Summer is over, which means it's time to pack away your beer-can helmet and dust off the ol' thinking cap. You know the drill: Hollywood sits on its primo stuff until the leaves turn, hoping to circumvent the apparently short attention spans of the Oscar voters. But this year, in a totally pandering move, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has opened up the Best Picture category from five nominees to 10. Yes, 10. This means that everyone has a chance. Maybe even you, "Saw VI"! But probably not.

And now, your hopefuls...

"Brief Interviews with Hideous Men" The filmmaking debut of John Krasinski ("The Office") reworks the acclaimed collection of short stories by the late David Foster Wallace by juxtaposing the answers against the experiences of the graduate student who is doing the asking. (9/25)

Oscar prospects: Maybe for its script, though the supporting roster, including Will Arnett, Bobby Cannavale, and Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard, is beyond intriguing.

"A Serious Man" Joel and Ethan Coen dial it down for their 14th film, a dark comedy set in 1967 and starring New York stage vet Michael Stuhlbarg as a physics professor unable to prevent his life from falling to pieces at his feet. (10/2)

Oscar prospects: The Coens are usually good for a screenplay nomination, but this one might be flying a bit too far under the radar.

"Zombieland" Dear Woody Harrelson: I am really looking forward to watching you slaughter the undead alongside Jesse Eisenberg ("Adventureland") and Little Miss Oscar Nominee Abigail Breslin. Love, Dayna. (10/2)

Oscar prospects: Uh, no. Sorry, Woody Harrelson. P.S. You rule!

"Couples' Retreat" Peter Billingsley, a/k/a the bespectacled kid from "A Christmas Story," directs Jason Bateman, Kristin Davis, and the eternally welcome duo of Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn in a comedy about a group of people undergoing marriage counseling in the tropics. (10/9)

Oscar prospects: Probably not, though if you saw "State of Play," you know that Bateman has become quite the scene-stealer.

"New York, I Love You" The masterminds behind "Paris, je t'aime" do their anthology thing on this side of the pond, with filmmakers such as Fatih Akin, Allen Hughes, and Shekhar Kapur all declaring their devotion to the City That Never Sleeps. (10/16)

Oscar prospects: Hmmm. Maybe; stars like Natalie Portman, Ethan Hawke, and Robin Wright Penn certainly give things that prestige feel. And it would be the closest Brett Ratner ever gets to an Oscar.

"Where the Wild Things Are" The dream team of Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers bring Maurice Sendak's beloved children's book to life with the help of Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo, and the unmistakable rumble of James Gandolfini. (10/16)

Oscar prospects: If you've seen the breathtaking trailer, then you know that its whimsically gorgeous visuals are an awards lock.

"Amelia" Two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank portrays the famed aviatrix with Ewan McGregor and Richard Gere as wing men and Mira Nair at the controls. (10/23)

Oscar prospects: If you can't get an Academy Award nomination for portraying a doomed feminist icon to whom you bear an eerie, toothy resemblance, then you just aren't trying.

"2012" Director Roland Emmerich ("Independence Day") drops an effects-heavy action flick about the prophesied end of days right into the middle of awards season, and I am secretly pleased. Stars John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. (11/13)

Oscar prospects: Visual effects? Sure. Acting? No freaking way.

"Fantastic Mr. Fox" Not to be outdone by the Sendak/Jonze matchup, Wes Anderson adapts Roald Dahl in a stop-motion tale pitting woodland creatures against crooked farmers. Featuring the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, and a host of Anderson's usual henchpeople. (11/13)

Oscar prospects: Perhaps, if it qualifies as an animated feature.

"Red Cliff" John Woo returns to his Asian roots for his first feature in six years, a sweeping historical epic set during the final days of the Han Dynasty and starring Wong Kar-wai regulars Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Takeshi Kaneshiro. (11/13)

Oscar prospects: Foreign-language films aren't the easiest sell, but the early word is this particular one is spectacular.

"Nine" Directed by Rob Marshall ("Chicago") and co-written by the late Anthony Minghella, this remake of Fellini's "8 1/2," about a director and the women in his life, stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Judi Dench, Penelope Cruz, as well as some people who don't have an Academy Award. (11/25)

Oscar prospects: The one sure thing of 2009.

"The Lovely Bones" Peter Jackson directs this adaptation of Alice Sebold's heartbreaking novel about a young murder victim (Saoirse Ronan, "Atonement") and her experiences in the afterlife as she watches over her grieving family, including dad Mark Wahlberg and mom Rachel Weisz. (12/11)

Oscar prospects: The other.

"Sherlock Holmes" In a positively delicious bit of casting, Robert Downey Jr. channels the prickly detective for director Guy Ritchie, who is due for a comeback of his own. Jude Law is Dr. Watson, and Rachel McAdams is Irene Adler. (12/25)

Oscar prospects: You never know. Remember how Johnny Depp got a nomination as Captain Jack Sparrow? It's kinda like that.

"Tree of Life" The details of Terrence Malick's latest are a closely held secret, but Sean Penn and Brad Pitt lead the cast of this 50's-set family drama with the usual Malick-y odes to nature. And who cares about the plot anyway? It's Malick. (12/25)

Oscar prospects: What'd I just say? It's Malick.

Not so fast, you! Don't forget that release dates are subject to change.