A publication of the National Association of Theatre Owners

Advertise in In Focus

©

Seed of Chucky The psychotic plaything’s son is said to cope with gender confusion in this fifth installment of the “Child’s Play” horror series. Don Mancini, who authored screenplays for all four prior installments of the series, makes his feature directorial debut from his own screenplay. Featuring the voices of Brad Dourif as Chucky, Jennifer Tilly as Chucky’s erstwhile bride, and Billy Boyd as Glen. With Hannah Spearritt (“Agent Cody Banks 2”), Debbie Lee Carrington (“She’s All That,” “The Independent”), John Waters (“Sweet and Lowdown”), Stephanie Chambers, Rebecca Santos and Bethany Simons. Oct. 29. Focus.       Shall We Dance? American remake of the Japanese comedy about a shy, middle-aged accountant who finds his drab life transformed when a beautiful young woman he spots though a dance studio window inspires him to sign up for dance lessons. Directed by Peter Chelsom (“Town & Country,” “Serendipity”) from a screenplay by Audrey Wells (“Guinevere,” “The Kid,” “Under the Tuscan Sun”). With Jennifer Lopez (“Jersey Girl”), Richard Gere (“Chicago”), Susan Sarandon (“Moonlight Mile”), Stanley Tucci (“The Terminal”), Bobby Cannavale (“The Station Agent”), Len Cariou (“Secret Window”) and Richard Jenkins (“Cheaper by the Dozen”). PG-13: Some sexual references; brief language. Oct. 15. Miramax.   Silver City Thriller, set in small-town Colorado, about a mysterious death that may be tied to an upcoming gubernatorial election. Written and directed by John Sayles (“Sunshine State,” “Casa de Los Babys”). With Richard Dreyfuss (“Who Is Cletis Tout?”), Maria Bello (“Secret Window”), Billy Zane (“CQ”), Thora Birch (“Ghost World”), Chris Cooper (“Seabiscuit”), Tim Roth (“The Musketeer”), Mary Kay Place (“Sweet Home Alabama”), Daryl Hannah (“Kill Bill”), Kris Kristofferson (“Blade II”), Danny Huston (“21 Grams”), Ralph Waite (“Sunshine State”) and Michael Murphy (“Magnolia”). Sept. 17. Newmarket.       A Sound of Thunder Sci-fi actioner about a game hunter who embarks on a time-traveling safari in search of dinosaurs. Based on the short story by Ray Bradbury (“Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland”). Directed by Peter Hyams (“The Musketeer”) from a screenplay by Thomas Dean Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, Clement Enlatarne and Gregory Poirier (“See Spot Run,” “Tomcats”). With Ben Kingsley (“House of Sand and Fog,” “Thunderbirds,” “Suspect Zero”), Edward Burns (“Confidence”), Catherine McCormack (“The Weight of Water”), Corey Johnson (“Hellboy”), Heike Makatsch (“Love Actually”), Jemima Rooper (TV’s “As If”) and August Zirner (“Amen”). Oct. 8. Warner Bros.     Super Babies: Baby Geniuses 2 Sequel to the 1999 comedy, this time about a baby, with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men, who helps a group of supersmart toddlers. Returnees from part one include director Bob Clark (“It Runs in the Family”) and actors Gerry Fitzgerald, Leo Fitzgerald and Myles Fitzgerald. Newcomers include screenwriter Gregory Poppen and actors Jon Voight (“Holes,” “The Manchurian Candidate”), Scott Baio (“The Bread, My Sweet”), Vanessa Angel (“The Perfect Score”), Justin Chatwin (“Taking Lives”), Peter Wingfield (“X2,” “Catwoman”) and Skyler Shaye. Sept. 3. Sony.     Taxi Action comedy about a former pizza-delivery woman who drives a souped-up cab, and her friendship with an awkward but good-hearted cop. An English-language remake of the 1998 French film written by Luc Besson (“Wasabi,” “The Transporter”). Directed by Tim Story (“Barbershop”) from a screenplay by Ben Garant & Thomas Lennon (TV’s “Reno 911!”) and Jim Kouf (“Rush Hour,” “Snow Dogs”). With Queen Latifah (“Barbershop 2: Back in Business,” “The Cookout”), Jimmy Fallon (“Anything Else”), Jennifer Esposito (“Breakin’ All the Rules”), Christian Kane (“Secondhand Lions”), Ann-Margret (“Any Given Sunday”), Henry Simmons (“Snow Days”) and supermodel Gisele Bundchen. Scope. Oct. 8. Fox.     Vanity Fair Drama, set in 1820s England, about a lower-class girl who determines to integrate herself into the upper-crust society. Based on the novel by William Makepeace Thackeray (“The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq.”). Directed by Mira Nair (“Monsoon Wedding”) from a screenplay by Julian Fellowes (“Gosford Park”) and Matthew Faulk & Mark Skeet (the TV mini-series “Jason & the Argonauts”). With Reese Witherspoon (“Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde”), Gabriel Byrne (“Ghost Ship,” “P.S.”), Jonathan Rhys-Meyers (“I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead”), Romola Garai (“Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights”), James Purefoy (“Resident Evil”), Jim Broadbent (“Around the World in 80 Days”), Geraldine McEwan (“The Magdalene Sisters”) and Bob Hoskins (“Maid in Manhattan”). Scope. PG-13: Some sensuality/partial nudity; a brief violent image. Sept. 1. Focus. Wimbledon Romantic comedy about a low-ranked tennis pro who falls for a rising female tennis star as he takes his last real shot at a Wimbledon victory. Directed by Richard Loncraine (“Richard III”) from a screenplay by Adam Brooks (“Practical Magic,” “The Invisible Circus”) and Jennifer Flackett & Mark Levin (“Madeline”). With Kirsten Dunst (“Spider-Man 2”), Paul Bettany (“The Reckoning”), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (“Black Hawk Down”), Austin Nichols (“The Day After Tomorrow”), Jon Favreau (“Something’s Gotta Give”), James McAvoy (“Behind the Lines,” “Bright Young Things”) and Sam Neill (“Jurassic Park III”). Sept. 24. Universal. Sex is Comedy French-language comedy about a director making an explicit romantic drama starring two actors who can’t stand each other. Written and directed by Catherine Breillat (“Fat Girl”). With Anne Parillaud (“The Man in the Iron Mask,” “One 4 All”), Gregoire Colin (“Friday Night”), Roxane Mesquida (“Fat Girl”), Ashley Wanninger (“Romance”) and Dominique Colladant. 92 min. Oct. 29. IFC.       Shark Tale Animated comedy, set in the ocean, about a spunky, well-liked fish whose seemingly innocent white lie gets him into trouble with the members of the formidable underseas mafia. Directed by Bibo Bergeron (“The Road to El Dorado”) and Vicky Jenson (“Shrek”) from a screenplay by Michael J. Wilson (“Ice Age”) and Rob Letterman. Featuring the voices of Will Smith, Robert De Niro, Renée Zellweger, Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Peter Falk, Michael Imperioli, Vincent Pastore, Martin Scorsese, Doug E. Doug and Katie Couric. Oct. 1. DreamWorks.       Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow Sci-fi action thriller, set in 1939, about an inquisitive female reporter who teams up with two pilots to investigate why scientists from all over the world have begun disappearing. Kerry Conran makes his feature directorial debut from his own screenplay. With Gwyneth Paltrow (“Sylvia”), Jude Law (“Cold Mountain,” “I Heart Huckabees”), Angelina Jolie (“Taking Lives”), Bai Ling (“My Baby’s Daddy,” “Face,” “She Hate Me”), Michael Gambon (the “Harry Potter” series, “Being Julia”) Omid Djalili (“Spy Game”) and Giovanni Ribisi (“Cold Mountain,” “The Flight of the Phoenix”). PG: Sequences of stylized sci-fi violence; brief mild language. Sept. 17. Paramount.       Stage Beauty Drama, set in 1660s England and based on a true story, about an actor celebrated for his portrayals of women, and the crisis he undergoes when King Charles II decides to allow females to play female roles. Based on the play “Compleat Female Stage Beauty” by Jeffrey Hatcher (“A Picasso”). Directed by Richard Eyre (“Iris”) from a screenplay by Hatcher. With Billy Crudup (“Big Fish”), Claire Danes (“Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines”), Rupert Everett (“The Importance of Being Earnest”), Hugh Bonneville (“The Emperor’s New Clothes,” “Asylum”), Tom Wilkinson (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”), Ben Chaplin (“Murder by Numbers”), Richard Griffiths (the “Harry Potter” series), Stephen Marcus (“Iris”) and Tom Hollander (“Possession,” “Paparazzi”). Scope. 105 min. R: Sexual content; language. Oct. 8 in New York and Los Angeles; wider Oct. 22; wider Oct. 29. Lions Gate.       Tarnation Autobiographical documentary about a 31-year-old homosexual who chronicles growing up with a schizophrenic mother in rural Texas. Written and directed by Jonathan Caouette. Flat. 88 min. Oct. 6 in New York; Oct. 15 in Los Angeles. Wellspring.   Testosterone Comic thriller about a homosexual artist who embarks on a desperate trip from Los Angeles to Buenos Aires in search of the cheating Argentinian ex-boyfriend who broke his heart. Based on the novel by James Robert Baker (“Adrenaline”). Directed by David Moreton (“Edge of Seventeen”) from a screenplay by Moreton and Dennis Hensley. With David Sutcliffe (“Under the Tuscan Sun”), Antonio Sabato Jr. (“The Big Hit,” “Wasabi Tuna”), Sonia Braga (“Empire”), Celina Font and Jennifer Coolidge (“American Wedding,” “A Cinderella Story”). 105 min. Sept. 10 in New York. Strand.     Wicker Park Romantic thriller, set in Chicago, about a young investment banker who puts his engagement on hold when he comes to believe that the ex-girlfriend he loves might be in grave danger. Based on the 1996 French film “L’Appartement.” Directed by Paul McGuigan (“Gangster No. 1,” “The Reckoning”) from a screenplay by Brandon Boyce (“Apt Pupil”). With Josh Hartnett (“Hollywood Homicide”), Matthew Lillard (“The Perfect Score,” “Without a Paddle”), Rose Byrne (“Troy”), Diane Kruger (“Troy”), Jessica Paré (“Bollywood/Hollywood”) and Gillian Ferrabee (“Secret Window”). Also known as “The Apartment.” PG-13: Sexuality; language. Sept. 3. MGM. Zelary Czech-language drama, set during the German occupation of the Czech Republic, about a young nurse who forms a unique bond with a rural mountain-man – whose life she saves with her own blood. Based on the novel by Kveta Legatova. Directed by Ondrej Trojan from a screenplay by Petr Jarchovsky. With Anna Geislerova, György Cserhalmi, Jaroslava Adamova, Miroslav Donutil and Jaroslav Dusek (“Divided We Fall”). Flat. 148 min. R: Violence; some sexual content. Sept. 17. Sony Pictures Classics. The Brown Bunny Drama about a professional motorcycle racer’s intense longing for his girlfriend during a road trip from New Hampshire to his next race in California. Written and directed by Vincent Gallo (“Buffalo ‘66”). With Gallo (“Trouble Every Day”), Chloë Sevigny (“Dogville”) and ‘70s supermodel Cheryl Tiegs. Flat. 93 min. Aug. 27 limited. Wellspring.     Remember Me, My Love Italian-language drama about a contemporary Italian family whose individual dreams and aspirations threaten to separate them. Directed by Gabriele Muccino (“The Last Kiss”) from a screenplay by Muccino and Heidrun Schleef (“The Son’s Room”). With Monica Bellucci (“The Passion of the Christ,” “She Hate Me”), Fabrizio Bentivoglio (“Hotel”), Laura Morante (“The Dancer Upstairs”), Nicoletta Romanoff, Silvio Muccino (“The Last Kiss”) and Gabriele Lavia (“The Legend of 1900”). Also known as “Ricordati di Me.” 125 min. Aug. 20. IDP.     Suspect Zero Thriller about an FBI agent who discovers that another agent is acting as vigilante, taking out serial killers. Directed by E. Elias Merhige (“Shadow of the Vampire”) from a screenplay by Zak Penn (“Inspector Gadget,” “Behind Enemy Lines”) and Billy Ray (“Hart’s War,” “Shattered Glass”). With Aaron Eckhart (“Paycheck”), Carrie-Anne Moss (the “Matrix” series), Ben Kingsley (“Thunderbirds,” “A Sound of Thunder”), Julian Reyes (“Mi Vida Loca”), Frank Collison (“The Whole Ten Yards”), Kevin Chamberlin (“Road to Perdition,” “The Last Shot”) and William Mapother (“Minority Report”). R: Violent content; language; some nudity. Aug. 27. Paramount.   Mean Creek Drama, set in rural Oregon, about a group of teens who boat down a river to celebrate their friend’s birthday and seek revenge on a local bully. Written and directed by Jacob Aaron Estes. With Rory Culkin (“It Runs in the Family”), Ryan Kelley (“Stolen Summer”), Scott Mechlowicz (“Eurotrip”), Trevor Morgan (“The Glass House”), Josh Peck (“Spun”) and Carly Schroeder (“The Lizzie McGuire Movie”). Aug. 20. Paramount Classics.     Rosenstrasse German- and English-language drama, based on a true story of World War II Berlin, about gentile women who fought to prevent their Jewish husbands from being deported, fearful that the men would face extermination if they left the city. Directed by Margarethe von Trotta (“The Promise”) from a screenplay by Von Trotta and Pamela Katz. With Katja Riemann (“The Harmonists”), Maria Schrader (“Aimée & Jaguar”), Martin Feifel, Jürgen Vogel (“Good Bye, Lenin!”), Jutta Lampe and Doris Schade (“Beyond Silence”). 136 min. PG-13: Mature thematic material; some violence; brief drug content. Aug. 20. IDP.     Virgin Drama about a teen who, bewildered to find herself pregnant without any recollection of having had sex, decides that she is carrying the child of God. Deborah Kampmeier makes her feature directorial debut from her own screenplay. With Elisabeth Moss (“The Missing”), Robin Wright Penn (“The Singing Detective,” “A Home at the End of the World”), Daphne Rubin-Vega (“Flawless”) and Peter Gerety (“People I Know”). 114 min. Aug. 13 in New York. Artistic License/Full Moon.