Top 10 Most Hyped Drama Movies

Top 10 Most Hyped Drama Movies

Even before they came out, these films were already stirring up plenty of drama. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 hyped drama movies.

For this list, we’re taking a look at dramatic movies from the ‘90s onward that garnered lots of hype through intense marketing and sheer anticipation. Whether the film ended up being good or bad doesn’t matter as long as the publicity preceding it had everybody pumped up. This is part of a series of videos focusing on the mosthyped movies from various genres.

#10: “Les Misérables” (2012)

After spending over two decades in development hell, a big screen adaptation of “Les Misérables” finally got off the ground with Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper behind the camera. And Broadway fans and mainstream moviegoers alike got especially excited when Hugh Jackman was cast as Jean Valjean. The film’s selling point was a first look video via Facebook depicting the A-list cast singing live on set rather than pre-recording their voices. This made “Les Misérables” look like it was not only going to be an extravagant musical, but a deeply moving and personal one too.

#9: “Gangs of New York” (2002)

Martin Scorsese has been one of our finest directors since the 1970s. Many predicted that “Gangs of New York” would be his crowning cinematic achievement. Costing roughly $100 million to make, this period piece looked like a sweeping epic from Hollywood’s golden age with Scorsese’s trademark grit sprinkled in. Plus, how could the film go wrong with Daniel Day-Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio starring? Numerous award analysts believed Scorsese was destined to take home his first Best Director Oscar. He’d have to wait a couple more years for that honor, though.

#8: “Twilight” (2008)

Although Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson weren’t huge celebrities at the time, they became overnight household names after landing the leading roles in “Twilight.” Even without established superstars or a massive budget, this screen adaptation of Stephenie Meyers’ novel pretty much sold itself. Leading up to its release, you couldn’t get through a school day without encountering at least one fellow student with their nose stuck in a “Twilight” book. If you didn’t read the relentlessly popular bestseller, chances are your girlfriend or a hot, single mom would drag you to the theater anyway.

#7: “Ray” (2004)

Only four months before this biographical film was released, Ray Charles died at the age of 73. With him gone, it seemed like the world had become a little less soulful. When “Ray” premiered at the 2004 Toronto International Film Festival, though, many people felt like the genius of soul had been brought back to life. Earning critical acclaim, “Ray” became an early favorite at the dawn of awards season. The buzz surrounding Jamie Foxx’s spot-on portrayal particularly proved unstoppable, resulting in him winning an Oscar for Best Actor.

#6: “Schindler’s List” (1993)

There are only a handful of movies from the past twenty-five years that were immediately considered among the all-time greats. “Schindler’s List” is one of these instant masterpieces. People knew this adaptation of Thomas Keneally’s horrifying novel about the Holocaust would amount to something special with director Steven Spielberg involved. Critical response suggested “Schindler’s List” was every bit as tragic, inspiring, and important as the hype built it up to be. With even President Clinton praising it, this was a film that everybody felt like they had to see.

#5: “The Great Gatsby” (2013)

Up until this adaptation from Baz Luhrmann, a lot of younger people typically thought of “The Great Gatsby” as “that book our English teacher made us read.” The film’s trailer, however, made this interpretation look like a big, elegant party with a modern soundtrack, outfits that inspired a line at Brooks Brothers, and jewelry that inspired a line at Tiffany’s. The all-star cast additionally drew mainstream audiences in. At one point, people even thought Leonardo DiCaprio might get an Oscar nomination. Of course they also said that about “J. Edgar.”

#4: “Pearl Harbor” (2001)

Aside from being inspired by an iconic tragedy, “Pearl Harbor” gained a fair deal of hype since it came out only a few years after another love story/disaster movie. We’ll get to that film later, though. Given the convincing effects, brutal imagery, and haunting voiceover represented in the trailer, audiences thought this would be another grand epic. On top of that, Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer previously packed movie theaters with “Armageddon.” Like that blockbuster, “Pearl Harbor” won the box office battle, but lost the war with critics.

#3: “The Social Network” (2010)

Social networking has undeniably changed the way studios and audiences build interest for upcoming movies. As a result, it’s natural that a movie based on Facebook’s genesis would become one of the 21st century’s most hyped dramas. Anybody with Internet service had a Facebook account by 2010. Yet, not everybody knew about the enemies creator Mark Zuckerberg made on his way to getting 500 million friends and billions of dollars. The ads for “The Social Network” gave audiences a taste of this fascinating story, leaving us twittering with anticipation.

#2: “50 Shades of Grey” (2015)

With its trailer raking in more views on YouTube than any other movie preview in 2014, “Fifty Shades of Grey” was the talk of the town for months. However, everybody was talking about the eagerly awaited adaptation for different reasons. Some wanted to know how hot it would be, others wanted to know how shocking it would be, and the rest wanted to know how stupid it would be. With curiosity being the focal point of the marketing campaign, it appeared the whole world wanted a meeting with Mr. Grey.

Before we buildup our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” (2013)
- “Eat Pray Love” (2010)
- “Walk the Line” (2005)
- “Seabiscuit” (2003)

#1: “Titanic” (1997)

Much of the initial hype regarding “Titanic” concerned whether James Cameron would ever complete the film. There had been several production delays, the budget skyrocketed to $200 million, and the film’s release was pushed from July to December. When the astounding trailer came out, however, it became clear that Cameron was putting his time and money to great use. Positive media coverage and word-of-mouth helped the film open at number one at the box office and hold onto that spot for fifteen consecutive weeks in North America, becoming the highest-grossing movie of its time.

Do you agree with our list? What dramas were you psyched to see based on all the hype? For more entertaining Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.