2009 WB Preview!

We already took a look at what Sony Pictures has lined up in 2009 so now let’s turn our sights to Warner Bros. They have some of the most highly anticipated films of the year on their slate including WATCHMEN, TERMINATOR SALVATION< HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE and, of course, INKHEART. OK maybe nobody's really anticipating INKEART but once that's out of the way, it looks like gangbusters for WB. Check em out below!

INKHEART

January 23

Mortimer “Mo” Folchart and his 12-year-old daughter, Meggie, share an
extraordinary gift for bringing characters from books to life when they read
aloud. But there is a danger: when a character is brought to life from a book, a
real person disappears into its pages. On one of their trips to a secondhand
book shop, Mo locates a book he’s been searching for since Meggie was three
years old, when her mother, Resa, vanished into its mystical world. But Mo’s
plan to use the book to find and rescue Resa is thwarted when Capricorn, the
evil villain of Inkheart, kidnaps Meggie and, discovering she has
inherited her father’s gift, demands that she bring to life his most powerful
ally, the Shadow. Determined to rescue his daughter and send the fictional
characters back where they belong, Mo assembles a small group of friends and
family–some from the real world, some from the pages of books–and embarks on a
daring and perilous journey to set things right.

HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU

February 6

An all-star cast is featured in the stories of a group of interconnected,
Baltimore-based twenty- and thirtysomethings as they navigate their various
relationships from the shallow end of the dating pool through the deep, murky
waters of married life. Trying to read the signs of the opposite sex, each hopes
to be the exception to the “no exceptions” rule.

FRIDAY THE 13TH

February 13

In this re-imagining of the classic horror film, Clay searches for his missing
sister in the eerie woods of legendary Crystal Lake, where he stumbles on the
creaky remains of rotting old cabins behind moss-covered trees. And that’s not
the only thing lying in wait under the brush. Against the advice of police and
cautions from the locals, Clay pursues what few leads he has, with the help of a
young woman he meets among a group of college kids up for an all-thrills
weekend. But they are about to find much more than they bargained for. Little do
they know, they’ve entered the domain of one of the most terrifying specters in
American film history–the infamous killer who haunts Crystal Lake, armed with a
razor-sharp machete…Jason Voorhees.

UNDER THE SEA 3D

February 13

This new IMAX adventure transports moviegoers to some of the most exotic and
isolated undersea locations on Earth, including Southern Australia, New Guinea
and others in the Indo-Pacific region, allowing them to experience face-to-face
encounters with some of the most mysterious and stunning creatures of the sea.
It offers a uniquely inspirational and entertaining way to explore the beauty
and natural wonder of the oceans, as well as the impact of global climate
change. In IMAX 3D, the images will literally leap off the screen and float
around the theatre, putting the audience in the movie.

WATCHMEN

March 6

A complex, multi-layered mystery adventure, the film is set in an alternate 1985
America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday
society, and the “Doomsday Clock” – which charts the USA’s tension
with the Soviet Union – is set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his
former colleagues is murdered, the washed-up but no less determined masked
vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past
and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion
– a ragtag group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers –
Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their
shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to
watch over humanity…but who is watching the Watchmen?

OBSERVE AND REPORT

April 10

At the Forest Ridge Mall, head of security Ronnie Barnhardt patrols his
jurisdiction with an iron fist, combating skateboarders, shoplifters and the
occasional unruly customer while dreaming of the day when he can swap his
flashlight for a badge and a gun. His delusions of grandeur are put to the test
when the mall is struck by a flasher. Driven to protect and serve the mall and
its patrons, Ronnie seizes the opportunity to showcase his underappreciated law
enforcement talents on a grand scale, hoping his solution of this crime will
earn a coveted spot at the police academy and the heart of his elusive dream
girl Brandi, the hot make-up counter clerk who won’t give him the time of day.
But his single-minded pursuit of glory launches a turf war with the equally
competitive Detective Harrison of the Conway Police, and Ronnie is confronted
with the challenge of not only catching the flasher, but getting him before the
real cops do.

17 AGAIN

April 17

What would you do if you got a second shot at life? Class of 1989, Mike
O’Donnell is a star on his high school basketball court with a college scout in
the stands and a bright future in his grasp. But instead, he decides to throw it
all away to share his life with his girlfriend Scarlett and the baby he just
learned they are expecting. Almost 20 years later, Mike’s glory days are
decidedly behind him. His marriage to Scarlett has fallen apart, he has been
passed over for a promotion at work, his teenage kids think he is a loser, and
he has been reduced to crashing with his high school
nerd-turned-techno-billionaire best friend Ned. But Mike is given another chance
when he is miraculously transformed back to the age of 17. Unfortunately, Mike
may look 17 again, but his thirtysomething outlook is totally uncool in the
class of 2009. And in trying to recapture his best years, Mike could lose the
best things that ever happened to him.

GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST

May 1

Celebrity photographer Connor Mead loves freedom, fun and women…in that order.
A committed bachelor who thinks nothing of breaking up with multiple women on a
conference call, Connor’s mockery of romance proves a real buzz-kill for his kid
brother, Paul, and a houseful of well wishers on the eve of Paul’s wedding. Just
when it looks like Connor may single-handedly ruin the wedding, he is visited by
the ghosts of his former jilted girlfriends, who take him on a revealing and
hilarious odyssey through his failed relationships–past, present and future.
Together they attempt to find out what turned Connor into such an insensitive
jerk and whether there is still hope for him to find true love…or if he really
is the lost cause everyone thinks he is.

TERMINATOR SALVATION

May 22

The highly anticipated new installment of “The Terminator” film
franchise is set in post-apocalyptic 2018. John Connor is the man fated to lead
the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future
that Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of
Marcus Wright, a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor
must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the
past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on
an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet’s operations, where they
uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind.

THE HANGOVER

June 12

Two days before his wedding, Doug and his three friends drive to Las Vegas for a
blow-out bachelor party they’ll never forget. But, in fact, when the three
groomsmen wake up the next morning, they can’t remember a thing. For some
reason, they find a tiger in the bathroom and a six-month-old baby in the closet
of their suite at Caesars Palace. The one thing they can’t find is Doug. With no
clue as to what transpired and little time to spare, the trio must retrace their
hazy steps and all their bad decisions in order to figure out where things went
wrong and hopefully get Doug back to L.A. in time to walk down the aisle.

MY SISTER’S KEEPER

June 26

Sara and Brian live an idyllic life with their young son and daughter. But their
family is rocked by sudden, heartbreaking news that forces them to make a
difficult and unorthodox choice in order to save their baby girl’s life. The
parents’ desperate decision raises both ethical and moral questions and rips
away at the foundation of their relationship. Their actions ultimately set off a
court case that threatens to tear the family apart, while revealing surprising
truths that challenge everyone’s perceptions of love and loyalty and give new
meaning to the definition of healing.

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

July 17

Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and
Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers
may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him
for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to
find the key to unlock Voldemort’s defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore
recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon
vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information.
Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as
teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more
drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron
is the one for her, only she hadn’t counted on Romilda Vane’s chocolates! And
then there’s Hermione, simmering with jealously but determined not to show her
feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to
make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and
Hogwarts may never be the same again.

ORPHAN

July 24

The tragic loss of their unborn child has devastated Kate and John, taking a
toll on both their marriage and Kate’s fragile psyche as she is plagued by
nightmares and haunted by demons from her past. Struggling to regain some
semblance of normalcy in their lives, the couple decides to adopt another child.
At the local orphanage, both John and Kate find themselves strangely drawn to a
young girl named Esther. Almost as soon as they welcome Esther into their home,
however, an alarming series of events begins to unfold, leading Kate to believe
that there’s something wrong with Esther–this seemingly angelic little girl is
not what she appears to be. Concerned for the safety of her family, Kate tries
to get John and others to see past Esther’s sweet facade. But her warnings go
unheeded until it may be too late…for everyone.

SHORTS

August 7

“Shorts” is set in the suburb of Black Falls, where all the houses
look the same and everyone works for BLACK BOX Unlimited Worldwide Industries
Incorporated, whose Mr. Black’s BLACK BOX is the ultimate communication and
do-it-all gadget that’s sweeping the nation. Other than keeping his parents
employed, however, Mr. Black’s BLACK BOX has done nothing for 11-year-old Toe
Thompson, who just wants to make a few friends…until a mysterious
rainbow-colored rock falls from the sky, hits him in the head and changes
everything. The Rainbow Rock does Mr. Black’s BLACK BOX one better: it grants
wishes to anyone who holds it. Before long, wishes-gone-wrong have left the
neighborhood swarming with tiny spaceships, crocodile armies, giant
boogers…and outrageous magical mayhem around every corner. But it’s not until
the grown-ups get their hands on the Rock that the trouble really starts. Now
Toe and his newfound friends must join forces to save their town from itself,
discovering along the way that what you wish for is not always what you want.

FINAL DESTINATION: DEATH TRIP 3D

August 21

On what should have been a fun-filled day at the races, Nick O’Bannon has a
horrific premonition in which a bizarre sequence of events causes multiple race
cars to crash, sending flaming debris into the stands, brutally killing his
friends and causing the upper deck of the stands to collapse on him. When he
comes out of this grisly nightmare Nick panics, persuading his girlfriend, Lori,
and their friends, Janet and Hunt, to leave… escaping seconds before Nick’s
frightening vision becomes a terrible reality. Thinking they’ve cheated death,
the group has a new lease on life, but unfortunately for Nick and Lori, it is
only the beginning. As his premonitions continue and the crash survivors begin
to die one-by-one–in increasingly gruesome ways–Nick must figure out how to
cheat death once and for all before he, too, reaches his final destination. The
film marks the latest in the highly popular “Final Destination”
series, and its first 3D installment, giving horror fans an especially visceral
thrill ride.

WHITEOUT

September 11

Carrie Stetko, the lone U.S. Marshal assigned to Antarctica, is investigating
the continent’s first murder, which draws her into a shocking mystery. Now, with
only three days until winter, Carrie must solve the crime before Antarctica is
plunged into darkness and she is stranded with the killer.

THE INFORMANT

September 18

What was Mark Whitacre thinking? A rising star at agri-industry giant Archer
Daniels Midland (ADM), Whitacre suddenly turns whistleblower. Even as he exposes
his company’s multi-national price-fixing conspiracy to the FBI, Whitacre
envisions himself being hailed as a hero of the common man and handed a
promotion. But before all that can happen, the FBI needs evidence, so Whitacre
eagerly agrees to wear a wire and carry a hidden tape recorder in his briefcase,
imagining himself as a kind of de facto secret agent. Unfortunately for the FBI,
their lead witness hasn’t been quite so forthcoming about helping himself to the
corporate coffers. Whitacre’s ever-changing account frustrates the agents and
threatens the case against ADM as it becomes almost impossible to decipher what
is real and what is the product of Whitacre’s rambling imagination. Based on the
true story of the highest-ranking corporate whistleblower in U.S. history.

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

October 16

Maurice Sendak’s classic book Where the Wild Things Are comes to the big
screen in an adventure tale for every generation.

THE BOX

November 6

Norma and Arthur Lewis are a suburban couple with a young child who receive an
anonymous gift bearing fatal and irrevocable consequences. A simple wooden box,
it promises to deliver its owner $1 million with the press of a button. However,
pressing this button will simultaneously cause the death of another human being
somewhere in the world…someone they don’t know. With just 24 hours to have the
box in their possession, Norma and Arthur find themselves in the crosshairs of a
startling moral dilemma and face the true nature of their humanity.

SHERLOCK HOLMES

November 20

In a dynamic new portrayal of Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous characters,
“Sherlock Holmes” sends Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson on
their latest challenge. Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary
intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis and
unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country.

UNTITLED CLINT EASTWOOD PROJECT

December 2009

The film tells the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela joined forces
with the captain of South Africa’s rugby team to help unite their country. Newly
elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically
divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together
through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa’s underdog
rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 World Cup Championship
match.

NINJA ASSASSIN

TBA 2009

Raizo is one of the deadliest assassins in the world. Taken from the streets as
a child, he was transformed into a trained killer by the Ozunu Clan, a secret
society whose very existence is considered a myth. But haunted by the merciless
execution of his friend by the Clan, Raizo breaks free from them…and vanishes.
Now he waits, preparing to exact his revenge. In Berlin, Europol agent Mika
Coretti has stumbled upon a money trail linking several political murders to an
underground network of untraceable assassins from the Far East. Defying the
orders of her superior, Ryan Maslow, Mika digs into top secret agency files to
learn the truth behind the murders. Her investigation makes her a target, and
the Ozunu Clan sends a team of killers, led by the lethal Takeshi, to silence
her forever. Raizo saves Mika from her attackers, but he knows that the Clan
will not rest until they are both eliminated. Now, entangled in a deadly game of
cat and mouse through the streets of Europe, Raizo and Mika must trust one
another if they hope to survive…and finally bring down the elusive Ozunu Clan.