Paramount Pictures' 2006 Releases, Last Holiday, Failure To Launch, Mission: Impossible Iii, Nacho Libre, World Trade Center, Barnyard, Babel, Zodiac, Charlotte's Web

Cast: Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Timothy Hutton, Gerard Depardieu, Alicia Witt, Giancarlo Esposito

Synopsis: Georgia Byrd (Queen Latifah) lives a small life tucked inside big dreams. A shy cookware salesperson for a New Orleans retail outlet, she handles knives and skillets with the flair of a master chef. But when Georgia learns her days are numbered, she throws caution to the wind and embarks on a dream holiday vacation to a grand resort in Europe. There, thinking she has nothing to lose, Georgia undergoes a metamorphosis… and her transformation affects everyone around her. Georgia’s newly uninhibited personality shakes up staff and guests alike, including a venerated chef (Gerard Depardieu) as well as a retail magnate (Timothy Hutton) who becomes convinced she’s a rival intent on sabotaging his business plans. From snowy slopes to spectacular spas, delectable dinners to midnight balls, Georgia is going to live a lifetime of fun in just a few weeks…

Release: January 13, 2006

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Sarah Jessica Parker, Zooey Deschanel,
Justin Bartha, Bradley Cooper, Terry Bradshaw and Kathy Bates

Synopsis: Tripp (Matthew McConaughey) has never been able to leave the nest. He’s always had some reason or other, but now, his desperate parents have had enough. They hire the gorgeous and talented girl of his dreams (Sarah Jessica Parker) to get him to move out of the house.

Release: February 10, 2006

Cast: Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Laurence Fishburne, Billy Crudup, Michelle Monaghan, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Keri Russell, Maggie Q

Synopsis: Tom Cruise returns as Special Agent Ethan Hunt, who faces the mission of his life in “Mission: Impossible III.” Director J. J. Abrams (“Lost,” “Alias”) brings his unique blend of action and drama to the billion-dollar franchise.

Mission Impossible 3 - First look trailer - Watch Now

Release: May 5, 2006

Cast: Jack Black, Ana de la Reguera, Héctor Jimenez, Richard Montoya, and Peter Stormare

Synopsis: Jack Black stars as Ignacio (friends call him Nacho), a Mexican priest who moonlights as a lucha libre wrestler to raise money for his orphanage in this comedy from the creators of “Napoleon Dynamite” and the writer and star of “The School of Rock.”

Release: June 2, 2006

Paramount Pictures presents
A Double Feature Films Production
An Oliver Stone Film
Executive Producers Donald J. Lee, Jr. Norm Golightly
Produced by Michael Shamberg Stacey Sher Moritz Borman Debra Hill
Based on the True Stories of John & Donna McLoughlin and William & Allison Jimeno
Screenplay by Andrea Berloff
Directed by Oliver Stone

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Michael Peña, Maria Bello, Maggie Gyllenhaal

Synopsis: Academy Award®-winning director Oliver Stone tells the true story of the heroic survival and rescue of two Port Authority policemen – John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno – who were trapped in the rubble of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, after they went in to help people escape. The film also follows their families as they try to find out what happened to them, as well as the rescuers who found them in the debris field and pulled them out. Their story shows how the best in people rose above the tragic events of that day.

Note: Only 20 people were rescued alive from the World Trade Center after the collapse of the buildings. Officer Jimeno and Sgt. McLoughlin were the 18th and 19th.

Release: August, 2006

Cast: Kevin James, Courteney Cox, Sam Elliott, Danny Glover, Andie MacDowell, Wanda Sykes

Synopsis: From Steve Oedekerk and Nickelodeon Movies, two of the co-creators of “Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius,” and filmed entirely in CGI, comes this hilarious look at what really happens in a barnyard when the farmer’s back is turned. “Barnyard” is a lighthearted tale centering around Otis (voiced by Kevin James), a carefree party cow, who enjoys singing, dancing and playing tricks on humans. Unlike his father Ben (voiced by Sam Elliott), the respected patriarch of the farm, and Miles, the wise old mule (voiced by Danny Glover), Otis is unconcerned about keeping the animals’ humanlike talents a secret. But when suddenly put in the position of responsibility, the “udderly” irresponsible cow finds the courage to be a leader.

Notes: Steve Oedekerk is best known for writing credits on such films as “The Nutty Professor” and “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls,” the latter of which he also directed.

Nickelodeon Movies has produced a number of hit films, the latest of which is “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie,” featuring the celebrity voices of Alec Baldwin, Scarlett Johansson and Jeffrey Tambor.

Release: October 6, 2006

In an instant, the lives of four separate groups of strangers on three different continents collide. Caught up in the rising tide of an accident that escalates beyond anyone's control are a vacationing American couple (Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett), a rebellious deaf Japanese teenager and her father, and a Mexican nanny who, without permission, takes two American children across the border. None of these strangers will ever meet; in spite of the sudden, unlikely connection between them, they will all remain isolated due to their own inability to communicate meaningfully with anyone around them.

From Alejandro González Iñárritu comes a film that is at once intimate and epic, shot in four countries, cast with actors and non-actors, and concludes his trilogy that started with “Amores Perros” and “21 Grams.”

Release : Fall 2006

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Edwards

Synopsis: Based on the true story of one of the most intriguing unsolved crimes in the nation’s history, “Zodiac” is a thriller from David Fincher, director of “Seven” and “Fight Club.” As a serial killer terrifies the San Francisco Bay Area and taunts police with his ciphers and letters, investigators in four jurisdictions search for the murderer. The case will become an obsession for four men as their lives and careers are built and destroyed by the endless trail of clues.

Release: Fall 2006

Cast: Dakota Fanning and the voices of Julia Roberts, Steve Buscemi, John Cleese, Oprah Winfrey, Cedric the Entertainer, André Benjamin, Thomas Haden Church, Robert Redford, Reba McEntire, Kathy Bates

Synopsis: The classic story of loyalty, trust, and sacrifice comes to life in this live-action adaptation. Fern (Dakota Fanning) is one of only two living beings who sees that Wilbur is a special animal as she raises him, the runt of the litter, into a terrific and radiant pig. As Wilbur moves into a new barn, he begins a second profound friendship with the most unlikely of creatures – a spider named Charlotte – and their bond inspires the animals around them to come together as a family. When the word gets out that Wilbur’s days are numbered, it seems that only a miracle will save his life. A determined Charlotte – who sees miracles in the ordinary – spins words into her web in an effort to convince the farmer that Wilbur is “some pig” and worth saving.

Note: Charlotte’s Web, written by E. B. White with illustrations by Garth Williams, is the best-selling children’s paperback of all time.

Release: December 20, 2006