Step Brothers (2008)

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby co-stars Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly re-team with that film's director, Adam McKay, to tell the tale of two pampered best friends whose single parents fall in love and decide to marry. McKay and Ferrell share screenwriting credits, and Judd Apatow and Jimmy Miller produce.

Overview

Director : Adam McKay

Writers (WGA) : Will Ferrell (screenplay) and Adam McKay (screenplay)

Release Date : 25 July 2008 (USA)

Genre : Comedy

Tagline:

They grow up so fast.

The Dark Knight (2008)

in Christopher Nolan steps back into the director's chair for this sequel to Batman Begins, which finds the titular superhero coming face to face with his greatest nemesis -- the dreaded Joker. Christian Bale returns to the role of Batman, Maggie Gyllenhaal takes over the role of Rachel Dawes (played by Katie Holmes in Batman Begins), and Brokeback Mountain star Heath Ledger dons the ghoulishly gleeful Joker makeup previously worn by Jack Nicholson and Cesar Romero. Just as it begins to appear as if Batman, Lt. James Gordon (Gary Oldman), and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) are making headway in their tireless battle against the criminal element, a maniacal, wisecracking fiend plunges the streets of Gotham City into complete chaos.

Overview

Director : Christopher Nolan

Writers (WGA) : Jonathan Nolan (screenplay) and Christopher Nolan (screenplay)

Release Date : 18 July 2008 (Indonesia)

Genre : Action / Crime / Drama / Mystery / Thriller

Tagline:

Why So Serious?

Mamma Mia! (2008)

Longing to discover the identity of her true father before she exchanges her wedding vows, the daughter of a once-rebellious single mother secretly invites a trio of paternal candidates to her upcoming wedding in this feature adaptation of the beloved stage musical. Independent-minded single mother Donna (Meryl Streep) has always done her best to raise her spirited daughter, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), while simultaneously running a successful hotel on a small Greek island, but now the time has come for this hardworking mom to finally let go. In just a few days, Sophie will be married, and Donna will stand by bittersweetly as her little girl takes flight. Of course, Donna's lifelong friends Rosie (Julie Walters) and Tanya (Christine Baranski) will both be present at the wedding, but unbeknownst to the mother, Sophie has furtively invited three very special guests of her own. When Sophie walks down the aisle on that fateful day, she wants her father to hand her off. The only problem is that Donna has never revealed the true identity of Sophie's father, leaving the resourceful future bride to narrow the list down to three potential candidates. Now, as three key figures from Donna's past return to the picturesque Mediterranean shores they all walked 20 years prior, one beautiful bride will discover the secret of her past while one lonely mother finds out that it's never too late for a little romance. Phyllida Lloyd, director of both the original London sensation as well as the hit Broadway incarnation, makes her feature directorial debut with this big-screen version of the beloved musical featuring 22 classic ABBA hits. Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, and Dominic Cooper co-star.

Overview

Director : Phyllida Lloyd

Writer : Catherine Johnson (writer)

Release Date : 18 July 2008 (USA)

Genre : Comedy / Musical / Romance

Tagline:

Take a trip down the aisle you'll never forget

Journey To The Center Of The Earth (2008)

During a scientific expedition in Iceland, visionary scientist Trevor Anderson (Brendan Fraser), his nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson) and their beautiful local guide, Hannah (Anita Briem), are unexpectedly trapped in a cave from which their only escape is to go deeper and deeper into the depths of the Earth. Traveling through never-before-seen worlds, the trio comes face-to-face with surreal and unimaginable creatures—including man-eating plants, giant flying piranha, glow birds and terrifying dinosaurs from days past. The adventurers soon realize that as volcanic activity increases around them, they must find a way back to the Earth’s surface before it is too late.

Overview

Director : Eric Brevig

Writers (WGA) : Michael Weiss (screenplay), Michael D. Weiss (screenplay)

Release Date : 11 July 2008 (USA)

Genre : Action / Adventure / Family / Fantasy / Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Same Planet. Different World.

Hellboy 2 : The Golden Army (2008)

Ron Perlman returns to the role of the big red BPRD agent in this sequel to 2004's Hellboy, directed once again by Guillermo del Toro and scripted as before in collaboration with original Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. For centuries, an ancient truce has kept the naïve citizens of the human race safe from the horrors of the invisible realm -- but that's all about to change, and fast. A ruthless leader has emerged in the invisible realm, a tyrant just as comfortable walking the surface realm as he is living in the land of fantasy. When this power-mad ruler defies his bloodline to assemble an unstoppable army of fantastical creatures that he will use to wage a supernatural war on humanity, it begins to appear that humankind's days are numbered. But Hellboy (Perlman) isn't about to stand idly by as the planet is purged by a demonic despot, and with a little help from his team at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, he may just be able to send our otherworldly overlords packing. Of course, Hellboy's pyrokinetic girlfriend, Liz (Selma Blair), is always willing to conjure up an inferno or two when things get desperate, aquatic Abe (Doug Jones) is prepared to dive headlong into any battle, and protoplasmic mystic Johann (voice of Thomas Kretschmann) proves an invaluable companion in times of inter-dimensional conflict. Now, as the creatures who inhabit the spiritual realm gear up for an all-out attack on the human plane, the only one capable of saving the Earth is a tough-talking hellspawn rejected by both worlds.

Overview

Director : Guillermo del Toro

Writers (WGA) : Guillermo del Toro (screenplay & story)

Release Date : 11 July 2008 (USA)

Genre : Action / Adventure / Comedy / Drama / Fantasy / Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Saving the world is a hell of a job

Kit Kittredge : An American Girl (2008)

Producer Julia Roberts brings the American Girl brand to the big screen for the very first time with this inspirational tale concerning a nine-year-old girl named Kit Kittredge (Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin) growing up during the Great Depression. Though the American Girls have previously appeared the small screen in Samantha: An American Girl Holiday, Felicity: An American Girl Adventure, and Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front, Kit's adventure marks the very first major theatrical endeavor for the characters created by author Valerie Tripp.

Overview

Director : Patricia Rozema

Writers (WGA): Ann Peacock (written by), Valerie Tripp (Kit Kittredge stories)

Release Date : 2 July 2008 (USA)

Genre : Comedy / Drama / Mysteri

Diminished Capacity (2008)

Author Sherwood Kiraly pens the screenplay adaptation of his own comedic novel concerning a man (Matthew Broderick) who gets amnesia after suffering a blow to the head and the road trip he embarks on with his Alzheimer’s-afflicted uncle (Alan Alda) and high-school sweetheart (Virginia Madsen). Convinced that they will make a fortune by selling an ultra-rare baseball card at a high-profile memorabilia show, the trio sets out on the open road in search of adventure. Bobby Cannavale and Lois Smith co-star in the feature directorial debut of actor-turned-director Terry Kinney.

Overview

Director : Terry Kinney

Writers : Doug Bost (additional written material), Sherwood Kiraly (writer)

Release Date : 4 July 2008 (USA)

Genre : Comedy

Tagline:

Sometimes what you lose is not as important as what you find.

You Don't Mess With The Zohan (2008)

A top Israeli commando named Zohan (Adam Sandler) fakes his own death in order to pursue his dream: becoming a hairstylist in New York. Though he wants to put his life of counter-terrorism behind him, he quickly finds that it is not so easy to escape one's roots. As enemies old and new try to take him out, they will all come to learn the same thing: you don't mess with the Zohan.

Overview

Director : Dennis Dugan

Writers (WGA) : Adam Sandler (written by) & Robert Smigel (written by)

Release Date : 6 June 2008 (USA)

Genre : Action / Comedy

Tagline:

Lather. Rinse. Save the world.

The Ruins (2008)

Based on the novel by A Simple Plan author Scott Smith, director Carter B. Smith's Yucatan-set thriller follows four American tourists as they unwisely venture off the beaten path while vacationing in Cancun. When a friendly German tourist implores the Americans to help search the jungle for his missing brother, the group becomes hopelessly trapped in a nightmare scenario that seems too strange to be true. Jonathan Tucker, Laura Ramsey, Jena Malone, and Shawn Ashmore star.

Overview

Director : Carter Smith

Writers (WGA) : Scott B. Smith (screenplay & novel)

Release Date : 4 April 2008 (USA)

Genre : Horror / Thriller

Tagline:

Terror has evolved.