With 2012 off to an impressive start with big films and record draws at the box office, the line-up of spring films, like The Hunger Games and Wrath of Titans, seems more like typical summer fare -- and May brings another blockbuster each week.
Rolling out the films a little earlier avoids a pile up, especially with the football season hitting Europe in June. The Memorial Day holiday weekend is historically a big cinema weekend in the US but it's looking like it'll be a month long.
The following offers a hint at what's to come this summer, from The Dark Knight Rises to The Amazing Spider-Man, Bourne Legacy and Total Recall to Rock of Ages, plus kids' movies including Brave and Madagascar 3. Here's what's upcoming:
The Avengers
Release dates: April 25-27 in France, the UK, Australia and other markets, rolling out May 1-4 worldwide
Marvel's superhero team, The Avengers, bands together to save the world from the evil Loki and his army of invaders. Starring Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Mark Ruffalo as The Incredible Hulk, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Chris Evans as Captain America, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Samuel L. Jackson as the head of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Dark Shadows
Release dates: May 9-11 worldwide
Tim Burton's gothic horror tale with an all-star cast including Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Chloe Grace Moretz, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Lee and Alice Cooper in a redo of the American television soap opera from the 1960s about the life of vampires, monsters, witches, werewolves and ghosts.
Men In Black 3
Release dates: May 23-25 worldwide
Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith return as Agents K and J in the threequel of this sci-fi comedy. It's been a decade since the last installment, also directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. Costars Josh Brolin (True Grit) as a young K and Emma Thompson as O, and lots of new alien monsters in this time travel adventure.
Snow White and the Huntsman
Release dates: May 30 - June 1
With Twilight's Kristen Stewart as Snow White, Chris Hemsworth (Thor) as the Huntsman and Charlize Theron as the Evil Queen. This version of the Grimm fairy tale features lots of action and drama, as the hunted and hunter join forces. Not to be confused with the spring release of Mirror Mirror, a fantasy comedy version of Snow White starring Julia Roberts.
Prometheus
Release dates: May 30 - June 1 in the UK, France and many international markets, rolling out to the rest June 7-9
Inspired by his film Alien, Ridley Scott's latest sci-fi horror thriller stars Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron and Guy Pearce as a team of explorers who must battle to save the planet and get back to earth. Circa 2090, Michael Fassbender plays a replicant as they travel to the darkest part of the universe.
RC
