Summer is the time of the blockbuster but on Hollywood's calendar, autumn is the time to release possible Academy Award winners and movies with Oscar-caliber performances. Here's a preview of what to expect in the coming months.
"Swimfan"
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, here comes a crazy old flame. Jesse Bradford finds himself in the soup in this new teen thriller. Sept. 6.
"The Four Feathers"
Kate Hudson and Heath Ledger star in this latest adaptation of the novel by A.E.W. Mason. Ledger plays an officer who resigns his post when he learns of his regiment's plans to ship out to the Sudan for the conflict with the Mahdi. His friends and fiancee send him four white feathers to symbolize cowardice. Sept. 20.
"The Tuxedo"
Is it Jackie Chan who has all the fighting moves...or is it all because of a very special tuxedo? He's back in a movie where he gets to play secret agent with Jennifer Love Hewitt. Sept. 27.
"Red Dragon"
Edward Norton, who plays ex-FBI agent Will Graham, and Anthony Hopkins, as Hannibal Lecter, appear in a scene from "Red Dragon," the prequel to the "Silence of the Lambs." Oct. 4
"Jonah"
The Veggies (Annie, Laura Carrot, Junior Asparagus, Bob the Tomato and Archibald Asparagus) are forced off the road by an angry porcupine in "Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie." This is an animated retelling of the story of Jonah and the whale, but with talking vegetables. Oct. 4.
"White Oleander"
Alison Lohman and Michelle Pfeiffer star in a movie about a daughter and her mother, who is jailed for committing a crime of passion. Oct. 11.
"Swept Away"
Madonna plays a spoiled rich woman who learns a thing or two from deckhand Adriano Giannini when they are marooned together on an island. Guy Ritchie, Madonna's husband, directed this one. Oct. 11.
"Frida"
Salma Hayek plays the lead in this movie about the tumultuous life and career of artist Frida Kahlo. Oct. 25.
"The Santa Clause 2"
In this sequel, Tim Allen plays the jolly old elf again and this time around, he finds that he needs a jolly old wife. Nov. 1.
"I Spy"
Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson star in this big-screen adaptation of the '60s series that made Bill Cosby a TV star. (His costar was Robert Culp.) Nov. 1.
"Chamber of Secrets"
Actor Daniel Radcliff in a scene from "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." Nov. 15.
"Eight Crazy Nights"
In "Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights," an animated feature, Sandler provides the voices for several characters, including Whitey Duvall, left, and Davey Stone, who finds himself in trouble with the law after his wild ways go too far. Nov. 27.
"Analyze That"
Billy Crystal and Robert De Niro are back as a psychiatrist and the mob boss who needs him. These characters were originally introduced in the hit "Analyze This." In the sequel, De Niro is released into Crystal's custody. Dec. 6.
"Star Trek: Nemesis"
Actor Patrick Stewart portrays Captain Jean-Luc Picard. The Romulans want peace. Picard's crew is dispatched to Romulus for the unexpected peace mission. Instead, they are thrust into the middle of a plot that could lead to the destruction of Earth at the hands of a chilling nemesis. Dec. 13.
"Two Weeks Notice"
Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock team up for a romantic comedy in which Bullock plays an attorney and Grant, her client. Somewhere along the line, they learn whether or not it's even too late to say "I love you." Dec. 20.
"The Two Towers"
Billy Boyd as Pippin, left, and Dominic Monaghan as Merry appear in a scene from "The Lord Of the Rings: The Two Towers." The movie follows the continuing quest of Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship that has joined together to destroy the One Ring and stand against the evil of the dark lord Sauron. Dec. 25.
"Gangs of New York"
Leonardo DiCaprio appears in a scene from Martin Scorsese's period mob movie "Gangs of New York," Set in New York City, 1840-1863, a young man named Amsterdam (Leonardo DiCaprio) seeks vengeance against Bill "The Butcher" Poole (Daniel Day-Lewis), the man who killed his father. Dec. 25.
"Pinocchio"
Written by, directed by, and starring Roberto Benigni, this is the classic story of a wooden puppet come to life and his quest to become a real boy. Despite guidance from the beautiful Blue Fairy (Nicoletta Braschi) and the love of his father, Gepetto (Carlo Guiffre), Pinocchio's curious spirit leads him into one wild adventure after another. Dec. 25.