The fall film season offers action (Bond’s latest, “Quantum of Solace”), family flicks (the animated sequel “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa”), fantasy romance (the bestseller adaptation “Twilight”), and serious stuff lining up for the Academy Awards, from Nicole Kidman’s epic “Australia” to Bond star Daniel Craig’s war saga “Defiance.”
Brad Pitt reunites with old pals George Clooney and Cate Blanchett in two films, Clint Eastwood does his own two-fer by directing Angelina Jolie in one drama and himself in another, and Oliver Stone takes on his latest president with a George W. Bush biopic.
Here are some highlights of what Hollywood has in store.
“QUANTUM OF SOLACE”
When we last saw Mr. Bond, the super-spy in the making was really steamed and looking for payback over the death of the love of his life.
“Quantum of Solace” picks up where “Casino Royale” left off, pitting Bond against a phony environmentalist trying to monopolize the water supply.
The title comes from a phrase in an Ian Fleming short story, where someone describes to Bond a relationship that unraveled and what measure of devotion is required to keep love alive.
“I love the idea of it. It applied to where Bond was at the end of the last movie,” said the new Bond, Daniel Craig.
Look for it in theaters on Nov. 14.
“REVOLUTIONARY ROAD”
Their epic love was giddy, passionate, unshakable — until the ship hit the iceberg and sank. The stars of “Titanic,” Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, share a far different love story in “Revolutionary Road,” playing a couple whose marriage comes undone as they seek meaning amid the stifling conformity of the 1950s.
Real life pals DiCaprio and Winslet had some awkward moments in their love scenes: her husband, “Revolutionary Road” director Sam Mendes, was looking on.
How weird was it? “Doing those type of scenes is always a bit strange, never mind a husband but an entire crew watching you,” DiCaprio said.
It’s not opening until Jan. 15.
“BURN AFTER READING”
Brad Pitt reunites with “Ocean” accomplice George Clooney for the spy-game black comedy “Burn After Reading,” from the Brothers Coen, Joel and Ethan, who are reuniting themselves with Clooney and co-stars Frances McDormand and Richard Jenkins.
This Coen brothers’ romp concerns CIA secrets that fall into the hands of two hapless fitness club employees (Pitt and McDormand) who hatch a plot to collect some cash with their find.
John Malkovich and Tilda Swinton round out the cast, Malkovich as a CIA analyst and Swinton as his wife, who is having an affair with Clooney.
“Burn” opens Sept. 12.
“MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA”
The Central Park zoo animals are stranded again in this animated sequel reuniting voice stars Ben Stiller as Alex the lion, Chris Rock as Marty the zebra, David Schwimmer as Melman the giraffe and Jada Pinkett Smith as Gloria the hippo. The late Bernie Mac is the voice of Zuba.
The goofy crew are finally able to move it-move it from Madagascar on an old twin-engine piloted by the pesky penguins who crash-land in Africa. The penguins recruit a gang of grease monkeys who are real (well, cartoon) monkeys to rebuild it. Meanehile Alex attempts to reunite with his family. and Melman confesses he has a crush on Gloria.
This sequel will open in theaters Nov. 7.
“TWILIGHT”
“Twilight” is the good-girl, bad-boy romance based on the first book in Stephenie Meyer’s series about an awkward teen (Kristen Stewart) who falls for a dazzling, eternally young stud (Robert Pattinson).
OK, so he’s a vampire, but a nice vampire, from a family of bloodsuckers who eschew gnawing on human necks.
“He doesn’t want to be a monster, he doesn’t want to kill people,” said “Twilight” director Catherine Hardwicke. “He loves her, but if he gets too passionate, he will want her blood. He will want to kill her.”
No wonder they look so pale.
“Romeo and Juliet” it’s not, but, hey, it takes place in our own town of Forks.
It’s set for release in theaters on Nov. 21.
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