Buzzed about titles screening at the Toronto International Film Festival

TORONTO – More than 280 movies will unspool at the 11-day Toronto International Film Festival, which kicks off Thursday. Here are 12 titles already generating buzz:

“Anna Karenina” — Keira Knightley reunites for a third time with director Joe Wright (“Atonement, “Pride and Prejudice”) in this big-screen adaptation of Tolstoy’s classic novel. Expect lavish costumes, gorgeously styled sets and melodrama galore — as well as plenty of eye candy from male leads Jude Law and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

“Bad 25” — With Michael Jackson’s landmark follow-up to “Thriller” hitting the quarter-century mark this year, director Spike Lee embarks on a behind-the-scenes look at the creatively fertile and personally turbulent period that ushered in the King of Pop’s transformation from teen pin-up to troubled icon. Featuring interviews from the likes of Kanye West, Cee Lo Green and Mariah Carey, “Bad 25” promises to be an important document for fans — and since neither Lee nor Jackson was ever a stranger to controversy, it could be a juicy one, too.

“Cloud Atlas” — The David Mitchell novel on which this film is based is a sprawling work that jumps across time, borders and genres, and was thought to be pretty much impossible to reproduce onscreen. It took three directors (Tom Tykwer and Lana and Andy Wachowski of the “Matrix” trilogy), a sprawling A-list cast including Tom Hanks, Halle Berry and Susan Sarandon and a hefty budget to get it done. Whether the film soars or sinks, it’ll be something to see.

“The Company You Keep” — The Sundance Kid will hit TIFF to talk up this hotly anticipated political thriller about a militant Weather Underground activist on the run from a journalist. Robert Redford directs and heads up a near-blinding cast of blue-chip stars that includes Shia LaBeouf, Julie Christie, Stanley Tucci, Nick Nolte, Richard Jenkins, Anna Kendrick, Terrence Howard and Susan Sarandon.

“Looper” — It gets automatic buzz as the opening film of this year’s fest but unlike some previous kick-off selections — which shall remain nameless — this movie has “big hit” written all over it. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt, it’s a twisty time-travel thriller that has blockbuster potential. Don’t worry if you can’t catch the big festival gala, it opens in theatres Sept. 28.

“The Master” — Consider this weighty period drama a full-on Oscar offensive from the Weinstein Company: big screen powerhouse Philip Seymour Hoffman plays a spiritual guru who develops a cult-like organization not unlike Scientology, while Joaquin Phoenix is a troubled Second World War vet who falls under his tutelage. Paul Thomas Anderson directs while Amy Adams and Laura Dern round out the stellar cast.

“Midnight’s Children” — Canada’s Oscar-nominated director Deepa Mehta and Booker Prize-winning author Salman Rushdie make up the dream team behind this big-screen adaptation of Rushdie’s sweeping, magical, comic-epic novel about India’s early days of independence. With Mehta’s eye for magic realism and Rushdie tapped as screenwriter, the ingredients are there for an over-the-top spectacle as intoxicating and colourful as India itself.

“Much Ado About Nothing” — Few filmmakers have had a better year than Joss Whedon, the one-time “Buffy” scribe who directed the blockbuster smash “The Avengers” and co-wrote the acclaimed cult hit “The Cabin in the Woods.” So this modern-day version of the beloved William Shakespeare play — shot entirely at Whedon’s house in California over the course of a mere 12 days — certainly shouldn’t lack for attention when it hits screens at TIFF.

“On The Road” — Walter Salles’ adaptation of the seminal Jack Kerouac book is buzzy not so much for the film itself as it is for its scandal-plagued star, Kristen Stewart. The “Twilight” phenomenon hits the red carpet in Toronto just weeks after being embroiled in a salacious tangle that supposedly busted up her fairy tale romance with hunk Robert Pattinson. Already, journalists have been sternly warned to steer clear of personal questions.

“The Place Beyond the Pines” — Judging by their past collaborations, the team behind this crime drama could very well wow once again. Star Ryan Gosling has worked with most of these producers several times now, on lauded titles including “Half Nelson,” which earned him an Oscar nomination, and “Blue Valentine,” which was also helmed by director/co-writer Derek Cianfrance. The A-list cast also includes Bradley Cooper, Ray Liotta and Eva Mendes, who reportedly started dating Gosling onset.

“Seven Psychopaths” — Speaking of promising film-team reunions, this canine-crime comedy sees writer-director Martin McDonagh pairing up again with Irish star Colin Farrell after the Oscar-nominated “In Bruges.” Farrell plays a screenwriter who gets ensnared in organized crime when his friends kidnap a gangster’s adorable Shih Tzu. Farrell flexes his comedy chops alongside Woody Harrelson, Christopher Walken, Sam Rockwell and Tom Waits, among others.

“West of Memphis” — It’s the kind of tragic truth-is-stranger-than-fiction tale that leaves you heartbroken. Celebs including Johnny Depp, Peter Jackson, Eddie Vedder and Natalie Maines appear in this documentary about the so-called West Memphis Three, a trio of teens who were convicted of murdering three young boys in Arkansas in 1994. The film presents a convincing case outlining why the teens — who were freed last year after serving 18 years in jail — were likely innocent and made scapegoats by a small-town police force and ambitious, ego-driven prosecutors.