With "Shutter Island" bumped back to February, Paramount is freed up to split its award-whoring efforts just two ways: Peter Jackson's predetermined Oscar-bait adaptation of "The Lovely Bones," due December 11, and "Up in the Air," director Jason Reitman's sophomore follow-up to "Juno." George Clooney takes the lead, splitting potential votes for his other fall comedy "The Men Who Stare at Goats," while Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick (the fast-talking debate team dame from "Rocket Science," more prominently known for playing BFF to Bella in the ubiquitous mess of "Twilight") do back-up. "Up in the Air" is tentatively slated to open December 4, though Paramount is treading water until the film's Toronto premiere before nailing down a date for good. "Juno" scored an inexplicable Best Picture nomination two years ago (along with a whopping domestic box office total just shy of $150 million), as did the nepotistic neophyte Reitman, pumping "Up in the Air" with precedent.
Speaking of "Juno," Ellen Page is back in alt-cute default mode for Drew Barrymore's directorial debut "Whip It," leading an underdog pack of ragtag Rollerderby girls (Barrymore joins Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis, Eve and Zoe Bell as Page's freewheeling teammates) all the way to finals, no doubt. Having dropped out of Sam Raimi's "Drag Me to Hell" (replaced by Alison Lohman) in favor of being Barrymore's muse, Page was freed up to stick closer to "Juno" territory as Barrymore's "Whip It" heroine. The poster is pitch perfect, with Page front-and-center in gorgeous, saturated green, ready to rumble. "Whip It" opens October 2.
Also on October 2, The Coen Brothers' "A Serious Man" hits a handful of major markets, hoping to spark word-of-mouth for its gradual nationwide rollout throughout the month. Following the star orgy that was "Burn After Reading" (the Coens' biggest commercial success, by a landslide), "A Serious Man" is a decidedly smaller proposition. Its biggest star? Richard Kind, best known for a supporting gig on the Michael J. Fox sitcom "Spin City" (and he's not even the lead). While prospects won't be as bright as "Burn" commercially speaking, the Coen Brothers are odds-on for success. If the "Serious" trailer is any indication, it's a grand slam. Nice poster, too.
