Upcoming 2007 Fall Movie Season

Once the dust of the summer sequel bonanza has settled, the studios brace for the next round of blockbuster hopefuls in the traditional holiday season. This is the time of year for which they hold back all of their Oscar hopefuls. The first ten months of the year is macaroni and cheese, this is the time for steak and potatoes.

November
"American Gangster"-This Ridley Scott-directed crime movie features Oscar winners Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, telling the story of a 1970s Harlem crimelord's (Washington) rise to power and the cop (Crowe) determined to snuff him out. This will be director Scott's third pairing with Russell Crowe; they previously worked together on the Oscar-winning "Gladiator" and 2006's "A Good Year."

"Bee Movie"-Jerry Seinfeld's first big jump into the movies, this animated comedy stars the vocal talents of Jerry Seinfeld, Renee Zellweger, Chris Rock, and Matthew Broderick. Seinfeld plays a bee who discovers the humans have been stealing their honey, so he decides to sue mankind. Screenplay written by Jerry Seinfeld.

"Beowulf"-Based on the Old English epic poem, director Robert Zemeckis offers a high-budget adaptation of the mythic man versus beast tale, with an huge cast that includes Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, and Ray Winstone (Mr. French from The Departed) as the title hero.

"Fred Claus"-Paul Giamatti and Vince Vaughn play Santa Claus and Fred Claus, respectively. Santa is the good brother, Fred is the underachiever. Hijinks ensue. From the director of "The Wedding Crashers."

"Lions For Lambs"-Star-studded Robert Redford movie with three inter-connecting storylines. Stars Tom Cruise as a congressman, Meryl Streep as a journalist, and Robert Redford as a professor. This will be Redford's first directorial effort since 2000's disappointing "The Legend of Bagger Vance."

Thanksgiving Weekend
"Enchanted"-Disney's half animated/half-live action princess fable brings medieval characters into the modern world through a teleportal. Will the princess (Amy Adams) choose her knight in shining armor (James Marsden) or live action McDreamy (Patrick Dempsey)?

December
"The Golden Compass"-Another animated adventure movie based on Philip Pullman's bestselling novel. "Harry Potter" meets "Narnia," it's the tale of a child with a golden compass that leads her to to parallel dimension. Stars Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Sam Elliott, and newcomer Dakota Blue Richards as the child heroine, Lyra.

"I Am Legend"-A project that has been in the works for years, "I Am Legend" stars Will Smith as the last human survivor in the world, but he is not alone. Based on the Richard Matheson sci-fi story Essentially a remake of the Charlton Heston classic "The Omega Man."

"Leatherheads"-George Clooney directs this tour-de-force comedy about a team of footballers in the 1920s who are in the midst of the sport going extinct due to lack of public interest. The comedy stars Clooney, Renee Zellweger, and John Krasinski ("The Office").

"Walk Hard"-Produced by the now-untouchable Judd Apatow, this comedy stars John C. Reilly as a fictional singer in this musical biopic parody in the vein of "Ray" and "Walk The Line." Also stars Jenna Fischer ("The Office") and Kristen Wiig ("Saturday Night Live").

Christmas Day
"Charlie Wilson's War"-Mike Nichols directs this star-packed cast, which includes Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, based on George Crile's book about how the United States essentially armed the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

"The Darjeeling Limited"-Wes Anderson's next quirky movie, it stars Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzmann, and Adrien Brody as three brothers trying to bond with each other after their father's death, and they take a trip through India. This comedy also stars Natalie Portman and Anjelica Huston.