Several movies scheduled for release this November seem good bets to put movie fans in a holiday mood. But we’re also in for some serious fare. Gangsters, politics, romance, thrillers, and even another Stephen King film adaptation are among the upcoming offerings.  

Here’s the 2007 November lineup – but remember all release dates are subject to change:

NOVEMBER 2

American Gangster. Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe square off in Ridley Scott’s movie about a powerful drug dealer and the detective who tries to bring him down. With two top-notch actors and a brilliant director on board, expectations run high for this one.

Bee Movie.  Jerry Seinfeld voices the main insect character in an animated flick that promises to deliver plenty of laughs.    

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead.  Two brothers try to rob their parents’ jewelry store without hurting anyone, but things go wrong and lead to serious, unexpected consequences. Look at this great cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, Marisa Tomei. 

Darfur Now.  Don Cheadle narrates this important documentary about the genocide in Darfur.

Martian Child. John Cusack plays a man who adopts a 6-year-old boy in this tender relationship story. The problem? The youngster believes he came from Mars, so he needs special attention and understanding.

NOVEMBER 9

Fred Claus.  A comedy featuring Paul Giamatti as Santa and Vince Vaughn as his resentful brother should boast colorful North Pole scenes galore! If not, someone’s in for coals in their Christmas stocking.

Lions for Lambs. It’s about time for another Tom Cruise movie, right? Well, here he is as an ambitious congressman about to give an explosive story to a journalist, played by Meryl Streep, that will impact the lives of two Army rangers who are behind enemy lines in Afghanistan. Robert Redford directs and also appears as a worried professor.

National Lampoon Presents Electric Apricot. Reminiscent of This Is Spinal Tap, this comedy spoofs jam bands and enlightenment.

No Country for Old Men.  Violence breaks out after a hunter finds heroin and lots of money in a pile of dead bodies. Watch Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin scramble for Oscar nominations!   

P2.  Career woman gets trapped in a parking garage by a psychopathic security guard here. Rachel Nichols and Wes Bentley co-star in this horror thriller.

Southland Tales. Apocalyptic events impact various characters in this comedy/thriller/musical/sci-fi jumble.

NOVEMBER 16

Beowulf.  The classic battle between warrior and monster is enhanced with motion-capture animation -- plus Angelina Jolie as the monster’s vengeful mother.

Elegy.  Ben Kingsley plays a teacher who begins to feel sexually possessive of student Penelope Cruz in this dramatic adaptation of Philip Roth’s novel. 

Love in the Time of Cholera. Javier Bardem, Giovanna Mezzogiorno and Benjamin Bratt star in this movie about a love that lasted half a century. It’s based on Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s fascinating novel.   

Margot at the Wedding. Relationships become messy when one sister (Nicole Kidman) visits the other (Jennifer Jason Leigh), who announces she’s marrying Malcolm (Jack Black). Kidman’s character thinks Malcolm is not a very good catch.  Hmm. She must not have seen TheHoliday.   

Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium. Dustin Hoffman stars as the owner of a magical toy store, and lovely Natalie Portman adds to the wonder of this special-effects filled fantasy. 

NOVEMBER 21

August Rush. The power of music shines through in this sentimental drama about an orphaned musical prodigy -- played by Freddie Highmore -- searching for his birth parents.

Christmas in Wonderland.  A father and his three children help catch the crooks in this family comedy starring Patrick Swayze.

Enchanted. Combining live action with animation, this fairy tale relates the story of a princess, played by Amy Adams -- who’s banished by a wicked witch, portrayed by Susan Sarandon -- from cartoon land into the real world of New York City. Here’s hoping it’s as entertaining as the clever previews!

Hitman. Timothy Olyphant, that steely-eyed Deadwood lawman, takes on the role of an agent hired to kill targets for cash in this  action movie based on a video game.  

Stephen King’s The Mist. Yikes! What will the inhabitants of a small town do when blood-thirsty creatures terrorize them? Thomas Jane and Marci Gay Harden co-star.

This Christmas. The Whitfield family hasn’t spent a holiday together in four years, so when they come together this time, drama ensues. The fine ensemble cast includes Laz Alonso, Sharon Leal, Regina King, Idris Elba and Loretta Devine.    

NOVEMBER 23

I’m Not There.  Seven characters represent different aspects of Bob Dylan’s life in this unusual film -- and one of them is played by Cate Blanchett! What’s next for our talented Cate? Hey, even if she took on the title role in Hamlet, it wouldn’t surprise me.  

NOVEMBER 30

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. This inspirational real-life story features Mathieu Amairic as the Elle magazine editor who suffered a stroke, then blinks out his memoir with the only part of his body not paralyzed -- his left eye.

(Enchanted photo:  © 2007 Buena Vista Pictures. All Rights Reserved.)