The reverberations of the US writers' strike are being felt around the world as a trio of international shoots - Sony's Angels And Demons, Warner Bros' Vietnam drama Pinkville, to be directed by Oliver Stone, and Warner Bros- backed Shantaram, set to star Johnny Depp - have been put on hold and hastily pulled from schedules.

However, while there is further concern about projects set to shoot towards the end of the year and into 2009 if the strike continues, most of the major US releases for 2008 have been unaffected.

Universal had a brief scare with its murder mystery, State Of Play, when Brad Pitt insisted on script changes and subsequently left the project, but Russell Crowe has stepped in to take over. And despite previous concerns over the sixth Harry Potter and Bond films being made in time, the former is now shooting at Pinewood studios in the UK and Marc Forster's Bond 22 is set to follow it this month.

Indeed, one of the strongest themes of this year's line-up from the US studios' major English-language releases is one of resurrection. Old franchises thought to be dead and buried have been re-animated in the wake of 2005's successful Batman Begins.

In addition to Warner Bros' The Dark Knight, Paramount is releasing Star Trek, which returns to Captain Kirk's early days, and a new instalment of Indiana Jones, which - as with Lionsgate's Rambo - will attempt to breathe new life into a franchise not touched for 20 years, with both lead men now in their 60s.

Universal is also releasing new instalments of The Mummy and The Incredible Hulk, and there are more predictable sequels from the Harry Potter, Chronicles Of Narnia and Hellboy stables, as well as a remake of the 1950s sci-fi classic The Day The Earth Stood Still.

POWER BALLADS: the tentpoles

10,000 B.C. (Mar 7) Warner Bros

Director Roland Emmerich seeks to replicate the $543m global box-office success of The Day After Tomorrow (2004) with a prehistoric epic featuring a cast of new faces.

Iron Man (May 1) Paramount Pictures

Marvel Comics' adaptation kicks off the official summer season with Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark, a man who turns into a superhero after a near-death accident. Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrence Howard also star.

Speed Racer (May 9) Warner Bros

This spin-off of a Japanese animation TV series about a race-car driver sees Andy and Larry Wachowski back in the directors' chairs for the first time since the $1.6bn Matrix franchise. Starring Hollywood hot property Emile Hirsch (Into The Wild) alongside Christina Ricci.

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

Disney and Walden Media release the second instalment of the Narnia series in early summer, in contrast to the December 2006 release of The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, which grossed $744.7m worldwide.

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

DreamWorks Animation's latest offering sees Po the Panda in a fight to save his habitat. Jack Black, Jackie Chan, Dustin Hoffman and Angelina Jolie lend their voices to the film, which will follow Shrek The Third's staggered international release pattern.

Hancock (July 2) Sony Pictures

Will Smith's previous three July 4 blockbusters have generated more than $747m worldwide. In this action film, he stars as a fallen superhero who tries to win back his adulation from the public.

The Dark Knight (July 18) Warner Bros

Christian Bale returns to Gotham City as Batman to fight original menace the Joker, played by Heath Ledger. Christopher Nolan directs following the success of his Batman Begins, which grossed $372m worldwide.

Bond 22 (Nov 7) Sony Pictures

The second Bond film starring Daniel Craig is set to begin shooting this month with Marc Forster taking the helm, and Gemma Arterton mooted as the new Bond girl. Mirroring the November release of Casino Royale, Bond 22 could surpass that film's nearly $600m global takings.

The Happening (June 13) Twentieth Century Fox

M Night Shyamalan writes and directs this thriller about a family trying to escape a natural crisis that threatens humanity. Starring Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel.

Valkyrie (June 27) MGM Studios

Tom Cruise stars in Bryan Singer's Second World War film about a plot to kill Hitler.

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (November 21) Warner Bros

The sixth instalment of the Potter series, directed by Order Of The Phoenix's David Yates, has a pre-Thanksgiving release, hoping to push the franchise past the $5bn mark.

GOLDEN OLDIES: welcome back to old faces

Rambo (Jan 25) Lionsgate

Sylvester Stallone directs and stars in the latest instalment of the Rambo franchise.

Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (May 22 - Memorial Day weekend) Paramount Pictures

Nearly 20 years after the last Indy adventure, Steven Spielberg brings Transformers star Shia LaBeouf and Cate Blanchett to Harrison Ford's side.

The Incredible Hulk (June 13) Universal Pictures

The Transporter director Louis Leterrier takes over from Ang Lee, with Edward Norton replacing Eric Bana as Bruce Banner. Liv Tyler plays Betty Ross. Lee's 2003 Hulk made $245m worldwide.

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

In The Mummy's third instalment, Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh join Brendan Fraser as a mummy is found in the Far East. The last two films grossed $848m globally.

Star Trek (Dec 25) Paramount Pictures

The 11th feature from the franchise follows the early days of James T Kirk, played by Chris Pine, working as a crew member on the USS Enterprise. Eric Bana and Winona Ryder also star.

The Day The Earth Stood Still (Dec 12) Twentieth Century Fox

Director Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism Of Emily Rose) remakes the 1951 sci-fi classic about an alien robot who lands on Earth to warn of impending danger. Jennifer Connelly, Keanu Reeves and Kathy Bates star.

BUBBLEGUM POP: guilty pleasures

Starship Dave (May 30) Twentieth Century Fox

Eddie Murphy, whose last five films have generated more than $1bn worldwide, stars in this sci-fi comedy as a human spaceship who carries a crew of miniature aliens.

WALL.E (June 27) Walt Disney Studios

Pixar's major 2008 release about a robot in the year 2700 is directed by Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, A Bug's Life).

Madagascar 2 (Nov 7) DreamWorks Animation/Paramount Pictures

DreamWorks Animation has reassembled the cast in the hope of repeating the success they had with Madagascar, which grossed $533m worldwide.

He's Just Not That Into You (Aug 1) New Line

An all-star cast headed by Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore and Scarlett Johansson should make this romantic comedy, based on a bestselling book, a late summer hit.

TRIBUTE ACTS: based on familiar material

Jumper (Feb 14 - President's Day weekend) Twentieth Century Fox

Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity) directs this sci-fi thriller about a young man who discovers he can teleport himself anywhere. Based on the novel by Steven Gould and starring Hayden Christensen and Samuel L Jackson.

Get Smart (June 20) Warner Bros

Steve Carell stars as secret agent Maxwell Smart in this adaptation of Mel Brooks' hit 1960s US comedy TV series. Paramount is staggering the international release around the European Football Championship.

Wanted (June 27) Universal Pictures

Russian director Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch) directs Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman in this assassin thriller, based on Mark Millar's graphic novels. Universal moved the release date from April, confident of success in the summer.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (July 11) Universal Pictures

Guillermo del Toro's follow up to Hellboy, which made $100m worldwide. Based on the comics by Mike Mignola, the film stars Ron Perlman and Selma Blair.

Mamma Mia (July 18) Universal Pictures

Based on the hit Abba musical, Meryl Streep and Colin Firth star in what may be 2008's answer to Hairspray.

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (November 28 - Thanksgiving) Paramount Pictures

Brad Pitt stars in David Fincher's potential awards contender with Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton. Based on the 1922 short story by F Scott Fitzgerald, Pitt plays an old man who becomes younger as his life goes on.

Revolutionary Road (Dec 19) DreamWorks/Paramount Pictures

Sam Mendes re-unites Titanic stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet for this 1950s drama about a suburban couple struggling to raise their children. Based on the Pulitzer-Prize winning novel by Richard Yates.

State Of Play (TBC) Universal Pictures

Another likely awards contender, Russell Crowe stars in this adaptation of a BBC TV series about reporters investigating the murder of a congressman's mistress.

Dirty Tricks (TBC) Paramount Pictures.

Brad Pitt and Meryl Streep star in this Watergate drama following the wife of Nixon's attorney general as she defends her husband.

ALTERNATIVE SOUNDS: films for the cool kids

Cloverfield (Jan 18) Paramount Pictures

This sci-fi thriller produced by Lost creator JJ Abrams follows a monster attack in New York City through the eyes of a group of friends. Awareness of the film has been building steadily online.

Be Kind Rewind (Jan 25) New Line

Michel Gondry's much-anticipated film sees Jack Black as a man who accidentally destroys the films in a friend's video store and then tries to re-create all the movies himself.

Leatherheads (April 4) Universal Pictures

George Clooney directs and stars in this 1920s American football film alongside Renee Zellweger and John Krasinski.

Burn After Reading (TBC) Focus Features

The Coen brothers re-team with George Clooney for this comedy in which a former CIA agent loses a disc containing his memoirs and discovers that two gym employees are attempting to sell it. Also starring Brad Pitt and John Malkovich.

CLASSICAL: PERIOD PIECES

The Other Boleyn Girl (Feb 29) Sony Pictures

Justin Chadwick's UK-based period drama stars Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman as Mary and Anne Boleyn who fight for the affection of Henry VIII (Eric Bana).

The Duchess (TBC) Paramount Vantage

UK director Saul Dibb's second film after London urban drama Bullet Boy marks quite a change in genre: Keira Knightley stars in this period drama as the 18th-century Duchess of Devonshire, renowned for her extravagant lifestyle. Ralph Fiennes co-stars.

Brideshead Revisited (TBC) Miramax

Julian Jarrold's film adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's classic novel about a young man's involvement with the Catholic aristocratic Flyte family, features a cast of up-and-coming UK stars led by Matthew Goode, Ben Whishaw and Hayley Atwell.

COLLEGE ROCK: make 'em laugh

Semi-Pro (Feb 29) New Line

Will Ferrell teams up again with Old School writer Scot Armstrong for this basketball comedy co-starring Woody Harrelson.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (May 30) Universal Pictures

Judd Apatow (Knocked Up) works here as producer, re-assembling his regular stable of actors, Jason Segel (who also wrote the script), Bill Hader, Jonah Hill and Paul Rudd, for this comedy about a man who finds himself in the same holiday resort as his ex-girlfriend.

You Don't Mess With The Zohan (June 6) Sony Pictures

Co-written by Apatow and Adam Sandler, this comedy sees Sandler as a Mossad spy who fakes his own death and moves to New York to become a hairdresser. Directed by veteran film-maker and actor Dennis Dugan.

The Love Guru (June 20) Paramount Pictures

Mike Myers stars as an American raised by gurus who returns to the US to help people with love problems. Justin Timberlake and Jessica Alba co-star.

Tropic Thunder (July 11) DreamWorks/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.

Pineapple Express (August 8) Sony Pictures

James Franco and Seth Rogen bump heads in another Apatow scripted-comedy. The two play a drug dealer and his stoner client who are on the run from the police after witnessing a cop commit a murder.