All Dressed Up and Ready to Play

WEDNESDAY

UNFAITHFUL

Dramatic thriller Fox

With: Diane Lane, Richard Gere, Olivier Martinez.

The idea: What happens when one partner in a perfect marriage succumbs to temptation?

Writers: Alvin Sargent and William Broyles Jr.; loosely based on the film “La Femme Infidel,” written by Claude Chabrol.

Director: Adrian Lyne.

So? Lyne is a master at exploring love and betrayal.

FRIDAY

THE LADY AND THE DUKE

Drama Sony Pictures Classics

With: Lucy Russell, Jean-Claude Dreyfus, Francois Marthouret.

The idea: Use digitally inserted paintings of 18th century scenery to create a period picture.

Writer-director: Eric Rohmer, based on Grace Elliott memoir.

So? Arresting imagery from French auteur.

LAGAAN: ONCE UPON

A TIME IN INDIA

Musical drama Sony Pictures Classics

With: Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley, Paul Blackthorne.

The idea: Villagers versus colonists in a cricket match.

Writer-director: Ashutosh Gowariker.

So? Hooray for Bollywood.

THE NEW GUY

Comedy Columbia/Revolution

With: DJ Qualls, Eliza Dushku, Zooey Deschanel, Lyle Lovett, Eddie Griffin.

The idea: Geek-to-chic scheme backfires.

Writer: David Kendall.

Director: Ed Decter.

So? It all works out.

MAY 16

STAR WARS: EPISODE II

ATTACK OF THE CLONES

Sci-fi adventure Fox

With: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Jimmy Smits.

The idea: The boy who would be Darth falls in love.

Writers: George Lucas, Jonathan Hales.

Director: George Lucas.

So? Better than the last.

MAY 17

ABOUT A BOY

Comedy-drama Universal

With: Hugh Grant, Toni Collette, Rachel Weisz, Nicholas Hoult.

The idea: Rich London do-nothing bachelor and quirky preteen become friends, redeeming both.

Writers: Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz, based on Nick Hornby book.

Directors: Paul Weitz, Chris Weitz.

So? Will Weitzes + Hornby = “Pie Fidelity”?

THE BELIEVER

Drama IDP/Fireworks Pictures

With: Ryan Gosling, Summer Phoenix, Theresa Russell, Billy Zane.

The idea: A Jewish skinhead.

Writer-director: Henry Bean.

So? So scary, studios balked.

LES DESTINEES

Drama Wellspring

With: Emmanuelle Beart, Charles Berling, Isabelle Huppert.

The idea: The love of a minister and a young woman is tested by social, historical forces.

Writers: Olivier Assayas, Jacques Fieschi, based on Jacques Chardonne novel.

Director: Olivier Assayas.

So? Impressive but, at three hours, daunting.

THE MYSTIC MASSEUR

Drama ThinkFilm

With: Om Puri, James Fox, Aasif Mandvi, Jimi Mistry.

The idea: Young author in Trinidad’s Indian community discovers talents as a healer.

Writer: Caryl Phillips, based on V.S. Naipaul novel.

Director: Ismail Merchant.

So? Effective if somewhat superficial adaptation.

MAY 22

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

Comedy Miramax

With: Rupert Everett, Judi Dench, Reese Witherspoon, Colin Firth, Frances O’Connor.

The idea: Cast a bunch of swells in a new screen version of Oscar Wilde’s witty play.

Writer-director: Oliver Parker, based on the play.

So? Witherspoon holds her own.

MAY 24

CQ

Drama United Artists

With: Jeremy Davies, Angela Lindvall, Elodie Bouchez, Massimo Ghini, Jason Schwartzman.

The idea: Make an English-language, European-financed movie in France and Italy that wryly references classic European movies.

Writer-director: Roman Coppola.

So? You’ll either like it a lot or won’t much care.

ENOUGH

Thriller Columbia

With: Jennifer Lopez, Billy Campbell, Juliette Lewis, Dan Futterman, Noah Wyle.

The idea: Philandering brute who seduces a woman into marrying him lives to regret it.

Writer: Nicholas Kazan.

Director: Michael Apted.

So? Troublingly appealing.

INSOMNIA

Thriller Warner Bros.

With: Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank, Maura Tierney.

The idea: Sleep-deprived L.A. detective tracks coy killer in Alaska.

Writer: Hillary Seitz, based on Norwegian film written by Nikolaj Frobenius and Erik Skjoldbjaerg.

Director: Christopher Nolan.

So? Can Nolan make this as memorable as “Memento”?

JOSHUA

Drama Artisan

With: Tony Goldwyn, F. Murray Abraham, Giancarlo Giannini.

The idea: Stranger has uncanny effect on small town.

Writers: Brad Mirman and Keith Giglio; based on the first novel in Joseph Girzone’s series.

Director: Jon Purdy.

So? Spiritual confusion.

SPIRIT: STALLION

OF THE CIMARRON

Animated western DreamWorks

With: Voices by Matt Damon, James Cromwell, Daniel Studi.

The idea: Wild horse’s spirit can’t be tamed; songs by Bryan Adams.

Writer: John Fusco.

Directors: Kelly Asbury, Lorna Cook.

So? Amazing sequences.

13 CONVERSATIONS

ABOUT ONE THING

Drama Sony Pictures Classics

With: Alan Arkin, Matthew McConaughey, John Turturro, Clea Duvall, Amy Irving.

The idea: Five interwoven stories about characters’ mutual impact.

Writer: Jill Sprecher, Karen Sprecher.

Director: Jill Sprecher.

So? The “thing” is happiness.

MAY 29

ELLING

Comedy First Look

With: Per Christian Ellefsen, Sven Nordin.

The idea: Sheltered middle-aged man copes with the prospect of stepping into society.

Writer: Axel Hellstenius, based on Ingvar Ambjornsen novel.

Director: Petter Naess.

So? A foreign-language Oscar nominee.

MAY 31

BARTLEBY

Comedy Outrider

With: Crispin Glover, David Paymer, Glenne Headly, Seymour Cassel, Joe Piscopo.

The idea: A lowly public records clerk’s favorite refrain becomes “I would prefer not to.”

Writers: Jonathan Parker, Catherine DiNapoli; loosely based on Herman Melville’s story “Bartleby, the Scrivener.”

Writer-director: Jonathan Parker.

So? Glover could become a cult fave for holders of dead-end jobs.

UNDERCOVER BROTHER

Action-comedy Universal

With: Eddie Griffin, Chris Kattan, Denise Richards, Dave Chappelle.

The idea: Private eye with ‘70s sensibility scraps Afro, goes preppy to infiltrate conglomerate.

Writers: John Ridley, Michael McCullers; based on Ridley’s Internet series.

Director: Malcolm D. Lee.

So? Promising source material.

THE SUM OF ALL FEARS

Thriller Paramount

With: Ben Affleck, Morgan Freeman, James Cromwell, Liev Schreiber.

The Idea: CIA analyst discerns a conspiracy to start World War III.

Writers: Paul Attanasio, Daniel Pyne; based on Tom Clancy novel.

Director: Phil Alden Robinson.

So? That it’s disturbing has nothing to do with Affleck.

ALSO IN MAY

ESPN’s Ultimate X (Friday, documentary, Touchstone), extreme sports, extremely large, directed by Bruce Hendricks ... Some Body (May 17, drama, Lot 47), director Henry Barrial’s digitally shot tale about a bar- and bed-hopping schoolteacher played by Stephanie Bennett, who co-wrote with Barrial ... Late Marriage (May 22, comedy-drama, Magnolia), much-honored Israeli movie about a young man whose family tries to thwart his relationship with a divorcee ... Home Movie (May 24, documentary, Cowboy Pictures), director Chris Smith visits five unusual homes, from a Hawaiian treehouse to a Midwest missile silo ... Warm Water Under a Red Bridge (May 31, comedy, Cowboy Pictures), surreal gangsters and a woman with supernatural sexual powers figure in Shohei Imamura’s latest.

JUNE 7

BAD COMPANY

Action-thriller Touchstone

With: Anthony Hopkins, Chris Rock, Gabriel Macht, Peter Stormare, John Slattery.

The idea: Veteran CIA agent has nine days to train wisecracker to replace his murdered twin.

Writers: Jason Richman, Michael Browning; story by Gary Goodman, David Himmelstein.

Director: Joel Schumacher.

So? Familiar but diverting.

CHERISH

Thriller Fine Line

With: Robin Tunney, Tim Blake Nelson, Brad Hunt, Liz Phair, Jason Priestley.

The idea: Wrongly convicted woman falls for parole officer.

Writer-director: Finn Taylor.

So? Alt-rocker Phair makes movie acting debut.

DIVINE SECRETS

OF THE YA-YA SISTERHOOD

Comedy-drama Warner Bros.

With: Ellen Burstyn, Ashley Judd, Sandra Bullock, James Garner, Maggie Smith.

The idea: Lifelong Southern friends stage unorthodox intervention for a wayward daughter.

Writers: Callie Khouri, adaptation by Mark Andrus from popular Rebecca Wells novels.

Director: Callie Khouri.

So? The women are engaging, and James Garner is sympathetically fatherly.

JUNE 14

THE BOURNE IDENTITY

Thriller Universal

With: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen.

The idea: Talented amnesiac dodges pursuers.

Writers: Tony Gilroy, William Blake Herron; based on first of Robert Ludlum’s “Bourne” trilogy.

Director: Doug Liman.

So? Strange bedfellows.

THE DANGEROUS LIVES

OF ALTAR BOYS

Drama Thinkfilm

With: Kieran Culkin, Emile Hirsch, Jena Malone, Jodie Foster, Vincent D’Onofrio.

The idea: Catholic schoolboys get into extreme mischief.

Writers: Jeff Stockwell, Michael Petroni; based on Chris Fuhrman book.

Director: Peter Care.

So? The boys regard Foster’s character as Nunzilla.

THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES

Comedy Paramount Classics

With: Ian Holm, Iben Hjejle, Tim McInnerny.

The idea: A bogus Bonaparte complicates a plot to restore Napoleon to power.

Writers: Kevin Molony, Alan Taylor, Herbie Wave; based on Simon Leys’ novel.

Director: Alan Taylor.

So? Dane Hjejle charmed in “Mifune,” “High Fidelity.”

LOVE AND A BULLET

Action-comedy Screen Gems

With: Treach, Kent Masters-King, Shireen Crutchfield.

The idea: Coldblooded hit man discovers conscience.

Writer-directors: Ben Ramsey, Kantz.

So? Attractive redemption.

SCOOBY-DOO

Comedy Warner Bros.

With: Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, Linda Cardellini, Rowan Atkinson.

The idea: Mystery Inc. reunites to investigate paranormal activity.

Writer: James Gunn; story by Craig Titley and Gunn, based on Hanna-Barbera characters.

Director: Raja Gosnell.

So? Ruff ru rall (translation: tough to call).

WINDTALKERS

Drama MGM

With: Nicolas Cage, Adam Beach, Peter Stormare, Noah Emmerich.

The idea: World War II Marine must protect a Navajo “code talker”--and above all, the code--in the heat of Pacific war.

Writers: John Rice, Joe Batteer.

Director: John Woo.

So? Explicit, affecting.

JUNE 21

THE FAST RUNNER (ATANARJUAT)

Drama Lot 47

With: Natar Ungalaaq, Sylvia Ivalu, Peter Henry Arnatsiaq.

The idea: Love, tradition and revenge propel a rich Inuit tale.

Writer: Paul Apak Angilirq.

Director: Zacharias Kunuk.

So? Acclaimed film is first feature in Inuit language.

JUWANNA MANN

Comedy Warner Bros.

With: Miguel A. Nunez Jr., Vivica A. Fox, Kevin Pollak, Tommy Davidson, Ginuwine.

The idea: Expelled basketball player returns as a female all-star.

Writer: Bradley Allenstein.

Director: Jesse Vaughan.

So? Athletic drag.

THE KID STAYS IN THE PICTURE

Documentary USA Films

With: Robert Evans.

The idea: Riches-to-rags portrait of movie producer.

Writer: Brett Morgen, based on Evans’ book.

Directors: Brett Morgen and Nanette Burstein.

So? A larger-than-life figure who’s not the least bit modest.

LILO & STITCH

Animation Disney

With: Voices by Christopher Michael Sanders, Daveigh Chase, Tia Carrere, Ving Rhames, David Ogden Stiers.

The idea: Lonely Hawaiian girl adopts ugly “dog” (actually an escaped alien genetic experiment).

Writer: Chris Sanders.

Directors: Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois.

So? Cuddly, with bite.

MINORITY REPORT

Science-fiction Fox/DreamWorks

With: Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, Max von Sydow.

The idea: In 2054, a psychic police unit arrests killers before they act.

Writers: Scott Frank and Jon Cohen; based on Philip K. Dick story.

Director: Steven Spielberg.

So? Potent package.

SUNSHINE STATE

Comedy-drama Sony Pictures Classics

With: Edie Falco, Angela Bassett, Ralph Waite, Jane Alexander, Timothy Hutton.

The idea: Two Florida women struggle for independence.

Writer-director: John Sayles.

So? Sayles rarely disappoints.

JUNE 28

HEY ARNOLD! THE MOVIE

Animation Paramount

With: Voices by Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Lloyd, Paul Sorvino.

The idea: Arnold and friends try to stop a developer’s mall-feasance.

Writers Craig Bartlett and Steve Viksten.

Director: Tuck Tucker.

So? Nickelodeon’s TV-to-movies record is good.

LOVELY & AMAZING

Drama Lions Gate

With: Catherine Keener, Brenda Blethyn, Emily Mortimer.

The idea: Matriarch and daughters navigate neuroses.

Writer-director: Nicole Holofcener.

So? Fascinating femininity.

MR. DEEDS

Comedy Columbia

With: Adam Sandler, Winona Ryder, Peter Gallagher, John Turturro.

The idea: Pizza-making poet inherits a media empire.

Writer: Tim Herlihy; based on the short story “Opera Hat” by Clarence Budington Kelland and the film “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town,” written by Robert Riskind.

Director: Steven Brill.

So? Silly business.

PUMPKIN

Comedy United Artists

With: Christina Ricci, Hank Harris, Brenda Blethyn, Dominique Swain.

The idea: Unlikely love blossoms when sorority girl coaches mentally challenged athlete.

Writer: Adam Larson Broder.

Director: Adam Larson Broder and Tony R. Abrams.

So? Tricky.

ALSO IN JUNE

Cinema Paradiso (June 7, drama, Miramax), director Giuseppe Tornatore’s three-hour cut ... Code Unknown (June 7, drama, Leisure Time), Juliette Binoche heads the cast of writer-director Michael Haneke’s Paris story ... Ivansxtc (June 7, drama, Artistic License), director Bernard Rose’s digital video retelling of Tolstoy’s “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” is notable mostly for Danny Huston’s performance as a Hollywood high-flier ... The Next Big Thing (June 14, comedy, Castle Hill), an artist hits the big time with the help of a swindler ... Ram Dass: Fierce Grace (June 21, documentary, Zeitgeist), Mickey Lemle’s profile of the guru of expanded consciousness ... Dahmer: The Mind Is a Place of Its Own (June 28, suspense, Peninsula), is writer-director David Jacobson’s dramatic exploration of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer ... Notorious C.H.O. (June 28, comedy, Wellspring), document of Margaret Cho’s November 2001 concert in Seattle.

JULY 3

LIKE MIKE

Comedy Fox

With: Lil’ Bow Wow, Morris Chestnut, Jonathan Lipnicki, Crispin Glover, Eugene Levy.

The idea: Old sneakers transform squirt into basketball phenom.

Writers: Michael Elliot, Jordan Moffet; story by Michael Elliot.

Director: John Schultz.

So? Cameos by NBA stars give it hoops cred.

MEN IN BLACK II

Sci-fi comedy Columbia

With: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Lara Flynn Boyle, Tony Shalhoub.

The idea: Anti-alien agent must coax his old partner out of retirement to defeat an evil Kylothian.

Writers: Robert Gordon, Barry Fanaro; story by Gordon; based on Malibu Comic by Lowell Cunningham.

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld.

So? Aliens, gadgets, gags aplenty.

THE POWERPUFF GIRLS MOVIE

Animation Warner Bros.

With: Voices by Tara Strong, Catherine Cavadini, E.G. Daily.

The idea: Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup versus Mojo Jojo, the evil mutant monkey.

Writers: Don Shank, Charlie Bean, Lauren Faust, Paul Rudish, Craig McCracken.

Director: Craig McCracken.

So? Girls save the world before bedtime.

JULY 5

ME WITHOUT YOU

Drama IDP/Fireworks/Samuel Goldwyn

With: Anna Friel, Michelle Williams, Oliver Milburn, Trudie Styler, Kyle MacLachlan.

The idea: Examines the sometimes troubled friendship between two girls in 1970s London.

Writer-director: Sandra Goldbacher.

So? Sensitive, genuine.

JULY 12

BLUE CRUSH

Adventure Universal

With: Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodriguez, Matthew Davis.

The idea: Avid surfer worries about wiping out when she falls for a pro quarterback.

Writers: Elizabeth Weiss, John Stockwell, Kario Salem.

Director: John Stockwell.

So? Women surfin’ USA.

THE CROCODILE HUNTER:

COLLISION COURSE

Adventure-comedy MGM

With: Steve Irwin, Terri Irwin, Magda Szubanski.

The idea: The Aussie’s new capture has also attracted the attention of secret agents.

Writers: Holly Goldberg-Sloan, John Stainton.

Director: John Stainton.

So? Can a popular Animal Planet show migrate to the big screen?

EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS

Science-fiction Warner Bros.

With: David Arquette, Kari Wuhrer, Scott Terra, Doug E. Doug.

The idea: Chemical spill in a mining town enlarges local spiders.

Writers: Jesse Alexander, Ellory Elkayem; story by Elkayem and Randy Kornfield.

Director: Ellory Elkayem.

So? Looks like fun.

GANGSTER NO. 1

Drama-action IFC Films

With: Malcolm McDowell, Paul Bettany, Saffron Burrows, David Thewlis.

The idea: Battle of wills in late ‘60s London underworld.

Writers: Johnny Ferguson, Louis Mellis, David Scinto.

Director: Paul McGuigan.

So? Relentless, ruthless.

MY WIFE IS AN ACTRESS

Romantic comedy Sony Pictures Classics

With: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Yvan Attal, Terence Stamp, Noemie Lvovsky, Laurent Bateau.

The idea: Doubts creep into the marriage of a sportswriter and a movie star.

Writer-director: Yvan Attal.

So? Sophomore effort for longtime actor Attal.

NEVER AGAIN

Comedy-drama USA Films

With: Jeffrey Tambor, Jill Clayburgh, Caroline Aaron, Sandy Duncan.

The idea: Fiftysomething heterosexuals meet in a gay bar.

Writer-director: Eric Schaeffer.

So? Go figure.

REIGN OF FIRE

Action/adventure Touchstone

With: Matthew McConaughey, Christian Bale, Izabella Scorupco, Gerard Bale.

The idea: Dragons rule and humans are nearly extinct on post-apocalyptic Earth.

Writers: Matt Greenberg and Terry Hayes; story by Gregg Chabot and Kevin Paterka.

Director: Rob Bowman.

So? Flying, fire-breathing dragons. Bio-logical? Who cares?

ROAD TO PERDITION

Drama DreamWorks

With: Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Stanley Tucci, Tyler Hoechlin, Liam Aiken.

The idea: Depression-era hit man bent on revenge.

Writer: David Self; based on graphic novel written by Max Allen Collins, illustrated by Richard Piers Rayner.

Director: Sam Mendes.

So? Family ties, Mendes-style.

JULY 19

K-19: THE WIDOWMAKER

Action Paramount

With: Harrison Ford, Liam Neeson, Peter Sarsgaard, Joss Ackland.

The idea: Russian nuclear submarine commander faces crisis.

Writer: Christopher Kyle; story by Louis Nowra.

Director: Kathryn Bigelow.

So? Accomplished action director, accomplished action cast.

STUART LITTLE 2

Comedy Columbia

With: Geena Davis, Hugh Laurie, Jonathan Lipnicki; voices by Michael J. Fox, Nathan Lane.

The idea: Stuart and Snowbell try to rescue Margalo the bird from an evil falcon.

Writer: Bruce Joel Rubin; story by Rubin, Douglas Wick; based on characters created by E.B. White.

Director: Rob Minkoff.

So? Twice as nice.

TADPOLE

Comedy Miramax

With: Aaron Stanford, Sigourney Weaver, John Ritter, Bebe Neuwirth.

The idea: Teen is attracted to his stepmother and her friend too.

Writers: Heather McGowan, Niels Mueller.

Director: Gary Winick.

So? Delicate situation requires deft handling.

24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE

Drama United Artists

With: Steve Coogan, Paddy Considine, Danny Cunningham, Sean Harris.

The idea: Manchester, England, explodes with musical energy in the late ‘70s.

Writer: Frank Cottrell Boyce.

Director: Michael Winterbottom.

So? Covers a lot of musical ground, from punk to rave.

JULY 26

AUSTIN POWERS IN GOLDMEMBER

Comedy New Line

With: Mike Myers, Michael Caine, Beyonce Knowles, Michael York.

The idea: The man of mystery travels through time in pursuit of Dr. Evil and Goldmember.

Writers: Mike Myers, Michael McCullers; based on characters created by Myers.

Director: Jay Roach.

So? The swingin’ ‘70s, baby.

HAPPY TIMES

Comedy-drama Sony Pictures Classics

With: Zhao Benshan, Dong Jie, Dong Lihua.

The idea: Desperate, aging bachelor poses as a wealthy hotel manager.

Writer: Gui Zi.

Director: Zhang Yimou.

So? Deliciously bittersweet.

ALSO IN JULY

Girls Can’t Swim (July 19, drama, Wellspring), French teenage girls endure adolescent turmoil. Directed by Anne-Sophie Birot ... Halloween: Resurrection (July 19, thriller, Dimension), the relentlessly immortal Michael Myers returns ... The Cockettes (July 26, documentary, Strand), directors Bill Weber, David Weissman chronicle outrageous 1970s San Francisco drag troupe ... The Country Bears (July 26, comedy, Disney), inspired by Disneyland’s shuttered Country Bear Jamboree attraction ... The Billabong Odyssey (TBA, documentary, IFC Films), director Philip Boston follows the world’s best surfers to the world’s biggest waves.

AUG. 2

FULL FRONTAL

Comedy Miramax

With: David Duchovny, Nicky Katt, Catherine Keener, Mary McCormack, David Hyde Pierce, Julia Roberts, Blair Underwood.

The idea: He loves her and she loves him and he loves somebody else, you just can’t win....

Writer: Coleman Hough, based on her play.

Director: Steven Soderbergh.

So? Soderbergh directs an all-star ensemble in complex story.

IGBY GOES DOWN

Drama-comedy United Artists

With: Kieran Culkin, Claire Danes, Jeff Goldblum, Jared Harris.

The idea: Rebellious teen flees dysfunctional, privileged family for New York oddballs.

Writer-director: Burr Steers.

So? Kieran (younger brother of Macaulay) Culkin’s second eccentric outing this summer (after “Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys”).

SIGNS

Thriller Touchstone

With: Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Cherry Jones, Rory Culkin.

The idea: Farmer Mel finds odd formations in his cornfields.

Writer-director: M. Night Shyamalan.

So? Spooky (probably less so than “The Sixth Sense” but much more so than “Unbreakable”).

XXX

Action Columbia/Revolution

With: Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson, Marton Csokas, Asia Argento.

The idea: Former extreme sports star takes his skills undercover.

Writer: Rich Wilkes.

Director: Rob Cohen.

So? Turbocharged Vin.

AUG. 7

THE GOOD GIRL

Thriller Fox Searchlight

With: Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal, John C. Reilly, Tim Blake Nelson, Zooey Deschanel.

The idea: Woman cheats on pothead hubby, falls into web of obsession, blackmail.

Writer: Mike White.

Director: Miguel Arteta.

So? Intriguing, from writer and director of “Chuck & Buck.”

SPY KIDS 2: THE ISLAND

OF LOST DREAMS

Adventure Dimension

With: Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Steve Buscemi, Cheech Marin, Alan Cumming.

The idea: The Cortezes face rival spy kids, a wacky genetic scientist and his creatures.

Writer-director: Robert Rodriguez.

So? No reason to think this one won’t be as much fun as the last.

AUG. 9

BIGGIE AND TUPAC

Documentary Lions Gate

With: Biggie Smalls, Tupac Shakur.

The idea: The lives and times of the two slain rappers.

Director: Nick Broomfield.

So? East Coast versus West Coast, R.I.P.

BLOOD WORK

Thriller Warner Bros.

With: Clint Eastwood, Jeff Daniels, Wanda De Jesus, Anjelica Huston.

The idea: FBI profiler comes out of retirement to track a killer.

Writer: Brian Helgeland; based on Michael Connelly’s novel.

Director: Clint Eastwood.

So? Eastwood in his element.

SKINS

Drama First Look

With: Graham Greene, Eric Schweig.

The idea: Native American brothers cope with the past, attempt to redeem their futures.

Writer: Jennifer Lyne; based on the novel by Adrian C. Louis.

Director: Chris Eyre.

So? This earned Eyre (“Smoke Signals”) a return to Sundance.

SWIMFAN

Thriller Fox

With: Jesse Bradford, Erika Christensen, Shiri Appleby, Dan Hedaya.

The idea: High school swim star’s fling turns obsessive.

Writers: Charlie Bohl, Philip Schneider.

Director: John Polson.

So? “Fatal Attraction” with zits.

AUG. 16

THE ADVENTURES OF PLUTO NASH

Action-comedy Warner Bros./Castle Rock

With: Eddie Murphy, Randy Quaid, Rosario Dawson, Joe Pantoliano, Jay Mohr.

The idea: Lunar nightclub owner gets in trouble with the mob.

Writer: Neil Cuthbert.

Director: Ron Underwood.

So? Unusually long shelf life for an Eddie Murphy movie.

LITTLE SECRETS

Drama IDP/Samuel Goldwyn

With: Evan Rachel Wood, Michael Angarano, David Gallagher, Vivica A. Fox.

The idea: Guilt-nagged peers entrust preteen with secrets.

Writer: Jessica Barondes.

Director: Blair Treu.

So? Kid stars from “Once and Again,” “Will & Grace,” “7th Heaven” give big screen a shot.

MASTER OF DISGUISE

Comedy Columbia/Revolution

With: Dana Carvey, Jennifer Esposito, Harold Gould, James Brolin.

The idea: Italian waiter inherits gift for mimicry, pitting him against a criminal mastermind.

Writers: Dana Carvey and Harris Goldberg.

Director: Perry Andelin Blake.

So? Costumes look pretty wild.

MOSTLY MARTHA

Comedy Paramount Classics

With: Martina Gedeck, Sergio Castellitto, Maxime Foerste.

The idea: An obsessive European chef’s life is upended by arrival of 8-year-old niece.

Writer-director: Sandra Nettelbeck.

So? Foreign films built around food often fare well.

SERVING SARA

Comedy Paramount

With: Matthew Perry, Elizabeth Hurley, Bruce Campbell, Amy Adams.

The idea: Process server weighs an enticing offer from his beautiful target.

Writers: Jay Scherick, David Ronn.

Director: Reginald Hudlin.

So? Hurley-burly over Liz’s baby adds spice to mix.

SIMONE

Drama New Line

With: Al Pacino, Catherine Keener, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Jason Schwartzman.

The idea: The success of a synthetic actress leads to problems for the director who created her.

Writer-director: Andrew Niccol.

So? Cerebral, cynical pedigree.

THE TUXEDO

Action-comedy DreamWorks

With: Jackie Chan, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jason Isaacs, Debi Mazar, Peter Stormare.

The idea: Chauffeur to a playboy discovers that the suit really does make the man.

Writers: Michael Wilson, Michael Leeson; story by Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi, Michael Wilson.

Director: Kevin Donovan.

So? Curious star pairing.

AUG. 21

ONE HOUR PHOTO

Drama Fox Searchlight

With: Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan, Gary Cole, Eriq La Salle.

The idea: Lonely photo technician is obsessed with a family whose snapshots he processes.

Writer-director: Mark Romanek.

So? Interesting, creepy departure for Williams.

AUG. 23

DRUMLINE

Comedy Fox

With: Nick Cannon, Zoe Saldana, Orlando Jones.

The idea: Harlem street drummer enrolls at a Southern university with sights on marching band.

Writers: Tina F. Chism, Gina Prince-Bythewood.

Director: Charles Stone.

So? Jones is always a good bet to add laughs.

THEY

Thriller Dimension

With: Laura Regan, Marc Blucas, Ethan Embry, Dagmara Dominczyk.

The idea: Childhood night terrors revisit a promising grad student.

Writer: Brendan William Hood.

Director: Robert Harmon.

So? Director did “The Hitcher.”

AUG. 30

MAD LOVE

Historical drama Sony Pictures Classics

With: Pilar Lopez de Ayala, Daniele Liotti, Giuliano Gemma, Manuela Arcuri.

The idea: Politics and desire clash among 15th century Flemish and Castilian nobility.

Writer-director: Vicente Aranda.

So? Provocative, sizzling.

POSSESSION

Drama USA Films

With: Gwyneth Paltrow, Aaron Eckhart, Jennifer Ehle, Jeremy Northam.

The idea: Two scholars retrace romantic path of Victorian poets.

Writers: David Henry Hwang, Laura Jones, Neil LaBute; based on A.S. Byatt novel.

Director: Neil LaBute.

So? Intricate psychological material is right up LaBute’s alley.

SLAP HER, SHE’S FRENCH

Comedy Premiere

With: Piper Perabo, Jane McGregor, Trent Ford, Michael McKean.

The idea: Foreign exchange student versus Texas girl.

Writers: Lamar Damon, Robert Lee King.

Director: Melanie Mayron.

So? Mayron’s first feature direction since 1995’s “The Baby-Sitters Club.”

ALSO IN AUGUST

Secret Ballot (Aug. 9, comedy, Sony Pictures Classics), dour soldier and optimistic pollster scour Iranian desert for voters ... Virginia’s Run (Aug. 14, drama, Constellation Entertainment), director Peter Markle’s story (co-written with Valerie Trapp) concerns a grief-stricken girl’s horse-riding obsession ... Children on Their Birthdays (Aug. 23, drama, Epiphany), Tony winner Mark Medoff’s feature directing debut ... Lan Yu (Aug. 23, drama, Strand), story of a gay student, older man, against backdrop of Tiananmen Square, directed by Stanley Kwan ... Das Experiment (Aug. 30, thriller, IDP/Samuel Goldwyn), concerns fictional research involving paid recruits divided into teams of “prisoners” and “guards” ... Apollo 13: The Imax Experience (TBA, drama, Universal), giant-screen version of 1995 movie about the space mission gone awry ... A Guy Thing (TBA, comedy, MGM), the first of several vehicles intended to propel ex-skateboarder Jason Lee to leading man status ... Spooky House (TBA, drama, Entertainment Highway), Ben Kingsley plays a reclusive magician befriended by an 8-year-old boy, directed by William Sachs.

SEPT. 6

FORMULA 51

Action-comedy Screen Gems

With: Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Carlyle, Emily Mortimer, Rhys Ifans.

The idea: On the way to a big score, a master drug designer gets caught in double-crosses.

Writer: Stel Pavlou.

Director: Ronny Yu.

So? Hong Kong action director loose in Liverpool.

LAWLESS HEART

Drama First Look

With: Bill Nighy, Douglas Henshall, Tom Hollander.

The idea: Three men are faced with carpe diem opportunities to change their lives.

Writers-directors: Neil Hunter and Tom Hunsinger.

So? Directing duo did 1996’s witty, engaging “Boyfriends.”

TBA

All About Lily Chou-Chou (thriller, Cowboy Pictures), written, directed by Shunji Iwai ... City of Ghosts (drama, United Artists), Matt Dillon’s bid for auteurship also stars James Caan, Natascha McElhone, Gerard Depardieu, Stellan Skaarsgard ... Jackass: The Movie (comedy, Paramount), in which Johnny Knoxville and company take MTV antics to the big screen ... Jean Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast (romantic drama, Cowboy Pictures), the 1946 masterpiece restored. No singing candlesticks in this one.