Paranormal Activity 3

The Paranormal Activity franchise continues with this third outing from Paramount Pictures. Oren Peli and Jason Blum return to produce the highly secretive feature, with Catfish's directing duo of Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman taking on the helming duties. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
R, 1 hr. 24 min.
Mystery & Suspense, Horror
Directed By: Henry Joost , Ariel Schulman
Written By: Michael R. Perry, Oren Peli
In Theaters: Oct 21, 2011 Wide
Paramount Pictures

The Lion King

One of the most popular Disney animated musicals, The Lion King presents the story of a lion cub's journey to adulthood and acceptance of his royal destiny. Simba (voiced first by Jonathan Taylor Thomas, then by Matthew Broderick) begins life as an honored prince, the son of the powerful King Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones). The cub's happy childhood turns tragic when his evil uncle, Scar (voiced by Jeremy Irons), murders Mufasa and drives Simba away from the kingdom. In exile, the young lion befriends the comically bumbling pair of Pumbaa the warthog (voiced by Ernie Sabella) and Timon the meerkat (voiced by Nathan Lane), he and lives a carefree jungle life. As he approaches adulthood, however, he is visited by the spirit of his father, who instructs him to defeat the nefarious Scar and reclaim his rightful throne. Borrowing elements from Hamlet, classical mythology, and African folk tales, The Lion King tells its mythic coming-of-age tale with a combination of spectacular visuals and lively music, featuring light, rhythmic songs by Elton John and Tim Rice, and a score by Hans Zimmer. Embraced by children and adults alike, the film also spawned hit songs ("Can You Feel the Love Tonight," "The Circle of Life") and a hit Broadway musical. In late 2002, The Lion King was re-released in the large-screen IMAX format. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
G, 1 hr. 27 min.
Drama, Action & Adventure, Animation, Kids & Family, Musical & Performing Arts
Directed By: Rob Minkoff , Roger Allers
Written By: Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts
In Theaters: Sep 16, 2011 Wide
On DVD: Oct 7, 2003
US Box Office:$90.5M
Buena Vista

Courageous

Four men, one calling: To serve and protect. As law enforcement officers, Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, David Thomson, and Shane Fuller are confident and focused. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge that none of them are truly prepared to tackle: fatherhood. When tragedy hits home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Can a newfound urgency help these dads draw closer to God ... and to their children? Protecting the streets is second nature to these men. Raising their children in a God-honoring way? That's courageous. -- (C) Official Site
PG-13, 2 hr. 10 min.
Drama, Faith & Spirituality
Directed By: Alex Kendrick
In Theaters: Sep 30, 2011 Wide
US Box Office:$21.3M
Sony Pictures

Dolphin Tale

Dolphin Tale is inspired by the amazing true story of a brave dolphin and the compassionate strangers who banded together to save her life. Swimming free, a young dolphin is caught in a crab trap, severely damaging her tail. She is rescued and transported to the Clearwater Marine Hospital, where she is named Winter. But her fight for survival has just begun. Without a tail, Winter's prognosis is dire. It will take the expertise of a dedicated marine biologist, the ingenuity of a brilliant prosthetics doctor, and the unwavering devotion of a young boy to bring about a groundbreaking miracle-a miracle that might not only save Winter but could also help scores of people around the world. -- (C) Warner Bros
PG, 1 hr. 52 min.
Drama, Kids & Family
Directed By: Charles Martin Smith
Written By: Karen Janszen, Noam Dromi
In Theaters: Sep 23, 2011 Wide
US Box Office:$58.6M
Warner Bros. Pictures

Moneyball

Based on a true story, Moneyball is a movie for anybody who has ever dreamed of taking on the system. Brad Pitt stars as Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A's and the guy who assembles the team, who has an epiphany: all of baseball's conventional wisdom is wrong. Forced to reinvent his team on a tight budget, Beane will have to outsmart the richer clubs. The onetime jock teams with Ivy League grad Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) in an unlikely partnership, recruiting bargain players that the scouts call flawed, but all of whom have an ability to get on base, score runs, and win games. It's more than baseball, it's a revolution - one that challenges old school traditions and puts Beane in the crosshairs of those who say he's tearing out the heart and soul of the game. -- (C) Sony Pictures
PG-13, 2 hr. 6 min.
Drama, Comedy
Directed By: Bennett Miller
Written By: Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin
In Theaters: Sep 23, 2011 Wide
US Box Office:$57.7M
Sony Pictures

The Big Year

Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson are at a crossroads -- one is experiencing a mid-life crisis, another a late-life crisis, and the third, a far from ordinary no-life crisis. From David Frankel, the director of The Devil Wears Prada and Marley & Me, comes a sophisticated comedy about three friendly rivals who, tired of being ruled by obligations and responsibilities, dedicate a year of their lives to following their dreams. Their big year takes them on a cross-country journey of wild and life-changing adventures. -- (C) 20th Century Fox
PG, 1 hr. 40 min.
Comedy
Directed By: David Frankel
Written By: Howard Franklin, Mark Obmascik
In Theaters: Oct 14, 2011 Wide
US Box Office:$3.3M
20th Century Fox

50/50

Inspired by a true story, 50/50 is an original story about friendship, love, survival and finding humor in unlikely places. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen star as best friends whose lives are changed by a cancer diagnosis in this new comedy directed by Jonathan Levine from a script by Will Reiser. 50/50 is the story of a guy's transformative and, yes, sometimes funny journey to health - drawing its emotional core from Will Reiser's own experience with cancer and reminding us that friendship and love, no matter what bizarre turns they take, are the greatest healers. -- (C) Summit Entertainment
R, 1 hr. 40 min.
Drama, Comedy
Directed By: Jonathan Levine
Written By: Will Reiser
In Theaters: Sep 30, 2011 Wide
US Box Office:$24.3M
Summit Entertainment

The Ides of March

The Ides of March takes place during the frantic last days before a heavily contested Ohio presidential primary, when an up-and-coming campaign press secretary (Ryan Gosling) finds himself involved in a political scandal that threatens to upend his candidate's shot at the presidency. -- (C) Sony Pictures
R, 1 hr. 38 min.
Mystery & Suspense, Drama
Directed By: George Clooney
Written By: George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon
In Theaters: Oct 7, 2011 Wide
US Box Office:$21.8M
Sony Pictures

Footloose

Writer/Director Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow) delivers a new take of the beloved 1984 classic film. Ren MacCormack (Kenny Wormald) is transplanted from Boston to the small southern town of Bomont where he experiences a heavy dose of culture shock. A few years prior, the community was rocked by a tragic accident that killed five teenagers after a night out and Bomont's local councilmen and the beloved Reverend Shaw Moore (Dennis Quaid) responded by implementing ordinances that prohibit loud music and dancing. Not one to bow to the status quo, Ren challenges the ban, revitalizing the town and falling in love with the minister's troubled daughter Ariel (Julianne Hough) in the process. -- (C) Paramount
PG-13, 1 hr. 53 min.
Drama, Musical & Performing Arts, Comedy
Directed By: Craig Brewer
Written By: Dean Pitchford, Craig Brewer
In Theaters: Oct 14, 2011 Wide
US Box Office:$15.6M
Paramount Studios

The Thing

Paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) has traveled to the desolate region for the expedition of her lifetime. Joining a Norwegian scientific team that has stumbled across an extraterrestrial ship buried in the ice, she discovers an organism that seems to have died in the crash eons ago. But it is about to wake up. When a simple experiment frees the alien from its frozen prison, Kate must join the crew's pilot, Carter (Joel Edgerton), to keep it from killing them off one at a time. And in this vast, intense land, a parasite that can mimic anything it touches will pit human against human as it tries to survive and flourish. The Thing serves as a prelude to John Carpenter's classic 1982 film of the same name. -- (C) Universal
R, 1 hr. 42 min.
Horror, Mystery & Suspense, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Directed By: Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. , Matthijs van Heijningen
Written By: Ronald D. Moore, Eric Heisserer
In Theaters: Oct 14, 2011 Wide
US Box Office:$8.5M
Universal Pictures