2009 Warner Brothers Fall Picture Preview: ‘Sherlock Holmes,’ ‘Where the Wild Things Are,’ More

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Cameron Diaz stars as Norma Lewis in The Box. Credit: Dale Robinette.

CHICAGO – This 20-image slideshow contains the official press images for the Fall/Winter schedule from Warner Brothers including “Whiteout,” “The Informant!,” “The Invention of Lying,” “Where the Wild Things Are,” “The Box,” “The Blind Side,” “Ninja Assassin,” “Invictus,” and “Sherlock Holmes”.

Movie synopsis and cast information in order of release date:

“WHITEOUT”
In theatres on September 11
Director: Dominic Sena
Writers: Screenplay by Jon Hoeber & Erich Hoeber and Chad Hayes & Carey W. Hayes
Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Gabriel Macht, Columbus Short, Tom Skerritt, Alex O’Loughlin, Shawn Doyle

Action Thriller. Carrie Stetko, the lone U.S. Marshal assigned to Antarctica, is investigating the continent’s first murder, which draws her into a shocking mystery. Now, with only three days until winter, Carrie must solve the crime before Antarctica is plunged into darkness and she is stranded with the killer.

“THE INFORMANT!”
In theatres on September 18
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writers: Screenplay by Scott Z. Burns
Cast: Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Joel McHale, Melanie Lynskey

Offbeat Comedy. What was Mark Whitacre thinking? A rising star at agri-industry giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Whitacre suddenly turns whistleblower. Even as he exposes his company’s multi-national price-fixing conspiracy to the FBI, Whitacre envisions himself being hailed as a hero of the common man and handed a promotion. But before all that can happen, the FBI needs evidence, so Whitacre eagerly agrees to wear a wire and carry a hidden tape recorder in his briefcase, imagining himself as a kind of de facto secret agent. Unfortunately for the FBI, their lead witness hasn’t been quite so forthcoming about helping himself to the corporate coffers. Whitacre’s ever-changing account frustrates the agents and threatens the case against ADM as it becomes almost impossible to decipher what is real and what is the product of Whitacre’s rambling imagination. Based on the true story of the highest-ranking corporate whistleblower in U.S. history.

“THE INVENTION OF LYING”
In theatres on September 25
Directors: Ricky Gervais & Matthew Robinson
Writers: Ricky Gervais & Matthew Robinson
Cast: Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., Jeffrey Tambor, Fionnula Flanagan,
Rob Lowe, Tina Fey

Romantic Comedy. From Ricky Gervais, the award-winning creator and star of the original BBC series “The Office” and HBO’s “Extras,” comes the new romantic comedy “The Invention of Lying,” which takes place in an alternate reality where lying—even the concept of a lie—does not exist. Everyone—from politicians to advertisers to the man and woman on the street—speaks the truth and nothing but the truth with no thought of the consequences. But when a down-on-his-luck loser named Mark suddenly develops the ability to lie, he finds that dishonesty has its rewards. In a world where every word is assumed to be the absolute truth, Mark easily lies his way to fame and fortune. But lies have a way of spreading, and Mark begins to realize that things are getting a little out of control when some of his tallest tales are being taken as, well, gospel. With the entire world now hanging on his every word, there is only one thing Mark has not been able to lie his way into: the heart of the woman he loves.

“WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE”
In theatres on October 16
Director: Spike Jonze
Writers: Screenplay by Spike Jonze & Dave Eggers
Cast: Catherine Keener, Max Records, Mark Ruffalo, Lauren Ambrose, Chris Cooper, James Gandolfini, Catherine O’Hara, Forest Whitaker

Adventure. Innovative director Spike Jonze collaborates with celebrated author Maurice Sendak to bring one of the most beloved books of all time to the big screen in “Where the Wild Things Are,” a classic story about childhood and the places we go to figure out the world we live in. The film tells the story of Max, a rambunctious and sensitive boy who feels misunderstood at home and escapes to where the Wild Things are. Max lands on an island where he meets mysterious and strange creatures whose emotions are as wild and unpredictable as their actions. The Wild Things desperately long for a leader to guide them, just as Max longs for a kingdom to rule. When Max is crowned king, he promises to create a place where everyone will be happy. Max soon finds, though, that ruling his kingdom is not so easy and his relationships there prove to be more complicated than he originally thought.

“THE BOX”
In theatres on November 6
Director: Richard Kelly
Writers: Screenplay by Richard Kelly
Cast: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella

Thriller. What if someone gave you a box containing a button that, if pushed, would bring you a million dollars…but simultaneously take the life of someone you don’t know? Would you do it? And what would be the consequences? The year is 1976. Norma Lewis is a teacher at a private high school and her husband, Arthur, is an engineer working at NASA. They are, by all accounts, an average couple living a normal life in the suburbs with their young son…until a mysterious man with a horribly disfigured face appears on their doorstep and presents Norma with a life-altering proposition: the box. With only 24 hours to make their choice, Norma and Arthur face an impossible moral dilemma. What they don’t realize is that no matter what they decide, terrifying consequences will have already been set in motion. They soon discover that the ramifications of this decision are beyond their control and extend far beyond their own fortune and fate.

“THE BLIND SIDE”
In theatres on November 20
Director: John Lee Hancock
Writers: Screenplay by John Lee Hancock
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Kathy Bates, Quinton Aaron, Lily Collins, Jae Head

Drama. “The Blind Side” depicts the remarkable true story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, taken in by the Touhys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential. At the same time, Oher’s presence in the Touhys’ lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle.

“NINJA ASSASSIN”
In theatres on November 25
Director: James McTeigue
Writers: Screenplay by Matthew Sand and J. Michael Straczynski
Cast: Rain, Naomie Harris, Ben Miles, Sho Kosugi, Rick Yune

Action. Raizo is one of the deadliest assassins in the world. Taken from the streets as a child, he was transformed into a trained killer by the Ozunu Clan, a secret society whose very existence is considered a myth. But haunted by the merciless execution of his friend by the Clan, Raizo breaks free from them…and vanishes. Now he waits, preparing to exact his revenge. In Berlin, Europol agent Mika Coretti has stumbled upon a money trail linking several political murders to an underground network of untraceable assassins from the Far East. Defying the orders of her superior, Ryan Maslow, Mika digs into top secret agency files to learn the truth behind the murders. Her investigation makes her a target, and the Ozunu Clan sends a team of killers, led by the lethal Takeshi, to silence her forever. Raizo saves Mika from her attackers, but he knows that the Clan will not rest until they are both eliminated. Now, entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse through the streets of Europe, Raizo and Mika must trust one another if they hope to survive…and finally bring down the elusive Ozunu Clan.

“INVICTUS”
In theatres on December 11
Director: Clint Eastwood
Writers: Screenplay by Anthony Peckham
Cast: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon

Drama. The film tells the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela joined forces with the captain of South Africa’s rugby team, Francois Pienaar, to help unite their country. Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa’s underdog rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 World Cup Championship match.

“SHERLOCK HOLMES”
In theatres on December 25
Director: Guy Ritchie
Writers: Screenplay by Michael Robert Johnson and Anthony Peckham and Simon Kinberg
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Eddie Marsan, Kelly Reilly

Action-Adventure Mystery. In a dynamic new portrayal of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous characters, “Sherlock Holmes” sends Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson on their latest challenge. Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country.

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. Photos credited individually. All Rights Reserved.

WTWTA-TP-002 [16]: Where the Wild Things Are. Credit: Courtesy of Warner Brothers.

[36]	By BRIAN TALLERICO [37] Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com [36]