Diversity seems to be the name of the game for August movies this year. From films about twitterpated eighth graders, a Chinese ballet star, a bizarre governess and moral dilemmas to a vampire movie spoof, a fantasy romance, a sword-and-sandals romp plus flicks about bank robbers, bumbling detectives and deadly prehistoric fish, the big screen promises impressive variety during August, 2010.  Check out the schedule below, but remember all release dates are subject to change.   

AUGUST 6:

The Other Guys. Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg team up for this action comedy about two mismatched New York City detectives.  

Step Up 3-D. This showdown between street dancers and the best hip hop dancers in the world stars Sharni Vinson, Rick Malambri and Adam G. Sevani.  

Twelve. Emma Roberts, Kiefer Sutherland and Chace Crawford play key roles in this Joel Schumacher thriller about the murder of a young drug dealer’s cousin. 

Middle Men. A wealthy internet entrepreneur struggles with his morals in this dramedy starring Luke Wilson, Giovanni Ribisi and Gabriel Macht.  

Mao’s Last Dancer. (limited) Based on the autobiography of Li Cunxin, this film tells the true story of a Chinese ballet dancer who, after falling in love with an American woman during a cultural exchange visit, defected to the United States and became a principal dancer for the Houston Ballet. The cast includes Chi Cao, Joan Chen, Bruce Greenwood, Amanda Schull and Wen Bin Huang.  

Flipped. (limited) In this Rob Reiner film, two eighth graders – played by Madeline Carroll and Callan McAuliffe -- start to have feelings for each other. The problem? They are total opposites.   

AUGUST 13:

Eat Pray Love. Julia Roberts will probably shine in the film version of Elizabeth Gilbert’s popular book about a woman’s search for EVERYTHING as she travels across Italy, India and Indonesia. I’m reading Eat Pray Love now and find it quite thought-provoking and involving. Will it transfer successfully to the big screen? I hope so.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. When a movie’s tagline reads “An epic of epic epicness,” you know it’s aiming for laughs. Co-starring Michael Cera and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, this comical fantasy romance will probably deliver lots of them.    

The Expendables. It should be exciting to watch action stars like Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham and Jet Li mix it up in this film about mercenaries trying to overthrow a dictator.

AUGUST 18:

Vampires Suck. Duh!  But will this movie do the same? It’s a spoof of vampire-themed films and features an interesting cast that includes Jenn Proske, Ken Jeong, Arielle Kebbel, Marcel Baer and Bradley Dodds.   

AUGUST 20:

Nanny McPhee Returns. This is the August movie I’m most eager to see. Why? Because I absolutely loved the first adventure starring Emma Thompson as a bizarre and magical governess. Happily, Thompson plays Nanny McPhee again in this second outing. She still looks quite creepy with her bulbous nose, snaggle-toothed mouth and wart-covered face. She’s also very serious -- not a bit cheery like Mary Poppins. However, I’m sure her weird appearance will get attention from anyone she agrees to supervise, just like in the original film.

Piranha 3-D. Nobody wants to become food for deadly and voracious prehistoric piranhas, so a group of strangers must stick together to prevent such a catastrophe in this horror thriller directed by Alexandre Aja. Among the cast members are Elisabeth Shue, Christopher Lloyd, Eli Roth, Richard Dreyfuss, Jerry O’Connell and Ving Rhames.   

Lottery Ticket. Suppose you were holding a winning lottery ticket for 370 million dollars. Would you be wary of your neighbors? Bow Wow’s worried character must protect such a ticket during one weekend. Ice Cube, Loretta Devine, Naturi Naughton and Mike Epps also appear in this Erik White comedy.    

The Switch. Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman co-star in this romantic comedy about artificial insemination, friendship and a big secret.  

AUGUST 27:

Takers. Bank robbers beware! A hard-boiled detective might foil your plans. At least that’s what happens in this crime thriller starring Zoe Saldana, Paul Walker, Idris Elba, Matt Dillon, and Hayden Christenson. 

Going the Distance. Characters played by Drew Barrymore and Justin Long discover the ups and downs of a long-distance relationship in this romantic comedy directed by Oscar nominee Nanette Burstein (for On the Ropes documentary in 2000). 

The Last Exorcism.  What could possibly happen when a film crew is given permission to film an exorcism? I expect this thriller to show the horrifying results. Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, and Tony Bentley play key roles here.

Centurion. (limited) In this action adventure, a Roman legion faces savage guerilla attacks by the terrifying Picts in Britain during the year 117 A.D. Michael Fassbinder, Dominic West, David Morrissey, Olga Kurylenko and many others don appropriate period costumes for the occasion.

DVD RELEASES

AUGUST 3:

After Life

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Kick-Ass

AUGUST 10:

Furry Vengeance

The Last Song

The Red Riding Trilogy

AUGUST 24:

The Back-Up Plan

City Island

Survival of the Dead

AUGUST 31:

Harry Brown

Why Did I Get Married Too?

(Poster for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: © 2010 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.)