Still, as long as the films deliver, it shouldn't matter if rampant plagiarism is the order of the day. Here, then, is a checklist of what we can expect to see in the weeks and months ahead.
January 24:
An evil spirit known as the Tooth Fairy terrorizes a coastal town in the horror yarn DARKNESS FALLS.
January 31:
Obviously hoping to cash in on the success of The Fast and the Furious, BIKER BOYZ is set in the world of "underground motorcycle clubs." Laurence Fishburne plays the seasoned pro, while Antwone Fisher's Derek Luke is the young upstart hoping to knock off the champ...
DELIVER US FROM EVA casts Gabrielle Union as a woman always interfering in her siblings' personal business; LL Cool J co-stars as the bachelor hired to date her and keep her out of the way...
Final Destination was a modest enough hit back in 2000 to warrant a sequel, so here comes FINAL DESTINATION 2, in which more teens meet grisly ends...
An Indian dance teacher (Jimi Mistry) working as a waiter in New York gets mistaken by high society for a spiritual leader in THE GURU, a romantic comedy co-starring Heather Graham and Marisa Tomei...
Colin Farrell, still grasping at stardom, tries again with THE RECRUIT, in which he plays a CIA rookie who isn't sure whether he can trust his mentor (Al Pacino), a fellow trainee (Bridget Moynahan), or neither.
February 7:
By the sort of sheer coincidence found only in the movies, a glamour magazine writer (Kate Hudson) and an ad agency hotshot (Matthew McConaughey) simultaneously decide to make a member of the opposite sex fall in love with them within 10 days and then dump them. By an even bigger coincidence, they end up setting their sights on each other in the comedy HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS...
A sequel to the woeful Shanghai Noon, SHANGHAI KNIGHTS finds Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson ditching the Wild West and heading to London, where they try to stop a plot to murder members of the royal family.
February 14:
The cinematic superhero boom continues with DAREDEVIL, an adaptation of the adventures of one of Marvel's best (and most underrated) costumed crimefighters. Ben Affleck plays Matt Murdock, the blind attorney blessed with exceptional powers, with Michael Clarke Duncan and Colin Farrell respectively cast as villains Kingpin and Bullseye...
Mowgli, Baloo the Bear and the rest of the gang return in the animated sequel THE JUNGLE BOOK 2.
February 21:
A cop (Kurt Russell) known for his unorthodox methods butts heads with a straight-arrow officer (Ving Rhames) in DARK BLUE, from director Ron Shelton (Bull Durham)...
A prequel to 1993's Gettysburg, GODS AND GENERALS looks at the early years of the Civil War. Jeff Daniels, Stephen Lang and Kevin Conway reprise their roles, with Robert Duvall joining the cast as Robert E. Lee...
THE LIFE OF DAVID GALE casts Kevin Spacey as a beloved professor on Death Row for the rape and murder of an activist (Laura Linney) and Kate Winslet as the reporter who tries to prove his innocence. Alan Parker (Angela's Ashes, Mississippi Burning) directs...
According to the press notes, OLD SCHOOL "reunites the team [behind] Road Trip," which sounds like a threat to me. Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn star as three 30somethings who attempt to recapture their wayward youth by starting their own frat house.
February 28:
Rapper DMX re-teams with Romeo Must Die co-star Jet Li for CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE, about a thief (Mr. X) who pairs up with a cop (Mr. Li) to rescue his kidnapped daughter...
The documentary DYSFUNKTIONAL FAMILY mixes footage of comedian Eddie Griffin visiting relatives with footage of Griffin in concert...
An enterprising young man (Ashton Kutcher, currently headlining Just Married) agrees to housesit for his boss -- with disastrous results -- in THE GUESTS.
March 7:
BOAT TRIP casts Cuba Gooding Jr. and Horatio Sanz as two homophobes who find themselves on a cruise ship exclusively for gay men (including former 007 Roger Moore as an elderly queen). This has already opened in England, whereupon readers of a popular movie mag over there voted it one of the year's worst (no surprise to anybody who's seen its terrible trailer)...
A square attorney (Steve Martin) is tormented by a prison escapee (Queen Latifah) who wants him to help her prove her innocence in the comedy BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE...
A Navy SEAL (Bruce Willis) on a dangerous mission to rescue a doctor (Monica Bellucci) in Nigeria finds himself also coming to the aid of refugees in the action flick TEARS OF THE SUN.
March 14:
John Malkovich directs Oscar nominee Javier Bardem (Before Night Falls) in THE DANCER UPSTAIRS, a political thriller set in a volatile South American country...
Director Danny DeVito brings his dark comic sensibilities to DUPLEX, a sure-to-be-a-hit comedy about a young couple (Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore) who try to get rid of an elderly woman (Eileen Essel) so they can move into her New York loft...
Oscar winners Tommy Lee Jones and Benicio Del Toro square off in THE HUNTED, an action yarn from director William Friedkin (The French Connection) about a trained assassin (Del Toro) and the tracker (Jones) who's always one step behind him...
Elizabeth Wortzel's novel PROZAC NATION makes it to the screen, with Christina Ricci as its depressed student protagonist.
March 21:
Here are two for the kiddies: AGENT CODY BANKS stars Malcolm In the Middle's Frankie Muniz and Lizzie McGuire's Hilary Duff in a comic caper about a high school kid who's also an undercover CIA agent, while PIGLET'S BIG MOVIE places Winnie the Pooh's pal at the center of his own adventure, with musical backing by Carly Simon...
It's been a long time since we've seen a new screen version of Ten Little Indians; IDENTITY bills itself as an original work, but we know our Agatha Christie. Ten travelers end up in a deserted motel, whereupon they're murdered one by one. John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Alfred Molina (Frida) and Rebecca De Mornay are among the victims/suspects.
March 28:
In THE CORE, a group of scientists must travel to the earth's center to detonate an explosive device that will somehow save the planet from total annihilation (basically, it's Armageddon set in inner rather than outer space). Aaron Eckhart (Possession) and Oscar winner Hilary Swank (Boys Don't Cry) star...
Lawrence Kasdan is at the helm of DREAMCATCHER, an adaptation of Stephen King's novel about supernatural forces at work in the Maine woods. Morgan Freeman tops the cast...
HEAD OF STATE casts Chris Rock (also making his directorial debut) as a small-time politician who suddenly finds himself running for US president. Bernie Mac co-stars as his brother and running mate.
April 4:
Two teenage girls -- one British, one Indian -- live to play soccer in BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM...
A MAN APART stars Vin Diesel and Larenz Tate in a gritty drama about drug dealers...
Three friends are stunned when their girlfriends all become simultaneously pregnant in MY BABY'S MAMA, starring Eddie Griffin...
None of the cast or crew from 1999's The Talented Mr. Ripley is involved with RIPLEY'S GAME, which finds Patricia Highsmith's devious character played by John Malkovich instead of Matt Damon...
In WHAT A GIRL WANTS, an American teen (Amanda Bynes) discovers she's actually a member of British high society (didn't we already see this in The Princess Diaries?). Colin Firth plays her veddy English father.
April 11:
In ANGER MANAGEMENT, a mild-mannered guy (Adam Sandler) mistaken for a hothead is court-ordered to get some tips from an anger management therapist (Jack Nicholson); needless to say, it's that old "the doctor is crazier than the patient" scenario...
A goofy import in the tradition of The Gods Must Be Crazy, SHAOLIN SOCCER concerns itself with a group of kung fu students who apply their skills to the game of soccer.
April 16:
Chow Yun-Fat is the BULLETPROOF MONK, entrusted with keeping an all-powerful scroll out of the hands of evildoers; fate shows it has a sense of humor, though, when his protege turns out to be a street punk (Seann William Scott, American Pie's Stiffler).
April 18:
Pulp Fiction partners John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson re-team for BASIC, a thriller about a maverick government agent (Travolta) investigating the disappearance of a high-ranking officer (Jackson) and several of his men...
Like Far From Heaven, DOWN WITH LOVE hopes to replicate the look of an earlier movie era, in this case the Technicolor-rich romantic comedies of the early 60s. Renee Zellweger and Ewan MacGregor tackle the lead roles in the Rock Hudson-Doris Day tradition...
A group of young boys square off against the wicked head (Sigourney Weaver) of their summer camp in HOLES...
Pop star Mandy Moore's A Walk to Remember was a modest box office performer (if also a critical doormat); now she's back with HOW TO DEAL, about the travails of a teenager in love.
April 25:
IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY is On Golden Pond Douglas-style, as Kirk Douglas, Michael Douglas and other family members co-star in this tale about a man (Michael) who's trying to be a good father while also struggling to maintain a relationship with his own dad.
No Date Set:
Robert Duvall is the guiding light behind ASSASSINATION TANGO, serving as director, writer, co-producer and star of this drama about a hit man who heads to Argentina for an assignment and ends up learning the tango in his spare time...
Matt Dillon directs, co-writes and stars in CITY OF GHOSTS, a thriller about an American searching for his shady former partner (James Caan) in Cambodia. Gerard Depardieu and Stellan Skarsgard offer support...
First Britney Spears, then Mandy Moore; now Charlotte Church takes a crack at cinema with I'LL BE THERE, a comedy about an 80s pop star (Craig Ferguson) who meets the teenage daughter he never knew he had...
British comedian Rowan Atkinson stars as JOHNNY ENGLISH in this spoof of the James Bond series...
The folks behind Best In Show and Waiting for Guffman are back with yet another "mockumentary," this one called A MIGHTY WIND. It centers on a reunion concert between the members of three 60s folk groups...
Six students (including Swimfan's Erika Christensen), objecting to the role of the SATs in student placement, attempt to sabotage the system at their high school in THE PERFECT SCORE...
A star-studded cast should provide A VIEW FROM THE TOP, a comedy about flight attendants, with lift-off. Gwyneth Paltrow, Christina Applegate, Rob Lowe and Mike Myers are among the VIPs.
