This could be an unusually exciting year for the Best Director category. At least five likely contenders are women, the first time that's happened since ... well, ever.

In eight decades, only three women have ever been nominated for a Best Director Oscar, and none has won. This year, however, at least one woman has a lock on a nomination, and several others have decent shots at awards recognition as well.

The good thing about making a movie based on a book is that the foundation is already there. The not-so-good thing is when the film doesn't follow the book closely enough for viewers ('My Sister's Keeper'), leaves viewers wanting more ('The Men Who Stare at Goats'), or just plain doesn't translate well to the big screen ('Angels & Demons').

But even condensed into a meager two hours, there are plenty of films that do measure up, either in full or enough to make our list of the top 10 film adaptations of 2009. See if you agree with our choices, and feel free to add your own in the comments below.

Only a pro can go from Country-Western to 'Tron' and back to a Coen Bros.' Western.

Jeff Bridges -- who is garnering Oscar buzz for his earthy turn as a country singer in Fox Searchlight's 'Crazy Heart,' hitting theaters Dec. 16 -- will next star in the Coen brothers' 'True Grit,' after having finished shooting on 'Tron: Legacy.'

Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and the girls are getting ready to head back to the big screen for another round of NYC-set romantic adventures in 'Sex and the City 2,' and we've got the exclusive poster premiere to prove it.

And, although the plot of new movie is being more closely guarded than the Female Fab Four's collection of Manolos (that's right, my girlfriend told me what Manolos are), judging by the poster, Carrie's future is so bright she's gotta wear shades. Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda don't strut back into theaters until May 2010, but you can check out the poster right here, right now. See it after the jump.

Silver screen siren Zoe Saldana reveals the most "sexy" part of working on 'Star Trek' and 'Avatar.' [AskMen]

'New Moon''s Summit Entertainment taps Brad Pitt to produce vampire flick, 'Vlad.' [Hollywood]

Acclaimed films 'Pan's Labyrinth' and 'The Orphanage' -- and even Oscar winner Javier Bardem -- are spoofed in 'Scary Movie' series' latest overseas offshoot, 'Spanish Movie.' [ScreenJunkie]

Russell Crowe's new action-thriller, 'Tenderness,' has a very -- very -- exclusive opening in NYC. [MovieLine]

When Disney decided to up the ante, as it were, and introduce more "colourful" faces into its movies, we met such racially-diverse characters as Pocahontas from 'Pocahontas', Jasmine from 'Aladdin', and Mulan from 'Mulan'. Each is basically the same as any other Disney princess or heroine, with the exception of skin colour.

Now Disney has taken another step in the right direction, introducing the company's first (can you believe it?) black princess. Based in New Orleans, a scene of much devastation after the Hurricane Katrina horror, 'The Princess and the Frog' seeks to break free of the typical princess-prince-happily-ever-after theme, to moderate success. Starring theatre pro Anika Noni Rose, whose voice you may recognize from 'Dreamgirls', the movie is a feel-good romp for the under-10 age bracket.

Moviefone Canada sat down to talk with Rose about what it's like to fill the monumental role, and how she truly feels about frogs.

Broken Lizard is a true Hollywood oddity. Jay Chandrasekhar, Steve Lemme, Erik Stolhanske, Paul Soter, and Kevin Heffernan formed as a sketch comedy group at Colgate University in 1990. Five years later, they racked up a ton of debt while shooting their first feature film, 'Puddle Cruiser.' The gamble paid off ... seven years later when their second film 'Super Troopers' became a cult hit. Twenty years after forming, they don't hate each other. They have continued to work successfully as a group in a system that often tears friends apart.

For their newest film, 'The Slammin' Salmon', Heffernan decided to sit in the director's chair for the first time. While that seat is warmed by Chandrasekhar, the result is the same high-energy comedy Broken Lizard fans have come to expect -- and love. Fans will be amazed when Michael Clarke Duncan steals the whole film from these comedy veterans. We caught up with Heffernan at the City Crab in New York to talk about the film, the group's latest tour and their upcoming films.