My most anticipated films of 2011 are:

1. The Tree of Life (trailer): From Terrence Malick, the acclaimed director of the classic films Badlands, Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line and The New World, The Tree of Life is the impressionistic story of a Midwestern family in the 1950s. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father (Brad Pitt). Jack (played as an adult by Sean Penn) finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith. Through Malick’s signature imagery, we see how both brute nature and spiritual grace shape not only our lives as individuals and families, but all life.

2. The Immortals: Directed by Tarsem Singh (The Fall). Eons after the Gods won their mythic struggle against the Titans, a new evil threatens the land. Mad with power, King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) has declared war against humanity. Amassing a bloodthirsty army of soldiers disfigured by his own hand, Hyperion has scorched Greece in search of the legendary Epirus Bow, a weapon of unimaginable power forged in the heavens by Ares. Only he who possesses this bow can unleash the Titans, who have been imprisoned deep within the walls of Mount Tartaros since the dawn of time and thirst for revenge. In the king’s hands, the bow would rain destruction upon mankind and annihilate the Gods. But ancient law dictates the Gods must not intervene in man’s conflict. They remain powerless to stop Hyperion until a peasant named Theseus (Henry Cavill) comes forth as their only hope. Secretly chosen by Zeus, Theseus must save his people from Hyperion and his hordes. Rallying a band of fellow outsiders—including visionary priestess Phaedra (Freida Pinto) and cunning slave Stavros (Stephen Dorff)—one hero will lead the uprising, or watch his homeland fall into ruin and his Gods vanish into legend.

3. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: Set in the aftermath of the cold war, this feature adaptation of John Le Carre’s seminal cold war bestseller tells the tale of a spy-hunt within the highest echelons of the British Secret Intelligence Service. Directed by Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In) and starring Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ciarán Hinds and Christian McKay.

4. Hugo Cabret: Based on Brian Selznick’s captivating and imaginative New York Times bestseller, Hugo Cabret is Martin Scorsese’s first film shot in 3D. It tells the tale of an orphan boy living a secret life in the walls of a Paris train station. When Hugo encounters a broken machine, an eccentric girl, and the cold, reserved man who runs the toy shop, he is caught up in a magical, mysterious adventure that could put all of his secrets in jeopardy. Starring Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield, Chloe Moretz, Jude Law, Ray Winstone, Frances de la Tour, Richard Griffiths, Emily Mortimer, and Michael Stuhlbarg.

5. Sucker Punch (trailer): From Zach Snyder (300, Watchmen) comes an epic action fantasy that takes us into the vivid imagination of a young girl whose dream world provides the ultimate escape from her darker reality. Unrestrained by the boundaries of time and place, she is free to go where her mind takes her, and her incredible adventures blur the lines between what’s real and what is imaginary. She has been locked away against her will, but Babydoll (Emily Browning) has not lost her will to survive. Determined to fight for her freedom, she urges four other young girls—the outspoken Rocket (Jena Malone), the street-smart Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens), the fiercely loyal Amber (Jamie Chung) and the reluctant Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish)—to band together and try to escape their terrible fate at the hands of their captors, Blue (Oscar Isaac), Madam Gorski (Carla Gugino) and the High Roller (Jon Hamm). Led by Babydoll, the girls engage in fantastical warfare against everything from samurais to serpents, with a virtual arsenal at their disposal. Together, they must decide what they are willing to sacrifice in order to stay alive. But with the help of a Wise Man (Scott Glenn), their unbelievable journey—if they succeed—will set them free.

6. The Way Back (trailer): From Peter Wier (Dead Poet’s Society, Master and Commander) comes the fact-based story of the escape of soldiers from a Siberian gulag in 1940. Based on Slavomir Rawicz’s book “The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom,” the film is an account of being captured by the Red Army in 1939 and his journey to freedom with other inmates. The group crossed the Siberian arctic, the Gobi desert and the Himalayas, finally settling in Tibet and India. Starring Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess and Saoirse Ronan.

7. War Horse: From director Steven Spielberg comes an epic adventure for audiences of all ages. Set against a sweeping canvas of rural England and Europe during the First World War, the film begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man called Albert, who tames and trains him. When they are forcefully parted, War Horse follows the extraordinary journey of the horse as he moves through the war, changing and inspiring the lives of all those he meets—British cavalry, German soldiers, and a French farmer and his granddaughter—before the story reaches its emotional climax in the heart of No Man’s Land. An odyssey of joy and sorrow, passionate friendship and high adventure, War Horse is one of the great stories of friendship and war. Starring Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan, Benedict Cumberbatch and Stephen Graham.

8. Super 8 (trailer): J.J. Abrams (Star Trek) directs a project that will be both a tribute to and a collaboration with Steven Spielberg – a tip of the hat to Spielberg’s movies of the 70’s and early 80’s. The project reportedly will deal with everyday people whose personal relationships are tested when they are thrown up against extraordinarily fantastic—and possibly otherworldly—events.

9. Cars 2 (trailer): Go Pixar, go! Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) take their friendship to exciting new places when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret spy mission, Mater’s action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world. Adding to the fast-paced fun is a colorful new all-car cast that includes secret agents, menacing villains and international racing competitors.

10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (trailer): In part two of the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the Wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, John Hurt, Rhys Ifans, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Imelda Staunton, Jason Isaacs, Miranda Richardson, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Ciaran Hinds, Timothy Spall, and David Thewlis.

11. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: David Fincher’s (Se7en, The Social Network) English adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s posthumously published crime thriller “Millennium” trilogy. The book describes the mystery surrounding the long-unsolved disappearance of an heiress. A journalist recently dinged by a libel case and a young female hacker try to resolve it, stirring up bundles of personal and industrial corruption along the way. Starring Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Stellan Skarsgard, Robin Wright, Max von Sydow, and Christopher Plummer.

12. Miral (trailer): From Julian Schnabel, Academy Award-nominated director of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, comes Miral, the story of four women whose lives intertwine in the starkly human search for justice, hope and reconciliation amid a world overshadowed by conflict, rage and war. The story begins in war-torn Jerusalem in 1948 when Hind Husseini (Hiam Abbass) opens an orphanage for refugee children that quickly becomes home to 2000 orphans. One of the children is seventeen-year-old Miral (Frieda Pinto) who arrived at the orphanage 10 years earlier, following her mother’s tragic death. On the cusp of the Intifada resistance, Miral is assigned to teach at a refugee camp where she falls for a fervent political activist, Hani (Omar Metwally) and finds herself in a personal battle that mirrors the greater dilemma around her: to fight like those before her or follow Mama Hind’s defiant belief that education will pave a road to peace.

13. Jane Eyre (trailer): Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender star in the romantic drama based on Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel, from acclaimed director Cary Fukunaga (Sin Nombre). In the story, Jane Eyre flees Thornfield House, where she works as a governess for wealthy Edward Rochester. As she reflects upon the people and emotions that have defined her, it is clear that the isolated and imposing residence – and Mr. Rochester’s coldness – have sorely tested the young woman’s resilience, forged years earlier when she was orphaned. She must now act decisively to secure her own future and come to terms with the past that haunts her – and the terrible secret that Mr. Rochester is hiding and that she has uncovered.

14. Contagion: Contagion follows the rapid progress of a lethal airborne virus that kills within days. As the fast-moving epidemic grows, the worldwide medical community races to find a cure and control the panic that spreads faster than the virus itself. At the same time, ordinary people struggle to survive in a society coming apart. Directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet and Marion Cotillard.

15. Hanna (trailer): From Joe Wright (Pride and Prejudice, Atonement) comes an adventure thriller, filmed in Europe, about a teenage girl (Saoirse Ronan) with the strength, the stamina, and the smarts of a soldier. These come from being raised by her father (Eric Bana), an ex-CIA man, in the wilds of Finland. Living a life unlike any other teenager, her upbringing and training have been one and the same, all geared to making her the perfect assassin. The turning point in her adolescence is a sharp one: sent into the world by her father on a mission, Hanna journeys stealthily across Europe while eluding agents dispatched after her by a ruthless intelligence operative with secrets of her own (Cate Blanchett). As she nears her ultimate target, Hanna faces startling revelations about her existence and unexpected questions about her humanity.

16. The Adjustment Bureau (trailer): Do we control our destiny, or do unseen forces manipulate us? On the brink of winning a seat in the U.S. Senate, ambitious politician David Norris (Matt Damon) meets beautiful contemporary ballet dancer Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt)—a woman like none he’s ever known. But just as he realizes he’s falling for her, mysterious men conspire to keep the two apart. David learns he is up against the agents of Fate itself—the men of The Adjustment Bureau—who will do everything in their considerable power to prevent David and Elise from being together. In the face of overwhelming odds, he must either let her go and accept a predetermined path…or risk everything to defy Fate and be with her. Based on a short story by Philip K. Dick (Total Recall, Minority Report, Blade Runner).

17. Source Code (trailer): When Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he’s part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train. In an assignment unlike any he’s ever known, he learns he’s part of a government experiment called the “Source Code,” a program that enables him to cross over into another man’s identity in the last 8 minutes of his life. With a second, much larger target threatening to kill millions in downtown Chicago, Colter re-lives the incident over and over again, gathering clues each time, until he can solve the mystery of who is behind the bombs and prevent the next attack. Filled with mind-boggling twists and heart-pounding suspense, Source Code is a smart action-thriller directed by Duncan Jones (Moon) also starring Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga and Jeffrey Wright.

18. Cowboys and Aliens (trailer): Blockbuster filmmaker Jon Favreau directs Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford in an event film for summer 2011 that crosses the classic Western with the alien-invasion movie in a blazingly original way. Joined by an arsenal of top moviemakers—Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci—he brings an all-new action thriller that will take audiences into the Old West, where a lone cowboy leads an uprising against a terror from beyond our world.

19. Battle Los Angeles (trailer): For years, there have been documented cases of UFO sightings around the world. But in 2011, what were once just sightings will become a terrifying reality when Earth is attacked by unknown forces. As people everywhere watch the world’s great cities fall, Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind in a battle no one expected. It’s up to a Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and his new platoon to draw a line in the sand as they take on an enemy unlike any they’ve ever encountered before. Also starring Michelle Rodriguez, Ramon Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan, Ne-Yo and Michael Pena.

20. The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn: Steven Spielberg directs the first in the series of 3D motion capture films based on the iconic character created by Georges Remi. The film stars Jamie Bell as Tintin, the intrepid young reporter whose relentless pursuit of a good story thrusts him into a world of high adventure, and Daniel Craig as the nefarious Red Rackham. Bell and Craig are joined by an international cast that includes Andy Serkis, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Gad Elmaleh, Toby Jones and Mackenzie Crook.

21. The Hangover: Part II: In the follow-up to the record-breaking hit comedy The Hangover, Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) travel to exotic Thailand for Stu’s wedding. After the unforgettable bachelor party in Las Vegas, Stu is taking no chances and has opted for a safe, subdued pre-wedding brunch. However, things don’t always go as planned. What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what happens in Bangkok can’t even be imagined.

22. The Muppets: On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world’s biggest Muppet fan, and his friends Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams) from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets’ former stomping grounds. To stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways.

23. Kung Fu Panda 2 (trailer): The first great Dreamworks animated film returns. Po is now living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five – Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey. But Po’s new life of awesomeness is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu. It is up to Po and The Furious Five to journey across China to face this threat and vanquish it. But how can Po stop a weapon that can stop kung fu? He must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will he be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed. Starring Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Gary Oldman, Michelle Yeoh, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Victor Garber.

24. Priest (trailer): A warrior priest (Paul Bettany) disobeys Church law by teaming with a young sheriff (Cam Gigandet) and a beautiful priestess (Maggie Q). The three band together to track down a band of renegade vampires who have kidnapped the priest’s niece before they turn her into one of them.

25. Friends with Benefits (trailer): A young female headhunter (Mila Kunis) in New York convinces a potential recruit (Justin Timberlake) to accept a job in the Big Apple. Despite an attraction to each other, both realize they’re everything they’ve been running from in a relationship and decide to see what happens if they leave emotion out of it and keep it strictly physical.

As usual, a lot of the independent and foreign fare has not yet found a safe place to land (films without release dates are not included), but even so, this year’s crop feels especially summer heavy—and my list doesn’t even contain any of the seemingly half dozen superhero films racing down the pike. These lists are always fun to look back on later in the year to see what appeared good in trailers but flopped in theaters, and what films you loved yet never even saw coming. All plot summaries from ComingSoon.net.