Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Columbia Picture's 2011 Line Up

Coming off a record-breaking 2010 which saw the studio releasing consecutive box-office hits (“Legion,” “The Karate Kid,” “Salt,” “Eat Pray Love”) and acclaimed films (“The Social Network”), Columbia Pictures now unveils its roster of would-be blockbusters for 2011.  Right off in January, Columbia immediately ups the stakes with two movie events – the gorgeous thriller “The Tourist” starring the hot-ticket team-up of Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp; and the 3D action-adventure “The Green Hornet” which aims to reinvent the superhero genre.  The rest of the year promises to be as excitingly extraordinary. 

The Tourist.  Johnny Depp stars as an American tourist in Venice whose playful dalliance with a beautiful stranger (Angelina Jolie) leads to a web of intrigue, romance and danger. 
            The Green Hornet.  Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) is the son of LA’s most prominent media magnate and perfectly happy to maintain a directionless existence  – until his father mysteriously dies, leaving Britt his vast media empire.  Striking an unlikely friendship with one of his father’s more inventive employees, Kato, (Jay Chou) they see their chance to do something meaningful for the first time in their lives: fight crime. But in order to do this, they decide to become criminals themselves. 
            World Invasion: Battle Los Angeles.  When unknown forces put the City of Angels under attack, it’s up to a Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and his new platoon to come to the rescue.  As the invasion hits the streets of L.A., the Marines become our first and last line of defense against a highly powerful enemy.
            Underworld 4.  The Underworld film series starring Kate Beckinsale continues with this fourth outing, bringing the action-horror franchise into 3D for the first time.                         
            Priest.  A warrior priest (Paul Bettany) disobeys Church law by teaming with a young sheriff (Cam Gigandet) and a beautiful priestess (Maggie Q). The three band together to track down a band of renegade vampires who have kidnapped the priest's niece before they turn her into one of them.                              
The Smurfs.  When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the tiny blue Smurfs out of their village, they tumble from their magical world and into ours – in fact, smack dab in the middle of New York’s Central Park. The Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down.            
Burlesque.  For Ali (Christina Aguilera), a small-town girl with a big voice, there had to be somewhere her dreams could be fulfilled, rather than remain an empty goal.  Leaving behind hardship and an uncertain future for the entertainment capital Los Angeles, Ali stumbles upon The Burlesque Lounge, a majestic but ailing theater that is home to an inspired musical revue.
            How Do You Know.  Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd, and Jack Nicholson star in this new comedy written and directed by James L. Brooks that takes a contemporary and romantic look at the question, “How do you know?”           
                Faster.  A stint in prison usually has one of two effects on a man – it either breaks him down or makes him stronger. For Driver (Dwayne Johnson), a 10-year sentence proved the latter. His strength was not just fueled by time, but also by a hunger to avenge the murder of his brother during the botched bank robbery that led to his own imprisonment.                             
Just Go With It.  A plastic surgeon (Adam Sandler), romancing a much younger schoolteacher, enlists his loyal assistant (Jennifer Aniston) to pretend to be his soon to be ex-wife, in order to cover up a careless lie. When more lies backfire, the assistant's kids become involved, and everyone heads off for a weekend in Hawaii that will change all their lives.          
                The Roommate.  The story centers on Sara (Minka Kelly), a college student randomly assigned to a freshman dorm with a stranger named Rebecca (Leighton Meester). They start off as friends but things turn deadly as Rebecca begins to target people in Sara's life.
                Bad Teacher.   A teacher (Cameron Diaz) with a rich fiancé gets distracted when a handsome substitute teacher (Justin Timberlake) arrives at her school.                           
                Hanna.   Uniquely, 14-year-old Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) has the strength, the stamina, and the smarts of a soldier; these come from being raised by her father (Eric Bana), an ex-CIA man, in the wilds of Finland.  Living a life unlike any other teenager, her upbringing and training have been one and the same, all geared to making her the perfect assassin.        
                Zookeeper.  Zoo animals try teaching their keeper (Kevin James) their methods of dating and mating to help him win back the woman (Rosario Dawson) of his dreams.                                                       
                Friends with Benefits.  Coming out of disastrous relationships, a female headhunter (Mila Kunis) and her newest client turned best friend (Justin Timberlake) make a ‘friends with benefits’ pact vowing to stop the casual sex if either become emotionally attached.   
                30 Minutes or Less.   A pizza delivery guy (Jesse Eisenberg) embarks on an unlikely caper.                                      
Skank Robbers.  Two female bank robbers’ paths collide when they hit the same bank on the same day forcing them to partner-up to escape without arrest. But fate is not through with them yet...                                                
Straw Dogs.  A couple (James Marsden, Kate Bosworth) moves to the country and soon become the target of harassment by local ruffians (led by Alexander Skarsgard).               
                Restless.   Directed by Gus Van Sant, one of the most astute observers of people living life on the edge, comes a take on friendship and young love as engaging and true as it is provocative and stirring. Two outsiders (Mia Wasikowska, Henry Hopper), both shaped by the circumstances that have brought them together, forge a deep and lasting love.          
                Jack & Jill.  A comedy centered on fraternal twins (Adam Sandler). 
                Jumping the Broom.  A collision of worlds when two African-American families from divergent socioeconomic backgrounds get together one weekend in Martha’s Vineyard for a wedding.            
                Born to be a Star.   A small town nerd (Nick Swardson) stumbles upon a family secret: his quiet and demure parents were famous porn stars in the 1970’s. This motivates him to leave northern Iowa for Hollywood, hoping to follow in their footsteps and fulfill his destiny as the world’s biggest adult-film star.

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