May 1 - Iron Man (Paramount Pictures) This Marvel Comics adaptation looks set to kick-start the summer with a bang. Robert Downey Jr stars as Tony Stark, a man who turns into a superhero after a near-death accident in Afghanistan. Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrence Howard also star.

May 2 - Made Of Honor (Sony Pictures) Romantic comedy starring Patrick Dempsey (heart-throb on hit US TV series Grey's Anatomy) provides a good counter-programmer to Iron Man. Dempsey plays a serial dater who falls for his best friend after she asks him to be her "maid of honour". It will see a staggered release worldwide.

May 9 - The Day The Earth Stood Still (20th Century Fox)

Director Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism Of Emily Rose) remakes the 1951 sci-fi classic about an alien and his robot who land on Earth to warn the human race of an impending danger on the planet. Cast yet to be confirmed but likely to be a day-and-date release.

May 9 - Speed Racer (Warner Bros)

This spin-off of a Japanese animation TV series about a young race car driver sees Andy and Larry Wachowski back in the directors' chairs for the first time since The Matrix films. Starring Emile Hirsch (Alpha Dog) and Christina Ricci.

May 16 - The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Walt Disney Studios)

Disney and Walden Media release the second instalment of the Narnia series in early summertime, countering its December 2006 release of The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, which went on to gross $744.7m worldwide. It will see a staggered international release.

May 23 - Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (Paramount Pictures)

Nearly two decades after the last Indy adventure, Steven Spielberg brings Transformers star Shia LaBeouf and Cate Blanchett to Harrison Ford's side in arguably the most highly anticipated film of 2008. It will release day-and-date worldwide.

May 30 - Starship Dave

(20th Century Fox)

Eddie Murphy stars in this sci-fi comedy as a human spaceship who carries a crew of miniature aliens in their bid to save a doomed world. As Murphy's last five films have grossed over $1bn worldwide, this has the potential to generate some big numbers at the box office.

June 6 - Kung Fu Panda (DreamWorks/Paramount Pictures)

DreamWorks' 2008 offering sees Po the Panda take on enemies to save his beloved habitat. With the voices of Jack Black, Jackie Chan, Dustin Hoffman and Angelina Jolie, it will follow Shrek The Third's staggered release pattern.

June 13 - The Incredible Hulk (Universal Pictures)

Universal releases its second adaptation of the green man in five years, this time starring Ed Norton and Liv Tyler. A mid-June release hopes to see it pass the global $245m that its predecessor, The Hulk, made in 2003.

June 20 - Get Smart (Warner Bros)

Steve Carell stars as secret agent Maxwell Smart in the adaptation of Mel Brooks' hit 1960's US comedy TV series. Paramount is staggering the international release around the European Championships in hopes to target a more global audience.

June 27 - Wall-E (Walt Disney Studios)

Pixar Animation offer a CGI-animated feature about a robot in the year 2700. It is directed by Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, A Bug's Life) and likely to see a staggered release.

July 2 - Hancock (Sony Pictures)

Will Smith's past three July 4 blockbusters generated over $747m worldwide. In this action flick, he stars as a fallen superhero who tries to win back his adulation from the public. It releases day-and-date for 80% of territories on the July 4 weekend.

July 11 - Tropic Thunder (Paramount Pictures)

Ben Stiller directs and stars alongside Jack Black, Bill Hader and Robert Downey Jr in this comedy about a group of actors playing soldiers who end up fighting in a real war.

July 18 - The Dark Knight (Warner Bros)

Christian Bale returns to Gotham City as Batman to fight original menace The Joker, played by Heath Ledger. This is the second Batman film to be directed by Christopher Nolan - Batman Begins took $372m worldwide after its June 2005 release.

August 1 - The Mummy: Emperor Of The Dragon (Universal Pictures)

The third instalment of The Mummy brings in Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh as a mummy is unearthed in the Far East. The last two films have generated $848m globally so this film will push the franchise well past the $1bn mark despite its late summer release.

August 1 - South Of The Border (Walt Disney Studios)

Drew Barrymore provides the voice for Chloe, a Beverly Hills chihuahua that gets lost in Mexico. Salma Hayek, Jamie Lee Curtis and Andy Garcia also star.

Listings based on North American release dates. Correct at time of going to press.