels in this list, Kingsman is adapted from the Mark Millar comic The Secret Service, and with the most recent Mark Millar movie adaptation, it's directed by Matthew Vaughn, who's one of my favourite directors around after his brilliant efforts in adapting Stardust, Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class.

Similar to the spy premise of a Bond movie, but entirely different in terms of comedy and violence, the main star of Kingsman is an Eggsy Urwin, a street kid turned to a world of espionage, as played by relative newcomer Taron Egerton. However, the supporting cast makes up for a pretty experienced lot, with British talents Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Michael Caine appearing, and Samuel L. Jackson as a supervillian with a disgust for blood. Judging from the awesome red band trailer, be prepared for foul language, bloodied henchmen, arm splicing and a suave Colin Firth, who seems destined to play Agent 007. This might be the closest we will ever get to a R-rated Bond movie.

The Jurassic Park franchise returns with an all new cast and a return to the first island Isla Nublar (pretty sure they used Isla Sonar in the last two for budgetary reasons). In fact, the only returning member was probably someone you don't remember at all: BD Wong as a park scientist from the original film.

In the leading spot this time around is everyone's favourite Star-Lord Chris Pratt (who channels a mix of Alan Grant and Ian Malcolm here) and will see him face off against a genetically modified albino dinosaur while teaming up with those clever raptors. In a time where franchises are handled with a lot more care, Jurassic World will hopefully help rejuvenate the Jurassic Park franchise, which has been put down by lacking sequels, and that famous John Williams score will surely score some nostalgic points with audience.

Had it not been for #1, Avengers 2 would have been tops by a very wide margin. Nevertheless, Age of Ultron aims to be bigger than 2012's The Avengers in every way, which is saying a lot, considering the original was already pretty massive.

Everyone's favourite secondary Marvel heroes are back, with a couply of additions along the way, including the mutant superpowered siblings as seen in the end of The Winter Soldier (played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elisabeth Olsen, who we last saw play a married couple in Godzilla... ew), as Earth's Mightiest Heroes face off against Hydra (always a plus point) and the Tony Stark-created AI robot Ultron, whose rendition of 'No Strings on Me' will scar Pinocchio fans for life. Oh, and did I mention the Hulkbuster is appearing too? Expect this movie to make gazillions of dollars.

While many other franchises like the Marvel or The Hunger Games have been topping the box office charts for the past decade, the definitive one that will surely get everyone hyped up will always be the Star Wars movies. After Disney's acquisition of LucasArts, a new trilogy was quickly commissioned, with JJ Abrams rebooting another famous sci-fi series, after his successful adaptations of the recent Star Trek films. 

Episode VII is reported to take place 30 years after The Return of the Jedi and will see plenty of new faces and the returning original trilogy gang of Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford back as Luke, Leia and Han Solo respectively. Also in line with the original trilogy see the return of Stromtroopers, X-Wings and Sith Lords with new lightsabers (this time, a crossguard! But this is more of the prequel trilogy's thing).

Just make Episode VII more like the original trilogy than the prequel trilogy, eh JJ?