Upcoming Alien Movies of 2011, a Big Year for Sci-fi Films

Here's a look at the upcoming alien movies of 2011, which is looking like quite a big year for sci-fi films. From animated aliens to what could be 2011's funniest sci-fi flick, look forward to seeing these upcoming alien movies beamed onto the silver screen:

I Am Number Four - Here's one of the best upcoming alien movies of 2011 for the teen scene. Adorable Alex Pettyfer stars as Number Four, one of nine aliens hiding out on Earth by posing as a teenager. Unfortunately, the rival species that destroyed the aliens' home planet might still be after them. Dianna Agron and Teresa Palmer costar as the female eye candy, and Timothy Olyphant also has a role. Check this teen-centric sci-fi flick out on February 18, 2011.

Battle: Los Angeles - For those that prefer their alien movies a little grittier, check out Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Michael Pena, Bridget Moynahan, Gabourey Sidibe, and Ne-Yo in this movie about an alien invasion in L.A. The description has an alien arming "oozing" out of the water, ready to kill all humans in sight, and it has been called "Black Hawk Down" meets "Independence Day" (so hopefully this one is a lot less laughable than last year's big city alien attack flick, "Skyline"). Check out one of the most anticipated upcoming sci-fi movies of 2011 on March 11.

Mars Needs Moms! - Or if you're looking for upcoming alien movies of the more family-friendly type, check out this out-of-this-world animated movie. Seth Green voices a nine-year-old who has grown tired of his mom's nagging about vegetables and bedtime. But when she's whisked away to Mars to care for baby Martians there, he realizes just how much she means to him and goes on an epic adventure to save her. Sure it sounds a bit odd, but something unique could just beat out "Cars 2" in the best animated picture Oscar race next year, meaning you've got to catch all if its competition, including this fun March 11, 2011 flick.

Paul - March is shaping up to be quite the month for upcoming 2011 alien movies, but this March 18th release might just be the best of the bunch. Seth Rogen voices a Reeses Pieces-loving alien named Paul who escapes from a secret military base, only to find himself buddying up with "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz" stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (playing a pair of UFO fanatics) for an unforgettable road trip. And if the stars and wacky premise aren't enough for you, "Super Bad" director Greg Mottola just adds to the awesome sci-fi silliness.

Apollo 18 - This found-footage flick is one of the upcoming alien movies of 2011 that conspiracy theorists should fall in love with. It features footage supposedly taken by the Apollo 18 crew, members of a mission was actually cancelled by NASA but kept alive in the form of an urban legend. So why tell the public the mission didn't happen? The crew found alien life, of course, which means you need to get prepared to be scared on April 22, 2011.

Super 8 - J.J. Abrams' tribute to Spielberg definitely has touches of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" in the trailer with the truck and railroad tracks scene, and it would be nice to see this one live up to old-school Spielberg's standards. Things are pretty hush-hush about the movie so far, but it does have something to do with Area 51 and kids capturing something creepy on their Super 8 camera. The movie has already started a viral marketing campaign via the web and even snail mail, so it's looking to be one of the biggest blockbusters of the summer when it hits theaters on June 10, 2011.

Transformers: The Dark of the Moon - I was intrigued by the trailer for this film, which started with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin finding a UFO on the moon (definitely a little "Apollo 18"-esque). Then I realized it was the newest Transformers movie. It does look entirely possible that this one could be better than the last and guys will have new eye candy to ogle in Rosie Huntington-Whitely, so it actually might be one of the upcoming sci-fi movies of 2011 worth checking out on July 1, 2011.

Cowboys and Aliens - In addition to "Paul" and "Super 8", this is one of the upcoming alien movies of 2011 that I'm most looking forward to. Who wouldn't want to see aliens in the Wild West or Olivia Wilde in anything? Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford get to play space cowboys in John Favreau's highly anticipated summer sci-fi flick, which is set to invade theaters on July 29, 2011.

The Darkest Hour - American tourist teens in Moscow try to find a way to defeat the aliens that have fried our electronic grid. Olivia Thirlby and Emile Hirsch make up part of the survivors in yet another intriguing alien attack flick set to hit theaters on August 5, 2011.

The Thing - There's no way that John Carpenter's version of this tale about a "thing" from another world can be topped, so instead one of the best remakes of all time is getting a prequel. But will the look inside what happened at the Norwegian camp before Kurt Russell got there be worth the ticket on October 14, 2011? The outlook is definitely iffy here, but at least it's a good scary sci-fi flick to check out while trying to get in the mood for Halloween.

Area 51 - I don't know if this is one of the upcoming alien movies of 2011 that we'll see in theaters or not, since the project hasn't been given a release date yet. This one will also be about Area 51, focusing on a group of teens that somehow get inside the secret base. It comes to us from the director of "Paranormal Activity" and seems just a tad similar to "Super 8", but hopefully we'll get to see if Oren Peli does just as good of a job tackling the extraterrestrial as he does the paranormal sometime next year.

So for fans of close encounters, 2011 is shaping up to be one big sci-fi fantasy. Of course not all of the upcoming alien movies here will be worth watching, but, if we've learned anything from alien movies, it's that encountering E.T.'s is always risky and rarely worth it.

SOURCES:
http://www.movieinsider.com/m6494/area-51/
http://www.movieinsider.com/m8209/apollo-18/
http://www.movieinsider.com/movies/-/2011/