The summer movie season of 2012 brought us some truly epic (and tragic) moments, but fall will soon be blowing in upon winds of change, bringing with it some new awards-hopeful arthouse entries, along with a new dose of big-budget blockbusters, prequels, reboots and sequels.
Big titles like James Bond's Skyfall or the Lord of the Rings prequel The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey have pretty much sold themselves already - but that doesn't mean there aren't some great movies waiting to be discovered by the masses, such as PT Anderson's Oscar-contender The Master, or the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer's ambitious (and controversy-sparking) adaption of David Mitchell's bestselling novel, Cloud Atlas.
Thankfully, we've got THE fall 2012 movie preview that will tell you what you need to know about the movies blowing our way as we head into the long-sleeve season.
Jump to any one month via the links below - and be sure to check out the trailers for all of the upcoming fall films:
- September 2012 (This Page)
- October 2012
- November 2012
- December 2012
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SEPTEMBER 2012 MOVIES
Bachelorette
September 7th
Three friends are asked to be bridesmaids at a wedding of a woman they used to ridicule back in high school. Kirsten Dunst, James Marsden, Isla Fisher, Adam Scott and Lizzy Caplan star.
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Cold Light of Day
September 7th (Limited)
After his family is kidnapped during their sailing trip in Spain, a young Wall Street trader (Henry Cavill) is confronted by the people responsible: intelligence agents looking to recover a mysterious briefcase. Bruce Willis and Sigourney Weaver co-star.
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For a Good Time, Call...
September (7th, 14, 21st - Expanded Release)
Former college frenemies Lauren (Lauren Powell) and Katie (Ari Graynor) move into a fabulous Gramercy Park apartment, and in order to make ends meet, the unlikely pair start a phone sex line together. Justin Long and James Wolk co-star, with cameo appearances by Nia Vardalos, Kevin Smith and Seth Rogen.
(For a Good Time, Call... Trailer)
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Raiders of the Lost Ark (IMAX)
September 7th (IMAX)
Archeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is hired by the US government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis. IMAX re-release of the Steven Spielberg classic.
(Raiders of the Lost Ark IMAX Trailer)
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[REC] 3: Genesis
September 7th (U.S. - Limited)
[REC] 3: Genesis follows a young couple’s wedding (and subsequent reception) where all hell breaks loose when guests complain of a mysterious infection. Eventually, the newlyweds are forced to fight for their lives against hordes of zombies.
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The Words
September 7th
A writer at the peak of his literary success (Bradley Cooper) discovers the steep price he must pay for stealing another man's work. Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde and Zoe Saldana co-star.
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10 Years
September 14th (Limited)
The night before their high school reunion, a group of friends realize they still haven't quite grown up in some ways. Rosario Dawson, Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Lynn Collins, Kate Mara, Chris Pratt, Jusitn Long, Ari Graynor, Anthony Mackie, Oscar Isaac, Aubrey Plaza and Ron Livingston star. Jenna Dewan-Tatum directs.
(10 Years Trailer)
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Arbitrage
September 14th
A troubled hedge fund magnate (Richard Gere) desperate to complete the sale of his trading empire makes an error that forces him to turn to an unlikely person for help. Tim Roth, Susan Sarandon, William Friedkin, Monica Raymund and Brit Marling co-star.
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Finding Nemo 3D
September 14th
After his son is captured in the Great Barrier Reef and taken to Sydney, a timid clownfish sets out on a journey to bring him home. 3D re-release of the Pixar hit film.
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Resident Evil: Retribution
September 14th
Alice (Milla Jovovich) fights alongside a resistance movement in the continuing battle against the Umbrella Corporation and the undead.
(Resident Evil: Retribution Trailer)
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Stolen
September 14th
A former thief (Nic Cage) frantically searches for his missing daughter, who has been kidnapped and locked in the trunk of a taxi. Malin Akerman, Josh Lucas and Danny Huston co-star, Simon West (Expendables 2) directs.
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Dredd 3D
September 21st
In a violent, futuristic city where the police have the authority to act as judge, jury and executioner, Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) teams with a trainee (Olivia Thirlby) to take down a gang that deals the reality-altering drug, SLO-MO.
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End of Watch
September 21st
Two young officers (Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña) are marked for death after confiscating a small cache of money and firearms from the members of a notorious cartel, during a routine traffic stop. Anna Kendrick, Cody Horn, America Ferrera and Frank Grillo co-star.
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House at the End of the Street
September 21st
A mother and daughter move to a new town and find themselves living next door to a house where a young girl murdered her parents. When the daughter befriends the surviving son, she learns the story is far from over. Jennifer Lawrence, Elisabeth Shue, and Max Thieriot star.
(House at the End of the Street Trailer)
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The Master
September 21st
A Naval veteran (Joaquin Phoenix) arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future - until he is tantalized by The Cause and its charismatic leader (Phillip Seymour Hoffman). Amy Adams and Laura Dern co-star.
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower
September 21st
An introvert freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors who welcome him to the real world. Emma Watson (Harry Potter), Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson) and Ezra Miller (We Need to Talk About Kevin) star; Paul Rudd, Mae Whitman, Kate Walsh and Dylan McDermott co-star.
(Perks of Being a Wallflower Trailer)
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Trouble With the Curve
September 21st
An ailing baseball scout (Clint Eastwood) in his twilight years takes his daughter (Amy Adams) along for one last recruiting trip.
(Trouble With the Curve Trailer)
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Hotel Transylvania
September 28th
Dracula, who operates a high-end resort away from the human world, goes into overprotective mode when a boy discovers the resort and falls for the count's teen-aged daughter. Directed by animation icon Genndy Tartakovsky (Samurai Jack) with voice work by Adam Sandler, Miley Cyrus, Steve Buscemi, Kevin James, David Spade, Andy Sambert, Molly Shannon, Cee-Lo, David Keochner and Fran Drescher.
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Looper
September 28th
In this Rian Johnson (Brick) film, a killer who works for the mob of the future recognizes one of his targets as his future self. Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, Piper Perabo, Paul Dano, Jeff Daniels and Garret Dillahunt star.
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Won't Back Down
September 28th
Two determined mothers, one a teacher look to transform their children's failing inner city school. Facing a powerful and entrenched bureaucracy, they risk everything to make a difference in the education and future of their children. Maggie Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Ving Rhames, Holly Hunter, Oscar Isaac and Rosie Perez star.
(Won't Back Down Trailer)
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OCTOBER 2012 MOVIES
Butter
October 5th (Limited)
In small-town Iowa, an adopted girl discovers her talent for butter carving and finds herself pitted against an ambitious local woman in their town's annual contest. Olivia Wilde, Jennifer Garner, Hugh Jackman, Ashley Greene, Alicia Silverstone, Ty Burrell, and Rob Corddry star.
(Butter Trailer)
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Frankenweenie
October 5th
Young Victor (Charlie Tahan) conducts a science experiment to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life, only to face unintended, sometimes monstrous, consequences.
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The Paperboy
October 5th (Limited)
A reporter (Zac Efron) returns to his Florida hometown to investigate a case involving a death row inmate. Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman, John Cusack, David Oyelowo and Macy Gray star. Lee Daniels (Precious) directs.
(The Paperboy Trailer)
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Pitch Perfect
October 5th
Beca (Anna Kendrick), a freshman at Barden University, is cajoled into joining The Bellas, her school's all-girls singing group. Injecting some much needed energy into their repertoire, The Bellas take on their male rivals in a campus competition. Elizabeth Banks, Rebel Wilson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Alexis Knapp, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp and Adam DeVine star.
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Taken 2
October 5th
In Istanbul, retired CIA operative Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) and his wife (Famke Janssen) are taken hostage by the father of a kidnapper Mills killed while rescuing his daughter (Maggie Grace).
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Sinister
October 5th
Found footage helps a true-crime novelist (Ethan Hawke) realize how and why a family was murdered in his new home, though his discoveries put his entire family in the path of a supernatural entity.
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V/H/S
October 5th
In this horror anthology, a group of misfits is hired by an unknown third party to burglarize a desolate house and acquire a rare VHS tape, only to discover more found footage than they bargained for.
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Argo
October 12th
As the Iranian revolution reaches a boiling point, a CIA 'exfiltration' specialist concocts a risky plan to free six Americans who have found shelter at the home of the Canadian ambassador. Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Kyle Chandler, Alan Arkin, Taylor Schilling, Clea DuVall and Zeljko Ivanek star.
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Atlas Shrugged: Part 2
October 12th
With the global economy on the brink of collapse, Dagny Taggart (Samantha Mathis) discovers what might be the answer to a mounting energy crisis and races against the clock to prevent the motor of the World from being stopped for good.
(Atlas Shrugged: Part 2 Trailer)
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Here Comes the Boom
October 12th
A high school biology teacher moonlights as a mixed-martial arts fighter in an effort to raise money to save the school's music program. Kevin James, Henry Winkler Joe Rogan and Salma Hayek star.
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Seven Psychopaths
October 12th
A struggling screenwriter (Colin Farrell) inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends (Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken) kidnap a gangster's (Woody Harrelson) beloved Shih Tzu. Abbie Cornish, Olga Kurylenko, Zeljko Ivanek and Tom Waits co-star.
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Alex Cross
October 19th
Detective Alex Cross (Tyler Perry) is told that a member of his family has been murdered. He vows to track down the killer, the psychotic Picasso killer (Matthew Fox). Rachel Nichols, Giancarlo Esposito, Jean Reno, Edward Burns and John C. McGinley co-star.
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Killing Them Softly
October 19th
Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt) is a professional enforcer who investigates a heist that went down during a mob-protected poker game. James Gondolfini, Scoot McNairy, Richard Jenkins, Ray Liotta and Garret Dillahunt co-star.
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Paranormal Activity 4
October 19th
Years after the events of first two films, young Alice (Kathryn Newton) begins to notice hauntingly strange things about her neighbor, a young boy who may have a dark secret. Paranormal Activity 3 directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman will be back to direct the new chapter.
(Paranormal Activity 4 Trailer)
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The Big Wedding
October 26th
A long-divorced couple fakes being married as their family unites for a wedding. Amanda Seyfried, Topher Grace, Ben Barnes, Robin Wiliams, Robert De Niro, Katherine Heigl, Diane Keaton and Susan Sarandon star.
(The Big Wedding Trailer)
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Chasing Mavericks
October 26th
Surfer Jay Moriarity sets out to ride the Northern California break known as Mavericks. Gerard Butler, Elisabeth Shue, Abigail Spencer and Jonny Weston star.
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Cloud Atlas
October 26th
Six stories set in a different time and place become intricately related to each other. Tom Hanks, Hugo Weaving, Hugh Grant, Halle Berry, Keith David, Ben Whishaw, James D'Arcy, Jim Sturgess, and Susan Sarandon star. The Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer direct.
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Fun Size
October 26th
When a troubled but whip-smart teen girl loses her oddball little brother on Halloween, she has one desperate night to track him down. Victoria Justice, Jane Levy, Thomas Mann, Chelsea Handler, Josh Pence and Johnny Knoxville star.
(Fun Size Trailer)
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Silent Hill: Revelation
October 26th
Heather Mason (Adelaide Clemens) and her father (Sean Bean) have been on the run, always one step ahead of dangerous forces that she doesn't fully understand. Now on the eve of her 18th birthday, plagued by horrific nightmares and the disappearance of her father, Heather discovers she's not who she thinks she is. The revelation leads her deeper into a demonic world that threatens to trap her forever.
(Silent Hill: Revelation Trailer)
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NOVEMBER 2012 MOVIES
Flight
November 2nd
An airline pilot (Denzel Washington) saves a flight from crashing, but an investigation into the malfunctions reveals something troubling. John Goodman, Bruce Greenwood, Don Cheadle, Kelly Reilly, Melissa Leo and James Badge Dale co-star. Robert Zemeckis directs.
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Jack and Diane
November 2nd
Jack and Diane, two teenage girls, meet in New York City and spend the night kissing ferociously. Diane's charming innocence quickly begins to open Jack's tough skinned heart. But, when Jack discovers that Diane is leaving the country in a week she tries to push her away. Diane must struggle to keep their love alive while hiding the secret that her newly awakened sexual desire is giving her werewolf-like visions.
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The Man with the Iron Fists
November 2nd
In feudal China, a blacksmith (RZA) who makes weapons for a small village is put in the position where he must defend himself and his fellow villagers. Russell Crowe, Jamie Chung, Lucy Liu and Pam Grier co-star. RZA directs.
(Man with the Iron Fists Trailer)
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Wreck-It Ralph
November 2nd
The bad-guy character in a classic game who longs to be a hero brings trouble to his entire arcade after sneaking into a new first-person shooter game and unleashing a deadly enemy. Voice work by John C. Reilly, Jane Lynch, Sarah Silverman and Jack McBrayer.
Skyfall
November 9th
Bond's (Daniel Craig) loyalty to M (Judi Dench) is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost. Ralph Fiennes, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw and Bérébuce Marlohe star.
(Skyfall Trailer)
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Anna Karenina
November 16th
Trapped in a loveless marriage, Anna (Keira Knightley), looks for a better life, but finds only a more complicated one. Jude Law, Emily Watson, Kelly Macdonald, Aaron Johnson, Matthew Macfadyen, Olivia Williams and Michelle Dockery star.
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Lincoln
November 16th - (Limited Release on November 9th)
The sixteenth President of the United States (Daniel Day-Lewis) guides the North to victory during the Civil War. Joseph-Gordon-Levitt, Jared Harris, Tommy lee Jones, Jackie Earle Haley, Lee Pace, Sally Field, John Hawkes, Walton Goggins, David Strathairn, Hal Holbrook and James Spader co-star. Steven Spielberg directs.
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The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2
November 16th
After the birth of Renesmee, the Cullens gather other vampire clans in order to protect the child from a false allegation that puts the family in front of the Volturi.
(Breaking Dawn - Part 2 Trailer)
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Life of Pi
November 21st
After the tragic sinking of a ship, a solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the Pacific ocean, inside there is an Indian boy named Pi, a hyena, a zebra, a female orangutan and a Bengal tiger, the only survivors of the wreck, it's a tale of faith, hope and fighting for survival. Suraj Sharma and Irrfan Khan star, Ang Lee directs.
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Red Dawn
November 21st
A group of teenagers look to save their town from an invasion of North Korean soldiers. Chris Hemsworth, Adrianne Palicki, Josh Hutcherson, Isabel Lucas, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Connor Cruise star.
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Rise of the Guardians
November 21st
Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Jack Frost and the Sandman band together to form a united front against the Bogeyman. Starring Dakota Goyo, with voice work by Jude Law, Hugh Jackman, Chris Pine, Isla Fisher, Aleck Baldwin.
(Rise of the Guardians Trailer)
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Silver Linings Playbook
November 21st
After spending four years in a mental institution, a former teacher moves back in with his mother and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Bradley Cooper, Julia Stiles Taylor Shcilling, Chris Tucker, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro star, David O. Russell (The Fighter) directs.
(Silver Linings Playbook Trailer)
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The Frozen Ground
November 30th
An Alaska State Trooper (Nic Cage) partners with a young woman (Vanessa Hudgens) who escaped the clutches of serial killer Robert Hansen (John Cusack) to bring the murderer to justice. Dean Norris, 50 Cent, Radha Mitchell and Kevin Dunn co-star. Based on actual events.
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Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning
November 30th
In this 4th installment, a resurrected soldier (Scott Adkins) goes looking for vengeance against the universal soldiers (Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren) responsible for killing his family, and ends up being the only man standing in the way of an undead soldier revolution.
(Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning Trailer)
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DECEMBER 2012 MOVIES...
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DECEMBER 2012 MOVIES
Deadfall
December 7th (Limited)
Siblings Addison (Eric Bana) and Liza (Olivia Wilde) are on the run with the stolen loot from a casino job gone horribly wrong. Meanwhile, troubled ex-boxer Jay (Charlie Hunnam) heads for Thanksgiving dinner with his parents, June (Sissy Spacek) and retired sheriff Chet (Krs Kristofferson). What will happen when their worlds collide in a twist of fate?
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Hyde Park on Hudson
December 7th
The story of the love affair between FDR (Bill Murray) and his distant cousin Margaret Stuckley (Laura Linney), centered around the weekend in 1939 when the King and Queen of the United Kingdom visited upstate New York.
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Playing for Keeps
December 7th
A former professional athlete with a weak past (Gerard Butler) tries to redeem himself by coaching his son's soccer team, only to find himself unable to resist when in scoring position with his players' restless and gorgeous moms. Jessica Biel, Judy Greer, Dennis Quaid, Uma Thurman and Catherine Zeta-Jones co-star.
(Playing for Keeps Trailer)
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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
December 14th
A curious Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), journeys to the Lonely Mountain with a vigorous group of Dwarves and Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) to reclaim a treasure stolen from them by the dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch).
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Les Misérables
December 7th
An adaptation of the successful stage musical based on Victor Hugo's classic novel set in 19th-century France, in which a paroled prisoner named Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) seeks redemption. Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Russell Crowe, Sacha Baron Cohen and Eddie Redmayne co-star.
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Zero Dark Thirty
December 19th
An account on the hunt for Osama bin Laden and the battled on his compound that resulted in his death. Directed by Oscar-winning Hurt Locker director, Kathryn Bigelow.
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The Impossible
December 21st
An account of a family caught, with tens of thousands of strangers, in the mayhem of one of the worst natural catastrophes of our time, the Southeast Asia Tsunami. Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts star.
(The Impossible Trailer - WARNING! TRALER REVEALS A LOT OF MOVIE!)
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Jack Reacher
December 21st
A homicide investigator digs deeper into a case involving a trained military sniper who shot five random victims. Based on a book in Lee Child's crime series. Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Werner Herzog, David Oyelowo, Richard Jenkins and Robert Duvall star. Christopher McQuarrie (Ususal Suspects) writes and directs.
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Not Fade Away
December 21st
Set in suburban New Jersey the 1960s, a group of friends form a rock band and try to make it big. Brad Garrett, James Gandolfini, Jack Huston, Christopher McDonald, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Lisa Lampanelli and Molly Price star. David Chase (The Sopranos) directs.
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This is 40
December 21st
This Judd Apatow spin-off film looks at the lives of Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) a few years after the events of Knocked Up. Jason Segel, Melissa McCarthy, John Lithgow, Albert Brooks and Megan Fox co-star.
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Django Unchained
December 25th
With the help of his mentor (Christoph Waltz), a slave-turned-bounty hunter (Jamie Foxx) sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sacha Baron Cohen, Samuel L. Jackson, Micahel Kenneth Williams, Kerry Washington, Don Johnson, Gerald McRaney, RZA and Kurt Russell co-star.
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The Guilt Trip
December 25th
An inventor (Seth Rogen) and his mom (Barbra Streisand) hit the road together so he can sell his latest invention. Yvonne Strahovski, Colin Hanks, Adam Scott and Danny Pudi co-star.
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Parental Guidance
December 25th
When his daughter goes away for work, a grandfather finds himself having to take care of his three grandkids using 21st century methods -- though he soon resorts to an old-school style of parenting. Billy Crystal, Bailee Madison, Joshua Rush, Madison Lintz, Marisa Tomei, Tom Everett Scott, and Bette Midler star.
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Which movies in fall 2012 are you looking forward to the most? Let us know in the comments.
For an in-depth discussion of the upcoming movie season by the Screen Rant team check out the 2012 Fall Movie Preview episode of the SR Underground podcast.