©Paramount
10 Movies to Watch for in 2008
©Sony
The Next 'Superbad,' Streep and 'Star Trek'
©Warner Bros.
Heroes Top the List
©Columbia Pictures
10 More Flicks to Watch for in 2008
advertisement

7. "Pineapple Express"
Mark Your Calendar: Aug. 8
Stars: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Bill Hader, Gary Cole, Rosie Perez
The Story: Dale (Rogen) is a process server who buys a new type of marijuana called Pineapple Express from a drug dealer named Saul (Franco). They are forced to go on the run after they witness a murder committed by a corrupt cop (Perez) and a local gang leader (Cole).
The Lowdown: Already finished and beloved by test audiences, Sony Pictures is releasing this R-rated comedy from producer Judd Apatow and screenwriter Rogen on the same successful summer weekend as "Superbad."
Big Question Mark: Because of the questionable quality of the flicks that precede it in the spring ("Drillbit Taylor" and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall"), will this be the first Apatow movie not to have his name prominently displayed in the advertising?

6. "Mamma Mia!"
Mark Your Calendar: July 18
Stars: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, Julie Walters, Christine Baranski
The Story: A young bride invites three of her mother's ex-flames to her wedding in hopes of determining which one of them is her father.
The Lowdown: The original stage musical composed of the greatest hits of 1970s pop band ABBA has been extremely popular with audiences, but not so much with critics.
Big Question Mark: It's not whether Streep can sing (she can), but without tween sensation Zac Efron in tow, can it make more money than last summer's $118 million grossing "Hairspray"?

5. "Star Trek"
Mark Your Calendar: Dec. 25
Stars: Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana, Karl Urban, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin
The Story: Shrouded in secrecy, but rumor has it that, in order to correct the timeline, Spock (Nimoy) is forced to return to the days when he first met James T. Kirk and team up with his younger self (Quinto) to prevent Kirk and the starship Enterprise from being erased from history entirely.
The Lowdown: Director J.J. Abrams ("Lost") is hoping to relaunch the franchise by introducing a new cast and reimagining the look of the original 1960s show for today. By bringing back Nimoy and teaming him with Quinto, he's basically making a Spock buddy picture.
Big Question Mark: Can Abrams and Paramount convince anyone under the age of 40 that "Star Trek" is actually cool again?

Sound off: Comment on this story | Also: Features archive

Next: Heroes Top the List

 

 

advertisement