Projecting the year at the movies

Adventure

The Adventures of Shark Boy & Lava Girl in 3D. A lonely 10-year-old dreams up two imaginary friends -- a part-Great White boy and a girl with flaming hair and hands that melt everything she touches -- who lead him on a journey in Robert Rodriguez’s wild tale. Cayden Boyd, George Lopez and Kristin Davis star. Dimension Films, June 10.

The Brothers Grimm. Terry Gilliam’s take on the dark German fairy tales features Heath Ledger and Matt Damon as the siblings who travel from village to village hoaxing the townsfolk. Monica Bellucci also stars. Dimension Films, Nov. 23.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. “Shrek” co-director Andrew Adamson makes his live-action debut with this adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ literary classic about the adventures of four English siblings in a magical land. Tilda Swinton and Jim Broadbent star. Walt Disney Pictures, Dec. 9.

Duma. A young boy crosses southern Africa to return a cheetah to its home in the wild. Alexander Michaletos, Campbell Scott and Hope Davis star. Directed by Carroll Ballard. Warner Bros., spring.

The Fountain. One man travels through time as a 16th century conquistador, a modern-day scientist and a 26th century astronaut, all to save the woman he loves. Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz and Ellen Burstyn star. Warner Bros., fall/holiday.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Director Mike Newell takes the helm for the fourth entry in the J.K. Rowling series as Harry (Daniel Radcliffe, above, with Emma Watson) is surprisingly selected to take part in a prestigious international wizarding tournament and must also land a date for Hogwarts’ Yule Ball dance. Ralph Fiennes comes aboard as nefarious Lord Voldemort. Warner Bros., Nov. 18.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Douglas Adams’ popular novel about a regular guy who embarks on a great adventure when the world comes to an end. Martin Freeman, Sam Rockwell, Mos Def and Zooey Deschanel star. Directed by Garth Jennings. Walt Disney Pictures, May 6.

King Kong. Peter Jackson follows up his “Lord of the Rings” trilogy with this remake of the 1933 classic about a gigantic ape running amok on Skull Island. Naomi Watts, Jack Black and Adrien Brody star. Universal Pictures, Dec. 14.

The Legend of Zorro. Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta-Jones and director Martin Campbell reunite for this sequel in which the masked man’s promise to his wife to give up his secret identity is threatened by dark forces. Columbia Pictures, Nov. 4.

The New World. Filmmaker Terrence Malick creates a romantic epic from the Pocahontas legend set amid the clash of European and Native American cultures in 1607 Jamestown. Colin Farrell, Christian Bale and Q’orianka Kilcher star. New Line Cinema, Nov. 9.

Sahara. Matthew McConaughey stars as author Clive Cussler’s intrepid explorer Dirk Pitt, who treasure-hunts for a long-lost Civil War battleship in dangerous West Africa. Steve Zahn and Penelope Cruz also star. Directed by Breck Eisner. Paramount Pictures, March 25.

Serenity. TV writer-producer Joss Whedon (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) makes his feature directing debut with the movie version of his sci-fi series “Firefly” about a group of galactic outcasts 500 years into the future. Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin and Chiwetel Ejiofor star. Universal Pictures, Sept. 30.

The Sisterhood of Traveling Pants. Four teenage girls vow to stay in touch forever through a pair of magic jeans. America Ferrara, Amber Tamblyn(above left and right), Blake Lively and Alexis Bledel star. Directed by Ken Kwapis. Warner Bros., May.

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. George Lucas wraps up the trilogy as Obi-Wan pursues a renegade droid leader and Anakin Skywalker is drawn to the dark side. Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman return. Fox, May 19.

Zathura. Jon Favreau directs this adaptation of the book by Chris Van Allsburg (“The Polar Express”) about two brothers who are launched into deep space while playing a game they find in their basement. With Jonah Bobo, Josh Hutcherson, Tim Robbins. Columbia Pictures, Nov. 23.

*

Action

Aeon Flux. The futuristic MTV animated series goes live action with Charlize Theron as the top operative of the underground rebellion. Frances McDormand co-stars. Directed by Karyn Kusama (“Girlfight”). Paramount Pictures, TBA.

Assault on Precinct 13. Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishburne star in this remake of the 1976 John Carpenter movie about a Detroit police station under siege on New Year’s Eve. Directed by Jean-Francois Richet. Rogue Pictures, Wednesday.

The Big Red One: Reconstruction. Samuel Fuller’s 1980 combat film, starring Lee Marvin as a battle-weary sergeant, is back with 40 minutes restored based on the director’s original shooting script and notes. Mark Hamill co-stars. Warner Bros., Friday.

Domino. Tony Scott directs Keira Knightley as the daughter of actor Laurence Harvey, a former model who rejected her Hollywood lifestyle to become a bounty hunter. New Line, TBA.

Doom. The movie version of the popular computer game is a science-fiction adventure set in the distant future. Starring Karl Urban and the Rock. Directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak (“Cradle 2 the Grave”). Universal Pictures, Aug. 5.

Fantastic Four. Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch and Thing are the latest comic-book heroes to move to the big screen. Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis star. Directed by Tim Story (“Barbershop”). Fox, July 1.

The Great Raid. The U.S. Army’s 6th Ranger Battalion attempts to rescue 500 prisoners of war in the Philippines during World War II. Benjamin Bratt and James Franco star. Directed by John Dahl. Miramax, Dec. 2.

Hostage. Bruce Willis plays a former L.A. hostage negotiator whose peaceful tour as a small-town police chief is interrupted by a dangerously complex situation requiring his expertise. Directed by Florent Emilio Siri. Miramax, March.

Into the Blue. Four young divers discover a famous shipwreck believed to hold millions in gold only to be thwarted by a nearby plane wreck full of illegal cargo. Paul Walker and Jessica Alba star and look good in swimsuits. Directed by John Stockwell (“Blue Crush”). MGM, July 15.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Million-dollar screenwriter Shane Black (“Lethal Weapon”) directed this yarn about a petty thief who gets a taste of Hollywood and a murder investigation. Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer (above left and right) and Michelle Monaghan star. Warner Bros., summer.

The Lords of Dogtown. Fictionalized version of Stacy Peralta’s documentary “Dogtown and Z-Boys,” about the nascent skateboard culture in 1970s Venice. Heath Ledger, Johnny Knoxville and Emile Hirsch star. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke (“Thirteen”). TriStar Pictures, June 10.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Married assassins played by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (above) are unaware of each other’s vocation until they receive orders to kill each other. Directed by Doug Liman (“The Bourne Identity”). Fox, June 10.

Old Boy. After being framed for his wife’s murder by an unknown enemy and imprisoned for 15 years, a Seoul businessman sets out to unravel the mystery. Winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2004. Directed by Park Chan-Wook. Tartan Films, March.

Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior. Tony Jaa stars as the defender of a rural village who is called upon to retrieve the stolen head of the town’s Buddha statue. Directed by Prachya Pinkaew. Magnolia Pictures, Feb. 11.

Unleashed. Jet Li stars as a man raised by the mob to be a killing machine who forsakes that life and takes up with the family of a blind piano tuner. Bob Hoskins and Morgan Freeman also star. Directed by Louis Leterrier (“The Transporter”). Rogue Pictures, April 8.

V for Vendetta. In a totalitarian Britain of the future, a mystery man incites a revolution with the help of a seemingly mild-mannered woman. Directed by James McTeigue. Warner Bros., TBA.

XXX: State of the Union. An NSA agent (Samuel L. Jackson) taps another outside recruit (Ice Cube) to track down a renegade military group in this sequel. Willem Dafoe co-stars. Directed by Lee Tamahori. Columbia Pictures, April 29.

Zu Warriors. Producer-director-writer Tsui Hark (“Once Upon a Time in China”) teams with martial arts director Yuen Wo-Ping (“The Matrix,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”) and star Ziyi Zhang in a Hong Kong action yarn. Miramax Films, Aug. 19.

*

Drama

All the King’s Men. Steven Zaillian adapted and directs Robert Penn Warren’s classic novel, previously filmed in 1949, about a beguilingly

powerful Southern political boss. Sean Penn, Jude Law and Kate Winslet head an

impressive cast. Columbia Pictures, TBA.

American Gun. Intertwining stories reflect the impact the propagation of firearms has on U.S. society. With Donald Sutherland, Forest Whitaker and Marcia Gay Harden. Directed by Aric Avelino. IFC Films, Fall.

Annapolis. A blue-collar kid (James Franco) aims to become both an officer and a gentleman through a Naval Academy boxing competition. With Tyrese Gibson and Jordana Brewster. Directed by Justin Lin (“Better Luck Tomorrow”). Touchstone Pictures, TBA.

The Ballad of Jack and Rose. Rebecca Miller directs her husband, Daniel Day-Lewis, in this story about a single father who brings his lover and her two sons to live with him and his teenage daughter on a secluded island in the Pacific Northwest. Catherine Keener and Camilla Belle co-star. IFC Films, March 25.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. Two urban teens are sent to a rural mountain region for reeducation toward the end of China’s cultural revolution and both fall in love with the local tailor’s daughter. With Xun Zhou, Kun Chen and Ye Liu. Directed by Dai Sijie. Empire Pictures, April 22.

Beautiful Boxer. A Thai kickboxing champ believes he’s a female trapped in a man’s body and fights to earn the money for a sex-change operation. Asanee Suwan stars. Directed by Ekachai Uekrongtham. here!/Regent Releasing, Feb. 18.

Beautiful Country. A Vietnamese American boy heads for a new life when he stows away on an America-bound ship. Nick Nolte and Bai Ling star. Directed by Hans Petter Molland (“Aberdeen”). Sony Pictures Classics, May 13.

Because of Winn-Dixie. A lonely young girl names her new dog after the supermarket where she found him. With AnnaSophia Robb and Jeff Daniels. Directed by Wayne Wang. Fox, Feb. 18.

Bee Season. An unexpected win in a spelling bee thrusts a young girl (Flora Cross, above, with Richard Gere) into a national competition that threatens her family’s delicate equilibrium. Juliette Binoche also stars. Directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel (“The Deep End”). Fox Searchlight, TBA.

The Best of Youth. Four decades in the lives of two Italian brothers, one of whom becomes a psychiatrist while the other joins the police force. With Luigi Lo Cascio, Alessio Boni and Adriana Asti. Directed by Marco Tullio Giordana. Miramax Films, March 2.

Bomb the System. A graffiti artist (Mark Webber), newly out of high school, draws equal attention from the NYPD and the art gallery scene. Jaclyn Desantis and Jade Yorker co-star. Directed by Adam Bhala Lough. Palm Pictures, April 8.

Brokeback Mountain. Ang Lee films Anne Proulx’s short story about a ranchhand and a cowboy who fall in love in 1961. Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger star. Focus Features, fall.

Brothers. A Danish soldier and family man welcomes back his ex-con sibling before being deployed to Afghanistan. Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Connie Nielsen and Ulrich Thomsen star. Directed by Susanne Bier (“Open Hearts”). IFC Films, July.

Capote. Author Truman Capote (Philip Seymour Hoffman), with pal Harper Lee (Catherine Keener) along for company, travels to Kansas to research his nonfiction bestseller, “In Cold Blood.” Directed by Bennett Miller (“The Cruise”). United Artists, TBA.

Caterina in the Big City (Caterina va in Citta). Paolo Virzi’s coming-of-age story about a 15-year-old (Alice Teghil) who moves with her neurotic teacher father (Sergio Castellitto) and long-suffering mother from the provinces to Rome and experiences major culture shock. Empire Pictures, Feb. 25.

Clean. Maggie Cheung plays a drug addict who moves to Paris to straighten out her life after her fading rock-star husband overdoses. With Nick Nolte, Martha Henry and Beatrice Dalle. Directed by Olivier Assayas (“Irma Vep”). Palm Pictures, September.

Crash. Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon and Thandie Newton (the latter two above) are among the Angelenos who collide over a 36-hour period during which racial and cultural frictions surface. “Million Dollar Baby” screenwriter Paul Haggis directed. Lions Gate Films, April 29.

Cronicas. John Leguizamo stars as a Miami TV reporter who pushes journalistic boundaries while pursuing a pedophile serial killer in a small town in Ecuador. Leonor Watling co-stars. Written and directed by Sebastian Cordero. Palm Pictures, May 27.

Daybreak. Three characters -- a surgeon’s wife, a woman whose husband ditched her for someone young and a bricklayer -- arrive at critical junctures in their lives. Pernilla August, Ann Petren and Magnus Krepper star. Directed by Bjorn Runge. Newmarket Films, TBA.

Dear Frankie. Emily Mortimer plays a mother who writes her son letters to keep him from learning the truth about his nonexistent father. With Gerard Butler and Jack McElhone. Directed by Shona Auerbach. Miramax Films, March 4.

Diary of a Mad Black Woman Kimberly Elise (above) stars in the title role, piecing her life together after her successful Atlanta attorney husband tosses her out of their mansion for another woman. With Steve Harris, Shemar Moore, Lisa Marcos, Cicely Tyson and Tyler Perry, who adapted his play. Directed by Darren Grant. Lions Gate Films, Feb. 18.

Dolls. Takeshi Kitano directed this film featuring three contemporary tales of lost love inspired by the emotions evoked by the beautiful dolls of Bunraku theater. With Miho Kanno, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Tatsuya Mihashi and Chieko Matsubara. Palm Pictures, Jan. 21.

Don’t Come Knocking. An aging cowboy actor (Sam Shepard) rides off the set of his latest movie and onto a path that takes him through his past. With Jessica Lange, Sarah Polley and Gabriel Mann. Directed by Wim Wenders. Sony Pictures Classics, fall.

Don’t Move. Sergio Castellitto directed and stars as an Italian surgeon who contemplates his life while his daughter lies in a coma. With Penelope Cruz and Claudia Gerini. Northern Arts Entertainment, March.

dot the i. Gael Garcia Bernal stars in his first English-language role as a Brazilian actor who upsets the wedding plans of a young Spanish flamenco dancer living in London. With Natalia Verbeke and James D’Arcy. Directed by Matthew Parkhill. Summit Entertainment, March 11.

Downfall. The final days in Hilter’s bunker are dramatized as Germany falls and the Soviet Army marches on Berlin. Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara and Corinna Harfouch star. Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel (“Das Experiment”). Newmarket Films, late February.

Emile. Ian McKellen plays an elderly Englishman who travels to Canada to receive an honorary degree and repair a tragic past. Deborah Kara Unger also stars. Directed by Carl Bessai. Castle Hill Productions, Feb. 4.

Eros. Wong Kar-Wai, Steven Soderbergh and Michelangelo Antonioni each contribute films to this anthology about eroticism and desire. Gong Li and Robert Downey Jr. star. Warner Independent Pictures, April 8

L’Esquive. A subdued teen in a Paris suburb is compelled to join the school play when he falls in love with one of the actresses. With Osman Elkharraz and Sara Forestier. Directed by Abdellatif Kechiche. New Yorker Films, July.

Everything Is Illuminated. Liev Schreiber adapted Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel and makes his feature directing debut with a film about a young Jewish American (Elijah Wood) trying to locate the woman who saved his grandfather’s life during World War II. With Eugene Hutz and Boris Leskin. Warner Independent Pictures, Aug. 12.

Face. Traditional values come into conflict with contemporary dreams for three generations of Chinese American women in Queens. With Bai Ling, Kristy Wu and Kieu Chinh. Written and directed by Bertha Bay-Sa Pan. Indican Pictures, Feb. 25.

Fierce People. Working-class mom Diane Lane and teenage son Anton Yelchin move to a country club suburb and into conflict with the natives. Donald Sutherland co-stars. Directed by Griffin Dunne (“Addicted to Love”). Lions Gate Films, TBA.

Four Brothers. Mark Wahlberg stars in this saga of brothers out to avenge the death of their mother. Directed by John Singleton. Paramount Pictures, TBA.

God’s Sandbox. An Israeli author hears a remarkably romantic tale from a Bedouin storyteller that transforms her. With Meital Duan, Juliano Merr and Orly Patel. Directed by Doron Eran. Indican Pictures, April 15.

Hardcore. Working as prostitutes in Athens, two 16-year-old Greek girls form a bond that leads to brutal violence. Directed by Dennis Illiadis. Strand Releasing, July.

Harry and Max. The relationship between two teen-idol brothers enters taboo territory as they deal with their fractured family in Christopher Munch’s (“The Sleepy Time Gal”) film. Bryce Johnson, Cole Williams and Rain Phoenix star. TLA Releasing, Feb. 4.

Head-On

Fatih Akin’s love story about a marriage of convenience between two Turks living in Hamburg explores cultural issues and won the Golden Bear at last year’s Berlin International Film Festival. Birol Unel and Sibel Kekilli (shown here) star. Strand Releasing, Jan. 28.

Heights. Five New Yorkers cross paths on a fall day, causing them to reevaluate their lives. Elizabeth Banks, Glenn Close, James Marsden and Jesse Bradford star. Directed by Chris Terrio. Sony Pictures Classics, June 10.

A Hole in My Heart. Swedish filmmaker Lukas Moodysson (“Show Me Love”) focuses

on a tiny apartment where a forlorn teen hides out in his room while his father makes amateur porn in the living room. With Bjorn Almroth, Sanna Brading and Thorsten Flinck. Newmarket Films, TBA.

House of D. David Duchovny directed and stars as a middle-aged artist living in Paris who reflects back 30 years on his Greenwich Village youth and confronts the choices that shaped his life. With Anton Yelchin and Tea Leoni. Lions Gate Films, April 15.

In My Country. U.S. journalist Samuel L. Jackson travels to South Africa in 1995 to report on that nation’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings on the abuses of apartheid and becomes involved with a radio correspondent. With Juliette Binoche and Brendan Gleeson. Directed by John Boorman. Sony Pictures Classics, March 4.

In Your Hands. The faith of the new chaplain at a Danish women’s prison is tested by an enigmatic inmate’s predictions. With Ann Eleonora Jorgensen, Trine Dyrholm and Sarah Boberg. Directed by Annette K. Olesen. Newmarket Films, TBA.

Jarhead. Sam Mendes’ third feature stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard and follows a third-generation enlistee from boot camp to active duty in the Persian Gulf War. Jamie Foxx also stars. Universal Pictures, Nov. 11.

Julie Johnson. A dissatisfied New Jersey housewife (Lili Taylor) discovers there is more to her than she or anyone around her expects. Courtney Love and Spalding Gray co-star. Directed by Bob Gosse (“Niagara, Niagara”). here!/Regent Releasing, April.

Kings and Queens. Filmmaker Arnaud Desplechin (“My Sex Life”) contrasts the darkly comic story of a man abruptly transported to a mental institution and his wife’s somber tale of her father’s protracted death until the two collide. Mathieu Almaric, Emmanuelle Devos and Catherine Deneuve star. Wellspring, May 6.

Lila Says (Lila dit ca). A coy 16-year-old explores her sexuality by seducing a shy young poet in her predominantly Arab neighborhood. Vahina Giocante and Mohammed Khouas star. Directed by Ziad Doueiri. IDP/Samuel Goldwyn Films, summer.

Look at Me. Agnes Jaoui (“The Taste of Others”) directed and stars in the story of a singing teacher, her writer husband, her angry pupil and the pupil’s father, an esteemed author. With Marilou Berry (above, with Jaoui), Jean-Pierre Bacri and Laurent Grevill. Sony Pictures Classics, April 1.

Lucky You. Eric Bana stars as a professional gambler who meets a struggling singer and faces his estranged father at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Directed by Curtis Hanson. Warner Bros., fall/holiday.

Ma Mere. Isabelle Huppert stars as a woman who initiates her son into a world of debauchery following the death of her unfaithful husband. Louis Garrel, Joana Preiss and Emma de Caunes co-star. Directed by Christophe Honore. TLA Releasing, May.

Machuca. Writer-director Andres Woods drew on his own experiences of growing up in Chile under Salvador Allende for this story of the dissolution of a wealthy Santiago family while the country crumbles. Matias Quer, Ernesto Malbran and Ariel Mateluna star. Menemsha Films, Feb. 18.

Me and You and Everyone We Knew. A lonely shoe salesman (John Hawkes), feeling cut off from his family, drives them further away by committing an act of desperation. Miranda July directed and co-stars. IFC Films, Summer.

Milk and Honey. The life of a troubled stockbroker begins to crash after his wife humiliates him at a party. Clint Jordan and Kirsten Russell star. Directed by Joe Maggio (“Virgil Bliss”). Wellspring, TBA.

Monsieur N. Speculative story examines Napoleon Bonaparte’s fate following his exile after the notorious defeat at Waterloo. Philippe Torreton stars. Directed by Antoine de Caunes. Empire Pictures, Feb.

My Mother’s Smile. The Church’s desire to canonize an Italian children’s book illustrator’s mother challenges his position as an atheist. Sergio Castellitto, Maurizio Donadoni and Piera Degli Esposti star. Directed by Marco Bellocchio. New Yorker Films, Feb. 11.

My Summer of Love. Two 16-year-olds (Emily Blunt and Natalie Press) in Yorkshire develop a mutual attraction despite their differences in background and appearance. With Paddy Considine. Directed by Pawel Pawlikowski (“Last Resort”). Focus Features, June 17.

Mysterious Skin. Greg Araki (“The Doom Generation”) directed this film about two young men, one who thinks he experienced an alien abduction as a boy, the other a cynical gay hustler, whose paths cross as they search for the truth. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Brady Corbet and Michelle Trachtenberg star. Tartan Films, May.

Nathalie. Fanny Ardant, Gerard Depardieu and Emmanuelle Beart star in director Anne Fontaine’s story about a woman who hires a prostitute to seduce her unfaithful husband and report back the sordid details. Wellspring, March.

9 Songs. Michael Winterbottom (“24 Hour Party People”) intercuts the passion of a sexually explicit love affair with the nine concerts the couple attend. Kieran O’Brien and Margot Stilley star. The bands include the Von Bondies and Franz Ferdinand. Tartan Films, July 22.

Nobody Knows. Four Japanese children are abandoned by their immature mother and, led by their 12-year-old brother, pull together to create their own methods of survival. With You, Yuya Yagira and Ayu Kitaura. Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda (“After Life”). IFC Films, Feb. 11.

Off the Map. An eccentric New Mexico family experiences a critical season in their lives, including a visit from a tentative IRS agent. Joan Allen, Sam Elliot, Valentina de Angelis and Jim True-Frost star. Directed by Campbell Scott. Manhattan Pictures, March 11.

Palindromes. Provocative writer-director Todd Solondz picks up with Dawn Wiener’s (“Welcome to the Dollhouse”) 13-year-old cousin (played by eight different actors) wanting to have a baby. Ellen Barkin, Richard Masur and Jennifer Jason Leigh star. Wellspring, April.

The Passenger. Jack Nicholson and Maria Schneider star in Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1975 film about a television reporter who switches identities with a dead man while in North Africa on assignment. Sony Pictures Classics, holiday.

Poster Boy. Away at college and reveling in his sexual liberty, the gay son of a conservative U.S. senator becomes potential fodder for a gay activist. Matt Newton, Jack Noseworthy, Michael Lerner and Karen Allen star. here!/Regent Releasing, Sept. 16.

Pride and Prejudice. Keira Knightley stars in this adaptation of the Jane Austen classic as a headstrong young woman who butts heads with the indomitable Mr. Darcy. Directed by Joe Wright. Focus Features, Fall.

Primo Amore. An Italian man longs for his dream woman, but when he meets her his obsession turns dark. With Vitaliano Trevisan and Michela Cescon. Directed by Matteo Garrone. Strand Releasing, March/April.

The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio. Playwright Jane Anderson makes her feature film directing debut with this tale of an enterprising 1950s housewife (Julianne Moore) who enters jingle contests to make ends meet. Woody Harrelson and Laura Dern co-star. DreamWorks, Fall.

Proof. The film of David Auburn’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play stars Gwyneth Paltrow (above, with Anthony Hopkins) as the troubled daughter of a mathematical genius (Hopkins) who suffered from mental illness. Jake Gyllenhaal and Hope Davis also star. John Madden (“Shakespeare in Love”) directed. Miramax Films, TBA.

Pure. In a poor section of East London, a 10-year-old boy shoulders the burden of his family, including his mother’s drug addiction, after his father’s death. Harry Eden, Molly Parker and Vinni Hunter star. Directed by Gillies MacKinnon (“Hideous Kinky”). Indican Pictures, March 25.

Roll Bounce. The closing of the local skating rink forces Bow Wow and his buddies to an uptown rink setting up the Roller Jam skate-off. With Chi McBride and Nick Cannon. Directed by Malcolm Lee (“Undercover Brother”). Fox Searchlight, Sept. 16.

Rory O’Shea Was Here. Two severely disabled young Irishmen receive a grant to move out on their own and strive for true independence. James McAvoy, Steven Robertson and Romola Garai star. Directed by Damien O’Donnell (“East Is East”). Focus Features, Feb. 4.

Saraband. Ingmar Bergman catches up with the characters from “Scenes From a Marriage” as Liv Ullman’s reunion with her former husband (Erland Josephson) stirs emotions and reveals complex family bonds. Sony Pictures Classics, July 8.

Schizo. Kazakhstani film about a 15-year-old boy who looks after a dead boxer’s girlfriend and child. Olzhas Nusuppaev and Gulnara Jeralieava star. Directed by Guka Omarova. Picture This!, March.

Sequins. A pregnant teen bonds with an embroiderer who gives her refuge. Lola Naymark and Ariane Ascaride star. Directed by Elenore Faucher. New Yorker Films, March 25.

Step by Step (Un Honnete Commercant). A dissatisfied French tax investigator reaches an agreement with a crime boss. With Benoit Verhaert and Philippe Noiret. Written and directed by Philippe Blasband. Empire Pictures, March 25.

Summer Storm. A young German rower is disturbed by the feelings he has for his best friend and teammate. With Robert Stadlober, Kostja Ullman and Alicja Bachleda-Curus. Directed by Marco Kreuzpainter. here!/Regent Releasing, July 22.

Swimming Upstream. In 1950s Brisbane, a young Australian swimmer strains to earn his father’s affection by training for the Olympics. Geoffrey Rush, Judy Davis and Jesse Spencer star. Directed by Russell Mulcahy (“Highlander”). MGM, Feb. 4.

Take My Eyes. A woman flees into the night to get away from her abusive husband, but she knows he will look for her. Laia Marull and Luis Tosar star. Directed by Iciar Bollain. New Yorker Films, April 22.

3 Dancing Slaves. Three brothers, each at a turning point in his life, must escape their domineering father to reach adulthood. With Nicolas Cazale, Stephane Rideau and Thomas Dumerchez. Directed by Gael Morel. TLA Releasing, July.

3-Iron. Korean director Kim Ki-Duk’s (“Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring”) tale of a nomadic housebreaker and an abused wife who find fleeting happiness together. Jae Hee and Lee Seung-yeon star. Sony Pictures Classics, April 29.

Tony Takitani. A technical illustrator looks to fill the void in his life after tragically losing his couture-loving wife. Issei Ogata stars. Directed by Jun Ichikawa. Strand Releasing, May.

Travellers & Magicians. Buddhist lama Khyentse Norbu, director of the surprise 1999 hit “The Cup,” returns with the first feature ever shot in Bhutan, which weaves parallel tales of two men seeking escape from their banal lives. Zeitgeist Films, Jan. 28.

Tropical Malady. Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s (“Blissfully Yours”) romantic mystery about the love between a soldier and a country boy journeys into magical myth. With Banlop Lomnoi and Sakda Kaewbuadee. Strand Releasing, Spring.

Turtles Can Fly. On the eve of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, an industrious 13-year-old Kurdistani nicknamed “Satellite” organizes minefield clearing and falls for an orphan. With Avaz Latif, Soran Ebrahim and Saddam Hossein Feysal. Directed by Bahman Ghobadi (“A Time for Drunken Horses”). IFC Films, Feb.

Twin Sisters. Siblings are separated and face different fates during World War II, with one sent to Nazi Germany while the other goes

to the Netherlands to live with relatives sheltering

Jews. With Ellen Vogel,

Thekla Reuten, Nadja Uhl, Gudrun Okras. Directed by Ben Sombogaart. Miramax Films, TBA.

Two for the Money. Sports gambling mogul Al Pacino recruits ex-college athlete Matthew McConaughey based on his knack for picking winners. With Rene Russo. Directed by D.J. Caruso (“The Salton Sea”). Universal Pictures, TBA.

An Unfinished Life. The quiet life of a retired rancher (Robert Redford) is interrupted by the arrival of his widowed daughter-in-law (Jennifer Lopez) and a granddaughter he didn’t know existed. With Morgan Freeman and Josh Lucas. Lasse Hallstrom directs. Miramax Films, TBA.

Untitled “Carlito’s Way” Project. Director Michael Bregman turns his attention to the making of the underworld kingpin in this prequel based on Edwin Torres’ novel. Jay Hernandez, Mario Van Peebles and Sean Combs star. Universal Pictures, TBA.

Untitled 50 Cent Project. Irish director Jim Sheridan and 50 Cent make for unusual collaborators in this story based on the rapper’s life about an orphaned street kid who leaves behind the drug trade to pursue a career in music. Paramount Pictures, fall.

Untitled Kurt Russell/Dakota Fanning Project. Devoted father (Russell) sacrifices everything to bring a fallen racehorse back to its former glory. Fanning and Kris Kristofferson also star. Written and directed by John Gatins. DreamWorks, Aug. 5.

Untitled Niki Caro Project. A miner and single mom (Charlize Theron) rallies her female co-workers to fight sexual harassment. With Frances McDormand and Sissy Spacek. Caro (“Whale Rider”) directs. Warner Bros., TBA.

The Upside of Anger

Joan Allen (above, with Kevin Costner) plays a suburban mom raising four daughters whose life becomes more complex when she falls for ballplayer-turned-radio DJ Costner. Written and directed by Mike Binder (“Indian Summer”). New Line Cinema, March 11.

Walk on Water. Israeli director Eytan Fox (“Yossi and Jagger”) follows a deter-

mined Mossad agent assigned to hunt down an aging Nazi war criminal. Lior Ashkenazi, Knut Berger and Caroline Peters star. IDP/Samuel Goldwyn/ Roadside Attractions, March 4.

Walk the Line. Joaquin Phoenix (above, with Reese Witherspoon) stars as the young Man in Black, Johnny Cash, who picked cotton, sold door to door and served in the Air Force, all before the age of 30. With Witherspoon as June Carter. Directed by James Mangold (“Copland”). Fox, Nov. 18.

Way Off Broadway. Five friends navigate the pitfalls of life as young artists in Manhattan. With Morena Baccarin, Forbes March and Jordan Gelber. Written and directed by Dan Kay. Small Planet Pictures, March 18.

The Weather Man. A Chicago TV meteorologist (Nicolas Cage) aims to go national while dealing with a difficult divorce, problems with his kids and an ill father. Michael Caine and Hope Davis co-star. Directed by Gore Verbinski (“Pirates of the Caribbean”). Paramount Pictures, April 1.

The White Countess. James Ivory directs novelist Kazuo Ishiguro’s (“The Remains of the Day”) screenplay about a blind U.S. diplomat in 1930s Shanghai who encounters a Russian refugee working odd jobs to support her late husband’s formerly aristocratic family. Ralph Fiennes, Natasha Richardson, and Vanessa Redgrave star. Sony Pictures Classics, fall.

Winter Solstice. A widowed landscape gardener (Anthony LaPaglia) deals with his sons’ rebellion. Allison Janney, Ron Livingston and Aaron Stanford also star. Written and directed by Josh Sternfeld. Paramount Classics, April 8.

The World. World Park, a gaudy amusement center outside Beijing featuring scale replicas of international monuments, is the setting for this narrative about the lives of the complex’s workers. Directed by Jia Zhang-ke (“Unknown Pleasures”). Zeitgeist Films, TBA.

Yes. Joan Allen stars as a woman who embarks on an exotic affair as a response to her suffocating marriage to adulterous Sam Neill. Written and directed by Sally Potter. With Simon Abkarian. Sony Pictures Classics, June 24.

*

Thriller

Asylum. Natasha Richardson plays a psychiatrist’s wife, drawn to a patient (Marton Csokas) at the institution her husband helps run. Ian McKellen also stars. David Mackenzie directs. Paramount Classics, May/June.

Casshern. Director Kazuaki Kiriya blends anime and manga-inspired live action in this sci-fi thriller set in the mid-21st century after a half-century of chemical, biological and nuclear warfare. Go Fish Pictures, fall.

The Constant Gardener. Ralph Fiennes stars as a British diplomat investigating his activist wife’s murder in this adaptation of the John Le Carre novel. With Rachel Weisz. Directed by Fernando Meirelles (“City of God”). Focus Features, TBA.

Constantine. Keanu Reeves stars as the title character, based on the “Hellblazer” graphic novels about a man who has literally been to hell and back and helps a policewoman investigate her sister’s death. Directed by Francis Lawrence. Warner Bros., Feb. 11.

Eternal. A hard-boiled Montreal vice detective’s fascination with an attractive aristocrat leads him to a bloody trail of women’s bodies. Conrad Pla and Caroline Neron star. Directed by Wilhelm Liebenberg and Federico Sanchez. here!/Regent Releasing, Spring.

Fascination. When his mother remarries shortly after the death of his father, a young man is drawn into a web of deceit involving her new husband’s attractive daughter. Adam Garcia and Jacqueline Bisset star. Directed by Klaus Menzel. MGM, Jan. 28.

Fear X. John Turturro stars as a Wisconsin mall security guard who becomes obsessed with the seemingly random murder of his wife. Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, who co-scripted with novelist Hubert Selby Jr. (“Requiem for a Dream”). Silver Nitrate, Jan. 28.

Flightplan. Jodie Foster (above) portrays a woman who experiences a mother’s worst nightmare when her daughter goes missing during a flight from Berlin to New York and no one will believe that the girl was ever aboard the plane. Directed by Robert Schwentke. Touchstone Pictures, Sept. 30.

Hide & Seek. A widowed dad (Robert De Niro) tries to break through to his daughter (Dakota Fanning), whose creepy, imaginary friend may be all too real. Directed by John Polson (“Swimfan”). Fox, Jan. 28.

A History of Violence. Viggo Mortensen plays a man whose quiet lifestyle is turned upside-down after a bloody incident forces him to return to his secret past to save his family. Directed by David Cronenberg. With Maria Bello, Ed Harris and William Hurt. New Line Cinema, TBA.

The Interpreter. A worker at the U.N. (Nicole Kidman, above with Sean Penn) overhears a death threat against an African head of state and becomes involved in international intrigue. Catherine Keener co-stars. Directed by Sydney Pollack. Universal Pictures, April 22.

The Island. A pair played by Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson plot their escape from a seemingly idyllic facility of the future after discovering that they are clones to be harvested for spare parts. Directed by Michael Bay. DreamWorks, July.

The Jacket. Adrien Brody stars as an amnesiac Gulf War veteran charged with murdering a police officer and confined to a mental institution where he is subjected to an extreme form of treatment. With Keira Knightley and Kris Kristofferson. Directed by John Maybury (“Love Is the Devil”). Warner Independent Pictures, March 4.

Kontroll. The labyrinthine Budapest subway is the setting for a race against time among three people, one of whom is a killer. With Sandor Csanyi, Zoltan Mucsi and Csaba Pindroch. Directed by Nimrod Antal. ThinkFilm, April.

Layer Cake. A meticulous British drug dealer (Daniel Craig) has two tasks to complete before he can retire and break free of the criminal world: find the drug-addicted daughter of a crime boss and negotiate a huge deal with an unstable petty thief who’s in way over his head. Producer Matthew Vaughn (“Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”) makes his directing debut. Sony Pictures Classics, April 15.

Mindhunters. Eight FBI profilers in a remote locale come to realize that one of them is a serial killer. Val Kilmer, Christian Slater and LL Cool J head the cast. Directed by Renny Harlin. Dimension Films, May 13.

Night Watch. The forces of dark and light face off in this adaptation of the first of Sergei Lukyanenko’s sci-fi trilogy set in contemporary Moscow. Directed by Timour Bekmambetov. Fox Searchlight, TBA.

November. An L.A. photographer (Courteney Cox Arquette) tries to move beyond the murder of her boyfriend in a grocery-store holdup. Directed by Greg Harrison (“Groove”). Sony Pictures Classics, July 22.

Nowhere Man. After discovering his fiancee’s porn-star past, a distraught man cuts short the engagement -- but she exacts a really painful revenge. Michael Rodrick and Debbie Rochon star. Directed by Tim McCann (“Revolution #9”). First Run Features, March 11.

The Other Side of the Street. Fernanda Montenegro stars as an elderly Brazilian woman who believes she witnessed a murder in her neighborhood and proceeds to get involved with the suspect. Directed by “Central Station” screenwriter Marcos Bernstein. Strand Releasing, March 4.

Red-Eye. An overnight flight to Miami gets bumpy for a woman (“The Notebook’s” Rachel McAdams) when her seatmate reveals that she is the key to a plot to kill a wealthy businessman. Cillian Murphy (“28 Days Later”) also stars. Directed by Wes Craven. DreamWorks, TBA.

The Skeleton Key. Kate Hudson’s character (above) unlocks one too many doors in the decrepit mansion where she works as a live-in nurse. With Peter Sarsgaard and Gena Rowlands. Directed by Iain Softley (“The Wings of the Dove”). Universal Pictures, July 8.

Syriana. Oscar-winning screenwriter Stephen Gaghan (“Traffic”) directed this tale of political intrigue in which people around the world find their lives impacted by the brutal battles inside the energy industry. George Clooney, Matt Damon, Amanda Peet and Chris Cooper star. Warner Bros., Summer.

The Underclassman. Nick Cannon stars as a young detective who goes undercover at a top prep academy to break up an auto-theft ring. Directed by Marcos Siega. Miramax Films, TBA

*

Horror

Alone in the Dark. A paranormal-phenomena investigator (Christian Slater) returns to the orphanage where he was raised to solve the mystery of 19 former orphans who have disappeared. Tara Reid and Stephen Dorff also star. Directed by Uwe Boll (“House of the Dead”). Lions Gate Films, Jan 28.

The Amityville Horror. A family moves into its Long Island dream house -- the site of six grisly murders one year earlier. Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George star. Directed by Andrew Douglas (“Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus”). MGM, April 15.

Boogeyman. Barry Watson plays a young man who returns home to face the demons that have stalked him since childhood. Directed by Stephen Kay (the 2000 “Get Carter” remake). Screen Gems, Feb. 4.

The Cave. A group of American cave explorers finds more than it bargained for in the dark caverns hidden below a 13th century Romanian abbey. Cole Hauser, Morris Chestnut, Piper Perabo and Eddie Cibrian star. Directed by Bruce Hunt. Screen Gems, April 8.

Cursed. “Scream” writer Kevin Williamson and director Wes Craven spin a contemporary tale of werewolves in Los Angeles. Christina Ricci, Jesse Eisenberg and Joshua Jackson star. Dimension Films, Feb. 25.

Dark Water. Jennifer Connelly stars as a mother driven to extreme measures to protect her daughter when their new apartment takes on a life of its own in this remake of a popular Japanese film. John C. Reilly, Tim Roth and Pete Postlethwaite also star. Directed by Walter Salles (“The Motorcycle Diaries”). Touchstone Pictures, TBA.

Devil’s Rejects. Rob Zombie continues the “House of 1000 Corpses” saga with a western motif involving a vigilante sheriff. William Forsythe, Sid Haig and Sheri Moon Zombie star. Lions Gate Films, Aug. 12.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Laura Linney plays an attorney defending priest Tom Wilkinson in the death of a young girl officially recognized by the Catholic Church as being possessed. Campbell Scott and Shohreh Aghdashloo co-star. Directed by Scott Derrickson. Screen Gems, Sept. 9.

The Fog. Strange happenings off the Northern California coast recall a dense fog that caused a deadly shipwreck exactly 100 years earlier in this remake of the 1980 John Carpenter chiller. Columbia Pictures, Oct. 14.

George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead. The veteran horrormeister returns with this tale of a modern-day society in which the walking dead inhabit a wasteland outside the walls of the fortified city that houses the living. Asia Argento, John Leguizamo and Dennis Hopper star. Universal Pictures, Oct. 21.

Hellbent. A gay slasher film set on Halloween night in the middle of West Hollywood’s outrageous street celebration. Written and directed by Paul Etheredge-Ouzts. With Dylan Fergus, Bryan Kirkwood and Hank Harris. here!/Regent Releasing, June 17.

High Tension. The quiet weekend of studying planned by two French college students is disrupted by a late-night visitor with a knife. Cecile De France, Maiwenn (above) and Philippe Nahon star. Directed by Alexandre Aja. Lions Gate Films, June 3.

House of Wax. Terror strikes a group of friends as they pass through a small town on their way to a college football game. Elisha Cuthbert and Chad Michael Murray star. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. Warner Bros., June 3.

Saw 2. Writer-director James Wan and writer-actor Leigh Whannell devise a follow-up to last fall’s hit about a serial killer. Lions Gate Films, Oct. 28.

Undead. Meteorites rain on a sleepy fishing village, triggering a zombie feeding frenzy. Felicity Mason and Mungo McKay star. Directed by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig. Lions Gate Films, July 1.

Underworld: Evolution. Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman return for director Len Wiseman’s sequel in which the battle between the aristocratic death dealers and the barbaric Lycans continues. Screen Gems, Dec. 9.

The Woods. Agnes Bruckner plays a lonely teenager dumped by her parents at a creepy boarding school where she begins to have gruesome visions. Patricia Clarkson and Bruce Campbell co-star. Directed by Lucky McKee (“May”). United Artists, Sept. 2.

*

Documentary

Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt. The late, highly influential Texas singer-songwriter is profiled by filmmaker Margaret Brown. Willie Nelson, Steve Earle and Guy Clark are featured. Palm Pictures, summer.

Blossoms of Fire. Maureen Gosling’s film illuminates the colorful culture of Mexico’s Isthmus Zapotecs, known for their work ethic and powerful matriarchy. New Yorker Films, TBA.

Born Into Brothels. New York photographer Zana Briski gives cameras to children in Calcutta’s red-light district and teaches them to see the world in a new way. Directed by Ross Kauffman and Briski. ThinkFilm, Jan. 28.

Deep Blue. Michael Gambon narrates this natural history of the oceans that was culled from the BBC documentary series “The Blue Planet.” Directed by Andy Byatt, Alistair Fothergill. Miramax Films, April.

Dust to Glory. “Step Into Liquid” director Dana Brown steps onto dry ground for this chronicle of the Baja 1000, a point-to-point endurance race that includes motorcycles and trophy trucks. IFC Films, April 8.

Gunner Palace. In the months after the end of “major combat operations” in Iraq, U.S. soldiers housed in Uday Hussein’s bombed-out Adhamiya Palace fight a daily life-and-death struggle for survival. Directed by Michael Tucker and Petra Epperlein. Palm Pictures, March 4.

In the Realms of the Unreal. Academy Award winner Jessica Yu (“Breathing Lessons”) profiles the late outsider artist Henry Darger, who worked as a janitor but also created more than 300 paintings and a 15,000-page illustrated novel. Wellspring, Jan. 21.

INSIDE Deep Throat. Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”) explore the cultural phenomenon behind the 1972 porn classic “Deep Throat.” Universal Pictures, Feb. 11.

A League of Ordinary Gentleman. Bowling legends Wayne Webb and Walter Ray Williams Jr. are among those featured in this look at attempts to revitalize the Professional Bowlers Assn. tour. Directed by Chris Browne. Magnolia Pictures, March 25.

Murderball. Highly competitive quadriplegic athletes engage in a fast-paced, full-contact sport that tests their abilities to transcend their physical limitations. Directed by Henry-Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro. ThinkFilm, summer.

Mondovino. Director Jonathan Nossiter (“Sunday”), who also happens to be a sommelier, consultant and wine writer, traveled across three continents to uncork the complexities and subtleties involved in the production, distribution and consumption of wine. ThinkFilm, April.

Naked Fame. After a successful career as a gay adult film star, Colton Ford attempts to make the leap into the music industry as a singer-songwriter. Directed by Christopher Long. here!/Regent Releasing, Feb. 25.

The Nomi Song. New Wave singer Klaus Nomi sang pop music like opera and was an underground club sensation before dying from AIDS-related complications in 1983. Directed by Andrew Horn. Palm Pictures, Feb. 4.

Rock School. Pint-sized guitar gods learn the riffs and licks of Pink Floyd and Frank Zappa from their exacting teacher in a Philadelphia music program. Newmarket Films, March.

Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus. Roaring through the South in a beat-up 1970 Chevy Impala, alt-country singer-songwriter Jim White gives a guided tour to some of the off-the-interstate locales and milieus that inspire his music. Directed by Andrew Douglas. Shadow Distribution, April.

Tell Them Who You Are. Director Mark Wexler explores his intricate relationship with his father, cinematographer and director Haskell Wexler. ThinkFilm, May.

Up for Grabs. Barry Bonds’ record-setting home run ignites a free-for-all over ownership of the baseball -- and more important, the right to sell it. Directed by Mike Wranovics. Crooked Hook Productions, April.

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. A homeless San Francisco street musician’s relationship to these exotic, escaped pets who breed in the wilds of the city leads him in an unexpected direction. Directed by Judy Irving. Shadow Distribution, March 4.

Year of the Yao. Chinese basketball star Yao Ming makes the difficult transition to the NBA as a rookie center for the Houston Rockets. Directed by Adam Del Deo and James D. Stern. Fine Line Features, spring.

*

Musical

The Boys and Girl of County Clare. Sibling rivalry tears at three Irish brothers when they meet up at a ceili music competition 30 years after they went their separate ways. Colm Meaney and Andrea Corr star. Directed by John Irvin). IDP/ Samuel Goldwyn Films, March 11.

Bride & Prejudice. Jane Austen done up Bollywood-style in “Bend It Like Beckham” director Gurinder Chadha’s globally inspired musical. With Aishwarya Rai and Martin Henderson. Miramax Films, Feb. 11.

The Producers. Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick reprise their roles in Mel Brooks’ astonishingly successful Broadway musical based on his 1968 movie about two schemers with the perfect plan to make a fortune by putting on a sure-fire flop. With Will Ferrell. Stage director Susan Stroman makes her feature film debut. Universal Pictures, Dec. 21.

Rent. Jonathan Larson’s popular rock opera based on “La Boheme” makes it to the screen with much of the original cast. Rosario Dawson joins Taye Diggs, Jesse L. Martin and Idina Menzel. Directed by Chris Columbus. Columbia Pictures, Nov. 11.

Romance and Cigarettes. James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon and Kate Winslet star in writer-director John Turturro’s working-class love story about an ironworker who loses his way. United Artists, TBA.

*

Animation

The Animation Show. Mike Judge and Don Hertzfeldt present award-winning shorts from around the world, including work by Bill Plympton and Georges Schwizgebel. The Animation Show, Feb. 18.

The Barnyard. This CGI-animated tale of what really goes on down on the farm features the voices of Kevin James, Courteney Cox Arquette and Danny Glover. Directed by Steve Oedekerk (“Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls”). Paramount Pictures, holiday.

Madagascar. A lion, a zebra, a giraffe and a hippo raised in captivity in a New York zoo find themselves shipwrecked on an exotic island in this computer-animated adventure. Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith and David Schwimmer lend their voices. Eric Darnell (“Antz”) and Tom McGrath directed. DreamWorks, May 27.

Pooh’s Heffalump Movie. The gang from the Hundred Acre Wood learns to accept others’ differences when the group encounters a young, playful creature named Lumpy. Directed by Frank Nissen. Walt Disney Pictures, Feb. 11.

Robots. “Ice Age” director Chris Wedge, with co-director Carlos Saldanha, delivers a completely mechanical universe populated entirely by ‘bots, including an idealistic inventor (voiced by Ewan McGregor) out to change the world. Halle Berry, Greg Kinnear and Mel Brooks also lend their voices. Fox, March 11.

A Scanner Darkly. Richard Linklater uses advanced versions of the techniques developed for “Waking Life” for his adaptation of the Philip K. Dick novel about an undercover cop in futuristic Orange County who finds himself in a downward spiral of paranoia. Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Robert Downey Jr. and Woody Harrelson star. Warner Independent Pictures, Sept. 16.

Steamboy. “Akira” director Katsuhiro Otomo goes retro with a blend of hand-drawn animation with 3-D computer effects to render Victorian England in this story of a young inventor prodigy who must harness the energy in a mysterious metal ball to save London. Voices include those of Alfred Molina and Anna Paquin. Triumph Releasing, March 18.

Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride. Stop-motion tale (a la “A Nightmare Before Christmas”) set in 19th century

Europe where a young man (voiced by Johnny Depp) is whisked away to the land of the dead and married to the title character. With Helena Bonham Carter and Emily Watson. Directed by Mike Johnson. Warner Bros., Sept. 23.

Wallace & Gromit. The clay-animated cheese eater and his loyal dog hatch a plan for a humane pest control service in their first feature-length film. Directed by two-time Oscar-winner Nick Park and Steve Box. DreamWorks, Oct. 7.

*

Comedy

Apres Vous. Daniel Auteuil stars as a Parisian restaurant manager who saves a distraught man from killing himself and then feels responsible for the man’s future happiness. Jose Garcia and Sandrine Kiberlaine also star. Directed by Pierre Salvadori. Paramount Classics, summer.

April’s Shower. A chef struggles to provide the perfect shower, but her complicated relationship with the bride-to-be and the eclectic guests make for a chaotic get-together. Trish Doolan directed and co-stars with Maria Cina and Randall Batinkoff. here!/Regent Releasing, April 1.

Are We There Yet? Ice Cube plays a fellow whose plans to land a date with a woman (Nia Long) by bringing her kids from Portland to Vancouver, where she is working, are sabotaged by overprotective offspring who think that no man is good enough for their mom. Directed by Brian Levant (“The Flintstones”). Columbia Pictures, Friday.

Art School Confidential. Comic book artist Dan Clowes and director Terry Zwigoff (“Ghost World”) reteam for this story of a freshman with big aspirations at a prestigious East Coast college. Max Minghella and John Malkovich star. United Artists, TBA.

The Bad News Bears. Billy Bob Thornton stars as an ex-ballplayer recruited to coach a woeful Little League team in director Richard Linklater’s remake of the 1976 hit. Greg Kinnear and Marcia Gay Harden also star. Paramount Pictures, summer.

Balls. A soccer-playing German bakery worker gets tossed off his local team because he’s gay. Maximilian Bruckner stars. Directed by Sherry Horman. here!/Regent Releasing, Aug. 12.

The Baxter. Michael Showalter directed and stars in this tale about a quintessentially nerdish accountant who can’t believe that he’s about to marry a beautiful, sophisticated woman. Elizabeth Banks co-stars. IFC Films, summer.

Be Cool. John Travolta is back as Chili Palmer, who turns his attention to the music business in writer Elmore Leonard’s sequel to “Get Shorty.” Uma Thurman and Vince Vaughn co-star. Directed by F. Gary Gray (“The Italian Job”). MGM, March 4.

Beauty Shop. Queen Latifah opens her own salon in Atlanta in this distaff follow-up to the “Barbershop” films. Directed by Bille Woodruff (“Honey”). MGM, March 30.

Bewitched. Nicole Kidman (above, with Will Ferrell) is Samantha, the witch with the twitchy nose, and Ferrell is mortal husband Darrin in the movie version of the TV show. Directed by Nora Ephron. With Shirley MacLaine as Endora. Columbia Pictures, July 8.

Casanova. Heath Ledger plays the legendary lover who faces his most daunting adversary -- a woman who refuses him. Sienna Miller and Jeremy Irons also star. Directed by Lasse Hallstrom. Touchstone Pictures, Dec. 25.

CSA: The Confederate States of America. Kevin Willmott’s straight-faced mockumentary presents an alternative history based on a victory by the South in the Civil War that includes slavery in all 50 states and an ongoing cold war with Canada. IFC Films, July/August.

D.E.B.S. Sara Foster, Jordana Brewster (above), Meagan Good and Devon Aoki star in director Angela Robinson’s satire about a group of sexy, crime-fighting, secret-agent teens. IDP/Destination Films/Samuel Goldwyn Films, March 25.

Death of a Dynasty. Damon Dash’s mockumentary goes behind the scenes at hip-hop mecca Roc-a-Fella Records and features appearances by Jay-Z, Dr. Dre and Flavor Flav. TLA Releasing, March.

Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo. Rob Schneider, as Bigalow, is forced back to work on the Continent to clear the name of his ex-pimp, played by Eddie Griffin. Directed by Mike Bigelow. Columbia Pictures, Aug. 12.

Dorian Blues. A high school outcast awkwardly comes out to his family, a priest and a social worker, then embarks on an odyssey of self-discovery while attending NYU. Michael McMillan stars. Directed by Tennyson Bardwell. TLA Releasing, June.

The Dukes of Hazzard. Updated version of the TV series stars Seann William Scott as Bo and Johnny Knoxville as Luke Duke with Jessica Simpson as their cousin Daisy and Burt Reynolds as Boss Hogg. Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar (“Super Troopers”). Warner Bros., summer.

The Edukators. A trio of young Germans’ habit of breaking into expensive homes and rearranging the furniture as an act of political rebellion turns dangerous. Daniel Bruhl (“Good Bye Lenin!”) stars. Directed by Hans Weingartner. IFC Films, May 27.

Elizabethtown. Writer-director Cameron Crowe’s latest take on romance stars Orlando Bloom as a down-in-the-dumps industrial designer and Kirsten Dunst as the sharp flight attendant who helps him through his father’s memorial in Kentucky. Paramount Pictures, July 29.

Fever Pitch. An obsessive Red Sox fan (Jimmy Fallon) must choose between the team he loves and a woman (Drew Barrymore). Screenwriters Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel translated Nick Hornby’s novel from soccer to baseball. Directed by Bobby and Peter Farrelly. Fox, Oct. 7.

Formula 17. A gay 17-year-old journeys to Taipei, locks eyes with a notorious playboy and attempts to win his heart. Strand Releasing, June.

The 40-Year-Old Virgin. “The Daily Show’s” Steve Carell stars as a middle-aged electronics store employee whose friends decide it’s time for him to go all the way. Catherine Keener co-stars. Directed by Judd Apatow (“Freaks and Geeks”). Universal Pictures, Aug. 19.

Fun With Dick and Jane. Knocked down and almost out by a corporate scandal, a couple (Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni, above) turn to crime to regain what was theirs in this update of the 1977 George Segal-Jane Fonda romp. Directed by Dean Parisot (“Galaxy Quest”). Columbia Pictures, June 24.

A Good Woman. Oscar Wilde’s “Lady Windermere’s Fan” is the basis for this confluence of misunderstandings and betrayals reset on the Italian Riviera of the 1930s. Helen Hunt, Scarlett Johansson and Tom Wilkinson star. Directed by Mike Barker (“Best Laid Plans”). Lions Gate Films, TBA.

Le Grand Role. A journeyman actor’s talents are tested when he must conceal from his seriously ill wife that he did not land a role in a famous American director’s film. Directed by Steven Suissa. Stephane Freiss, Berenice Bejo and Peter Coyote star. First Run Features, TBA.

Guess Who. In a comedic spin on “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” a father (Bernie Mac) is a little uneasy about the man who’s marrying his daughter -- Ashton Kutcher. Zoe Saldana co-stars. Directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan (“How Stella Got Her Groove Back”). Columbia Pictures, March 25.

Happy Endings. Don Roos (“The Opposite of Sex”) explores the diversity and complexity of modern life through a multiplicity of stories involving adoption, sperm donors and pansexual couplings. Lisa Kudrow, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Tom Arnold star. Lions Gate, July 15.

Herbie: Fully Loaded. The lovable Volkswagen bug is back as he takes his new owner (Lindsay Lohan) for an unlikely ride on the NASCAR circuit. Angela Robinson (“D.E.B.S.”) directed. Walt Disney Pictures, June 24.

The Honeymooners. Cedric the Entertainer and Mike Epps step into the roles of bus driver Ralph Kramden and sewer worker Ed Norton in this movie version of the Jackie Gleason-Art Carney TV series. Directed by John Schultz (“Like Mike”). Paramount Pictures, March 11.

The Ice Harvest. John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton play a pair of Wichita, Kansans who set out to embezzle $2 million on a chilly Christmas Eve. Directed by Harold Ramis. Focus Features, Nov. 4.

Ice Princess. Academically inclined Michelle Trachtenberg aspires to be a championship figure skater against her mother’s wishes. Joan Cusack and Kim Cattrall also star. Directed by Tim Fywell (“I Capture the Castle”). Walt Disney Pictures, March 18.

In Her Shoes. Motherless sisters (Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette) fight over a man but reconcile with help from their previously unknown grandmother (Shirley MacLaine). Directed by Curtis Hanson. Fox, April 8.

Intimate Stories. An old man, a traveling salesman and a young mother with a baby cross paths on the roads of southern Patagonia. With Antonio Benedicti, Javier Lombardo, Javiera Bravo. Directed by Carlos Sorin. New Yorker Films, March 4.

Jiminy Glick in Lalawood. Martin Short’s obsequious, small-town entertainment critic becomes embroiled in the murder mystery surrounding a fading starlet. Jan Hooks and Linda Cardellini costar. Directed by Vadim Jean. MGM, May.

Just Like Heaven. Mark Ruffalo as a man who reluctantly discovers that the San Francisco apartment he’s sublet comes complete with a spirited young woman (played by Reese Witherspoon, above) who may or may not be a ghost. Directed by Mark Waters (“Mean Girls”). DreamWorks, fall.

Kicking & Screaming. A man (Will Ferrell) goes head to head with his overly competitive father (Robert Duvall) when they coach rival teams in a youth soccer league. Directed by Jesse Dylan (“American Wedding”). Universal Pictures, May 13.

King’s Ransom. To avoid losing his fortune to his ex-wife, an arrogant businessman plots his own kidnapping. Anthony Anderson stars. Directed by Jeff Byrd. New Line Cinema, March 22.

Kung Fu Hustle. Hong Kong hyphenate Stephen Chow (“Shaolin Soccer”), spoofing historical action epics, plays a dork who hopes to join a notorious gang of black-suited killers in 1940s China. Sony Pictures Classics, March 25.

Last Holiday. Thinking her days are numbered, a timid clerk (Queen Latifah) abandons all caution and inhibition and sets out on a grand tour of Europe in this update of the 1950 Alec Guinness vehicle. LL Cool J co-stars. Directed by Wayne Wang. Paramount Pictures, TBA.

Lost Embrace. As tantalizing as the perks may be from working in his mother’s lingerie store, a Buenos Aires college dropout aspires for something more. With Daniel Hendler. Directed by Daniel Burman. New Yorker Films, Feb. 4.

A Lot Like Love. When Oliver (Ashton Kutcher) met Emily (Amanda Peet) seven years ago they declared their mutual aversion, but time, careers and broken relationships have a funny way of turning friendship into romance. Directed by Nigel Cole (“Calendar Girls”). Touchstone Pictures, April 22.

Mail Order Wife. Faux documentary in which the filmmaker pays for an obnoxious doorman from Queens to get a beautiful bride from overseas in exchange for the right to film them. Directed by Andrew Gurland and Huck Botko. Tartan Films, March 11.

Man of the House. A hard-nosed Texas Ranger (Tommy Lee Jones, above) goes undercover to protect the only witnesses to a crime -- a group of college cheerleaders. With Cedric the Entertainer. Directed by Stephen Herek (“Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure”). Columbia Pictures, Feb. 25.

The Man Who Copied. Lazaro Ramos (“Madame Sata”) stars as a Brazilian copy machine operator who spends his nights fantasizing by drawing comic book art.Written and directed by Jorge Furtado. TLA Releasing, April.

The Man. A federal agent (Samuel L. Jackson, above right, with Eugene Levy) and a dental supply salesman (Levy) form an unlikely partnership as they team to pull off a sting operation and trap a murderer. Directed by Les Mayfield (“Blue Streak”). New Line Cinema, fall.

Matador. Pedro Almodovar’s dark 1986 film about a former bullfighter and a female attorney who both get aroused by killing and a young romantic driven crazy by his religious upbringing. Assumpta Serna, Nacho Martinez and Antonio Banderas star. Sony Pictures Classics, fall.

Melinda and Melinda. Woody Allen spins tales of a woman’s unraveling from both comedic and dramatic perspectives. Radha Mitchell (above), Chloe Sevigny and Will Ferrell star. Fox Searchlight, March 23.

Millions. Seven days till Britain converts to the euro and two wee lads have a golden opportunity handed them when a train robbery goes wrong and enormous bags of pounds sterling land in their laps. Danny Boyle (“Trainspotting,” “28 Days Later”) directs. Fox Searchlight, March 11.

Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous. A federal agent’s (Sandra Bullock) popularity as a beauty contestant earns her an assignment on the talk-show circuit as “the face of the FBI,” but she kicks into action when her best friend is kidnapped. Regina King co-stars. Directed by John Pasquin (“The Santa Clause”). Warner Bros., March 25.

Monster-in-Law. After years of romantic flailing, Jennifer Lopez finally meets the ideal man, but his mother (Jane Fonda) is another story. Michael Vartan also stars. Directed by Robert Luketic (“Legally Blonde”). New Line Cinema, May 6.

Must Love Dogs. Diane Lane stars as a divorced woman who must overcome her well-meaning family and learn to trust her own instincts. With John Cusack and Dermot Mulroney. Directed by Gary David Goldberg. Warner Bros., summer.

Nanny McPhee. Emma