‘04 flickers into view

Alexander. Precocious conqueror Colin Farrell has flashbacks to childhood and his rise to power as he expands his great empire. Oliver Stone directs. With Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins and Val Kilmer. Warner Bros., Nov. 5.

Catwoman. Shy artist Halle Berry is transformed into a feline powerhouse walking the line between good and evil. Benjamin Bratt and Sharon Stone also star. Directed by French effects wiz Pitof. Warner Bros, July 30.

The Chronicles of Riddick. “Pitch Black’s” antihero Vin Diesel returns to encounter a remote planet whose population is threatened by an evil despot. With Thandie Newton. Written and directed by David Twohy. Universal, June 11.

The Day After Tomorrow. It’s weather gone wild, as cataclysmic climatic catastrophe besets the Earth. Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal and Sela Ward star. Directed by Roland Emmerich (“Independence Day”). Fox, May 28.

Hero. Zhang Yimou (“Raise the Red Lantern”) spins a tale of treachery and courage at the dawn of China’s Qin Dynasty. Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Maggie Cheung Man-yuk and Zhang Ziyi star. Miramax, April 16.

Ladder 49. Firefighter Joaquin Phoenix reflects on his life while awaiting rescue from a burning building. John Travolta also stars. Directed by Jay Russell (“Tuck Everlasting”). Touchstone, Oct. 8.

Man on Fire. Disillusioned soldier of fortune Denzel Washington strikes up a bond with the child (Dakota Fanning) he’s hired to protect from kidnapping. Directed by Tony Scott (“True Romance”). Fox, April 23.

Ocean’s Twelve. George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Bernie Mac and Don Cheadle are all back in director Steven Soderbergh’s sequel about criminal adversaries who team up against a beautiful FBI agent. Warner Bros., Dec. 10.

The Punisher. Thomas Jane stars as the Marvel Comics superhero taking on villain Howard Saint (John Travolta). Screenwriter Jonathan Hensleigh (“The Rock,” “Armageddon”) makes his directing debut. Lions Gate, April 16.

Sahara. Matthew McConaughey stars as novelist Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt, a government agent who tries to solve the riddle of a madness-inducing water pollutant. Directed by Breck Eisner, Michael’s son. Paramount, fall/holiday

Troy. The rash romance between Trojan warrior Paris (Orlando Bloom) and Helen of Sparta (Diane Kruger) leads to a clash of civilizations with Brad Pitt’s Achilles crucial to the outcome. Wolfgang Petersen directs. Warner Bros., May 14.

Twilight Samurai. An impoverished samurai’s growing reputation as a swordsman thrusts him into a duel with a renowned warrior. Directed by Yoji Yamada. Empire Pictures, spring.

Untitled Ray Bradbury Project. A time-traveling hunting party led by Ben Kingsley compromises the prehistoric landscape, bringing catastrophic changes to the future. Based on the short story “A Sound of Thunder”; Edward Burns and Catherine McCormack also star. Directed by Peter Hyams (“End of Days”). Warner Bros., Aug. 20.

Walking Tall. Retired soldier (The Rock) sets out to correct the corruption that has befallen his hometown. Kevin Bray (“All About the Benjamins”) directs. MGM, April 9.

Zatoichi. The legendary blind swordsman with a shock of platinum blond hair returns to the screen, this time out to rid a mountain town of a menacing gang. Takeshi Kitano writes, directs and stars. Miramax, June 4.

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Editor -- Kinsey Lowe

Capsules -- Richard Cromelin and Kevin Crust