It may seem like some cruel joke, but this past weekend marked the midway point of 2011. Where has the time gone!? Actually, don't answer that rhetorical question -- there will be plenty of time for looking back on the first six months of the year in the coming days here at Movieline. Instead, click open your Google Calendars and mark off the nine most important dates to remember for the rest of the year.
Sept. 8: Toronto International Film Festival begins
Last year at the Toronto International Film Festival, future Oscar winner The King's Speech debuted, joining The Hurt Locker, Slumdog Millionaire and No Country for Old Men as Best Picture winners that made significant hay at Toronto during the last ten years. TIFF has become the film festival for awards-season players, so which films get a Toronto push will be of the utmost importance for awards season-watchers. Look for the official TIFF line-up to get announced later this month.
Sept. 9: Contagion opens
When the curtain closes on Contagion, there will only be four Steven Soderbergh movies left. Shed a tear and then get immediately psyched for Contagion, which promises to be a globe-spanning look at the fallout that occurs when a disease spreads uncontrollably through the population. Think: Traffic, but with a war on germs. Matt Damon, Kate Winslet and a host of other big names co-star.
Oct. 7: The Ides of March gets released
You might as well just call 2011 the Year of Ryan Gosling. In addition to the George Clooney-directed Ides of March, Gosling has Crazy Stupid Love and Drive arriving in theaters over the next three months. Not bad for a guy who used to fall under the category of "He should work more!" Let's hope March -- a political thriller based on the play Farragut North -- is more like Clooney's Good Night, and Good Luck and less like Leatherheads. If so, it could land Gosling an Oscar nomination -- assuming Drive doesn't do that already.
Nov. 11: Immortals debuts
Whether or not Immortals will be a box office phenomenon along the lines of 300 remains to be seen, but the Tarsem Singh-directed swords, sandals and screams action film seems destined to -- at the very least -- become a Bad Movie We Love. The 11-11-11 opening date only adds to the kitsch factor.
Nov. 18: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part I opens
With the end of Harry Potter in sight and the start of The Hunger Games not scheduled for another eight months, the first half of Breaking Dawn has YA fans all to itself during the fourth quarter of 2011. Take note of the Friday, Nov. 18 release date: the last time a Twilight film opened over a three-day weekend, it was New Moon, which went on to gross $142.8 million over the three days -- good for third biggest opening weekend ever. Could Breaking Dawn top not only that figure, but the $158.4 million opening weekend record of The Dark Knight?
Nov. 23: The Muppets premieres
Just five days after Breaking Dawn -- Part I devours box office records, Disney will finally release the reboot of The Muppets from Jason Segel. Interest is high among the Internet sect, nostalgists and hipsters, but the question must be asked: will mainstream audiences want to see Kermit and Miss Piggy when Edward and Bella are knocking boots in the theater next door?
Dec. 15: Golden Globe nominations announced
Last year, the Golden Globes provided endless fodder by nominating Johnny Depp. Twice. For The Tourist and Alice in Wonderland. Har! With Rango and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides already released, and The Rum Diary due in October, here's hoping the Globes provide another Depp two-fer, if only for the comedy.
Dec. 23: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, We Bought a Zoo and The Adventures of Tintin all compete for box office glory
To be fair, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo opens on Dec. 21, but it's not every weekend that new films from David Fincher, Cameron Crowe and Steven Spielberg are in theaters at the same time. The three titans will also share screen space with Martin Scorsese (Hugo, out in November), Brad Bird (Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol) and... Madonna (W.E.)? Early prediction about the final weeks of 2011: they will be eclectic.
Dec. 27: Oscar ballots are mailed
Attention Academy members: tip your mailman at Christmas. You don't want him or her "misplacing" such precious cargo.