In 2011 two franchises based on novels for teens – “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two” and “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part One” – overtook stoner comedies, CGI kiddie movies, and comic book adaptations at the box office. In 2012, the bigscreen adaptation of “The Hunger Games” will wage a similar battle against “The Dark Knight Rises.” But this year won’t be all explosions: a new take on “The Great Gatsby” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and a biography of Lincoln starring Daniel-Day Lewis will also hit theaters. Rafer Guzman is a film critic for Newsday, and co-host of the Takeaway’s Movie Date podcast. Kristen Meinzer is culture producer for the Takeaway and also co-hosts the Movie Date podcast.
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