With the release of "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," we can officially confirm that the Holiday movie season is upon us. Here's a brief preview of some of the highlights to look forward to between now and the end of the year, plus a couple titles to look forward to in early 2010. As always, release dates are subject to change with or without reason.

Those looking for a film to see this Thanksgiving, I highly recommend "Fantastic Mr. Fox." Not only is it kid friendly, it's also entertaining for adults (not sure how it will go over with grandparents).

Your other options are "Old Dogs" (which I hated) and "Ninja Assassin" (which disappoints).

December 4

Matt Dillon, Laurence Fishburne and Jean Reno lead the ensemble cast of armored truck guards who steal a truck they are supposed to be guarding in "Armored."

The powerhouse trio of Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman Star in "Brothers" the new film from Jim Sheridan ("In the Name of the Father, " "The Boxer"). It's based on the Swedish film "Brode" about a man who tries to comfort his brother's wife and child when he goes missing in Afghanistan.

"Everybody's Fine" is inspired by the film "Stanno tutti bene" and follows the travels of a lonely father (Robert De Niro) as he tries to reconnect with his children. Also starring Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell and Drew Barrymore. Look for my interview with the surprisingly candid director Kirk Jones next week.

December 11

Disney unleashes their latest animated film "The Princess and the Frog." Based on the trailers, the hand-drawn animation looks great, but I'm not convinced that the story is going to impress.

Clint Eastwoood returns to the director's chair for "Invictus," a story about Nelson Mandela's attempt to unify South Africa through the 1995 Rugby World Cup. It stars Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman as Mandela. I love the principle players, and while the trailers don't scream "instant classic," I'm cautiously optimistic for this.

December 18

If a romantic comedy about a dysfunctional couple that are forced to go into witness-protection is your sort of thing -- its not mine -- then "Did You Hear About the Morgans?" will fulfill your dreams. Starring Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker.

James Cameron returns after an extended break from filmmaking for "Avatar." It's wonderful to see Cameron return to the sci-fi genre, but will all the computer-generated effects dazzle audiences or prove too lifeless to be convincing? Cameron isn't exactly known for creating characters with depth, which is what he'll need to make "Avatar" more than a visual feast.

December 25

George Clooney stars as Ryan Bingham, the sort of executive that racks up frequent flier miles as he travels around the country firing people. While this might be an unenviable job for some, Bingham loves the detachment of a suitcase life. But all good things must come to an end in Jason Reitman's "Up in the Air." Expect good things from Clooney and his co-stars Vera Farmiga, Jason Bateman and Anna Kendrick.

Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin join director/writer/producer Nancy Meyers for the comedic romp "It's Complicated." The cast is strong, but what does the script look like? I imagine that this one is going to be better than "Did You Hear About the Morgans?" but I think they're aiming for an older demographic which might leave me on the outside looking in.

I've wanted to see "Sherlock Holmes" ever since the first trailer, but having seen the newest trailer I'm not nearly as convince that Guy Ritchie's action-thriller, starring Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law and Rachel McAdams, is going to be anything more than a mindless distraction. With that said, I'm going to ignore my misgivings and expect something wonderful.

I don't know if director Rob Marshall's new musical "Nine" (based on Fellini's film "8 1/2") is going to top the energy he brought for "Chicago," but when your cast includes Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Sophia Loren and Nicole Kidman, it sounds like an Oscar party to me.

And then there are a handful of films that will have limited openings around the country (New York, Los Angeles) and will eventually make their way to the smaller cities, plus a couple of January's releases that have caught my attention.

Peter Jackson's "The Lovely Bones" is likely to be one of the more discussed films over the next few months. A dark tale about a murdered girl who watches over her family and her murder might be a bit too heavy for the masses, but with Jackson's name attached, it should get an ample amount of attention. Jackson's handling of dark material, both in "The Lord of the Rings" films and the wonderful "Heavenly Creatures," suggests that he is the perfect man to make Alice Sebold's novel come to life.

Who can say when the adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel "The Road" is actually going to open in theaters, but as someone lucky enough to have already seen it, I have to say that it is the darkest, most truthful depiction of what a post-apocalyptic world would be like. Gone are the fun and games of "Mad Max" or "Zombieland" as the real brutality of anarchy is put on display. One of my favorite films of 2009.

"Broken Embraces" = Pedro Almodovar + Penelope Cruz. When does it open? Not soon enough.

Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend star in "Young Victoria," which tells the story of the young queen's early years when things were not so rosy and love, even for a queen, was rather difficult.

Terry Gilliam's "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," is the film that was left unfinished by Heath Ledger's death, leaving a trio of esteemed actors (Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law) to pick up Ledger's role to finish the film. When Gilliam is good, there is no one more imaginative and all indications are that "Doctor Parnassus" is a return to form.

The Vampire sci-fi of "Daybreakers" is scheduled to arrive in early January. While the premise of a world filled with vampires and a dwindling blood supply sounds a bit like a B-movie, the cast, which included Willem Dafoe, Ethan Hawke, Sam Neill and Isabel Lucas, suggest that this film might actually have something to say.

Keeping with the sci-fi theme is the Hughes Brothers' "The Book of Eli" starring Denzel Washington with Gary Oldman, Michael Gambon and Mila Kunis in supporting roles. I love a good post-apocalyptic film, and while this doesn't have the heaviness that "The Road" carried, it should be a lot of fun.

Oh, and then there is "Legion," which looks a bit like "Constantine" gone to hell with its epic battles of biblical apocalypse. I'm not sure how this one is going to shake out, I like Paul Bettany, and if Doug Jones is involved you know it is going to be interesting. Fingers crossed.

Those are but a few of the films coming out over the next couple months. It's a bit light on anything for the holidays, but otherwise looks like a nice mix of comedy, drama and epic blockbusters that should keep me extremely busy leading up to something known as the Sundance Film Festival. Yes, I'm already tired just thinking about it all.