Who's Directing It: Richard Kelly
Who's In It: James Marsden, Cameron Diaz, Frank Langella
What's the Plot: A small wooden box arrives on the doorstep of a married couple, who open it and become instantly wealthy. Little do they realize that opening the box also kills someone they do not know ...
What's the Deal: Richard Kelly, director of the cult favorite Donnie Darko, returns for his third feature after the disaster that was Southland Tales. Since Darko is one of my favorite films this one makes the list but it could really go either way. If it�s another disaster like Kelly�s previous then his future as a director will be in serious jeopardy, but at least he�s not the idiot making a sequel to Donnie Darko entitled S. Darko (about Donnie�s little sister Samantha) set to release this year as well. That would have been career suicide.
When to Expect It: November 9th
Who's Directing It: Joe Wright
Who's In It: Robert Downey Jr, Jamie Foxx, Catherine Keener
What's the Plot: A Los Angeles Journalist, befriends a homeless Julliard trained musician, while looking for a new article for the paper.
What's the Deal: This is the first of many 2008 films pushed back to 2009 to make my list. Pushed back for several reasons, including the current state of the economy and the crowded late 08� release schedule, this should be an early year treat for film fans. It has a strong director helming it and its star Robert Downey Jr. is on a hot streak after Iron Man and Tropic Thunder. Plus the trailer is out and it looks great.
When to Expect It: April 24th
Who's Directing It: Ang Lee
Who's In It: Emile Hirsch, Paul Dano, Liev Schrieber
What's the Plot: A man working at his parents' motel in the Catskills inadvertently sets in motion the generation-defining concert in the summer of 1969.
What's the Deal: Ang Lee is one of the best international directors in film and this is his new film following Brokeback Mountain and Lust, Caution about the most historical gathering of musicians ever: Woodstock. Lee is pretty consistent so I would expect this to be a strong ensemble drama about the event, but the cast doesn't look too impressive, carrying a lot of young no-name actors. But Lee knows how to draw out strong performances from his casts so I'm still looking forward to it.
When to Expect It: August 14th
Who's Directing It: Sam Raimi
Who's In It: Allison Lohman, Justin Long
What's the Plot: A loan officer (Lohman) ordered to evict an old woman from her home finds herself the recipient of a supernatural curse, who turns her life into a living hell. Desperate, she turns to a seer to try and save her soul, while evil forces work to push her to a breaking point.
What's the Deal: If you've seen Evil Dead or Evil Dead 2 then you know exactly why I'm stoked for director Sam Raimi's (also director of the Spiderman franchise) return to the horror genre.
When to Expect It: May 29
