Movies, music, books and TV shows to to watch for in 2015

Yeah, 2014 had its great songs, books, TV, and movies. But 2014 is over! It's time to start looking forward to the many beautiful pop culture jewels 2015 will bring us.

This list is weighted heavily toward movies, which announce their release dates far in advance of any other form of media. But we've found TV shows, books, and albums worth looking forward to, too.

January:

Sleater Kinney's first album in 10 years (Jan. 10)

The original riot grrrls return with their first album in 10 years. If rock and roll makes a comeback in 2015, maybe this band can lead the charge.

NBC's "71st Annual Golden Globe Awards" - Red Carpet Arrivals (Christopher Polk/NBC)

Amy Poehler & Tina Fey host the Golden Globes (Jan. 11)

Amy Poehler and Tina Fey return as hosts for the 72nd Golden Globes. The two's opening monologues have been among the highlights of the last two ceremonies.

Broad City, Season 2 (Jan. 14)

Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson's Comedy Central show got off to a great start in 2014. The witty, raunchy, genuinely smart comedy about women in their 20s in New York is just one of a bunch of TV series returning in January, including Parks and Recreation, The Americans, and Girls.

February

Bob Dylan in 2012 wearing a pretty old man hat (Gus Stewart/Getty)

Bob Dylan's Shadows in the Night (Feb. 3)

Shadows in the Night will be the 36th album in Dylan's long, illustrious career. Hopefully, it's an improvement on 2012's somewhat disappointing Tempest.

Fresh Off the Boat (Feb. 10)

ABC's new show Fresh Off the Boat is the first sitcom with an all Asian-American cast since All-American Girl. The show tackles the American dream, culture clash, and the wilds of Orlando, Florida.

Fifty Shades of Gray (Feb. 13)

Fifty Shades of Gray won't be the best movie of the year, but people will certainly be talking about it. And it will be released just in time for Valentine's Day. Romance is alive and well in America!

March:

Madonna's Rebel Heart (March 10)

The whole album has leaked, and Madonna has already released six of its songs on iTunes. But if you want to officially buy the album, here's your chance.

James Corden takes over The Late, Late Show (March 23)

The English actor and comedian will succeed Craig Ferguson as host of the show CBS has on after Letterman. (And Letterman himself will retire in May, with Stephen Colbert taking over sometime in the summer.)

Laura Marling's Short Movie (March 24)

British singer-songwriter Marling has a tranquil voice, and if it's anything like the lead single, her next album should be terrific.

April:

Marina and the Diamond's Froot (April 3)

Here's another album where the lead single promises great things to come. Marina's lazy tone and killer lyrics constantly remind listeners just how in tune with pop culture she is, even as she makes a space for herself there.

Coachella (starts April 13)

Last year's huge Southern California music festival gave us pictures of the Kardashians in bindis, along with some great concerts. Yeah, it's technically about the music, but the celebrity sightings are fun, too.

Toni Morrison's new novel (April)

The Nobel Laureate's new novel God Help the Child should perk up the spring literary scene.

Spring sometime:

New seasons of Game of Thrones and Mad Men

Two of your biggest TV obsessions will be back, likely in late March or early April. And this is the final season of Mad Men, so prepare yourself for heartbreak.

May:

Avengers: Age of Ultron (May 1)

This is the heyday of superhero movies, and Age of Ultron looks to be a new capstone for Marvel Studios' output.

Tomorrowland (May 22)

Britt Robertson and George Clooney star in a movie about a teen and a former child-genius who stumble upon an amazing secret. It's co-written by Lost's Damon Lindelof and directed by Brad Bird, of The Incredibles and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol fame.

June:

The Entourage bros in suits (Charles Eshelman/Getty)

Entourage: The Movie (June 5)

The bro-iest of HBO shows turns into a Bro movie, just like you always dreamed it would.

Jurassic World (June 12)

Diiiiiiiiiiiiiinoooooooooooosaurs!!!!!

Inside Out (June 15)

Amy Poehler plays the voice of the emotion Joy. That is all you really need to know to go see this one. But in case you need more, this is also the first Pixar movie to hit theaters since 2013's Monsters University and the first non-sequel since 2012's Brave.

July:

Magic Mike XXL (July 1)

Everyone (me) loves Channing Tatum. And 2012's Magic Mike was a surprise hit. So, naturally enough, we're getting a sequel to a film that seemed impossible to make a sequel to. Good work, Hollywood.

Ant-Man (July 17)

Paul Rudd plays a superhero who can shrink in size and gain strength. Unlike most other Marvel movies, this one has been embroiled in controversy throughout production, including the departure of its original director, fanboy favorite Edgar Wright. So we'll ... wait and see.

August:

four superheroes! (Fox)

The Fantastic Four (Aug. 7)

Even more superheroes!

September:

Purity by Jonathan Franzen (September)

Beloved literary enfant terrible Jonathan Franzen will release his first novel since the award-wining Freedom in the fall. It's supposed to be a major break from his previous work. We're ever so slightly skeptical.

October:

Crimson Peak (Oct. 15)

The great Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Pacific Rim) offers his take on the Gothic romance ghost story, with a cast that includes Mia Wasikowska and Tom Hiddleston.

November:

The Hateful 8 (Nov. 13)

Quentin Tarantino's new movie (starring Channing Tatum!) is a Western that almost didn't happen when the script was leaked. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed, and we will receive our quarterly dose of Tatum.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 (Nov. 20)

The conclusion of the book series is full of drama and violence, and the final movie in the series should be no different.

December:

Sisters (Dec. 18)

Amy Poehler and Tina Fey cap off the year, as well, starring in a movie about two sisters who want to throw a huge house party before their parents sell their childhood home. See? We brought this full circle. Satisfying!

No release date yet:

Adele's new album

The big-voiced British artist whose last album briefly took over the world is expected to drop a new album in early 2015.

Kanye West is excited about his new album (Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagic/Getty)

New Kanye West album:

There's no official release date for Kanye's next album, but the rapper has allowed people to hear the whole thing, fully-produced, which means the album exists and could be released at any time. He might be releasing it right now. There's just no way to know.

New Rihanna album

Rihanna produced an album a year for seven years, and then she just didn't the last two years. No album in 2013 or 2014. Will 2015 be the year? We're guessing it will.

True Detective Season 2

#truedetectiveseason2 #probablyinthesummer #nowwithTaylorKitsch #andVinceVaughn? #surewhynot

Will you join us?

Our biggest supporters are our readers — and we’re so grateful to everyone who has made a contribution during our September campaign. We’re less than 1,000 contributions away from reaching our goal for the month, which in turn will allow us to say yes more often when our incredible journalists come to us with questions they want to answer and projects they want to pursue. Will you make a contribution before the month ends and support our policy coverage through 2024 and beyond?

One-Time Monthly Annual

$5/month

$10/month

$25/month

$50/month

Other

$

Yes, I'll give $5/month

Yes, I'll give $5/month

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via