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The Amateurs Comedy about a small-town entrepreneur who convinces his friends to star in his porn film. Screenwriter Michael Traeger (“Dead Man on Campus”) makes his feature directorial debut from his own script. With Jeff Bridges (“Tideland”), Tim Blake Nelson (“Hoot”), William Fichtner (“Ultraviolet”), Patrick Fugit (“Saved!”), Glenne Headly (“Eulogy”), Jeanne Tripplehorn (“Swept Away”), Brad Garrett (“The Pacifier”) and Ted Danson (“Mumford”). Formerly known as “The Moguls.” 100 min. R: Sexual content; language. Jan. 19. Bauer-Martinez.   Balls of Fury 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 (TV’s “Reno 911!”) from a screenplay by Garant & Thomas Lennon (“The Pacifier,” “Herbie: Fully Loaded,” “Let’s Go to Prison,” “Night at the Museum”). With Dan Fogler (“School for Scoundrels”), Maggie Q (“Mission: Impossible III”), Aisha Tyler (“The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause”), Jenny Robertson (“Joe the King”), George Lopez (“Yours, Mine and Ours”), Patton Oswalt (“Failure to Launch”) and Christopher Walken (“Man of the Year”). Jan. 26. Focus. Freedom Writers Drama, based on a true story, about a 23-year-old Long Beach, Calif., English teacher who inspired her “at-risk” students to participate in a journal project – one designed to facilitate tolerance and a desire to continue their educations beyond high school. Based on “The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Group of Extraordinary Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them.” Written and directed by Richard LaGravenese (“Living Out Loud”). With Hilary Swank (“The Black Dahlia”), Imelda Staunton (“Nanny McPhee”), Patrick Dempsey (“Sweet Home Alabama”), Scott Glenn (“Buffalo Soldiers”), April Hernandez, R&B artist Mario and Robert Wisdom (“Haven”). Flat. PG-13: Violent content; some thematic material; language. Jan. 12. Paramount. The Host Korean-language horror thriller about a family coping with a massive mutant tadpole-like creature attacking the people of Seoul. Directed by Joon-ho Bong from a screenplay by Bong Chul-hyun Baek and Jun-won Ha. With Kang-ho Song (“Lady Vengeance”), Hie-bong Byeon, Ah-sung Ko, Hae-il Park and Du-na Bae (“Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance”). Also known as “Gwoemul.” 118 min. Jan. 26. Magnolia. Alpha Dog Drama about a impromptu kidnapping gone horribly wrong, loosely based on the true story of Jesse James Hollywood. Written and directed by Nick Cassavetes (“The Notebook”). With Emile Hirsch (“Lords of Dogtown”), Justin Timberlake (“On the Line”), Mandy Moore (“American Dreamz”), Bruce Willis (“16 Blocks,” “Fast Food Nation”), Kevin Costner (“The Guardian”), Dominique Swain (“New Best Friend”) and Sharon Stone (“Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction,” “Bobby”). 117 min. R: Pervasive drug use and language; strong violence; sexuality; nudity. Jan. 12. Universal.   Arthur and the Invisibles Animated/ live-action adventure about a boy who attempts to save his grandfather’s house by locating a fabled treasure in a mystical land. Written and directed by Luc Besson (“The Fifth Element,” “The Messenger”). Featuring the voices of Madonna, Snoop Dogg, David Bowie, Freddie Highmore and Mia Farrow. Jan. 12. Weinstein.   Catch and Release Romantic comedy-drama about a woman who grows close to the best friend of her late fiancé. Screenwriter Susannah Grant (“Erin Brockovich,” “In Her Shoes”) makes her feature directorial debut from her own screenplay. With Jennifer Garner (“Elektra”), Timothy Olyphant (“The Girl Next Door”), Fiona Shaw (“The Black Dahlia”), Juliette Lewis (“Aurora Borealis”), Michael Karl Richards (“Deck The Halls”), Nicole Leroux (“The Core”), Sam Jaeger (“Lucky Number Slevin”), Georgia Craig (“Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”), Joshua Friesen (TV’s “Reunion”), Nancy Hower (TV’s “Star Trek: Voyager”), Kevin Smith (“Clerks 2”), Kyla Anderson (“Rat Race”) and Sonja Bennett (“Where the Truth Lies”). Scope. PG-13: Sexual content; language; some drug use. Jan. 26. Sony. Happily N’Ever After Animated comedy about a young princess who heads a resistance effort designed to defeat her stepmother, who is leading a group of evildoers bent on taking over the land of fairy tales. Directed by Paul J. Bolger from a screenplay by Robert Moreland (the straight-to-DVD movie “Ground Control”). Featuring the voices of Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze, Jr., Sigourney Weaver, Michael McShane, Joe Polito, Andy Dick, Wallace Shawn and George Carlin. Flat. Jan. 5. Lionsgate.