Although we're still a pretty long ways from Oscar season, now that the Academy has extended their best picture nominations to 10, obviously that's got a whole bunch of people talking Oscar a lot earlier than usual. So which films are on Oscar's radar a good six months before nominations are announced? Read on to find out …
1. Nine – Directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago), and based on the hit Broadway show, Nine stars Daniel Day Lewis as a film director who's having a tough time finding harmony in his professional and personal lives. The film co-stars Nicole Kidman, Sophia Loren, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench and Kate Hudson. Talk about a cast that has Guaranteed Oscar Nod written all over it ... [November 25]
2. The Road – Based on Cormac McCarthy's (No Country for Old Men) post-apocalyptic novel, The Road stars Viggo Mortensen as a father who, along with his young son, attempts to survive this new scary, violent world by any means possible. [October 16]
3. The Lovely Bones – Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings trilogy) returns to the big screen as the director of this film, which is also based on a very popular novel about a girl who is murdered and then watches over her family – and killer – from heaven. Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon and Stanley Tucci star. [December 11]
4. Amelia – Whenever Hilary Swank enters the equation with a fall drama, you know she's eying yet another Oscar nod. Here, she's taking on famed pilot Amelia Earhart for a story about her life and mysterious death. [October 23]
5. Up in the Air – Juno director Jason Reitman follows up that film with this one, starring George Clooney as a guy who specializes in firing people from their jobs. [TBD]
Other films in the hunt include James Cameron's Avatar, Clint Eastwood's Invictus, Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island and the Coen Bros.' A Serious Man.
Which films are you looking forward to the most this fall?
