A blockbusting summer ahead
The big budget blockbuster season ignited with Iron Man at the weekend and Gavin Miller looks ahead to the next two months.
Speed Racer is out tomorrow and stars Emile Hirsch, Matthew Fox and Christina Ricci.
The Wachowski Brothers (The Matrix Trilogy) are back and making cinema look better than ever.
Hirsch – on the back of his recent critical acclaim in Into the Wild – stars as Speed Racer, a gifted young driver trying to make it in the corrupt futuristic world of racing.
Lost's Matthew Fox is his arch rival, Ricci is the girlfriend and Susan Sarandon and John Goodman take up parenting duties in this colourful adaptation of the classic Japanese cartoon series, which could well be a hit.
Indian Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (May 22).
Not a lot more needs to be said here – with cinemas expecting "the man with the hat" to be their top bread winner this summer.
After a 19-year hiatus, Ford returns as Indy for his fourth instalment set in the cold war era, with Steven Spielberg again on directorial duties – and Karen Allen reprising her Raiders of the Lost Ark role.
An all-star cast includes LaBeouf (Transformers) and Blanchett – making a rare villainous turn – along with Ray Winstone, Alan Dale, Jim Broadbent and John Hurt.
Early murmurings hint that we all may have to keep our expectations in check – but let's really hope that isn't the case.
Sex and the City: The Movie (May 28).
Cynthia Nixon completes the famous New York foursome and has already hinted that Jessica Parker's Carrie has to deal with a massive shock at the start of the movie.
Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls) is one of the few new characters to enter the fray as Carrie's assistant, with Chris Noth returning as the iconic Mr Big.
They all said they would never make it when the TV series finally finished but four years later fans can get the movie version fix they have been pining for.
The Happening (June 13). The previously untouchable M Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs) really needs to get back on track after his progressively weirder films hit a low point with The Lady in the Water.
But it could just happen with The Happening, with its gripping premise of a bizarre natural apocalyptic event killing chunks of society.
Shyamalan has at least gone for an A-lister this time round in Mark Wahlberg – supported by The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy's Deschanel – but very little is known about what the disaster entails.
The Incredible Hulk (June 13)
The big green machine gets his second big-budget bite at a blockbuster franchise – with Ed Norton replacing Eric Bana five years on.
The editing of the film has been shrouded in controversy with Edward Norton and director Louis Leterrier (The Transporter 2) wanting a more methodical (and an extra 15 minutes) approach, but Universal - maybe scarred from the limited-action failure of Hulk – have opted for a more commercial edit.
Only time – and the box-office – will tell if that was the way to go, as Norton's Bruce Banner looks for a cure to his superhero ability – before meeting his physical match with Tim Roth's The Abomination.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (June 26)
The second adventure in the timeless fantasy world of CS Lewis moves from its inaugural winter slot to do battle with the summer big boys.
Set 1,300 years (but one earth year) after The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the kings and queens of Narnia (with the same four kids reprising their roles) return to the faraway realm to find it ruled by the evil King Miraz – and the golden age extinct.
But alas, help is on hand with Ben Barnes' young rightful heir to the throne Prince Caspian – and of course with the Liam Neeson-voiced Aslan – as this sequel tries to get near the original film's massive till-ringing haul.
Wanted (June 27)
Hot British star James McAvoy (Atonement) aims to make waves in Hollywood with his first major big-budget blockbuster role.
Fox (Angelina Jolie) and Sloan (Morgan Freeman) – of a mysterious secret assassin fraternity – take McAvoy's down-and-out Wes under their wing to unleash his dormant powers – giving him lightning-quick reflexes and phenomenal agility to avenge the death of his father.
Based on Mark Millar's explosive graphic novel series, this is by no means an obvious summer front-runner – but could be a dark horse to watch out for.
Hancock (July 2)
Who? Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman
What? Perennial box-office big-hitter Will Smith extends his recent run (I Am Legend) of intriguing lead roles – this time as a misunderstood superhero.
In LA, the well-intentioned Hancock's crime-fighting always gets the job done, but the edgy and sarcastic hero always seems to rub the public up the wrong way – especially when he leaves a mass of destruction in his wake.
Charlize Theron and Smith hope to put the disaster of their last collaboration (The Legend of Bagger Vance) behind them – and where there's a Will there always seems to be a way.
Get Smart (July 11)
Steve Carell hopes to rebuild the film fences he knocked down with the dreadful Evan Almighty in this Austin Powers-a-like comedy caper.
He stars as bumbling analyst Maxwell Smart – a man who has dreamt of being in the line of fire alongside Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's superstar Agent 23 – now finally promoted to field agent.
But his is first partnered with Anne Hathaway's (The Devil Wears Prada) lethal Agent 99 to try and thwart the doomsday plans of the evil Terence Stamp.
He could also thwart the dominance of more obvious options as the comedy hit of the summer.
Mamma Mia: The movie (July 11)
Oscar-winner Meryl Streep headlines an all-star cast which is undoubtedly attempting to emulate the success of last year's summer musical hit Hairspray.
It's got a fair chance being the film version of a beloved musical that has been seen by more than 30 million people worldwide.
The timeless lyrics and melodies of Abba provide the background to this wedding tale of a mother (Streep), daughter (Amanda Seyfried), and three possible dads (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard) on an idyllic Greek island.
Expect Seyfried to be the dancing queen come July.
Wall-E (July 17)
Starring The voices of Sigourney Weaver, John Ratzenberger and Fred Willard Disney and Pixar should undoubtedly continue their animation winning streak with this Short Circuit-esque computer-generated animation from the award-winning director behind Finding Nemo.
Lonely robot WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-class) finds a new purpose after hundreds of lonely years collecting rubbish on a desolate Earth – in the form of super-sleek search robot Eve.
Dreamworks' Kung Fu Panda (out July 4) will provide tough competition – especially as Shrek the Third defeated Ratatouille at last summer's box-office – but expect the little robot to reign supreme and kick the panda into touch.
The Dark Knight (July 25)
Even though on the back of the critically-acclaimed – and most say one of the best superhero movies of all-time – Batman Begins, the box-office cume of the sequel will undoubtedly be helped by the sad departure of the late Heath Ledger.
His turn as legendary villain The Joker hints at greatness, and with most of the cast returning – bar Maggie Gyllenhaal replacing Katie Holmes – this could undoubtedly be the best the summer has to offer.
Its run-time is touted at nearly three hours, but when you've got to accommodate the transformation of Aaron Eckhart's District Attorney Harvey Dent to Two-Face, the alleged return of Cillian Murphy's
Scarecrow, and Ledger's The Joker – Cristian Bale's Batman has got his hands full. And I can't wait.
Please note that all movie release dates were correct at the time of going to press, but are subject to change.
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Last Updated:
08 May 2008 9:27 AM
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