Before he puts on the Santa Claus suit for a third time, Tim Allen goes to the dogs ... literally, in a remake of Disney's "The Shaggy Dog." It's one of a handful of family films coming our way in early 2006.

		HOT PICKS "Match Point" -- Woody Allen aces this story about luck, skill, love, lust, wealth, privilege and murderous intent. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is a former tennis pro who dates a wealthy Englishwoman but finds himself dangerously drawn to a struggling actress played by Scarlett Johansson. (Jan. 20) "Failure to Launch" -- Matthew McConaughey is a 35-year-old bachelor happily living at home, but his parents (dad is Terry Bradshaw) want him out, so they hire a professional motivator to nudge him along. (Feb. 10) "Inside Man" -- If the Spike Lee movie is half as good as the cast -- Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster -- we're in. A tough cop matches wits with a clever bank robber but doesn't count on a power broker with a hidden agenda in this hostage drama. (March 24) "American Dreamz" -- Dennis Quaid plays the recently re-elected president of the United States who decides to read the newspaper for the first time in four years and holes up in his bedroom in his pajamas. His staff books him a judging gig on the talent show "American Dreamz," hosted by Hugh Grant, but one of the finalists might be a terrorist. It's a comedy from Paul Weitz. (April 14) "Thank You for Smoking" -- Aaron Eckhart is Big Tobacco's chief spokesman who goes on the offensive when confronted by health zealots and an opportunistic senator (William H. Macy) who wants to put poison labels on cigarette packs. (Date to be announced)

Emma Thompson plays a nanny, Curious George comes to life, and the "Ice Age" critters return. Martin Lawrence and Tyler Perry wriggle into pantyhose, padding and granny pants for sequels to their hits, and Spike Lee directs one handsome cast in "Inside Man" starring Denzel Washington, Clive Owen and Jodie Foster. Of course, "Firewall" stars Harrison Ford, Paul Bettany and Virginia Madsen are not too shabby, either.

As we look ahead to the first four months of the year, some of the big 2005 titles are still trickling into town. Opening tomorrow: "Brokeback Mountain," "Glory Road," "Last Holiday," "Matador," "Hoodwinked" and "Tristan & Isolde."

After that, here's the lineup although dates are subject to change.

JAN. 20

"Match Point" -- Woody has new muses: Scarlett Johansson and London. Both are jolly good. See Hot Picks.

The New World" -- Colin Farrell, Christian Bale and 15-year-old Q'orianka Kilcher star in Terrence Malick's interpretation of the story of Pocahontas, adventurer John Smith and aristocrat John Rolfe.

"Underworld: Evolution" -- Kate Beckinsale, as a vampire warrior, is back in this sequel to the picture that opened at No. 1 in September 2003.

"End of the Spear" -- Director-writer Jim Hanon dramatizes the real-life murders of five American missionaries by an isolated Amazon tribe in 1956 and what happens when brutality is met by faith and forgiveness.

"The Syrian Bride" -- A young woman from a Druze family in Israel's Golan Heights, engaged to a Syrian man, faces the fact her marriage will mean never returning to Israel. When she gets to the border, she finds she's created an international incident.

JAN. 27

"Big Momma's House 2" -- Martin Lawrence goes undercover again as Big Momma, the plus-size gray-haired granny he created in 2000. This time, Big Momma is put to work as a nanny and gets to romp on the beach Bo Derek style, with braids, yellow swimsuit ... and lumpy thighs.

"Nanny McPhee" -- Emma Thompson adapts the "Nurse Matilda" books by Christianna Brand and plays the title role, a woman of unsettling appearance and magical powers who tries to tame the seven ill-behaved children of a widower (Colin Firth).

"Annapolis" -- When he won admission to the Naval Academy, a local (James Franco) thought all his dreams had come true -- but his battles were just beginning.

FEB. 3

"Something New" -- Simon Baker and Blair Underwood play men vying for the attention of Sanaa Lathan, a Los Angeles career gal, in this romantic comedy.

"When a Stranger Calls" -- "Have you checked the children lately?" Camilla Belle stars in this remake of the 1979 horror movie about a baby sitter terrorized by a killer caller ... who's inside the house.

"Ballets Russes" -- This audience favorite from the Three Rivers Film Festival maps the revolutionary dance troupe's rise in turn-of-the-century Paris.

FEB. 10

"Failure to Launch" -- Just in time for V-Day. See Hot Picks.

"Firewall" -- Harrison Ford is a bank security expert who must beat the infallible computer systems he established -- and a ruthless criminal mastermind (Paul Bettany) demanding $100 million -- to save his kidnapped family in this action thriller.

"Pink Panther" -- We can only hope the movie is as funny as those Steve Martin spots about turning off your cell phone in the theater. Martin is Inspector Clouseau, summoned when a famous soccer coach is murdered and a priceless ring stolen.

"Curious George" -- Will Ferrell speaks for the man with the yellow hat in this animated comedy about the good little monkey who is always very curious.

"Final Destination 3"-- The premonition may change -- this time it concerns a roller-coaster accident -- but the ramifications of cheating death never do.

"The White Countess" -- A blind former diplomat (Ralph Fiennes) creates an elegant nightclub, The White Countess, in 1936 Shanghai to escape the chaos and tragedy of his life in this James Ivory film also starring Natasha Richardson.

FEB. 17

"Date Movie" -- Romantic comedies such as "Hitch," "Meet the Parents," "The Wedding Planner" and "My Best Friend's Wedding" are spoofed in this movie from two of the six writers of "Scary Movie." Alas, neither is named Wayans.

"Freedomland" -- When a white woman reports being carjacked by a black man -- who made off with her 4-year-old son -- racial tensions between two New Jersey towns erupt. Julianne Moore and Samuel L. Jackson star in this adaptation of Richard Price's novel.

"Eight Below" -- An accident leaves eight sled dogs stranded in Antarctica, where they must struggle to survive in the frozen wilderness, while a team of adventurers mounts a rescue mission. With Paul Walker, Bruce Greenwood and Jason Biggs.

"The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till" -- Fifty years after the murder of the Chicago teen, a documentary maker reconstructs the case, interviews eyewitnesses whose stories were never told and presents testimony from Emmett's mother, who has since died.

FEB. 24

"Madea's Family Reunion" -- Tyler Perry returns as Southern matriarch Madea, caring for a rebellious runaway, helping nieces with relationship troubles and organizing a family reunion.

"Running Scared" -- Paul Walker plays a low-level mobster who, to save his family, must recover a gun used in a mob hit before it's found by his bosses or the cops in this crime drama.

"Imagine Me & You" -- Oops. A bride (Piper Perabo) falls in love with someone else on her wedding day.

"After Innocence" -- Filmmaker Jessica Sanders ("Sing!") examines what happens to seven men imprisoned for decades and released after DNA evidence proves their innocence.

"Ultraviolet" -- Milla Jovovich stars in this futuristic vampire film as the protector of a 9-year-old boy, played by Cameron Bright, the child opposite Nicole Kidman in "Birth."

MARCH 3

"16 Blocks" -- A 16-block journey between precinct and courthouse becomes a life-and-death struggle for a broken-down New York detective and a petty criminal in this film starring Bruce Willis, Mos Def and David Morse.

"40 Shades of Blue" -- A young Russian woman living with a legendary Memphis music producer (Rip Torn) has a personal awakening, but it comes after an affair with his estranged son.

"Goal! The Dream Begins" -- The makers of this soccer movie, about a talented Mexican-American given the chance to play for one of England's premier soccer clubs, are already planning two sequels, with the final film culminating at the World Cup.

"Deep Sea 3D" -- Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, who know a little something about watery adventures, narrate this IMAX 3-D film.

MARCH 10

"The Shaggy Dog" -- In the 1959 black-and-white original, Fred MacMurray was the father of a teen (Tommy Kirk) who turned into a pooch. This time, Tim Allen is a workaholic deputy district attorney who takes a case involving an animal lab and is accidentally turned into a dog.

"Idlewild" -- OutKast members Andre Benjamin and Antwan Andre Patton, better known as Andre 3000 and Big Boi, appear in this musical set against the backdrop of a 1930s Southern speakeasy.

"The Best of Youth" -- This made Newsweek's top 10 list for 2005. David Ansen wrote: "This Italian epic follows two brothers from '66 to now. It's six hours. You don't want it to end."

MARCH 17

"She's the Man" -- Amanda Bynes disguises herself as her twin brother (James Kirk) and enrolls in his place at a boarding school but doesn't count on falling for her roomie, who only has eyes for another.

"El Crimen Perfecto" -- An accidental killing in the women's dressing rooms of a Madrid department store sets off a chain reaction in this black comedy.

"V for Vendetta" -- Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving star in this movie written by the Wachowski brothers ("The Matrix"), based on the graphic novel. A masked man known as V tries to restore freedom and justice to totalitarian Britain.

MARCH 24

"Inside Man" -- A-list cast and director. See Hot Picks.

"RV" -- Sounds like a Chevy Chase vacation but with Robin Williams, an RV and, in the role of the annoying new friends, Jeff Daniels and Kristin Chenoweth.

"Stay Alive" -- Teens play an ultra-realistic video game and discover they're being murdered in the same way that their characters were.

"Duma" -- This Carroll Ballard ("Fly Away Home," "The Black Stallion") family film is about the bond between a cheetah named Duma and an intrepid young boy.

MARCH 31

"Ice Age 2: The Meltdown" -- Ray Romano, John Leguizamo and Denis Leary once again speak for Manny, Sid and Diego as they realize the Ice Age is ending and they need to warn everyone about an impending flood.

"Basic Instinct 2" -- Sharon Stone returns as Catherine Trammel, but now she's in London and David Morrissey is her leading man.

"ATL" -- Hip-hop and roller skating provide the backdrop for this story about four teens coming of age in a working-class Atlanta neighborhood.

"Slither" -- James Gunn, who wrote the 2004 remake of "Dawn of the Dead," makes his directing debut with this horror movie about a sleepy town beset by a ravenous organism.

APRIL 7

"Take the Lead" -- Inspired by a true story, Antonio Banderas plays an acclaimed ballroom dancer who volunteers to teach in New York's public schools and blends his traditional steps with his students' hip-hop style.

"The Benchwarmers" -- Rob Schneider, David Spade and Jon Heder are adult friends trying to make up for their lack of athletic agility as children.

APRIL 14

"American Dreamz" -- A dreamy cast, led by Dennis Quaid, Hugh Grant, Mandy Moore and Chris Klein. See Hot Picks.

"Aquamarine" -- Sara Paxton and Emma Roberts, daughter of famous dad Eric and niece of even more famous aunt Julia Roberts, star in this mermaid fantasy.

"The Wild" -- A young lion leads a group of zoo animals, including a giraffe, snake and koala, on an escape into the wild in this movie featuring the voices of Kiefer Sutherland, Eddie Izzard, Janeane Garafalo and William Shatner.

APRIL 21

"The Sentinel" -- Michael Douglas stars in this thriller about a Secret Service agent who is having an affair with the first lady (Kim Basinger) and becomes a suspect in a plot to kill the president. Cast also includes Kiefer Sutherland and Eva Longoria.

"Accepted" -- Rejected by eight legitimate colleges, Bartleby "B" Gaines (Justin Long) and his pals create a fake school, which soon attracts other misfits.

"Silent Hill" -- Radha Mitchell ("Melinda & Melinda") is a woman looking for her lost daughter in this adaptation of the video game of the same name.

"Hoot" -- Three middle-schoolers take on greedy land developers, corrupt politicians and clueless cops in this family film about endangered owls, based on Carl Hiaasen's book.

APRIL 28

"Flight 93" -- Director-writer Paul Greengrass "partially improvises" the events aboard Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001, using a cast of unknowns who were given studies of their true-life counterparts.

"Catch & Release" -- "Erin Brockovich" writer Susannah Grant makes her directorial debut with this romantic comedy starring Jennifer Garner as a woman trying to recover from a devastating loss.

"Akeelah and the Bee" -- Another spelling bee movie, this time about a precocious 11-year-old from south Los Angeles, starring Keke Palmer, Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne.

DATES TO BE DETERMINED

"Transamerica" -- Felicity Huffman is a man on the way to becoming a woman in a performance that has earned the "Desperate Housewives" actress much acclaim. (January)

"Mrs. Henderson Presents" -- Judi Dench is a London widow who buys a theater, installs a manager (Bob Hoskins) and decides to use nude women on stage in tasteful tableaux. (January)

"New York Doll" -- Arthur "Killer" Kane of the rock band The New York Dolls, a recovering alcoholic and recently converted Mormon, is given a chance at reuniting with his band after 30 years. (February)

"One: The Movie" -- Documentary made by a Michigan trial lawyer in the wake of 9/11 to demonstrate our interconnectedness. (February)

"Emmanuel's Gift" -- Oprah Winfrey narrates the inspiring tale of a young man from Ghana determined to ride a bicycle, with one healthy leg and one prosthetic leg, across his country. (February)

"Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story" -- Michael Winterbottom tells two stories: that of an 18th century Englishman named Tristram Shandy (Steve Coogan) and the hapless 21st century filmmakers adapting the notoriously unfilmable work with Steve Coogan in the title role. (March)

"Tsotsi" -- Based on the book by Athol Fugard, this South African film traces six days in the life of a young gang leader who steals a woman's car, unaware that her baby is in the back seat. (March)

"The Libertine" --The meteoric rise and fall of John Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester (Johnny Depp), is charted in this movie also featuring John Malkovich as King Charles II. (March)

"Lucky Number Slevin" -- Bruce Willis, Josh Hartnett, Lucy Liu, Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley star in this New York gangster thriller about mistaken identity. (March)

"At Last" -- Back from the Three Rivers Film Festival, this love story doubles as a time capsule for New Orleans as it looked before the hurricane. (March)

"Dave Chappelle's Block Party" -- Chappelle threw a party in Brooklyn, did a little standup and invited some performers, such as Kanye West and Erykah Badu, to sing, and it was all captured on film. (March or April)

"Kinky Boots" -- Joel Edgerton is a young Englishman who inherits his father's failing shoe factory and Chiwetel Ejiofor the female impersonator who saves the day. (April)

"Brick" -- Writer-director Rian Johnson won the Sundance Film Festival's special jury prize for originality of vision with this strange little detective story, set in high school and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. (April)

"On a Clear Day" -- Peter Mullan is a 55-year-old Glasgow shipbuilder who, after being laid off, secretly trains to swim the English Channel. (April)

"Waist Deep" -- Vondie Curtis Hall directs and Tyrese Gibson stars in an urban thriller about an ex-convict whose efforts to go straight are thwarted when his young son is kidnapped in a carjacking. (April)

"Night Watch (Nochnoi Dozor)" -- First installment of a trilogy based on the sci-fi novels of Sergei Lukyanenko about the conflict between forces of light and darkness.

"The Hills Have Eyes" -- Alexandre Aja ("High Tension") puts a new spin on Wes Craven's film about a stranded family that becomes prey for cannibalistic mutants.

"Phat Girlz" -- Mo'Nique is an aspiring fashion designer in this comedy about frustrated plus-size women looking for love and acceptance.

"A Good Woman" -- Helen Hunt is a penniless "woman of ill repute" who heads for Italy's Amalfi coast in search of a new patron among the vacationing aristocrats in this romantic comedy based on Oscar Wilde's "Lady Windermere's Fan" and also starring Scarlett Johansson and Tom Wilkinson.

"Water" -- Final film in Deepa Mehta's trilogy on the elements, after "Fire" and "Earth," about an 8-year-old child bride in 1930s India whose husband suddenly passes away.

"Duck Season" -- The loneliness of childhood, effects of divorce and power of friendship are explored in this Mexican comedy about an unlikely foursome passing a day together.

"Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World" -- Albert Brooks plays a comedian named Albert Brooks who is sent by the U.S. government to India and Pakistan to find out what makes Muslims laugh.

"A Scanner Darkly"-- A Philip K. Dick novel inspired this Richard Linklater movie set in Orange County, Calif., in a future where America has lost the war on drugs. Keanu Reeves stars.

"Thank You for Smoking" -- It's a satire, folks. See Hot Picks. (Date to be announced)