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Harry vanishes, but 007's still on for fall

David Germain
Associated Press  —  9/05/2008 10:13 am

Harry Potter pulled a disappearing act from Hollywood's fall and holiday schedule, his sixth big-screen adventure bumped from this November into next summer.

The season offers action (Bond's latest, "Quantum of Solace"), family flicks (the animated sequel "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa"), fantasy romance (the best-seller adaptation "Twilight"), and serious stuff lining up for the Academy Awards, from Nicole Kidman's epic "Australia" to Bond star Daniel Craig's war saga "Defiance."

Brad Pitt reunites with old pals George Clooney and Cate Blanchett in two films, Clint Eastwood does his own two-fer by directing Angelina Jolie in one drama and himself in another, and Oliver Stone takes on his latest president with a George W. Bush biopic.

Highlights of what Hollywood has in store:

September

Appaloosa: Hired lawman (Viggo Mortensen and Ed Harris) take on a tough rancher (Jeremy Irons) in a Western directed by Harris. Renee Zellweger co-stars. (Sept. 17)

Bangkok Dangerous: A lone-wolf hit man (Nicolas Cage) finds a young friend and potential romance on assignment in Thailand. (Friday)

Burn After Reading: George Clooney and Brad Pitt star in the Coen brothers' romp about CIA secrets that fall into the hands of fitness club employees. (Sept. 12)

The Duchess: Keira Knightley stars as an 18th-century ancestor of Princess Diana who becomes a major political player. With Ralph Fiennes. (Sept. 19)

Eagle Eye: Strangers (Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan) are cast together as fugitives by a phone call from a mystery woman. (Sept. 26)

Miracle at St. Anna: Spike Lee tells the story of four Americans in an all-black Army unit trapped behind enemy lines during World War II. With Derek Luke. (Sept. 26)

Righteous Kill: Robert De Niro and Al Pacino are police detectives pursuing a vigilante serial killer. Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson co-stars. (Sept. 12)

The Women: Meg Ryan, Annette Bening and Debra Messing lead the cast in an update of the 1939 classic about a woman with a cheating hubby and a circle of gossipy friends. (Sept. 12)

October

An American Carol: This twist on Charles Dickens features three spirits that give an anti-American filmmaker a lesson in U.S. values, and has two Madison connections -- UW alum David Zucker directed, and Chris Farley's brother Kevin stars. (Oct. 3)

Body of Lies: A CIA man (Leonardo DiCaprio) goes after a terrorist kingpin while a crafty colleague (Russell Crowe) runs interference. Ridley Scott directs. (Oct. 10)

Changeling: Angelina Jolie stars in Clint Eastwood's drama about a single mom fighting corrupt police trying to cover their tracks in the abduction of her son. (Oct. 24)

High School Musical 3: Senior Year: Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale and the other kids sing and dance through their final school year. (Oct. 24)

Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist: A Manhattan all-nighter holds the promise of romance for two teens (Michael Cera and Kat Dennings). (Oct. 3)

Rachel Getting Married: An addict (Anne Hathaway) rekindles tension and tragic family memories at her sister's wedding. Jonathan Demme directs. (Oct. 3)

W.: Oliver Stone chronicles the life of party-boy-turned-president George W. Bush (Josh Brolin). Elizabeth Banks, James Cromwell and Richard Dreyfuss co-star. (Oct. 17)

Zack and Miri Make a Porno: Destitute roommies (Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks) try to make a skin flick to raise cash. Directed by Kevin Smith. (Oct. 31)

November

Australia: Nicole Kidman reunites with "Moulin Rouge" director Baz Luhrmann for the story of a noblewoman on a cattle drive in Australia during World War II. With Hugh Jackman. (Nov. 14)

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa: Zoo animals are stranded again in this animated sequel reuniting voice stars Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer and Jada Pinkett Smith. (Nov. 7)

Milk: Sean Penn stars as gay political pioneer Harvey Milk, who was slain by a fellow San Francisco city supervisor. Gus Van Sant directs. (Nov. 26)

Quantum of Solace: James Bond (Daniel Craig), vengeful over the death of his love, takes on a phony environmentalist trying to control water supplies. (Nov. 7)

The Road: A man and his son trek across a desolate land after a global catastrophe has destroyed most life on Earth. With Viggo Mortensen and Charlize Theron. (Nov. 14)

The Soloist: A music prodigy (Jamie Foxx) now living on the streets is befriended by a journalist (Robert Downey Jr.). (Nov. 21)

Soul Men: Samuel L. Jackson and the late Bernie Mac are an estranged singing duo reunited for a tribute concert. The late Isaac Hayes co-stars. (Nov. 14)

December

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Brad Pitt stars as a man aging backward from his 80s to infancy. With Cate Blanchett, directed by David Fincher. (Dec. 25)

The Day the Earth Stood Still : Keanu Reeves stars as an alien on a portentous visit to Earth in this remake of the 1950s sci-fi classic. Jennifer Connelly co-stars. (Dec. 12)

Defiance: Jewish brothers (Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell) evade the Nazis and form a community to protect others in jeopardy. (Dec. 12)

Doubt: Meryl Streep stars in the film adaptation of the play (which Strollers will perform at the Bartell Theatre beginning this weekend) about a nun who accuses a priest of abusing a student. (Dec. 12)

Frost/Nixon: Ron Howard directs the adaptation of the play about the soul-baring 1977 interview between Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) and David Frost (Michael Sheen). (Dec. 5)

Marley & Me: A kooky dog winds up teaching valuable life lessons to his two-legged friends. With Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson. (Dec. 25)

Revolutionary Road: "Titanic" stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet reunite as a couple struggling to break out of the boredom of 1950s suburbia. (Dec. 26)

The Spirit: Graphic novelist Frank Miller ("300") directs the tale of a resurrected crime-fighter (Gabriel Macht). With Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson. (Dec. 25)

Valkyrie: Tom Cruise stars as a German colonel attempting to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Bryan Singer ("The Usual Suspects," "X-Men") directs. (Dec. 26)

David Germain
Associated Press  —  9/05/2008 10:13 am