Spying the season’s offerings

The 2012 Holiday Movie Preview is a broad snapshot of films opening through early January. Release dates and other details, as compiled by Oliver Gettell, are subject to change.

Nov. 9

Bones Brigade: An Autobiography

A documentary about the influential 1980s skateboarding crew known as Bones Brigade, whose members included Stacy Peralta and Tony Hawk. Directed by Peralta. The Film Sales Company

The Comedy

An aging Brooklyn hipster on the cusp of inheriting his father’s estate grows weary of his aimless, sheltered life. With Tim Heidecker, Kate Lyn Sheil and Eric Wareheim. Written by Rick Alverson, Robert Donne and Colm O’Leary. Directed by Alverson. Tribeca Film

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Dangerous Liaisons

In this 1930s Shanghai-set adaptation of the Choderlos de Laclos novel, an inveterate womanizer tries to seduce a chaste humanitarian while matching wits with an aging socialite. With Jang Dong-kun, Ziyi Zhang and Cecilia Cheung. Written by Geling Yan. Directed by Jin-ho Hur. In Mandarin with English subtitles. Well Go USA

Lincoln

During his tumultuous final months in office, President Abraham Lincoln strives to end the Civil War, unite the nation and abolish slavery. With Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Written by Tony Kushner. Directed by Steven Spielberg. DreamWorks Pictures

Nature Calls

A scout leader trying to reinvigorate his dwindling troop pressures the boys at his newly adopted nephew’s slumber party to join him on a madcap weekend camping trip. With Patton Oswalt, Johnny Knoxville, Rob Riggle and Maura Tierney. Written and directed by Todd Rohal. Magnolia Pictures

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A Royal Affair

In 18th century Denmark, the queen of the mad King Christian VII and his enlightened royal physician engage in a passionate affair while trying to change the nation. With Mads Mikkelsen, Alicia Vikander and Mikkel Boe Folsgaard. Written by Rasmus Heisterberg and Nikolaj Arcel. Directed by Arcel. Magnolia Pictures

Shady Lady

A documentary-drama about the World War II bomber the Shady Lady, which flew a mission from Australia deep into enemy territory in Borneo and survived a harrowing return trip. With Ross Neuenfeldt, Gregory Kanter and Jim Alexander. Written by Tristan Loraine and Viv Young. Directed by Loraine. Fact Not Fiction Films

Skyfall

MI6 secret agent James Bond’s loyalty to his superior, M, is tested when her past comes back to haunt her and their agency comes under attack. With Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem and Ralph Fiennes. Written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan. Directed by Sam Mendes. Columbia Pictures/MGM

Starlet

After their paths cross at a yard sale, a 21-year-old aspiring actress tries to befriend an abrasive elderly widow. With Dree Hemingway, Besedka Johnson and Stella Maeve. Written by Sean Baker and Chris Bergoch. Directed by Baker. Music Box Films

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Switch

This documentary about energy sources and consumption explores current trends and challenges as well as what the future may hold. Directed by Harry Lynch. Arcos Films

Nov. 13

Jab Tak Hai Jaan

A love story about a soldier grappling with his past and his relationship with a captivating woman. With Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma. Written by Aditya Chopra and Devika Bhagat. Directed by Yash Chopra. In Hindi with English subtitles. Yash Raj Films

Nov. 15

Barrymore

In 1942, an acclaimed but fading American box office star reflects on his life and career while rehearsing for a backer’s audition to raise money for a revival of “Richard III.” With Christopher Plummer and John Plumpis. Written and directed by Erik Canuel. By Experience / Image Entertainment

Nov. 16

Anna Karenina

In late 19th century Russia, the young wife of a stiff aristocrat enters into a scandalous affair that has ruinous consequences. With Keira Knightley, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jude Law and Matthew Macfadyen. Written by Tom Stoppard. Directed by Joe Wright. Focus Features

Cafe de Flore

In 1960s Paris, a working-class woman devotes herself to her disabled young son when her husband abandons them both; in present-day Montreal, a divorcee struggles to get her life back together two years after divorcing her longtime love, a successful DJ. With Vanessa Paradis, Kevin Parent and Hélène Florent. Written and directed by Jean-Marc Vallée. Adopt Films

Citadel

An agoraphobic single father teams up with a vigilante priest to protect his young daughter from a gang of twisted children. With Aneurin Barnard, James Cosmo and Wunmi Mosaku. Written and directed by Ciaran Foy. Cinedigm

Generation P

In the aftermath of the fall of the Soviet Union, a cynical poet finds success writing advertising for newly available Western products, until the pressure sends him into a spiral of drugs and spiritual searching. With Vladimir Yepifantsev, Michael Yefremov and Andrei Fomin. Written by Victor Ginzburg and Djina Ginzburg. Directed by Victor Ginzburg. In Russian with English subtitles. New World Distribution

Holy Motors

An enigmatic businessman travels around Paris by limousine to a series of appointments that involve him donning elaborate disguises and acting out unusual scenarios. With Denis Lavant, Edith Scob, Kylie Minogue and Eva Mendes. Written and directed by Leos Carax. Indomina Releasing

La Rafle

A drama depicting the 1942 Vel’ d’Hiv raids in Paris, in which 13,000 Jews were rounded up by French police and deported to German concentration camps. With Jean Reno, Mélanie Laurent and Gad Elmaleh. Written and directed by Rose Bosch. In French, German and Yiddish, with English subtitles. Menemsha Films

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2

The vampire Edward Cullen and his newly transformed wife, Bella, fight to protect their daughter in the final film of the “Twilight” series. With Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. Written by Melissa Rosenberg. Directed by Bill Condon. Summit Entertainment

Nov. 21

Life of Pi

After a disastrous shipwreck, a young man is marooned on a lifeboat with a fearsome Bengal tiger in this adaptation of the 2001 Yann Martel novel. With Suraj Sharma, Gérard Depardieu, Irrfan Khan. Written by David Magee. Directed by Ang Lee. In 3-D. 20th Century Fox

Red Dawn

When North Korean forces invade the U.S., a group of Washington teenagers wage a guerrilla war to liberate their town. With Chris Hemsworth, Adrianne Palicki, Josh Hutcherson and Josh Peck. Written by Carl Ellsworth and Jeremy Passmore. Directed by Dan Bradley. Open Road Films

Rise of the Guardians

Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman and Jack Frost join forces to battle an evil spirit known as Pitch in this animated film. With the voices of Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman and Isla Fisher. Directed by Peter Ramsey. Paramount Pictures

Silver Linings Playbook

After losing his wife, house and job and spending eight months in a mental institution, a former teacher moves in with his parents, tries to rebuild his life and bonds with an equally eccentric young woman. With Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver. Written and directed by David O. Russell. The Weinstein Co.

Nov. 23

Chasing Ice

This documentary follows a National Geographic photographer as he tries to capture evidence of climate change through time-lapse photography in the Arctic. Directed by Jeff Orlowski. Submarine Deluxe (1:14) NR.

Hitchcock

A dramatized account of British auteur Alfred Hitchcock’s making of the landmark 1960 film “Psycho” and its toll on his personal life, including his marriage to Alma Reville. With Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson and Danny Huston. Written by John J. McLaughlin. Directed by Sacha Gervasi. Fox Searchlight Pictures

Nov. 30

The Central Park Five

A documentary about the 1989 New York case of five black and Latino teenagers who were convicted of raping a white woman in Central Park, only to be freed from prison years later when a serial rapist confessed to the crime. Directed by Ken Burns, David McMahon and Sarah Burns. Sundance Selects

The Collection

The only man ever to survive the wrath of a deranged killer who imprisons his victims in a booby-trapped abandoned hotel is forced to lead a group of mercenaries to rescue the killer’s latest target. With Emma Fitzpatrick, Christopher McDonald and Josh Stewart. Written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. Directed by Dunstan. LD Entertainment

Dragon

After single-handedly saving a shopkeeper from two notorious gangsters, a shy village craftsman draws the attention of a dogged detective and the Chinese underworld. With Donnie Yen and Takeshi Kaneshiro. Written by Oi Wah Lam. Directed by Peter Ho-Sun Chan. In Mandarin with English subtitles. Radius-TWC

Killing Them Softly

When two hoods rob a high-stakes card game protected by the mob, a veteran gangland enforcer is called in to track them down and restore order. With Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta, Richard Jenkins and Scoot McNairy. Written and directed by Andrew Dominik. The Weinstein Co.

Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning

Upon waking up from a coma after a brutal home invasion that killed his wife and daughter, a man seeks vengeance and gets mixed up with a rogue army of genetically enhanced super-soldiers. With Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren and Scott Adkins. Written by John Hyams, Doug Magnuson and Jon Greenhalgh. Directed by Hyams. In 3-D. Magnet Releasing

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Dec. 7

California Solo

A former Brit-pop rocker who now works on a Southern California farm faces deportation and must confront his demons after being cited for drunk driving. With Robert Carlyle, Alexia Rasmussen and Kathleen Wilhoite. Written and directed by Marshall Lewy. Strand Releasing

Cheerful Weather for the Wedding

On the day of her wedding, a bride-to-be hides out in her bedroom drinking rum and reminiscing about a romantic summer she spent with another man, while her scatterbrained mother scrambles to quell curious relatives. With Felicity Jones, Luke Treadaway and Elizabeth McGovern. Written by Mary Henely Magill and Donald Rice. Directed by Rice. IFC Films

Deadfall

Two siblings on the run after a botched casino heist split up while making a run for the Canadian border during a whiteout blizzard. With Eric Bana, Olivia Wilde, Charlie Hunnam and Kate Mara. Written by Zach Dean. Directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky. Magnolia Pictures

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Dino Time

Three kids are transported millions of years back in time and taken in by a Tyrannosaurus rex in this animated film. With the voices of Melanie Griffith, Jane Lynch and William Baldwin. Written by Adam Beechen, Jae Woo Park, Zack Rosenblatt and James Greco. Directed by Yoon S. Choi and John Kafka. Clarius Entertainment

Hyde Park on Hudson

In 1939, with Britain on the verge of war with Germany, the king and queen of England seek support from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor, at their home in upstate New York, marking the first visit of a reigning English monarch to the U.S. With Bill Murray, Laura Linney, Olivia Colman and Samuel West. Written by Richard Nelson. Directed by Roger Michell. Focus Features

Lay the Favorite

An ex-stripper from Florida finds that her dream job as a Las Vegas cocktail waitress isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, but she also discovers she has a knack for sports gambling. With Bruce Willis, Joshua Jackson, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Rebecca Hall. Written by D.V. DeVincentis. Directed by Stephen Frears. Radius-TWC

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The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez

A retired radio DJ who yearned for western-movie stardom all his life finds himself recovering from a back injury at a Latino-staffed nursing home, where he finally has an opportunity to act out his dreams of being a hero. With Ernest Borgnine, Barry Corbin, Arturo Del Puerto and Audrey P. Scott. Written and directed by Elia Petridis. Indican Pictures

Playing for Keeps

In an effort to get his life back on track, a floundering former soccer star returns home to rebuild his relationship with his son and ex-wife and gets roped into coaching the boy’s soccer team. With Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, Uma Thurman and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Written by Robbie Fox. Directed by Gabriele Muccino. FilmDistrict

Rust and Bone

In the south of France, an orca trainer who has recently lost her legs in an accident begins an unlikely relationship with an aggressive nightclub bouncer. With Marion Cotillard, Matthias Schoenaerts and Armand Verdure. Written by Jacques Audiard and Thomas Bidegain. Directed by Audiard. In French with English subtitles. Sony Pictures Classics

Waiting for Lightning

A documentary tracing the life and career of skateboarder Danny Way, from his troubled childhood in Vista, Calif., to his attempt to jump over the Great Wall of China in 2005. Directed by Jacob Rosenberg. Samuel Goldwyn Films

Dec. 14

Any Day Now

In the late 1970s, after taking in a teenager with Down syndrome who’s been abandoned by his mother, a couple fights a legal battle to adopt the young man. With Alan Cumming, Garret Dillahunt and Isaac Leyva. Written by Travis Fine and George Arthur Bloom. Directed by Fine. Music Box Films

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

A hobbit is swept into an epic quest to help a group of dwarves reclaim their lost kingdom from a fearsome dragon in this J.R.R. Tolkien adaptation. With Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Cate Blanchett and Orlando Bloom. Written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson. Directed by Jackson. In Imax 3-D. New Line Cinema/MGM

Saving Grace B. Jones

In a quiet Missouri town, a married couple have their lives thrown into chaos when the husband’s sister is released from an asylum and comes to live with them. With Michael Biehn, Tatum O’Neal and Penelope Ann Miller. Written by Connie Stevens and Jeff Elison. Directed by Stevens. New Films International

Stand Up Guys

Released from prison after serving 28 years, a retired gangster reunites with two of his old buddies for one last night of mayhem. With Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin. Written by Noah Haidle. Directed by Fisher Stevens. Roadside Attractions

Dec. 19

Amour

An octogenarian married couple’s bond is severely tested as the wife suffers a stroke and her husband tries to care for her. With Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva and Isabelle Huppert. Written and directed by Michael Haneke. In French with English subtitles. Sony Pictures Classics

The Guilt Trip

After stopping in to visit his overbearing single mother, a traveling salesman is guilted into bringing her along on a weeklong sales trip. With Barbra Streisand, Seth Rogen, Kathy Najimy and Colin Hanks. Written by Dan Fogelman. Directed by Anne Fletcher. Paramount Pictures

Zero Dark Thirty

An elite team of intelligence and military operatives working in secret across the globe engage in a tireless manhunt to find and eliminate the terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden. With Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton and Mark Strong. Written by Mark Boal. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Columbia Pictures

Dec. 21

Barbara

In 1980 East Germany, a young doctor applies for an exit visa and is summarily banished from Berlin to a provincial town, where she must weigh her dedication to her patients and her own plans to escape. With Nina Hoss, Ronald Zehrfeld and Rainer Bock. Written and directed by Christian Petzold. In German with English subtitles. Adopt Films

Cirque du Soleil Worlds Away

A young couple are separated and must journey through dreamlike worlds to reunite with one another. With Erica Kathleen Linz and Igor Zaripov. Written and directed by Andrew Adamson. Paramount Pictures

The Impossible

A family vacationing in Thailand fights to survive the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and reunite in its wake. With Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor and Tom Holland. Written by Sergio G. Sánchez. Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona. Summit Entertainment

Jack Reacher

When a sniper kills six people in a shooting, a mysterious former military investigator gets involved in the seemingly open-and-shut case. With Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike and Richard Jenkins. Written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie. Paramount Pictures

Not Fade Away

After seeing the Rolling Stones perform on television in 1964, three best friends from the New Jersey suburbs decide to form their own rock band. With James Gandolfini, John Magaro, Will Brill and Jack Huston. Written and directed by David Chase. Paramount Pictures

On the Road

A young writer travels across the country with a free-spirited friend and his uninhibited girlfriend in this adaptation of the Jack Kerouac beat novel. With Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund and Kristen Stewart. Written by Jose Rivera. Directed by Walter Salles. IFC Films

This Is 40

A married couple entering their 40s deals with the trials and tribulations of growing older and raising a family. With Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, John Lithgow and Megan Fox. Written and directed by Judd Apatow. Universal Pictures

Dec. 25

Django Unchained

Two years before the Civil War, a German-born bounty hunter enlists a slave to help track his latest quarry, offering him freedom and a chance to rescue his wife from a ruthless plantation owner in return. With Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio. Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. The Weinstein Co.

Les Misérables

An ex-convict in 19th century France seeks redemption while being pursued by a dogged police inspector in this adaptation of the long-running stage musical. With Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway and Amanda Seyfried. Written by William Nicholson, Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Herbert Kretzmer. Directed by Tom Hooper. Universal Pictures

Parental Guidance

Two grandparents with an old-fashioned approach to child-rearing are called on to babysit their 21st century grandchildren when the kids’ type-A parents go away for work. With Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei and Tom Everett Scott. Written by Lisa Addario and Joe Syracuse. Directed by Andy Fickman. 20th Century Fox

West of Memphis

A documentary about the West Memphis Three, a group of teenagers convicted of murdering three 8-year-old boys in Arkansas in 1993 in a controversial trial, prompting a grass-roots campaign to free them and culminating in their release in 2011. Directed by Amy Berg. Sony Pictures Classics

Dec. 28

Luv

In suburban Baltimore, an 11-year-old boy with an absentee father and a mother in rehab spends a day with the uncle he idolizes, a recent ex-con struggling to put his criminal past behind him. With Common, Michael Rainey Jr., Charles S. Dutton and Lonette McKee. Written by Sheldon Candis and Justin Wilson. Directed by Candis. Indomina Releasing

Promised Land

An ace corporate salesman and his partner arrive in an economically declining farm town to buy up drilling rights to the land, but they encounter unexpected opposition from the community. With Matt Damon, John Krasinski, Frances McDormand and Rosemarie DeWitt. Written by Damon and Krasinski. Directed by Gus Van Sant. Focus Features

Quartet

The arrival of a new resident at a prestigious home for retired musicians — a star soloist with ego to match — shakes up daily life, particularly for her three former singing partners. With Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly and Pauline Collins. Written by Ronald Harwood. Directed by Dustin Hoffman. The Weinstein Co.

Jan. 4

Allegiance

After being granted a questionable transfer that will keep him stateside as his National Guard unit deploys for Iraq, a lieutenant gets embroiled in a last-minute AWOL attempt by a fellow soldier whose infant son has just been diagnosed with a terminal illness. With Seth Gabel, Shad “Bow Wow” Moss and Aidan Quinn. Written and directed by Michael Connors. XLrator Media

A Dark Truth

A former CIA operative turned political talk show host is hired by a corporate whistleblower to expose her company’s cover-up of a massacre in a South American village. With Andy Garcia, Kim Coates, Deborah Kara Unger and Eva Longoria. Written and directed by Damian Lee. Magnolia Pictures

Texas Chainsaw 3D

A young woman travels to Texas after learning she has inherited an estate from a grandmother she never knew she had, but horrifying secrets await her there. With Alexandra Daddario, Dan Yeager, Tania Raymonde and Tremaine “Trey Songz” Neverson. Written by Adam Marcus, Debra Sullivan and Kirsten Elms. Directed by John Luessenhop. Lionsgate

Jan. 11

Gangster Squad

In 1949 Los Angeles, a select group of LAPD outsiders will stop at nothing to break the ruthless mob boss Mickey Cohen’s stranglehold on the city. With Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn and Emma Stone. Written by Will Beall. Directed by Ruben Fleischer. Warner Bros. Pictures

Storage 24

The crash of a military cargo plane in London and subsequent power outages spell trouble for a group of people trapped in a storage facility with the contents of the downed aircraft. With Noel Clarke, Colin O’Donoghue and Antonia Campbell-Hughes. Written by Johannes Roberts, Davie Fairbanks and Marc Small. Directed by Roberts. Magnet Releasing

Struck by Lightning

A high-school misfit aspiring to be a big-time journalist blackmails his fellow students into contributing to his nascent literary magazine. With Chris Colfer, Rebel Wilson, Allison Janney and Dermot Mulroney. Written by Colfer. Directed by Brian Dannelly. Tribeca Film

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