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The Boys of Autumn
Next! looks at what’s ahead for the male stars of fall

Brad Pitt
Babel

Before he’s seen in “Ocean’s Thirteen” (see below), Pitt will appear in “The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford.” Already covered way back in the November 2005 edition of Next!, it’s about a member of the famed James Gang who sets out to secure his place in history by murdering his famous boss. Andrew Dominik (“Chopper”) directs. Warner Bros. is shooting for an early 2007 release.

George Clooney
The Good German

“Ocean’s Thirteen” finds Danny Ocean reuniting with Rusty Ryan, Linus Caldwell, Basher Tarr, Reuben Tishkoff, Saul Bloom and the Malloy brothers, among others, for more high-stakes adventures. Newcomers to the series include screenwriters Brian Koppelman & David Levien (“Runaway Jury,” “Walking Tall”) and actors Ellen Barkin (“Trust the Man”) and Al Pacino (“Two for the Money,” “88 Minutes”). Besides Clooney, returnees from the previous two films include director Steven Soderbergh (“Bubble,” “The Good German”) and actors Brad Pitt (“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”), Matt Damon (“The Good Shepherd”), Don Cheadle (“Crash”), Andy Garcia (“The Lost City”), Casey Affleck (“The Last Kiss,” “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”), Scott Caan (“Friends With Money”), Elliott Gould (“American History X”), Shaobo Qin, Carl Reiner (“The Majestic”) and Bernie Mac (“Guess Who”). Returnees from the previous film include actor Eddie Izzard (“My Super Ex-Girlfriend”). Warner Bros. is plotting a June 8 score.

“Michael Clayton” is a thriller about a New York attorney with a talent for making the problems of his powerful clients disappear – and what happens when he’s revisited by some of his shadier dealings. Screenwriter Tony Gilroy (“The Bourne Identity,” “The Bourne Supremacy”) makes his feature directorial from his own script. Clooney’s co-stars include Sydney Pollack (“The Interpreter”), Tilda Swinton (“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe”), Jennifer Ehle (“Possession”), Pamela Gray (“The Devil’s Advocate”), Jack Fitz (“The Good Shepherd”) and Michael O’Keefe (“The Hot Chick”). Warner Bros. opens proceedings Sept. 14.

Will Smith
Pursuit of Happyness

Since “I am Legend” was covered in October’s Next!, a number of the erstwhile Fresh Prince’s co-stars have been cast, including Gabrielle Union (“Running With Scissors,” “Perfect Christmas”), Salli Richardson-Whitfield (“Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid”) and Alice Braga (“Lower City”). The thriller, about a New Yorker who believes he may be the last normal man left alive after a biological weapon kills most of the Manhattan’s human population and turns the rest into vampire-like creatures, is directed by Francis Lawrence (“Constantine”) from a screenplay by Mark Protosevich (“The Cell,” “Poseidon”) and Akiva Goldsman (“Cinderella Man,” The Da Vinci Code”). Warner Bros hopes good buzz on the project turns viral by its Nov. 21, 2007 release.

Eddie Murphy
Dreamgirls

“Norbit” is a comedy about a meek man who attempts to shed his shrewish fiancée after he meets the woman of his dreams. Directed by Brian Robbins (“The Perfect Score,” “The Shaggy Dog”) from a screenplay by David Ronn & Jay Scherick (“I Spy,” “National Security,” “Guess Who”), it stars Murphy, Thandie Newton (“Crash,” “Pursuit of Happyness”), Eddie Griffin (“Date Movie”), Terry Crews (“Click,” “Idiocracy”) and Cuba Gooding Jr. (“Shadowboxer”). Paramount plans a Feb. 9 engagement.

Will Ferrell
Stranger Than Fiction

“Blades of Glory,” covered in the last August/September edition of Next!, is a comedy about two disgraced figure skaters who form the sport’s first all-male team. Josh Gordon & Will Speck make their feature directorial debuts. Paramount hopes for a box office equivalent of a triple Lutz come March 30.

 

Bruce Willis
Fast Food Nation

“The Astronaut Farmer,” covered in the November 2005 edition of Next!, is a comedy about an ex-NASA man who decides to build a rocket and make it to space on his own. The “Jackpot”-”Northfork” team of screenwriter Mark Polish and screenwriter-director Michael Polish reunite. Joining the cast – in addition to Willis, Billy Bob Thornton (“School for Scoundrels”), Virginia Madsen (“A Prairie Home Companion”) and Bruce Dern (“Monster”) – are Richard Edson (“The Kid & I”), Jon Gries (“Stick It”), Tim Blake Nelson (“Hoot”) and J.K. Simmons (“Thank You For Smoking,” “Harsh Times”). Warner Bros. has scheduled a Feb. 2 launch.

“Perfect Stranger,” a Willis project covered in the August/September edition of Next!, is a thriller about a woman (Halle Berry of the “X-Men” franchise) who goes undercover on online dating sites in an effort to track down her friend’s murderer. James Foley (“Confidence”) directs. Sony hopes audiences will embrace it like an old friend come May 11.

Several cast members have been added to “Live Free or Die Hard” since it was covered in the October edition of Next! Joining Willis and Justin Long (“Accepted”) in this fourth installment of the franchise are actors Maggie Q (“Mission: Impossible III”), Chris Palermo (“A.I.”), and Yancey Arias (“The Time Machine”) as Agent Johnson. Len Wiseman (the “Underworld” series) directs. Fox says John McClane returns to duty June 29.

Ben Stiller
Night at the Museum
School For Scoundrels
Tenacious D in
The Pick of Destiny

“Seven Day Itch,” a loose remake of Neil Simon’s “The Heartbreak Kid,” is a romantic comedy about a man who hastily weds the perfect girl, only to fall for an even more perfect one on the honeymoon. Written and directed by Peter & Bobby Farrelly (“Shallow Hal,” “Stuck on you”), it stars Stiller, Michelle Monaghan (“Mission: Impossible III”), Malin Ackerman (“Harold and Kumar go to White Castle”), Carlos Mencia (“29 Palms”) and David Hodges (“The Pursuit of Happyness”). Paramount is itching to release it Oct. 5, 2007.

Denzel Washington
Déjà Vu

“American Gangster” is a drama, set in the 1970s, about a Harlem heroin kingpin who is brought down – and turned informant – by a determined detective. Partially based on a New York magazine article, it is directed by Ridley Scott (“Kingdom of Heaven,” “A Good Year”) from a screenplay by Steven Zaillian (“The Interpreter,” “All the King’s Men”). Washington’s co-stars include Russell Crowe (“A Good Year”), Josh Brolin (“Into the Blue”), Chiwetel Ejiofor (“The Children of Men”), Carla Gugino (“Night at the Museum”), RZA (“The Protector”), Ted Levine (“The Hills Have Eyes,” “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward James Ford”), John Ortiz (“Miami Vice”) and Lymari Nadal. Universal turns it out late next year.

Russell Crowe
A Good Year

In addition to starring opposite Washington in “American Gangster,” Crowe stars in “Tenderness,” a drama about a 16-year-old runaway who falls for an 18-year-old teen serial killer. Based on the novel by Robet Cormier (“The Chocolate War,” “I Am The Cheese”), it was directed by John Polson (“Hide and Seek”) from a screenplay by Emil Stern. Crowe’s co-stars include Jon Foster (“Stay Alive”), Sophie Traub (“The Interpreter”), Alexis Dziena (“Broken Flowers”), Tanya Clarke (“A Beautiful Mind”), Michael Kelly (“Dawn of the Dead”), Alicia Harding (the TV movie “Tuesdays With Morrie”) and Laura Dern (“Happy Endings”). The project had not at press time settled on a U.S. distributor

Matt Damon
The Departed
The Good Shepherd

“The Bourne Ultimatum,” based on the novel by Robert Ludlum, is about the amnesic David Webb, Jason Bourne’s alter ego, who finds himself the target of an assassin as he continues to seek clues regarding his past. Returnees from “The Bourne Identity” and “The Bourne Supremacy” include Damon, Julia Stiles (“The Omen”) and screenwriter Tony Gilroy (“Proof of Life”). Returnees from part two include director Paul Greengrass (“United 93”) and actor Joan Allen (“The Upside of Anger”). Newcomers to the franchise include screenwriters Tom Stoppard (“Shakespeare in Love,” “Enigma,” “The Golden Compass”) and Paul Attanasio (“The Sum of All Fears,” “The Good German”) and actors David Strathairn (“We Are Marshall”) and Gael Garcia Bernal (“Babel”). Remembering how well “Supremacy” did in late summer 2004, Universal is targeting Aug. 3 for “Ultimatum.”

Ben Affleck
Hollywoodland

“Man About Town,” an Affleck vehicle covered in the June edition of Next!, is a comedy-drama about a successful talent agent who finds his life crumbling down around him after a reporter steals his journal. Mike Binder (“The Upside of Anger”) writes and directs. DreamWorks brings it to town next year.

“Smokin’ Aces,” also covered in the June edition, is an Affleck action-comedy, written and directed by Joe Carnahan (“Narc”), about a semi-famous Las Vegas magician who snitches on the mob. Universal lights it up March 2.

“Gone Baby Gone,” based on the novel by Dennis Lehane (“Mystic River”), is a drama about two Boston-area police detectives investigating the murder of a little girl. Affleck makes his feature directorial debut from a screenplay by Affleck (“Good Will Hunting”) and Aaron Stockard. It stars Casey Affleck (“Ocean’s 13,”), Michelle Monaghan (“The Seven Day Itch”), Amy Ryan (“Capote”), Morgan Freeman (“Lucky Number Slevin”), Titus Welliver (“Assault on Precinct 13”), John Ashton (“Instinct”) and Ed Harris (“Winter Passing”). Miramax has gone and scheduled it for next year.

Robin Williams
Man of the Year
Night at the Museum

“August Rush” is a contemporary fairy tale about a musical prodigy who sets out to find his long-lost musician parents. Directed by Kirsten Sheridan from a screenplay by Sheridan, Nick Castle (“Escape From New York,” “Tap”), Paul Castro, James V. Hart (“Sarhara”) and Richard Barton Lewis, it stars Williams, Freddie Highmore (“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “A Good Year”), William Sadler (“Kinsey”), Terrence Howard (“Idlewild,” “Perfect Christmas”), Keri Russell (“Mission: Impossible III”) and Johnathan Rhys-Meyers (“Mission: Impossible III”). Warner Bros. is tuning up for a 2007 release.

“License To Wed” is a comedy about a young couple who, on the orders of a pushy minister, must complete a marriage preparation training course before he will marry them. Directed by Ken Kwapis (“The Beautician and the Beast,” “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”) from a screenplay by Kim Barker and Tim Rasmussen & Vince DiMeglio, it stars Williams, Mandy Moore (“American Dreamz”), John Krasinski (“Jarhead,” “For Your Consideration”), Christine Taylor (“Dodgeball”), Eric Christian Olsen (“The Last Kiss”) and DeRay Davis (“School for Scountrels”). Warner Bros. cordially invites you to its July 4 opening.

Jack Black
The Holiday
Tenacious D in:
The Pick of Destiny

“Be Kind, Rewind” is a comedy about a junkyard worker who accidentally destroys every videocassette in his friend’s local video store, then sets out to remake the tapes – including “Back to the Future,” “The Lion King,” “RoboCop” and “Rush Hour” – in an effort to fool a dotty old woman who happens to be the store’s best customer. Written and directed by Michel Gondry (“The Science of Sleep”), it stars Black, Mia Farrow (“The Omen”), Melonie Diaz (“The Lords of Dogtown”), Mos Def (“16 Blocks”), Danny Glover (“Dreamgirls”), P.J. Byrne (“Fun With Dick and Jane”) and Chandler Parker. New Line hits “play” next year.

Tim Allen
The Santa Clause 3

“Wild Hogs” is a comedy about a group of middle-aged biker-wannabes who enjoy taking to the road in search of adventure – until they cross paths with a real biker gang. Directed by Walt Becker (“Van Wilder”) from a screenplay by Brad Copeland (TV’s “Arrested Development,” “My Name is Earl”), it stars Allen, John Travolta (“Be Cool”), Marisa Tomei (“Factotum”), William H. Macy (“Bobby”), Martin Lawrence (“Big Momma’s House 2”), Ray Liotta (“Smokin’ Aces”), Stephen Tobolowsky (“Just My Luck”) and Jill Hennessy (“Autumn in New York”). Buena Vista puts it on the road March 2.

Mark Wahlberg
The Departed

“We Own the Night,” covered in the August/ September editon of Next!, is about a 1980s New York nightclub manager out to save his cop brother from deadly Russian mobsters. Wahlberg teams with writer-director James Gray (“Little Odessa,” “The Yards”). Universal has not yet owned up to its release date.

“Shooter” is a thriller, based on the novel “Point of Impact” by Stephen Hunter, about a marksman who employs the help of a renegade FBI agent to track down the men who framed him for the assassination of a political leader. Directed by Antoine Fuqua (“Tears of the Sun,” “King Arthur”) from a screenplay by Jonathan Lemkin, it stars Wahlberg, Kate Mara (“Zoom,” “We Are Marshall”), Danny Glover (“Be Kind, Rewind”), Elias Koteas (“The Greatest Game Ever Played”), Michael Pena (“World Trade Center”) and Lane Garrison (TV’s “Prison Break”). Paramount is aiming for March 16.

Robert
De Niro
The Good Shepherd

“Stardust,” based on the novel by Neil Gaiman (“Neverwhere,” “American Gods”), is a fantasy-adventure about a young man who aims to win the heart of his beloved by rescuing a falling star from a neighboring magical realm. Directed by Matthew Vaughn (“Layer Cake”) from a screenplay by Vaughn and Jane Goldman, it stars De Niro, Charlie Cox (“Casanova”), Claire Danes (“The Family Stone,” “The Flock”), Sienna Miller (“Casanova”), Michelle Pfeiffer (“White Oleander”), Alfred Molina (“The Hoax”), Jason Flemyng (“Transporter 2”), Sarah Alexander (“I Could Never Be Your Woman”), Rupert Everett (“Stage Beauty”), Ricky Gervais (“For Your Consideration,” “Night at the Museum”), Mark Strong (“Tristan & Isolde”), Billie Whitelaw (“Quills”), Peter O’Toole (“Lassie”) and Vinnie Jones (“X-Men: The Last Stand”). Paramount says its release falls on March 9.

“What Just Happened?” is a comedy, based on a book by aging movie producer Art Linson, about an aging movie producer trying to hang onto his power and credibility in Hollywood. Directed by Barry Levinson (“Man of the Year”) from a screenplay by Linson, it stars De Niro as Linson and Sean Penn (“All the King’s Men”) as himself. Warner Bros. puts it in the multis next year.

Dwayne
‘ The Rock’ Johnson
Gridiron Gang

“Reno 911!: Miami,” covered in May’s edition of Next!, is a comedy, based on the Comedy Central TV series, about inept law enforcement officials who must save the day when a police convention they’re attending in Miami is attacked with bio-weapons. Johnson teams with writer-director Robert Ben Garant (the upcoming “Balls of Fury”). Fox has it cuffed to a Feb. 23 debut.

“Southland Tales,” most recently covered in last month’s edition of Next!, is an ensemble comedy-musical-sci-fi-thriller set against a three-day Los Angeles heatwave. It teams The Rock with writer-director Richard Kelly (“Donnie Darko”). Though screened at the Cannes Film Festival in May, it still lacks a U.S. theatrical distributor.

Jamie Foxx
Dreamgirls

“The Kingdom” is a thriller about an elite team of U.S. counterterrorism experts who set out to track down the perpetrators of an attack upon Americans visiting the Middle East. Directed by Peter Berg (“The Rundown,” “Friday Night Lights”) from a screenplay by Matthew Carnahan, it stars Foxx, Jennifer Garner (“Elektra,” “Catch and Release”), Jeremy Piven (“Keeping Up With The Steins”), Jason Bateman (“The Break-Up”), Kyle Chandler (“King Kong”), Frances Fisher (“Laws of Attraction”), Brooke Langton (“The Benchwarmers”) and Chris Cooper (“Syriana”). Universal plans an April 20 coronation.

Dustin Hoffman
Stranger Than Fiction

“Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium” is a fantasy-comedy about a mystical toy store that begins to undergo ominous changes when its eccentric owner bequeaths it to his shy manager. Screenwriter Zach Helm (“Stranger than Fiction”) makes his feature directorial debut from his own script. Hoffman’s co-stars include Natalie Portman (“V For Vendetta”), Jason Bateman (“The Kingdom,”), Ted Ludzik (“Land of the Dead”), Kathryn Greenwood (“The Man”), Rebecca Northan (the TV-movie “The Path to 9/11”) and Zach Mills (“Hollywoodland,” “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause”). Weinstein opens shop in 2007.

Richard Gere
The Hoax

“The Flock” is a thriller about a federal agent who trains his young female replacement as he tracks down a missing girl. Directed by Wai Keung Lau from a screenplay by Hans Bauer & Craig Mitchell, it stars Gere, Claire Danes (“Stardust”), Matt Schulze (“The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things”), Russell Sams (“Wonderland”), Carmen Serano (“Next Friday”), Avril Lavigne (“Fast Food Nation”), Kristina Sisco (TV’s “As The World Turns”), Twink Caplan (“Loser”) and KaDee Strickland (“Fever Pitch”). MGM hatches it next year.

“I’m Not There: Suppositions on a Film Concerning Dylan,” covered in last month’s edition of Next!, is a biography of Bob Dylan featuring seven different actors portraying the singer/songwriter at various stages of his life and career. Gere teams up with writer/director Todd Haynes (“Velvet Goldmine,” “Far From Heaven”). There’s no word yet on a U.S. distributor.

“Spring Break in Bosnia” is a comic adventure about a pair of journalists mistaken for a CIA hit squad when they set out to track down Bosnia’s most notorious war criminal. Written and directed by Richard Shepard (“The Matador”), it stars Gere, Jesse Eisenberg (“The Squid and the Whale”), Terrence Howard (“Idlewild”), Mark Ivanir (“Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” “The Good Shepherd”), Goran Kostic (“The Children of Men”). Weinstein starts its run in 2007.

Christopher Walken
Man of the Year

“Hairspray” is the film version of the hit 2002 Broadway musical based on the 1988 John Waters film. Set in 1962, it’s about a plus-size Baltimore teen who lands a spot on a local TV dance show. Directed by Adam Shankman (“The Pacifier,” “Cheaper by the Dozen 2”) from a screenplay by Leslie Dixon (“Freaky Friday,” “Just Like Heaven”), Thomas Meehan (“The Producers: The Movie Musical”) and Mark O’Donnell, it stars Walken, John Travolta (“Be Cool”), Michelle Pfeiffer (“Stardust”), Queen Latifah (“Stranger than Fiction”), Amanda Bynes (“She’s the Man”), Brittany Snow (“John Tucker Must Die”), James Marsden (“10th & Wolf”) and Allison Janney (“Strangers With Candy”). New Line adorns it with a summer bow.

“Balls of Fury” is a comedy about a down-and-out former table-tennis champion who enters the seedy world of underground ping pong tournaments to find the man who killed his father. Directed by Ben Garant (“Reno 911!: Miami”) from a screenplay by Garant & Thomas Lennon (“The Pacifier,” “Herbie: Fully Loaded,” “Let’s Go to Prison,” “Night at the Museum,” “Reno 911!: Miami”), it stars Walken, Dan Fogler (“School for Scoundrels”), Diedrich Bader (“Miss Congeniality 2”), Patton Oswalt (“Failure to Launch”), Brian Posehn (“Stay”), George Lopez (“The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3D”), Maggie Q (“Live Free or Die Hard”), Aisha Tyler (“The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause”), Jenny Robertson (“Joe the King”), Jason Scott Lee (“Soldier”), Thomas Lennon (“Herbie: Fully Loaded”), Masi Oka (“Along Came Polly”), Toby Huss (“Human Nature”), Kerri Kenney (“Wet Hot American Summer”), David Koechner (“Unaccompanied Minors,” “Let’s Go To Prison”), David Proval (“Miss Congeniality 2”), Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (“Memoirs of a Geisha”) and James Hong (“Jet Li’s Hero”). Focus puts it on the table Jan. 26.

Johnny Knoxville
Jackass

“Killshot,” covered in the July edition of Next!, is a thriller about an ironworker who enters an ineffectual Federal Witness Protection Program. Knoxville teams with director John Madden (“Captain Corelli’s Mandolin,” “Proof”). Once set for Sept. 22, it no longer targets a specific release date.