Well, according to the Mayans we should have all bitten the dust by now but, unless something crazy happens, it looks like we’re all good to go for another year. Awesome. And, accordingly, it looks like we’re set for a spectacular 12 months to boot. From blockbuster movies and big music releases to brand new hotels and restaurants opening in the city, it looks like your social calendar is about to take a serious pounding.

Not to mention your wallet. So strap yourselves in as team TOAD takes you on a journey through what next year has in store. Enjoy and, if we haven’t said it enough already, happy new year! Words Angela Beitz and Mark Spence

Movies

The Great Gatsby
Who’s in it? Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire.

What’s it about? Baz Luhrman takes the director’s seat in his re-telling of the F. Scott Fitzgerald tale in which would-be writer Nick Carraway finds himself drawn into a captivating world of the super-rich, their illusions, loves and deceits in 1922 New York.
Released: May.

Books
Sports
Video games
Music
New Hotels in Abu Dhabi
Festivals in Abu Dhabi in 2013
More to watch out for

Iron Man 3
Who’s in it? Robert Downey Jr, Guy Pearce, Gwyneth Paltrow.

What’s it about? Tony Stark (Downey Jr) puts on his suit again to take on the people responsible for destroying his private world and eventually ends up taking on his deadliest and most powerful (aren’t they always?) foe yet in the shape of someone or something called the Mandarin. We’re no comic buffs but we don’t think he’s going to be fighting an orange.
Released: May.

Man Of Steel
Who’s in it? Henry Cavill, Russell Crowe, Amy Adams.

What’s it about? An alien baby lands on Earth and grows up with superhuman abilities. Why? Because he’s Superman, that’s why!
Released: June.

Thor: The Dark World
Who’s in it? Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman.

What’s it about? This time the big muscley blonde chap has to battle Dark Elves led by some dude called Malekith who’s threatening to plunge the world back into darkness after the events of The Avengers movie.
Released: November.

World War Z
Who’s in it? Brad Pitt.

What’s it about? A deadly zombie pandemic breaks out and rapidly starts taking over the world. Cue hordes of the undead wreaking all sorts of havoc. This one is based on the highly-rated book by Max Brooks.
Released: June.

Star Trek Into Darkness
Who’s in it? Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana.

What’s it about? After finding an unstoppable force of terror within their own organisation, Kirk leads the team on a manhunt to a war zone to take on a one-man weapon of mass destruction. Early rumours suggest that Spock might bite the dust in this one!
Released: May.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Who’s in it? Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen.

What’s it about? While the world tries to recover from the Middle Earth madness of the first instalment you’ve got another year to prepare for the next part which sees the gang go after the big scary dragon, Smaug.
Released: December.

Gangster Squad
Who’s in it? Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Josh Brolin.

What’s it about? 1949 Los Angeles is run by mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) under the protection of his goons and the police. Sgt. John O’Mara (Brolin) is tasked with putting together a small band of LAPD outsiders to take on Cohen. Expect lots of manic gunfights.
Released: January.

Mama
Who’s in it? Jessica Chastain.

What’s it about? A supernatural thriller presented by Guillermo del Toro about two young girls who disappeared into the woods the day their parents were killed. Rescued years later they soon find that someone or something still wants to come and tuck them in at night. Looks like we’ll be watching this one from behind our hands, then.
Released: January.

Oz: The Great and Powerful
Who’s in it? James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz.

What’s it about? Centering on the wizard from the original Oz movie, this tells the tale of a small time magician who finds himself whisked away to the Land of Oz where he meets three witches and transforms himself into a great and powerful wizard.
Released: March.

The Hangover Part 3
Who’s in it? The whole gang are back.

What’s it about? Details were still a bit sketchy at the time of going to press but there are rumours that the main plot will revolve around the gang trying to break Alan (Zach Galifianakis) out of a mental institution.
Let’s hope it’s better than the second one...
Released: May.

Kick Ass 2
Who’s in it? Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Grace Moretz.

What’s it about? A new league of super heroes, inspired by the actions of Kick Ass in the first movie, are formed by Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey). Another evil league is formed by Red Mist (Plasse) reborn as someone with a rather rude name. Should be awesome!
Released: June.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
Who’s in it? Mickey Rourke, Roasario Dawson, Jessica Alba.

What’s it about? This one has been kept under wraps so tightly that not even Time Out’s special movie mole could find out
much about it. Robert Rodrigiuez and Frank Miller are taking the helm again so it should still be a cracker.
Released: October.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Who’s in it? Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth.

What’s it about? After winning the 74th annual Hunger Games, Katniss (Lawrence) returns home before embarking on a ‘Victor’s Tour’ along the way she notices a simmering rebellion as President Snow prepares the 75th Hunger Games – which could change Panem forever. Oh dear.
Released: November.

Oblivion
Who’s in it? Tom Cruise.
What’s it about? Patrolling the skies from thousands of feet above a future Earth, Jack’s (Cruise) world is changed dramatically when he rescues a beautiful stranger from her downed spacecraft and triggers a chain of events that will put the fate of mankind in his hands.
Released: April.