SUMMER MOVIES ARE ON THE WAY

Plenty of superheros, animated animals, heartfelt dramas, wizards, cowboys, aliens, pirates and crazy comedic antics are coming to theaters this season.

It may not feel like summer yet, with the never-ending dreary weather and the fact that the kids are still in school, but fear not: Summer is here, at least when it comes to the movies. This weekend begins the glorious four-month stretch we like to call summer movie season, and the agenda seems to be packed with plenty of blockbusters, encompassing every-which genre. To keep you on the edge of your seat, here’s a brief rundown of what’s coming to theaters this summer. Enjoy!

REINCARNATIONS

“Conan the Barbarian” (Aug. 19) — Conan returns in an updated version of the 1982 film staring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film tells the story of Conan (Jason Momoa), a man on a quest to avenge the murder of his father and the slaughter of his tribe. The only difference between this and the 1982 version: it’s in 3D.
“Fright Night” (Aug. 19) — A remake of the 1985 horror comedy classic, Collin Farrell plays a vampire who targets his next door neighbor (Anton Yelchin) after the neighbor has discovered that Farrell is responsible for a slew of recent murders.

COMIC BOOK ADAPTATIONS

“Thor” (May 6) — The Norse god of thunder (Chris Hemsworth) is cast into exile on Earth after defying his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins). Natalie Portman also stars as a physicist and mortal love interest.
“Green Lantern” (June 17) — Ryan Reynolds ends up the owner of a ring that gives those who wear it superhuman powers. In turn, Reynolds helps stop an evil force from destroying the universe. Blake Lively and Peter Sarsgaard also star.
“Captain American: The First Avenger” (July 22) — Chris Evans, most recognizable as another comic book hero, the Human Torch in the “Fantastic Four” series, snags the role of Captain America. After his character is deemed unfit for the military, he volunteers for a top secret project that turns him into Captain America.

ORIGIN FILMS

“X-Men: First Class” (June 3) — “X-Men: First Class” takes us back to when Professor X (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) were young, before they realized how much of an impact their super-human powers could have. Here they are allies, but as we all know, they end up enemies later in life.
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes” (Aug. 5) — Starring James Franco, “Rise” focuses on the experiments that lead to the mutation of the apes and the battle that ensues from it.

SCI-FI

“Cowboys and Aliens” (July 29) — Exactly that. Starring Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig and Olivia Wilde, the film is directed by “Iron Man’s” Jon Favreau, so it’s bound to be good.
“Super 8” (June 10) — From “Lost” creator J.J. Abrams, “Super 8” is about a group of kids who witness a mysterious train crash. Soon after, strange things start to happen within their town and the kids take action.

SEQUELS, TRILOGIES, ETC.

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” (July 1) — A third installment of battling Decepticons and Autobots, minus the horrible acting job from Megan Fox.
“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” (May 20) — Jack Sparrow is back — with a whole new storyline — searching for the fountain of youth. “On Stranger Tides” co-stars Penelope Cruz and Ian McShane, along with Geoffrey Rush reviving his role of Barbossa.
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” (July 15) — Oh, you know, only the biggest movie of the summer. Harry and friends conclude their eight-part adventure with a fight to the death against Lord Voldemort.
“The Hangover 2” (May 26) — Similar premise as the first film, only this time Stu is about to get hitched and the shenanigans take place in Thailand, rather than Vegas.
“Cars 2” (June 24) — It’s been five years since Lightning McQueen raced into our hearts. This time he and fellow cars Sally, Luigi, Mack and Mater head to the international race circuit, where Mater is mistaken as an undercover spy.
“Kung Fu Panda 2” (May 26) — Po the panda and his fellow pals are back, as they join forces to defend against Lord Shen (Gary Oldman), a peacock who has unleashed a new weapon that could destroy their home.

FOR THE KIDS

“Zookeeper” (July 8) — Kevin James listens to animals for love advice.
“Mr. Popper’s Penquins” (June 17) — Based on the beloved children’s book, Jim Carrey takes on the task of caring for penguins.
“Winnie the Pooh” (July 15) — Pooh and friends set out to find a missing Christopher Robin.
“The Smurfs” (July 29) — The Smurfs come to life in Manhattan after Gargamel exiles them from their village.

COMEDIES

“Bad Teacher” (June 24) — Cameron Diaz plays a bad teacher who hits on fellow colleague Justin Timberlake. Wait, didn’t this happen in real life?
“Horrible Bosses” (July 8) — Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell and Kevin Spacey play horrible bosses to Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day. The latter devise a plan to get rid of the former.
“Friends with Benefits” (July 22) — Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake travel down the friends-with-benefits road, only to find that it only complicates matters more.
“Bridesmaids” (May 13) — Aiming to diminish the chick-flick stereotype, SNL folk Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph take on a girly topic, in a not-so-girly manner.
“Something Borrowed” (May 6) — Based on the popular book by Emily Giffin, Ginnifer Goodwin and her best friend’s (Kate Hudson) fiancé (Colin Egglesfield) fall in love. “The Office’s” John Krasinski plays their longtime pal Ethan.
“The Change Up” (Aug. 5) — A “Freaky Friday”-eske premise with funnier actors: Ryan Reynolds and Jason Batemen switch bodies.

DRAMA

“The Help” (Aug. 12) — “The Help” — a hugely-popular book by Kathryn Stockett — delves into the lives of black maids in the 1960s, when aspiring writer Skeeter (Emma Stone) decides to write a novel on the subject.
“Larry Crowe” (July 1) — Tom Hanks goes back to school after losing his job and falls in love with one of his teachers (Julia Roberts).
“Beginners” (June 3) — Christopher Plummer embraces life after coming out of the closet at the age of 75. Ewan McGregor co-stars.
“Midnight in Paris” (May 20) — Woody Allen casts Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams as a couple who learn on a trip to Paris that their life may be better apart from one another.

DRAMA / COMEDY

"Crazy, Stupid, Love” (July 29) — Ryan Gosling takes Steve Carrell under his wing, as Carrell attempts to get back in the dating scene after his wife kicks him out.
“Our Idiot Brother” (Aug. 26) — Paul Rudd is forced to live with each of his three sisters, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel and Emily Mortimer, while each goes through a struggle of their own.
“Everything Must Go” (May 13) — Will Ferrell gets kicked out from his house and loses his job, so he decides to live on his lawn and have a massive yard sale to get rid of his painful past.