Eddie Redmayne cast as Newt Scamander

Newly minted Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne has a new role - that of intrepid adventurer Newt Scamander in new Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them trilogy being penned by JK Rowling.  Redmayne's name had been whispered around as the lead for months now; the news was just made official yesterday.

The prequel will find Newt in 1930s New York on a journey that will probably be catalogued in the textbook that Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger end up reading at Hogwarts. Additional details about the story or more characters isn't official as yet, but the film promises to be about characters and creatures set in the wizarding world we have to know and love.

The original Harry Potter team is back for this trilogy as well. Director David Yates who closed out the series with the last four films returns in the director's chair and David Heyman will produce these prequel films once again. Rowling takes on the role of screenwriter for the first time. Fans are really excited about this, knowing the level of detail she usually includes in her stories.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them releases next year on November 16, 2016.  

News Update: Marvel's Ant-Man, Harry Potter, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and You've Got Mail at 15!

• I'm a big fan of Marvel superhero franchises and I even enjoy the TV series Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  But I have to say I have no interest in its upcoming Ant-Man which is joining the overcrowded field of blockbusters releasing in 2015 (Star Wars! Avengers! Batman!) even though they've cast the very likable Paul Rudd (I Love You Man, This is 40) in the lead.  The film will be directed by Edgar Wright, who has been attached to the project for many years now and is due to release on July 31, 2015!

• Speaking of July 31st, it's the birthday of a very famous literary bespectacled wizard who had a great run at the press and the big screen and now Harry's heading to the stage.  J.K. Rowling isn't done surprising us as yet.  She's co-producing and bringing forth a new play based on Harry Potter's life before he became a wizard and lived with the Dursleys.  The play will debut on the West End in 2015.  Please keep surprising us like this forever Ms Rowling!

(Photo: Joseph Gordon-Levitt Facebook)

• What can't Joseph Gordon-Levitt do? The actor-writer-director is also turning producer for the big screen yet again (He also produced Looper last year) with author Neil Gaiman's Sandman.  He'll also be voicing the character of Jiro Horikoshi in the English language release of Hayao Miyazaki's last feature as director, The Wind Rises.  (PS- The resemblance is uncanny!)
• And finally, just for fun, let's revisit the trailer of You've Got Mail which celebrated its 15th anniversary two weeks ago.  Remember dial-up? Or typewriters! Or *sob* bookstores!  Contrasted with 2013's Her in which a character now falls in love with the OS on his phone, the story of two people falling in love over e-mails sounds so old-fashioned, doesn't it?

What I'm Thankful For: Movies Edition

 
1) Gravity: Every year we read dozens of pieces about the decline of cinema and how originality is lost and then a movie like Gravity comes along and shuts everybody up. Splendidly! A story of a veteran and rookie astronaut in space became the ultimate tale of survival in completely foreign and hostile environment.  Oh, and here's where it gets better, the films stars two of Hollywood's best, George Clooney and Sandra Bullock but the movie really belongs to Bullock and Clooney's just the supporting player. Say what? Did I also mention that the film's a neat 90 minutes and features some of the best CGI and 3D work seen in film so far? Gravity, directed by Alfonso Cuaron and written along with his son Jonas, was the definitive film experience for me this year. And even though the wait was long, I'm thankful the end result was completely worth it. 

2) Minions:  If the Dementors from the Harry Potter universe suck all the happiness out of the universe and eventually your soul, think of the Minions as their zany, fun-loving yet inappropriate equivalent.  The scene-stealers from the first Despicable Me are having their moment in the spotlight.  They came back strong in the sequel and will star in their own feature in 2015.  It's a good time to be a Minion, I think.  They bring the smile to your face, at least they do to mine. I would be even more thankful if I had one of them to have around the house.

3) Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them: Speaking of Harry Potter, that J.K. Rowling sure knows how sneak one up on her fans. Fast on the heels of the surprising revelation that she wrote the underrated The Cuckoo's Calling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, she also broke the news that she's writing the script for the new film based on Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them in collaboration with Warner Bros., who are pursuing more films in the Potter universe of magic and wizardry. It was extremely difficult to say goodbye to the books and films so to have this unexpected, bonus surprise, is indeed thankful.

4) The Heat: No movie has made me laugh as much this year than the surprise (to everyone who isn't female) hit of the summer, the Paul Feig directed The Heat, a female buddy cop comedy starring Sandra Bullock (who's really having a stellar year) and Melissa McCarthy. The $159 million plus blockbuster proved that in summer filled with superheroes and zombie flicks, there is room for a well-enacted and, most importantly funny, comedy featuring women to perform well.  It also helps when your lead actresses are as talented as Bullock and McCarthy.  Not only did I have tears of laughter running down my face, my stomach hurt from laughing too much.  These days when the laughs are far and few in life and in movies, I'm thankful for comedies that can deliver.

5) Gone Girl Film Adaptation: No sooner I did finish Gone Girl, the novel, I thought to myself, "This is needs to be a film." Actress Reese Witherspoon bought the rights and I had my fingers crossed as David Fincher as a dream director for this project. And what do you know? Sometimes the universe does listen to you.  The film adaptation of Gone Girl hits theaters next fall and will be highly anticipated as Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Tyler Perry and Neil Patrick Harris join Fincher in bringing the book to the big screen.  I'd like to believe to myself that I wished this one into existence.

Those were some of my thankful moments with film this year.  What were yours?   

JK Rowling and Warner Bros. Team Up for More Movies

This is unexpected news but still thoroughly delightful.  A mere two years after the last Harry Potter film, we fans mourned the end of an era.  We consoled ourselves with the possibility of 'that Scottish book', a rumored Harry Potter encyclopaedia that would reveal all.  Meanwhile, JK Rowling went on to write other novels, last year's A Casual Vacancy and a secret crime novel, The Cuckoo's Calling, published under a pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

Today, Warner Bros. and JK Rowling announced they were teaming up again to bring more movies set in the wizarding world.  This time, JK Rowling is turning screenwriter for the first film based on one of the school books written for charity relief, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. 

Here's what Rowling had to say:

“It all started when Warner Bros. came to me with the suggestion of turning Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them into a film. I thought it was a fun idea, but the idea of seeing Newt Scamander, the supposed author of Fantastic Beasts, realized by another writer was difficult. Having lived for so long in my fictional universe, I feel very protective of it and I already knew a lot about Newt. As hard-core Harry Potter fans will know, I liked him so much that I even married his grandson, Rolf, to one of my favourite characters from the Harry Potter series, Luna Lovegood. As I considered Warners’ proposal, an idea took shape that I couldn’t dislodge. That is how I ended up pitching my own idea for a film to Warner Bros. Although it will be set in the worldwide community of witches and wizards where I was so happy for 17 years, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is neither a prequel nor a sequel to the Harry Potter series, but an extension of the wizarding world. The laws and customs of the hidden magical society will be familiar to anyone who has read the Harry Potter books or seen the films, but Newt’s story will start in New York, 70 years before Harry’s gets underway. I particularly want to thank Kevin Tsujihara of Warner Bros. for his support in this project, which would not have happened without him. I always said that I would only revisit the wizarding world if I had an idea that I was really excited about and this is it.”

 Just think of the possibilities... And now we await for further casting and release details!

"When Harry Left Hogwarts" Documentary

As the last Harry Potter films were being shot over at Leavesden Studios in England, a documentary crew led by Morgan Matthews filmed the cast and crew as they got ready to wrap up the series and say goodbye to the film franchise.  This documentary is available to see on the blu-ray version of the film but for those of you who don't own it (like me!), this is great viewing.  It's very different from the behind-the-scenes featurettes we are used to seeing from the cast and crew.  In fact, this documentary catches many of the actors at their most reflective moods as they ponder what they will do next especially the youngsters.  Have a look see!

What I'm Thankful for this year: Movies Edition

So last year, when I first started my blog, I wrote about what I was thankful for in movies that released that year.  This year, I'd like to continue the tradition; here are a few of the things I'm thankful for this cinematic year!

1) Harry Potter series ending: You'd think I'd be sad about this and while it's true, I am.  I am also thankful that the series saw it through to completion.  There have been many series that didn't see it through to completion (i.e. The Golden Compass) and still others that almost didn't see the end (the Narnia series).  Hats off to Warner Bros. who saw through the series through a whole decade while keeping most of its cast and crew intact.  It is hard to imagine anyone else in the same shoes that the very talented cast of Harry Potter inhabited and even harder to retain the same child cast and watch them grow into adulthood.  Most satisfying though was having JK Rowling's wondrous world and her amazing story of Harry Potter brought to life and being a part of those magical adventures.  It was one goodbye that was hard to say.

2) Christian Bale finally winning an Oscar: If you've read my blog before, you'd know I love the Oscars, the show, the tradition, everything.  What do I like more than anything else is seeing the actors I admire and like winning those same Oscars.  However, it does happen that many of the finest actors haven't yet won Oscar gold.  One such actor overlooked has been Christian Bale.  He has been acting since he was a child, in his debut film, he gave a fearless performance in The Empire of the Sun as young boy left behind in war torn Japan.  This was only the beginning.  Roles such as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho and Bruce Wayne in the Batman series directed by Christopher Nolan have shown us his range.  His extreme weight loss for The Machinist contrasted with the buffed up body for John Connor in Terminator Salvation proves the dedication to any role he is assigned to.  Finally, it was his complete transformation into the character Dicky Eklund in The Fighter was hard to ignore, finally gaining Bale the elusive statuette.  Long overdue, but richly deserved.

3) The Hunger Games trilogy being made into films: As one series ends this year, another one looms over the horizon.  The next big book-to-screen adaptation after Harry Potter and Twilight is The Hunger Games.  It's not as well known in the media as yet but I think that will change once the movie hits theaters next March.  The series is gripping, set in a dystopian world where children fight to the death in a reality show seen by everyone.  The series is off to a great start by picking a good director in Gary Ross (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit) and very talented and appealing young cast featuring Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson.  I became a fan of the series just last year and the books were definitely hard to put down to.  Having watched the first trailer, I'm thankful that the books are being made into films.  I have no doubt they will be amazing.

4) Steven Spielberg still making and inspiring great films: Martin Scorsese may be the greatest living American director but Steven Spielberg is not far behind.  He continues to produce, direct and in the case of Super 8, inspire great cinema with a touch that is uniquely his.  Super 8 is like an open fan letter to the Spielberg films of the 80s which have all been a part of a childhoods and nostalgia.  After a long gap in movies, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was in 2008, he comes out this year with two films, The Adventures of Tintin and War Horse.  Two more including the Lincoln biopic are on the way.  I love how like fine wine, these group of directors, Scorsese, Spielberg and Clint Eastwood are just getting better with age.  We cannot wait.

5) Funny ladies of Bridesmaids: Kirsten Wiig, Maya Rudolph and Melissa McCarthy showed us this year that women can bring the funny.  Yes, women can be funny even while poking fun at their own expense.  The group of women from Bridesmaids put bare to the audience their feelings and insecurities all to comic effect.  I can't remember another film where there were so many laugh out moments.  One good thing that has emerged out of the success of the film has been the promise of more comedy gold from these women.  Maya Rudolph is my favorite character on the new show Up All Night while Kirsten Wiig and Melissa McCarthy have lined up more movie roles that will showcase their talent.  So finally this year, I'm thankful to see a comedy, a supposedly chick flick because it has all women in the lead roles, that appealed to both women and men as funny.

The Best Movies of the Year...so far!

Seven and half months of this year have gone by and while there haven't been any instant successes like Inception last year, there are quite a few movies to talk about.  Keep in mind, I'll be discussing the movies I've seen so far.  There are so many movies pending on my to-see list but I hope to catch up by the end of the year.

So, without further ado...here are the top movies of the year...midway.

1) The Adjustment Bureau - My favorite film so far this year.  I loved Matt Damon and Emily Blunt who totally made us believe in their chemistry and need to be with one another.  Based on a story by Phillip K. Dick, this was masterful storytelling with amazing visuals and great acting.  Another impressive movie by Damon, he CAN do it all.

2) Super 8 - Incredibly nostalgic film about film making and the 80s that totally charmed due to its young cast.  It's not a monster flick at all, it goes much beyond it.  Absolutely loved it.  

3) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2- The final film in an epic storytelling saga that spanned over a decade.  Show me anyone who wasn't moved by the grand spectacle of it all.  It was definitely hard to say goodbye to Harry Potter.

4) Rango - One of the best animated films for adults I have seen.  Loved Johnny Depp's portrayal of insecure and needy iguana Rango who turns out to be a savior/hero of small Westernish town.  This could be the only Western flick this year that worked.

5) Source Code - Sci fi and Jake Gyllenhaal, two of my favorite things in a film, combined.  Second film by director Duncan Jones after his debut Moon that asks what if you could live the final 8 minutes of a person's life.  What would you do?  What would you find out? 

6) Limitless - Yet another thought provoking movie released this year.  What if there was a little clear pill out there somewhere that allowed you to use your brain's fullest potential?  What could you accomplish? What is it that you couldn't do?  This role was absolutely made for Bradley Cooper.

7) Bridesmaids - The feel good female flick of the year! Not really, but it is the funniest.  Kirsten Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne and Melissa McCarthy are absolutely spot on in their portrayal of real women and the way we deal with our friendships.  I laughed until I cried.

8) Kung Fu Panda 2 - Po is back with his awesomeness.  Twice as explosive as the first film, the second film told of the origin story of Po's real parents providing a real emotional touch.  I can't wait to see what happens in the next film in the saga.

9) Rio - While the actual story lacked in several places, the movie will astonish with the different locales it takes you to.  Just kick back, take a seat and go to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in all its animated glory.

10) Trust - Directed by David Schwimmer (yes, Ross from FRIENDS), this is one harrowing look at the dangers of teenagers and cyber chatting.  Emotionally brutal and containing fine performances from actors Catherine Keener, Clive Owen and newcomer Liana Liberato.

A Decade of Being a Harry Potter Fan

Ten years ago, I borrowed a book from a friend.  Well, actually, it was four books, the first four books of the Harry Potter saga and they made me a fan instantaneously.

Sometimes, and this happens very rarely, when you start reading a book and you know from the first chapter in, that this one's going to be good.  This will resonate with you.  There are few books that charm you within the first few pages and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was one such book.  Reading those first pages made me feel as though there was a magical story lying somewhere within the pages and I just had to uncover it.  I actually smiled after I read the first line.

I quickly devoured the four books within a week and was dismayed to discover there was a long wait ahead for the fifth book.  After all, it was only the summer of 2001, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix would not release until the summer of 2003.  What was I to do until then?  I then discovered that Warner Bros. had bought the rights to the books and the movie adaptations were due.  The first of which was releasing November 2001.  Now there was something else to look forward, a visual representation of all I had imagined in my head.

There was a Vanity Fair spread introducing the actors whose names we now know as Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint.  Say hello to Harry, Ron and Hermione! And there have been plenty more photographs and magazine articles devoted to the Hogwarts universe since, but seeing Hogwarts come alive in that first article still stays with me.


The movies lead to anticipation of the posters and trailers all the while wondering, ooh, how will they tackle that scene? Or the Time Turner scenario is going to be tricky to translate onscreen.  There were favorite directors like Alfonso Cuaron who came to the series and left their mark.  The longtime actors and actresses of British cinema who, Time magazine called British royalty, all came to lend their support.  Oscar winners like Maggie Smith and Emma Thompson were signed on to be teachers at Hogwarts while British directors like Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral) and David Yates (State of Play) lead the series as it got more dark and scary.

Even though there were no more books released in the series after 2007, there were still the movies to look forward too.  And when the decision was made to split the final film into two parts, it only prolonged the goodbye.  That was fine by me, I didn't want it to end.  The movies have deepened my affection of the Harry Potter series.  It's wonderful to see as a fan that the filmmakers and actors have put in so much hard work and effort to bring to life the universe and characters created by Jo Rowling.  Unfortunately, though, all good things must come to an end, and we must bid farewell to Harry and his wondrous world for now.  But it shall always remain alive in our hearts.  Thanks for the memories!!

I could never say it as well as Jo Rowling so I'll let her have the last word:

The stories we love best do live in us forever, so whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1

I didn't want to write up a review right after I saw the movie.  This is the penultimate movie in the film series and I wanted to savor the time we fans have left.  It won't be long until July and the final battle and then it'll truly be over.

Well, it's time to stop procrastinating and begin reviewing.  First up, this movie was supposed to release in 3D but due to time constraints and quality concerns released without it.  This gives audiences a chance to watch it without any distractions from 3D and focus on the story.  There's no doubt about it, that this is the most ambitious Potter film by far.  Well, until Part 2 that is.

Watching this film is like one emotional roller coaster, one in which Harry, Ron and Hermione leave behind their families, their school and everything that is safe to hunt down horcruxes to take down Lord Voldemort.  What are horcruxes?  To the knowledgeable Harry Potter fan, they are bits of Tom Riddle's aka Lord Voldemort's soul lodged in objects to prevent him ever dying.

It is then up to Harry and gang to find and destroy them.  But how? This movie, therefore, moves the action from Hogwarts to the Ministry of Magic, to London, to forests and Godric's Hollow and to Malfoy Manor, all in the quest of the horcruxes.  Along the way, the trio discovers another quest: those of the Hallows, the very thing that gives the movie its title.  Old and new characters join us in their journey and to name the whole cast is like a who's who of the British film industry.  But this movie is all Harry, Ron and Hermione.  The focus is entirely on them and their adventures.

For the first time in these movies, both Rupert Grint and Emma Watson outshine Daniel Radcliffe.  Don't  get me wrong, Dan is still very good in this but both Rupert and Emma are so like the characters they play that I almost felt I was watching Ron and Hermione.  A lot of the action and scenes in the movie were very true to the book except for the now infamous and controversial dance scene.  Steve Kloves, no, just no.  I think he was trying to project his version of Harry and Hermione unto the movie and veered off what Jo Rowling had put into the characters.  Let's get this straight, Ron is not Harry and doesn't quite have the smarts of Hermione but he's a Gryffindor and a badass in this film, might I add.  The Silver Doe chapter in the book is my favorite characterization of Ron because it shows how far he's come along since the first book.  He was the one that picked up the sword of Godric Gryffindor and he showed how much his insecurities had tormented him but yet he came back.  Most of all, it shows how strong Harry's and Ron's friendship really is.  That is one of the main reasons why I like the books so much.  Friendship, lifelong friendship, is depicted so well.

I also liked how they ended the movie.  It had a very Empire Strikes back vibe showing Voldemort gaining an upper hand.  But for how long?  I enjoyed this film immensely and that's speaking as a fans.  Yes, I do have minor quibbles which I shall list shortly but it's a fast paced action thriller this film that moves so quickly you won't have time to catch your breath.  In the book, you feel the gloom and doom much more than here.  You don't get much time to react.  Overall, I'd say David Yates has delivered on a very true to canon adventure that keeps us sated until the next part.

Onto the specifics, the minor quibbles from an Harry Potter fan:

• Explaining Bill Weasley's sudden appearance in the Seven Potters sequence when he's been around for most of the action in the books.  Still no sign of Charlie Weasley.  Will we ever see him in the last film or will they pretend there are only 5 Weasley boys.
• Not introducing Dumbledore's backstory or his past with Grindewald.  Felt weird not having Dumbledore around for guidance.  
• The film needed another flashback to James and Lily Potters' death to reinforce Harry's loss.  I'd liked the actual flashback in the book from Voldemort's perspective.  Sad but chilling.  
• Wish there was more on the wedding.   Lots of minor details from the book I had hoped to see.  Maybe as a deleted scene?

And the-that's-exactly-how-I-imagined-it:

• Snape in the beginning at Malfoy Manor, in fact, the whole Death Eaters meeting, was awesome.  The Malfoys and their fall from grace.  Loved how Voldemort snapped off the ornament of Lucius' wand as if it was trivial!
• Ron and Hermione's hands almost touching as they fall asleep at Grimmauld Place.  
• Everyone's reaction as they morph into Harry in the Seven Potters sequence.  Very well done visually.  
• When the trio take Polyjuice Potion and turn into Ministry workers to get back the locket is the best translation from book to screen.  From actual terror to comedy, the three actors who play Harry, Ron and Hermione transformed definitely leave an impact.  

I'm sure I'll remember more but until the next time I see the film again, that's all, folks!

Directed by David Yates; Screenplay by Steve Kloves, based on the novel by J.K. Rowling; Cinematography by Eduardo Serra; Music by Alexandre Desplat; Editing by Mark Day; Production Design by Stuart Craig

Also in the cast: Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon, Robbie Coltrane, Brendan Gleeson,  Bill Nighy, Julie Walters, Helena Bonham Carter, Helen McCrory, Jason Isaacs, Tom Felton, Mark Williams, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Timothy Spall, Richard Griffiths, David Thewlis, Bonnie Wright, Fiona Shaw, Domhnall Gleeson, Clemence Poesy, Natalia Tena, John Hurt, Frances de la Tour, Evanna Lynch, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Lewis, Imelda Staunton, David O'Hara, Steffan Rhodri, Nick Moran, Toby Jones, Sophie Thompson, Nick Moran, Dave Legeno, and Warwick Davis.

Rating:

WB shows off its 2011 slate of movies.

I love this studio, I believe I've said that before.  Warner Brothers is showing off some first looks into their movies up for release next year.  Here are some notable big releases that should interest you.




January 28
The Rite 
Directed by: Mikael Håfström
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Ciarán Hinds, Rutger Hauer, Alice Braga

February 18
Unknown
Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra
Starring: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Quinn

February 25
Hall Pass 
Directed by: Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly
Starring: Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Alyssa Milano, Jenna Fischer, Christina Applegate

March 11
Red Riding Hood 

Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Lukas Haas, Shiloh Fernandez, Julie Christie


March 25
Sucker Punch 
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Starring: Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens, Carla Gugino, Jon Hamm, Jamie Chung, Jena Malone

April 8
Born to be Wild 
Directed by: David Lickley
Narration by Morgan Freeman

April 22
Crazy Stupid Love 
Directed by: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Starring: Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carrell, Julianne Moore, Marisa Tomei, Kevin Bacon
May 26
The Hangover Part II 

Directed by: Todd Phillips
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, Jamie Chung

June 10
Something Borrowed 

Directed by: Luke Greenfield

Starring: Kate Hudson, Ginnifer Goodwin, John Krasinski

June 17
Green Lantern 

Directed by: Martin Campbell
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Mark Strong, Peter Sarsgaard

July 15
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 

Directed by: David Yates
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes

July 29
Horrible Bosses 

Directed by: Seth Gordon
Starring: Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx

August 26
Final Destination 5 
Directed by: Steven Quale
Starring: Nicholas D'Agosto, Emma Bell, David Koechner, Arlen Escarpeta, Tony Todd

September 9
The Apparition 
Directed by: Todd Lincoln
Starring: Tom Felton, Sebastian Stan, Ashley Greene

October 7
Dolphin Tale 
Directed by: Charles Martin Smith
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Nathan Gamble

October 21
Contagion 

Directed by: Steven Soderbergh

Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne

November 18
Happy Feet 2 
Directed by: George Miller
Starring the voices of Elijah Wood, Elizabeth Daily, Sofía Vergara, Robin Williams, Pink, Hank Azaria


December 9
Hugo Cabret
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Chlöe Moretz, Jude Law, Richard Griffiths, Emily Mortimer, Ben Kingsley


New Year's Eve
Directed by: Garry Marshall
Starring: Lea Michele, Robert De Niro, Abigail Breslin, Hilary Swank

December 16
Sherlock Holmes II 

Directed by: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Stephen Fry, Jared Harris, Noomi Rapace

Undated
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island 

Directed by: Brad Peyton

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine, Kristin Davis, Vanessa Hudgens, Josh Hutcherson

The lovely Hi-Res images are courtesy of Comingsoon.net!