Fall movie preview: Summer winds to a close, Oscar race heats up

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Although there are technically a couple of weeks of summer left, the films of fall are upon us. Now is when movies get serious, when Hollywood starts thinking about Oscar. You’ll still find plenty of zombies and ninjas at the multiplex in the coming weeks, just not “quite” as many as you would have found in July.

Here is a list of movies scheduled for release between Labor Day and Thanksgiving. Dates are subject to change.

SEPT. 9

9: Not to be confused with the new musical “Nine,” this collaboration between co-producers Tim Burton and Russian filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov (“Wanted,” “Nightwatch”) is a PG-13 computer-animated fantasy about the last human survivors of the apocalypse who wage war against the machines trying to exterminate them. Like “The Terminator,” only not.

SEPT. 11

Bright Star: Jane Campion (“The Piano”) wrote and directed this period drama about the doomed romance between 19th century poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) and his 18-year-old neighbor Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish).

The September Issue: A film crew follows Vogue editor Anna Wintour as she prepares the magazine’s 2007, biggest-ever fall fashion issue.

Sorority Row: The sisters of a sorority house (including Briana Evigan, Leah Pipes and Rumer Willis) start getting picked off by the ghost of their past sins, who comes wielding lots of sharp implements.

Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself: In the latest seriocomic adventures of the formerly mad black woman, Madea (Tyler Perry) entrusts three young delinquents to their aunt (Taraji P. Henson), who has enough problems and doesn’t want to inherit three more.

Whiteout: Kate Beckinsale stars as a U.S. marshal investigating Antarctica’s first murder case, trying to catch the perp responsible before the sun sets, not to return for six months.

SEPT. 18

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs: Phil Lord directs (with Chris Miller) this animated adaptation of the beloved children’s book about a town where food rains from the sky.

The Informant: A corporate whistleblower (Matt Damon) working with the FBI to expose a price-fixing conspiracy keeps changing his story until the feds start to wonder if he’s not just making everything up. Director Steven Soderbergh (“Ocean’s Eleven”) gives a comedic twist to this fact-based espionage tale.

Jennifer’s Body: “Juno” screenwriter Diablo Cody conceived this horror comedy about a high-school cheerleader (Megan Fox) who becomes possessed by a demon and starts offing her male classmates. Directed by Karyn Kusama (“Girlfight”).

Love Happens: A widower (Aaron Eckhart) becomes a self-help guru after he writes a book about mourning. But when he falls for one of his readers (Jennifer Aniston), he starts to wonder if he has properly finished grieving.

SEPT. 25

Fame: Alan Parker’s influential 1980 musical about the students at New York City’s High School of Performing Arts gets a “reimagining.” Asher Book, Kristy Flores, Paul McGill and Naturi Naughton are among the talented kids hoping to live forever and learning to fly high. Directed by Kevin Tancharoen. Who? Yeah, exactly.

The Invention of Lying: In an alternate universe in which the concept of not telling the truth does not exist, a man (Ricky Gervais) develops the ability to lie and discovers that dishonesty can make someone rich. Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Jeffrey Tambor and Tina Fey co-star. Gervais also co-wrote and directed with Matthew Robinson.

Pandorum: Astronauts (Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster) awaken from cryogenic sleep aboard a spaceship and can’t remember who they are or what their mission is. We’ve had Monday mornings like that.

Surrogates: In the near future, FBI agents (Bruce Willis and Radha Mitchell) investigate a murder involving artificial “surrogates,” robotic aliases used by recluses to represent them in the outside world. Directed by Jonathan Mostow (“Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines”).

OCT. 2

Capitalism: A Love Story: Michael Moore’s first documentary since he took on health care in “Sicko” explores the increasingly large role corporate America has played in government and the resulting financial crisis.

A Serious Man: The new comedy from iconoclastic directors Joel and Ethan Coen (“No Country For Old Men,” “Fargo”) is loosely based on their middle-class Jewish upbringing and centers on Larry (Michael Stuhlbarg), a beleaguered college professor whose wife leaves him for a colleague. Meanwhile his lay-about brother mooches off him, and his kids get into perpetual trouble at school. Larry seeks counseling from three rabbis who offer differing advice. The trailer looks sensational.

Whip It: “Juno’s” Ellen Page passed on Sam Raimi’s “Drag Me to Hell” to star in Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, the story of a small-town beauty queen turned roller-derby ruffian. Marcia Gay Harden co-stars as her outraged mother, while Juliette Lewis and Kristen Wiig play rink stars.

OCT. 9

Couples Retreat: Four married couples (among them Vince Vaughn, Malin Akerman, Jason Bateman, Kristin Davis and Jon Favreau) vacation at an island that specializes in relationship counseling. More than specializes, actually: The therapy is mandatory.

Zombieland: A fearless gun lover (Woody Harrelson) and a scaredy cat (Jesse Eisenberg) join forces in a world overrun by flesh-eating zombies in this horror comedy from first-time director Ruben Fleischer.

OCT. 16

Law Abiding Citizen: An angry man (“300’s” Gerard Butler) targets the Philadelphia prosecutor (Jamie Foxx) who orchestrated a plea bargain for the killer of his wife and daughter. Sometimes, words just aren’t enough.

More Than a Game: This documentary looks at the rise of NBA superstar Lebron James beginning with his high-school days in Ohio.

New York, I Love You: The producers of “Paris, Je T’Aime” return with another omnibus of 12 short movies, all love letters to the titular city. Brett Ratner, Mira Nair, Natalie Portman, Yvan Attal, Faith Akin, Shekhar Kapur and Scarlett Johansson join the roster of contributing directors.

The Road: Cormac McCarthy’s post-apocalyptic masterpiece about a father and son who walk across the country after the bombs fall and civilization ends comes to the screen after a year’s delay of tweaks and adjustments. Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee co-star for director John Hillcoat (“The Proposition”), working from a screenplay by Joe Penhall (“Enduring Love”).

The Stepfather: The trailer for this remake of the 1987 cult classic manages to spoil every single surprise and twist in the span of 90 seconds. Impressive! Penn Badgley stars as a young man who suspects his mother’s new boyfriend (Dylan Walsh) may not be whom he says he is.

Where the Wild Things Are: Director Spike Jonze’s adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s seminal children’s book, based on a screenplay by Jonze and Dave Eggers, promises to be special. Max Records stars as Max, the lonely boy who becomes the ruler of an island populated by huge, shaggy beasts.

OCT. 23

Amelia: Two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank tries for a third with this glossy, award-baiting biopic of Amelia Earhart, who disappeared in 1937 while trying to fly solo around the world. Co-starring Richard Gere as her husband and Ewan McGregor as her lover. Directed by Mira Nair (“The Perez Family,” “Monsoon Wedding”).

Astro Boy: The computer-animated adventures of a boy robot (voiced by Freddie Highmore) and his scientist creator (Nicolas Cage).

Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant: The first of Darren Shan’s popular series of novels to be filmed centers on a teenager (Chris Massoglia) who is turned into a vampire by a bloodsucker (John C. Reilly) and joins a circus. Because really, what else are you going to do now? Salma Hayek, Ken Watanabe, and Orlando Jones co-star for director Chris Weitz (“American Pie”), whose brother Paul is busy with vampires of his own (see “The Twilight Saga: New Moon”).

Saw VI: Not to be confused with “Saw V” or “Saw IV.” Because it’s really, really different.

OCT. 28

Michael Jackson: This Is It: “High School Musical” director Kenny Ortega, who was collaborating with the singer on a series of London concerts, culls a concert film and cinematic memorial (with some sequences in 3D) from the hundreds of hours of footage taped during Jackson’s rehearsals for the shows.

OCT. 30

Youth in Revolt: Director Miguel Arteta (“Chuck and Buck,” “The Good Girl”) adapts C.D. Payne’s cult novel about a teenager (Michael Cera) who hopes to lose his virginity to the girl of his dreams (Portia Doubleday).

OCTOBER TBA

Coco Before Chanel: The rise and rise of fashion goddess Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, played by “Amelie’s” Audrey Tautou.

An Education: Novelist Nick Hornby (“High Fidelity,” “About a Boy”) tackles his first screenplay, an adaptation of Lynn Barber’s memoir about a 16-year-old girl (Carey Mulligan) who falls for an older man (Peter Sarsgaard) in 1961 London. Directed by Lone Scherfig (“Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself”).

NOV. 6

The Box: After the spectacular failure of his ambitious second film “Southland Tales,” writer-director Richard Kelly (“Donnie Darko”) goes the simpler, high-concept route with this thriller, adapted from a Richard Matheson short story, about a married couple (Cameron Diaz and James Marsden) given a wooden box. Push its button, and you become instantly wealthy — but someone, somewhere, drops dead. Who wants to be a millionaire NOW?

Disney’s A Christmas Carol: Director Robert Zemeckis (“Cast Away,” “Back to the Future”) continues his obsession with the computer-generated rotoscope animation of “The Polar Express” and” Beowulf” with this 3D, IMAX-sized retelling of the Dickens classic, starring Jim Carrey as Scrooge.

The Fourth Kind: So we all now know what a close encounter of the third kind is. But what about ... the “fourth kind”? Residents of a remote Alaska town, some of whom disappear without a trace, are about to find out. Milla Jovovich stars as the psychologist who discovers many of her patients are suffering from the same malady: Alien abduction.

The Men Who Stare at Goats: Actor-turned-director Grant Heslov adapts Jon Ronson’s book about a reporter (Ewan McGregor) in Iraq who meets a soldier (George Clooney) who claims to be a former member of a secret unit that uses paranormal powers to carry out missions. Do Mulder and Scully know about this? Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges and Stephen Lang co-star.

Precious: Based on the Novel Push By Sapphire: Director Lee Daniels’ Sundance festival sensation is set in 1987 Harlem and focuses on an overweight, illiterate ninth grader (Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe), pregnant with her second child, who transfers to an alternative high school and comes under the attention of a caring teacher (Paula Patton). Mo’Nique, Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz co-star.

NOV. 13

2012: Disaster magnet Roland Emmerich (“Independence Day,” “The Day After Tomorrow”) returns to destroy our planet again. John Cusack, Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton and Amanda Peet are among the humans trying to make sense of the impending apocalypse. Remember when Irwin Allen made those star-studded disaster flicks in the 1970s? Those were awesome. Emmerich’s, not so much.

Pirate Radio: In the 1960s, while the BBC limited itself to two hours of rock ‘n’ roll music a week, pirate radio stations sated Britain’s hunger for guitar-driven music. Writer-director Richard Curtis (“Love Actually”) imagines the fictional antics of one such station, with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy and Rhys Ifans as three of the colorful DJs broadcasting from a boat at sea.

NOV. 20

The Blind Side: Sandra Bullock again, this time in a drama based on Michael Lewis’ nonfiction bestseller “The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game,” about a homeless African-American teenager (Quinton Aaron) who is taken in by a wealthy white couple (Bullock and Tim McGraw) as part of a college football recruitment program.

Planet 51: Like “District 9,” only in reverse. And animated. And for kids. The little green people of a faraway planet fear they’re about to be invaded when an astronaut from Earth (voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) makes landfall.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon: The clunky title is there to let everyone know this is the follow-up to last year’s teen vampire romance “Twilight,” because “New Moon” is, you know, such an “obscure” title. After the bloodsucker Edward (Robert Pattinson) and his personable family split town, the heartbroken Bella (Kristen Stewart) finds comfort in the arms of a young werewolf (Taylor Lautner) with hair like Fabio’s. Director Chris Weitz (“About a Boy)” takes over from Catherine Hardwicke, who passed on directing because she didn’t think she could deliver a movie under the distributor’s time constraints.

NOV. 25

The Fantastic Mr. Fox: The always-eclectic Wes Anderson (“The Royal Tenenbaums,” “Rushmore”), whose movies often flirt with the fantastical, takes the plunge with this stop-motion animation adaptation of the Roald Dahl story about a fox (voiced by George Clooney) who must protect his wife (Meryl Streep) and kids from three mean farmers. Anderson regulars Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman round out the voice cast. The animation looks old-school wonderful.

Nine: “Inglourious Basterds” has done its part. Now the cash-strapped folks at The Weinstein Co. are counting on this star-studded adaptation of the Broadway musical to keep their company afloat. Daniel Day-Lewis stars as the film director in the throes of a personal and professional crisis as Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Sophia Loren and Judi Dench orbit through his life. Michael Tolkin and the late Anthony Minghella wrote the screenplay. Rob Marshall directs, hoping to repeat his “Chicago” success.

Ninja Assassin: The hero (played by South Korean action star Rain — just Rain) must battle the secret clan of killers who raised and trained him. Directed by James McTeigue (“V For Vendetta”), so you can count on spectacle. Also: There will be blood.

Old Dogs: The makers of “Wild Hogs” return with another comedy about middle-aged heroes, this time bachelor pals (John Travolta and Robin Williams) who must learn child-rearing skills in a hurry when they are assigned to look after 7-year-old twins. Seth Green, Justin Long, Matt Dillon and the late Bernie Mac co-star. Yes, “Wild Hogs” was atrocious, but the trailer for this one is amusing.

NOVEMBER TBA

Antichrist: Director Lars Von Trier (“Dancer in the Dark,” “Breaking the Waves”) created a ruckus at Cannes when he unveiled this drama about a couple (Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg) who mourn the death of their son by retreating to a cabin in the woods and taking out their grief on each other.