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upcoming films 2009
The Unborn
Rogue Pictures, January 9
Director: David S. Goyer
Starring: Odette Yustman, Gary Oldman, Cam Gigandet, Meagan Good
Synopsis: A young woman with a troubled family past begins experiencing inexplicable--and terrifying--occurences. As the haunting gets worse, she seeks the help of a spiritual advisor to unravel her family's past and find a way to stop the evil spirit trying to possess her to gain entry to our world.
Website: www.theunbornmovie.net
Hotel for Dogs
DreamWorks/Paramount, January 16
Director: Thor Freudenthal
Starring: Emma Roberts, Jake T. Austin, Kyla Pratt, Lisa Kudrow, Don Cheadle, Kevin Dillon
Synopsis: When 16-year-old Andi (Roberts) and little bro Bruce (Austin) are told to get rid of their dog, Bruce uses his mechanical genius to transform an abandoned hotel into an automated doggie paradise for their pup--and any strays they come across. When the neighbors get suspicious, it's up to the kids and Bruce's inventions to make sure the "tenants" don't get discovered.
Website: www.hotelfordogsmovie.com
Inkheart
New Line Cinema, Jan. 23
Director: Iain Softley
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Andy Serkis, Paul Bettany, Eliza Bennett, Helen Mirren, Jim Broadbent
Synopsis: Mo (Fraser) hasn't read to his daughter Meggie (Bennett) since discovering that he has the power to bring fictional characters to life. Now a villain he accidentally conjured is tracking the family down in order to use Mo's powers for evil. Based on the popular fantasy penned by German author Cornelia Funke.
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
Screen Gems, January 23
Director: Patrick Tatopoulos
Starring: Rhona Mitra, Bill Nighy, Michael Sheen, Kevin Grevioux, Kate Beckinsale, Shane Brolly
Synopsis: This prequel to the action-packed horror flick Underworld traces the origins of the centuries-old feud between vampires and werewolves. Set in the Dark Ages, it follows the story of a young Lycan who rallies his enslaved people against the sadistic vampire king, all while carrying out a secret affair with the king’s daughter.
Website: www.entertheunderworld.com
The Uninvited
DreamWorks, Jan. 30
Director: Thomas Guard, Charles Guard
Starring: Emily Browning, Arielle Kebbel, Elizabeth Banks, David Strathairn
Synopsis: Inspired by Kim Jee-Woon’s 2003 Korean film A Tale of Two Sisters, this horror movie follows two sisters who return home to their father after spending time in a mental institute, but find it hard to recover when their cruel stepmother (Banks) and an interfering ghost make life miserable for them!
Website: www.uninvitedmovie.com
Coraline
Focus Features, Feb. 6
Director: Henry Selick
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Ian McShane, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French
Synopsis: Coraline Jones finds herself bored and unhappy in her new home with foreign neighbors all around her. Then, the young girl discovers that the brick wall behind a door in her flat leads to another world where she finds a better version of her life now. Based on Neil Gaiman’s short children’s novel, the world Coraline enters into is created by her Other Mother to provide her with joy and entertainment.
Website: www.coraline.com
Friday the 13th
New Line/Warner Bros., February 13
Director: Marcus Nispel
Starring: Jared Padalecki, Danielle Panabaker, Aaron Yoo, Amanda Righetti, Travis Van Winkle, Derek Mears
Synopsis: This reimagining of the classic horror romp finds a young man named Clay, along with a group of hapless youths he meets along the way, hunted by machete-wielding maniac Jason Voorhees as he searches for his missing sister amongst the creepy woods and eerie campgrounds of Crystal Lake.
Website: www.fridaythe13thmovie.com
The Velveteen Rabbit
Family1 Films, February 20
Director: Michael Landon, Jr.
Starring: Jane Seymour, Tom Skerritt, Ellen Burstyn, Matthew Harbour, Kevin Jubinville, Una Kay
Synopsis: This live-action/2D animation hybrid tells the classic story of a young boy who wins over his distant father and strict grandmother with the help of a courageous toy that wishes to become a real rabbit one day. Scheduled for limited release, but available on DVD!
Website: www.thevelveteenmovie.com
Watchmen
Warner Bros., March 6
Director: Zack Snyder
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Carla Gugino
Synopsis: Set in an alternate reality 1985, where superheros are real, Nixon is still president and the Cold War rages one, vigilante Rorschach (Haley) is investigating the murder The Comedian (Morgan) when he uncovers a far reaching conspiracy and a plot to discredit and kill various heroes. Based on the comics by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.
Website: http://watchmenmovie.warnerbros.com
Monsters vs. Aliens
DreamWorks Animation, March 27
Directors: Rob Letterman, Conrad Vernon
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Seth Rogen, Stephen Colbert, Kiefer Sutherland, Rainn Wilson, Paul Rudd
Synopsis: When a mysterious glob of space goo transforms Susan Murphy into a nearly 50 ft tall “monster” named Ginormica, she is captured by the military and held in a secret compound. There she meets other monsters which have been quietly concealed in the base over the years. The misfit monsters are set loose when an evil alien robot begins rampaging around Earth, leading to an epic battle!
Website: www.monstersvsaliens.com
Dragonball: Evolution
20th Century Fox, Apr. 8
Director: James Wong
Starring: Justin Chatwin, Joon Park, Emmy Rossum, James Marsters, Chow Yun-Fat
Synopsis: This live-action adaptation of the famous manga created by Akira Toriyama which also inspired the long-running anime series, centers on an alien sent to destroy Earth who has a change of heart and decides to aid humans in fighting aliens and nefarious villains.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Fox/Marvel, May 1
Director: Gavin Hood
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schrieber, Danny Huston, Ryan Reynolds
Synopsis: Set before the events of the X-Men trilogy, the story follows young Wolverine’s (Jackman) violent past, his experience as part of the infamous Weapon X project and his encounters with villain William Stryker. Other fan-favorite mutants making appearances will include Sabretooth (Schreiber), Deadpool (Reynolds), Gambit (Taylor Kitsch) and Kestrel (will.i.am).
Website: www.marvel.com/movies
The Battle for Terra
Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions, May 1
Director: Aristomenis Tsirbas
Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Brian Cox, Luke Wilson, David Cross, Justin Long, Amanda Peet, Dennis Quaid, Chris Evans, James Garner, Rosanna Arquette and Chad Allen
Synopsis: Senn (Long) and Mala (Wood) are two rebellious alien teens living on the beautiful planet Terra, a place that promotes peace and tolerance, having long ago rejected war and weapons of mass destruction. But when Terra is invaded by human beings fleeing a civil war and environmental catastrophe, the planet is plunged into chaos. During the upheaval, Mala befriends an injured human pilot (Wilson) and each learns the two races are not so different from one another. Together they must face the terrifying realization that in a world of limited resources, only one of their races is likely to survive.
Website: www.battleforterra.com
Star Trek XI
Paramount, May 8
Director: J.J. Abrams
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Anton Yelchin, Zoe Saldana, Eric Bana, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, John Cho, Winona Ryder, Lenoard Nimoy
Synopsis: A youthful James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock have their first encounter at Starfleet Academy and complete their first mission.
Website: www.startrekmovie.com
Terminator: Salvation
Warner Bros., May 22
Director: Joseph McGinty Nichol (McG)
Starring: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Bryce Dallas Howard, Moon Bloodgood, Common, Helena Bonham Carter
Synopsis: Part sequel, part prequel, the film finds John Connor (Bale) in a post-apocalyptic future trying to gain the trust of the human resistance as they battle Skynet and its cyborgs. When a stranger arrives, Connor must try to unravel his origins as the two uncover Skynet’s most terrible secret.
Website: www.terminatorsalvation.warnerbros.com
Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian
20th Century Fox, May 22
Director: Shawn Levy
Starring: Ben Stiller, Dick Van Dyke, Robin Williams, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Hank Azaria, Ricky Gervais
Synopsis: With the Museum of Natural History closed for repairs, the collection is moved in to storage at the famous Smithsonian Institution—were the cursed collection mingles with the Smithsonian’s pop culture mementos to create a little chaos.
Website: www.nightatthemuseummovie.com
Up
Disney/Pixar, May 29
Director: Pete Docter
Starring: Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai
Synopsis: The story of a 78-year-old man’s quest to fulfill his deceased wife’s lifelong dream of travel and adventure. When Carl [Asner] befriends a young Wilderness Explorer scout, they embark on a fantastic journey that opens Carl’s eyes to the world outside his dreary home.
Website: www.disney.com/up
Land of the Lost
Universal, June 5
Director: Brad Silberling
Starring: Will Ferrell, Anna Friel, Danny R. McBride, Jorma Taccone
Synopsis: Three people stumble upon a mysterious land populate by dinosaurs and other presumably extinct creatures, as well as the terrifying Sleestaks. Based on the 1970s TV show.
Website: www.landofthelost.net
Imagine That
Paramount, June 12
Director: Karey Kirkpatrick
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Thomas Haden Church, Nicole Ari Parker, Ronny Cox, Vanessa Williams
Synopsis: Murphy stars as a downtrodden financial exec who finds himself drawn into his daughter’s magical, imaginary world. Formerly titled "Nowhereland"
Website: www.imaginethatmovie.com
Panique au Village (A Town Called Panic)
Le Parti/Made in Prod./Beast Animation/Studio 352/Les Film du Grognon/Gebeka Films, June 17 (Belgium)
Directors: Stephane Aubier, Vincent Patar
Synopsis: Mischief-making toys Cowboy and Indian decide to throw a birthday party for Horse and try to build him a brick barbecue as a present, but their plans go awry when a billion bricks are delivered to their doorstep. Based on the Belgian TV shorts collection.
Website: www.paniqueauvillage.com
Lascars: The Movie (Round Da Way)
Studio Millimages, Bac Films, June 17 (France)
Directors: Albert Pereira-Lazaro, Emmanuel Klotz
Starring: Vincent Cassel, Omar Sy, Fred Testot, Diane Kruger, Gilles Lellouche, Frédérique Bel
Synopsis: Over the course of one hot summer, a group of streetwise homies find plenty of action in their hometown. When Jose falls in love with a pretty suburban girl, his courtship is interrupted by his self-styled gangster best friend who is on the run from a psychotic boss. Love, violence and criminal mischief are in the air in Condé-sur-Ginette…
Website: www.lascars-lefilm.com
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
DreamWorks/Paramount, June 26
Director: Michael Bay
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro
Synopsis: Sam (LaBeouf) discovers a secret relating to the origins of the Transformers and their history of visiting earth. When the Decepticons kidnap Sam for information, the conflict results in a massive battle at the Egyptian pyramids in Giza—structures which carry a mysterious link with both the Transformers and their mechanical enemies.
Website: www.transformersmovie.com
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Fox/Blue Sky, July 1
Director: Carlos Saldanha
Starring: John Leguizamo, Queen Latifa, Denis Leary, Ray Romano, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, Chris Wedge
Synopsis: The mammal pals from Ice Age find themselves in yet another hairy situation when it’s discovered that the supposedly extinct dinosaurs (including a very cranky T-Rex) have been surviving in a secret tropical oasis far below the ice. Presented in full 3-D!
Website: www.iceagemovie.com
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Warner Bros., July 15
Director: David Yates
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters, David Thewlis, Jim Broadbent, Helen McCrory, Ralph Fiennes
Synopsis: In this sixth feature based on J.K. Rowling’s popular series, Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and Wizard worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle. Script is penned by Steve Cloves who delivered the first feature.
Website: www.harrypotter.warnerbros.com/harrypotterandthehalf-bloodprince
Luke & Lucy: The Texas Rangers (Suske & Wiske De Texas Rakkers)
Skyline Film/LuxAnimation/CoToon, July 21 (Belgium)
Directors: Mark Mertens, Wim Bien
Synopsis: Luke and Lucy (or Suske & Wiske—as they’re known in Belgium) travel to Texas and join their aunt to get to the bottom of the mystery of Jim Parasite and his gang who are causing all kinds of trouble in Dark City.
Website: www.lukeandlucymovie.com/en
Totally Spies! The Movie
Marathon Media/Studio 37/Mars Distrib., July 22 (France)
Director: Pascal Jardin
The Buzz: After 150 episodes and five season, fans of the popular TV series will finally find out the origin story of the crime-fighting fashionista team (Clover, Alex and Sam) from Beverly Hills High in this summer confection, packed with bright colors, outrageous outfits and super gadgets. The show was created by French studio Marathon’s toppers Vincent Chalvon-Demersay and David Michel.
Website: www.totallyspies-lefilm.com
A Case for Friends … How It All Began
MotionWorks/Jugendfilm/2d3D/Enamation, July 23 (Germany)
Directors: Tony Loeser, Jesper Møller
Synopsis: A family movie about a super-star wannabe mouse, a vain rooster and an ever-hungry pig who join forces to rescue a kidnapped lamb from the wicked wolf.
The Buzz: This sweet adaptation carries a decent-sized 7.3 million euro budget and a built in audience of fans of author Helme Heine, who created the characters. It will be a cheerful romp for families during some not-so-cheerful times (as long as they can afford the tickets).
Website: www.mullewapp.kinowelt.de
G-Force
Disney, July 24
Director: Hoyt Yeatman
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Steve Buscemi, Tracy Morgan, Will Arnett, Bill Nighy, Zach Galifianakis
Synopsis: A live-action blend flick about a top-notch team of secret agent guinea pigs on a mission to stop an evil billionaire’s plot to destroy the world with household appliances. Jerry Bruckeheimer is producing from a script by Cormac and Marianne Wibberley, the film is being produced for 3-D.
Website: disney.go.com/disneypictures/gforce
Jasper: Journey to the End of the World
Amuse Films/Dacodac/Toons ‘n’ Tales, July 30 (Germany)
Directors: Eckart Fingberg, Kay Delventhal
Synopsis: Jasper, a young penguin who craves a life outside the boring ice, and his little bro Junior are swept up in a ship-bound adventure when they follow a rare Kakapo bird trying to find its lost eggs. The ship captain’s daughter, Emma, joins them in their quest, which leads them to the wicked Dr. Block.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Paramount, August 7
Director: Stephen Sommers
Starring: Channing Tatum, Christopher Eccleston, Sienna Miller, Dennis Quaid, Ray Park, Marlon Wayans, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lee Byung-hun
Synopsis: Based on the popular toy and cartoon series, the film takes place 10 years in the future and will follow the induction of Duke (Tatum) and Ripcord (Wayans) into the G.I. Joe team, as well as the rise of the insidious Cobra Organization.
Website: www.gijoemovie.com
Ponyo
Disney/Studio Ghibli, August 14
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Starring: Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Cate Blanchett, Liam Neeson
Synopsis: When a young fish maiden runs away from her undersea home, a big hearted boy befriends her and vows to protect the creature he names Ponyo. Against the wishes of her tyrranical father, Ponyo and the boy fall in love—but to prove their love is pure, they must pass a test.
Website: www.ghibli.jp/ponyo (Japanese)
Gamer
Lionsgate, Sept. 4
Directors: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor
Starring: Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Ludacris, Kyra Sedgwick, John Leguizamo, Zoe Bell
Synopsis: Online players control the life and fate of other human beings in this thriller set in a not-so distant dystopian future.
Website: www.gamerthemovie.com
9
Focus Features, Sep. 9
Director: Shane Acker
Starring: Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, Crispin Glover, John C. Reilly, Christopher Plummer, Martin Landau
Synopsis: Based on Acker’s award-winning short of the same title and produced by Tim Burton and Timu Bekmambetov (Night Watch), the story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where a group of sentient rag-dolls band behind 9 (Wood), a leader they hope can ensure their survival and protect them from the bizarre creatures that hunt their them.
Website: www.9themovie.com
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Columbia, September 18
Directors: Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Starring: Anna Faris, Bruce Campbell, James Caan, Mr. T, Tracy Morgan, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg
Synopsis: Based on Ron and Judi Barret’s belove children’s book, this Sony Pictures Animation take reveals the origins of the town of Chewandswallow, which experiences episodes of mashed potato snow and raining soup brought on by a scientist’s attempt to end world hunger. But when the town is threatened by a catastrophic flood of foodstuffs, the people will have to get creative to save their homes.
Website: www.cloudywithachanceofmeatballs.com
Jennifer's Body
Fox Atomic, Sept. 18
Director: Karyn Kusama
Starring: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody, J.K. Simmons
Synopsis: Screenwriter Diablo Cody is back with another quirky picture after the success of last year’s Juno. When a gorgeous cheerleader is possessed by a demon and starts feeding off the boys in a small Minnesota farming town, her "plain Jane" best friend must kill her, then escape from a correctional facility to go after the Satan-worshipping rock band responsible for the horrible transformation.
Mr. Nobody
Wildbunch, October 7 (Belgium)
Director: Jaco Van Dormael
Starring: Jared Leto, Sarah Polley, Diane Kruger, Rhys Ifans
Synopsis: A a multi-layered love story inspired by the 'butterfly effect,’ set in the not-so-distant future, the story follows Nemo Nobody (Leto) who, at 120 years old, is the last mortal surrounded by happy immortals as he relives his real and imaginary years of marriage.
Website: www.mrnobody-lefilm.com
Where the Wild Things Are
Warner Bros., Oct. 16
Director: Spike Jonze
Starring: Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini, Catherine O’Hara, Angus Sampson, Forest Whitaker, Paul Dano, Max Records, Mark Ruffalo, Lauren Ambrose, Tom Noonan
Synopsis: Based on the book by Maurice Sendak about a young boy named Max who imagines and adventure to a fantastical island inhabited by strange beasts.
Website: http://wherethewildthingsare.warnerbros.com
Astro Boy
Summit Ent./Imagi, October 23
Director: David Bowers
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Nicolas Cage, Bill Nighy, Donald Sutherland, Eugene Levy, Nathan Lane, Kristen Bell
Synopsis: In the gleaming futuristic metropolis of Metro City, a heartbroken scientist creates a powerful robot in the image of his deceased son. When Astro Boy is unable to be the son his creator wished for, he sets off on a series of adventures hoping to find acceptance—instead finding betrayal and an underground of robot gladiators. Returning to Metro City, Astro Boy must try to save his hometown and reconcile with the man who rejected him.
Website: www.astroboy-themovie.com
A Christmas Carol
Disney, November 6
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Jim Carrey, Robin Wright Penn, Bob Hoskins, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Cary Elwes, Fionnula Flanagan
Synopsis: The plot will faithfully follow the Victorian tale—no smart-mouthed CG gerbils or rapping ghosts. Imagemovers Digital provides the mo-cap magic and mad comic Carrey play the lead, as well as The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Christmas Yet To Come.
Metropia
Atmo Metro AB, November 6 (Sweden)
Director: Tarik Saleh
Starring: Vincent Gallo, Juliette Lewis, Stellan Skarsgård, Alexander Skarsgård, Udo Kier, Sofia Helin, Fares Fares, Shanti Roney
Synopsis: Set in the near future, when the world is running out of oil and the subway systems of Europe are connected by a gigantic underground network. Roger hears a strange voice in his head when he enters the subway, and soon teams up with a mysterious girl in an attempt to escape the Metro’s bizarre web.
The Wolf Man
Universal, Nov. 6
Director: Joe Johnston
Starring: Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving, Geraldine Chapman
Synopsis: When a young nobleman returns to his sleepy Victorian home town to help search for his missing brother, he discovers that a fearsome beast—possibly the product of an ancient curse—is preying on the villagers … and uncovers a side of himself he never anticipated.
Website: www.thewolfmanmovie.com
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
20th Century Fox, November 13
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray, Anjelica Huston, Jason Schwartzman
Synopsis: Mr. Fox is an extremely clever forest critter who consistently outwits his obnoxious neighbors: A group of mean-spirited farmers who have had it with the fox’s trickery. Based on the novel by Roald Dahl.
Planet 51
TriStar, November 20
Director: Jorge Blanco, Javier Abad
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, Seann William Scott, Gary Oldman, John Cleese
Synopsis: Astronaut Charles Baker lands on what he believes to be a yet undiscovered planet…only to find it is inhabited by a race of aliens who live in a society mirroring that of 1950s America—complete with picket fences, comic books and a paranoid fear of invasions from another planet! Animated by Spain-based Ilion Animation.
Website: www.planet51.com
Arthur and the Vengeance of Maltazard
Europacorp, December 2 (France)
Director: Luc Besson
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Mia Farrow, Robert Stanton, Ron Crawford
Synopsis: This sequel to Besson’s Arthur and the Invisibles finds the young hero getting ready to leave his grandparents’ home at the end of summer. But before he leaves, a spider delivers a message of warning, which sends Arthur on another adventure involving Princess Selenia.
Website: www.arthuretlesminimoys.com/arthur2
The Princess and the Frog
Disney, Dec. 11, 2009
Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker
Starring: Anika Noni Rose, Jenifer Lewis, Keith David, Bruno Campos, Jim Cummings, Michael-Leon Wooley, Oprah Winfrey, Terrence Howard, John Goodman, Jennifer Cody
Synopsis: A 20th century fairytale about a young waitress named Tiana working in Jazz-age New Orleans who encounters a cursed frog prince, and ends up being turned amphibious as well when she tries to break the spell! Together they go in search of a benevolent Voodoo priestess, meet some interesting animal pals and, of course, fall in love along the way.
Website: www.disney.com/theprincessandthefrog
Avatar
20th Century Fox, Dec. 18
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang
Synopsis: When a band of humans are brought to a newly discovered planet inhabited by a humanoid race of beings, they find themselves at odds with the planet’s inhabitants as well as each other.
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
20th Century Fox, December 25
Director: Betty Thomas
Starring: Jason Lee, Justin Long, Jesse McCartney, Matthew Gray Gubler
Synopsis: Everyone’s favorite squeaky three-part harmonizers, Alvin, Simon and Theodore are back to wreak havoc on adoptive father / manager Dave Seville’s life. This film will also introduce their girlish counterparts, the Chipettes!
2009 Release Dates To Be Announced
Bunyan & Babe
MGM, 2009 TBA
Directors: Tony Bancroft, Jim Rygiel
Starring: John Goodman, Eddie Griffin, Kelsey Grammer, Bridger Zadina, Dorien Davies
Synopsis: Exodus Film Group’s latest adventure will finally hit theaters thanks to MGM. The film follows two children who discover larger-than-life (and fully animated) folk hero Paul Bunyan (Goodman) and his giant ox (Griffin) have been hiding out near their grandfather’s farm, just in time for them to help save the farm from a demented property developer!
Website: www.exodusfilmgroup.com
My Dog Tulip
Norman Twain Prod., May (Cannes Festival)
Directors: Paul and Sandra Fierlinger
Starring: Christopher Plummer, Lynn Redgrave, Isabella Rossellini, Brian Murray
Synopsis: Based on J.R. Ackerley’s well-loved 1956 novel about the strong friendship between a man and a German Shepherd he rescues. This new indie feature skews older than most animated movies, but promises to be a powerful work.
Website: www.mydogtulipfilm.com
The Legend of Spyro 3D
Universal, Christmas-ish, TBA 2009
Director: Mark Dippé
Starring: Elijah Wood, Gary Oldman
Synopsis: The film will follow an origin story about the popular purple dragon. Raised by fireflies, Spyro only realizes his true power when their village is attacked and his fire-breathing instincts kick in. Not only that, he’s also part of a prophesy that foretells the destruction of the insidious Dark Master. With his dragonfly sidekick, Sparx, Spyro sets out on a seemingly impossible quest to defeat the villain and his black dragon.
Yona Yona Penguin
Madhouse/Denis Friedman Prod., December (Japan)
Director: Rintaro
Synopsis: Like most six-year-old girls, our heroine enjoys the occasional nighttime romp around town dressed as a penguin. (Right…?) One night she stumbles into a strange subterranean world and is mistaken for a prophesied bird who will help the underground society fight off the evil Emperor of Darkness.
Around the World in 50 Years
nWave Pictures/Illuminata Pictures, TBA 2009
Director: Ben Stassen
Starring: Tim Curry, Kathy Griffin, Melanie Griffith, Ed Begley Jr., Stacy Keach
Synopsis: A small turtle born in 1959 spends half a century traveling the globe as the world around him changes because of global warming and man’s environmental disasters.
Website: www.nwave.com
Kerity
Alphanim/La Fabrique/Lanterna Magica/Haut et Court, December 2009 (France)
Director: Dominique Monféry
Synopsis: The heroes and heroines of famous children’s literature come to life thanks to a magical library given to a young boy by his grandmother. However, if the characters leave the library, their stories will be forgotten forever
Website: www.alphanim.fr
Mary and Max
Melodrama Pictures/Icon Distrib., TBA 2009
Director: Adam Elliot
Starring: Toni Colette, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Eric Bana; narrated by Barry Humpries (Dame Edna)
Synopsis: An unlikely pen-pal friendship develops between Mary, a lonely eight-year-old girl in Melbourne, and Max, a 44-year-old, obese man with Asperger's Syndrome living in New York.
Website: www.maryandmax.com
The Sandman and the Lost Sand of Dreams
Scopas Medien/MotionWorks, TBA 2009 (Germany)
Director: Jesper Møller
Synopsis: A young boy named Miko has to overcome his fears in order to help the Sandman save the dreams of children all over the world in Dreamland. Based on a popular German’s children’s TV series, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.
The Secret of Kells
Cartoon Saloon/Gébéka/Buena Vista, TBA 2009
Director: Tomm Moore
Starring: Evan McGuire, Christen Mooney, Mick Lally, Brendan Gleeson
Synopsis: A young orphan living with the monks of the Abbey of Kells, a monastery during the Middle Ages, gets involved in the illustration of the famous illustrated manuscript. Lucky auds in Ireland, France and Belgium have seen the movie… Now how about some U.S. distribution!
Website: www.thesecretofkells.com
The Illusionist
Django Films/CineB/Pathé Int’l, Spring (France + U.K.), TBA
Director: Sylvain Chomet
Synopsis: A struggling stage entertainer in 1950s Scotland is forced to accept low-paying assignments in fringe theaters and bars, until an admiring young woman changes his life forever. Based on an unproduced script by the late French comedy master, Jacques Tati.
Website: www.djangofilms.co.uk
Repossession Mambo
Universal, 2009 TBA
Director: Miguel Sapochnik
Starring: Jude Law, Forest Whitaker, Liev Schreiber, RZA, Carice van Houten, Alice Braga
Synopsis: Jude Law goes back to the future in a world where synthetic organs are the new upgradeable commodities and repo men pay visits to reclaim those parts if you can’t make your payments on time.
2010 Releases
Daybreakers
Lionsgate, January 8, 2010
Directors: Peter and Michael Spierig
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Ethan Hawke, Sam Neill, Claudia Karvan, Michael Dorman, Vince Colosimo
Synopsis: In the year 2017, a plague has transformed most every human into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the dominant plots their survival; meanwhile, a researcher (Hawke) works with a covert band of vamps on a way to save the human race.
Cirque du Freak
Universal, January 15, 2010
Director: Paul Weitz
Starring: Chris Massoglia, Josh Hutcherson, John C. Reilly, Michael Ceveris, Willem Dafoe, Salma Hayek, Ken Watanabe
Synopsis: A terrifying story about a 14-year-old boy who unwittingly upsets a centuries-old truce between rival clans of vampires when he is sucked into the nightmarish world of a traveling freak show made up of monsterous characters. Based on the book by Darren Shan.
Hoodwinked 2: Hood vs. Evil
Weinstein/Summit, January 15, 2010
Director: Mike Disa
Starring: Hayden Panettiere, Glenn Close, Patrick Warburton, Martin Short, Bill Hader, Amy Poehler, Bill Murray, Joan Cusack, Brad Garrett, Andy Dick, Cory Edwards
Synopsis: For the sequel, Red teams up with Wolf to investigate the disappearance of candy-house crashers Hansel and Gretel as well as Mr. Alligator.
The Pet Pals and Marco Polo’s Code
Gruppo Alcuni, January 2010 (Italy)
Director: Sergio Manfio
Synopsis: The popular Italian animated series goes the CG route in this theatrical release which finds the six friends fighting the evil Crow Witch to find Marco Polo’s code and track down the Parallel Palace of magic in Venice.
Website: www.alcuni.it
Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland
Disney, March 5, 2010
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Sheen, Matt Lucas, Crispin Glover, Stephen Fry, Alan Rickman
Synopsis: A sequel style interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s classic, which sees a teenage Alice return to Wonderland with no memory of her previous journey there. The film will combine performance-capture animation with live-action footage.
How to Train Your Dragon
DreamWorks/Paramount, March 26, 2010
Director: Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois
Starring: Gerard Butler, Jonah Hill, America Ferrera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jay Baruchel
Synopsis: Cressida Cowell’s literary creation, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (Baruchel), Viking tween extraordinaire, is cleaving his way into theaters to try and turn his toothless and thoroughly unintimidating dragon into a fearsome mount. Good luck with that, Hiccup.
Website: www.howtotrainyourdragon.com
Shrek Forever After
DreamWorks, May 21, 2010
Director: Mike Mitchell
Starring: Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, Eric Idle, Justin Timberlake, Paul McCartney
Synopsis: Now that he’s a family man, America’s favorite ogre is feeling glum and bored with his docile life—autographing pitchforks instead of rampaging through villages. When he makes a deal with Rumplestiltskin to regain his glory, he finds himself in a bizarre alternate Far Far Away where he and Fiona have never met, and must struggle to put things right and get back his true love.
Toy Story 3
Disney/Pixar, June 18, 2010
Director: Lee Unkrich
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn, Don Rickles, Estelle Harris, Ned Beatty, Michael Keaton, Jodi Benson
Synopsis: Dust off the toy box: Woody, Buzz and the gang are back in another adventure. In this installment, Andy is all grown up and off to college, leaving the toys to cope with being donated to a local day care center.
Website: disney.go.com/toystory
The Last Airbender
Paramount, July 2, 2010
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone, Dev Patel, Jessica Jade Andres, Aasif Mandvi, Shaun Toub, Cliff Curtis, Keong Sim
Synopsis: Based on Nickelodeon’s smash hit 2D epic adventure series, Airbender follows a young boy named Aang (Ringer) who must fulfill a prophecy that will bring peace to the four nations of his world using magical “bending” control over the four elements of Air, Fire, Water and Earth.
Website: www.thelastairbendermovie.com
Despicable Me
Universal, July 9, 2010
Directors: Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin
Starring: Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Kristen Wiig, Will Arnett, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews
Synopsis: Unbeknownst to his cheerful suburban neighborhood, Gru (Carell) is hiding a veritable army of wicked henchmen and dastardly devices beneath his creepy old house, not to mention a nefarious plot to steal the moon! But he meets his match in three little orphan girls who would rather see him as their dad than as an evil mastermind.
The Prodigies (La Nuit des Enfants Rois)
Attitude Studio/Onyx Films/Fidelite Films/Studio 37/LuxAnimation, September 2010 (France)
Director: Antoine Charreyron
Synopsis: After five teen prodigies are assaulted in Central Park, they band together to fight the forces of evil as a disaster of apocalyptic proportions nears. This edgy adaptation of Bernard Lenteric’s 1980 novel uses live-action actors as the basis for its trippy CG animation.
Rapunzel
Disney, November 24, 2010
Directors: Byron Howard, Nathan Greno
Starring: Kristin Chenoweth, Kevin Linehan, Dan Fogler, Pam Hyatt, Matthew Gray Gubler
Synopsis: Originally slated as a sassy modern send-up, the story will stay true to the Brothers’ Grimm fairy tale and focus on the mystery surrounding the young tower-bound princess with seemingly endless locks.
The Smurfs
Columbia/Sony, Dec. 17 2010
Director: Colin Brady
Starring: John Lithgow, Julia Sweeney
Synopsis: The blue-skinned, hard-working little guys, created by Beligan comic artist Peyo (Pierre Culliford) make their big 3-D, CG/live-action feature debut. David Stem and David Weiss (Shrek) are penning the script. Now just try and get their famous theme song out of your head! The Hanna-Barbera cartoon first debuted in 1981 on NBC and spawned 256 episodes and several Emmys.
2010 Release Dates To Be Announced
Hack/Slash
Rogue Pictures, TBA 2010
Director: Todd Lincoln
Synopsis: Punky young babe Cassie gets her kicks travelling the country to track down muderers and give them a taste of justice, accompanied by her loyal protector, Vlad. Based on the comics and one-offs by Tim Seeley.
Egill: The Last Pagan
Lichthof Prod./CAOZ, TBA 2010
Director: Aron Gauder
Synopsis: This Hungarian/Icelandic/Polish CG toon is based on the Icelandic epic about Egill the Viking, a brute of a warrior known for his pride and bad temper, who sets out to seek revenge from the King of Norway after he insults his family. Polish studio Se-Ma-For will tackle the puppets and stop-motion filming, while Hungarian co-producers, including Tadpole Studio, deliver the CG software required to finish the animation.
Website: www.egillmovie.com
Ernest & Celestine
Les Armateurs/Studio 352/Digital Graphics Studiocanal/La Parti, TBA 2010
Directors: Benjamin Renner, Vincent Patar, Stephanie Aubier
Synopsis: An abandoned mouse and a lonely bear form an unlikely friendship as they brave the hardships of a bohemian life on the fringes of society. Based on the children’s books by Gabrielle Vincent.
Mighty Mouse
Paramount/Nickelodeon, TBA 2010
Synopsis: The Mouse of Steel will be zipping around fighting crime as always in this tale which will poke fun at the last 60 years of superhero history. Conceptual artist/designer Barry Jackson (How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Titan A.E.) is guiding the visual development for the CG project, which is written by Maurice Chauvet (Three-Fifty) and Chris Vail. Nick plans to launch a TV series based on the film as well as a book on the history of the caped vermin in conjunction with the release.
ThunderCats
Warner Bros., TBA 2010
Director: Jerry O’Flaherty
Synopsis: Staying true to its cartoon roots, the film will focus on the cat-tastic gang’s flight from their destroyed home planet of Thundera, as Lion-O grows into his role as leader of the group and they face off against skeletal enemy Mumm-Ra.
Alice
Universal Pictures, TBA 2010
Synopsis: Based on the Electronic Arts video game created by American McGee, this new spin on the Alice in Wonderland tale finds the Lewis Carroll’s heroine all grown up and deeply disturbed after her parents are killed in a fire. Plus, she has to deal with sinister mirrors, mysterious potions, surreal tea parties and talking animals. Not to mention that evil Queen of Hearts!
Monkey's Paw
Ghost House Pictures, 2010 TBA
Synopsis: Penned by Dave Kajganich and Tom McAlistair, this horror tale centers on a father who innocently brings home a mysterious artifact rumored to grant wishes, only to see its magical powers go awry and cause misadventures with every wish his family makes.
Gatchaman
Imagi, TBA 2010 (Japan, U.S.)
Synopsis: This adaptation is said to explore the creation of the bird-suited Science Ninja Team and their early struggles against Galactor, with some darker tones for a slightly more mature audience.
Gnomeo and Juliet
Miramax, TBA 2010 (U.K.)
Director: Kelly Asbury
Starring: James McAvoy, Emily Blunt
Synopsis: Ever thought Shakespeare’s classic Romeo and Juliet could use more pointy hats? This reimagining follows star-crossed lovers who each belong to a different clan in a feud between indoor and outdoor garden gnomes. Sir Elton John is producing the project alongside his partner David Furnish, Steve Hamilton Shaw and animation vets Baker Bloodworth and Igor Khait.
The Hero of Color City
Magnolia Pictures, TBA 2010
Director: Becky Bristow
Starring: Christina Ricci, Rosie Perez, Craig Ferguson, Arsenio Hall
Synopsis: An ‘80s TV toon throwback style set up: A group of anthropomorphic crayons team up to stop a villain who despises color and joy from destroying their chromatically diverse city. With the power of friendship, perhaps? The waxy heros and their colorful world are being animated by Igor producers Exodus Film Group.
2011 Releases
Cars 2
Disney/Pixar, June 24, 2011
Director: Brad Lewis
Starring: Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy
Synopsis: Details are fuzzy, but a round-the-world journey featuring Lightning McQueen (Wilson) and Mater the tow truck (Larry) will set the stage for any auto-related hijinks.
Hotel Transylvania
Sony Pictures, September 30, 2011
Director: Jill Culton
Synopsis: He’s a little bit country, she’s a little bit rock ‘n’ roll… and of course by “rock ‘n’ roll” we mean Dracula’s voluptuous vampire daughter and by “country” we mean bloodsucker-stabbin’ vampire hunter Simon Van Helsing… But who said being born mortal enemies had to stand in the way of romance?
The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn
Paramount/DreamWorks/Amblin, December 23, 2011
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Gad Elmaleh, Toby Jones, Mackenzie Crook
Synopsis: Hergé’s internationally beloved comic-book character Tintin the globetrotting reporter discovers a clue to an ancient treasure that turns out to be from Captain Haddock’s (Serkis) ancestor Sir Francis Haddock.
The Bear and the Bow
Disney/Pixar, December 25, 2011
Director: Brenda Chapman
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, John Ratzenberger
Synopsis: Merida, a young girl born into the Scottish royal family (Witherspoon), abandons her family name in order to pursue her dream of becoming an archer. However, her brash decisions end up destroying her father’s kingdom as well as her mother’s life—mistakes she struggles to set right.
2011 Release Dates To Be Announced
Clive Barker Presents: Hellraiser
Weinstein Company, TBA 2011
Director: Pascal Laugier
Starring: No stars attached, yet!
Synopsis: This 20th Anniversary of Barker’s frightfest centers on an unfaithful wife who tries to help her lover escape from hell. Based on the novella The Hellbound Heart, this dark tale will feature a new version of the much-loved Pinhead character!
CHRONICLES OF COHEN: Nails In the Coffin
Black Point Studios, Summer 2011
Director: Stan Miskiewicz
Synopsis: A grizzled ex-Navy Seal discovers a bizarre plot by a demented doctor to find the secret of immortality while on a mission to South America—encountering a murderous horde of the undead, one of which happens to be his girlfriend. Creepy videogame inspired art, plenty of zombie action, Bruce Willis and Steve Buscemi rumored to star … Did we mention zombies? Zombies!!!
Website: www.youtube.com/user/blackpointstudios
Aardvark Art’s Ark
Warner Bros., TBA 2011
Synopsis: This talking animal adventure comedy kicks it Old Testament style, following a family of critters who’ve declined to join the rest of the Noah’s Ark crew and try to make it on their own. Newbie Adam Sachs is rewriting the script for De Line Pictures.
Poe
Michael Sporn Animation, TBA 2011
Director: Michael Sporn
Starring: Alfred Molina, Dianne Wiest, Joanna Scanlan, Mark Somen
Synopsis: Based on the life of the famous tortured author, the plot is interspersed with scenes and stories from Poe’s dark, unnerving works.
Website: www.michaelspornanimation.com
Power of the Dark Crystal
The Jim Henson Co., TBA 2011
Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
Synopsis: No concrete story plans have been announced, but the film is set to be a true sequel taking places several years after the events of The Dark Crystal. Henson is teaming with its Farscape partner, Omnilab Media, to produce the flick from a script by Craig Pearce (Moulin Rouge!).
Release Dates TBA
Ethel and Ernest
TV Cartoons/Cartoon Saloon, TBA
Director: Roger Mainwood
Synopsis: Based on the book by acclaimed British author and illustrator Raymond Briggs (The Snowman), this traditionally animated 90-minute film follows the life and times of Briggs’ own parents who meet in the 1930s and live through four decades of social change in London. Produced by British toon veteran John Coats, the man behind such timeless animated gems such as The Snowman, Yellow Submarine, The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends, Wind in the Willows and When the Wind Blows.
Rogue Pictures, January 9
Director: David S. Goyer
Starring: Odette Yustman, Gary Oldman, Cam Gigandet, Meagan Good
Synopsis: A young woman with a troubled family past begins experiencing inexplicable--and terrifying--occurences. As the haunting gets worse, she seeks the help of a spiritual advisor to unravel her family's past and find a way to stop the evil spirit trying to possess her to gain entry to our world.
Website: www.theunbornmovie.net
Hotel for Dogs
DreamWorks/Paramount, January 16
Director: Thor Freudenthal
Starring: Emma Roberts, Jake T. Austin, Kyla Pratt, Lisa Kudrow, Don Cheadle, Kevin Dillon
Synopsis: When 16-year-old Andi (Roberts) and little bro Bruce (Austin) are told to get rid of their dog, Bruce uses his mechanical genius to transform an abandoned hotel into an automated doggie paradise for their pup--and any strays they come across. When the neighbors get suspicious, it's up to the kids and Bruce's inventions to make sure the "tenants" don't get discovered.
Website: www.hotelfordogsmovie.com
Inkheart
New Line Cinema, Jan. 23
Director: Iain Softley
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Andy Serkis, Paul Bettany, Eliza Bennett, Helen Mirren, Jim Broadbent
Synopsis: Mo (Fraser) hasn't read to his daughter Meggie (Bennett) since discovering that he has the power to bring fictional characters to life. Now a villain he accidentally conjured is tracking the family down in order to use Mo's powers for evil. Based on the popular fantasy penned by German author Cornelia Funke.
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
Screen Gems, January 23
Director: Patrick Tatopoulos
Starring: Rhona Mitra, Bill Nighy, Michael Sheen, Kevin Grevioux, Kate Beckinsale, Shane Brolly
Synopsis: This prequel to the action-packed horror flick Underworld traces the origins of the centuries-old feud between vampires and werewolves. Set in the Dark Ages, it follows the story of a young Lycan who rallies his enslaved people against the sadistic vampire king, all while carrying out a secret affair with the king’s daughter.
Website: www.entertheunderworld.com
The Uninvited
DreamWorks, Jan. 30
Director: Thomas Guard, Charles Guard
Starring: Emily Browning, Arielle Kebbel, Elizabeth Banks, David Strathairn
Synopsis: Inspired by Kim Jee-Woon’s 2003 Korean film A Tale of Two Sisters, this horror movie follows two sisters who return home to their father after spending time in a mental institute, but find it hard to recover when their cruel stepmother (Banks) and an interfering ghost make life miserable for them!
Website: www.uninvitedmovie.com
Coraline
Focus Features, Feb. 6
Director: Henry Selick
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Ian McShane, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French
Synopsis: Coraline Jones finds herself bored and unhappy in her new home with foreign neighbors all around her. Then, the young girl discovers that the brick wall behind a door in her flat leads to another world where she finds a better version of her life now. Based on Neil Gaiman’s short children’s novel, the world Coraline enters into is created by her Other Mother to provide her with joy and entertainment.
Website: www.coraline.com
Friday the 13th
New Line/Warner Bros., February 13
Director: Marcus Nispel
Starring: Jared Padalecki, Danielle Panabaker, Aaron Yoo, Amanda Righetti, Travis Van Winkle, Derek Mears
Synopsis: This reimagining of the classic horror romp finds a young man named Clay, along with a group of hapless youths he meets along the way, hunted by machete-wielding maniac Jason Voorhees as he searches for his missing sister amongst the creepy woods and eerie campgrounds of Crystal Lake.
Website: www.fridaythe13thmovie.com
The Velveteen Rabbit
Family1 Films, February 20
Director: Michael Landon, Jr.
Starring: Jane Seymour, Tom Skerritt, Ellen Burstyn, Matthew Harbour, Kevin Jubinville, Una Kay
Synopsis: This live-action/2D animation hybrid tells the classic story of a young boy who wins over his distant father and strict grandmother with the help of a courageous toy that wishes to become a real rabbit one day. Scheduled for limited release, but available on DVD!
Website: www.thevelveteenmovie.com
Watchmen
Warner Bros., March 6
Director: Zack Snyder
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Carla Gugino
Synopsis: Set in an alternate reality 1985, where superheros are real, Nixon is still president and the Cold War rages one, vigilante Rorschach (Haley) is investigating the murder The Comedian (Morgan) when he uncovers a far reaching conspiracy and a plot to discredit and kill various heroes. Based on the comics by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.
Website: http://watchmenmovie.warnerbros.com
Monsters vs. Aliens
DreamWorks Animation, March 27
Directors: Rob Letterman, Conrad Vernon
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Seth Rogen, Stephen Colbert, Kiefer Sutherland, Rainn Wilson, Paul Rudd
Synopsis: When a mysterious glob of space goo transforms Susan Murphy into a nearly 50 ft tall “monster” named Ginormica, she is captured by the military and held in a secret compound. There she meets other monsters which have been quietly concealed in the base over the years. The misfit monsters are set loose when an evil alien robot begins rampaging around Earth, leading to an epic battle!
Website: www.monstersvsaliens.com
Dragonball: Evolution
20th Century Fox, Apr. 8
Director: James Wong
Starring: Justin Chatwin, Joon Park, Emmy Rossum, James Marsters, Chow Yun-Fat
Synopsis: This live-action adaptation of the famous manga created by Akira Toriyama which also inspired the long-running anime series, centers on an alien sent to destroy Earth who has a change of heart and decides to aid humans in fighting aliens and nefarious villains.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Fox/Marvel, May 1
Director: Gavin Hood
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schrieber, Danny Huston, Ryan Reynolds
Synopsis: Set before the events of the X-Men trilogy, the story follows young Wolverine’s (Jackman) violent past, his experience as part of the infamous Weapon X project and his encounters with villain William Stryker. Other fan-favorite mutants making appearances will include Sabretooth (Schreiber), Deadpool (Reynolds), Gambit (Taylor Kitsch) and Kestrel (will.i.am).
Website: www.marvel.com/movies
The Battle for Terra
Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions, May 1
Director: Aristomenis Tsirbas
Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Brian Cox, Luke Wilson, David Cross, Justin Long, Amanda Peet, Dennis Quaid, Chris Evans, James Garner, Rosanna Arquette and Chad Allen
Synopsis: Senn (Long) and Mala (Wood) are two rebellious alien teens living on the beautiful planet Terra, a place that promotes peace and tolerance, having long ago rejected war and weapons of mass destruction. But when Terra is invaded by human beings fleeing a civil war and environmental catastrophe, the planet is plunged into chaos. During the upheaval, Mala befriends an injured human pilot (Wilson) and each learns the two races are not so different from one another. Together they must face the terrifying realization that in a world of limited resources, only one of their races is likely to survive.
Website: www.battleforterra.com
Star Trek XI
Paramount, May 8
Director: J.J. Abrams
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Anton Yelchin, Zoe Saldana, Eric Bana, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, John Cho, Winona Ryder, Lenoard Nimoy
Synopsis: A youthful James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock have their first encounter at Starfleet Academy and complete their first mission.
Website: www.startrekmovie.com
Terminator: Salvation
Warner Bros., May 22
Director: Joseph McGinty Nichol (McG)
Starring: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Bryce Dallas Howard, Moon Bloodgood, Common, Helena Bonham Carter
Synopsis: Part sequel, part prequel, the film finds John Connor (Bale) in a post-apocalyptic future trying to gain the trust of the human resistance as they battle Skynet and its cyborgs. When a stranger arrives, Connor must try to unravel his origins as the two uncover Skynet’s most terrible secret.
Website: www.terminatorsalvation.warnerbros.com
Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian
20th Century Fox, May 22
Director: Shawn Levy
Starring: Ben Stiller, Dick Van Dyke, Robin Williams, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Hank Azaria, Ricky Gervais
Synopsis: With the Museum of Natural History closed for repairs, the collection is moved in to storage at the famous Smithsonian Institution—were the cursed collection mingles with the Smithsonian’s pop culture mementos to create a little chaos.
Website: www.nightatthemuseummovie.com
Up
Disney/Pixar, May 29
Director: Pete Docter
Starring: Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai
Synopsis: The story of a 78-year-old man’s quest to fulfill his deceased wife’s lifelong dream of travel and adventure. When Carl [Asner] befriends a young Wilderness Explorer scout, they embark on a fantastic journey that opens Carl’s eyes to the world outside his dreary home.
Website: www.disney.com/up
Land of the Lost
Universal, June 5
Director: Brad Silberling
Starring: Will Ferrell, Anna Friel, Danny R. McBride, Jorma Taccone
Synopsis: Three people stumble upon a mysterious land populate by dinosaurs and other presumably extinct creatures, as well as the terrifying Sleestaks. Based on the 1970s TV show.
Website: www.landofthelost.net
Imagine That
Paramount, June 12
Director: Karey Kirkpatrick
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Thomas Haden Church, Nicole Ari Parker, Ronny Cox, Vanessa Williams
Synopsis: Murphy stars as a downtrodden financial exec who finds himself drawn into his daughter’s magical, imaginary world. Formerly titled "Nowhereland"
Website: www.imaginethatmovie.com
Panique au Village (A Town Called Panic)
Le Parti/Made in Prod./Beast Animation/Studio 352/Les Film du Grognon/Gebeka Films, June 17 (Belgium)
Directors: Stephane Aubier, Vincent Patar
Synopsis: Mischief-making toys Cowboy and Indian decide to throw a birthday party for Horse and try to build him a brick barbecue as a present, but their plans go awry when a billion bricks are delivered to their doorstep. Based on the Belgian TV shorts collection.
Website: www.paniqueauvillage.com
Lascars: The Movie (Round Da Way)
Studio Millimages, Bac Films, June 17 (France)
Directors: Albert Pereira-Lazaro, Emmanuel Klotz
Starring: Vincent Cassel, Omar Sy, Fred Testot, Diane Kruger, Gilles Lellouche, Frédérique Bel
Synopsis: Over the course of one hot summer, a group of streetwise homies find plenty of action in their hometown. When Jose falls in love with a pretty suburban girl, his courtship is interrupted by his self-styled gangster best friend who is on the run from a psychotic boss. Love, violence and criminal mischief are in the air in Condé-sur-Ginette…
Website: www.lascars-lefilm.com
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
DreamWorks/Paramount, June 26
Director: Michael Bay
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro
Synopsis: Sam (LaBeouf) discovers a secret relating to the origins of the Transformers and their history of visiting earth. When the Decepticons kidnap Sam for information, the conflict results in a massive battle at the Egyptian pyramids in Giza—structures which carry a mysterious link with both the Transformers and their mechanical enemies.
Website: www.transformersmovie.com
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Fox/Blue Sky, July 1
Director: Carlos Saldanha
Starring: John Leguizamo, Queen Latifa, Denis Leary, Ray Romano, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, Chris Wedge
Synopsis: The mammal pals from Ice Age find themselves in yet another hairy situation when it’s discovered that the supposedly extinct dinosaurs (including a very cranky T-Rex) have been surviving in a secret tropical oasis far below the ice. Presented in full 3-D!
Website: www.iceagemovie.com
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Warner Bros., July 15
Director: David Yates
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters, David Thewlis, Jim Broadbent, Helen McCrory, Ralph Fiennes
Synopsis: In this sixth feature based on J.K. Rowling’s popular series, Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and Wizard worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle. Script is penned by Steve Cloves who delivered the first feature.
Website: www.harrypotter.warnerbros.com/harrypotterandthehalf-bloodprince
Luke & Lucy: The Texas Rangers (Suske & Wiske De Texas Rakkers)
Skyline Film/LuxAnimation/CoToon, July 21 (Belgium)
Directors: Mark Mertens, Wim Bien
Synopsis: Luke and Lucy (or Suske & Wiske—as they’re known in Belgium) travel to Texas and join their aunt to get to the bottom of the mystery of Jim Parasite and his gang who are causing all kinds of trouble in Dark City.
Website: www.lukeandlucymovie.com/en
Totally Spies! The Movie
Marathon Media/Studio 37/Mars Distrib., July 22 (France)
Director: Pascal Jardin
The Buzz: After 150 episodes and five season, fans of the popular TV series will finally find out the origin story of the crime-fighting fashionista team (Clover, Alex and Sam) from Beverly Hills High in this summer confection, packed with bright colors, outrageous outfits and super gadgets. The show was created by French studio Marathon’s toppers Vincent Chalvon-Demersay and David Michel.
Website: www.totallyspies-lefilm.com
A Case for Friends … How It All Began
MotionWorks/Jugendfilm/2d3D/Enamation, July 23 (Germany)
Directors: Tony Loeser, Jesper Møller
Synopsis: A family movie about a super-star wannabe mouse, a vain rooster and an ever-hungry pig who join forces to rescue a kidnapped lamb from the wicked wolf.
The Buzz: This sweet adaptation carries a decent-sized 7.3 million euro budget and a built in audience of fans of author Helme Heine, who created the characters. It will be a cheerful romp for families during some not-so-cheerful times (as long as they can afford the tickets).
Website: www.mullewapp.kinowelt.de
G-Force
Disney, July 24
Director: Hoyt Yeatman
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Steve Buscemi, Tracy Morgan, Will Arnett, Bill Nighy, Zach Galifianakis
Synopsis: A live-action blend flick about a top-notch team of secret agent guinea pigs on a mission to stop an evil billionaire’s plot to destroy the world with household appliances. Jerry Bruckeheimer is producing from a script by Cormac and Marianne Wibberley, the film is being produced for 3-D.
Website: disney.go.com/disneypictures/gforce
Jasper: Journey to the End of the World
Amuse Films/Dacodac/Toons ‘n’ Tales, July 30 (Germany)
Directors: Eckart Fingberg, Kay Delventhal
Synopsis: Jasper, a young penguin who craves a life outside the boring ice, and his little bro Junior are swept up in a ship-bound adventure when they follow a rare Kakapo bird trying to find its lost eggs. The ship captain’s daughter, Emma, joins them in their quest, which leads them to the wicked Dr. Block.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Paramount, August 7
Director: Stephen Sommers
Starring: Channing Tatum, Christopher Eccleston, Sienna Miller, Dennis Quaid, Ray Park, Marlon Wayans, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lee Byung-hun
Synopsis: Based on the popular toy and cartoon series, the film takes place 10 years in the future and will follow the induction of Duke (Tatum) and Ripcord (Wayans) into the G.I. Joe team, as well as the rise of the insidious Cobra Organization.
Website: www.gijoemovie.com
Ponyo
Disney/Studio Ghibli, August 14
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Starring: Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Cate Blanchett, Liam Neeson
Synopsis: When a young fish maiden runs away from her undersea home, a big hearted boy befriends her and vows to protect the creature he names Ponyo. Against the wishes of her tyrranical father, Ponyo and the boy fall in love—but to prove their love is pure, they must pass a test.
Website: www.ghibli.jp/ponyo (Japanese)
Gamer
Lionsgate, Sept. 4
Directors: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor
Starring: Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Ludacris, Kyra Sedgwick, John Leguizamo, Zoe Bell
Synopsis: Online players control the life and fate of other human beings in this thriller set in a not-so distant dystopian future.
Website: www.gamerthemovie.com
9
Focus Features, Sep. 9
Director: Shane Acker
Starring: Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, Crispin Glover, John C. Reilly, Christopher Plummer, Martin Landau
Synopsis: Based on Acker’s award-winning short of the same title and produced by Tim Burton and Timu Bekmambetov (Night Watch), the story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where a group of sentient rag-dolls band behind 9 (Wood), a leader they hope can ensure their survival and protect them from the bizarre creatures that hunt their them.
Website: www.9themovie.com
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Columbia, September 18
Directors: Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Starring: Anna Faris, Bruce Campbell, James Caan, Mr. T, Tracy Morgan, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg
Synopsis: Based on Ron and Judi Barret’s belove children’s book, this Sony Pictures Animation take reveals the origins of the town of Chewandswallow, which experiences episodes of mashed potato snow and raining soup brought on by a scientist’s attempt to end world hunger. But when the town is threatened by a catastrophic flood of foodstuffs, the people will have to get creative to save their homes.
Website: www.cloudywithachanceofmeatballs.com
Jennifer's Body
Fox Atomic, Sept. 18
Director: Karyn Kusama
Starring: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody, J.K. Simmons
Synopsis: Screenwriter Diablo Cody is back with another quirky picture after the success of last year’s Juno. When a gorgeous cheerleader is possessed by a demon and starts feeding off the boys in a small Minnesota farming town, her "plain Jane" best friend must kill her, then escape from a correctional facility to go after the Satan-worshipping rock band responsible for the horrible transformation.
Mr. Nobody
Wildbunch, October 7 (Belgium)
Director: Jaco Van Dormael
Starring: Jared Leto, Sarah Polley, Diane Kruger, Rhys Ifans
Synopsis: A a multi-layered love story inspired by the 'butterfly effect,’ set in the not-so-distant future, the story follows Nemo Nobody (Leto) who, at 120 years old, is the last mortal surrounded by happy immortals as he relives his real and imaginary years of marriage.
Website: www.mrnobody-lefilm.com
Where the Wild Things Are
Warner Bros., Oct. 16
Director: Spike Jonze
Starring: Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini, Catherine O’Hara, Angus Sampson, Forest Whitaker, Paul Dano, Max Records, Mark Ruffalo, Lauren Ambrose, Tom Noonan
Synopsis: Based on the book by Maurice Sendak about a young boy named Max who imagines and adventure to a fantastical island inhabited by strange beasts.
Website: http://wherethewildthingsare.warnerbros.com
Astro Boy
Summit Ent./Imagi, October 23
Director: David Bowers
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Nicolas Cage, Bill Nighy, Donald Sutherland, Eugene Levy, Nathan Lane, Kristen Bell
Synopsis: In the gleaming futuristic metropolis of Metro City, a heartbroken scientist creates a powerful robot in the image of his deceased son. When Astro Boy is unable to be the son his creator wished for, he sets off on a series of adventures hoping to find acceptance—instead finding betrayal and an underground of robot gladiators. Returning to Metro City, Astro Boy must try to save his hometown and reconcile with the man who rejected him.
Website: www.astroboy-themovie.com
A Christmas Carol
Disney, November 6
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Jim Carrey, Robin Wright Penn, Bob Hoskins, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Cary Elwes, Fionnula Flanagan
Synopsis: The plot will faithfully follow the Victorian tale—no smart-mouthed CG gerbils or rapping ghosts. Imagemovers Digital provides the mo-cap magic and mad comic Carrey play the lead, as well as The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Christmas Yet To Come.
Metropia
Atmo Metro AB, November 6 (Sweden)
Director: Tarik Saleh
Starring: Vincent Gallo, Juliette Lewis, Stellan Skarsgård, Alexander Skarsgård, Udo Kier, Sofia Helin, Fares Fares, Shanti Roney
Synopsis: Set in the near future, when the world is running out of oil and the subway systems of Europe are connected by a gigantic underground network. Roger hears a strange voice in his head when he enters the subway, and soon teams up with a mysterious girl in an attempt to escape the Metro’s bizarre web.
The Wolf Man
Universal, Nov. 6
Director: Joe Johnston
Starring: Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving, Geraldine Chapman
Synopsis: When a young nobleman returns to his sleepy Victorian home town to help search for his missing brother, he discovers that a fearsome beast—possibly the product of an ancient curse—is preying on the villagers … and uncovers a side of himself he never anticipated.
Website: www.thewolfmanmovie.com
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
20th Century Fox, November 13
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray, Anjelica Huston, Jason Schwartzman
Synopsis: Mr. Fox is an extremely clever forest critter who consistently outwits his obnoxious neighbors: A group of mean-spirited farmers who have had it with the fox’s trickery. Based on the novel by Roald Dahl.
Planet 51
TriStar, November 20
Director: Jorge Blanco, Javier Abad
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, Seann William Scott, Gary Oldman, John Cleese
Synopsis: Astronaut Charles Baker lands on what he believes to be a yet undiscovered planet…only to find it is inhabited by a race of aliens who live in a society mirroring that of 1950s America—complete with picket fences, comic books and a paranoid fear of invasions from another planet! Animated by Spain-based Ilion Animation.
Website: www.planet51.com
Arthur and the Vengeance of Maltazard
Europacorp, December 2 (France)
Director: Luc Besson
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Mia Farrow, Robert Stanton, Ron Crawford
Synopsis: This sequel to Besson’s Arthur and the Invisibles finds the young hero getting ready to leave his grandparents’ home at the end of summer. But before he leaves, a spider delivers a message of warning, which sends Arthur on another adventure involving Princess Selenia.
Website: www.arthuretlesminimoys.com/arthur2
The Princess and the Frog
Disney, Dec. 11, 2009
Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker
Starring: Anika Noni Rose, Jenifer Lewis, Keith David, Bruno Campos, Jim Cummings, Michael-Leon Wooley, Oprah Winfrey, Terrence Howard, John Goodman, Jennifer Cody
Synopsis: A 20th century fairytale about a young waitress named Tiana working in Jazz-age New Orleans who encounters a cursed frog prince, and ends up being turned amphibious as well when she tries to break the spell! Together they go in search of a benevolent Voodoo priestess, meet some interesting animal pals and, of course, fall in love along the way.
Website: www.disney.com/theprincessandthefrog
Avatar
20th Century Fox, Dec. 18
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang
Synopsis: When a band of humans are brought to a newly discovered planet inhabited by a humanoid race of beings, they find themselves at odds with the planet’s inhabitants as well as each other.
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
20th Century Fox, December 25
Director: Betty Thomas
Starring: Jason Lee, Justin Long, Jesse McCartney, Matthew Gray Gubler
Synopsis: Everyone’s favorite squeaky three-part harmonizers, Alvin, Simon and Theodore are back to wreak havoc on adoptive father / manager Dave Seville’s life. This film will also introduce their girlish counterparts, the Chipettes!
2009 Release Dates To Be Announced
Bunyan & Babe
MGM, 2009 TBA
Directors: Tony Bancroft, Jim Rygiel
Starring: John Goodman, Eddie Griffin, Kelsey Grammer, Bridger Zadina, Dorien Davies
Synopsis: Exodus Film Group’s latest adventure will finally hit theaters thanks to MGM. The film follows two children who discover larger-than-life (and fully animated) folk hero Paul Bunyan (Goodman) and his giant ox (Griffin) have been hiding out near their grandfather’s farm, just in time for them to help save the farm from a demented property developer!
Website: www.exodusfilmgroup.com
My Dog Tulip
Norman Twain Prod., May (Cannes Festival)
Directors: Paul and Sandra Fierlinger
Starring: Christopher Plummer, Lynn Redgrave, Isabella Rossellini, Brian Murray
Synopsis: Based on J.R. Ackerley’s well-loved 1956 novel about the strong friendship between a man and a German Shepherd he rescues. This new indie feature skews older than most animated movies, but promises to be a powerful work.
Website: www.mydogtulipfilm.com
The Legend of Spyro 3D
Universal, Christmas-ish, TBA 2009
Director: Mark Dippé
Starring: Elijah Wood, Gary Oldman
Synopsis: The film will follow an origin story about the popular purple dragon. Raised by fireflies, Spyro only realizes his true power when their village is attacked and his fire-breathing instincts kick in. Not only that, he’s also part of a prophesy that foretells the destruction of the insidious Dark Master. With his dragonfly sidekick, Sparx, Spyro sets out on a seemingly impossible quest to defeat the villain and his black dragon.
Yona Yona Penguin
Madhouse/Denis Friedman Prod., December (Japan)
Director: Rintaro
Synopsis: Like most six-year-old girls, our heroine enjoys the occasional nighttime romp around town dressed as a penguin. (Right…?) One night she stumbles into a strange subterranean world and is mistaken for a prophesied bird who will help the underground society fight off the evil Emperor of Darkness.
Around the World in 50 Years
nWave Pictures/Illuminata Pictures, TBA 2009
Director: Ben Stassen
Starring: Tim Curry, Kathy Griffin, Melanie Griffith, Ed Begley Jr., Stacy Keach
Synopsis: A small turtle born in 1959 spends half a century traveling the globe as the world around him changes because of global warming and man’s environmental disasters.
Website: www.nwave.com
Kerity
Alphanim/La Fabrique/Lanterna Magica/Haut et Court, December 2009 (France)
Director: Dominique Monféry
Synopsis: The heroes and heroines of famous children’s literature come to life thanks to a magical library given to a young boy by his grandmother. However, if the characters leave the library, their stories will be forgotten forever
Website: www.alphanim.fr
Mary and Max
Melodrama Pictures/Icon Distrib., TBA 2009
Director: Adam Elliot
Starring: Toni Colette, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Eric Bana; narrated by Barry Humpries (Dame Edna)
Synopsis: An unlikely pen-pal friendship develops between Mary, a lonely eight-year-old girl in Melbourne, and Max, a 44-year-old, obese man with Asperger's Syndrome living in New York.
Website: www.maryandmax.com
The Sandman and the Lost Sand of Dreams
Scopas Medien/MotionWorks, TBA 2009 (Germany)
Director: Jesper Møller
Synopsis: A young boy named Miko has to overcome his fears in order to help the Sandman save the dreams of children all over the world in Dreamland. Based on a popular German’s children’s TV series, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.
The Secret of Kells
Cartoon Saloon/Gébéka/Buena Vista, TBA 2009
Director: Tomm Moore
Starring: Evan McGuire, Christen Mooney, Mick Lally, Brendan Gleeson
Synopsis: A young orphan living with the monks of the Abbey of Kells, a monastery during the Middle Ages, gets involved in the illustration of the famous illustrated manuscript. Lucky auds in Ireland, France and Belgium have seen the movie… Now how about some U.S. distribution!
Website: www.thesecretofkells.com
The Illusionist
Django Films/CineB/Pathé Int’l, Spring (France + U.K.), TBA
Director: Sylvain Chomet
Synopsis: A struggling stage entertainer in 1950s Scotland is forced to accept low-paying assignments in fringe theaters and bars, until an admiring young woman changes his life forever. Based on an unproduced script by the late French comedy master, Jacques Tati.
Website: www.djangofilms.co.uk
Repossession Mambo
Universal, 2009 TBA
Director: Miguel Sapochnik
Starring: Jude Law, Forest Whitaker, Liev Schreiber, RZA, Carice van Houten, Alice Braga
Synopsis: Jude Law goes back to the future in a world where synthetic organs are the new upgradeable commodities and repo men pay visits to reclaim those parts if you can’t make your payments on time.
2010 Releases
Daybreakers
Lionsgate, January 8, 2010
Directors: Peter and Michael Spierig
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Ethan Hawke, Sam Neill, Claudia Karvan, Michael Dorman, Vince Colosimo
Synopsis: In the year 2017, a plague has transformed most every human into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the dominant plots their survival; meanwhile, a researcher (Hawke) works with a covert band of vamps on a way to save the human race.
Cirque du Freak
Universal, January 15, 2010
Director: Paul Weitz
Starring: Chris Massoglia, Josh Hutcherson, John C. Reilly, Michael Ceveris, Willem Dafoe, Salma Hayek, Ken Watanabe
Synopsis: A terrifying story about a 14-year-old boy who unwittingly upsets a centuries-old truce between rival clans of vampires when he is sucked into the nightmarish world of a traveling freak show made up of monsterous characters. Based on the book by Darren Shan.
Hoodwinked 2: Hood vs. Evil
Weinstein/Summit, January 15, 2010
Director: Mike Disa
Starring: Hayden Panettiere, Glenn Close, Patrick Warburton, Martin Short, Bill Hader, Amy Poehler, Bill Murray, Joan Cusack, Brad Garrett, Andy Dick, Cory Edwards
Synopsis: For the sequel, Red teams up with Wolf to investigate the disappearance of candy-house crashers Hansel and Gretel as well as Mr. Alligator.
The Pet Pals and Marco Polo’s Code
Gruppo Alcuni, January 2010 (Italy)
Director: Sergio Manfio
Synopsis: The popular Italian animated series goes the CG route in this theatrical release which finds the six friends fighting the evil Crow Witch to find Marco Polo’s code and track down the Parallel Palace of magic in Venice.
Website: www.alcuni.it
Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland
Disney, March 5, 2010
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Sheen, Matt Lucas, Crispin Glover, Stephen Fry, Alan Rickman
Synopsis: A sequel style interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s classic, which sees a teenage Alice return to Wonderland with no memory of her previous journey there. The film will combine performance-capture animation with live-action footage.
How to Train Your Dragon
DreamWorks/Paramount, March 26, 2010
Director: Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois
Starring: Gerard Butler, Jonah Hill, America Ferrera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jay Baruchel
Synopsis: Cressida Cowell’s literary creation, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (Baruchel), Viking tween extraordinaire, is cleaving his way into theaters to try and turn his toothless and thoroughly unintimidating dragon into a fearsome mount. Good luck with that, Hiccup.
Website: www.howtotrainyourdragon.com
Shrek Forever After
DreamWorks, May 21, 2010
Director: Mike Mitchell
Starring: Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, Eric Idle, Justin Timberlake, Paul McCartney
Synopsis: Now that he’s a family man, America’s favorite ogre is feeling glum and bored with his docile life—autographing pitchforks instead of rampaging through villages. When he makes a deal with Rumplestiltskin to regain his glory, he finds himself in a bizarre alternate Far Far Away where he and Fiona have never met, and must struggle to put things right and get back his true love.
Toy Story 3
Disney/Pixar, June 18, 2010
Director: Lee Unkrich
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn, Don Rickles, Estelle Harris, Ned Beatty, Michael Keaton, Jodi Benson
Synopsis: Dust off the toy box: Woody, Buzz and the gang are back in another adventure. In this installment, Andy is all grown up and off to college, leaving the toys to cope with being donated to a local day care center.
Website: disney.go.com/toystory
The Last Airbender
Paramount, July 2, 2010
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone, Dev Patel, Jessica Jade Andres, Aasif Mandvi, Shaun Toub, Cliff Curtis, Keong Sim
Synopsis: Based on Nickelodeon’s smash hit 2D epic adventure series, Airbender follows a young boy named Aang (Ringer) who must fulfill a prophecy that will bring peace to the four nations of his world using magical “bending” control over the four elements of Air, Fire, Water and Earth.
Website: www.thelastairbendermovie.com
Despicable Me
Universal, July 9, 2010
Directors: Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin
Starring: Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Kristen Wiig, Will Arnett, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews
Synopsis: Unbeknownst to his cheerful suburban neighborhood, Gru (Carell) is hiding a veritable army of wicked henchmen and dastardly devices beneath his creepy old house, not to mention a nefarious plot to steal the moon! But he meets his match in three little orphan girls who would rather see him as their dad than as an evil mastermind.
The Prodigies (La Nuit des Enfants Rois)
Attitude Studio/Onyx Films/Fidelite Films/Studio 37/LuxAnimation, September 2010 (France)
Director: Antoine Charreyron
Synopsis: After five teen prodigies are assaulted in Central Park, they band together to fight the forces of evil as a disaster of apocalyptic proportions nears. This edgy adaptation of Bernard Lenteric’s 1980 novel uses live-action actors as the basis for its trippy CG animation.
Rapunzel
Disney, November 24, 2010
Directors: Byron Howard, Nathan Greno
Starring: Kristin Chenoweth, Kevin Linehan, Dan Fogler, Pam Hyatt, Matthew Gray Gubler
Synopsis: Originally slated as a sassy modern send-up, the story will stay true to the Brothers’ Grimm fairy tale and focus on the mystery surrounding the young tower-bound princess with seemingly endless locks.
The Smurfs
Columbia/Sony, Dec. 17 2010
Director: Colin Brady
Starring: John Lithgow, Julia Sweeney
Synopsis: The blue-skinned, hard-working little guys, created by Beligan comic artist Peyo (Pierre Culliford) make their big 3-D, CG/live-action feature debut. David Stem and David Weiss (Shrek) are penning the script. Now just try and get their famous theme song out of your head! The Hanna-Barbera cartoon first debuted in 1981 on NBC and spawned 256 episodes and several Emmys.
2010 Release Dates To Be Announced
Hack/Slash
Rogue Pictures, TBA 2010
Director: Todd Lincoln
Synopsis: Punky young babe Cassie gets her kicks travelling the country to track down muderers and give them a taste of justice, accompanied by her loyal protector, Vlad. Based on the comics and one-offs by Tim Seeley.
Egill: The Last Pagan
Lichthof Prod./CAOZ, TBA 2010
Director: Aron Gauder
Synopsis: This Hungarian/Icelandic/Polish CG toon is based on the Icelandic epic about Egill the Viking, a brute of a warrior known for his pride and bad temper, who sets out to seek revenge from the King of Norway after he insults his family. Polish studio Se-Ma-For will tackle the puppets and stop-motion filming, while Hungarian co-producers, including Tadpole Studio, deliver the CG software required to finish the animation.
Website: www.egillmovie.com
Ernest & Celestine
Les Armateurs/Studio 352/Digital Graphics Studiocanal/La Parti, TBA 2010
Directors: Benjamin Renner, Vincent Patar, Stephanie Aubier
Synopsis: An abandoned mouse and a lonely bear form an unlikely friendship as they brave the hardships of a bohemian life on the fringes of society. Based on the children’s books by Gabrielle Vincent.
Mighty Mouse
Paramount/Nickelodeon, TBA 2010
Synopsis: The Mouse of Steel will be zipping around fighting crime as always in this tale which will poke fun at the last 60 years of superhero history. Conceptual artist/designer Barry Jackson (How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Titan A.E.) is guiding the visual development for the CG project, which is written by Maurice Chauvet (Three-Fifty) and Chris Vail. Nick plans to launch a TV series based on the film as well as a book on the history of the caped vermin in conjunction with the release.
ThunderCats
Warner Bros., TBA 2010
Director: Jerry O’Flaherty
Synopsis: Staying true to its cartoon roots, the film will focus on the cat-tastic gang’s flight from their destroyed home planet of Thundera, as Lion-O grows into his role as leader of the group and they face off against skeletal enemy Mumm-Ra.
Alice
Universal Pictures, TBA 2010
Synopsis: Based on the Electronic Arts video game created by American McGee, this new spin on the Alice in Wonderland tale finds the Lewis Carroll’s heroine all grown up and deeply disturbed after her parents are killed in a fire. Plus, she has to deal with sinister mirrors, mysterious potions, surreal tea parties and talking animals. Not to mention that evil Queen of Hearts!
Monkey's Paw
Ghost House Pictures, 2010 TBA
Synopsis: Penned by Dave Kajganich and Tom McAlistair, this horror tale centers on a father who innocently brings home a mysterious artifact rumored to grant wishes, only to see its magical powers go awry and cause misadventures with every wish his family makes.
Gatchaman
Imagi, TBA 2010 (Japan, U.S.)
Synopsis: This adaptation is said to explore the creation of the bird-suited Science Ninja Team and their early struggles against Galactor, with some darker tones for a slightly more mature audience.
Gnomeo and Juliet
Miramax, TBA 2010 (U.K.)
Director: Kelly Asbury
Starring: James McAvoy, Emily Blunt
Synopsis: Ever thought Shakespeare’s classic Romeo and Juliet could use more pointy hats? This reimagining follows star-crossed lovers who each belong to a different clan in a feud between indoor and outdoor garden gnomes. Sir Elton John is producing the project alongside his partner David Furnish, Steve Hamilton Shaw and animation vets Baker Bloodworth and Igor Khait.
The Hero of Color City
Magnolia Pictures, TBA 2010
Director: Becky Bristow
Starring: Christina Ricci, Rosie Perez, Craig Ferguson, Arsenio Hall
Synopsis: An ‘80s TV toon throwback style set up: A group of anthropomorphic crayons team up to stop a villain who despises color and joy from destroying their chromatically diverse city. With the power of friendship, perhaps? The waxy heros and their colorful world are being animated by Igor producers Exodus Film Group.
2011 Releases
Cars 2
Disney/Pixar, June 24, 2011
Director: Brad Lewis
Starring: Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy
Synopsis: Details are fuzzy, but a round-the-world journey featuring Lightning McQueen (Wilson) and Mater the tow truck (Larry) will set the stage for any auto-related hijinks.
Hotel Transylvania
Sony Pictures, September 30, 2011
Director: Jill Culton
Synopsis: He’s a little bit country, she’s a little bit rock ‘n’ roll… and of course by “rock ‘n’ roll” we mean Dracula’s voluptuous vampire daughter and by “country” we mean bloodsucker-stabbin’ vampire hunter Simon Van Helsing… But who said being born mortal enemies had to stand in the way of romance?
The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn
Paramount/DreamWorks/Amblin, December 23, 2011
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Gad Elmaleh, Toby Jones, Mackenzie Crook
Synopsis: Hergé’s internationally beloved comic-book character Tintin the globetrotting reporter discovers a clue to an ancient treasure that turns out to be from Captain Haddock’s (Serkis) ancestor Sir Francis Haddock.
The Bear and the Bow
Disney/Pixar, December 25, 2011
Director: Brenda Chapman
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, John Ratzenberger
Synopsis: Merida, a young girl born into the Scottish royal family (Witherspoon), abandons her family name in order to pursue her dream of becoming an archer. However, her brash decisions end up destroying her father’s kingdom as well as her mother’s life—mistakes she struggles to set right.
2011 Release Dates To Be Announced
Clive Barker Presents: Hellraiser
Weinstein Company, TBA 2011
Director: Pascal Laugier
Starring: No stars attached, yet!
Synopsis: This 20th Anniversary of Barker’s frightfest centers on an unfaithful wife who tries to help her lover escape from hell. Based on the novella The Hellbound Heart, this dark tale will feature a new version of the much-loved Pinhead character!
CHRONICLES OF COHEN: Nails In the Coffin
Black Point Studios, Summer 2011
Director: Stan Miskiewicz
Synopsis: A grizzled ex-Navy Seal discovers a bizarre plot by a demented doctor to find the secret of immortality while on a mission to South America—encountering a murderous horde of the undead, one of which happens to be his girlfriend. Creepy videogame inspired art, plenty of zombie action, Bruce Willis and Steve Buscemi rumored to star … Did we mention zombies? Zombies!!!
Website: www.youtube.com/user/blackpointstudios
Aardvark Art’s Ark
Warner Bros., TBA 2011
Synopsis: This talking animal adventure comedy kicks it Old Testament style, following a family of critters who’ve declined to join the rest of the Noah’s Ark crew and try to make it on their own. Newbie Adam Sachs is rewriting the script for De Line Pictures.
Poe
Michael Sporn Animation, TBA 2011
Director: Michael Sporn
Starring: Alfred Molina, Dianne Wiest, Joanna Scanlan, Mark Somen
Synopsis: Based on the life of the famous tortured author, the plot is interspersed with scenes and stories from Poe’s dark, unnerving works.
Website: www.michaelspornanimation.com
Power of the Dark Crystal
The Jim Henson Co., TBA 2011
Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
Synopsis: No concrete story plans have been announced, but the film is set to be a true sequel taking places several years after the events of The Dark Crystal. Henson is teaming with its Farscape partner, Omnilab Media, to produce the flick from a script by Craig Pearce (Moulin Rouge!).
Release Dates TBA
Ethel and Ernest
TV Cartoons/Cartoon Saloon, TBA
Director: Roger Mainwood
Synopsis: Based on the book by acclaimed British author and illustrator Raymond Briggs (The Snowman), this traditionally animated 90-minute film follows the life and times of Briggs’ own parents who meet in the 1930s and live through four decades of social change in London. Produced by British toon veteran John Coats, the man behind such timeless animated gems such as The Snowman, Yellow Submarine, The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends, Wind in the Willows and When the Wind Blows.
Disney's upcoming films
Speaking of Disney, the mega studio has just issued a press release on its slate of animated movies that it plans to release for public consumption from now to 2012. In 2008, keep an eye out for “Wall-E”, “Bolt”, and “Tinker Bell”; 2009 brings “Up”, “Toy Story in 3-D”, “The Princess and the Frog”, and “Tinker Bell: North of Never Land”; 2010 gets “Toy Story” heavy with “Toy Story 2 in 3-D” followed by “Toy Story 3″, “Rapunzel”, and yet another “Tinker Bell” movie, this time “Tinker Bell: A MidSummer Storm”; 2011 sees “Newt”, “The Bear and the Bow”, and yes, yet another “Tinker Bell” movie, this time “Tinker Bell: A Winter Story”; and finally, 2012 brings the highly anticipated “Cars 2″, followed by “King of the Elves”.
How to Become a Video Game Designer
One of the most exciting jobs out in the market today is video game designing. Many have the impression that it would take too much time and skills to accomplish this. Well reality check people...it does not! If you are into video games and love spending your leisure time (even your work time!), playing games then you have already passed the qualifying stages to becoming a video game designer. May it be for console, arcade, or PC; video game designing reaches all these platforms. Now, let me explain to you some of the basic principles to get you an idea of how to make this dream job work for you.
Throughout the years, games have evolved from the simple Atari and first generation Nintendo graphics to the complex 3D and multi level games of the present. There are just no limits to game designing these days. This multibillion-dollar industry is ballooning and encompassing other industries at a pace no one ever thought was possible. A major factor to this can be attributed to the gamers who are in their 20's and 30's and have never stopped picking up on the latest games and game platforms. Walk into any gaming shop and you will find adults mingling with kids to check out latest releases and try them out...together! So combined with the teenage market, this raving monster called the Gaming Industry is eating chunks out of the adult and teenage market today.
Need for video game design teams have increased dramatically because of this growth in the industry and the demand for better and more creative games by consumers. Therefore, the outlook for anyone trying to enter this industry is not bad at all. If you have the love and drive to create games then there is more than a lot of opportunities to do that. Become a video game designer and you could take part and even play a major role in producing legendary games such as Sims, Unreal tournament and Halo to name a few. Get a chance to team up with the best companies and game studios by becoming a video game designer. If there ever was a time to take that leap of faith and trust your gut instincts then it is now! A genuine love for games is one of the most important qualities a game designer must possess. For natural love for gaming spawns creativity and a drive to excel in producing games people will endear themselves to. You could even ask yourself a question. Why would I do a job that I do not have the talents and passion for? Now, if your answer is I am doing this because it is what I love to do, then you are the right man for this job.
This natural passion, even though very important, is only one of the aspects that makes a good video game designer. Companies who hire designers are also looking for someone with good problem solving skills and who is inhumanly patient. There are so many bugs and potential problems when designing a game that it could drive someone mad. These problems range from collision detection to making things look convincing animation-wise. Many of these complex problems need to be resolved quickly and with ingenuity. You should always strive to improve and to innovate the game at any point of the production. This can be profoundly stressful and take up huge amounts of your time even to the point of exhaustion but the rewards are more than worth it. The experience brings a completely new meaning to the phrase sleeping on the job!
Being a perfectionist is also a quality sought after by many of these gaming companies and studios. Making sure everything is up to the highest quality standards and done as efficiently as possible in as little time as possible are talents which are definitely sought after in this fast paced industry. Now, if you have all or even just some of these qualities then this job is just waiting for you out there... so go out and grab it.
So now, you are ready to proceed and create games huh? However, wait, you just cannot walk right into one of these companies and apply for this job if you do not have the skills! Knowledge about such things as graphic designing, computer animation and game development is necessary here. You need very specific training on these and other elements in order to be a certified video game designer. Below is a listing of where you can get the best training in these areas of expertise. With no further ado, here are some of the premier video game design schools you will need to enroll in to become a top video game designer.
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x-men 2009
Now in cinemas
2009
Review
Starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, John Benjamin Hickey, and John Turturro
In the highly-anticipated Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, debuting June 24, 2009, Sam Witwicky again joins with the Autobots® against their sworn enemies, the Decepticons®. (Paramount Pictures)
| GENRE(S): | Action | Adventure | Sci-fi |
| WRITTEN BY: | Ehren Kruger Roberto Orci Alex Kurtzman |
| DIRECTED BY: | Michael Bay |
| RELEASE DATE: | Theatrical: June 24, 2009 |
| RUNNING TIME: | 147 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: | USA |
Now in cinemas
2009
Review
starring Christian Bale, Anton Yelchin, Sam Worthington, Bryce Dallas Howard, Common, Jadagrace, Moon Bloodgood, and Helena Bonham Carter
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Judgment Day has come and gone. The artificial intelligence network Skynet controls the army of Terminators that roam the post-apocalyptic landscape, killing or collecting humans where they hide in the desolate cities and deserts. Only one man saw Judgment Day coming. One man, whose destiny has always been intertwined with the fate of human existence: John Connor. Now the world is on the brink of the future that Connor has been warned about all his life. But something totally new has shaken his belief that humanity stands a chance of winning this war: the appearance of Marcus Wright, a stranger from the past whose last memory is of being on death row before awakening in this strange, new world. (Warner Bros. Pictures)
| GENRE(S): | Action | Adventure | Sci-fi | Suspense/Thriller |
| WRITTEN BY: | Gale Anne Hurd (characters) James Cameron (characters) David C. Wilson (story), Michael Ferris (& story) John D. Brancato (& story) |
| DIRECTED BY: | McG |
| RELEASE DATE: | Theatrical: May 21, 2009 |
| RUNNING TIME: | 115 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: | USA | Germany | UK |
Harry potter(new)
2009
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