12 Movies I'm Looking Forward to in 2009

12

Inkheart

I haven't read the books, and, while Brendan Fraser tends to be hit and miss for me, this one looks like a really fun, well-done fantasy film.

11

Earth

Nice to see Disney returning to it roots this year with this nature film and also my No. 2 pick down below. The trailers look gorgeous, and I'm a sucker for cute animals.

10

Coraline

This will be the first Gaiman adaptation I've seen in theatres since I became a fan. The stop motion animation looks quite impressive.

9

Watchmen

I totally didn't get the hype for this movie until I read the graphic novel. Fantastic. Hope the media congloms don't screw over the fans with their lawsuits.

8

Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince

HP5 was the most successful of the adaptations in my opinion, and we've got the same people helming this version. So I'm hopeful. The trailers just get better and better, too.

7

The Soloist

Like HP6, this film was supposed to come out last year and was mysteriously pushed to 2008. Writer Susannah Grant is one of my favorites, and can you really go wrong with Robert Downey, Jr.? Also has Joe Wright, who directed Atonement, at the helm.

6

New York, I Love You

I adored Paris, Je T'aime, and, while I've never been to NYC myself, I like to think there's a little New Yorker in all of us. Even if I'm off-base there, the list of talent attached is plenty motivation to seek this one out.

5

Julie & Julia

The casting of Amy Adams pretty much guarantees I'll see a movie these days. Additionally, I loved the memoir, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what they'll do with it on screen. Bonus: Meryl Streep as Julia Child and Stanley Tucci as her husband.

4

Easy Virtue

Screwball British comedy. Fabulous soundtrack. Colin Firth. Ben Barnes. Need I say more?

3

Sunshine Cleaning

Two down-and-out sisters start a crime scene clean-up business. Just the premise sounds great. Add Amy Adams and Emily Blunt as the sisters? Gold.

2

The Princess & the Frog

Disney's return to hand-drawn animation. Finally!

1

Dorian Gray

Ben Barnes and Colin Firth team up to make all my dreams come true. OK, maybe not all of them, but this is like my Sweeney Todd of 2009 anticipation-wise, except it's even worse because I love the novel so, so, so much. From the little bit I've heard in interviews, it sounds like they're really delving into the character of Dorian with this adaptation, which is exactly what I was hoping for. The 1945 version feels dry because they never get inside Dorian's head, which is such a shame because that's the most heartbreaking and poignant part of the novel. I cannot wait to see how this turns out.

How about you guys? What movies are you looking forward to in 2009?