The film industry had a record year in 2008, bringing in an estimated $9.8 billion at the North American box office. It will be a tough act to follow, but 2009 promises to deliver as many -- if not more -- big movies. There are two big movies that were supposed to come out this past holiday season: the latest "Harry Potter" and the new take on "Star Trek." A wide variety of animated films are coming, from the latest in 3D digital technology to Disney's return to traditional animation. And, of course, there will be sequels (and prequels) galore. Here are 22 of the most anticipated of this year, in order of release date.

Photo by Warner Bros. Pictures3/6 - WATCHMEN

Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Patrick Wilson and Carla Gugino star in this adaptation of the famed graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.

Photo by DreamWorks Animation3/27 - MONSTERS VS. ALIENS

Reese Witherspoon and Hugh Laurie star in this animated flick about a rag-tag band of mutants assembled by the U.S. military to thwart an invasion.

Photo by Universal Pictures4/3 - FAST & FURIOUS

Paul Walker and Vin Diesel return to fight crime and drive really fast.

Photo by 20th Century Fox5/1 - X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE

Hugh Jackman stars in this prequel to the X-Men trilogy exploring how Logan became the adamantium blade-wielding mutant Wolverine.

Photo by Paramount Pictures5/8 - STAR TREK

"Lost" creator J. J. Abrams reboots the beloved sci-fi franchise in this prequel exploring the early days of Kirk and Spock.

Photo by Columbia Pictures5/15 - ANGELS & DEMONS

Tom Hanks returns as the "Da Vinci Code" cryptologist Robert Langdon to thwart a dastardly plot by the Illuminati to blow up the Vatican.

Photo by 20th Century Fox5/22 - NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN

When his favorite museum exhibits are accidentally shipped off to the Smithsonian, hapless museum security guard Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) infiltrates that fabled institution to rescue them.

Photo by Warner Bros. Pictures5/2 - TERMINATOR SALVATION

Christian Bale stars in this film which is both a sequel and a prequel to the wildly popular time-travel/killer robot action franchise.

Photo by Disney/Pixar5/29 - UP

Pixar follows up on their movies about gourmet rats and lonely robots with this flick about a grumpy old man and his balloon-powered floating house.

Photo by Universal Pictures6/5 - LAND OF THE LOST

Will Ferrell stars in this adaptation of the '70s TV show about three people who find themselves in a strange world populated by dinosaurs, monkey people, and reptilian Sleestaks.

Photo by Industrial Light and Magic/Paramount Pictures6/26 - TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN

Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox re-team with director Michael Bay for another action-packed battle between warring robots in disguise.

Photo by 20th Century Fox7/1 - ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS

Manny, Sid, Diego and Ellie are back in this third installment in the "Ice Age" franchise, featuring the voice talents of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, and Queen Latifah.

Photo by Unviersal Pictures, Everett Collection7/1 - PUBLIC ENEMIES

Johnny Depp stars as legendary bank robber John Dillinger and Christian Bale is the G-man on his tail in this true crime drama directed by Michael Mann.

Photo by Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros. Pictures7/17 - HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

Harry, Hermione, Ron and friends return to Hogwarts and face Lord Voldemort again in this sixth installment of the series.

Photo by Universal Pictures7/31 - FUNNY PEOPLE

"Knocked Up" and "40-Year-Old Virgin" creator Judd Apatow writes and directs this comedy/drama about a stand-up comedian starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen.

Photo by Paramount Pictures8/7 - G.I. JOE: RISE OF COBRA

A live-action extravaganza based on Hasbro's popular line of action figures starring Channing Tatum, Dennis Quaid and Sienna Miller.

Photo by Francois Duhamel/The Weinstein Company8/21 - INGLORIOUS BASTERDS

After tackling kung fu action and grindhouse horror, writer/director Quentin Tarantino goes to war with Brad Pitt leading a team of Nazi-hunters.

Photo by Warner Bros. Pictures10/16 - WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

Director Spike Jones brings to life Maurice Sendak's classic children's book about a boy transported to a world of monsters.

Photo by Universal Pictures11/6 - THE WOLFMAN

Benicio Del Toro stars as a nobleman who, thanks to a werewolf bite, begins regular moonlit massacres of the local folk.

Photo by Warner Bros. Pictures11/20 - SHERLOCK HOLMES

Robert Downey Jr. brings the legendary London sleuth to life, with Jude Law as the faithful Dr. Watson and directed by Guy Ritchie.

Photo by 20th Century Fox12/18 - AVATAR

James Cameron directs this 3D sci-fi action epic that features ground-breaking, eye-popping special effects.

Photo by Walt Disney Pictures12/25 - The Princess and the Frog

Disney presents its first traditional hand-drawn animated film in five years with a fairy tale set in New Orleans during the Jazz Age.

There are more big titles to look forward to in '09. Take a look at our top 30 >>

Which flick are you most excited about? Tell us in the comments below.