Adventureland (11 September)
We've had to wait a while for Greg Mottola's funny, heartfelt coming of age comedy. But we can now enjoy the trials and tribulations of James (Jesse Eisenberg) as he negotiates his first summer job, finds love and deals with the weird co-workers at a shabby amusement park.
Don't go in expecting a Superbad-style gross-out-a-thon - this is something a little more subtle.
Cine-Trivia: Adventureland is the name of a real park that Mottola worked at in his younger days. He was going to shoot there, but the place has been radically redesigned since then.
The Soloist (25 September)
Based on a true story written by LA Times columnist/reporter Steve Lopez, Soloist is the tale of Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), a musical prodigy brought low by mental illness and living on the streets.
When Lopez (portrayed in the movie by Robert Downey Jr) happened upon him, he decided to try to help Ayers, and the pair struck up an unlikely, complicated friendship.
Cine-Trivia: Several scenes were shot around LA's downtown "skid row" with real homeless people given roles as extras in the film alongside charity workers caring for the community.
Surrogates (25 September)
Welcome to a future where everyone lives vicariously through idealized robotic versions of themselves - where anything is possible when you don't have to actually interact.
But someone is murdering people through the connection with their robo-doubles and a cop (Bruce Willis) will have to leave the safety and comfort of his home to investigate.
It's a killer concept and the idea of Bruce back in the action hero saddle (even with a comically dodgy wig) has us thrilled.
Cine-Trivia: The movie's adapted from a graphic novel, and there's plenty of material left if a sequel's called for.
The Invention Of Lying (2 October)
Ricky Gervais makes his directing debut (alongside co-writer Matthew Robinson) on this high-concept comedy about a world where everyone tells the truth, no matter how difficult it might be to hear (try being told you're not attractive on a first date).
Gervais' Mark discovers that he's mastered the art of deception, so what does he do? Becomes a celebrity, scores loads of cash and tries to win over Jennifer Garner, of course!
Cine-Trivia: Mark is a filmmaker in the pic - in a world where actors just appear in true stories. He's faced with making a movie about the Black Death. Fun!
Up (9 October)
Pixar's string of hits continues with this awe-inspiring, tear-jerking and laugh-grabbing pic about widower Carl Fredricksen, a man in the autumn of his life (good release date, then) faced with the loss of his wife and the impending loss of his home. So he attached balloons to his house and sails away on an adventure, unwittingly joined by Wilderness Explorer (think cub scout) Russell.
Beautiful and amazing in 3D, it's just another day for the Toy Story team.
Cine-Trivia: In case you're wondering, yes, the Pizza Planet truck does make an appearance. Twice, in fact. But you'll have to see the movie to work out where…
Zombieland (9 October)
You might have seen zombie invasions before, but chances are they won't be half as fun as Zombieland promises. Looking like the US equivalent to Shaun Of The Dead, the movie takes a wildly comic peek at the concept as Jessie Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson form an unlikely team when brain-hungry, fleet-footed undead types swarm the Earth.
A frenetic road trip in search of a safe haven, Zombieland looks to be one of the big treats of autumn.
Cine-Trivia: Co-star Emma Stone had her first gun training session before the film began production, and went from nervous trigger-puller to weapon-happy actress in a few weeks.
Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (23 October)
As Halloween approaches, why not opt for this unique take on the vampire mythology, based on Darren Shan's books. The movie finds John C Reilly as Larten Crepsley, fully paid-up member of the fang club, who oversees a traveling freak show and recruits young loner Darren (Chris Massoglia) to his cause.
Need a reason to see yet another vampire pic? Try the sight of Salma Hayek as a bearded lady whose whiskers grow when she gets aroused. No, really…
Cine-Trivia: Ken Watanabe plays giant circus barker Mr Tall. He was body doubled by a basketball player who stands nearly 7ft tall for certain scenes.
Fantastic Mr Fox (23 October)
Wes Anderson brings his quirksome style to animation, based on Roald Dahl's kids' book. The result is a stop-motion treat featuring the tonsil talents of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray and Owen Wilson.
So can Mr Fox deal with the angry farmers who are sick of him stealing and chewing on their chickens? And will he manage to do it without annoying his wife?
Cine-Trivia: Instead of having his actors record their lines in sound booths, Anderson took them out to a farm to have them work in realistic environments.
9 (28 October)
Another unusual animated adventure, this time developed by director Shane Acker and born out of his Oscar-nominated short film.
The world has nearly been destroyed by a vicious conflict between man and machine and now humanity's only hope lies in nine strange, rag doll characters given life by a desperate scientist.
Looking like nothing else you've seen this year, and shepherded to the screen by producer Tim Burton, 9 promises plenty of entertainment.
Cine-Trivia: This is only the second 'toon movie released in the US to get a PG-13 rating. The first was Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.
An Education (30 October)
A breakout film at Sundance, An Education features hot new actress Carey Mulligan in a story taken from Lynn Barber's real-life memoir and adapted by Nick Hornby.
We follow Jenny, a teenager bored by suburban 1960s London, who takes a chance and hooks up with smooth playboy David (Peter Saarsgaard). At first her life is a whirlwind of romantic fun and foreign trips, but she soon realises that real life can't always live up to the fantasy.
Cine-Trivia: The movie features a role-call of respected British thesps who only worked a day or two on set, such as Sally Hawkins and Emma Thompson.
A Christmas Carol (6 November)
You might think that Charles Dickens' classic has been filmed with every possible cinematic technique, but Robert Zemeckis is here to prove you wrong.
Using the performance capture 3D technology he employed on Beowulf, Zemeckis has Jim Carrey playing several roles (including Ebenezer Scrooge and all three Ghosts) in what promises to be a visually impressive take on the miser's supernatural conversion to charitable human being.
Cine-Trivia: Disney, which funded the flick, just can't get enough of Dickens' seasonal fable - it's made both Mickey's Christmas Carol and The Muppet Christmas Carol in the past.
Jennifer's Body (6 November)
Megan Fox as a boy-hungry (literally) schoolgirl possessed by a demon? You know you've been looking forward to this one. Boasting a script by Juno's Diablo Cody, the comedy horror has been teased for months with trailers and pics.
Hopefully it'll deliver all the whacked-out fun that Fox has been promising, up to and including lip-smacking scenes of her stalking and slicing her annoying jock targets.
Cine-Trivia: While director Karyn Kusama originally considered real-life musos like Pete Wentz for the satanic rocker Nikolai, she eventually cast The OC's Adam Brody.
2012 (13 November)
Roland Emmerich returns, doing what he loves to do best - destroy things! He's expanding his scope even further this time, ravaging the entire world with a planet-ending prophecy based on the Mayan calendar that predicts the end of everything in December 2012.
Cue earthquakes, volcanos, fires and floods, plus John Cusack's sci-fi writer trying desperately to reconnect with and rescue his family. Disasto-porn on a planetary scale? Bring it on…
Cine-Trivia: Technically, the world isn't predicted to end by the Mayans - it actually has dates spanning far off into the future. So we should be safe. Maybe…
The Informant! (20 November)
Steven Soderbergh spins a comic - yet truth-based - wheeze that sees the US government investigating an agree-business company for price-fixing. Their star witness, vice president Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon), who takes his responsibility so seriously that he goes to stupid lengths.
It's all made funnier because you know most of it actually happened and Damon looks like he's having tons of fun in the trailer. Hopefully that'll bleed into the experience of watching it.
Cine-Trivia: While working for the government, Whitacre also embezzled millions from the company. And yes, got caught. Dolt!
A Serious Man (20 November)
The Cohen brothers follow-up Burn After Reading with another none-more-black comedy about a small-time college professor (Michael Stuhlbarg) who sees his life slowly spinning out of control.
Largely eschewing big names (the lead is better known for stage work than cinema), the Cohens have crafted an intelligent screwball affair that takes the mundane details of its hero's life and twists them around. When the brothers do comedy, we all win.
Cine-Trivia: The brothers scoured Minnesota to find the perfect suburban neighborhood for the 1960s-set pic. After looking in more than five communities, they settled on Bloomington.
Nine (25 November)
The avalanche of films with nine in the title continues as Rob Marshall hopes to duplicate the success of Chicago with this epic new musical. Daniel Day-Lewis is famed director Guido Contini, struggling with the many women in his life, including a wife, a mistress, some of his cast and even his mother (Sophia Loren).
Expect lush costume design, serious hoofing/singing talent (among the females are Nicole Kidman, the Black Eyed Peas' Fergie and Penelope Cruz) and some sexy set pieces.
Cine-Trivia: The musical originally ran in 1962 on Broadway with Raul Julia as Contini. More recently, Antonio Banderas had the stage role.
Ninja Assassin (27 November)
There will be blood. Oh, yes… there will be blood. V For Vendetta helmer James McTeigue returns - with the Wachowskis in two once more as producers - with a gore-soaked story about a young ninja (Korean actor Rain) who turns his back on his masters, prompting a deadly duel.
We got a look at this back in July at Comic-Con and can attest that it delivers on the promised screen action.
Cine-Trivia: After being hired to completely retool the script, Changeling scribe J Michael Straczynski got the job done in 53 hours. The man's a machine!
Where The Wild Things Are (11 December)
Following re-shoots and delays, but now with seriously good buzz after trailers and a Comic-Con appearance, Spike Jonze' take on Maurice Sendak's kiddie classic is arriving close enough to Christmas that it feels like a present to us all.
Wild Things sees Max (Max Records) a disaffected young man disappearing into a world of creatures and magic, and finding himself crowed king by the weird beasts. Lyrical and lovely, it's one of our most anticipated movies of the ear. December can't come quick enough!
Cine-Trivia: Max Records was found after a massive worldwide casting search that brought in thousands of kids.
Avatar (18 December)
James Cameron bets large on his return to fictional filmmaking with a sci-fi epic promising a huge 3D adventure.
After the trailer was met with mixed reviews, Avatar Day screenings of footage at cinemas restored some of the faith and with Cameron's legionary perfectionism driving it, Avatar still looks like it could be a winner. Get ready to follow crippled Marine Jake Sully to the planet Pandora and its strange wonders…
Cine-Trivia: When Cameron originally tried to get Avatar made back in the '90s, part of the problem was that effects at the time would have meant the film cost $400 million. Understandably, studios said no.
Sherlock Holmes (26 December)
When the turkey's been gobbled and you're looking for something to raise the post-Xmas day spirits, let Guy Ritchie, Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law take you on a journey with the world's most famous detective.
But this is not the original, Deerstalker-wearing, uber-intellectual Holmes of old - while he still relies on his smarts, Ritchie's version is a brawling, charming, crazier version of the man, with the action ramped up to blockbuster levels. Can it work? It might just…
Cine-Trivia: This is not Jude Law's first time in a Sherlock story - he's had a minor role in the Jeremy Brett-starring The Case-Book Of Sherlock Holmes series on TV.
