11 most anticipated films of 2013 (VIDEO)

2013 looks highly promising when it comes to summer films and advancements in movie-making technology.

In December, Peter Jackson and his crew showed the world how quickly technology is changing.

The standard frame rate -- the speed at which consecutive individual frames of a film are projected -- has been 24 frames per second for more than 80 years. But the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey exposed a new brand of 48 frames per second.

In 2013, moviegoers will still have the options of 2-D, 3-D and IMAX. But the 48 frames and its crystal-clear picture could become the norm in the near future.

Besides advancements in technology, audiences will see a favorable amount of heroes this summer -- including Superman, Iron Man, Katniss Everdeen and S.E.A.L. Team Six.

Here's a look at the the 11 most anticipated films of 2013 (arranged by release date).

1. Zero Dark Thirty (January 11)

Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow

Starring: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Joel Edgerton and James Gandolfini

Plot: The decade-long hunt for Osama bin Laden after the September 2001 attacks.

2. Gangster Squad (January 11)

Directed by: Ruben Fleischer

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Josh Brolin, Sean Penn and Nick Nolte.

Plot: The LAPD fights to keep the East Coast Mafia out of Los Angeles in the 1940s through 1950s.

3. Oz: The Great and Powerful (March 8)

Directed by: Sam Raimi

Starring: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz and Zach Braff

Plot: The prequel to the Wizard of Oz -- where a stage magician is hurled from Kansas to the Land of Oz.

4. Iron Man 3 (May 3)

Directed by: Shane Black

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley, Don Cheadle and Gwyneth Paltrow

Plot: Tony Stark must fight the people who destroyed his headquarters, along with the evil villain -- the Mandarin.

5. The Great Gatsby (May 10)

Directed by: Baz Luhrmann

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton and Tobey Maguire

Plot: An adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, where Midwesterner Nick Carraway is lured into the lavish world of his neighbor, Jay Gatsby.

6. Star Trek Into Darkness (May 17)

Directed by: J.J. Abrams

Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Anton Yelchin, Simon Pegg and John Cho

Plot: Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction.

7. The Hangover: Part III (May 24)

(Trailer not yet released)

Directed by: Todd Phillips

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha, John Goodman, Heather Graham and Mike Tyson

Plot: There's no wedding or bachelor party, but when the Wolfpack hits the road -- expect the worst.

8. Man of Steel (June 14)

Directed by: Zack Snyder

Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane and Michael Shannon

Plot: An alien infant is raised on Earth, and grows up with superhuman abilities.

9. World War Z (June 21)

Directed by: Marc Forster

Starring: Brad Pitt, Matthew Fox, Mireille Enos and David Andrews

Plot: A United Nations employee races against time, as he travels the world trying to stop the outbreak of a deadly zombie pandemic.

10. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (November 22)

(Trailer not yet released)

Directed by: Francis Lawrence

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland and Philip Seymour Hoffman

Plot: The adventure continues as Katniss Everdeen prepares for the Quarter Quell in a futuristic dystopian world.

11. Anchorman: The Legend Continues (December 20)

Directed by: Adam McKay

Produced by: Judd Apatow

Starring: Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, Christina Applegate and David Koechner

Plot: The broadcast events continue for Ron Burgundy and his team.