What's coming to the big screen?

2006 will see no shortage of remakes, trilogies and sequels.
By BRUCE NEWMAN
san jose mercury news
Sounding determined to continue giving audiences what they want until they just can't take it anymore, Peter Jackson announced near the end of his online production diaries for "King Kong" that he would unleash yet another "Lord of the Rings"-like trilogy, except this time with monkeys instead of elves. Jackson would go ape at intervals of six months, with "Son of Kong," a remake of the 1933 sequel from "Kong" creators Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, coming in June, and "King Kong: Into the Wolf's Lair" at Christmas.
Mercifully, that turned out to be a hoax -- the troll-like director's idea of a joke, which seemed a lot less funny after his remake of the original "Kong" clocked in at 3 hours, 7 minutes. But even without any further action in the jungle, there will be no shortage of remakes, sequels or trilogies, for that matter. The second of three "Pirates of the Caribbean" adventures -- "Dead Man's Chest" -- arrives in July, and an ill-fated-looking remake of "The Pink Panther," with Steve Martin, is due in February.
Here are a few other things to watch for in 2006:
"Eight Below" (Feb. 17)
With Paul Walker and Jason Biggs as its two-legged stars, this adventure picture about a team of sled dogs stranded in Antarctica after the sudden collapse of a scientific expedition could turn out to be awful. I include it because I am a dog person, and I go a bit mental when I have to leave my dog alone for even six hours. These dogs are left alone for six months in the Antarctic winter, and the movie is the true story of their struggle to survive.
"Cars" (June 9)
Not merely the newest eye candy from Pixar Animation Studios, but also the return of computer animation superstar John Lasseter ("Toy Story"), this is the story of a race car named Lightning McQueen (the voice of Owen Wilson) who learns to slow down and enjoy the ride while cruising along Route 66. Along the way, he meets some other interesting cars, whose voices are revved up by Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt and Larry the Cable Guy.
"Zodiac" (No release date)
Based on one of the nation's most notorious unsolved murder sprees, this thriller from director David Fincher ("Seven") tracks the serial killer who taunted San Francisco police with letters that he signed "Zodiac." Shot on location in the San Francisco Bay area, the movie stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr. and Anthony Edwards.
"Babel" (Fall)
From the exciting Mexican director and writer of "Amores Perros" and "21 Grams," Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Guillermo Arriaga, come four intersecting stories that begin with a shot fired in the Moroccan desert by two boys herding goats. The bullet changes the lives of an American couple (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett), a deaf Japanese teenager and her father, and a Mexican nanny who takes the two American children in her care across the border without permission.
And keep an eye on: Mel Gibson
After proving Hollywood wrong about the commercial prospects of "The Passion of the Christ," which earned more than $300 million despite being spoken in Latin and Aramaic, Gibson has been at it again with "Apocalypto," his end-of-days saga of the Mayan civilization, due this summer. Once again, no English will be spoken in the film, which will feature mostly non-professional actors. To enhance his madman mystique, Gibson has taken to wearing a long, woolly beard. Viva Mel!