Warner Bros. will release both J. Edgar and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close in 2011...

...putting them square in the Oscar race (and proving me right in heavily favoring them in my early predictions...huzzah). The Playlist has the details:

With The Weinstein Company busy over the last few weeks getting their Oscar season in order, Warner Bros. is following suit setting (vague) dates for two of their big prestige films of the year.

First up, Clint Eastwood‘s “J. Edgar” will hit theaters in a to be determined date in October. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover and he’s got a great supporting cast around him. b> Armie Hammer, the breakout star of “The Social Network,” will play Clyde Tolson, Hoover’s assistant/lover, while Naomi Watts will play Helen Gandy, Hoover’s personal secretary. The film will also star Judi Dench, Stephen Root, Ed Westwick, and Josh Lucas. Of course, the big question is not if the film will be Oscar bait, but just what categories in can contend in. Even “Hereafter,” released in the same frame last year largely to muted reviews, wound up with an nomination for Visual Effects so anything is possible.

Next up, is Stephen Daldry‘s “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” and with Warner Bros setting it for sometime in December, they are clearing putting most of their Oscar push behind this one. Based on the book by Jonathan Safran Foer, the story focuses on Oskar Schell, a nine-year-old boy from Manhattan whose father died on 9/11. Two years later, the boy discovers a key belonging to his father, which sends him on a search through the city. Newcomer Thomas Horn will play Oskar, with Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks as his parents, and John Goodman as a doorman who aids Schell on his quest. Viola Davis, Jeffrey Wright, Max Von Sydow and James Gandolfini round out the cast.

Best selling and critically acclaimed book + three time Best Director Oscar nominee + five time nominee and two-time Oscar winning actor + Best Actress winner = instant awards horse. They would have to screw the pooch pretty hard to mess this one up.

The Weinstein Company has got no shortage of 4th quarter films this year...

...and they certainly seem to be gunning for more Oscar gold. Coming Soon has the slate for this year and next:

The Weinstein Company have released a slew of release dates for their fall prestige pics, with many of them vying for Oscar nominations in order to keep up the company's success with last year's The King's Speech. But before we get to them, the movie that really stands out among the latest release schedule is seeing the title...

Look for Quentin Tarantino to leave you a stocking stuffer next December!

Yes, his next film is due next Christmas, according to Collider:

How cool is your family? For instance, if the new Quentin Tarantino movie opened on Christmas Day, would you have to ditch the folks for a couple hours, or could you bring them along? The Weinstein Company will put these family ties to the test with a December 25, 2012 release date for Django Unhcained [Box Office Mojo]. The supporting cast is mostly set: Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson, and Leonardo DiCaprio are all on board or about to be barring any sticking points in negotiations. Much less certain is who will play Django, the freed slave taught the tricks of the trade by a German bounty hunter (Waltz) to liberate his wife from an evil plantation owner (DiCaprio). Will Smith was the early frontrunner, though a deal has not come easy. More recently, Idris Elba, Chris Tucker, and Jamie Foxx came up as possible Djangos. Showbiz 411 hears Foxx is the closest to the role, but all is heresay until it’s in the trades. Production is scheduled for later this summer or early fall — with the finish line in place, we’ll meet our Django soon enough.

Christmas Day is a Tuesday in 2012. As of this writing, Django Unchained has the holiday all to itself, but Hunter Killer, Life of Pi, and The Lone Ranger open the Friday before, December 21.

-Joey's Two Cents: Christmas isn't my holiday, but this is still something to circle on the calendar...thoughts?

Disney/Pixar pushes back 'Monsters University' into 2013...

...presumably giving it some space from Pixar's Brave. Here's the story in The Hollywood Reporter:

The release calendar for animated films saw several major changes Monday as Disney/Pixar and DreamWorks Animation both rearranged their schedules.

Disney is pushing back the release of Pixar's sequel Monsters University from Nov. 2, 2012 to June 21, 2013.

As a result, Disney toon Reboot Ralph will now open Nov. 2, 2012 -- Monsters' old date -- instead of March 12, 2013.

Within several hours, Paramount and DreamWorks Animation announced they were moving The Croods from March 1, 2013, to March 22, 2013.

In its new home, Monsters University opens two weeks after DreamWorks Animation and Paramount release Turbo.

Monsters Inc. was one of Pixar's earliest hits. The premise for the new movie is under lock and key, although Disney says it will be a prequel.

-Joey's Two Cents: I'm sure it's nothing quality related, so it's no big deal in my eyes...thoughts?

Emile Hirsch's next movie gets its release date pushed back...

...from August to December, according to Collider:

Summit previously scheduled the 3D The Darkest Hour for August 5, a fairly typical summer release date for a sci-fi thriller. Per Box Office Mojo, the studio has pushed the film to December 23, a less natural holiday season bow. On the new date, The Darkest Hour must vie for 3D theaters against The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn; the date also holds The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and We Bought a Zoo.

Emile Hirsch, Olivia Thirlby, Rachel Taylor, Max Minghella, and Joel Kinnaman star as young tourists who find themselves stranded in Moscow, fighting to survive in the wake of a devastating alien attack. Chris Gorak (Right at Your Door) is directing from a script by Jon Spaihts. Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) is among the producers.

-Joey's Two Cents: The film has a very interesting cast, and I'm a big Hirsch fan, so I'm interested in seeing this flick...thoughts?