Stuart Beattie Movies

Live Free or Die Hard's Len Wiseman helms the movie adaptation of Epic Games' Gears of War for New Line Cinema with this sci-fi action production. The award-winning game thrust players into a climactic clash between what's left of humankind and a swarming underground race called the Locust Horde. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director Stephen Sommers (The Mummy, Van Helsing) adapts the beloved Hasbro G.I. Joe toy line with this Paramount Pictures production that pits the Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity against the evil forces of the organization known as Cobra. Dennis Quaid and Channing Tatum star as General Hawk and Duke Hauser, respectively, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marlon Wayans leading the rest of the cast, including Sienna Miller, Ray Park, Rachel Nichols, Christopher Eccleston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Saïd Taghmaoui, and Asian film star Lee Byung-hun. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Set against the scenic backdrop of pre-World War II Australia, Baz Luhrmann's romantic period adventure stars Nicole Kidman as an English aristocrat who inherits a sprawling ranch, and Hugh Jackman as the rough-and-tumble cattle driver who helps protect her property from greedy English cattle barons. As the pair attempt to herd 2,000 head of cattle hundreds of miles across the treacherous Australian outback, they are stunned to bear witness to the bombing of Darwin by Japanese forces -- who just a few months prior launched a devastating attack on Pearl Harbor. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Hong Kong horror specialists Danny and Oxide Pang (The Eye, Bangkok Haunted) ponder the paranormal sensitivities of young innocents in this tale of an unsuspecting family who falls prey to a malevolent entity after moving to into a haunted sunflower farm. Roy (Dylan McDermott) and Denise Solomon (Penelope Ann Miller) have decided to give up life in Chicago and relocate their family to secluded North Dakota sunflower farm. While the tranquil sway of the lush yellow fields at first offers a welcomed reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the big city, the family soon begins to suspect that they are not alone on the farm when teenage daughter Jess (Kristen Stewart) and her three-year-old brother, Ben (Evan Turner), begin to see a series of menacing apparitions that are apparently invisible to adult eyes. As Jess and Ben's encounters with the malevolent spirits grow increasingly violent, the parents of the tormented teen soon begin to question their daughter's sanity. Soon, the dark history of the family that once lived in the remote farm and the troubled past of the frightened Jess begin to merge as she struggles to warn her parents about the terrifying confrontation with the supernatural that is about to unfold. John Corbett, Jodelle Ferland, and Brent Briscoe co-star in a rural tale of terror from Ghosthouse Pictures and producer Sam Raimi. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The Dialogue: Stuart Beattie features Hollywood insider Mike De Luca interviewing the screenwriter responsible for the Pirates of the Caribbean film series as well as the Tom Cruise vehicle Collateral. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

A taxi driver is unexpectedly taken on the ride of his life in this stylish thriller from acclaimed director Michael Mann. Max (Jamie Foxx) is a cab driver who hopes to some day open his own limo company; one night behind the wheel begins promisingly when he picks up Annie (Jada Pinkett Smith), an attorney working with the federal government who is attractive, friendly, and gives him her business card after paying her fare. Max thinks his luck is getting even better when his next fare, Vincent (Tom Cruise), offers him several hundred dollars in cash if he'll be willing to drop him off, wait, and pick him up at five different spots over the course of the evening. Max agrees, but he soon realizes Vincent isn't just another guy with errands to run -- Vincent is an assassin who has been paid to murder five people who could put the leaders of a powerful drug trafficking ring behind bars in an upcoming trial. As circumstances force Max to do Vincent's bidding, the cabbie has to find a way to prevent Vincent from killing again and save his own skin, a task that becomes especially crucial when he discovers Annie is one of the names on Vincent's hit list. Collateral also stars Mark Ruffalo, Peter Berg, and Bruce McGill as police detectives hot on Vincent's trail. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

What would happen if the hero of your high school football team decided he'd rather be a ballet dancer? That's the dilemma in this Australian drama, in which Russell Page plays Matt, a working-class teenager who is accepted into an upscale private school. While many of the students are cool to Matt at first, he gains popularity when he proves he's a demon on the rugby field. But Matt has a secret -- he spent most of his childhood studying ballet, and while it wouldn't be good for his image, a love of dance still burns in his heart. When he finds out a local ballet company is holding auditions for "Romeo and Juliet," Matt throws caution to the wind and tries out, winning the lead role. However, Matt has rugby finals, school examinations and a college scholarship presentation to prepare along with his rehearsals, and as the tension starts to get to Matt, his best friend Tom (Martin Henderson) wonders if his buddy is making a mistake. Matt's girlfriend Tamara (Radha Mitchell) is also none too pleased, especially since Matt seems to be enjoying his rehearsals with his dance partner Claire (Rebecca Yates). Paul Mercurio, who plays the choreographer for Matt's dance company, won his role honestly enough -- he also served as choreographer for the film's many dance numbers. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi