Happy new year peoples! The past 12 months have been fantastic for cinema – it was recently announced that 2012 was the highest grossing film year ever – and there are plenty of upcoming releases in the next 12 months that already have us excited. With no further ado then, here’s our picks for the top 10 must-see movies of 2013.

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10. Django Unchained (In UK Cinemas January 18)

Quentin Tarantino’s latest is a bloody western that sees freed slave Django (Jamie Foxx) on a mission to save his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) from vicious plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo Di Caprio) with the help of bounty hunter Dr King Schultz (Christoph Waltz). With an excellent cast – including Tarantino regular Samuel L. Jackson – and awards buzz already mounting, this looks to be one to watch whether you’re a Tarantino fan or not.

9. Only God Forgives (UK release date TBC)

Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive was number 1 on many top 10 lists at the end of 2011, and the director has teamed up once again with Ryan Gosling for his follow-up, Only God Forgives. Gosling plays Julian, a young man who runs a Thai boxing club as a front for a drug smuggling scheme. When his brother is killed, Julian must track down those responsible. No footage for this one as yet, but the photos that have been released thus far show a heavily bruised Gosling. Intriguing.

8. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (In UK Cinemas November 22)

With any luck, 2012 will mark the end of Twilight in cinemas. However, last year saw another beloved book series make the leap from page to screen – with impressive results – and Jennifer Lawrence will be reprising her role as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire. With Philip Seymour Hoffman and Sam Clafin joining the cast, the odds are most definitely in its favour.

7. Monsters University (In UK Cinemas July 12)

Remember the excellent 2001 Pixar effort Monsters, Inc? The highly anticipated prequel will be in cinemas this summer, and it will see the meeting of the two principal characters Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sully (John Goodman). In a year of potentially excellent animated flicks – including Wreck-it-Ralph, Despicable Me 2, and Cloudy 2: Revenge of the Leftovers – this tops the list.

6. Zero Dark Thirty (In UK Cinemas January 25)

Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker deservedly won many awards upon its release in 2008, and now 5 years on the director is back with her follow up Zero Dark Thirty. The film chronicles the ten year manhunt for Osama Bin Laden, and features an incredible cast led by the incredibly talented Jessica Chastain. It won’t be a surprise to see Bigelow’s latest amongst the award contenders once again.

5. Thor: The Dark World (In UK Cinemas November 8)

Last seen taking a shackled Loki back to Asgard after helping his fellow heroes defeat his brother’s army, Thor: The Dark World will see the God of Thunder explore other realms as well as battling villain Malekith the Accursed (Christopher Eccleston). It will be interesting to see just what impact the climatic events of Avengers has had on Thor & co, and I’m betting I won’t be the only one in the cinema with my Mjolnir replica eager to see what happens next. Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor is behind the camera this time round, and Natalie Portman, Idris Elba and Anthony Hopkins are all set to return.

4. Pacific Rim (In UK Cinemas July 12)

At one point, Guillermo Del Toro was down to direct 2012’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. As it is, his first film since 2008’s Hellboy: The Golden Army will be the now eagerly awaited Pacific Rim. It’s a classic aliens vs. humans premise, but the trailer which dropped earlier last month teased some incredible visuals including what looks to be epic monster vs. robot combat. Watch it below to begin salivating.

3. Iron Man 3 (In UK Cinemas April 26)

Iron Man kicked off Marvel’s ‘Phase One’ back in 2008, and Robert Downey Jr.’s much loved interpretation of Tony Stark has been seen in last year’s memorable Avengers Assemble and the slightly disappointing Iron Man 2. Now the Iron Avenger is back solo once again, and the grim tone of the trailer depicts a Tony Stark who will be pushed to the brink. There will doubtless be plenty of the snarky Stark we all know and love however, and with Ben Kingsley starring as fan-favourite villain Mandarin, chances are good that Iron Man 3 will end the trilogy on a high.

2. Star Trek into Darkness (In UK Cinemas May 17)

2009’s Star Trek made for a really enjoyable couple hours, so it’s no surprise we’re getting a sequel. Helmed once again by sci-fi extraordinaire J.J. Abrams, Star Trek into Darkness will see the Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) led crew go up against Benedict Cumberbatch’s “one man weapon of mass destruction”. Cumberbatch’s star has been on the rise since BBC’s Sherlock, and he looks to be on great form in the fantastic trailer released last month. We can’t wait to return to the Enterprise.

1. Man of Steel (In UK Cinemas June 14)

It’s been seven years since Bryan Singer’s disappointing ‘Superman Returns’, and Kal-El fans are still eagerly awaiting a Superman film definitive for this era. Man of Steel might just be that film; directed by Zack Snyder (and produced by The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan), the first trailer released recently had many fans excited. This one is definitely one to watch. Check out the trailer below.

So there you have it Yin and Yangers – our most anticipated films of 2013! What film are you looking forward to seeing? Let us know in the usual place, and all the best for 2013.