By David Weiner
9:50 AM PDT, August 24, 2011
It's back-to-school time and fall is officially around the corner. Here are 12 high-profile movies hitting theaters this fall. Which will create the most Oscar buzz?
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'The Rum Diary' (October 28)
The Cast: Johnny Depp, Aaron Eckhart, Amber Heard, Richard Jenkins, Giovanni Ribisi
The Director: Bruce Robinson (Jennifer 8, Withnail & I)
The Plot: Depp plays Paul Kemp, a struggling writer who works for a run-down newspaper in Puerto Rico. In between gallons of rum and LSD trips, he looks for romance and gets caught up in some local corruption.
The Reason to See It: More than a decade after Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Depp returns to Hunter S. Thompson territory, drinking about as much rum as Jack Sparrow – without the eyeliner.
The Director: Bruce Robinson (Jennifer 8, Withnail & I)
The Plot: Depp plays Paul Kemp, a struggling writer who works for a run-down newspaper in Puerto Rico. In between gallons of rum and LSD trips, he looks for romance and gets caught up in some local corruption.
The Reason to See It: More than a decade after Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Depp returns to Hunter S. Thompson territory, drinking about as much rum as Jack Sparrow – without the eyeliner.
'The Three Musketeers 3D' (October 21)
Summit Entertainment
The Cast: Orlando Bloom, Christoph Waltz, Logan Lerman, Matthew MacFadyen, Ray Stevenson, Luke Evans, Mads Mikkelsen, Milla Jovovich
The Director: Paul W.S. Anderson (Alien vs. Predator, Death Race)
The Plot: D'Artagnan (Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief star Lerman) joins the wily three musketeers -- Athos, Porthos and Aramis (MacFadyen, Stevenson and Evans) -- to prevent the villainous Cardinal Richelieu (Waltz) from seizing the French throne and engulfing Europe in war.
The Reason to See It: It's been a while since we've seen an action-packed update of Alexandre Dumas' classic 17th century adventure, and the time is ripe in the Pirates of the Caribbean era. Plus, we get to see Orlando Bloom ham it up as the Duke of Buckingham, a bad guy that he describes as an arrogant, petulant child. But will the swashbuckling film look any better in 3D?
The Director: Paul W.S. Anderson (Alien vs. Predator, Death Race)
The Plot: D'Artagnan (Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief star Lerman) joins the wily three musketeers -- Athos, Porthos and Aramis (MacFadyen, Stevenson and Evans) -- to prevent the villainous Cardinal Richelieu (Waltz) from seizing the French throne and engulfing Europe in war.
The Reason to See It: It's been a while since we've seen an action-packed update of Alexandre Dumas' classic 17th century adventure, and the time is ripe in the Pirates of the Caribbean era. Plus, we get to see Orlando Bloom ham it up as the Duke of Buckingham, a bad guy that he describes as an arrogant, petulant child. But will the swashbuckling film look any better in 3D?
'Footloose' (October 14)
Paramount Pictures
The Cast: Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Dennis Quaid, Andie MacDowell
The Director: Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow, Black Snake Moan)
The Plot: Ren MacCormack (Wormald) is a Boston transplant who moves to the southern town of Bomont. As he adjusts to the culture shock of small-town America, he learns a jarring rule: Dancing and loud music has been banned ever since a group of teens were tragically killed following a night of partying. As the footloose Ren falls for local girl Ariel (Hough), he challenges the ban and faces off against Ariel's father, the Reverend Shaw Moore (Quaid), in order to bring life back to the repressed community.
The Reason to See It: The '80s dance classic gets a 2011 makeover, and Dancing with the Stars pro Julianne Hough finally gets a major role to show her acting chops. All eyes are also on newcomer Wormald, but we're still waiting for Kevin Bacon's seal of approval.
The Director: Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow, Black Snake Moan)
The Plot: Ren MacCormack (Wormald) is a Boston transplant who moves to the southern town of Bomont. As he adjusts to the culture shock of small-town America, he learns a jarring rule: Dancing and loud music has been banned ever since a group of teens were tragically killed following a night of partying. As the footloose Ren falls for local girl Ariel (Hough), he challenges the ban and faces off against Ariel's father, the Reverend Shaw Moore (Quaid), in order to bring life back to the repressed community.
The Reason to See It: The '80s dance classic gets a 2011 makeover, and Dancing with the Stars pro Julianne Hough finally gets a major role to show her acting chops. All eyes are also on newcomer Wormald, but we're still waiting for Kevin Bacon's seal of approval.
'Real Steel' (October 7)
Dreamworks
The Cast: Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly, Hope Davis, Dakota Goyo
The Director: Shawn Levy (Date Night, Night at the Museum)
The Plot: Jackman plays Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at the title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now a small-time promoter at underground boxing venues, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max (Goyo) to build and train a lean, mean championship contender.
The Reason to See It: Feel-good, futuristic rock 'em sock 'em robots in a Rocky for the PlayStation generation. Any questions?
The Director: Shawn Levy (Date Night, Night at the Museum)
The Plot: Jackman plays Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at the title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now a small-time promoter at underground boxing venues, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max (Goyo) to build and train a lean, mean championship contender.
The Reason to See It: Feel-good, futuristic rock 'em sock 'em robots in a Rocky for the PlayStation generation. Any questions?
'The Ides of March' (October 7)
Sony Pictures
The Cast: George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, Paul Giamatti, Jeffrey Wright, Max Minghella, Evan Rachel Wood
The Director: George Clooney (Good Night, And Good Luck, Leatherheads)
The Plot: During the frantic last days before a heavily contested Ohio presidential primary, an up-and-coming campaign press secretary (Gosling) working for an Oval Office candidate (Clooney) finds himself involved in a political scandal that threatens to upend his candidate's shot at the top.
The Reason to See It: Clooney is a natural as a presidential candidate on the fast track to the Oval Office, but who is the man behind the man? Co-written and directed by Clooney, The Ides of March delves into the challenges and compromises of the staffers who prop up the political façade.
The Director: George Clooney (Good Night, And Good Luck, Leatherheads)
The Plot: During the frantic last days before a heavily contested Ohio presidential primary, an up-and-coming campaign press secretary (Gosling) working for an Oval Office candidate (Clooney) finds himself involved in a political scandal that threatens to upend his candidate's shot at the top.
The Reason to See It: Clooney is a natural as a presidential candidate on the fast track to the Oval Office, but who is the man behind the man? Co-written and directed by Clooney, The Ides of March delves into the challenges and compromises of the staffers who prop up the political façade.
'Dream House' (September 30)
Universal Pictures
The Cast: Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, Naomi Watts, Elias Koteas
The Director: Jim Sheridan (In the Name of the Father, My Left Foot)
The Plot: A couple finds their dream home for their family in a quaint New England town, only to learn that grisly murders were committed against the former residents of the house -- and they may be the killer's next target.
The Reason to See It: Real-life couple Craig and Weisz get to demonstrate their onscreen chemistry as well as off-screen, and director Sheridan interestingly turns his considerable talents towards a mystery-thriller.
The Director: Jim Sheridan (In the Name of the Father, My Left Foot)
The Plot: A couple finds their dream home for their family in a quaint New England town, only to learn that grisly murders were committed against the former residents of the house -- and they may be the killer's next target.
The Reason to See It: Real-life couple Craig and Weisz get to demonstrate their onscreen chemistry as well as off-screen, and director Sheridan interestingly turns his considerable talents towards a mystery-thriller.
'50/50' (September 30)
Summit Entertainment
The Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anjelica Huston
The Director: Jonathan Levine (The Wackness)
The Plot: Gordon-Levitt and Rogen play Adam and Kyle, best friends whose lives are changed by Adam's unexpected cancer diagnosis. Searching for optimism after the doctor's diagnosis gives Adam a 50/50 chance of survival, the two set out to beat the odds, avoid a nervous breakdown, meet women and live life to the fullest.
The Reason to See It: Can Gordon-Levitt and Rogen find comedy in cancer? The film was written by Rogen's best bud, Da Ali G Show associate producer Will Reiser, based on his personal experience. Rogen says, "As shocking, sad, confusing and generally screwed up as it was, we couldn't ignore that because we were so ill-equipped to deal with the situation, funny things kept happening. Will got better, and when he did, we thought the best way to pull something good out of the situation was to get him to write a screenplay. Ideally we wanted to make a film that would be as funny, sad, and hopefully as honest as the experience we went through."
The Director: Jonathan Levine (The Wackness)
The Plot: Gordon-Levitt and Rogen play Adam and Kyle, best friends whose lives are changed by Adam's unexpected cancer diagnosis. Searching for optimism after the doctor's diagnosis gives Adam a 50/50 chance of survival, the two set out to beat the odds, avoid a nervous breakdown, meet women and live life to the fullest.
The Reason to See It: Can Gordon-Levitt and Rogen find comedy in cancer? The film was written by Rogen's best bud, Da Ali G Show associate producer Will Reiser, based on his personal experience. Rogen says, "As shocking, sad, confusing and generally screwed up as it was, we couldn't ignore that because we were so ill-equipped to deal with the situation, funny things kept happening. Will got better, and when he did, we thought the best way to pull something good out of the situation was to get him to write a screenplay. Ideally we wanted to make a film that would be as funny, sad, and hopefully as honest as the experience we went through."
'Abduction' (September 23)
Lionsgate
The Cast: Taylor Lautner, Lily Collins, Maria Bello, Alfred Molina, Jason Isaacs, Sigourney Weaver
The Director: John Singleton (Shaft, Boyz n the Hood)
The Plot: What if you discovered your whole life was a lie? Lautner plays a high school senior who catches a picture of himself on a missing-persons website. Then, after his parents are killed by assassins, he sets out to learn his true identity -- by any means necessary.
The Reason to See It: The Twilight six-packer finally carries his first film, an intense action-thriller that gives the star an opportunity to kick box, slide down hills, jump out of exploding houses and more. The film also marks a coming out of sorts for Collins, the unexpectedly beautiful daughter of rocker Phil Collins.
The Director: John Singleton (Shaft, Boyz n the Hood)
The Plot: What if you discovered your whole life was a lie? Lautner plays a high school senior who catches a picture of himself on a missing-persons website. Then, after his parents are killed by assassins, he sets out to learn his true identity -- by any means necessary.
The Reason to See It: The Twilight six-packer finally carries his first film, an intense action-thriller that gives the star an opportunity to kick box, slide down hills, jump out of exploding houses and more. The film also marks a coming out of sorts for Collins, the unexpectedly beautiful daughter of rocker Phil Collins.
'Moneyball' (September 23)
Columbia Pictures
The Cast: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright
The Director: Bennett Miller (Capote)
The Plot: Based on a true story, Brad plays Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A's who attempts to turn around the baseball team's fortunes despite a meager budget. With the help of a clever Ivy League grad's (Hill) uncanny grasp of statistics, Beane tries to buck the system by packing the roster with inexpensive-but-effective choices -- all of whom have an ability to get on base, score runs, and win games.
The Reason to See It: There's no crying in baseball! Pitt turns on the charm as he tries to turn an underdog Major League team into winners on a budget, and Hill steps up to the plate to take a swing in the acting big leagues. But perhaps the real reason to watch is due to the smart script by Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) and Steven Zaillian (Searching for Bobby Fischer).
The Director: Bennett Miller (Capote)
The Plot: Based on a true story, Brad plays Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A's who attempts to turn around the baseball team's fortunes despite a meager budget. With the help of a clever Ivy League grad's (Hill) uncanny grasp of statistics, Beane tries to buck the system by packing the roster with inexpensive-but-effective choices -- all of whom have an ability to get on base, score runs, and win games.
The Reason to See It: There's no crying in baseball! Pitt turns on the charm as he tries to turn an underdog Major League team into winners on a budget, and Hill steps up to the plate to take a swing in the acting big leagues. But perhaps the real reason to watch is due to the smart script by Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) and Steven Zaillian (Searching for Bobby Fischer).
'Drive' (September 16)
FilmDistrict
The Cast: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman, Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks
The Director: Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson, Valhalla Rising)
The Plot: Gosling plays a Hollywood stunt driver who moonlights as a wheel man for unsavory types, only to discover that a contract has been put on him after a heist goes wrong.
The Reason to See It: Something for both the men and the ladies: Gosling gets to flex his action-hero muscles and lead foot in this smart, high-octane thriller, but there's also the softer, romantic side of the star on display here.
The Director: Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson, Valhalla Rising)
The Plot: Gosling plays a Hollywood stunt driver who moonlights as a wheel man for unsavory types, only to discover that a contract has been put on him after a heist goes wrong.
The Reason to See It: Something for both the men and the ladies: Gosling gets to flex his action-hero muscles and lead foot in this smart, high-octane thriller, but there's also the softer, romantic side of the star on display here.
'Warrior' (September 9)
Lionsgate
The Cast: Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Nick Nolte, Noah Emmerich, Jennifer Morrison
The Director: Gavin O'Connor (Miracle, Pride and Glory)
The Plot: An ex-marine trains with his alcoholic father to fight for the biggest prize ever in a mixed martial arts tournament, only to find himself having to step into the octagon with his estranged brother -- and confront the forces that tore them apart.
The Reason to See It: In the spirit of Rocky, The Fighter and The Wrestler, mixed martial arts finally gets its due with this emotional story of two brothers going mano a mano. Viewers also get to see the broad acting range of next big thing Brit star Tom Hardy (Inception, The Dark Knight Rises), while Animal Kingdom Aussie star Edgerton finally gets his wider audience.
The Director: Gavin O'Connor (Miracle, Pride and Glory)
The Plot: An ex-marine trains with his alcoholic father to fight for the biggest prize ever in a mixed martial arts tournament, only to find himself having to step into the octagon with his estranged brother -- and confront the forces that tore them apart.
The Reason to See It: In the spirit of Rocky, The Fighter and The Wrestler, mixed martial arts finally gets its due with this emotional story of two brothers going mano a mano. Viewers also get to see the broad acting range of next big thing Brit star Tom Hardy (Inception, The Dark Knight Rises), while Animal Kingdom Aussie star Edgerton finally gets his wider audience.
'Contagion' (September 9)
Warner Bros.
The Cast: Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Laurence Fishburne, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Bryan Cranston, Marion Cotillard.
The Director: Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Ocean's Eleven)
The Plot: Matt and Gwyneth play everyday parents whose lives are forever changed when Gwyneth contracts a lethal airborne virus. As the fast-moving pandemic grows, the worldwide medical community races to find a cure and control the panic that spreads faster than the virus itself.
The Reason to See It: It's been 16 years since Outbreak beat out the bestseller The Hot Zone into theaters, scaring the bejeezus out of filmgoers and prompting people to wash their hands thoroughly 20 times a day. Contagion's got an A-list cast in the viral line of fire, plus a cool international feel, shot on locations around the world including Hong Kong, Macao, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, Abu Dhabi, London and Geneva.
The Director: Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Ocean's Eleven)
The Plot: Matt and Gwyneth play everyday parents whose lives are forever changed when Gwyneth contracts a lethal airborne virus. As the fast-moving pandemic grows, the worldwide medical community races to find a cure and control the panic that spreads faster than the virus itself.
The Reason to See It: It's been 16 years since Outbreak beat out the bestseller The Hot Zone into theaters, scaring the bejeezus out of filmgoers and prompting people to wash their hands thoroughly 20 times a day. Contagion's got an A-list cast in the viral line of fire, plus a cool international feel, shot on locations around the world including Hong Kong, Macao, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, Abu Dhabi, London and Geneva.
Fall Movie Preview: 12 To Watch For
Sony Pictures
It's back-to-school time and fall is officially around the corner. Here are 12 high-profile movies hitting theaters this fall. Which will create the most Oscar buzz?