Release date: November 30

Why it's anticipated: The awesome trailer for this "Cogan's Trade" adaptation is enough to get the blood pumping. Knowing it comes from critically-acclaimed auteur Andrew Dominik in a second teaming with his "Assassination of Jesse James" star Brad Pitt makes it even more promising. While that earlier effort - not to mention Dominik's 2000 low-budget debut "Chopper" - never managed to make much of an impression with audiences, "Killing Them Softly" is a leaner, meaner beast (it clocks in at 97 minutes as compared with "Jesse James"' 160) that may just serve as the New Zealand helmer's commercial breakthrough.

- Chris Eggertsen