Sept. 9 - CONTAGION
Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Winslet directed by Stephen Soderbergh (TRAFFIC) in a movie about the unstoppable spread of a deadly virus. Sold.
Also playing: WARRIOR (boxing drama with Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Nick Nolte)
Sept. 16 - DRIVE
At this point, I would go see anything Ryan Gosling is in. This time he's trying his hand at action alongside other terrific actors such as Carey Mulligan (AN EDUCATION), Christina Hendricks (MAD MEN), Ron Perlman (SONS OF ANARCHY) and Bryan Cranston (BREAKING BAD).
James Marsden, Kate Bosworth star as a couple menaced by TRUE BLOOD's oh-so-sexy Alexander Skarsgaard in a remake of the 1971 Dustin Hoffman thriller.
Also playing: I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT (Sarah Jessica Parker, Pierce Brosnan)
Sept. 23 - RED STATE
Kevin Smith, best known for comedies like CLERKS and DOGMA tries his hand at the thriller genre, in this tale of religious fundamentalists going HOSTEL on a handful of pretty young things. Starring John Goodman and Melissa Leo.
Also playing: ABDUCTION (Taylor Lautner's first starring role); THE DOUBLE (thriller starring Richard Gere and TRUE BLOOD's Stephen Moyer); KILLER ELITE (hitman action with Jason Statham, Clive Owen and Robert DeNiro); MACHINE GUN PREACHER (Gerard Butler); MONEYBALL (Brad Pitt, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jonah Hill)
Sept 30 - DREAM HOUSE
A mystery/thriller/haunted house film starring Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts. The poster alone is terrifying. Hopefully with such talent involved, it will be a cut above the regular supernatural fare.
Also playing: 50/50 (Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen in a comedy about cancer); MARGARET (TRUE BLOOD's Anna Paquin in a film that's been delayed five years); TAKE SHELTER (Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain in an apocalyptic drama)
Oct. 7 - THE IDES OF MARCH
Oh look! It's Ryan Gosling again. This time he's starring in a political drama directed by George Clooney alongside Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright, and George Clooney himself. Holy crap. This is going to be incredible.
Also playing: REAL STEEL (Hugh Jackman's robot-boxing movie); TEXAS KILLING FIELDS (Sam Worthington, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jessica Chastain and Chloe Moretz in a grisly murder mystery)
Oct. 14 - THE THING
You may think it's blasphemy to remake John Carpenter's beloved horror film. Many do. But I remain cautiously optimistic for this not-really-remake-more-of-a-prequel take on the classic starring the lovely Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton.
Also playing: FOOTLOOSE (aka the other blasphemous remake opening this day); THE SKIN I LIVE IN (Antonio Banderas in a disturbing drama directed by famed Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar)
Oct. 21 - MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE
Elizabeth Olsen (yes, the twins' younger sister) stars in this film festival darling about a young woman trying to escape her past as a member of a cult. Also starring last year's Oscar nominee John Hawkes as the leader of said cult.
Also playing: PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3; THE THREE MUSKETEERS
Oct. 28 - IN TIME
One of the most unique and original concepts I've seen for an sci-fi action thriller (outside of INCEPTION of course). Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Olivia Wilde, Matt Bomer (WHITE COLLAR) and Vincent Kartheiser (MAD MEN) star in a futuristic movie where time is money. Literally.
This film has already gotten raves at festivals. Supposedly it's look at a long-distance relationship between Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones (also starring Jennifer Lawrence) that is both unflinching and refreshing.
Also playing: ANONYMOUS (Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave and David Thewlis in a historical drama claiming that Shakespeare was a fraud)
Nov. 4
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (Michelle Williams stars as Marilyn Monroe); PUSS IN BOOTS (the adorable cat from SHREK gets his own spinoff); TOWER HEIST (Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy lead this comedic action film)
Nov. 9 - J. EDGAR
Clint Eastwood directs Leonardo DiCaprio in a screenplay by Dustin Lance Black (MILK) about the life of the founder and head of the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Also starring Naomi Watts and THE SOCIAL NETWORK's Armie Hammer. Oscar-winning director? Check. Oscar-winning screenwriter? Check. Oscar-nominated lead actor? Check. Biopic? Check. This movie screams Oscar. Let's hope it lives up to it.
Nov. 11 - MELANCHOLIA
Another festival darling, this time written and directed by the ever-controversial Lars von Trier and starring Kirsten Dunst, Kiefer Sutherland, Alexander Skarsgaard and Stellen Skarsgaard (yes, father AND son) in an apocalyptic drama. It was nominated for the Palme d'Or and Kirsten Dunst won for Best Actress at Cannes. Can't wait for its wide release.
Also playing: IMMORTALS (swords-and-sandals epic starring the soon-to-be-Superman, Henry Cavill); JACK AND JILL (Adam Sandler's eye-goungingly awful-looking cross-dressing comedy. You read that right.)
Nov. 18 - TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY
A Cold War espionage thriller starring Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy and John Hurt directed by Tomas Alfredson (of the original Swedish LET THE RIGHT ON IN). Count me in. This looks like a tense, paranoid good time.
Also playing: HAPPY FEET TWO; THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN-PART 1 (Yes, it's under Also Playing. No, I have absolutely no intention of seeing it.)
Nov. 23 - THE ARTIST
Yet another festival darling, but this time with a unique twist. It's a black-and-white silent film. Hailed as daring but also crowd-pleasing. I'll be interested to see how it does outside of Cannes.
Also playing: ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (animated film about the North Pole); THE DESCENDANTS (George Clooney directed by SIDEWAYS' Alexander Payne); HUGO (Martin Scorsese directs in a series of firsts: a 3-D family-friendly fantasy. Interesting...); THE MUPPETS (Amy Adams and Jason Segel)
Dec. 2
CORIOLANUS (a modern adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy starring Ralph Fiennes and Gerard Butler); WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN (Tilda Swinton and John C Reilly try to cope after their son goes on a shooting spree)
Dec. 9
A DANGEROUS METHOD (Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender and Keira Knightley in a historical drama about Jung and Freud); NEW YEAR'S EVE (another super-celebrity orgy from the people who brought you VALENTINE'S DAY...this time starring the likes of Robert DeNiro, Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, Halle Berry, Zac Efron, Josh Duhamel, Jessica Biel, Lea Michele, Sofia Vergara, Michelle Pfeiffer, Hilary Swank...I could go on.); YOUNG ADULT (Charlize Theron and Patrick Wilson in a dark comedy by the JUNO team of Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody)
Dec. 16 - THE IRON LADY
Did you know Meryl Streep has been nominated for a grand total of 16 Oscars, but hasn't actually won since SOPHIE'S CHOICE in 1982?? Crazy. Here comes her best shot in recent memory, as she stars in that oh-so-Oscar-friendly genre: the biopic. Ms. Streep will be portraying prime minister Margaret Thatcher. Will it finally be her turn to take home the statue again? We'll have to wait and see.
Also playing: SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (I wasn't even aware that the first did well enough to warrant a sequel, but here it is, starring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law again, this time joined by the Swedish THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO's Noomi Rapace)
Dec. 21 - THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
Oh boy. This has got to be my most anticipated release of the rest of 2011. David Fincher, the man who has directed such genius films as SE7EN, FIGHT CLUB, PANIC ROOM, ZODIAC and THE SOCIAL NETWORK takes the helm to adapt the hyper-successful Swedish novel (and eventual sequels). The American version will star Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Robin Wright, Stellan Skarsgaard and Christopher Plummer. There is absolutely no way this won't be brilliant. Can I get in line now?
Only the fourth entry in a super-successful franchise would dare go up against the Fincher juggernaut. But I've gotta admit that I'm almost equally excited for this. Tom Cruise returns, this time joined by Jeremy Renner (THE HURT LOCKER), Simon Pegg (SHAUN OF THE DEAD), Paula Patton (PRECIOUS), and Josh Holloway (LOST) in his big-budget feature film debut. Oh, and it's produced by my hero JJ Abrams and directed by THE INCREDIBLE's Brad Bird in his first live-action outing. How could this not be amazing?
Dec. 23 - THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN
I have to admit I've never read any Tintin books, but as this film marks Steven Spielberg's first directing of an entirely motion-capture film starring the indispensable Andy Serkis (Gollum, King Kong, Caesar), I may just have to give it a shot.
Also playing: IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY (Angelina Jolie's directing debut, about the Bosnian War); WE BOUGHT A ZOO (Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson and SUPER 8's Elle Fanning star in a true story directed by ALMOST FAMOUS' Cameron Crowe)
Dec. 25 - EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE
I might have to read the mega-popular novel this film is based off of before I go see it, but in the meantime let's ogle at the cast and crew. Oscar-darling Stephen Daldry (he's been nominated for an Oscar for every film he's directed - BILLY ELLIOT, THE HOURS and THE READER) directs Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Viola Davis, John Goodman, James Gandolfini and Jeffrey Wright in a movie about a young boy who loses his father in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Wow.
Also playing: THE DARKEST HOUR (Emile Hirsch stars in a sci-fi film about Moscow being invaded by invisible aliens...I bet they saved a ton of moolah on CGI!)
Dec. 28 - WAR HORSE
Steven Spielberg's other Oscar-baiting release of the season. This time it stars Tom Hiddleston (THOR), David Thewlis and Emily Watson in a film based on the novel that also inspired the hit Broadway play, about a boy who runs away to fight in WWI after his beloved horse is drafted into the cavalry. Part of the magic of the stage version is the portrayal of the horses by life-sized puppets, so I'll be interested to see if the use of real horses takes away that magic or adds to the story.
TBA - CARNAGE
No release date has been set for this film yet (although it will be sometime in December), but along with DRAGON TATOO and GHOST PROTOCOL, it is one of my most anticipated films of the season. It, like WAR HORSE, is based on a hit Broadway play, one that I happened to see on its opening night. It was one of the best nights I've ever spent in a theatre. The riotously hysterical play was adapted and directed by the prestigious Roman Polanski, and will star Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz and John C Reilly. I. Am. So. Excited.
Well there you have it, folks. Chances are the film that will take home the Best Picture trophy next spring is somewhere in this list. Of course, the Oscar rules have changed again, so there's no guarantee ahead of time on the number of nominations. A film has to receive at least 5% of first place votes to be considered. In other words, if only 7 films receive 5% or more first place votes, only 7 films deserve to be nominated for Best Picture. But this also means that the total number can be anywhere from 5 to 10, much to the chagrin of Oscar prognosticators everywhere. It'll be interesting to see how it works.
What about you guys? What are you most excited for? Did I fail to highlight a film you think is going to be amazing (and no, I refuse to even consider TWILIGHT). What do you think the big winner will be next spring? Feel free to chime in!
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