Terminator Salvation (May 22)
director: McG
stars: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington
The previous Terminator films have all famously involved a very simple formula—killer robots sent back in time to knock off that pesky Connor kid who would eventually overthrow the oppressive machine regime of their post-apocalyptic future. This brutal, war-torn vision of a technological wasteland yet-to-come was memorably, if briefly, teased in occasional flashback forwards (or was it flash forward backs? Forward flashbacks? Backward flash forwards?). After three features and a spiraling TV series, it took the director of “Charlie’s Angels” to finally take us into the future. Set in the desperate years after the brainbots of Skynet unloaded our own nuclear arsenal on us (making the story both a sequel and a prequel), we find a hardened, embittered John Connor (Christian Bale) at the center of the machines’ escalating conspiracy to harvest human flesh to perfect their own designs, and, in a fabulously recursive paradoxical loop, embarking on a mission against insurmountable odds to rescue the very man he would later send back in time to become his own father. Take that Doc Brown. By all accounts, director McG just pounds the pedal to the metal, really putting the “arms” into his Armageddon, and creating whole new lines of terminating devices of all shapes and sizes to wreck the lives of our miserable protagonists. When approached for his blessing on this new vision, “Terminator” creator James Cameron told the young McG simply, and with little apparent blessing, “Don’t f@#& it up.”  Good advice for any future, really, but can McG pull it off? —TB

The Limits of Control (May 22)
director: Jim Jarmusch
stars: Isaach De Bankolé, Tilda Swinton, Gael Garcia Bernal, Bill Murray
Jarmusch, the genius behind “Down by Law” and “Dead Man,” teams up with De Bankolé for the fourth time to tell the story of a mysterious stranger working on a secret job in Spain. Early word says this is Jarmusch’s strangest project yet. Those unfamiliar with his work should know that, in Jarmusch-speak, “strange” equals “good.”—LH

Drag Me to Hell (May 29)
director: Sam Raimi
stars: Alison Lohman, Justin Long
Billed most often these days as the director of all three wildly popular (if critically erratic) “Spiderman” movies, it should not be forgotten that Sam Raimi got his start in d-grade horror pictures, making an early mark with the infamously underbudgeted and over-bloodied “Evil Dead” and its sequel/remake “Evil Dead 2.” It’s been 16 years since the third “Evil Dead” installment “Army of Darkness” gloriously tanked at the box office, sending Raimi into an oddly geeky exile into second-rate fantasy TV production (cough “Xena” cough) and eventually the occasional mainstream Hollywood blockbuster. Apparently, while learning some lessons along the way, ol’ Sammie’s never quite let go of his more sophomoric proclivities. Finally turning his eye, and his “Evil Dead” editor Bob Murowski, back to what he loves best—gag laden cheese-fed gorefests—he delivers this deliciously tasteless witch’s brew about an ambitious real estate saleswoman coping with a particularly nasty gypsy curse, and all the shocking, demonically possessive hilarity that ensues. Welcome home, Sam.—TB


Up (May 29)
directors: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
stars: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer
After sending a pair of cute, amazingly human robots into outer space—and winning an Oscar for doing so—where else can Pixar go but “Up”? Pixar hasn’t really missed yet, and the animation studio’s 10th feature is already attracting buzz that it’s even better than “Wall-E,” a tall order indeed. In “Up,” 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Ed Asner) decides to fulfill his lifelong dream of visiting South America (and, in the process, escape being put into a nursing home) by tying a few thousand balloons to his house. Fredricksen’s solitary journey is interrupted by Russell (Jordan Nagai, who was 7 years old when cast), a chatty, over-eager Cub Scout-type who wants to make new friends. The mismatched duo are joined by talking dogs, a giant bird and Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer), a ruthless glory-seeking explorer who serves as the film’s villain. “Up” has a madcap element that’s far different from the lyricism of “Wall-E,” but if any studio can pull off a zany adventure tale, infuse it with raw emotion and sharp comedy and make it soar, it’s Pixar. —LC

Year One (June 19)
director: Harold Ramis
stars: Jack Black, Michael Cera
It’s no accident Harold Ramis had a small role as Seth Rogen’s dad in “Knocked Up.” Ramis’ filmmaking style and comedic tics can be felt throughout most of the films in Judd Apatow’s comedy axis. In a way, it’s fitting that Ramis’ first feature since 2005’s underrated “The Ice Harvest” is a comedy about some schlubs at the genesis of Western civilization, an event just about on par with “Animal House.” The schlubs in question are Jack Black and Michael Cera, a pair of lay-about cavemen who take a road trip through the ancient world. Apart, Black and Cera can carry a film, but their respective schticks are getting a little tired. Together,  though, all bets are off, and with a cast that includes David Cross, Paul Rudd, Hank Azaria and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, “Year One” seems like a winner. —LC

My Sister’s Keeper (June 26)
director: Nick Cassavetes
stars: Cameron Diaz, Alec Baldwin, Abigail Breslin
The first of New Hampshire author Jodi Picoult’s umpteen books to make it to the big screen, “My Sister’s Keeper” is sure to be a five-hanky weeper. Breslin stars as Anna, a girl conceived as a bone marrow match for her leukemia-stricken older sister. She has willingly allowed herself to be identified by this role, until she begins to question her real place in life—with potentially disastrous results. —LH

Public Enemies (July 1)
director: Michael Mann
stars: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale
Michael Mann knows how to do larger-than-life crime movies, and there are few tales that loom larger in the history of America’s outlaws than that of bank robber extraordinaire John Dillinger. Based on Bryan Burrough’s sprawling book, “Public Enemies” follows the conflict between Dillinger (a mustachioed Johnny Depp) and up-and-coming FBI agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale). The G-man has his hands full, though, and must also contend with Pretty Boy Floyd (Channing Tatum) and Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham). “Enemies” certainly looks stylish, with plenty of snappy hats, Tommy guns and fast cars, and Depp’s suavity is perfect for the role of a man who once allegedly busted out of an “escape-proof” prison using a fake gun carved out of wood and colored with shoe polish. Bale’s no slouch, either, and seeing him and Depp square off should result in some of the summer’s more explosive movie moments. —LC

Bruno  (July 10)
director: Dan Mazer
stars: Sacha Baron Cohen, Alice Evans
It will be difficult for Sacha Baron Cohen to match his 2006 breakthrough “Borat” in either shock value or hilarity, but let’s give “Bruno” the benefit of the doubt. Like Borat, Bruno is one of three characters Cohen created for his former HBO comedy show “Ali G.” Also like Borat, Bruno shamelessly exploits numerous stigmas and stereotypes to generate laughs. He’s a gay Austrian fashion designer who brashly cajoles his unwitting, non-actor victims into displaying their homophobic fears and prejudices. After the success of “Borat,” plus Cohen’s prominent roles in films like “Talladega Nights” and “Sweeney Todd,” it was probably a bit challenging for him to trick his targets this time around. But the trailer reveals that Cohen at least managed to dupe Ron Paul. The main question is whether Cohen’s brutally crass humor will remain effective. People who found “Borat” cruel and offensive will surely have an identical reaction to this follow-up, but so will the thousands of fans who laughed their asses off. —MK

Orphan (July 24)
director: Jaume Collet-Serra
stars: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard  
Grieving the recent loss of their baby, Kate (Farmiga) and John (Sarsgaard) adopt a seemingly innocent 9-year-old girl. But the more time Esther spends with them, the more Kate becomes convinced there is something wicked about the girl. But can she convince her husband before it’s too late? Isabelle Fuhrman hopes to give Harvey Stephens (The Omen) a run for his money as the evil youngster. —LH

Funny People (July 31)
director: Judd Apatow
stars: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogan
Is anyone besides me getting sick to hell of Judd Apatow and Seth Rogan? Nothing against the guys, they’ve done some fine work, but it seems virtually impossible to find a new comedy that isn’t branded with Rogan’s face and Apatow’s autograph. This latest project (only the third to actually be directed by Apatow) also features Adam Sandler, who most people got sick of 10 years ago. In the film, Sandler plays a sort of caricature of his real self—a rich and famous comedic actor—who undergoes a near-death experience. Rogan plays an up-and-coming comedian who befriends his idol and seeks to help him seize command of his emotional life. The trailer is light on laughs and has an almost somber tone, reflecting Apatow’s stated desire to make a serious-but-funny movie. But with a supporting cast that includes Apatow cling-on Jonah Hill and Wes Anderson regular Jason Schwartzman, it’ll probably be good for at least a few chuckles. —MK

Cold Souls (Aug. 7)
director: Sophie Barthes
stars: Paul Giamatti, David Strathairn
Who doesn’t love a good metaphysical tragicomedy? Well, a lot of people, really, which is probably why they don’t come around more often. That said, the largely critical successes of surreal works like “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Being John Malkovich” have paved the way for a handful of inevitably Kaufmanesque follow-ups. Case in point, “Cold Souls,” in which toady actor Paul Giamatti seems perfectly cast as a toady actor named, well, Paul Giamatti. Paralyzed by anxiety about an upcoming Broadway turn in “Uncle Vanya,” he seeks to numb the dread with a visit to a high-tech New York company that, improbably enough, extracts, stores and trades human souls. Naturally, the cure proves far more disastrous than the disease, and the poor soul-stripped thespian must launch on a Quixotic international quest to recapture his woefully misplaced spirit. Unlike “Eternal Sunshine” and “Being John M,” which explored identity and self perception as they relate to love, life and external relationships in general, Sophie Barthe’s new approach is a far more introspective and personal journey through the slippery ontological landscapes of self and sub-lebrity. —TB

Julie & Julia (Aug. 7)
director: Nora Ephron
stars: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams
Based on Julie Powell’s memoir, “Julie & Julia,” and Julia Child’s memoir, “My Life in France,” the movie alternates between Powell’s (Adams) determination to make every recipe in Julia Child’s classic cookbook “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” and Child’s life as she embarked on becoming a chef. Streep is certain to win the Academy’s favor with her wickedly delightful portrayal of master chef. —LH

District 9 (Aug. 14)
director: Neill Blomkamp
stars: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope
How would humanity welcome a bonafide space alien visitation? Apparently, according to director Neill Blomkamp, with interrogation, aggression, subjugation, antagonism, resentment and oppression. Having previously only proved his creative chops with a couple of memorable adverts and a brief, failed bid to develop the game-to-film adaptation of “Halo,” Blomkamp takes his recently formed partnerships with producer Peter Jackson and the famously unbeaten effects team of Weta Workshop, and turns them to great result on this hyper-realistic documentary-style science fiction story following an innocent alien vessel’s emergency landing over Africa, and subsequent efforts of the Earthlings to make their lives hell. Though smacking distinctly of 1988’s noirish “Alien Nation,” early notices would indicate “District 9” has a much sharper edge, audaciously reflecting the darkest and wartiest aspects of human behavior in the face of simple, if admittedly buggeyed, unfamiliarity. —TB

Ponyo (Aug. 14)
director: Hayao Miazaki
stars: voices of Matt Damon, Tina Fey
Japanese dreamsmith Hayao Miazaki could easily be qualified as both the Walt Disney and the Steven Spielberg of the East. His whimsical, archetypally complex, hand-animated works, including “Spirited Away,” “Princess Mononoke” and “Howl’s Moving Castle” have been universally well received. (“Spirited Away,” having eclipsed “Titanic” as the highest grossing film in Japanese history, also holds the honor of being the only anime film to ever win an American Academy Award.) Distributed in the U.S. by the good folks at Disney, and following their previous pattern, his latest delightfully fanciful tale, about a little goldfish coping with having been granted her wish to be human, recasts the principle voices with English speaking superstars. Noah Cyrus (Miley’s half-sister) provides the voice of the goldfish girl hero, with other characters vividly brought to life (as if Miazaki’s beautifully rendered animation required it) by Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Tina Fey and Liam Neeson. Though initially sounding a bit like a combination of “Finding Nemo” and “The Little Mermaid,” it’s probably a fair bet to trust Miazaki’s unrivaled imagination to strip out all logic and probability and give us another wild, innocent and unexpected bedtime story for the ages. Just sit back and let him do the dreaming for you. —TB
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Inglorious Basterds (Aug. 21)
director: Quentin Tarantino.
stars: Brad Pitt, Eli Roth
“A basterd’s work is never done” is one of the many taglines for Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglorious Basterds,” and for a while there, it seemed like “Basterds” itself would never be finished. But after nearly 10 years in development (during which time Tarantino directed “Death Proof” and the two “Kill Bill” films), “Basterds” is ready to kick some Nazi ass. Outrageous, stylized violence and an homage to spaghetti westerns, WWII movies and even New Wave films are expected—typical Tarantino territory. But what remains an unknown quantity is the massive ensemble cast, featuring everyone from Brad Pitt as the basterds’ bloodthirsty commanding officer (he demands “100 Nazi scalps” from each man in the film’s trailer) and Mike Myers as a British general, to horror director Eli Roth and Cloris Leachman. Pitt’s a known quantity, but Roth’s acting skills are dubious and Myers has a lot of baggage to shed from last summer’s flop “The Love Guru.” But even if “Basterds” fails to meet the high expectations it’s accrued, it still promises to be gritty, bloody and brutal, a nice counterpoint to summer’s usual glossy fare. —LC

H2 (Aug. 28)
director: Rob Zombie
stars: Scout Taylor-Compton, Taylor Mane
There was no shortage of horror fans who thought one “Halloween” remake was too many, but Rob Zombie decided one wasn’t enough. Now, the trailer informs us, “Zombie completes his vision of a terrifying legend,” providing a candid glimpse into Michael Myers’ inner madness. While Zombie boasts legions of loyal fans, many slasher aficionados feel he is far from the horror visionary he seems to fancy himself. Part of what made Myers such a sensational killer in John Carpenter’s 1978 original was the aura of impenetrable mystery that surrounded him. By unraveling that mystery, as Zombie began to do with his 2007 franchise reboot, he runs the risk of making Michael a lot less scary. Nevertheless, at least one formidably gigantic kitchen knife hacks its way through the trailer, and it’s safe to presume there will be plenty of high-pitched screaming and bloody gore, if little else worth noting. —MK