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M.I.A '06
What’s Ahead For The Stars Who Sat Out
The Year

Missing: Jim Carrey
Career Peak: “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” (2004)
Career Peak Domestic Theatrical Gross (DTG): $260.0 million

“The Number 23” is a New Line thriller, due Feb. 23, about a man obsessed with an obscure novel that seems to tell the tale of his life, and his efforts to avert the murder that ends the book. Directed by Joel Schumacher (“Veronica Guerin,” “The Phantom of the Opera”) from a screenplay by Fernley Phillips, it stars Carrey (“Fun with Dick and Jane”), Virginia Madsen (“A Prairie Home Companion”), Danny Huston (“The Children of Men,” “Marie Antoinette”), Logan Lerman (“Hoot”), Rhona Mitra (“Stuck on You”), Michelle Arthur (“Fun with Dick and Jane”), Mark Pellegrino (“Capote”) and Lynn Collins (“The Lake House”).

Missing: Jessica Alba
Career Peak: “Fantastic Four” (2004)
Career Peak DTG: $154.6 million

“Awake” is a drama about a man who finds himself paralyzed but aware during his own heart surgery, and the drama that unfolds around both him and his wife. Written and directed by Joby Harold, it stars Alba (“Into the Blue”), Hayden Christensen (“Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith”), Trent Ford (“The Island”), Lena Olin (“Casanova”), Terrence Howard (“Idlewild”), Sam Robards (“Catch that Kid”), Christopher McDonald (“Rumor Has It”) and Sigourney Weaver (“Infamous”). MGM has scheduled surgery for 2007.

“Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,” a Fox sci-fi actioner profiled in the October edition of Next!, deals with the superpowered quartet’s encounter with deadly extraterrestrial invaders. Alba (“Into The Blue”) reunites with director Tim Story (“Barbershop,” “Taxi”) for the June 15 release.

Missing: Jake Gyllenhaal
Career Peak: “The Day After Tomorrow” (2004)
Career Peak DTG: $186.7 million

A number of cast members have been added to “Zodiac” since it was profiled in the March edition of Next! The true story of the hunt for the Zodiac Killer, a never-captured serial murderer who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area between 1966 and 1978, taunted local law enforcement officials and claimed credit for 37 murders, it’s based on the 1986 and 2002 books by San Francisco Chronicle cartoonist Robert Graysmith, who tracked the killer through his reign. Directed by David Fincher (“Fight Club,” “Panic Room”) from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt (“Basic,” “The Rundown”), it stars Gyllenhaal (“Brokeback Mountain”) as Graysmith, Mark Ruffalo (“All the King’s Men”) as the lead detective, Brian Cox (“Running with Scissors”) as attorney Melvin Belli, Gary Oldman (“Batman Begins”) as a local attorney receiving missives from the killer and Robert Downey, Jr. (“Fur”) as an investigating reporter, as well as with Anthony Edwards (“The Forgotten”), Clea DuVall (“The Grudge”), John Getz (“Curly Sue”), Adam Goldberg (“Keeping Up With The Steins”), Zack Grenier (“Pulse”), Pell James (“Broken Flowers”), Elias Koteas (“The Greatest Game Ever Played”), Donal Logue (“Just Like Heaven”), John Carroll Lynch (“Looking For Comedy in the Muslim World”), Dermot Mulroney (“The Family Stone”) Chloe Sevigny (“Broken Flowers”), Ione Skye (“Fever Pitch”), John Terry (“The Big Green”), Tom Verica (“Flags of Our Fathers”) and Charles Fleisher (“Permanent Midnight”). Paramount hunts for high grosses Jan. 19.

Missing: Eric Bana
Career Peak: “Troy” (2004)
Career Peak DTG: $133.2 million

“Lucky You” is a drama, set in Las Vegas, about a high-stakes poker player who tries to overcome some personal demons as he vies for a world championship. Directed by Curtis Hanson (“8 Mile,” “In Her Shoes”) from a screenplay by Hanson and Eric Roth (“The Insider,” “Ali,” “Munich”), it stars Bana (“Munich”), Drew Barrymore (“Fever Pitch,” “Music & Lyrics By…), Robert Duvall (“Kicking & Screaming”), Robert Downey Jr. (“Fur”), Jean Smart (“I Heart Huckabees,” “Munich”), Horatio Sanz (“The Man”), Charles Martin Smith (“Deep Impact”) and Debra Messing (“The Wedding Date”). Warner Bros. goes “all in” March 16.

“The Other Boleyn Girl” is a romantic drama, based on the novel by Philippa Gregory (“The Virgin’s Lover”), about Mary and Anne Boleyn, who competed for the affections of England’s King Henry VIII. Veteran British TV director Justin Chadwick (“Bleak House”) makes his feature directorial debut from a screenplay by Peter Morgan (“The Last King of Scotland’). Bana co-stars with Scarlett Johansson (“The Black Dahlia,” “The Prestige”), Natalie Portman (“V For Vendetta”), Rue McClanahan (“The Fighting Temptations”) and Eddie Redmayne (“The Good Shepherd”). Sony has married it to a 2007 release.

Missing: Ice Cube
Career Peak: “Are We There Yet?” (2005)
Career Peak DTG: $82.3 million

“Are We Done Yet?” – a remake of the 1948 Cary Grant starrer “Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House” and a sequel to the 2005 hit “Are We There Yet?” – is a comedy about a family that moves to a fixer-upper in the suburbs and enters a nightmare of endless renovations. Returnees from the previous film include actors Ice Cube (“XXX: State of the Union”), Nia Long (“Big Momma’s House 2”), Aleisha Allen (“School of Rock”) and Philip Bolden (“How To Eat Fried Worms”). Newcomers to the franchise include director Steve Carr (“Daddy Day Care,” “Rebound”) and screenwriter Hank Nelkin (“Saving Silverman”). Sony is building toward an April 6 release.

Missing: Al Pacino
Career Peak: “The Godfather” (1972)
Career Peak DTG: $133.6 million

“Ocean’s Thirteen” sees Pacino (“Two for the Money”) and Ellen Barkin (“Trust the Man”) join the blockbuster franchise.

Returnees from the previous two films include director Steven Soderbergh (“Bubble,” “The Good German”) and actors George Clooney (“Syriana,” “The Good German”), Brad Pitt (“Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” “Babel”), Matt Damon (“The Good Shepherd”), Don Cheadle (“Crash”), Andy Garcia (“The Lost City”), Casey Affleck (“The Last Kiss”), 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”). Other newcomers to the series include screenwriters Brian Koppelman & David Levien (“Runaway Jury,” “Walking Tall”). Warner Bros. counts on a June 8 debut.

“88 Minutes” is a thriller about a man who must go on a frantic search for a killer after a phone call informs him that he will be murdered in 88 minutes. Directed by James Foley (“Confidence”) from a screenplay by Gary Scott Thompson (“The Fast and the Furious”), it stars Pacino, Alicia Witt (“Last Holiday”), Leelee Sobieski (“The Wicker Man”) and Neal McDonough (“Flags of our Fathers”). Warner Bros. has not yet revealed its release timeframe.

Missing: Joaquin Phoenix
Career Peak: “Signs” (2002)
Career Peak DTG: $227.9 million

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

“Reservation Road” is a thriller, based on the novel by Jonathan Burnham Schwartz (“Claire Marvel”), about a man dealing with the consequences of his hit-and-run accident. Directed by Terry George (“Hotel Rwanda”) from a screenplay by George and Schwartz, it stars Phoenix, Jennifer Connelly (“Dark Water”) and Mark Ruffalo (“Zodiac”). Focus Features has not yet reserved a release date.

Missing: Julia Roberts
Career Peak: “Ocean’s 11” (2001)
Career Peak DTG: $183.4 million

“Charlie Wilson’s War” is a drama, based on a true story and the book by George Crile, about a Texas congressman who masterminded a plan to arm and train rebels in Afghanistan to resist a Soviet invasion. Directed by Mike Nichols (“What Planet Are You From?” “Closer”) from a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin (“A Few Good Men,” “Malice,” “The American President”), it stars Roberts (“Ocean’s 12”), Tom Hanks (“The Da Vinci Code”), Philip Seymour Hoffman (“Mission: Impossible III”) and Amy Adams (“Talladega Nights”). Universal is triggering a late 2007 launch.

Missing: John Travolta
Career Peak: “Look Who’s Talking” (1989)
Career Peak DTG: $138.1 million

“Hairspray” is a musical based on the hit stage musical, which is based on the 1988 John Waters film about a plump 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 Travolta (“Be Cool”) as Edna Turnblad, Christopher Walken (“Man of the Year”) as Wilbur Turnblad, Michelle Pfeiffer (“White Oleander”) as Velma Von Tussle, Brittany Snow (“John Tucker Must Die”) as Amber Von Tussle, James Marsden (“Superman Returns”) as Corny Collins, Queen Latifah (“Stranger than Fiction”) as Motormouth Maybelle, Amanda Bynes (“She’s the Man”) as Penny Pingleton, Elijah Kelley (“28 Days”) as Seaweed J. Stubs, and Nicole Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad. New Line plays it into cinemas Dec. 21, 2007.

“Lonely Hearts,” based on the true story, is a crime thriller about two detectives in the 1940s tracking a pair of serial murders who lure their victims via personal ads. Directed by screenwriter Todd Robinson (“White Squall”) from his own script, it stars Travolta, Dan Byrd (“A Cinderella Story,” “The Hills Have Eyes”), Laura Dern (“The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio”), James Gandolfini (“All the King’s Men”), Salma Hayek (“After the Sunset,” “Ask the Dust”), Scott Caan (“Friends With Money”), Alice Krige (“Silent Hill”) and Jared Leto (“Lord of War”). Sony is advertising a 2007 release date.

“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 Travolta, Tim Allen (“Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause”), Martin Lawrence (“Big Momma’s House 2”), Marisa Tomei (“Factotum”), William H. Macy (“Bobby”), Ray Liotta (“Take the Lead”), Stephen Tobolowsky (“Just My Luck”) and Jill Hennessy (“Autumn in New York”). Buena Vista is riding a March 2 release.

Missing: Chris Tucker
Career Peak: “Rush Hour 2” (2001)
Career Peak DTG: $226.0 million

“Rush Hour 3,” previewed in October’s Next!, takes mismatched cops Carter and Lee to Paris to contend with a Chinese crime syndicate. Returnees from parts one and two include Tucker (“Jackie Brown”), co-star Jackie Chan (“Around the World in 80 Days”) and director Brett Ratner (“After the Sunset,” “X-Men: The Last Stand”). New Line is racing toward an Aug. 10 release.

Missing: Catherine Zeta-Jones
Career Peak: “Chicago” (2002)
Career Peak DTG: $170.6 million

“No Reservations” is a Warner Bros. romantic comedy (profiled in the April edition of Next! as “Mostly Martha”), about a top chef who butts heads with her new sous-chef. Zeta-Jones (“The Legend of Zorro”) teams with director Scott Hicks (“Snow Falling on Cedars,” “Hearts in Atlantis”) for the May 4 release.

Missing: Mike Myers
Career Peak: “Shrek 2” (2004)
Career Peak DTG: $436.4 million

“Shrek The Third,” an animated DreamWorks comedy covered at length in the October 2005 edition of Next!, pits Fiona, Puss in Boots and the title character against King Arthur, Sir Lancelot and Merlin. Myers (“The Cat in the Hat”) reteams with screenwriter Chris Miller (the “Austin Powers” series), who makes his feature directorial debut on the May 18 release.

Missing: Reese Witherspoon
Career Peak: “Sweet Home Alabama” (2002)
Career Peak DTG: $127.2 million

“Penelope” is a romantic fantasy, profiled in the March edition of Next!, about a pig-faced girl who sets out to break a family curse by finding her one true love. Witherspoon (“Walk the Line”) teams with second-unit director Mark Palansky (“The Amityville Horror,” “The Island”), who makes his first-unit feature directorial debut. The project yet to settle on a U.S. distributor.