Fall movie preview
I know we’re in full swing for fall movies, so I’m a little behind on this one. But, there are a lot of good movies still due out before the New Year.
Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti kicked off the holiday movie season with “Fred Claus” two weeks ago. Its opening debut brought in $19.2 million, and it took in another $12 million this past weekend.
The Bee Movie and American Gangster remain strong the last three weeks, and there are other big movies coming up. Beowulf, an epic film based on the Old English poem, debuted over the weekend on an estimated 1,000 3-D screens. It was number one with $28.1 million.
But the fall movie season is just heating up. It’s filled with your typical holiday films, but there is much more variety this time around. Dramas, comedies and Oscar contenders will be opening soon. So here’s some information on some of the bigger movies that will be closing out 2007.
Holiday movies:
–Fred Claus is already out in theaters, but there are more coming. “Christmas in Wonderland” and “This Christmas” will both arrive Nov. 21, while “The Perfect Holiday” hits theaters on Dec. 12.
War-themed movies:
–”Lions for Lambs” already debuted with a disappointing fourth place finish last weekend. The movie starring Tom Cruise only took in $6.7 million.
–Other films coming out are “Atonement” on Dec. 7. It’s a tragic love story with a World War II backdrop. “Grace is Gone” will also debut on Dec. 7. It stars John Cusack, who copes with his soldier wife’s death.
“Charlie Wilson’s War” stars Tom Hanks as a Texas politician who assists Afghan rebels. It’s due out on Dec. 25.
The musicals:
–”Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street” stars Johnny Depp and is directed by Tim Burton. It’s considered dark, but entertaining with a lot of music. Oh yeah, and a lot of blood! Sacha Cohen also is in the movie.
–Sweeney Tood is a dark film, but “Enchanted” is a lighter musical. Amy Adams stars as a naive Disney-style cartoon princess who must adapt to the hard knocks of Manhattan. It’s rated PG and includes songs, dance, prince and princesses, and of course, dragon slaying. It arrives on Nov. 21.
Other notables:
–”The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” on Nov. 30. It’s an artful perspective on the struggles of a French magazine editor who suffers a stroke.
–”Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” on Dec. 21. John Reilly stars in a fictional account about the rise, fall and rise of a world-renowned musician. It’s being called raunchy, light, and is mostly for older teens and 20-something males.
–”The Bucket List” starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. It’s about two terminally ill guys who escape a cancer ward for one last road trip. It opens Dec. 25.
Notable November Movie Releases:
-August Rush (Nov. 21)
-Enchanted (Nov. 21)
-Stephen King’s The Mist (Nov. 21)
-Awake (Nov. 30)
Notable December Movie Releases:
-Atonement (Dec. 7)
-The Golden Compass (Dec. 7)
-The Perfect Holiday (Dec. 12)
-Alvin and the Chipmunks (Dec. 14)
-I Am Legend (Dec. 14)
-The Kite Runner (Dec. 14)
-National Treasure: Book of Secrets (Dec. 21)
-The Great Debaters (Dec. 25)
-The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (Dec. 25)