You would be mad to miss this
FILM
Iron Man 3
In cinemas 26 April
While Iron Man 2 was met with mixed reviews, director Jon Favreau made a big comeback with The Avengers last year, which quickly became the highest grossing comic book film of all time. Expectations for the third installment of Iron Man, then, are high and so far things are looking promising. Robert Downey Jr returns as Tony Stark as the billionaire is faced with the question: “Does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man.”
FILM
Gangster Squad
In cinemas 10 January
The year is starting off big with the release of Gangster Squad. Dubbed as one of the biggest releases this month, Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer has taken the helm in a bid to breathe new life into the well-trodden crime thriller genre. Sean Penn stars as infamous 1940s gangster Mickey Cohen alongside Ryan Gosling who plays special LAPD officer Sgt. Jerry Wooster, tasked with bringing Cohen down. The film’s release was delayed after the team were forced to change one of the big scenes where characters shoot moviegoers out of respect for the victims of the tragic Colorado shootings of last July.
ART
David Bowie Is
Victoria & Museum, 23 March – 28 July
After the success of its Hollywood Costume exhibition, the V&A is busy working on its next big production — a retrospective dedicated to the life and work of legendary performer David Bowie. The museum has been given unprecedented access to the David Bowie Archive in New York and has edited the collection down from 60,000 pieces to 300. The exhibition traces the way his style has made a cultural impact. Expect to see the famous Ziggy Stardust bodysuits designed by Freddie Burretti on display.
BALLET
The Sleeping Beauty
English National Ballet, until 2 March
The English National Ballet reawakens the classic fairytale with a stellar cast, stand out costumes and a winning symphony orchestra. With choreography by Kenneth MacMillan and some of the best loved ballet music by the famous Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, this latest interprepation of The Sleeping Beauty is a must see.
FILM
The Great Gatsby
In cinemas 17 May
Baz Luhrmann’s distinctive take on the F Scott Fitzgerald classic may have seen its release date shunted back by six months but we suspect it will be worth the wait. Taking its musical cue from his previous movies, it features such decidedly un-1920s hits as Jay-Z and Kanye’s No Church in the Wild. With star Leonardo DiCaprio on a stunning run of form – think J Edgar, Inception and Shutter Island – this Gatsby could rival the Robert Redford/Mia Farrow classic.
ART
Paul Klee
Tate Modern, 15 October–9 March 2014
Paul Klee is one of the most respected painters of the last century, with his paintings selling for up to £4m at auction (notably 1932’s Tänzerin). The Tate Modern’s exhibition will display the artist’s work alongside the events that shaped his life, including his membership of the lauded Bauhaus movement.
ART
Lichtenstein: A Retrospective
Tate Modern, 21 February
It has been an astonishing 20 years since the last retrospective of one of the most recognisable artists of the 20th Century. The Tate Modern’s show promises to showcase the very best of Lichtenstein’s famous pop art creations that influenced a generation of artists and still stands shoulder to shoulder with the very best American art.
FASHION
London Collections: Men
Various venues, 7–9 January
The great and good of the fashion world will descend on London for the country’s biggest menswear showcase. Highlights will include Tom Ford and Alexander McQueen as well as Savile Row stalwarts like Richard James. Expect big shows and bigger personalities as London shows it has what it takes to rival Milan and Paris.
THEATRE
Quartermaine’s Terms
Wyndham’s Theatre, from 23 January
Simon Gray’s lauded Quartermaine’s Terms will make a triumphant return to the West End, with Rowan Atkinson taking the reins as St John Quartermaine, the bumbling teacher attempting to navigate the precarious staffroom politics. Richard Eyre directs what is sure to be a very English – and very funny – play.
FILM
Man of Steel
In cinemas 14 June
The latest interpretation of Superman has been on the cards for the past few years, having initially stalled due to litigation between Warner Bros and the character’s creator Jerry Siegel’s family. But don’t worry, the film will finally grace our screens this summer. British actor Henry Cavill stars as a twenty-something year old Clark Kent and his famous alter ego.