A first run at the year’s movies

The Covenant A secret society of teenage boys, descended from the original settlers of a New England colony, plagues an elite boarding school. With Steven Strait, Laura Ramsey, Sebastian Stan, Taylor Kitsch, Toby Hemingway, Chace Crawford, Jessica Lucas and Wendy Crewson. Directed by Renny Harlin. Screen Gems, fall

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The Grudge 2 Japanese director Takashi Shimizu takes a sixth pass at the deadly curse that will not die. Columbia Pictures, Oct. 20

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The Hills Have Eyes Stranded in a nuclear test zone while on a road trip, a family soon learns the barren landscape is not as deserted as it seems in this remake of the 1977 Wes Craven movie. With Aaron Stanford, Ted Levine, Kathleen Quinlan, Vinessa Shaw, Emilie de Ravin, Dan Byrd and Robert Joy. Directed by Alexandre Aja (“High Tension”). Fox Searchlight, March 10

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The Messengers Danny and Oxide Pang (“The Eye”) make their U.S. directing debuts with a film about a North Dakota family whose farm is beset by a mysterious darkness. With John Corbett, Dylan McDermott, Penelope Ann Miller and Kristen Stewart. Columbia Pictures, Aug. 18

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The Omen 666 A little boy named Damien represents the coming of the Antichrist in this sequel to the 1976 shocker. With Liev Schreiber, Julia Stiles, Mia Farrow, David Thewlis, Pete Postlethwaite, Michael Gambon and Seamus Fitzpatrick, above. Directed by John Moore (“Flight of the Phoenix”). 20th Century Fox, June 6

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The Ordeal (Calvaire) A lost cabaret singer arrives at an inn run by an unbalanced man in the south of France. With Laurent Lucas and Jackie Berroyer. Written and directed by Fabrice du Welz. Palm Pictures, March

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Pulse Remake of Japanese filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s film about a group of young people unnerved by a friend’s suicide. With Kristen Bell, above, Jonathan Tucker, Ian Somerhalder, Christina Milian, Ron Rifkin, Rick Gonzalez. Directed by Jim Sonzero. Dimension Films, March 3

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Rogue “Wolf Creek” director Greg McLean moves to Australia’s wetlands, where a man-eating crocodile terrorizes the local tourist trade and an American journalist. With Radha Mitchell and Michael Vartan. Dimension Films, Dec. 25

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See No Evil Eight small-time crooks and a cop enter a forsaken hotel to do community service and encounter a 7-foot, 400-pound reclusive psychopath with fingernails like razors and a rusty steel plate screwed into his head. Directed by Gregory Dark. Lionsgate, May 19

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Slither A quiet Anytown is faced with missing pets, mutilated livestock and the growing suspicion that something terrible is going on. Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Gregg Henry and Michael Rooker star. Directed by James Gunn. Universal Pictures, March 31

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Stay Alive Some teens discover the video game they play is too realistic -- each gets murdered in precisely the manner in which his or her character dies. With Jon Foster, Samaire Armstrong, Frankie Muniz, Sophia Bush and Adam Goldberg. Directed by William Brent Bell. Touchstone Pictures, March 24

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Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning This prequel to the remake finds Leatherface and kin welcoming a group of travelers. With Jordana Brewster, Andrew Bryniarski and R. Lee Ermey. Directed by Jonathan Liebesman (“Darkness Falls”). New Line Cinema, Oct. 6