2015 Universal Pictures Preview!

Last Updated on August 3, 2021

Universal had a decent year in 2014, having slipped a few spots from 2013’s hold, taking 5th place in the overall market share with 10.8% and $1.1 Billion in ticket sales. NEIGHBORS and RIDE ALONG were their primary moneymakers, with LUCY and LONE SURVIVOR the only other films to crack $100 million domestically. However, 2015 has a much better looking line-up of films for the studio, including a return to the Jurassic Park franchise with JURASSIC WORLD, a Guillermo del Toro horror pic with CRIMSON PEAK, the long-delayed FURIOUS 7, a sequel to the surprise hit PITCH PERFECT, as well as for the pot-ingesting teddy bear with TED 2. There’s a smattering of new entries that aren’t sequels, including EVEREST, SISTERS, and KRAMPUS, amongst others, so it’s not all follow-up fever. It should be a good year for the studio, all things considered. What do you think?

Let us know which Universal films you’re most looking forward to!

Sisters (December 18)

Two sisters decide to throw one last house party before their parents sell their family home.

Starring: Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, John Leguizamo, James Brolin, John Cena, Heather Matarazzo, and Dianne Wiest. Directed by Jason Moore.

Krampus (December 4)

A demon seeks out naughty people to punish them at Christmas time.

Starring: Allison Tolman and Emjay Anthony. Directed by Michael Dougherty.

Jem and The Holograms (October 23)

The young owner of a music company uses revolutionary tech to disguise herself as a rockstar.

Starring: Aubrey Peeples, Aurora Perrineau, Hayley Kiyoko, Stefanie Scott, Juliette Lewis, and Molly Ringwald. Directed by John M. Chu.

Crimson Peak (October 16)

In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds…and remembers.

Starring: Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam, and Benedict Cumberbatch. Directed by Guillermo del Toro.

Everest (September 18)

A climbing expedition on Mt. Everest is devastated by a severe snow storm.

Starring: Jason Clarke, Jake Gyllenhaal, Keira Knightley, Robin Wright, Josh Brolin, Sam Worthington, Emily Watson, Michael Kelly, and John Hawkes. Directed by Baltasar Kormákur.

The Visit (September 11)

A single mother finds that things in her family’s life go very wrong after her two young children visit their grandparents.

Starring: Kathryn Hahn, Ed Oxenbould, and Benjamin Kanes. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

Straight Outta Compton (August 14)

In the mid-1980s, the streets of Compton, California, were some of the most dangerous in the country. When five young men translated their experiences growing up into brutally honest music that rebelled against abusive authority, they gave an explosive voice to a silenced generation. Following the meteoric rise and fall of N.W.A., STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON tells the astonishing story of how these youngsters revolutionized music and pop culture forever the moment they told the world the truth about life in the hood and ignited a cultural war.

Starring: Paul Giamatti, Keith Stanfield, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Reynolds, and Jason Mitchell. Directed by F. Gary Gray.

Trainwreck (July 17)

Plot details being kept under wraps.

Starring: Amy Schumer, Daniel Radcliffe, Brie Larson, Randall Park, Tilda Swinton, Marisa Tomei, Katy Mixon, Ezra Miller, John Cena, Bar Paly, and Method Man. Directed by Judd Apatow.

Minions (July 10)

The story of Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s Minions begins at the dawn of time. Starting as single-celled yellow organisms, Minions evolve through the ages, perpetually serving the most despicable of masters. Continuously unsuccessful at keeping these masters-from T. rex to Napoleon-the Minions find themselves without someone to serve and fall into a deep depression. But one Minion named Kevin has a plan, and he-alongside teenage rebel Stuart and lovable little Bob-ventures out into the world to find a new evil boss for his brethren to follow. The trio embarks upon a thrilling journey that ultimately leads them to their next potential master, Scarlet Overkill (Academy Award® winner Sandra Bullock), the world’s first-ever female super-villain. They travel from frigid Antarctica to 1960s New York City, ending in mod London, where they must face their biggest challenge to date: saving all of Minionkind…from annihilation.

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Michael Keaton, Allison Janney, Jon Hamm, Katy Mixon, and Steve Coogan. Directed by Kyle Balda and Pierre Coffin.

Ted 2 (June 26)

The plot is unknown at this time.

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Seth MacFarlane, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Amanda Seyfried, Patrick Warburton, and Dennis Haysbert. Directed by Seth MacFarlane.

Jurassic World (June 12)

Twenty-two years after the events of Jurassic Park (1993), Isla Nublar now features a fully functioning dinosaur theme park, Jurassic World, as originally envisioned by John Hammond. After 10 years of operation and visitor rates declining, in order to fulfill a corporate mandate, a new attraction is created to re-spark visitor’s interest, which backfires horribly.

Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D’Onofrio, Judy Greer, Jake Johnson, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Omar Sy, Irrfan Khan, and BD Wong. Directed by Colin Trevorrow.

Pitch Perfect 2 (May 15)

Collegiate a cappella group the Barden Bellas enter into an international competition that no American team has ever won.

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, Elizabeth Banks, Haliee Steinfeld, Alexis Knapp, Skylar Astin, and Katey Sagal. Directed by Elizabeth Banks.

Unfriended (April 17)

While video chatting one night, six high school friends receive a Skype message from a classmate who killed herself exactly one year ago. A first they think it’s a prank, but when the girl starts revealing the friends’ darkest secrets, they realize they are dealing with something out of this world, something that wants them dead. Told entirely from a young girl’s computer desktop, CYBERNATURAL redefines ‘found footage’ for a new generation of teens.

Starring: Renee Olstead, Matthew Bohrer, Courtney Halverson, Shelley Hennig, and Will Peltz. Directed by Levan Gabriadze.

Furious 7 (April 3)

Deckard Shaw seeks revenge against Dominic Toretto and his family for the death of his brother.

Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Jordana Brewster, Lucas Black, Elsa Pataky, Ludacris, Kurt Russell, Ronda Rousey, Djimon Hounsou, Tony Jaa, Iggy Azalea, and Jason Statham.

Seventh Son (February 6)

John Gregory, who is a seventh son of a seventh son and also the local spook, has protected he country from witches, boggarts, ghouls and all manner of things that go bump in the night. However John is not young anymore, and has been seeking an apprentice to carry on his trade. Most have failed to survive. The last hope is a young farmer’s son named Thomas Ward. Will he survive the training to become the spook that so many others couldn’t? Should he trust the girl with pointy shoes? How can Thomas stand a chance against Mother Malkin, the most dangerous witch in the county?

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, Kit Harington, Ben Barnes, Alicia Vikander, Djimon Hounsou, Olivia Williams, Antje Traue, and Jason Scott Lee. Directed by Sergey Bodrov.

The Boy Next Door (January 23)

Shortly after her divorce, a woman falls for a younger man who just moved in across the street, though their torrid affair takes an obsessive, dangerous turn.

Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Guzman, Kristin Chenoweth, and John Corbett. Directed by Rob Cohen.

Blackhat

Set in the criminal world of cyberspace, an experienced hacker serving a 13 year sentence in prison is recruited by FBI and CIA authorities to capture a cyber-hacker committing high level terrorist attacks around the world with no apparent reason. The chase leads them on a worldwide adventure from New York to L.A. to Tokyo to Jakarta. As they begin to start getting closer to him, they discover horrifying motives and secrets that could never have been predicted.

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Wei Tang, Viola Davis, Leehom Wang, and William Mapother.

Read our review HERE!