Iron Man, Robin Hood, The A-Team, Sylvester Stallone…the summer 2010 season has no shortage of macho heroes for moviegoers to cheer on. But don’t underestimate the female draws, as a new Sex in the City and the third edition of the Twilight franchise grab their share of the box-office bounty. Kids of all ages will be treated to the latest chapters of two durable animation franchises, Shrek and Toy Story, both in 3D. Also high on the list of anticipated movies: Leonardo DiCaprio in Christopher Nolan’s mystery-shrouded follow-up to The Dark Knight; M. Night Shyamalan entering the world of Nickelodeon; star vehicles for Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Angelina Jolie, Nicolas Cage, Will Ferrell, George Clooney, Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell; and a double helping of hit-maker Jerry Bruckheimer. Once again, Hollywood is turning up the heat.

May Highlights
In Iron Man 2, billionaire inventor Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey, Jr.) superhero identity is no longer a secret. With citizens and the government alike urging him to share his shield technology, Stark turns to Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Rhodey Rhodes (Don Cheadle) to help him face his new challenges. Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson round out the cast, and Jon Favreau returns as director of the blockbuster franchise. (Paramount; May 7)

In the fourth and final film in the computer-animated series, Shrek Forever After goes the “What if” route, taking a cue from George Bailey’s “I wish I had never been born” sequence in It’s a Wonderful Life. Saddled with the responsibilities of caring for a wife and large family, Shrek wishes he could go back to being an unfriendly, feared ogre—just for one day. When his wish is granted, the land of Far Far Away is transformed into an evil, corrupt kingdom, and it’s up to Shrek to break the spell. Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas and Julie Andrews once again lend their voices. (Paramount; May 12)

Queen Latifah plays a physical therapist who falls in love with a Nets player (Common) in Just Wright. Though her best friend (Paula Patton) also has her eye on him, a career-threatening injury shows the hot athlete who will care for him in good times and bad. Sanaa Hamri (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2) directs from a script by Michael Elliot (Brown Sugar). (Fox Searchlight; May 14)

A young American woman (Amanda Seyfried) staying in Verona with her fiancé happens upon a very old letter in Letters to Juliet, requesting advice from Shakespeare’s famously lovelorn Juliet. She seeks out the aged writer of the letter (Vanessa Redgrave) and travels around a picturesque Italy in search of the woman’s lost Italian love. Gary Winick (Bride Wars) directs. (Summit; May 14)

Director Ridley Scott moves several centuries past the swords-and-sandals genre he dominated in Gladiator to take on Robin Hood. The origin tale stars Russell Crowe as a humble archer and war veteran. Inspired by his love for Lady Marion (Cate Blanchett) and the suffering Nottingham, he assembles a group of mercenaries who start robbing the rich to save the poor. Their mission expands to nation preservation when civil war threatens to divide England. (Universal; May 14)

Based on a “Saturday Night Love” skit, Will Forte stars as MacGruber, a mullet-sporting crime-fighter who somehow manages to get the job done. With the help of experts Kristen Wiig and Ryan Phillippe, MacGruber tries to stop a nuclear warhead from blowing up on U.S. soil and battles his archenemy (Val Kilmer). (Universal; May 21)

Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte strap on their Manolos and take on New York City once again in Sex and the City 2. While their adventure is being kept largely under wraps, a desert vacation, a wedding and babies will keep the ladies entertained, along with the fabled Mr. Big. Series creator Michael Patrick King returns to write, direct and produce. (New Line; May 27)

Danny Boon stars in Micmacs as a video-rental clerk who catches a bullet in his head during a drive-by gunfight. After losing his job and apartment in the wake of the accident, he bands together with a motley group living in a junkyard. They launch a series of contraption-oriented schemes designed to take down the arms manufacturers the clerk holds responsible for his injury. Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet gives the movie the fancifulness of his Amélie. (Sony Pictures Classics; May 28)

Jerry Bruckheimer, the producer who created a franchise out of a theme park ride (Pirates of the Caribbean), turns to video games for inspiration in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as a prince who discovers an ancient dagger that can turn back time. With the help of a princess (Gemma Arterton), he seeks to return the dagger to its rightful place, where evil people cannot use the weapon to take over the world. Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) directs. (Disney; May 28).

Also in May
The beautifully filmed Babies follows four newborns from Mongolia, Namibia, San Francisco and Tokyo, from their birth to their first steps. (Focus; May 7)

The documentary Casino Jack and the United States of Money delves into the world of campaign finance by profiling super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, whose corrupt reign included tales of murder, sex slaves, Russian spies and Indian casinos. (Magnolia; May 7)

Three women, one who gave up her child for adoption (Annette Bening), one raised by an adoptive family (Naomi Watts), and one on the brink of adoption (Kerry Washington) all struggle with the pathos and joy of their conditions in writer-director Rodrigo Garcia’s Mother and Child. Jimmy Smits, Samuel L. Jackson, Shareeka Epps, Cherry Jones and Amy Brenneman co-star. (Sony Pictures Classics; May 7)

Michael Douglas is Solitary Man, a divorced, down-on-his-luck former auto dealer who sleeps with his girlfriend’s (Mary-Louise Parker) daughter. Danny DeVito, Susan Sarandon, Jenna Fischer and Jesse Eisenberg play friends and family. (Anchor Bay; May 7)

A quirky, divorced father spends two irresponsible, fun-filled weeks with his two sons (ages seven and nine) in Daddy Longlegs. (IFC Films; May 14)

A down-on-his-luck postal worker seeks advice from a Manchester United soccer star, Eric Cantona (playing himself), in the touching comedy Looking for Eric, directed by acclaimed veteran Ken Loach. (IFC Films; May 14)

A madcap, Irish-accented crime movie, Perrier’s Bounty focuses on a man with a bounty on his head. He tries to raise money and escape death while building a relationship with his father and a romance with his neighbor. Cillian Murphy (The Dark Knight), Brendan Gleeson and Jim Broadbent head the cast. (IFC Films; May 14)

Q'orianka Kilcher (The New World) stars as Princess Kaiulani in the true story of her attempt to stave off American colonialism and annexation of the Hawaiian Islands. Barry Pepper (Flags of Our Fathers) co-stars. (Roadside Attractions; May 14)

From famed horror auteur George A. Romero, Survival of the Dead pits zombies against humans on a small island, as residents search for a cure that will bring their friends and family back from the undead. (Magnolia; May 28)



June Highlights
A government assassin (Ashton Kutcher) meets the love of his life (Katherine Heigl) and moves to the suburbs in Killers. Their domestic bliss is interrupted when the former hit man discovers he is being followed and on the verge of being killed himself. Robert Luketic (The Ugly Truth) directs from a script by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith (Legally Blonde). (Lionsgate; June 4)

Owen Wilson (Marley & Me) voices Marmaduke in this live-action tale of the 200-pound teenage Great Dane. When his owner’s family moves from Kansas to Orange County, Marmaduke can’t help but cause trouble despite his best intentions. In the cutthroat world of Southern California, fitting in with the other dogs doesn’t come easily. Directed by Tom Dey (Failure to Launch), the movie is based on the long-running comic strip of the same name. (20th Century Fox; June 4)

Teenagers will meet The A-Team for the first time in this film update of the 1980s TV series. A quartet of government special operatives escape from prison after being locked up for a crime they didn’t commit. Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Patrick Wilson, Jessica Biel, Sharlto Copley (District 9) and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson head the cast. (20th Century Fox; June 11)

A lowly assistant (Jonah Hill) is presented with a seemingly simple assignment in Get Him to the Greek: fly to London and escort a difficult rocker (Russell Brand) to his comeback show at the Greek Theatre. But he finds himself swept up into the rock lifestyle like a novice in a mosh pit. Nicholas Stoller, who directed Hill and Brand in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, is at the helm of this Judd Apatow production. (Universal; June 11)

Jaden Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness) plays Dre Parker, the son of a Detroit-area single mom (Taraji P. Henson) who packs up and leaves for China in The Karate Kid, a remake of the 1984 hit. Bullied by his classmates, and unable to communicate with his Chinese crush, he turns to the building’s janitor (Jackie Chan), a secret kung fu master, for help. (Columbia; June 11)

Josh Brolin plays a bounty hunter who has survived death in Jonah Hex, which is based on a series of graphic novels. In the mortal world, his only companion is a prostitute named Leila (Megan Fox). When the U.S. Military offers to grant Hex clemency for his many crimes in exchange for hunting down terrorist Quentin Turnball (John Malkovich), he agrees, but Turnball will not be an easy target: He wants Hex dead and his diabolical plan includes raising an army and opening up the gates of Hell. (Warner Bros.; June 18)

Pixar’s 3D Toy Story 3 picks up just as Woody and Buzz’s owner, Andy, is leaving for college. Andy’s toys are donated to a daycare center, where the ferocious children wreak havoc on the playthings. Along with some new friends like Ken (Michael Keaton) and a hedgehog named Mr. Pricklepants (Timothy Dalton), the toys plot their escape from the center. Tom Hanks returns to voice Woody and Tim Allen to voice Buzz. (Disney; June 18)

Five childhood friends, played by Adam Sandler, his former “Saturday Night Live” cronies Chris Rock, Rob Schneider and David Spade, and his Chuck and Larry co-star Kevin James, reunite after 30 years in the comedy Grown Ups. After their childhood basketball coach passes, the onetime team meets up for a Fourth of July reunion, along with their wives (Salma Hayek, Maria Bello, Maya Rudolph) and children. Dennis Dugan (You Don’t Mess With the Zohan, Happy Gilmore), a frequent collaborator with Sandler, directs. (Columbia; June 25)

Bella (Kristen Stewart) must choose between her vampire Edward (Robert Pattinson) and her werewolf Jacob (Taylor Lautner) in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. In the third installment of Stephenie Meyer’s series, Edward and Jacob unite to protect Bella from ominous forces. Did we mention she’s also worried about graduating from high school? (Summit; June 30)

Also in June
A fisherman (Colin Farrell) traps a selkie, a sort of Irish mermaid, in his net in Ondine. Her enigmatic presence changes his life and that of his wheelchair-bound daughter. Neil Jordan (The Brave One, Interview with the Vampire) directs. (Magnolia; June 4)

Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley play two scientists who create an animal-human hybrid in Splice. The winged, fire-breathing creature becomes dangerous as it ages, complicating the bond it has with its “parent” scientists. (Warner Bros.; June 4)

Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky dramatizes the relationship between the creative duo. Years after seeing a controversial performance of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, the successful Chanel allows the exiled Russian to live in her villa, which leads to an ardent love affair. Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale) and Anna Mouglalis star. (Sony Pictures Classics; June 11)

The winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize, Winter’s Bone centers on an Ozark girl, Ree Dolly, trying to track down her father and save her family house. Debra Granik (Down to the Bone) directed the drama, adapted from the novel of the same name. (Roadside Attractions; June 11)

A bourgeois family is upended when their patriarch dies in I Am Love. In the aftermath, the wife of one of his sons, Tilda Swinton, embarks on an affair with a chef who is a family friend (Edoardo Gabbriellini). (Magnolia; June 18)

Wild Grass, from famed French director Alain Resnais, follows a man who obsesses over a woman after finding her stolen wallet. (Sony Pictures Classics; June 25)



July Highlights
When Cameron Diaz meets Tom Cruise on a deserted plane in Knight and Day, everything changes as she finds herself thrust into the crossfire between Cruise and his enemies. James Mangold (Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma) directed the action comedy, which also features Peter Saarsgard, Maggie Grace and Paul Dano. (20th Century Fox; July 2)

Based on a Nickelodeon TV series, The Last Airbender follows a fated boy Aang (Noah Ringer) who discovers he can manipulate air, water, earth and fire. With the Fire nation warring against the other three outmatched elements, Aang must use his rare gift to stop a century of warfare. M. Night Shyamalan (The Happening, The Sixth Sense) directs. (Paramount; July 2)

The two adopted children of a lesbian couple (Julianne Moore and Annette Bening) seek out their sperm donor in The Kids Are All Right. The 18-year-old Joni (Mia Wasikowska from Alice in Wonderland) and her brother Laser (Josh Hutcherson) embark on a relationship with Paul (Mark Ruffalo), their birth father. His fun-loving ways and good looks first endear him to the family, and then cause a rift as one of the mothers develops the relationship further. Lisa Cholodenko (Laurel Canyon, High Art) directs this Sundance acquisition. (Focus; July 7)

Cyrus explores a non-traditional love triangle, where the rival for affection is a woman’s son. Long-divorced, depressed John (John C. Reilly) meets Molly (Marisa Tomei) at a party, but her wildly possessive 21-year-old son Cyrus (Jonah Hill) is not happy about the budding relationship. Jay and Mark Duplass, creators of the seminal mumblecore film The Puffy Chair, are the writer-directors. (Fox Searchlight; July 9)

In the 3D animated Despicable Me, Steve Carell voices Gru, an evil super-villain who thinks nothing of stealing an Egyptian pyramid. Near his secret lair in suburbia, he encounters three orphans. They look up to him as a father figure, waging a psychological war that may prove too great for the villain to overcome. (Universal; July 9)

The Predator franchise is revived by producer Robert Rodriguez in Predators. An elite group of warriors, led by Adrien Brody, finds themselves pursued by sophisticated, ruthless alien trackers. Nimród Antal (Armored) directs the sci-fi actioner. (20th Century Fox; July 9)

“Set within the architecture of the mind,” Inception’s hush-hush plot is made even more maddening by mysterious taglines like “Your mind is the scene of a crime.” Reminiscent of The Matrix, the story is set in a world where a thought can become reality. Christopher Nolan, of The Dark Knight and Memento fame, directs an all-star cast that includes Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role and the talents of Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard. (Warner Bros.; July 16)

Nicolas Cage stars in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice as Balthazar Blake, a Manhattan-based sorcerer intent on beating his arch-nemesis, Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina). To defeat his enemy, he recruits an apprentice (Jay Baruchel), who is both in awe of Blake’s powers and hesitant to learn them himself. The movie reunites the National Treasure trio of Cage, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Jon Turteltaub. (Disney; July 16)

Imagine attending a party where each dinner guest has been tasked with bringing along the most idiotic, annoying person they can find, with the goal “May the worst man win.” In Dinner for Schmucks, Tim (Paul Rudd), has been invited to such a party, and can’t help but attend after running into Barry (Steve Carell), an IRS agent who spends his time making dioramas staged with taxidermy mice. Jay Roach (Meet the Parents and the Austin Powers films) directs this remake of the French film Le Dîner des Cons. (Paramount; July 23)

The first in a set of classic children’s books by Beverly Cleary, Ramona and Beezus stars Joey King as ten-year-old Ramona and Selena Gomez (“Wizards of Waverly Place”) as her teenage sister Beezus. Though Beezus feels she’s supposed to love her younger sister, she gets upset when Ramona makes mistakes, doesn’t understand social niceties, or just plain annoys her. She seeks solace in her Aunt Bea (Ginnifer Goodwin) and tries to learn to love her sister no matter what. (20th Century Fox; July 23)

In a role originally written for Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie stars as CIA agent Evelyn Salt in Salt. When a defector accuses her of having worked for the Russian government as a spy, Salt uses her covert training to escape her pursuers and try to clear her name. But doth she protest too much—could she actually be a Russian spy? Phillip Noyce, who worked with Jolie in The Bone Collector, directs. (Columbia; July 23)

A New York City politician (Matt Damon) with a promising career is drawn to a beautiful ballerina (Emily Blunt) in The Adjustment Bureau. However, strange circumstances keep preventing them from developing a romance. George Nolfi (a writer on The Bourne Ultimatum) directs this loose adaptation of hard-boiled author Philip K. Dick’s story. (Universal; July 30)

Beastly offers a modern, teen twist on the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. After playing a prank on a Goth classmate (Mary-Kate Olsen), a vain teen’s (Alex Pettyfer) internal ugliness shows itself on the outside. Banished to Brooklyn, he befriends the daughter of a local drug addict, Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens). But, as they say in the Disney version, “Who could ever learn to love a beast?” (CBS Films; July 30)

Cats and dogs take on the spy-thriller genre in Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. The 3D mix of live-action and CGI has a pernicious, furless villain: Kitty Galore, a rogue agent formerly of the top-secret MEOWS organization. Galore has a diabolical plan to enslave man and petkind. Felines and canines are forced to do the unthinkable—put aside their differences and join together to take down Galore. (Warner Bros.; July 30)

In Get Low, the feared town hermit Felix (Robert Duvall) emerges from the woods to throw a living funeral, with the help of an opportunistic funeral home owner (Bill Murray). His plans also involve the disclosure of a long-held secret involving the town preacher (Bill Cobbs) and a widow (Sissy Spacek). Aaron Schneider makes his feature directing debut. (Sony Pictures Classics; July 30)



August Highlights
The cop comedy The Other Guys pairs Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg to play misfit NYPD officers. A nerdy forensic accountant (Ferrell) and a disgraced, trigger-happy detective (Wahlberg) have a chance to show their stuff when they land an unlikely case. Though they seek to emulate their idols, golden boys Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson, they don’t handle their cases as much as their cases handle them. Frequent Ferrell collaborator Adam McKay (Step Brothers, Talladega Nights, Anchorman) directs and co-wrote the screenplay. (Columbia; August 6)

Underground street dancing leaps out in three dimensions in Step Up 3D. A group of New York City street dancers, including Luke (Rick Malambri) and Natalie (Sharni Vinson), join forces with an NYU freshman called Moose (Adam Sevani). Together, they compete against the world’s best hip-hop dancers in a nerve-racking competition. Jon M. Chu (Step Up 2 the Streets) returns to direct. (Disney; August 6)

Julia Roberts stars in Eat, Pray, Love, an adaptation of the bestselling memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert. Abandoning her husband and her plans to get pregnant in one fell swoop, the author decides to go around the world to find herself. Over the course of one year, she goes to Rome (to eat), an ashram in India (to pray) and Bali (where she finds love). Richard Jenkins, Javier Bardem, James Franco, and Viola Davis round out the cast, under the direction of Ryan Murphy (Running with Scissors). (Columbia; August 13)

A testosterone-charged group of mercenaries, led by Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), agree to overthrow a cruel island-nation dictator in The Expendables. When a local freedom fighter (Giselle Itie) gets left behind and falls into the hands of the enemy, Ross plans a rescue. Stallone directs from his own screenplay. (Lionsgate; August 13)

Drew Barrymore and Justin Long star as a bicoastal couple in Going the Distance. While both intend to be apart for just a year, job prospects on opposite ends of the U.S. could make their long-distance relationship indefinite—but will it survive? Nanette Burstein (American Teen) directs. (Warner Bros.-New Line; August 13)

In Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Michael Cera plays a 22-year-old slacker and garage-band bass player who falls for Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). To win Ramona’s heart, Scott will have to battle her seven exes, including a skateboarder, a vegan rock star and identical twins. Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) directs the fantasy-action comedy, based on a graphic novel. (Universal; August 13)

Modern conception gets a comedic take in The Baster, an adaptation of the short story by Jeffrey Eugenides (The Virgin Suicides). Jennifer Aniston plays a woman reaching the end of her fertile stage who decides to hold a party where she will inseminate herself with her attractive friend’s (Patrick Wilson) sperm. Another resentful friend (Jason Bateman) switches the sperm with his own, making him the secret father of the resulting child. Josh Gordon (Blades of Glory) directs. (Miramax; August 20)

Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson) uses her magic to tame a tumultuous household in the sequel Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang. Mrs. Isabel Green (Maggie Gyllenhaal) can barely keep the peace with her husband off at war, and her spoiled nephew and niece staying with the family. With the help of McPhee, the children learn memorable lessons in cooperation and good manners. (Universal; August 20)

Glamorous bank robbers just never get old, do they? In Takers, a well-trained group of criminals (Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Hayden Christensen, Michael Ealy, and real-life rappers T.I. and Chris Brown) rob bank after bank, leaving little evidence behind. As they plan their final, biggest heist, a detective (Matt Dillon) starts to close in on the team. (Screen Gems; August 20)

Also in August
The documentary The Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest tells the story of the first man to attempt the summit, George Mallory, and follows up 75 years later with Conrad Anker’s discovery of his remains. (National Geographic Films; August 6)

Set entirely inside a tank during the 1982 Lebanon War, Lebanon draws from director Samuel Maoz’s personal experience to tell the story of the first 24 hours of the Israeli invasion. The drama won the Golden Lion at the 2009 Venice Film Festival. (Sony Pictures Classics; August 13)

In The Lottery Ticket, a young man (Bow Wow) finds himself holding onto the winning ticket for a $370 million lottery prize but cannot claim his prize until the end of a three-day holiday weekend. His neighbors in public housing find out about the ticket, leading to an escalation of greed and even violence. (Warner Bros.; August 20)

A tremor awakens man-eating fish from the bottom of touristy Lake Victoria in Piranha 3-D. The town sheriff (Elisabeth Shue) must do everything she can to protect her townspeople. Directed by Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes), the thriller is a remake of a 1978 film. (Dimension; August 27)

Early September
George Clooney stars as a disaffected assassin whose brush with death has convinced him to quit the business in The American. On his last assignment in Italy, he seeks out the companionship of the local priest and develops a relationship with a local woman. Letting down his guard, however, could come at the expense of opening himself up to his enemies. Anton Corbjin (Control) directs. (Focus; Sept. 1)

A nerdy guy in Iowa (Nick Swardson) discovers his parents were 1970s porn stars in Born to Be a Star. In a tale co-written by Adam Sandler, there is only one option for the young man: follow in his parents’ footsteps, move to California, and become a porn star himself. Christina Ricci co-stars as his girlfriend, innocent of the whole situation—at least at first. (Sony; Sept. 3)

All release dates are subject to change.