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The Painted Veil Romantic drama, set in the 1920s, about an English scientist who learns after he relocates to Hong Kong that his wife is having an affair with a local playboy. Based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham (“Up at the Villa,” “Being Julia”). Directed by John Curran (“We Don’t Live Here Anymore”) from a screenplay by Ron Nyswaner (“Philadelphia”). With Naomi Watts (“King Kong”), Edward Norton (“The Illusionist”), Liev Schreiber (“The Omen”), Diana Rigg (“A Good Man in Africa”), Hélène Cardona (“Chocolat”), Zoe Telford (“Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo”) and Sally Hawkins (“Layer Cake”). PG-13: Some mature sexual situations; partial nudity; disturbing images; brief drug content. Dec. 15 in New York and Los Angeles; wider Jan. 5, Jan.12 and Jan. 19. Warner Independent Pictures.   Perfume Thriller, set in 18th century France, about a serial killer – born with an extraordinary sense of smell but no scent of his own – who becomes a perfumier obsessed with finding the perfect smell. Based on the novel by Patrick Suskind (“The Pigeon”). Directed by Tom Tykwer (“Run Lola Run,” “The Princess and the Warrior,” “Heaven”) from a screenplay by Tykwer, Bernd Eichinger (“Downfall”), Caroline Thompson (“Buddy,” “Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride”) and Andrew Birkin (“The Messenger”). With Alan Rickman (the “Harry Potter” series), Dustin Hoffman (“The Lost City,” “Stranger than Fiction”), Rachel Hurd-Wood (“An American Haunting”), Simon Chandler (“Stoned”) and Ben Whishaw (“Stoned”). Scope. R: Aberrant behavior involving nudity, violence, sexuality, and disturbing images. Dec. 27 limited; wide Jan. 5. DreamWorks.   Rocky Balboa A fiftysomething Italian Stallion, now a widowed restaurateur distant from his adult son, climbs back into the ring to fight reigning heavyweight champ Mason Dixon, a boxer reviled by fans for fighting unproven opponents. Sylvester Stallone, who wrote the previous five installments and directed chapters “II,” “III” and “IV,” helms from his own screenplay. Actors returning from the previous five installments include Stallone (“Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over”), Burt Young (“Transamerica”) and Tony Burton (“Hook”). Newcomers to the franchise include Milo Ventimiglia (“Stay Alive”) as Rocky Balboa Jr., as well as Henry G. Sanders (“Play It To The Bone”), Bert Randolph Sugar (“Play It To The Bone”), Marc Ratner (“Play It To The Bone”), Geraldine Hughes (“Duplex”), Lahmard J. Tate (“Barbershop”), A.J. Benza (“P.S. Your Cat is Dead”) and Antonio Tarver (TV’s “The Contender”). PG: Boxing violence; some language. Dec. 22. MGM.     Unaccompanied Minors Comedy about children of divorce who create a makeshift holiday for themselves when they are snowed in at a Chicago airport the day after Christmas. Based on a segment from the NPR series “This American Life.” Directed by Paul Feig (“I Am David”) from a screenplay by Jacob Meszaros and M. Stark. With Gina Mantegna (“13 Going on 30”), Dyllan Christopher (“Seabiscuit”), Quinn Shephard (“Harrison’s Flowers”), Brett Kelly (“Bad Santa”), Tyler James Williams (TV’s “Everybody Hates Chris”), Tony Hale (“R.V.,” “Stranger than Fiction”), Mindy Kaling (“The 40-Year-Old Virgin”), B.J. Novak (TV’s “The Office”), Rob Corddry (“Failure to Launch”), Lewis Black (“Man of the Year”), David Koechner (“Snakes on a Plane,” “Let’s Go to Prison,” “Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny”) and Wilmer Valderrama (“Party Monster,” “Fast Food Nation”). Flat. Dec. 8. Warner Bros.   Venus Comedy about a very elderly actor who falls for the 19-year-old grand-niece of an old friend. Directed by Roger Michell (“The Mother,” “Enduring Love”) from a screenplay by Hanif Kureishi (“My Son the Fanatic,” “The Mother”). With Jodie Whitaker, Peter O’Toole (“Lassie”), Vanessa Redgrave (“The White Countess”), Leslie Phillips (“Lara Croft: Tomb Raider”), and Richard Griffiths (“Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” “The History Boys”). Flat. 94 min. R: Language; some sexual content; brief nudity. Dec. 15 in New York and Los Angeles. Miramax. Pan's Labyrinth Spanish-language fantasy-drama, set in 1940s Spain, about a lonely young girl who comes to believe that she is the lost princess of a surreal underground kingdom, and that she must complete three dangerous tasks in order to return to her true home. Written and directed by Guillermo del Toro (“The Devil’s Backbone,” “Hellboy”). With Ivana Baquero, Doug Jones (“Lady in the Water”), Maribel Verdú (“Y Tu Mamá También”), Sergi López (“Dirty Pretty Things”), Ariadna Gil and Roger Casamajor. 120 min. R: Graphic violence; some language. Dec. 29 limited. Picturehouse.   Pursuit of Happyness Drama about a thirtysomething man, barely scraping by as a salesman, who lands a career-making brokerage internship just as he gains custody of his young son. Directed by Gabriele Muccino (“Remember Me, My Love”) from a screenplay by Steve Conrad (“Wrestling Ernest Hemingway,” “The Weather Man”). With Will Smith (“Hitch”), real-life son Jaden Smith, Thandie Newton (“Crash”), David Pearl (“Rent”), Brian Howe (“R.V.”), Kurt Fuller (“Don’t Come Knocking”), Scott Klace (“Roommates”), Takayo Fischer (“Memoirs of a Geisha”), Domenic Bove (“Bee Season”), Lo Ming (“Jarhead”) and Dan Castellaneta (“My Giant”). Scope. PG-13: Some language. Dec. 15. Sony.     Turistas Horror thriller, set along the Brazilian coast, about a group of American backpackers whose bus breaks down, leaving them to the mercy of some sadistic locals. Directed by John Stockwell (“Blue Crush,” “Into the Blue”) from a screenplay by Michael Ross. With Josh Duhamel (“Win A Date with Tad Hamilton!”), Melissa George (“Derailed”), Olivia Wilde (“Conversations with Other Women,” “Running With Scissors”), Desmond Askew (“The Hills Have Eyes”), Beau Garrett (TV’s “Head Cases”), Polly Brown and Max Brown. R: Strong graphic violence and disturbing content; sexuality; nudity; drug use; language. Dec. 1. Fox.     Van Wilder Deux: The Rise of Taj Sequel to the 2002 comedy, this time focusing on Wilder’s sidekick, who arrives in England determined to show the Oxford University student body how to party. Kal Penn (“Superman Returns”) reprises the role of Taj. Directed by Mort Nathan (“Boat Trip”) from a screenplay by actor David Drew Gallagher (“Disclosure,” “Infinity”). With Lauren Cohan (“Casanova”), Shobu Kapoor (“Bend it Like Beckham”), Glen Barry, Holly Davidson, Adam Sinclair and Tom Davey. R: Pervasive crude sexual content; some nudity; language. Dec. 1. MGM.     We Are Marshall Drama about a coach and surviving team members struggling to keep their university football program alive after a plane crash kills the head coach, members of the team and numerous fans. Directed by McG (the “Charlie’s Angels” franchise) from a screenplay by Jamie Linden. With Matthew McConaughey (“Failure to Launch”), Matthew Fox (“My Boyfriend’s Back”), Anthony Mackie (“Crossover”), Kate Mara (“Zoom”), Ian McShane (“Scoop”) and David Strathairn (“The Notorious Bettie Page”). Scope. Dec. 22. Warner Bros. Christmas at Maxwell’s Drama about a man who organizes one last Christmas for his family after his wife becomes gravely ill. Written and directed by William Laufer. With Andrew May (“Striking Distance”), Joel Nunley (“The Clearing”), Jack Hourigan, Helen Welch, Tracie Field, Rick Montgomery, Robert Hawkes and Sarah Christie. PG: Thematic issues; momentary mild language. Nov. 10. Aloha.       Jonestown: The Life And Death of People’s Temple Documentary about California cult leader Jim Jones, who led his followers to build a new “utopian” settlement in a South American jungle – far from the prying eyes of his followers’ relatives – where in 1978 he ultimately engineered the deaths of an investigating U.S. congressman, a news crew, and more than 900 of Jones’ own followers. Directed by Stanley Nelson (“Sweet Honey in the Rock”). Written by Marcia Smith. 85 min. Oct. 20 in New York; Nov. 10 in Los Angeles. Fire Light.   Harsh Times Drama about a violent Iraq War vet and his best friend, who go on the hunt for jobs, drugs and money in gang-riddled South Central Los Angeles. Screenwriter David Ayer (“Training Day,” “Dark Blue,” “S.W.A.T.”) makes his feature directorial debut from his own script. With Christian Bale (“Batman Begins,” “The Prestige”), Freddy Rodriguez (“Lady in the Water,” “Bobby”), Eva Longoria (“The Sentinel”), J.K. Simmons (“Thank You for Smoking”), Terry Crews (“Idiocracy”), Sonia Iris Lozada (“Hollywood Homicide”) and Cesar Garcia (“Dirty”). 120 min. R: Strong violence; language; drug use. Nov. 10. MGM.